We don't see much of the lovers' romance in "Song for a Dark Girl." We see no kind looks, no flowers, no chocolates, no kisses being exchanged. But the immense sadness the speaker feels upon the brutal death of her lover shows us more than any sentimental love scene could. She's more than sad—she's heartbroken.
Questions About Love
- What do you think was these lovers' romantic history? Were they first loves? Going to be married? Just casual? Take a wild guess.
- How would our speaker define love? How do you know?
- In line three, what do you think is most important in the context of the poem—that the man is young, black, or the speaker's lover? Why?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
There's no love in this poem whatsoever. The final metaphor says it all—love is a shadow. It doesn't exist for our speaker.
This poem shows that even something as universal as love can be destroyed by racism.