How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
She had thought the studio would keep itself;
no dust upon the furniture of love. (1-2)
By calling the furniture "furniture of love," these lines set up the extended metaphor that we find throughout the poem. Homes are personal spaces, so it makes sense that the woman makes a connection between her home with her partner and their relationship.
Quote #2
[…] A plate of pears,
a piano with a Persian shawl, a cat
stalking the picturesque amusing mouse
had risen at his urging. (4-7)
Aw, isn't this quaint? This is definitely the picture of the perfect home. There's beauty, there's music, there are pets at play. What more could you ask for? This is what the woman had hoped her home would be like.
Quote #3
Half heresy, to wish the taps less vocal,
the panes relieved of grime. (3-4)
Well, this is just one of many quotes that show that the couple's home in reality was not at all as nice as the woman had hoped it would be. The pipes are noisy, the windows are dirty, and the fact that she wishes they were not shows that she is not content with the situation. At the same time, the fact that she simply wants to "wish" them to be fixed and cleaned, rather than cleaning and fixing them herself, shows that she was not prepared to put the required work into her home (her relationship).