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Summary Stephen Spender - "the girl who laughed and had black eyes" - Analysis
This is a summary and analysis of the poem "the girl who laughed and had black eyes" by Stephen Spender.
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‘That girl who laughed and had black eyes’ is written by English poetStephen Spender. It was published in his 1930 collection of poetry,
Twenty Poems.
In this poem, Spender talks about an unnamed girl whom the speaker
met only a few days back.
Even after her unfortunate and untimely death, her existence is not
entirely wiped from his memory. He still cherishes the girl’s features
and presence.
The speaker does not consider death to be an end; rather he thinks
that a person can still live through their works (here, poetry) and in the
hearts of their loved ones.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STANZA 1
This poem can be regarded as an elegy to a girl whom the speaker
admires and had grown fond of within a couple of days. Although it is
not a traditional elegy where a speaker laments the passing of a loved
one. Instead, the speaker talks of the constant presence of the girl
even after her death. It begins with a truthful depiction of her death
and we understand that the speaker was enchanted by her beautiful,
black eyes.
He can vividly recollect how she smiled. He can recall the way her lips
moved as she spoke, her body as she stood and he once again
mentions her eyes that were able to enthrall the audience.
“Spoke her ten days ago” suggests that she was in a performance,
where she presumably read her poetry.
—-------------
STANZA 2
Unfortunately, the girl did not live long and she died shortly after their
meeting. Yet the speaker was so moved by this admirable woman that
he can still feel her presence. He can feel her presence like a ‘living
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