
The poem explores the intense emotional landscape of love, juxtaposing the pain and torment associated with it against moments of bliss and forgetfulness. The speaker reflects on experiences akin to living in Hell, characterized by anguish and suffering, yet finds solace in the redemptive power of love. The imagery of fire symbolizes both passion and torment, while the act of forgetting through kisses suggests a temporary escape from emotional turmoil. The speaker acknowledges the lingering effects of sorrow, as indicated by tears on pillows, yet emphasizes the fleeting nature of pain when enveloped in love's embrace. The work captures the duality of love, illustrating how it can evoke both profound suffering and profound joy, ultimately leading to a complex emotional experience that oscillates between despair and ecstasy.
By Georgia Douglas Johnson · First published 1918 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Lyrical · 71 words
I lived in Hell the other day Its fires wrapt me angrily, But now their horrors fall and fade Like ghosts that memory has made.
I lived in Hell even today, How swift the fierce flames die away --
Submerged with kisses, I forget, With tears upon my pillows yet.
In Love is listed on Textopian as a poem by Georgia Douglas Johnson, dated 1918 CE.
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Poetry · Love · Relationships · Emotions · Romance · Intimacy · Sensuality · Passion · Longing · Desire · Heartbreak · Loss