Light After Darkness: Relationships and Discontent in "I Go Back to May 1937" and "Last Look" Anonymous 12th Grade

The poems “I Go Back to May 1937” and “Last Look”, both written by Sharon Olds, show how our relationships with loved ones can be complex. In “I Go Back to May 1937”, the speaker looks back at her parents in their college days. She thinks about warning them of the misery the marriage will bring, but decides against it. In “Last Look”, the speaker recounts the last look she gave to her husband before they got divorced. She comes to the realization that their marriage brought more happiness than sorrow. The author’s use of juxtaposition and repetition suggests that she has closure in “Last Look” while she longs to make amends in “I Go Back to May 1937”.

The speaker’s parents in “I Go Back to May 1937” are in a very joyful stage of their lives. They are about to get married and graduate college. They have their whole lives ahead of them. Despite this period of happiness, the speaker describes their meeting with some dark undertones. The tiles behind them are described as “red tiles glinting like bent plates of blood”. The fence is described as “the wrought-iron gate still open behind her, its sword-tips aglow”. “Blood” and “sword-tips” seem to be harsh words when describing this period of great joy. Swords are used to hurt people,...