My Love Sent Me a List

One unique aspect of the poem is its use of scientific and mathematical language. This contrasts with the typical words found in traditional love sonnets. Davis, a practicing lawyer, has said she approaches poetry the same way she approaches legal briefs (Pataky, Jeremy. “Through/Out of/ With.” Rasmuson Foundation, 2017, www.rasmuson.org/49writers/artist-profile/olena-kalytiak-davis/.), and this poem showcases that approach. The technical language starts with the words “catalogued” and “comprehensive” to describe the list the “Love” has written. It is easy to contrast this to another famous sonnet, “How Do I Love Thee?” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, where the speaker “counts the ways” they love someone. Davis’s technical language takes the emotion out of the poem, adding to the sarcastic tone she utilizes.

The technical jargon continues with the beginning of the list, where the speaker is “More capable of extra- and inter- / Polation” (Lines 7-8). These are not terms a layperson would use to describe themself, and they aren’t terms of insult. They are, though, terms with multiple meanings. Interpolation and extrapolation have mathematical definitions and non-mathematical definitions that loosely relate to making estimates, inferences, or conclusions about things. The use of these terms here suggests the “Love” considers himself more logical and intuitive than the speaker.