After Love
by Sarah Teasdale
There is no magic any more,
We meet as other people do,
You work no miracle for me
Nor I for you.
You were the wind and I the sea—
There is no splendor any more,
I have grown listless as the pool
Beside the shore.
But though the pool is safe from storm
And from the tide has found surcease,
It grows more bitter than the sea,
For all its peace.
This poem portrays a relationship with a significant other that has gone sour. The first stanza recognizes that no longer do they make each other feel as they once did. The second stanza describes how well they used to get along by using an analogy and the third stanza furthers that analogy to say that the relationship has made her a bitter person. Anyone who has had a serious relationship and sincerely deeply cared about another individual can relate to this poem completely.
