We Two by Hilda Doolittle (1919)
The poem explores the speaker's relationship with a woman who has been her lover. The speaker describes their love as intense and all-consuming, but also notes that it is marked by a sense of possessiveness and jealousy. The poem touches on themes of desire, intimacy, and the complexities of human relationships.
By Hilda Doolittle · First published 1919 · Genre: Poetry, Modernist, Romantic · 224 words
First lines
We two are left: I with small grace reveal distaste and bitterness; you with small patience take my hands; though effortless, you scald their weight as a bowl, lined with embers, wherein droop great petals of white rose, forced by the heat too soon to break.
We two are left: as a blank wall, the world, earth and the men who talk, saying their space of life is good and gracious, with eyes blank as that blank surface their ignorance mistakes for final shelter and a resting-place.
We two remain: yet by what miracle, searching within the tangles of my brain, I ask again, have we two met within this maze of dedal paths in-wound mid grievous stone, where once I stood alone?
What this Textopian page supports
We Two is listed on Textopian as a poem by Hilda Doolittle, dated 1919 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Hilda Doolittle
- Date: 1919 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Modernist, Romantic, Psychological
- Length: 224 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for We Two by Hilda Doolittle
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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- How does this poem by Hilda Doolittle fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Similar titles
- I Have No Life But This by Emily Dickinson
- Pity Me by Edna St Vincent Millay
- How Did I Bear It by Edna St Vincent Millay
- I Have Longed To Move Away by Dylan Thomas
- Epistle To Augusta by Lord Byron
- The Wife Speaks by Helen Hay Whitney
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing poetic devices such as imagery, metaphor, and rhythm.
- Modernist — The themes of alienation and introspection, along with the experimental style, align with Modernist literature.
- Romantic — The focus on personal emotion and the natural imagery reflects elements of Romanticism.
- Psychological — The exploration of inner thoughts and emotions suggests a psychological dimension.
Tags
Autobiographical · Poetic · Memoir · Love Story · Romance · Marriage · Relationships · Intimacy · Emotional · Vulnerable · Honest · Reflective