s
Heart, we will forget him,
You and I, tonight!
You must forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.
When you have done pray tell me,
Then I, my thoughts, will dim.
Haste! ‘lest while you’re lagging
I may remember him!
this is the perfect breakup poem. this poem is very intense because it recognizes that when a person breaks up with another person, the individual must not only forget herself ( or hisself) but also convince his or her heart to let go and forget. any memories of love are often what can keep a person tied to another person. this is why the heart must forget all together. “you must forget the warmth he gave. i must forget the light” . In this poem she is talking to an object that a person does not talk to, in other words, Emily is personifying her heart as a friend that must also forget her love.
When you have done pray tell me,
Then I, my thoughts, will dim.
Haste! ‘lest while you’re lagging
I may remember him!
THis part of the poem is particularly interesting. Emily longs to be over him, and prays to know as soon as possible. but until then, while the heart has not yet healed and forgotten, she says that she “may” remember him. May as in that she still wants to be able to remember him. and that is the ironic pain of being in a break up that emily is trying to display. she longs to forget, but dwells on memories.
