Dead Men's Love

By Rupert Brooke

Satirical
    There was a damned successful Poet;     There was a Woman like the Sun.     And they were dead. They did not know it.     They did not know their time was done.     They did not know his hymns     Were silence; and her limbs,     That had served Love so well,     Dust, and a filthy smell.     And so one day, as ever of old,     Hands out, they hurried, knee to knee;     On fire to cling and kiss and hold     And, in the other's eyes, to see     Each his own tiny face,     And in that long embrace     Feel lip and breast grow warm     To breast and lip and arm.     So knee to knee they sped again,     And laugh to laugh they ran, I'm told,     Across the streets of Hell . . .      And then     They suddenly felt the wind blow cold,     And knew, so closely pressed,     Chill air on lip and breast,     And, with a sick surprise,     The emptiness of eyes.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem, through its fragmented structure and stark imagery, explores the fleeting nature of love and the inevitable descent into emptiness. The irregular lineation and lack of a consistent rhyme scheme mimic the disjointed, chaotic nature of memories and emotions. The poem's voice is detached, almost observational, as if recounting a story rather than experiencing it firsthand. The imagery is harsh and visceral, contrasting the warmth and passion of the lovers with the coldness of death and the emptiness of their final moments. The poem's tonal shift is stark and abrupt. The initial verses, characterized by sensual imagery and a sense of urgency, give way to a chilling realization of mortality. The sudden intrusion of Hell and the final image of emptiness of eyes underscore the poem's tragic message. The final couplet, with its jarring juxtaposition of the lovers' previous joy and their present despair, leaves the reader with a lingering sense of loss and the haunting realization that even the most intense love is ultimately fleeting. The poem's structure, much like the accelerating pace of the lovers' movements, builds towards a sudden, devastating halt.

Understanding Satirical Poetry

Satirical poems use wit, irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to expose folly—personal, social, or political. The aim isn’t just laughter: it’s critique that nudges readers toward insight or change.

Common characteristics of satirical poetry:

  • Targeted Critique: Focuses on specific behaviors, institutions, or ideas—often timely, sometimes timeless.
  • Tools of Irony: Uses sarcasm, parody, understatement, and hyperbole to sharpen the point.
  • Voice & Persona: Speakers may be unreliable or exaggerated to reveal contradictions and hypocrisy.
  • Form Flexibility: Appears in couplets, tercets, quatrains, blank verse, or free verse—music serves the mockery.
  • Moral Pressure: Beneath the humor lies ethical pressure—satire seeks reform, not merely amusement.
  • Public & Personal: Can lampoon public figures and trends or needle private vanities and everyday pretenses.

The best satire balances bite with craft: memorable lines that entertain while revealing the gap between how things are and how they ought to be.