“Remembrance” Introduction

• Read the full text of “Remembrance”

“Remembrance” Summary

“Remembrance” Themes

• 

  The Power of Passion

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-15
• 

  Experience and Memory

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 9-15

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Remembrance”

• Lines 1-4

  Your hands easy ...
  ... of my cheek.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 4-8

  On the ...
  ... my reason.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 9-15

  When you have ...
  ... your presence.

  

  

  

  

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“Remembrance” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Metaphor

  

  

  

  

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  Where metaphor appears in the poem:

  • Lines 2-3: “teasing the bees / hived in my hair”
  • Lines 5-7: “you press / above me, glowing, spouting / readiness”
  • Lines 7-8: “mystery rapes / my reason”
  • Lines 13-15: “then, only / then, can I greedily consume / your presence”

• Assonance

  

  

  

  

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  Where assonance appears in the poem:

  • Line 3: “hived,” “hair”
  • Line 7: “readiness,” “rapes”
  • Line 8: “reason”
  • Line 12: “love lingers,” “between”
  • Line 13: “breasts”

• Enjambment

  

  

  

  

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  Where enjambment appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-2: “easy / weight”
  • Lines 2-3: “bees / hived”
  • Lines 3-4: “the / slope”
  • Lines 4-5: “the / occasion”
  • Lines 5-6: “press / above”
  • Lines 6-7: “spouting / readiness”
  • Lines 7-8: “rapes / my”
  • Lines 9-10: “withdrawn / your”
  • Lines 10-11: “when / only”
  • Lines 11-12: “your / love”
  • Lines 12-13: “between / my”
  • Lines 13-14: “only / then”
  • Lines 14-15: “consume / your”

• Repetition

  

  

  

  

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  Where repetition appears in the poem:

  • Line 1: “Your hands”
  • Line 3: “your smile”
  • Line 9: “When”
  • Line 10: “when”
  • Line 11: “only”
  • Line 13: “then,” “only”
  • Line 14: “then”

“Remembrance” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Mystery rapes my reason
• Withdrawn
• Lingers

• (Location in poem: Lines 7-8: “mystery rapes / my reason”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Remembrance”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Remembrance” Speaker

“Remembrance” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Remembrance”

More “Remembrance” Resources

• External Resources

  • An Interview With Angelou — Watch an excerpt of a 1987 interview with Angelou (and relish her one-of-a-kind speaking voice).

  • Angelou's Legacy — Visit a website devoted to Angelou's work.

  • A Brief Biography — Learn more about Angelou's life and work.

  • A Portrait of Angelou — See a portrait commemorating Angelou in DC's National Portrait Gallery.

  • A Celebration of Angelou — Read a New Yorker article about Angelou.

• LitCharts on Other Poems by Maya Angelou

  • Caged Bird

  • Country Lover

  • Harlem Hopscotch

  • Life Doesn't Frighten Me

  • On Aging

  • On the Pulse of Morning

  • Phenomenal Woman

  • Refusal

  • Still I Rise

  • When Great Trees Fall

  • Woman Work