When
it comes to being in a relationship, effort is a two-way street. In the twenty
first century, people do not even date anymore. They talk, catch some feelings
and have a good thing going for a little bit; then end up moving on to find
someone better. In the poems The Primer by Christina Davis and All I
Ever Wanted by Katie Ford, emphasize people who are reminiscing about a
past love and the lack of effort on one end. Russ is a hip-hop artist on the
rise. He is known for his production skills and fantastic story-telling
ability, which makes him poetic. His song Cherry Hill involves
reminiscing about a past love. He was ready for her, but she wasn’t ready for
him. To find out she was only leading him by showing a lack of effort. If you
make a fool of someone, you make them feel silly for even trying. The feeling
of love does not go away. Its either you always will or you never did in the
first place. Trapped in his own thoughts, Russ informally portrays his emotions
through music. As well with other singer/song writers. In general, it is
considered a blessing when you have someone if your life who cares about you
just as much as you care about them. On the other hand, when it comes to one
sided love, one could feel like a fool.
“She said, I love you. He said, Nothing.” (Davis line 1-2). Him not saying
anything speaks louder. It is considered a cliché but actions speak louder than
words. The title itself The Primer, metaphorically explains how a
relationship needs a base. The foundation will go smoother and last longer if
there is a sense of communication. When love is one sided, there is obviously a
lack of communication on someone’s part.” As if there were just one of each
word and the one who used it, used it up.”(Davis line 3-5). The saying
“Speak so little that people remember what you say” screams in the realms of silence.
“In the history of language the first obscenity was silence.” (Davis Line 6-7).
The mood of this poem is overall upsetting. The particular instance of events
in this case is a breakup. In the sense where he said “nothing” makes the girl
feel like a fool for him. According to Cherry Hill by Russ includes the line,
“But next time that I call I’m hoping that you answer me.” The key word is
“hope.” He called; no response. The speaker of The primer spoke to
her lover and in the same occurrence, no response. One must learn to let go
when it comes to situations they cannot change. When you’re hurting on the
inside, it can tear you apart; making it hard to find peace. However, you must
learn to pick up the pieces and rebuild yourself to achieve peace of mind.
"When
I thought it was right to name my desires, what I wanted of life, they seemed
to turn" (Ford line 1-2). The key word is desire. We all want to be loved
and feel wanted, regardless if we admit or not. What makes people suffer, is
the longing to be loved by another person. In the poem All I Ever Wanted, emphasis is put on desire, love, and effort
going in one way. Ford looks beyond the
idea of craving someone in a sexual way. She craves the innocent parts of a
relationship. For instances: forehead kisses , holding hands, cuddling and
being in ones company. "That all I
ever wanted was to sit by a fire with someone who wanted me in the measure the
same to my wanting. To want to make a fire with someone, with you, was all"(Line
23-26). Ford desires something so simple, yet knows people take it for granted.
According to Cherry Hill by Russ, he exemplifies what true love is in a simple
matter. "I'm looking for the place where I was falling into you, dressed
in sunlight, warmed the cold that lived inside me, we shouldn’t be here what we
said, when we were on the top of Cherry Hill" . He remembered the exact
spot he fell in love which was Cherry Hill. Something so small, yet so big. Taken
as a whole, Fords reality is the old saying, "Enjoy the little things in
life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things."
Love
is a common topic of discussion. Many artist, singer/song writers, poets write about
this specific theme. Especially topics that branch off into other deliberations
associating to love. For example: heartache, breakups, loss, hope, marriage,
sex, lust and more. In this case, effort and romance is the common theme. Both
poems highlight effort going one way. However, desperation is not emphasized. Davis
and Ford know their whole world is not surrounded by the idea of "to love
and be loved." The old saying people come into your life for a reason,
either as a blessing holds true. People will come into your life to teach you,
to help you, to hurt you, to use you, to love you, and sometimes to bring out
the best versions of yourself. Because in reality, it is all for a reason. Metaphorically
speaking, we are thrown curve balls to see how we deal with certain things. People
try to emphasize this matter in a more formal way. In this case through poetry.
While rappers and singers like Russ, try to emphasize this matter in a more
informal way. People would not know what is considered "good" if they
never experienced the "bad." The universe never steers us in the
wrong direction. Davis, Christina. "The Primer." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 10 Apr. 2014. Web. May 2017.
Ford, Katie. "All I Ever Wanted." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 15 Mar. 2017. Web. May 2017.