For Women Who Are 'Difficult' to Love Essay Questions

How does the poem view self-love?

The poem places a huge emphasis on self-love. The speaker tells the woman in the poem "you can't make homes out of human beings," going on to say that if the man she is currently with "wants to leave / then let him leave." She stands firmly behind the idea that women cannot endlessly soften the edges of the things men find "difficult" about them. Even if they accept this label, the poem seems to say, the onus should not be placed on women to change themselves to fit men's needs. Self-love is framed as imperative in the text, as it is so much more stable than the fickle desire and affection of unreliable men.

How does the poem's style suit its content?

The poem is written in free verse, without punctuation or capitalization. This lack of formal restrictions strengthens the poem's emotional urgency, as it gives the impression of a confession or conversation. Images and sentiments tumble through the different lines, seemingly shaped by the speaker's active speaking. The lines are of variable lengths and there are no stanza divisions. All of this stylistic freedom solidifies the sense that these are comments being made directly from the speaker to the woman, offered as an act of solidarity with her pain.