Poem Analysis - Remember Thee Remember Thee

A Bitter Curse: Introduction to Byron's "Remember Thee!"

Lord Byron's "Remember Thee! Remember Thee!" is a short but potent poem dripping with bitterness and vengeful anger. The poem is a direct address to a former lover who has betrayed the speaker, resulting in a curse leveled against her. The tone is initially accusatory and condemning, evolving into a pronouncement of inescapable and shared misery. The starkness of the language and the force of the emotions create a haunting atmosphere, leaving the reader with a sense of profound and lasting resentment.

The Torment of Betrayal: Exploring the Theme of Revenge

The central theme of the poem is undoubtedly revenge. The speaker isn't simply heartbroken; he is consumed by a desire for the woman to suffer as he has suffered. The repetition of "Remember thee! Remember thee!" acts as an incantation, a binding spell meant to ensure her perpetual torment. The first stanza immediately establishes this, declaring that "Remorse and shame shall cling to thee, / And haunt thee like a feverish dream!" This isn't a gentle wish for her happiness, but a forceful assertion that she will be forever plagued by her actions.

Love and Loss: A Twisted Reflection

While seemingly absent, the specter of love looms large in this poem. The intense anger and desire for revenge are proportionate to the initial love and trust that was betrayed. The depth of the speaker's pain reveals the depth of his former affection. He sees her not just as a woman who left him, but as a "fiend," someone who deliberately inflicted pain by shattering their bond. The poem transforms love into a source of lasting pain and resentment, a twisted reflection of what it once was.

Eternal Damnation: The Haunting Imagery of Memory

The poem utilizes potent imagery to emphasize the speaker's desire for the woman's suffering. The reference to "Lethe," the river of forgetfulness in Greek mythology, is particularly significant. The speaker wishes that even death and oblivion will not erase the memory of her betrayal. Instead, he hopes that her remorse will be like a "burning stream," an eternal punishment. The "feverish dream" imagery reinforces this idea of a relentless, inescapable torment. These vivid images contribute to the poem's overall sense of inescapable damnation, ensuring the woman will never find peace.

Shared Suffering: A Web of Intertwined Fates

An interesting aspect of the poem is the inclusion of the woman's "husband." The speaker declares that "Thy husband too shall think of thee." This introduces a layer of complexity, suggesting that the woman's betrayal has created a ripple effect of pain affecting multiple individuals. It implies that her actions have condemned not only herself and the speaker, but also her husband to a life tinged with suspicion and unhappiness. The speaker envisions a future where all three are bound together by the consequences of her infidelity, a web of intertwined fates fueled by deceit and regret.

A Legacy of Resentment: Concluding Thoughts

In conclusion, "Remember Thee! Remember Thee!" is a powerful and unsettling poem that explores the destructive nature of betrayal and the consuming desire for revenge. Through vivid imagery and a tone of unrelenting bitterness, Byron captures the raw emotion of a man scorned. The poem's lasting impact lies in its portrayal of a love transformed into a source of eternal pain and resentment, a potent reminder of the enduring consequences of broken trust and the destructive power of unchecked anger. It poses the question: Does seeking revenge truly alleviate pain, or does it simply perpetuate a cycle of misery?