Not Love Perhaps Poetry Analysis

Poem 2

Not Love Perhaps


by Arthur Seymour John Tessimond

- • what love is not


This is not Love, perhaps,
introduces theme of self sacrificing love →
↳ sets a contemplative tone → suggest that its not traditional sense but there is some sort of affection


dash-create emphasis + pause
↳ contrast between traditional - Love that lays down its life,
love and speakers experience



that many waters cannot quench, → hyperbole to emphasize the enduring nature of traditional love




nor the floods drown,

But something written in lighter ink, → contrast the intensity of traditional love with something subtler (metaphorical language used to convey difference)




said in a lower tone, something, perhaps, especially our own. → personal unique quality to the emotion being desc
↳ anaphora, repetition of phrase




Deep desire → A need, at times, to be together and talk,

And then the finding we can walk Times together strengthen them for their times apart → get through challenging times




More firmly through dark narrow places,


And meet more easily nightmare faces;


A need to reach out, sometimes, hand to hand,