Geoffrey Wall
THEY tell me it is Love ! Good Heavens !
No!
The sordid pathos of the picture-show,
Or aimless walks on Sunday afternoon,
And conscientious spooning ‘neath the moon !
It makes the world go round? It may be so;
But not that sort of thing. Good Heavens ! No !
Only I know that in a nameless land,
In some baronial castle we shall stand
Together on the shield-emblazoned stair,
And watch the fire-light on old armour flare,
Hear the long thunderings that cannot drown
The tumult of the sacked and blazing town,
And when the doorway bulges to its fall
The bolt shall speak four times across the hall.
Yes, halfway up the staircase we shall stand,
Then we shall go exploring, hand in hand.
© by owner. provided at no charge for educational purposes
You may find this and other poems here.
Analysis (AI Assisted)
This poem is a playful rejection of what many people commonly call “love.” The speaker seems almost dismissive of the typical ideas of romance—those quaint, predictable things like walking arm-in-arm on a Sunday or having sentimental moments under the moonlight. It’s almost as if they’re saying that these things, which society has romanticized, aren’t the true essence of love. Instead, they crave something grander, something more adventurous.
The speaker imagines a dramatic, almost cinematic scene—standing in a castle, surrounded by the noise of a raging war outside. The firelight illuminates old armor, and the echoes of chaos are ever-present. The love here isn’t sweet or gentle; it’s intense, standing amid the heat of battle and the looming fall of the fortress. It’s a relationship that thrives in the face of danger, where the couple isn’t just sitting idly by but facing something greater than themselves.
The line about “the bolt shall speak four times” seems like a turning point—possibly a metaphor for the inevitable shift, the dramatic event that will change everything. And the idea of “exploring, hand in hand” at the end doesn’t suggest a calm walk in the park, but an adventurous journey where the couple will face what lies ahead together, no matter how unpredictable.
In essence, the poem seems to say that true love isn’t about the soft, quiet moments society promotes, but about something far deeper, more enduring—a love that’s born from challenges, shared dangers, and the excitement of facing life together in its fullest, most unpredictable form.