By Denis Harkin

“First Poem for You”

I like to touch your tattoos in complete
darkness, when I can’t see them. I’m sure of
where they are, know by heart the neat
lines of lightning pulsing just above
your nipple, can find, as if by instinct, the blue
swirls of water on your shoulder where a serpent
twists, facing a dragon. When I pull you

to me, taking you until we’re spent
and quiet on the sheets, I love to kiss
the pictures in your skin. They’ll last until
you’re seared to ashes; whatever persists
or turns to pain between us, they will still
be there. Such permanence is terrifying.
So I touch them in the dark; but touch them, trying.

— Kim Addonizio

Artistic value can come in many shapes and sizes. Spoken art forms such as poetry and song encompass a sound of voice with emphasis; written language like literature is meant to be read; drawings and paintings capture an image worth its weight in words. Tattooing is a permanent art form that requires precision, technique, and is followed by a machine’s buzz felt on the bone beneath the skin. 

“First Poem for You” by Kim Addonizio addresses tattooing as a form of art, describing the speaker’s discovery of their lover’s tattoos in the start of a new relationship. While seeking to memorize the placement of the addressee’s ink through physical intimacy in the dark, the speaker trips into a loaded conflict. The conflict is further locked into the meaning of the tattoos and their symbolism. We follow the speaker’s voice and actions of intimacy in pondering the struggle of fear and excitement of possible permanence as we explore the theme of love within this poem. 

In many literary works, when talking about symbolism, readers tend to think of a simple single exchange. For instance, a ring symbolizes love, but unity only. In reality, poems such as “First Poem for You” that hold symbolism in the multidimensional meaning of an object or idea. So a ring may connect to unity, but in the same poem could stand for sacrifice, love, or commitment. In “First Poem for You,” the central symbol for the piece are the tattoos on the addressee’s skin. These tattoos are described in their anatomical location: “know by heart the neat lines / of lightning pulsing just above / the nipple, can find, as if by instinct, the blue / swirls of water on your shoulder where a serpent twists, facing a dragon.” In one regard the tattoos symbolize literal objects/figures such as the lightning bolts, or serpent and dragon. Other than the literal image, tattoos hold symbolism.

For the person with the tattoo, the images take form to show feelings, thoughts about a person’s life or possibly hold greater interests and memories in someone’s mind. For the speaker, the tattoos represent familiarity and permanence within a romantic relationship. Specifically, the familiarity aspect of symbolism is shown through the speaker tracing the tattoos in the dark, where she can’t see them. The level of knowledge as far as tattoo placement shows familiarity of the addressee’s body. Furthermore, that symbolism carries from familiarity to the idea of permanence in a relationship. In the text, it says, “They’ll last until you’re seared to ashes; whatever persists or turns to pain between us, they will still be there.” Permanence suggests their love lasting forever, through death or at least changes in the relationship. In fact, this idea is similar to a vow of unity that states, “Till death do us part.” The speaker seems to struggle and conflict with the idea of her relationship being permanent: “Such permanence is terrifying.” Certainly, for many, thinking of making that big of a decision resulting in permanence can be both exciting and scary. However, our speaker does seem to be greatly affected by this terrifying thought of permanence, even though love is meant to be able to handle ups and downs.

“First Poem for You” exemplifies a true traditional sonnet form whilst including multiple tweaks giving a modern flare. The poem does hold true to the fourteen-line structure of a sonnet, as well as displaying a conversational format between a speaker and addresse. Interestingly enough, the true sonnet structure, although containing the correct amount of individual lines differs in groupings of those lines used. For example, the traditional Petrarchan sonnet is formed into two big groups. One rhyming octave followed by a rhyming sestet. Together these are broken by a change in feeling, usually played by the language and or conversation in the poem. Kim Addonizo’s “First Poem for You” is split into two groups of seven, thus meaning the author broke the poem at a place that would not be traditional in a sonnet. The rhyming patterns in this poem also develop a similarity to a sonnet. But much like the stanza breaking in an interesting place, the rhyme scheme starts strong at the end of every other line in the first stanza, holding true to sonnet form. Yet the rhyming gets disrupted in the second stanza and doesn’t continue the alternate line pattern. Likely the author used these parts of form along with language to further a connection between the meaning of the tattoos and how they illustrate their relationship. The connection of the symbolism and form revolve around the main theme of love. As said before, the speaker seems to grapple with the idea of permanence in her relationship with the addressee. It’s evident that the language and symbolism of the tattoo and its permanence are used to develop a key role in love. Furthermore, split by a non-traditional placement of a stanza break in the form the speaker partakes in intimacy. This physical moment alludes to a disruption of thought, as the speaker comes to a realization. Followed by a change of mind towards the permanence of her love for the addressee. This is just one of a few ways the author of this piece connects the language and meaning of the poem to its form.

Reading a love poem makes anybody who can understand the meaning of it think. As a person, each and everyone of us likely has had feelings toward another. With literature people, flock to scenarios that they understand, have questions about, or fantasize toward. In the past week, I watched a video of an older couple that have been married for 60+ years. They were interviewed on behalf of their long lasting relationship, in hopes they would give insights to how people could replicate something so successful. When asked about how others could replicate their success, the couple answered with a simple thought, “People these days don’t take the time to try and fix things.”  “First Poem for You,” like mainstream culture, deals with ideas of love, intimacy, and conflict within that. This poem’s form can reflect just how unpredictable relationships in our lives can turn. One moment steady on course with rhyming every other line in form, and then a sudden break of structure in a relationship. Yet the main takeaway from this poem is to keep trying, and push fixing issues further: “So I touch them in the dark; but touch them trying.” Love is something so rare that even when there is a doubt, there is enough strength to persist.