The Couple
Discard the fear and what was she? Of rag and bones a mimicry of woman's fairy-ness Archaic at its birth. Discharge the hate and when was he? Disheveled moans a mimesis of man's estate deceited for its worth. Dissolve the greed and why were they? Enfeebled thrones a memory of mortal kindliness exiled from this earth.
The Couple - meaning Summary
Identity Stripped to Essentials
The poem imagines removing fear, hate and greed to reveal what people really are beneath social roles and pretenses. Through a series of questions it strips away romanticized and degraded images of women and men, showing how vices distort identity and exile basic kindness. The result is a bleak, communal portrait: when destructive emotions are discarded, human dignity and shared mortality remain as the poem's central truths.
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