No Loser, No Weeper
No Loser, No Weeper - meaning Summary
The Ache of Losing What Matters
Through simple, concrete incidents, the speaker in Maya Angelou's And Still I Rise (1978) explains how losing anything she values hurts deeply. A childhood doll and a watch show that even ordinary objects carry emotional weight; their loss is wounding and memorable, underscoring how attachment intensifies the sense of loss. The poem builds toward a comparison with a lover, suggesting that the fear of losing a loved one is even stronger than the fear of losing things. By repeating the refrain about hating to lose something, the speaker links everyday experience to longing and vulnerability, making loss feel universal yet personal.
Read Complete Analyses“I hate to lose something,” then she bent her head, “even a dime, I wish I was dead. I can't explain it. No more to be said. ‘Cept I hate to lose something. “I lost a doll once and cried for a week. She could open her eyes, and do all but speak. I believe she was took, by some doll-snatching sneak. I tell you, I hate to lose something. “A watch of mine once, got up and walked away. It had twelve numbers on it and for the time of day. I'll never forget it and all I can say is I really hate to lose something. “Now if I felt that way ‘bout a watch and a toy, what you think I feel ‘bout my lover-boy? I ain't threatening you, madam, but he is my evening's joy. And I mean I really hate to lose something.”
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