This poem by Abse seems to reflect a memory play in that each stanza seems to reflect on the chunks of memories coming back to this woman Eva Jones. Unlike Larkin there is no rhyme scheme to this poem, this could suggest that this poem is not a sonnet as the ending of this poem doesn't actually make it seem like a love poem, it seems as if it is a form of nostalgia. This poem can link to the poem by Larkin Wild Oats as it covers the themes of love and also rejection.
Within stanza one we see how love is conveyed. It is 'shy love' and it 'hobbled by'. Shy love acts as an oxymoron for the emotions being personified in this case. Abse also comments that it is 'hand in hand' which could suggest a protective nature to love, this gives off positive connotations of it. The 'small blond grandson' conveys just how much time has moved on.
This is also conveyed in stanza two where it says 'Eva Jones, remember me? My acne. My dimples'. This again gives us an insight into how much time has passed. He is reminiscing about childhood, showing that he has aged and still cares for Eva Jones.
This sense of love is conveyed also in stanza three where 'I held my breath'. This could suggest a shy act if love from the boy, he is speechless of how beautiful she looks, however he doesn't want to give it away. This gives us the ideas of childish love, like you see at school, when you fancy someone but you don't want to tell them. So this reinforces a childish nature to this kind of love.
The fourth stanza also reinforces ideas conveyed in stanza three. 'I climbed over the glass-crowned wall and stole Mrs Humphrey's summer apples'. This again suggests a silly act which would be carried out by children, it is an act of love to please the other person.
In stanza five we get a sense that the memory has ended through the word 'forever' and that the two are closely bonding through when Abse comments 'forehead to forehead I searched you searching eyes'. This suggest that the two may still be searching for one another in the future and that they truly love one another. In the past this 'searching' could of represented that they were searching for ways to fall in love with one another.
In the last stanza it is described as a 'synopsis' which could suggest there is something rather fictional to this love and that it is just a façade in the boys eyes, he hopes for love but he will never be able to reach it. The ending of this poem is quite sad, the persona seems to be dumped. Eva Jones says 'You have a beautiful classy mind but I find you physically unattractive - and I prefer um, blond boys besides'. This reinforces that the persona may be jealous of blond boys, he is dumped by his love yet these lines juxtapose the others as they describe the happy memories shared, whilst this one reinforces the heart-breaking memory of the persona. We get an insight into Eva Jones' personality through this quote as well. It suggests she is looking for the idealistic boy, just like how Larkin tries to find the idealistic woman in Wild Oats. This is how these two poems link with one another.
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