But these maneuverings to avoid
The touching of hands,
These shifts to keep the eyes employed
On objects more or less neutral
(As honor, for time being, commands)
Will hardly prevent their downfall.

Stronger medicines are needed.
Already they find
None of their strategems have succeeded,
Nor would have, no,
Not had their eyes been stricken blind,
Hands cut off at the elbow.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Donald Justice's poem Love’s Strategems

2 Comments

  1. Robin says:

    This is my all time favourite love poem. Whenever that intial rush happens, I think of these words…

  2. brittany says:

    it was o.k

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