💖 In Love – Poem with Full Explanation in Easy Language By Kamala Das

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📝 Introduction

Kamala Das’s poem In Love is a deeply personal and emotional expression of what it feels like to be a woman in love—but not the romantic, happy kind of love. Instead, this poem shows the confusion, pain, and emptiness that can come with love when it lacks real connection. Kamala Das speaks from a woman’s point of view, exploring physical love, emotional loss, and loneliness.

📜 Poem with Line-by-Line Explanation

O what does the burning mouth
Of sun, burning in today's,
Sky, remind me...oh, yes, his mouth,
And...his limbs like pale and
Carnivorous plants reaching
Out for me, and the sad lie
Of my unending lust.

Explanation:
The poem starts with the burning sun in the sky, which reminds the speaker of her lover’s mouth. His body is compared to pale, flesh-eating plants—this is a disturbing image that shows how he consumes her emotionally and physically. She admits that her lust (desire) is a sad lie—meaning it doesn’t bring her joy or true connection.

Where is room, excuse or even
Need for love, for, isn't each
Embrace a complete thing now,
A finished jigsaw, when mouth sucks
Mouth, flesh sucks flesh, it's the
Tongues' fierce blather, the howls
Of passions' wolf...

Explanation:
She asks, is there even any need for love? Every physical act feels complete on the outside, like a jigsaw puzzle fitting perfectly. But it’s only physical—just mouth on mouth, flesh on flesh. The wild sounds made during sex feel like the howls of a wolf, full of raw passion but not love. It's animalistic and empty of emotion.

I was unwomanly, lonely
I spent my days in silence,
Knotted to my loneliness,
Unwholesome, dying,
Unwanted.

Explanation:
The speaker feels unwomanly—not in the traditional role of a woman who is loved and respected. She is lonely, tied up in her own silence. Her emotions are compared to being sick, dying, and unwanted. This shows how love has not healed her, but instead left her broken.

I told myself, I must survive.
I want to be loved, I said,
If love is not to be had, I want to be wanted.
I lied, and lived.

Explanation:
Despite her pain, she tells herself that she must survive. She says she wants to be loved, but when that is not possible, she settles for just being wanted physically. She lies to herself to keep going, even though her heart is not truly happy.

🌸 Summary of the Poem in Simple Words

In In Love, Kamala Das talks about a woman who is in a physical relationship but feels empty and unloved. Her partner’s touch reminds her of something consuming and painful, not joyful. She feels like she is pretending to be satisfied, but deep down she is lonely and emotionally dead.

The poem tells us that physical desire alone is not enough—what people truly need is emotional love, care, and acceptance. The speaker wants to be loved but is trapped in a world that only sees her body, not her soul.

💡 Themes of the Poem

🎨 Poetic Devices Used

  • Metaphor: "Limbs like pale and carnivorous plants" – compares the lover to a consuming plant.
  • Imagery: Strong visuals of burning sun, howling wolves, and consuming passion.
  • Symbolism: The sun and the wolf represent passion, heat, and danger.
  • Irony: The woman wants love but ends up feeling unwanted and unloved.

🌷 Conclusion

In Love by Kamala Das is a bold and emotional poem. It speaks honestly about women’s pain in relationships where love is missing. Through powerful images and raw language, the poet shows how a woman can feel used, empty, and alone, even when she is "in love." It’s a poem that asks us to look deeper—what is love if it does not touch the soul?  

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