Introduction: “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young
“I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young, first appeared in his 2003 poetry collection Jelly Roll: A Blues, is characterized by its musicality, particularly its connection to the rhythms and emotions of blues music, which infuses Young’s poems with a soulful resonance. The poem itself embodies themes of love, heartbreak, and emotional vulnerability, using a conversational tone that is both intimate and direct. It explores the complexity of relationships, where love is portrayed as both deeply fulfilling and painfully destructive, underscoring the inevitable tension between desire and loss.
Text: “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young
I am hoping
to hang your head
on my wall
in shame—
the slightest taxidermy
thrills me. Fish
forever leaping
on the living-room wall—
paperweights made
from skulls
of small animals.
I want to wear
your smile on my sleeve
& break
your heart like a horse
or its leg. Weeks of being
bucked off, then
all at once, you’re mine—
Put me down.
I want to call you thine
to tattoo mercy
along my knuckles. I assassin
down the avenue
I hope
to have you forgotten
by noon. To know you
by your knees
palsied by prayer.
Loneliness is a science—
consider the taxidermist’s
tender hands
trying to keep from losing
skin, the bobcat grin
of the living.
Annotations: “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young
| Stanza | Annotation |
| I am hoping / to hang your head / on my wall / in shame— | The speaker begins with an aggressive image of wanting to “hang your head,” which evokes dominance and conquest. “In shame” suggests emotional defeat and humiliation. This could be read as a metaphor for emotional control over someone, perhaps in the aftermath of a breakup. |
| the slightest taxidermy / thrills me. Fish / forever leaping / on the living-room wall— | The mention of taxidermy implies preserving something once alive. This could symbolize the speaker’s desire to preserve a moment of power or control over another, even if it’s frozen in time. The “fish forever leaping” conveys a sense of stagnation within movement—a paradox, much like unfulfilled love or emotional manipulation. |
| paperweights made / from skulls / of small animals. | Here, the speaker continues the macabre imagery. Paperweights made of skulls suggest the weight of small, yet significant past experiences or conquests. The skulls might symbolize the fragility of life, love, or relationships, now reduced to inanimate objects. |
| I want to wear / your smile on my sleeve / & break / your heart like a horse / or its leg. | The speaker desires to claim ownership over the other’s emotions, wanting to “wear” their smile, an indication of possession. The phrase “break your heart like a horse or its leg” draws a connection between emotional and physical destruction, implying control and taming, as if the heart were an animal to be subdued. |
| Weeks of being / bucked off, then / all at once, you’re mine— | The struggle for dominance is highlighted, where the speaker faces resistance (“bucked off”) but ultimately gains control. This reflects the turbulent nature of the relationship, with moments of resistance followed by submission. |
| Put me down. | A brief, stark line that can be interpreted in multiple ways: either as a demand from the speaker or the other person. It reflects a moment of surrender or exhaustion, possibly calling for an end to the emotional turmoil. |
| I want to call you thine / to tattoo mercy / along my knuckles. | Here, the speaker expresses a desire for ownership and control. The “tattoo mercy along my knuckles” presents a paradox—mercy associated with violence or aggression (knuckles). This suggests a struggle between power and tenderness. |
| I assassin / down the avenue / I hope / to have you forgotten / by noon. | The speaker likens themselves to an “assassin,” moving with purpose and precision. The hope of forgetting someone “by noon” suggests a fleeting emotional impact, where the speaker wants to move on quickly from the person they once wanted to control. |
| To know you / by your knees / palsied by prayer. | This line introduces religious imagery, with the speaker wanting to know the other person through their vulnerability (“knees palsied by prayer”). It could suggest seeking control over the person at their weakest or most submissive point. |
| Loneliness is a science— | The speaker acknowledges loneliness as something methodical and studied, suggesting that isolation can be both understood and manipulated. It may imply that the speaker’s destructive actions come from a place of calculated emotional distance. |
| consider the taxidermist’s / tender hands / trying to keep from losing / skin, the bobcat grin / of the living. | The final image returns to taxidermy, reinforcing the theme of preservation. The “tender hands” contrast with the earlier aggression, indicating that even cruelty requires a delicate touch. The “bobcat grin” represents the predatory nature of both life and love—the living creature, still dangerous, even when tamed or captured. |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young
| Device | Definition | Example from the Poem | Explanation |
| Allusion | A brief reference to a person, event, or another work of literature. | “I want to break / your heart like a horse / or its leg” | Alludes to the practice of breaking horses, comparing taming animals to emotional control. |
| Ambiguity | Use of language that allows for multiple interpretations. | “Put me down.” | The line is ambiguous; it can mean either emotional exhaustion or literal dismissal. |
| Assonance | The repetition of vowel sounds within words. | “tattoo mercy” | The repetition of the “a” sound creates a musical quality, reinforcing the theme of aggression and tenderness. |
