Thesis: Through a first person speaker, Collins uses language, imagery and form to convey his theme of lonely, one-sided love.
Introduction
First person speaker
Failing relationship
Speaker still in love
Language and Imagery
“boat rides” etc
“sometimes” and “more often than not”
Form and Rhyme
Free verse
Occasional slant rhyme
5. Conclusion
“The Breather” by Billy Collins is an interesting poem which conveys the theme of lonely love. Not that many poems cover the darker, isolated side of love, and this could be partly what makes this poem so memorable. Collins uses a seemingly mild-mannered, pensive speaker to narrate the poem, which creates a contemplative, conversational tone for the reader. Conversational language and imagery are also noticeable throughout, allowing the reader to fully understand what the speaker is going through. Additionally, the poet’s use of free verse further compounds the casual, understated tone. Through a first person speaker, Collins uses language, imagery and form to convey his theme of lonely, one-sided love.
The theme of the poem is largely conveyed through the choice of first person speaker. As the poet is male, many readers may automatically assume that the speaker is also male; however, there is no evidence of a specific gender in this poem. The speaker appears to be in a failing relationship. He feels distant from his lover, despite his attempts to work on the relationship. He says: “our tender overlapping / has been taking place only inside me” (Collins 5-6). This demonstrates that he feels that he is in love and wanting contact, but his partner no longer is. The speaker seems to still be very much in love, and this is evident from the following lines: “All that sweetness, the love and desire— / it’s just been me dialing myself” (Collins 7-8). “love” and “desire” are strong words, and that he feels like he has only been speaking to himself reveals that he has realized he is in a one-sided relationship. The speaker seems calm, quiet and likeable, which is interesting as the reader doesn’t really get an insight into his character.
Collins’ use of language and imagery further conveys the poem’s theme of lonely love. On first reading of this poem, it could be interpreted that the speaker is merely suffering from unrequited love. However, further in the poem the speaker uses imagery to insinuate that he and his partner have had many important times together: “the boat rides, / the airport embraces, and all the drinks” (Collins 14-15). These lines conjure up images of adventure, affection and fun, implying that the speaker used to have these things in his relationship but no longer does. He suggests that he often tries to connect with his partner: “to find no one on the line, / well, sometimes a little breathing / but more often than not, nothing” (Collins 10-12). The “sometimes” and “more often than not” imply that he attempts this frequently. Occasionally his partner responds mildly, though still distantly, but mostly they do not respond at all.
The form and occasional rhyme of “The Breather” further reflect its theme. It is written in free verse, and contains six stanzas. The stanzas each have three lines, but this is really the only strict form to the poem. The lines are relatively short, containing between five and thirteen syllables, though most are around eight syllables long. The final line is the longest: “and the extension in the darkened guest room upstairs” (Collins 18). This is effective The words are also simple and short. This simplicity seems to echo the speaker’s quiet contemplation. There is no real rhyme scheme in “The Breather.” In fact, the only rhyme that stands out is “breathing” and “nothing” in the fourth stanza, and this is only a slant rhyme. It seems that Collins wanted to write the poem in a casual, conversational tone, and this rhyme was injected to highlight this fourth stanza: the moment when the speaker admits that really he gets no response or attention from his partner.
Using a first person speaker, the poet uses language, imagery and form to demonstrate the theme of one-sided love. “The Breather” by Billy Collins is an memorable poem, partly because it covers the view of love as isolating and sad.
Works Cited
Collins, Billy. “The Breather.” Poetry Foundation. 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.
