Aleksandra Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Don't make me beg -- take my hand and warm it. Don't ask the winter to make me cold. I am a beggar for all sides of your world. Don't tell me that you go in the bank or that you eat everything warm and sweet. You make me hungry, as I stare at my empty plate and pretend that I eat from your full, set table. I am a beggar who begs for your warm blouse, for your hot milk. With broken pride, I am a beggar who begs for your warmth -- I tremble from the cold. Don't make me more of a beggar -- just take me, and don't delay. Give me a piece of your bread and your whole heart. 1 The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 How can I explain the way this poem makes me feel more vividly than the poem itself already does? I cannot. It speaks for itself. The poem starts out with a request -- Don't make me beg -- take my hand and warm it ... -- but someone has asked the winter to make the narrator cold, to turn her into a beggar. It quickly becomes evident that the narrator is in no position to give commands; she is a beggar, and beggars can't be choosy, as the saying goes. The poem is especially painful here: You make me hungry, as I stare at my empty plate and pretend that I eat from your full, set table. Not only does the narrator stare at her empty plate and wish she had food, she pretends that she has food, and this reminds me of your poem Tale - Cinderella and Odysseus . There, she states that she is living "a Cinderella half-story." The poem also exhibits a touch of the erotic: I am a beggar who begs for your warm blouse, for your hot milk. With broken pride, I am a beggar who begs for your warmth -- I tremble from the cold, and at the end it becomes clear that it is not only material which the narrator craves, what she longs for. She begs for her emotional needs to be met: Don't make me more of a beggar -- just take me, and don't delay. I want to take her hand and warm it. When I read this, I want someone to take my hand and warm it! Thank you for this lovely example of what constitutes good poetry -- it is a perfect poem. Tony Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodyday Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 i think the bar reaches it's acme! Sometimes a disturbed mind is always deceived without any reason and it becomes rational for its own legality. we are abide by many reasons, morals, religions, idealism, but neither could define the love the way the true lovers do! i am not sage or couldn't be a true lover, but i must say something in the world might purifies all the things and i think our lovely alek has found this thing! RoNy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelJosol Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 This is poignant. The persona is torn between to beg and not to beg. My favorite part With broken pride, I am a beggar who begs for your warmth -- I tremble from the cold. "Words are not things, and yet they are not non-things either." - Ann Lauterbach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 aleksandra, I'm deeply touched by the emotion and/or passion conveyed in this poem. Some lines are very powerful, such as this Don't make me more of a beggar Cheers, Lake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen M. Callirhoe Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 (edited) aleks this poem is great. it shows how you think. i learned a lot about your way of thinking in this poem. i absolutely love it. excellent poem my friend. so diversified and unique dear. victor Edited May 18, 2009 by Larsen M. Callirhoe Larsen M. Callirhoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 How can I explain the way this poem makes me feel more vividly than the poem itself already does? I cannot. It speaks for itself. The poem starts out with a request -- Don't make me beg -- take my hand and warm it ... -- but someone has asked the winter to make the narrator cold, to turn her into a beggar. It quickly becomes evident that the narrator is in no position to give commands; she is a beggar, and beggars can't be choosy, as the saying goes. The poem is especially painful here: You make me hungry, as I stare at my empty plate and pretend that I eat from your full, set table. Not only does the narrator stare at her empty plate and wish she had food, she pretends that she has food, and this reminds me of your poem Tale - Cinderella and Odysseus . There, she states that she is living "a Cinderella half-story." The poem also exhibits a touch of the erotic: I am a beggar who begs for your warm blouse, for your hot milk. With broken pride, I am a beggar who begs for your warmth -- I tremble from the cold, and at the end it becomes clear that it is not only material which the narrator craves, what she longs for. She begs for her emotional needs to be met: Don't make me more of a beggar -- just take me, and don't delay. I want to take her hand and warm it. When I read this, I want someone to take my hand and warm it! Thank you for this lovely example of what constitutes good poetry -- it is a perfect poem. Tony Tony how wonderful comment. Everyone would love to have comment like this one. Thank you so much for your words, and I am pleased to read all what you wrote here. It is