Old Love

From a formal point of view, “Old Love” contains elements of two different poetic genres: the dialogue poem and the persona poem. In a dialogue poem, there are two speakers who talk to each other, often holding contrasting views on a specific topic. The whole poem might consist of their words only, like in a dramatic dialogue, or there might be some surrounding narration or description from a neutral perspective. A persona poem typically consists of the words or thoughts of one specific character (or persona) who is distinctly different from the author. That persona’s perspective does not necessarily reflect the author’s point of view. In its purest form, such a poem creates an individualized persona, a single character with idiosyncratic psychology and motivation.

“Old Love” is not quite a dialogue poem or a persona poem. Although it contains two distinct characters, only the uncle’s words are presented as direct speech. The niece or nephew watches and listens silently, not engaging in a dialogue, yet their reaction to the uncle’s words is clearly conveyed (Lines 7-10) so that they are not merely a passive observer either. There is a sense that a kind of communication takes place between the two characters, even though only one of them expresses himself verbally. The younger character’s reaction to the uncle’s naked grief seems to prompt the uncle to share the memory of New Year’s Eves. Thus, the poem establishes a dynamic akin to that of a dialogue poem, a kind of back-and-forth between the characters that is at the core of the poem’s meaning.

In a similar manner, the poem does not fully conform to the format of the persona poem since it does not limit itself to one character’s perspective. The main perspective is that of the niece or nephew since they relate what they heard and saw, as well as how the described event affected them. However, the uncle’s perspective is also prominent since almost half of the words in the poem are his own, reported by his niece or nephew in the form of direct speech (for more on the effect of that strategy, see Literary Devices). As a result, this poem, which consists of merely 22 lines, develops a vivid portrait of two individuals, one of them (the uncle) conveyed through his actions and words, and the other one (the niece or nephew) conveyed through their reaction to the uncle’s actions and words. We can surmise a great deal about the niece or nephew from the fact that they are so touched and impressed by their uncle’s love and grief.

Pat Mora has a distinct interest in persona poems, especially ones that give voice to women of Mexican heritage in the United States. In an interview, Mora refers to one such poem called “Elena” (see Further Readings and Resources) and explains that her goal was “to adopt the voice, or hear the voice, of someone whose experience is very different from mine. And of course, I’ve had a particular interest in hearing the voice of a Mexican woman […] the voice of women of Mexican heritage in this country, particularly those whose voices have not been heard” (Torres, Hector A. Conversations with Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Writers. 2007. p. 262). Mora has experimented with persona poems from the earliest stages of her career, but her most sustained exploration of the genre is Encantado: Desert Monologues (2018). The word “encantado” means “enchanted” or “haunted.” Mora’s book imagines a southwestern town called Encantado and paints its collective portrait through a series of monologues in its inhabitants’ diverse voices. Expanding her range beyond women of Mexican heritage, in this book Mora explores the minds and voices of both men and women of varied social status and ethnic background, creating a significant contribution to the persona poem genre.