SARAH WITH A GOLDEN ROSE
We step in sync
To the tunes of a waving melody,
Drunk off the dripping nectar
of a poisonous berry,
She keeps on dancing,
Edging us on into the moments of an imminent tragedy.
Mother Mary,
I swear I want to change, but
I fear I have lost my way.
Spell bound with eyes like Porcelain blue,
Cutting through the air till I can’t breathe,
With Ruby lips of well-placed kisses,
She moves gracefully, like the siren that she is,
Swaying gently with her hands on my arms,
I am damned to be in the embrace of
This tainted maiden with golden heart.
As I fall down the rabbit hole,
Through the labyrinth of feather-like senses,
I have become undone in her pleasures,
Reducing the kings of men
To rubble at her dainty feet.
Just like Helen of Greece,
In the humble battle for Troy,
She is Sarah with a Golden Rose.
PLEASE PROCEED TO THE NEXT SECTION TO START THE REVIEW OF THE POEM!!!
This poem is heavily inspired by a couple of my favourite songs. I was obsessed with Sarah Smiles by Panic at the Disco! and Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary by Rihanna. They are classics in my library and I really like the flux of emotions when listening them.
The title Sarah With A Golden Rose is a direct influence from the song by Panic at the Disco! with both characters named ‘Sarah’. My own interpretation of the song is about a woman whose carefree personality both entraps and endears her admirers (in this case the singer) without much effort on her part. The main character in the song describes her as an addictive enigma and although he acknowledges that her personality is quite self-destructive to him, he can’t help himself from falling for her.
The direction of the poem is however inspired by Rihanna’ song, mainly the second part, Mother Mary. What I interpreted from the second part is the feeling of someone who is on the self-destructive path and is barely self-aware, seeking for some form of reprieve before they finally lose themselves. The line “Mother Mary” is a direct reference to the prayer made in the song.
The combination of both songs lead me to imagine a man drunk off an obsessive love that he cannot leave and it doesn’t seem like he wants to. He is self-aware on how dangerous the love could be but he has already lost the will to fight it.
Again, this is my own interpretation and this is the judgment that governed the creation of the poem. Anyways, this is a simple poem, so let’s get into the analysis.
This is the first poem I am analysing with the emphasis on a narrator who turns out to be worthy of scepticism for reasons that would be explained in the next section. Regardless, it shows an obsessive love of a biased narrator about a questionable love interest.
The structure is quite simple but it is the execution of the story points that makes it quite odd. The main strength of the poem is mental state of the narrator and how he was able to convey his thoughts, which in turn makes the structure interesting. There is more to decipher by taking each line piece by piece and understanding how much his presence factors into the poem. He is not just a narrator; he is a central character. It is not just what he says that is important, but how he says it.
So, it is important to keep these elements in mind while reviewing the poem. The next section will be brief and direct but I will state again that it would be based on my own interpretation and there is plenty of room for individual interpretation.
In first stanza, the premise is established. The love interest is introduced with the underlined threat of danger as there are references to poison, tragedy and a woman dancing.
Line 2: To the tunes of a waving melody,
Line 3: Drunk off the dripping nectar
Line 4: of a poisonous berry,
Line 5: She keeps on dancing,
Line 6: Edging us on into the moments of an imminent tragedy.
This stanza provides the image of the love interest as the perpetrator of danger that drives the force of obsession and disaster that is bound to happen in the events of the poem.
In the second stanza, there is self-awareness on the part of the narrator, albeit unhelpful. Here, he provides the crucial elements needed to understand the overall message of the poem.
Line 8: I swear I want to change, but
Line 9: I fear I have lost my way.
Line 10: Spell bound with eyes like Porcelain blue,
Line 11: Cutting through the air till I can’t breathe,
Line 12: With Ruby lips of well-placed kisses,
Line 13: She moves gracefully, like the siren that she is,
Line 14: Swaying gently with her hands on my arms,
Line 15: I am damned to be in the embrace of
Line 16: This tainted maiden with golden heart.
This stanza also elaborates on the central elements of the poem. In the Lines 7-9, there is a cry for help and confession of his weakness. As a reference to the song, it serves as a way to show not only the gravity of the situation but also how helpless the narrator has become.
Lines 10-16 is a journey into the narrator’s psyche and his perception of his love interest. It shows how twisted such obsession is and how it is dealt with reference to the relationship between both parties. There are also a few words like siren and tainted which makes for an interesting interpretation, in view of the narrator.
In the third and final stanza, the conclusive arc takes place. There is a finality to the poem as the narrator grows from being wary but attracted (to her) to being addicted (to her) to finally becoming trapped in his desire (to her), which is heavily implied in this stanza.
Line 18: Through the labyrinth of feather-like senses,
Line 19**: I have become undone in her pleasures,
Line 20: Reducing the kings of men
Line 21: To rubble at her dainty feet.
Line 22: Just like Helen of Greece,
Line 23: In the humble battle for Troy,
Line 24: She is Sarah with a Golden Rose.
Lines 17-19 is a clear indication of his final descent into obsession and how much he relishes in it. However, in lines 20-21, it is noteworthy that he admits to how oppressive things could turn out. In a final act of self-acceptance, in line 22-24 he again acknowledges how dangerous she is/could be and despite all of this, caps it off with a metaphorical smile by calling her Sarah with a Golden Rose.
In conclusion, the three stanza serves as a progression for the narrator and an in-depth analysis of what goes on the poem. Both the narrator and love interest are characters, with his mental state serving as a third character (if you can call it that) for it is what propels the progression of the poem. The overall message is obsession which is perpetuated through their relationship and only by understanding the pieces of the poem can the underline dread be seen for what is it.
Anyways, this poem is interesting to me with the central idea of a femme-fatal and I tried to introduce the subject matter in a different light, despite the lack of subtlety which I usually prefer. However, I don’t have much to say about it but to just to enjoy it as a simple poem.
It is 3 stanzas that explores love and obsession, what’s not to like?
Lemme know what you think down below and post your interpretation as well. I’d love to read and hear from you. You can also suggest what subject matter you want me to write about next down below.
So check it out. You might like it. If you do, please UPVOTE it! Still, thank you very much for reading and see you soon in the next one.
Much love and Respect
Dammie
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