The Tenant - Na Ncube
IEB 2025
There is no room for you
in my heart. The only tenant
who ever lived there left
some luggage behind.
I didn't even evict her. She
simply left without a word.
I keep hoping she will come
back and collect the luggage
or at least arrange for disposal
clean out the place, throw out old
memories.
I could possibly live with
the marks on the wall. Some
are completely indelible
some I even like
But you see I am afraid that
if it all goes, what will I do
with all that empty space.
, - The speaker expresses an emotional barrier, suggesting
their heart cannot accommodate a new person.
- The metaphor "no room for you in my heart" portrays
the heart as a physical space, emphasizing emotional
There is no room for you unavailability.
- Enjambment between lines mirrors the ongoing,
unresolved emotions. T
- he lack of punctuation in the opening lines conveys the
speaker's uninterrupted flow of thought, reflecting a
deep and introspective tone.
- The speaker uses a metaphor by comparing their heart
to a place with a tenant, symbolizing emotional space
occupied by someone they loved.
- This tenant left behind emotional "luggage,"
in my heart. The only tenant representing lingering memories or feelings.
- The enjambment in the lines emphasizes the continuous
flow of emotions, reflecting an inability to stop
thinking about the past.
- The period after "in my heart" isolates the phrase,
stressing its significance and creating a tone of
finality.
- The line expresses a fear of emotional emptiness and
loss of identity tied to past experiences.
who ever lived there left - The phrase uses metaphor to compare the heart to a
space left vacant, symbolizing unresolved feelings.
- This highlights the paradox of longing for closure while
fearing the void it might create.
- The phrase "some luggage behind" uses a metaphor,
comparing emotional baggage to physical luggage to
some luggage behind. symbolize unresolved feelings or memories left by a
past relationship.
- The enjambment emphasizes the lingering impact,
allowing the thought to flow into the next line,
reflecting the ongoing emotional weight.
- The period at the end provides finality, underscoring
the permanence of the unresolved emotions.
- The speaker expresses that the person who once
occupied their heart left without being forced out,
highlighting their passive role in the departure.
- The metaphor of the heart as a home portrays emotional
I didn't even evict her. She vulnerability and attachment.
- The lack of punctuation at the end creates enjambment,
emphasizing the unresolved feelings and lingering sense
of abandonment.
- This line also reflects irony, as the speaker seems to
wish for closure but acknowledges their inability to
achieve it.
IEB 2025
There is no room for you
in my heart. The only tenant
who ever lived there left
some luggage behind.
I didn't even evict her. She
simply left without a word.
I keep hoping she will come
back and collect the luggage
or at least arrange for disposal
clean out the place, throw out old
memories.
I could possibly live with
the marks on the wall. Some
are completely indelible
some I even like
But you see I am afraid that
if it all goes, what will I do
with all that empty space.
, - The speaker expresses an emotional barrier, suggesting
their heart cannot accommodate a new person.
- The metaphor "no room for you in my heart" portrays
the heart as a physical space, emphasizing emotional
There is no room for you unavailability.
- Enjambment between lines mirrors the ongoing,
unresolved emotions. T
- he lack of punctuation in the opening lines conveys the
speaker's uninterrupted flow of thought, reflecting a
deep and introspective tone.
- The speaker uses a metaphor by comparing their heart
to a place with a tenant, symbolizing emotional space
occupied by someone they loved.
- This tenant left behind emotional "luggage,"
in my heart. The only tenant representing lingering memories or feelings.
- The enjambment in the lines emphasizes the continuous
flow of emotions, reflecting an inability to stop
thinking about the past.
- The period after "in my heart" isolates the phrase,
stressing its significance and creating a tone of
finality.
- The line expresses a fear of emotional emptiness and
loss of identity tied to past experiences.
who ever lived there left - The phrase uses metaphor to compare the heart to a
space left vacant, symbolizing unresolved feelings.
- This highlights the paradox of longing for closure while
fearing the void it might create.
- The phrase "some luggage behind" uses a metaphor,
comparing emotional baggage to physical luggage to
some luggage behind. symbolize unresolved feelings or memories left by a
past relationship.
- The enjambment emphasizes the lingering impact,
allowing the thought to flow into the next line,
reflecting the ongoing emotional weight.
- The period at the end provides finality, underscoring
the permanence of the unresolved emotions.
- The speaker expresses that the person who once
occupied their heart left without being forced out,
highlighting their passive role in the departure.
- The metaphor of the heart as a home portrays emotional
I didn't even evict her. She vulnerability and attachment.
- The lack of punctuation at the end creates enjambment,
emphasizing the unresolved feelings and lingering sense
of abandonment.
- This line also reflects irony, as the speaker seems to
wish for closure but acknowledges their inability to
achieve it.
