This is the first of many poems I hope to share with the public. I was inspired to write this after reading the quote "Love, and be silent" by Ophelia in Shakespeare's King Lear. Full disclosure: I do not like Shakespeare. Before people start jumping at me, I still appreciate his work. Without further ado, I present "Love, and Be Silent."
If you've read King Lear, you may notice that I took some creative liberty in the characterization of Ophelia. Throughout high school, English teachers constantly told me that the only innocent beings in literature are the children. Because Ophelia is by no means a child--her father is willing to entrust her with a part of his kingdom, and she is to be married--I cannot see her as an innocent character, hence the "web of lies" I choose her to create.
Questions? Comments? Critiques? Please share!
To tell you would be a lie
Of which I’ve spoken too many.
So to you I bite my tongue
As the words fly through my mind,
“I love you.”
I can state it over and over,
Not carrying one bit
What you decide to believe
About what I say.
I know “love” is the truth to me—
Though the words are simple—
Above my ordered web of lies.
So I will continue to love
Without bounds, without speech—
Love, and be silent.
If you've read King Lear, you may notice that I took some creative liberty in the characterization of Ophelia. Throughout high school, English teachers constantly told me that the only innocent beings in literature are the children. Because Ophelia is by no means a child--her father is willing to entrust her with a part of his kingdom, and she is to be married--I cannot see her as an innocent character, hence the "web of lies" I choose her to create.
Questions? Comments? Critiques? Please share!
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