To a Young Girl

To a Young Girl - meaning Summary

Knowing Another's Desire

The speaker asserts an intimate, knowing claim about a young woman’s secret desire, insisting he understands what quickens her heart more than anyone else. He contrasts his knowledge with even her mother’s ignorance, and links that insight to his own pain: the woman once entertained a wild, denied thought that excited her and caused him heartbreak. The poem captures unrequited love, the tension between private longing and social denial.