# These Things That Poets Said explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Edward Thomas.

## What happens

The speaker reflects on the nature of love and poetry, questioning whether the love described by poets is true or if their own experience of love was the genuine one. They argue that the proof of having loved lies in the difference they feel now that they no longer love.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Loss

The poem directly questions the truth of love as described by poets and contrasts it with the speaker's own experience of loving and the subsequent loss of that love.

### Language and Poetry

The speaker compares their own love to the love described in poetry, questioning the authenticity of poetic expressions of love.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker who reflects on love and poetry, and who feels changed by the experience of loving.

## Key lines

> These things that poets said / Of love seemed true to me / When I loved and I fed / On love and poetry equally.

When I was in love, I believed the poets' descriptions of love were accurate, and I nourished myself with both love and poetry.

_The speaker recalls a time when love and poetry felt harmonious and true._

> But now I wish I knew / If theirs were love indeed, / Or if mine were the true / And theirs some other lovely weed.

Now I am uncertain whether the poets' love was real or if my own love was the genuine one, while theirs was a different, perhaps deceptive, kind.

_The speaker expresses doubt about the authenticity of poetic love versus personal experience._

> Only, that once I loved / By this one argument / Is very plainly proved: / I, loving not, am different.

The only clear proof that I once loved is that now, without love, I am a changed person.

_The speaker concludes that the transformation caused by love is the evidence of its reality._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_5_se/chapters/these-things-that-poets-said
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_5_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_5_se/chapters