The poem “Love In Place”, written by Nikki Giovanni, is dedicated to the theme of love. It is clear that the poem is very personal and the poet shares the most intimate thoughts and emotions that she felt her life. In her sonnet the Giovanni tries to identify what is love and what this feeling means to her. Thinking about her past memories, the speaker tries to understand whether she has ever fallen in love in her life. This question seems to be rather significant for the poet. Moreover, while thinking about love, she tries to find some evidences that she experienced this strong feeling. However, looking at her old photographs, the poet finally realizes that both she and her lover were happy and that both of them experienced love. The theme of love, which is one of the central themes in the poem, is mostly revealed through its tone, symbolism and the usage of poetic devices.
First of all, it is important to pay attention to the tone and the general style of the poem. It is worth of note that the tone of the poem seems to be rather sensitive. The thing is that it is dedicated to delicate and intimate topic. Love is very personal feeling and the thing that the poet shares her feelings regarding it brings some sensitivity to the poem. It makes it very personal and emotional. The speaker shares with the audience the way she starts to act when she fancies someone. For instance, she starts to pay more attention to her appearance, making sure that her nails and hair look good. Thus, she states that “I know I must have fallen in love once because I quit biting / My cuticles and my hair is gray and that must indicate / something” (Giovanni, lines 5-7). Moreover, the poet confirms that she started to appreciate romantic singers such as Billie Holiday or Billy Strayohorn. The fact that the author started to listen such songs and such music in general also made her wonder “if it wasn't for love I don't know what it was” (Giovanni, lines 8-9). It is clear that all these revelations make the tone of the poem lyrical and very emotional. It is also possible to say that at times the tone of the poem becomes rather melancholic. It happens due to the fact that the poet recalls her past memories. According to Giovanni's writing style, it seems that she misses her past a lot as she pays a lot of her attention to it. Indeed, the poet remembers some rather peculiar things. For instance, she claims, “I remember wanting to bake corn bread and boil a ham and I certainly remember / making lemon pie and when I used to smoke I stopped in the middle of my day to / contemplate” (Giovanni, lines 2-4). It's interesting that while thinking about love the poet also pays attention to her love for food and cooking. Her feelings seem to be very contradicting as it is hard for her to concentrate her attention on the one thing. However, despite all these facts, the poet seems to be rather calm though a bit sensitive.
It should be also noted that the main theme of Giovanni’s poem is revealed through the usage of symbolism. For example, food serves as the symbol of love for the poet. Thus, the in the poem the speaker states that she doesn't remember whether she has ever fallen in love. However, she clearly remembers the food she cooked. Furthermore, she connects love to music. The poet believes that these are mainly loving people who listen to romantic and lyrical songs. Therefore, the fact that the speaker started to love such songs proves that she has fallen in love. It is also worth considering the symbol of a photograph. It seems that the old photographs that the poet looks at serve as the symbol of love and happiness. Thus, the speaker alleges, “I see the old photographs and I am smiling and I'm sure quite happy” (Giovanni, line 10). It is obvious that the smile on the photographs proves that the poet was truly happy. Moreover, the speaker states, “and I am still you and slim and very much committed to the / Love we still have” (Giovanni, lines 13-14). While looking at the photographs the poet admits that she knows what love is and the she experienced it. That is precisely why they may be viewed as a symbol of love and happiness.
In order to understand the meaning of the poem, it is necessary to analyze the choice of words and poetic devices that are most commonly used by Giovanni. For instance, imagery is widely used in the poem. It could be seen when she claims, “but what I / mostly see is me / through your eyes / And I am still you and slim (Giovanni, lines 10-13). By using imagery, the poet establishes some connection with the reader. The usage of imagery helps the readers to better understand the world described by the poet. Moreover, it is possible to find some examples of the usage of alliteration, such as “and I am still”. Another important literary device used by the poet is repetition. Thus, the word ‘remember’ is used several times in the poem. The speaker probably repeats this word due to the fact that her memories are significant and valuable. It is evident that they mean a lot to her. Another phrase that is repeated several times is “falling in love”. The repetition of this phrase proves that love is the central theme of the poem and that it is truly important for the author to understand whether she has ever experienced this feeling in her life.
Works Cited
Giovanni, Nikki. “Love In Place”
