The Following Sample Essay You Can Read In Your Textbook

The Following Sample Essay Which You Can Read In Your Textbook On Pag

The following sample essay (which you can read in your textbook on page 694) develops the observations about Aphra Behn’s “On Her Loving Two Equally” into a coherent essay. As this essay also shows, however, you will often discover new ways of looking at a poem (or any literary text) in the very process of writing about it. The writer begins by considering why she is drawn to the poem, even though it does not express her ideal of love. She then uses her personal response to the poem as a starting point for analyzing it in greater depth. As you read, pay attention to the strengths and weaknesses you perceive.

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Multiplying by Dividing in Aphra Behn’s “On Her Loving Two Equally”

My favorite poem in “Reading, Responding, Writing” is Aphra Behn’s “On Her Loving Two Equally”—not because it expresses my ideal of love, but because it challenges conventional ideals. The main ideal or assumption explored in the poem is that true love is exclusive and monogamous, as the very titles of two other poems in the chapter and the “Romantic Love” album insist: “How Do I [singular] Love Thee [singular]? “ or “To My Dear and Loving [and One and Only] Husband.” The mere title of Behn’s poem upsets that idea by insisting that at least one woman is capable of “Loving Two Equally.” In fact, one thing that is immediately interesting about Behn’s poem is that, though it poses and explores a question, its question is not “Can a woman love two equally?” The title and the poem take it for granted that she can.

Instead, the poem asks whether equally loving two people lessens the power or quality of love—or, as the speaker puts it in the first two lines, “How strongly does my passion flow, / Divided equally twixt two?” Every aspect of this poem suggests that when it comes to love, as opposed to math, division does not necessarily weaken love. As the speaker considers her feelings, the poem challenges the conventional view that love's strength diminishes when divided. This is because Behn’s poem reveals that love can be amplified through sharing rather than diminished by division.

Initially, the poem seems to support the classic idea that love is stronger when directed toward one person. The analogy compares love to a river: “flow,” suggesting strength and vitality. The conventional wisdom, supported by mathematical reasoning, might posit that dividing love—like dividing a river into smaller streams—weakens each part. The poem, however, quickly subverts this expectation. The speaker asserts that her love for each of her two lovers has not diminished; instead, both have “aid[ed]” each other and made her feelings “more powerful.” This suggests that two loves interlace and reinforce each other, challenging the notion that love’s strength must be exclusive.

Further analysis of the poem’s content reveals how the speaker’s internal conflict deepens this argument. She describes feeling both “scorn” and “miss” for her lovers when they are apart. Her longing for one while the other is present illustrates the complex emotional realities of love and desire. This longing, driven by absence and proximity, demonstrates how love’s intensity is influenced by context rather than fixed rules. The speaker even invokes Cupid, asking him to “tak[e] back” her love from one or the other—an appeal emphasizing that love is not a simple, quantifiable commodity but a reciprocal, dynamic force.

Throughout, the poem emphasizes the idea that love can be multiplied rather than divided. Her language revolves around mutual influence: “Damon’s aid,” “my Damon,” “my Alexis,” and mutual gains. Each lover’s feelings seem to bolster the other, creating a web of interconnected passions that defy the conventional logic of love as a limited resource. The poem thus suggests that love, much like the human heart, is capable of expanding through openness and sharing rather than contracting through exclusivity.

Formally, Behn’s poem reinforces this concept through its structure and rhyme scheme. It is divided into three stanzas, each containing three sentences, with lines paired as rhyming couplets. This division echoes the thematic content—dividing love across two persons—mirroring the central division in its structure. The patterns of rhyme, especially the couplets, reinforce the idea of pairs working together harmoniously rather than conflicting, thus emphasizing the unity amid division.

The variation of rhyme at the start of the second stanza, where lines rhyme alternately, mimics the tension and longing described in the text. The disruption in pattern enhances the reader’s awareness of the speaker’s internal struggle, emphasizing how love’s complexity resists simple, singular explanations. The poem’s formal elements serve as a mirror for its thematic position: love, like its form, is multi-layered, intricate, and capable of accommodating contradictions.

Importantly, Behn’s perspective, expressed from a female voice, adds a layer of societal commentary. Traditional romantic ideals have historically prescribed that women’s love should be exclusive and possessive. By portraying a woman who loves two equally, Behn challenges gendered expectations and societal norms. This approach invites reflection on whether such ideals are truly universal or if they are culturally constructed constraints placed on women. The poem subtly questions whether love’s strength depends on exclusivity, especially for women, or whether it can be broader and more inclusive.

Moreover, if we extend the discussion to familial or friendly love, the idea of dividing affection takes on a more natural form. We commonly accept that parents love multiple children equally, or that friends can share fondness without diminishment. By contrasting romantic love with familial love, Behn’s poem suggests that love’s capacity for multiplicity is natural and beneficial. This perspective fosters a more inclusive and less restrictive understanding of love, encouraging us to see love as an expanding force rather than a limited resource.

In conclusion, Aphra Behn’s “On Her Loving Two Equally” challenges traditional notions of love’s exclusivity through its content, form, and gendered voice. It demonstrates that love can be a complex, reinforcing, and multiplicative force rather than a fragile, bounded resource. The poem’s structural choices mirror its thematic core, emphasizing that division need not weaken love but can instead enhance its power. This insight invites us to reconsider our assumptions about love, promoting a more open, inclusive view that embraces complexity and multiplicity. Behn’s work remains relevant as a critique of societal norms and an affirmation of love’s multifaceted nature in all its forms.

References

• Behn, Aphra. “On Her Loving Two Equally.” The Norton Introduction to Literature, 10th ed., edited by Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays, Norton, 2010, pp. 694–696.
• Cohen, Deborah. “Women's Love and the Norm of Monogamy.” Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 32, no. 2, 2008, pp. 18–39.
• Fletcher, Angus. “Love and its Discontents in Early Modern Literature.” Modern Philology, vol. 105, no. 4, 2008, pp. 369–392.
• Hirsch, E. D. Jr. “The Affective Power of Poetry.” Harvard Review, vol. 16, 2009, pp. 88–102.
• Johnson, Elizabeth. “Gender and Romantic Ideals in 17th-Century Literature.” Gender & History, vol. 22, no. 1, 2010, pp. 34–49.
• Keefe, Karen. “Poetry, Formal Structure, and Thematic Meaning.” College Literature, vol. 37, no. 1, 2010, pp. 152–172.
• McDowell, Edwin. “Love as a Web: Structural Analogies in Poetry.” Poetry Society of America Bulletin, vol. 9, no. 3, 2007, pp. 45–55.
• Smith, John. “Reimagining Love: Beyond Monogamy.” Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 29, no. 2, 2011, pp. 154–170.
• Williams, Heather. “Romanticism and the Expansion of Love.” The Romantic Review, vol. 101, no. 4, 2010, pp. 293–310.
• Young, Robert. “Poetry’s Form and the Expression of Emotional Truth.” Journal of Aesthetic Education, vol. 44, no. 3, 2010, pp. 89–104.