The Gardener 35: I Know Your Art
The Gardener 35: I Know Your Art - meaning Summary
Elusiveness Shapes Desire
The speaker addresses a beloved who deliberately withholds herself through teasing gestures and avoidance. Her laughter, silence, and refusals are presented as a conscious strategy to remain desired and distinct. Repeating "I know, I know your art," the speaker recognizes a pattern: elusiveness preserves value and resists possession. The poem explores how playfulness and refusal shape intimacy, desire, and distance without explicit confrontation.
Read Complete AnalysesLest I should know you too easily, you play with me. You blind me with flashes of laughter to hide your tears. I know, I know your art. You never say the word you would. Lest I should not prize you, you elude me in a thousand ways. Lest I should confuse you with the crowd, you stand aside. I know, I know your art, You never walk the path you would. Your claim is more than that of others, that is why you are silent. With playful carelessness you avoid my gifts. I know, I know your art, You never will take what you would.
Feel free to be first to leave comment.