| Connotation | The associated or secondary meaning of a word beyond its literal meaning. | “hang your head” | “Hang your head” connotes defeat and humiliation beyond its literal meaning of physically lowering the head. |
| Contrast | A device used to highlight differences between two or more elements. | “Loneliness is a science” vs. “taxidermist’s tender hands” | The scientific precision of loneliness contrasts with the “tender hands,” highlighting the delicate nature of cruelty. |
| Enjambment | The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line. | “Weeks of being / bucked off, then / all at once, you’re mine—” | The enjambment creates a sense of continuous struggle, reflecting the ongoing battle for control in relationships. |
| Hyperbole | Deliberate and obvious exaggeration used for effect. | “I hope to have you forgotten by noon.” | Exaggerates the speaker’s desire to forget the other person quickly, indicating emotional detachment. |
| Imagery | Descriptive language that appeals to the senses. | “Fish / forever leaping / on the living-room wall” | Vividly describes a frozen, lifeless moment that evokes visual imagery of motion halted in time. |
| Irony | A contrast between expectation and reality, often highlighting contradictions. | “I want to call you thine / to tattoo mercy / along my knuckles” | The irony of associating “mercy” with knuckles (a symbol of violence) reveals the speaker’s conflicting emotions. |
| Juxtaposition | Placing two elements side by side for comparison or contrast. | “break your heart like a horse / or its leg” | Juxtaposes emotional heartbreak with the violent image of breaking a horse’s leg, intensifying the brutality. |
| Metaphor | A comparison between two unrelated things by stating one is the other. | “Loneliness is a science” | Compares loneliness to a scientific discipline, suggesting it can be studied and controlled. |
| Oxymoron | A figure of speech in which two contradictory terms appear together. | “tender hands” | Contradicts the image of “tender hands” with the context of taxidermy, symbolizing cruelty wrapped in gentleness. |
| Personification | Attributing human qualities to non-human things. | “Fish / forever leaping” | The fish is personified by giving it a continuous action, though it is inanimate and preserved. |
| Repetition | Repeating words or phrases for emphasis. | “I want” (multiple times) | The repeated use of “I want” emphasizes the speaker’s desire for control and dominance over the other person. |
| Simile | A comparison using “like” or “as.” | “break / your heart like a horse / or its leg” | Compares breaking a heart to breaking a horse’s leg, emphasizing the destructive nature of the speaker’s intent. |
| Symbolism | The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities beyond the literal sense. | “Fish / forever leaping” | The fish symbolizes something frozen in time, reflecting the speaker’s desire to preserve control or dominance. |
| Tone | The attitude or mood conveyed by the author’s words. | “I want to wear / your smile on my sleeve” | The tone is possessive and controlling, highlighting the speaker’s desire to dominate emotionally. |
| Violent Imagery | Use of violent or aggressive language to create a harsh, intense effect. | “break your heart like a horse / or its leg” | The violent imagery heightens the poem’s intensity, reinforcing the speaker’s desire for emotional domination. |
| Wordplay | Clever or witty use of words and meanings. | “I assassin / down the avenue” | The use of “assassin” as a verb plays with language, turning a noun into an action to convey the speaker’s emotional ruthlessness. |
Themes: “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young
- Control and Dominance: The theme of control and dominance is prevalent throughout the poem, as the speaker expresses a desire to possess and manipulate the emotions of the other person. Lines such as “I want to wear / your smile on my sleeve” and “break / your heart like a horse / or its leg” suggest an intent to dominate and “break” the other, both emotionally and metaphorically. The speaker seeks to tame and overpower, using vivid imagery of breaking a horse or preserving a conquest like a taxidermied animal. This desire for control is rooted in an aggressive and possessive approach to love and relationships.
- Emotional Vulnerability and Destruction: The poem explores the destructive nature of love, where emotional vulnerability leads to inevitable pain. The speaker’s wish to “break your heart” highlights how love can become a site of destruction rather than nurturing. The metaphor of breaking a heart “like a horse / or its leg” reveals the potential harm caused by intimate relationships, where the act of loving can result in emotional devastation. Additionally, the speaker’s acknowledgment of “weeks of being bucked off” suggests the struggle and pain involved in relationships before one party finally gains control, further emphasizing this theme of emotional destruction.
- Loneliness and Isolation: Loneliness is personified as a science in the poem, reflecting the speaker’s cold and calculated approach to dealing with isolation. In the line “Loneliness is a science—,” the speaker reflects on loneliness as something that can be studied and understood with precision, much like the taxidermist’s “tender hands” trying to preserve life. This scientific view of loneliness conveys a sense of emotional distance, as the speaker attempts to rationalize or control the pain of isolation. The act of emotionally distancing oneself and reducing the complexities of love to something methodical speaks to a deeper fear of vulnerability and a preference for control over connection.
