cozy apologia

Question 1

overview

Answer 1

Cozy Apologia is a poem dedicated to Dove’s husband Fred so it feels personal and specific. She is a black American and her relationship with Fred was frowned upon because he is white. However, the purpose of the poem is to show how much she loves Fred and that society cannot destroy it even if they come from different backgrounds. The title suggests her poem is a defence of marrying Fred but she doesn’t have to justify herself and apologise for her love. At first, she thinks of Fred as her protector but with the hurricane it brings unwelcome thoughts of her past relationships. The hurricane is a metaphor for society which is trying to ruin their relationship. By the last stanza she goes back to thinking about Fred.

Question 2

beginning

Answer 2

• At the start, Dove says that she can chose any object and ‘think of you’ and one of these objects is a lamp. This suggests that she knows him so well that even when he’s around she still feels connected to him. The example of the lamp could symbolise light and how Fred is the light of her life. Therefore, he brings her hope.
• She says how ‘I could chose any hero.’ The word ‘I’ suggests how personal the poem is as it is only meant for Fred and is intimate between Dove and Fred. The poem could be a way for Dove to announce to the world her love for Fred especially because they have been discriminated for their love. The word ‘hero’ suggests how she admires him. However, it could also reflect old, romantic and medieval imagery which contrasts Dove’s relationship which was not traditional for their time.

Question 3

middle

Answer 3

• Dove talks about past relationships and ‘boys who’s only talent was to kiss you senseless.’ This could suggest how they are only good at one thing unlike Fred who is good at everything. This suggests how Dove doesn’t like the idealised version of who you should love because they only have one talent. Fred is the complete opposite and she loves him. The fact that Dove only talks about the physical aspects of her past relationships could suggest how her relationship with Fred is more important because she talks about both the physical and emotional connection that she has with him. This suggests how her love for Fred is a deeper one than she’s experienced before because she values all aspects of him.

Question 4

end

Answer 4

• In the final stanza Dove says ‘we’re content but fall short of the divine.’ This suggests how they are not perfect but they are happy. This could represent the negative external beliefs from outside their relationship which is why they ‘fall short of the divine’ because to others they have to come from the same background to work well together.
• Finally, she describes how ‘I fill this stolen time with you.’ This suggests how she only wants to spend her time with him. This emphasises her love for him because he is more special to her than anything else that she could be doing. However, the word ‘stolen’ suggests that what their love is bad because it’s not meant to be theirs.

Question 5

form & structure

Answer 5

• Uses rhyming couplets which are often used in love poems. The rhyming couplets suggest how they have harmony in their relationship and they are always together.
• The poem is not a sonnet because sonnet’s are traditional and their love is not traditional.
• Enjambment is also used because it makes the lines flow smoothly together which could reflect a train of thought because when you think of memories your thoughts flow together.