Poetry can have meaning even today

My boyfriend and I have endured a long distance relationship, while school is in session during the fall and spring semesters. It has become harder and harder for me to deal with the distance every semester. I have seen this week on a personal level how poetry written years ago can affect my life today. After reading Elizabeth Browning’s poem, I realized that during this week in my life, I am like the woman in the poem. Just this past weekend I brought up to my boyfriend why he doesn’t say “I like you” very often. I even had him read the poem, and he thought it was ironic how this poem came about at this point in our lives. The way she goes about asking for her lover to profess his love for her could definitely seem unappealing to any man. The poem has helped me realize that I don’t want to be like the woman in the poem, by asking my boyfriend in the way she does to tell me that he likes me more. I am more understanding now because of this poem to what my actions can look like to him.