- Possession and Objectification: The poem frequently uses imagery that reduces the object of affection to something inanimate or controlled, reflecting a theme of possession and objectification. The lines “Fish / forever leaping / on the living-room wall” and “paperweights made / from skulls of small animals” symbolize how the speaker seeks to preserve and possess the other, much like a taxidermist freezing a moment in time. This imagery suggests a desire to turn the beloved into an object that can be owned and controlled, stripping away their autonomy. The speaker’s wish to “call you thine” further underscores this longing for possession, transforming love into an act of ownership rather than mutual affection.
Literary Theories and “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young
| Literary Theory | Application to “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” | References from the Poem |
| Psychoanalytic Theory | Psychoanalytic theory, particularly Freud’s concepts of desire, repression, and aggression, can be applied to explore the speaker’s inner conflicts and motivations. The speaker’s desire for control and emotional dominance over the other person suggests unresolved internal conflicts, perhaps rooted in their own vulnerabilities and insecurities. The aggression directed at the other person may be a projection of the speaker’s own fears of emotional vulnerability or rejection. | The lines “I want to wear / your smile on my sleeve” and “break / your heart like a horse / or its leg” reveal the speaker’s wish to possess and control, suggesting repressed desires and aggression. The speaker’s emotional distance (“I hope to have you forgotten by noon”) also points to defense mechanisms at play. |
| Feminist Literary Theory | Feminist theory can be used to examine the power dynamics and gendered implications of control and objectification in the poem. The speaker’s desire to “possess” and “break” the other reflects a patriarchal approach to relationships, where emotional control and dominance are key to maintaining power. This reading could analyze how the poem reflects societal expectations around gender, love, and power, where the other person (potentially a woman) is objectified and reduced to something that can be owned or conquered. | “I want to call you thine / to tattoo mercy / along my knuckles” suggests a possessive and controlling form of love. The desire to break the other person like a horse or its leg reflects the speaker’s view of relationships as a power struggle, often reflective of patriarchal attitudes. |
| Deconstruction | Deconstruction challenges the binary oppositions present in the poem, such as love vs. control, tenderness vs. aggression, and vulnerability vs. power. By focusing on how the poem blurs these distinctions, deconstruction allows readers to explore the complexities and contradictions inherent in the speaker’s emotions. The speaker presents love as something both tender and violent, showing how the boundaries between affection and destruction are not clearly defined. | The juxtaposition of “tender hands” with violent images like “break your heart like a horse / or its leg” reveals how the poem deconstructs the binary of love and destruction. The speaker’s desire for both intimacy and emotional domination suggests that these opposites coexist rather than oppose one another. |
Critical Questions about “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young
- How does the speaker’s use of violent imagery reflect their emotional state?
- The frequent use of violent and aggressive imagery throughout the poem, such as “break your heart like a horse / or its leg” and “I want to wear your smile on my sleeve,” reveals a great deal about the speaker’s emotional state. The imagery suggests that the speaker approaches love and relationships as a site of conflict and domination, where emotional vulnerability leads to potential harm. The desire to break or tame the other person reflects an underlying fear of being emotionally overpowered or rejected. This raises the question of whether the speaker’s aggression is a defense mechanism, allowing them to exert control over their feelings and the relationship. The tension between tenderness and violence throughout the poem reveals an inner turmoil that mirrors the complexities of human connection.
- What is the significance of taxidermy as a recurring metaphor in the poem?
- Taxidermy serves as a central metaphor in the poem, reflecting the speaker’s desire to preserve control over the other person, even after the emotional vitality of the relationship has been lost. The lines “the slightest taxidermy / thrills me” and “Fish forever leaping / on the living-room wall” suggest that the speaker seeks to freeze the object of their affection in time, capturing their emotions and rendering them powerless. This metaphor is significant because it underscores the speaker’s struggle to deal with loss and vulnerability. Taxidermy is associated with preserving something once alive, but it is also a lifeless replica, hinting at the speaker’s preference for dominance over genuine emotional connection. By using this metaphor, the poem raises questions about how love can become objectified and controlled.
- What role does loneliness play in the speaker’s perception of love?
- The line “Loneliness is a science” suggests that the speaker views loneliness as something methodical and precise, contrasting the chaotic nature of love and relationships. By presenting loneliness as something that can be studied, the speaker implies that they have grown accustomed to isolation and may even find comfort in its predictability. This raises a critical question about whether the speaker’s desire for control and dominance in the relationship is a way to protect themselves from loneliness. The tension between the speaker’s need for connection and their fear of emotional vulnerability creates a complex dynamic, where love is seen as both desirable and dangerous. The poem explores how loneliness shapes the speaker’s approach to love, ultimately revealing their fear of being left alone or emotionally exposed.
- How does the poem challenge traditional notions of love and affection?
