[Live Read] – Oxygen

“Oxygen”

When;

With every word…

You say these things to me,

All I hear is goodbye

I;

Looking out on the night…

When said those words to you,

All you hear is goodnight

Breathe;

I want to find you again…

Contorted to know,

All my dreams follow

You;

I know you’re somewhere out there…

That it would be right,

All of our nights

Are;

You are everything I thought it could be…

For us to just try one more time,

All of our dreams

My;

Worlds a part of yours now too…

Just for her to know,

All of the times

Oxygen.

And it kills me to say

That I have no air left to breathe

I’ll never kiss her goodnight.

Reconstructed Poem:

When;
I;
Breathe;
You;
Are;
My;
Oxygen.

With every word…
Looking out on the night…
I want to find you again…
I know you’re somewhere out there…
You are everything I thought it could be…
Worlds a part of yours now too…
And it kills me to say.

You say these things to me,
When said those words to you,
Contorted to know,
That it would be right,
For us to just try one more time,
Just for her to know,
That I have no air left to breathe.

All I hear is goodbye
All you hear is goodnight
All my dreams follow
All of our nights
All of our dreams
All of the times
I’ll never kiss her goodnight.

Original interpretation:

This poem explores themes of longing, communication breakdown, and the pain of separation. The structure and use of punctuation, especially the semicolons and ellipses, create a fragmented and introspective tone, reflecting the speaker’s emotional state. Let’s break down the key elements:

1. Structure and Form:

• The poem is divided into six sections, each beginning with a different pronoun or word (“When,” “I,” “Breathe,” “You,” “Are,” “My”). This structure gives the poem a rhythmic progression, almost as if the speaker is moving through stages of thought or feeling.

• The lines are short and often fragmented, creating a sense of hesitation or uncertainty. The use of ellipses suggests something unsaid or unfinished, contributing to the overall feeling of incompleteness.

2. Themes:

• Miscommunication: The first two stanzas emphasize how words are misinterpreted. The speaker hears “goodbye” when the other person says something, while the other person hears “goodnight” when the speaker speaks. This highlights a disconnect between the two, where the intended message is lost or altered in the receiver’s mind.

• Longing and Loss: The repetition of phrases like “I want to find you again” and “I know you’re somewhere out there” indicates a deep yearning to reconnect with someone who feels distant. The speaker seems to be grappling with the idea of whether they should try again or let go.

• Desperation: The final section, titled “Oxygen,” is particularly poignant. Oxygen is a metaphor for the essential need for the other person, and the realization that there’s “no air left to breathe” symbolizes the speaker’s despair. The line “I’ll never kiss her goodnight” suggests a finality, an acceptance that the relationship might be irreparably lost.

3. Imagery and Metaphor:

• Night: The night is a recurring image, representing darkness, uncertainty, and perhaps the unknown. It contrasts with the day (or goodbye vs. goodnight) and symbolizes the emotional state of the speaker.

• Oxygen/Breathing: The metaphor of oxygen being essential for life and its absence equating to suffocation is powerful. It captures the depth of the speaker’s dependence on the relationship and the devastating impact of its potential end.

4. Emotional Tone:

• The poem conveys a deep sense of melancholy and reflection. The speaker is caught between holding on and letting go, and the tone shifts from hope (“just try one more time”) to despair (“I’ll never kiss her goodnight”). The poem’s progression mirrors the emotional journey of someone coming to terms with loss.

5. Conclusion:

• The poem’s title, “When,” hints at a moment in time when things changed or a moment of realization. The finality in the last stanza contrasts sharply with the uncertainty and longing expressed earlier, suggesting that the speaker has reached a point of acceptance, however painful it might be.

Overall, the poem is a meditation on love, loss, and the difficulty of communication in relationships. It captures the essence of heartache through its fragmented structure, poignant imagery, and emotional depth.

Analysis of Reconstructed Poem:

The restructured poem creates a new narrative, where the rearranged lines offer a different emotional progression and interplay of themes.

Stanza 1:

“When; I; Breathe; You; Are; My; Oxygen.”

• This stanza succinctly captures the essence of the relationship as it is central to the speaker’s existence. The words “When” and “Oxygen” bookend the stanza, highlighting the significance of time and breath in this relationship. The sequence feels like an evolution—from a moment (“When”) to a realization of dependence (“Oxygen”).

Stanza 2:

“With every word… Looking out on the night… I want to find you again… I know you’re somewhere out there… You are everything I thought it could be… Worlds a part of yours now too… And it kills me to say.”

• This stanza paints a picture of longing and searching. It seems to be a journey through time and space, where the speaker reflects on the words exchanged, the loneliness of night, and the desperate hope of reconnecting with someone who is now distant (“worlds apart”). The ending, “And it kills me to say,” conveys the painful admission of loss.

Stanza 3:

“You say these things to me, When said those words to you, Contorted to know, That it would be right, For us to just try one more time, Just for her to know, That I have no air left to breathe.”

• This stanza delves into the miscommunication and emotional struggle between the speaker and the other person. The back-and-forth of words, coupled with the phrase “contorted to know,” suggests a twisting of intentions and meanings, leading to confusion and desperation. The plea to “just try one more time” is undercut by the realization that there’s no air left to breathe, signaling exhaustion or the end of hope.

Stanza 4:

“All I hear is goodbye All you hear is goodnight All my dreams follow All of our nights All of our dreams All of the times I’ll never kiss her goodnight.”

• This final stanza draws together the themes of miscommunication and loss, repeating the idea that what one hears is different from what the other intends. The repetition of “All” emphasizes the weight of accumulated memories and dreams, all leading to the final, devastating conclusion that there will be no more goodnights shared.

Conclusion:

By restructuring the poem, the themes of dependence, miscommunication, and loss become even more pronounced. The reordered lines create a narrative arc that starts with a reflection on the nature of the relationship (“When; I; Breathe; You; Are; My; Oxygen”) and moves through longing and miscommunication, culminating in a resigned acceptance of separation.

This restructured version deepens the sense of inevitability, with each stanza reinforcing the idea that despite efforts and hopes, the relationship has reached a painful end. The fragmented structure, both in the original and the reordered version, effectively conveys the emotional disarray of the speaker, making the poem feel like a mosaic of thoughts and feelings pieced together in the aftermath of loss.