Lonely Hearts

David Taaffe

Jernigan

English AP

March 21, 2011

“Lonely Hearts”

            If I had only one word to describe this poem, I would utilize strong diction and say “edgy.” Anyone who has read this poem will understand. This poem follows the villanelle structure but does not fail to entertain the reader with its informal tone. Wendy Cope, the author, employs alliteration multiple times: “female biker for touring fun,” “successful, straight and solvent” and others. This makes the poem more of a joy for the reader.

            Cope makes many modern social references to create a casual tone. She writes from the point of view of a male desperately searching for a woman. She mentions homosexuality and bisexuality, always a hot topic these days.

            In classic villanelle style she repeats the lines “Can someone make my simple wish come true?” and “Do you live in North London? Is it you?” The fact that both of these come in the form of a question demonstrates the indefinite state of the narrator’s love life. I would love to know who the author wrote this poem about, clearly not herself considering she is of the female gender. One might say that she is exposing the desperate and pitiful state of men in her era. She could be a feminist.