- The poem challenges conventional ideas of love by presenting it as an act of possession and control rather than mutual affection and respect. The speaker’s language, such as “I want to call you thine” and “break your heart like a horse,” suggests that love, in their view, is something to be conquered and owned. This notion of love as a power struggle contrasts with more traditional depictions of love as a mutual, nurturing connection between individuals. The speaker’s focus on dominance and the preservation of the other person as an object of control raises important questions about the nature of love and intimacy. By complicating the typical romanticized view of love, the poem invites readers to consider the darker, more complex emotions involved in relationships, including power, vulnerability, and emotional manipulation.
Literary Works Similar to “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young
- “Mad Girl’s Love Song” by Sylvia Plath
Both poems explore the intense emotional turmoil and destructive aspects of love, using vivid imagery to convey feelings of control, loss, and vulnerability. - “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot
Eliot’s poem, like Young’s, delves into themes of emotional distance, unfulfilled desire, and the complexities of romantic relationships, with a focus on inner conflict and self-doubt. - “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe
Poe’s poem, similar to Young’s, examines love’s potential to transform into obsession and possessiveness, ultimately leading to pain and loss, with an eerie, haunting tone. - “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning
This dramatic monologue, like Young’s poem, presents love as a form of control, with the speaker’s possessiveness culminating in violence, highlighting the darker side of affection. - “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath
Both poems use emotionally charged, confrontational language to express themes of domination, pain, and unresolved emotional trauma within personal relationships.
Representative Quotations of “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “I am hoping / to hang your head / on my wall / in shame” | The speaker begins with an aggressive, controlling desire to display the other person’s emotional defeat. | Psychoanalytic Theory: Reflects a desire for power and dominance as a defense against emotional vulnerability. |
| “the slightest taxidermy / thrills me” | The speaker uses the metaphor of taxidermy to express a desire to preserve and control, even after emotional death or distance. | Deconstruction: Blurs the line between life and death, preservation and destruction, showing how love and control are intertwined. |
| “break / your heart like a horse / or its leg” | The speaker uses violent imagery to describe breaking the other’s heart, comparing it to the brutal act of taming or injuring an animal. | Feminist Theory: Examines how love is depicted as an act of dominance and control, often reflecting patriarchal notions of relationships. |
| “Weeks of being / bucked off, then / all at once, you’re mine” | The speaker describes a prolonged struggle for control, eventually leading to the other person’s submission. | Psychoanalytic Theory: Reflects the speaker’s subconscious desire to overcome emotional resistance and exert dominance. |
| “I want to wear / your smile on my sleeve” | The speaker seeks to possess the other person’s happiness or emotions, as though it were a tangible object they could claim. | Objectification Theory: Demonstrates how the speaker reduces the other person to an object, stripping them of autonomy. |
| “Loneliness is a science—” | The speaker presents loneliness as something calculable and precise, suggesting a cold, detached approach to emotions. | Existentialism: Views loneliness as an inherent part of the human condition, something that can be rationalized but not eliminated. |
| “Put me down.” | A moment of ambiguous surrender or exhaustion, possibly from the speaker or directed at the other person. | Deconstruction: The ambiguity challenges traditional power dynamics, making the line open to multiple interpretations. |
| “I hope / to have you forgotten / by noon.” | The speaker expresses a desire to quickly move on from the other person, underscoring emotional detachment or avoidance of vulnerability. | Psychoanalytic Theory: Represents repression, where the speaker attempts to suppress emotional connection as a coping mechanism. |
| “To know you / by your knees / palsied by prayer.” | The speaker envisions the other person in a moment of weakness, furthering their desire to dominate through submission. | Feminist Theory: Highlights gendered power dynamics, where the speaker seeks control through the other’s vulnerability and submission. |
| “the taxidermist’s / tender hands” | The metaphor of the taxidermist’s hands suggests a delicate, almost loving approach to preservation, despite its inherently destructive nature. | Deconstruction: This juxtaposition of tenderness and violence breaks down binary oppositions, revealing the complexity of love and power. |
Suggested Readings: “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young
- Rowell, Charles H., and Kevin Young. “An Interview with Kevin Young.” Callaloo, vol. 21, no. 1, 1998, pp. 43–54. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3299980. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
- Arnold, Robert. “About Kevin Young.” Ploughshares, vol. 32, no. 1, 2006, pp. 186–90. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40353973. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
- Young, Kevin. “Homage to Phillis Wheatley.” The Kenyon Review, vol. 38, no. 2, 2016, pp. 37–44. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24783636. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
- Young, Kevin. “I Hope It Rains at My Funeral.” Harvard Review, no. 35, 2008, pp. 158–59. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40347491. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
- Greenberg, Arielle. “Revelatory and Complex: Innovative African-American Poetries.” The American Poetry Review, vol. 41, no. 1, 2012, pp. 9–11. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23222292. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.