Plaster
memory
melancholic
'I KNEW a real man once,' says Agatha in the splendor of a shagbark hickory tree. Did a man touch his lips to Agatha? Did a man hold her in his arms? Did a man only look at her and pass by? Agatha, far past forty in a splendor of remembrance, says, 'I knew a real man once.'
Plaster - meaning Summary
Memory and Quiet Pride
The poem presents an older woman, Agatha, who repeatedly claims, "I knew a real man once," recalling a past encounter with a blend of pride and ambiguity. The speaker asks whether the man kissed, embraced, or merely glanced at her, but Agatha’s final phrase emphasizes memory over detail. The natural image of a shagbark hickory frames her dignity and the persistence of feeling long after youth has passed.
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