Lifelessness/Lacks
passion and physical
connection that is
present in ‘soft bite on
my face’ ‘your kiss like
pearls’ their love
transcends physical
intimacy she would
accept her if it wasn’t
present
Cold emotionless image
unable to physically or
emotionally communicate
with her
Suggests she would
If you were made of stone,
love her even if her
love was unrequited,
your kiss a fossil sealed up in your lips,
unresponsive ‘to her
your eyes a sightless marble to my touch,
touch’
your grey hands pooling raindrops for the birds,
your long legs cold as rivers locked in ice,
if you were stone, if you were made of stone, yes, yes.
Appears to be correcting herself, she
would not be stone she would be
merely made of stone and C.A.D
would be able to see her beauty and
love underneath her appearance
Anatomy used to show
endlessness and extent of
her love – if all parts of her
body were unresponsive etc
Contrasts previous imagery of the river
‘consoling and fondling’ ‘blessing of rain’
previously water imagery is very
volatile/dynamic/approving of their
relationship but is locked in ice which
demonstrates their lack of harmony with
nature here
Creates a monologue
effect, free flow of
thoughts
Small connotes
image of lack
of ability to
love, coal black
destructive
substance to
the
environment, a
pollutant, a
fuse for fire.
Black is usually
associated
with darkness
and evil,
unknowntraits which
she would
accept in her
lover.
Reference to Greek Mythology- a
celibate priestess who was wooed by
Poseidon, forgot her vows and
married him. As a punishment, the
Goddess turned each of her golden
locks of hair into a snake and her eyes
into fiery, blood-shot orbs and green
skin. She would accept her as a villain
who could turn her to stone-she
would take the risk.
If you were made of fire,
your head a wild Medusa hissing flame,
your tongue a red-hot poker in your throat,
your heart a small coal glowing in your chest,
your fingers burning pungent brands on flesh,
if you were fire, if you were made of fire, yes, yes.
Temperamental
image of a dragon.
In chest- is
concealed yet could
be revealed.
Water is uncontrollable, riotous and
unruly. Nevertheless it is a fundamental
force that exists without human control.
She would love her despite the anarchic
life it would lead to
Visual image of her words being a waterfall
suggests physically destructive and vicious
words creating turmoil and wounds. Even
through this her love will endure
C.A.D would be the object of her
lovers behavior, she would be
controlled ‘spun’ yet would give into
the power
If you were made of water,
your voice a roaring, foaming waterfall,
your arms a whirlpool spinning me around,
your breast a deep, dark lake nursing the drowned,
your mouth an ocean, waves torn from your breath,
if you were water, if you were made of water, yes, yes.
‘Breast’ - heart? Suggests risk of
unknown/danger in proceeding. Reference
to ‘waist deep in a stream pulling me in’
she has previously used positive images of
water/river/stream so is prepared to take
the risk and go into the lake/her heart
Involuntary?
Repetition of ‘your’ highlights the concept
that these things will only be shown by her
lover, c.a.d’s love will not lessen/weaken or
respond to the destruction that she is
shown.
Like fire and water, air is one
of the classical elements,
often seen as a universal
power or pure substance.
Anaphorarepetetive
structure to
echo the
unchanging
answer.
Metaphor- she
would still love
her, regardless of
the emotional
void that
pervades her.
Unresponsive
If you were made of air,
faceyour face empty and infinite as sky,
romanticised by
your words a wind with litter for its nouns,
the image of the
your movements sudden gusts among the clouds, boundless sky.
your body only breeze against my dress,
if you were air, if you were made of air, yes, yes.
Unpredicatability of a gust of wind
amonst the peace of the cloudsher lover could disturb the peace,
reek havoc whenever she pleased,
the answer would still be ‘yes,
yes’.
Teasing- contrast
between ‘gust’
and a ‘breeze’.
Assimilation of
lierary devicesused to reflect
her certainty
with a
situation.
Nouns- her
lover speaking
other names.
If you were made of air, if you were air,
if you were made of water, if you were water,
if you were made of fire, if you were fire,
if you were made of stone, if you were stone,
or if you were none of these, but really death,
the answer is yes, yes.
No matter how unsuitable the lover, the
poet could never deny her love, even if it
destroys her like “death”.