Remembrance by Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou’s poem “Remembrance” is an exploration of love, intimacy, and longing. It captures the speaker’s emotional and sensory experience of a romantic relationship, blending tenderness with the ache of separation. Angelou’s language is both sensual and introspective, reflecting the complexity of human connection and the yearning that arises when love feels both fleeting and profound. The poem navigates themes of physical intimacy, emotional dependence, and the bittersweet nature of memories.
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The Poem “Remembrance” by Maya Angelou
Your hands easy
~ The Poem “Remembrance” by Maya Angelou
weight, teasing the bees
hived in my hair, your smile at the
slope of my cheek. On the
occasion, you press
above me, glowing, spouting
readiness, mystery rapes
my reason
When you have withdrawn
your self and the magic, when
only the smell of your
love lingers between
my breasts, then, only
then, can I greedily consume
your presence.
Line-by-Line Meaning of Remembrance by Maya Angelou
- “Your hands easy weight, teasing the bees hived in my hair,”
- The speaker describes the touch of their lover’s hands as gentle yet provocative, likening it to stirring up bees in her hair. This line conveys tenderness combined with an element of excitement or restlessness.
- “Your smile at the slope of my cheek.”
- The lover’s smile directed at her cheek suggests affection and admiration, evoking a sense of closeness and warmth.
- “On the occasion, you press above me, glowing, spouting readiness,”
- The physical intimacy of their relationship is depicted here, with the lover described as radiant and eager, embodying passion and vitality.
- “Mystery rapes my reason”
- This powerful line suggests the overwhelming and irrational nature of love or desire. The word “mystery” highlights the enigmatic and uncontrollable aspects of their connection, overpowering logic and reason.
- “When you have withdrawn your self and the magic,”
- The speaker reflects on the void left after the lover departs, taking away the enchantment and connection they shared.
- “When only the smell of your love lingers between my breasts,”
- Even in the lover’s absence, their presence is still felt through lingering sensory memories, such as scent, which is intimate and evocative.
- “Then, only then, can I greedily consume your presence.”
- It is only in the lover’s absence that the speaker can fully immerse herself in the memory of their time together, greedily clinging to the sensations and emotions left behind.
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Summary of Remembrance by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou’s “Remembrance” is a deeply emotional and sensual poem that captures the intensity of love and the longing that follows its absence. The speaker vividly describes the physical and emotional connection with a lover, highlighting moments of intimacy, warmth, and passion. However, the poem also reveals the pain and emptiness felt when the lover is gone, leaving only memories and lingering sensations.
The poem explores the paradox of love—how its presence can overwhelm and its absence can intensify desire. Through vivid imagery and emotional depth, Angelou illustrates the complexities of romantic relationships and the way love lingers, even in its absence.
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