My Voice by Oscar Wilde
“My Voice,” a poem by Irish poet, playwright, and writer Oscar Wilde, contrasts the deep, lasting impact of shared experiences on the speaker with the seemingly more transient, less impactful perception of these experiences by his female partner. It touches on themes of loss, the passage of time, and the divergent ways individuals may experience and remember shared moments. “My Voice” acts as a companion to the lengthier work, “Her Voice,” wherein the female counterpart explains her rationale for deciding that their relationship had to come to an end.
“My Voice” is collected in the Oscar Wilde’s book Poems. For those interested in exploring more of Wilde’s poetic works, Poems is available online at PageVio.
1. The Poem
Within this restless, hurried, modern world
We took our hearts’ full pleasure—You and I,
And now the white sails of our ship are furled,
And spent the lading of our argosy.
Wherefore my cheeks before their time are wan,
For very weeping is my gladness fled,
Sorrow has paled my young mouth’s vermilion,
And Ruin draws the curtains of my bed.
But all this crowded life has been to thee
No more than lyre, or lute, or subtle spell
Of viols, or the music of the sea
That sleeps, a mimic echo, in the shell.
Size: 8″ x 12″ (2:3 ratio)
Format: PDF
Copyright information: For personal use only
Note: Actual poster background color is white. For the sample poster, the background is made gray for illustration purpose.
2. My Voice Analysis
This poem reflects on the themes of love, loss, and the passage of time within the context of a modern, fast-paced world. Here’s a breakdown of its meaning:
First Stanza
The speaker reminisces about a time of joy and fulfillment shared with a loved one (“You and I”). The metaphor of a ship with its sails furled and the emptied argosy (a large merchant ship) suggests the end of a journey that was once full of promise and excitement. This represents the end of a relationship.
Second Stanza
The speaker expresses the physical and emotional toll of his sorrow. His cheeks are prematurely wan (pale) due to weeping, indicating deep sadness. The reference to “Sorrow” paling the “mouth’s vermilion” (the redness of a youthful mouth) and “Ruin” drawing the curtains of their bed, further conveys a sense of deep loss and despair, hinting at the end of a significant chapter in his life.
Third Stanza
The final stanza contrasts the speaker’s deep emotional response to his experiences with his female partner’s (thee) seemingly superficial engagement with life. For the speaker, life has been full of significant, emotional experiences. In contrast, for his female partner, these experiences have been no more impactful than the enjoyment of music or art (“lyre, or lute, or subtle spell of viols”). The last line compares his female partner’s experience of life to the sound of the sea in a shell—a mimicry or shallow echo of the real, deeper experience.
Overall, the poem conveys a sense of nostalgia and melancholy, juxtaposing the fleeting nature of happiness and love against the enduring impact of sorrow and loss, especially in the context of a rapidly changing, modern world. The imagery is rich and evocative, painting a picture of both the beauty of shared experiences and the profound sadness of their loss.
3. Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed Oscar Wilde’s “My Voice.” You may also be interested in discovering other poems by Oscar Wilde.
