Chapter 2b: Love Poems, 1900-1909
Love Poems.
At the turn of the 20th century, African American women were thinking critically about love and its complexities, offering perspectives on marriage, longing, regret, and the search for identity. Although there were heterosexual love poems at the time, sapphic poetry thrived, as these poets reflected on their personal experiences, subtly challenging norms and expectations regarding romantic relationships. Through introspective narratives, these women invite readers to contemplate timeless questions about the nature of love and the enduring quest for human connection, understanding, and acceptance.
Priscilla Jane Thompson, "An Unromantic Awakening" (from Ethiope Lays, 1900)
I fell asleep, and had a dream—
Which even now, doth linger near;
Methought, that in my arms, I held,
One who to me, is very dear;
I drank her warm breath rapt'ously,
As her soft arms my neck entwined—
She pressed a kiss—it was too much!
I woke in trembling joy divine.
It was too much, indeed, for me;
What were my feelings, when I found—
The certainty of my fair love,
Was, cuddling in my lap, my hound?
I rose and dashed him savagely
Upon the ground, with one sound kick—
And as my slumb'ring sense returned,
I saw him marching, double quick.
Priscilla Thompson's poem is a witty and vivid clash between dreams and reality in her sapphic exploration. The poem begins with the narrator in a blissful dream, holding someone dear in a moment of intimacy. If you notice, Thompson uses she/her pronouns to describe her lover, which is an explicit queerness often not used at this time. Unfortunately, her dream comes to an abrupt end when the comic twist comes; the speaker wakes up to find their beloved is actually their dog, which could be seen as part of the disillusionment and societal pressures that queer people faced at the time. Thompson's clever twist and playful asks her audience to laugh at the speaker’s predicament, while also inviting us to think carefully about the complexities of love and identity beyond conventional heterosexual boundaries.
Clara Ann Thompson, "Parted" (from Songs from the Wayside, 1908)
She said she forgave me;
I looked in her eyes,
And knew that her words were true;
For one blissful moment,
I felt my hopes rise,
And sought I, my vows to renew.
But, something I missed,
In her calm, steady, gaze,
Caused the love words to die, e'er they came;
For, though her kind heart,
So freely forgave,
Still, I knew that it was not the same.
For, once, that pure heart,
Was all, but my own;
Well I knew, how it quickened its beat,
How those sweet, gentle, eyes,
With a soft luster, shone,
At the sound of my coming feet.
But little I valued
The pearl I had found,
And carelessly cast it away,
For one, whose gay laugh
Proved a meaningless sound,
And whose heart was all vanity.
And when I returned,
For I'd learned her true worth,
As I sadly gazed in her eyes,
I knew that her love
Had died at its birth,
I had lost forever, my prize.
Here, Clara Thompson delves into a different season of queer love: regret and loss. The poem opens with the speaker recounting forgiveness from a beloved woman, yet despite her assurances, the speaker discerns a subtle shift in their connection. This prompts Clara Thompson to reflect on past mistakes, where she acknowledges undervaluing their love and losing it to someone who could not reciprocate her feelings. Clara Thompson's tone conveys the pain of realizing the depth of her feelings too late, emphasizing the nuances of navigating queer identities and their impact on relationships.