interesting how you made a connection between two of my poems, maybe there is something what really exists, and you are making wonderful connection, which I even didn't notice that I expressed something similar and close in those two poems. Everybody needs warmed hand, so I am not surprised that you want too. Interesting that you found that erotic touch in here. Really I love the way how this poem worked on you. Tony dear, thank you so much. Much enjoyed reading your words, which for always I'm looking forward. Aleksandra The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 i think the bar reaches it's acme! Sometimes a disturbed mind is always deceived without any reason and it becomes rational for its own legality. we are abide by many reasons, morals, religions, idealism, but neither could define the love the way the true lovers do! i am not sage or couldn't be a true lover, but i must say something in the world might purifies all the things and i think our lovely alek has found this thing! RoNy Rony - thanks. You shout wonderful things in this comment. Thank you for reading and for your nice words. Aleksandra The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 This is poignant. The persona is torn between to beg and not to beg. My favorite part With broken pride, I am a beggar who begs for your warmth -- I tremble from the cold. Joel, my friend. Thank you for showing some of the main points from the poem. Aleksandra The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 aleksandra, I'm deeply touched by the emotion and/or passion conveyed in this poem. Some lines are very powerful, such as this Don't make me more of a beggar Cheers, Lake Lake thank you so much. I am glad that you are touched by the emotions in this poem. Aleksandra The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 aleks this poem is great. it shows how you think. i learned a lot about your way of thinking in this poem. i absolutely love it. excellent poem my friend. so diversified and unique dear. victor Ah Victor my friend. I am glad to hear this I am happy that you love this poem, and that can be seen my inner side from the heart of the poem Thank you my friend. Aleksandra The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenlangur Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Hi aleksandra, I read this as a plea from someone who is emotionally and also physically dependent on the person addressed in the poem. Perhaps I'm wrong but these lines here seem to suggest an intimacy and dependence which evoke maternal nurturing: "I am a beggar who begs for your warm blouse, for your hot milk." There's a rhetorical element in that without the mother's love and nurturing, the child is doomed, so why would the child need to beg for this most basic of protection and love? Is it because despite the popular beliefs about 'mother earth' ideals of motherhood, mothering does not always come 'naturally' to every woman - the demand - physical, emotional, psychological on her person - is phenomenal and taxing. So I imagine this poem to be about the vulnerability of a child - perhaps there's an allusion to the recent natural disasters around the world in which children have been orphaned and left without such basic protection - Congo civil war, the recent earthquakes in Baluchistan province of Pakistan?: "Don't make me beg -- take my hand and warm it. Don't ask the winter to make me cold. I am a beggar for all sides of your world." Emotive and powerful. goldenlangur goldenlangur Even a single enemy is too many and a thousand friends too few - Bhutanese saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 GL what a wonderful reading by you. I never thought that this poem can be read in so many ways. I am surprised how you read this poem. It doesn't matter if you guessed the real meaning of the poem, but I loved how the poem provoked that sense in you. Begging can be connected with everything, even with love. And with your comment you gave me more inspiration to write about begging So I like that this poem worked that way for you. Thank you so much for reading and commenting my friend. Aleksandra The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen M. Callirhoe Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 i fixed my typos aleks. sorry bout that. i have an eye allergy and this morning is the first morning it has started to clear up. im taking a medication called "singular" and it has stopped the itchiness and irritation, thank god. glad you could understand my memo to you despite the typos. vic Larsen M. Callirhoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 i fixed my typos aleks. sorry bout that. i have an eye allergy and this morning is the first morning it has started to clear up. im taking a medication called "singular" and it has stopped the itchiness and irritation, thank god. glad you could understand my memo to you despite the typos. vic Vic dear, do not worry about anything, hope your eyes are better. And you know I can understand all kinds of English I am not using proper English so I am used on bad spelling, even with clear eyes I am making very often mistakes. Take care my friend Aleksandra The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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