Hate Poem

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2006

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Background

Authorial Context

Published in 2006, “Hate Poem” was written at a time when Sheehan was simultaneously working on her collections Bar Book (2010) and Orient Point (2006). The poem is in some ways typical of her body of work, written in a conversational style, in free verse, and influenced by Walt Whitman’s long, loose stanzas that avoid traditional forms. Unlike the long verses and paragraph-style poems of Bar Book, or the more traditional forms like the sonnet or ghazal used in Orient Point, “Hate Poem” is only moderately structured.

The themes of “Hate Poem” are very typical of Sheehan’s work, as she often writes about domestic life, children, and relationships. The poem has the same playful tone of some of her other poems—Bar Book, for instance, has poems written from the point of view of personified cocktails—and just like in her other work, the jokey quality intersects with the poem’s darker and more intense subject matter. Overall, the poem fits well with her greater collection of works which are packed with verbal energy, formal and organic elements, and vivid imagination.

Literary Context: Women in Poetry in the 21st Century

While the American poetry movements of the 21st century continue to evolve and leave a mark, Sheehan’s work undeniably plays a part in the continued emergence of women’s voices. In “Hate Poem,” Sheehan explores the expressly female point of view in a relationship following a fight, working through the process of hating the partner as a powerless rant that is vividly confrontational, but simultaneously suppressed. Beyond this poem, the topics she writes about range widely from nature and city nights out, to life as a married adult and mother in the suburbs. Sometimes written as a narrative, and other times written in obscure free verse, her poetry brings greater validity to the everyday experience of women. “Hate Poem” like many others in her collection, is marked by its humor and desire for connection with a partner, themes which are now much more present in American poetry than they were twenty years ago. Sheehan’s work is characterized by humor, the ability to be both sassy and serious, to express tenderness and worry, and to do so across multiple styles and genres of poetry. Her work has been recognized for her significant contribution to women’s poetry, as she won the Barnard Women Poet’s Prize in 2005, among other prizes and fellowships.