Poem, That I would think is about toast, but really just makes life seem like it has no meaning. Whoever wrote this is misleading in their titling, and makes me relate toast to existential crises.

Will Sheeley

AP Lit

5/3/13

“Love Poem with Toast”

The poem “Love Poem with Toast” written by Miller Williams is a poem that points out the fact that wants are incredibly different from needs. One needs to drink water to survive, one wants their soda poured over ice, but in the end only one of these has a profound effect on one’s life. One can want many things, but when all is said and done, is there really anything substantial about these desires? Miller juxtaposes certain shallow wants next to ones that will have a lasting effect on the world around them, such as comparing wanting the water to boil and wanting to not have cancer. It points out the futility of such thoughts, when all along they are, after all, only meaningless desires, that distract one from actually acting, or enjoying what one already has, at least until they are no more.

            The poem itself is written with a heavy emphasis on anaphora, with few rhymes interspersed throughout to add a rhythm in certain parts. It forgoes traditional poetic structure and is written in free-verse, in order to create a more compelling piece. Anaphora is used somewhat commonly as shown through the first sentences of the first two stanzas, they both culminate in “we do, we do”. Doing this portrays humans’ motivation to want one thing or another, to deny or accept. Wanting is also used with anaphora, as it is the main theme of the poem. People want and want, but in the end, they are going to die, and no matter how much they want one thing or another it doesn’t really matter. Whether they are concerned with the state of the planet, or they are concerned with color they painted their room, in the end, man is alone. Williams also alternates the phrases “wanting not to” and simply “wanting”. Showing no matter whether one wants something to happen, or something not to happen, they are essentially the same exact thing. Williams also uses metaphor to describe people almost as though they were breakfast foods. By referring to “meat and bone” it is being ambiguous. The meat and bone could just be another term for some sort of breakfast food; otherwise it can be something of a disparaging description of the human body. It is only meat and bone. One day, the remains will be gone, as well as who that person was, once time has erased all traces of the people that existed.

            This poem seems to combine its dark meaning with its lighter title. It creates an image of a middle class couple, sitting at their breakfast table, talking about what they want out of life, generally thinking that in the end they will be together. But, inside each of them, they know that when their life is to come to a close, it will be only them, alone with their wants and desires that will fade and die with their owners. But, these thoughts and concerns are kept hidden, while they continue to go on about their daily adventures, trying to find a way to fulfill their many desires. The poem itself seems as though it is the biting concern at the back of one’s head, while they try to dismiss it and think of other, meaningless things, to occupy their time and mind. It brings to the forefront, the greatest concern of all existential thinkers; nihility. What point is there to life if nothing matters in the end? It is a quandary, but one that is kept hidden, and this denial makes life just seem easier.

            Overall, this poem is very well written, it does a good job of making a point that has been made before, but adding some new perspectives to it. By giving the poem such a misleading, cheerful, title it reflects the nature of mankind. Humans live their lives concerned with matters that are, ultimately, trivial. What you ate for breakfast, who you loved, or what you did with your life, will not matter once time has erased all trace of life from the universe, and not even the planet is left to tell the story of man’s existence