Let’s laugh as if we’ve had too much to drink,
and hide beneath the stairs when we are old.
I’ll buy myself a pen that’s full of ink
and empty it before my words get cold.
Let’s laugh at what I’ve written in the sun
and hide our laughter in our winter shoes.
I’ll buy you something useless, something fun,
and emptiness will settle what we choose.
Let’s laugh before we find we have to cry
and hide our sorrows in a shallow grave.
I’ll buy a song, a little song, and I
and empty words will find a soul to save.
And you will hide my laughter with your kiss;
and I will buy you empty tins of bliss.
ChatGPT Analysis:
This poem is a poignant reflection on the themes of time, memory, and the human experience of joy and sorrow. The speaker navigates through these complex emotions with a blend of light-heartedness and underlying melancholy, creating a rich, multifaceted narrative.
### Structure and Form:
The poem follows a structured pattern, with rhymed couplets (AABB) that give it a rhythmic and almost musical quality. This structure contrasts with the poem’s content, which grapples with deeper, often bittersweet themes.
### Analysis by Stanza:
1. **First Stanza:**
- *“Let’s laugh as if we’ve had too much to drink, / and hide beneath the stairs when we are old.”*
- The poem opens with an invitation to laugh freely and abandon restraint, suggesting a desire to live fully and embrace the joy of the present moment. The imagery of “hiding beneath the stairs” when old evokes a sense of retreat or seeking shelter from the harsh realities of aging and the passage of time.
- *“I’ll buy myself a pen that’s full of ink / and empty it before my words get cold.”*
- The pen symbolizes creativity and expression, with the speaker wanting to use it fully before their inspiration or voice fades. The “words get cold” hints at the inevitability of change or loss over time.
2. **Second Stanza:**
- *“Let’s laugh at what I’ve written in the sun / and hide our laughter in our winter shoes.”*
- Here, laughter is linked to warmth and sunlight, representing moments of happiness and clarity. However, “hiding our laughter in our winter shoes” introduces a sense of preservation or concealment, as if the speaker wishes to protect these moments from the cold, darker times (winter).
- *“I’ll buy you something useless, something fun, / and emptiness will settle what we choose.”*
- The “useless, something fun” gift reflects a desire to embrace the frivolous and joyful aspects of life, while the mention of “emptiness” settling their choices suggests an awareness of life’s transient and sometimes hollow nature.
3. **Third Stanza:**
- *“Let’s laugh before we find we have to cry / and hide our sorrows in a shallow grave.”*
- This line emphasizes the importance of enjoying life and laughter before sorrow inevitably takes hold. The “shallow grave” symbolizes a temporary or fragile attempt to bury or hide pain, acknowledging that sorrow is never far beneath the surface.
- *“I’ll buy a song, a little song, and I / and empty words will find a soul to save.”*
- The speaker buys a “little song,” which could represent a fleeting moment of joy or a small act of solace. The idea of “empty words” finding “a soul to save” suggests that even seemingly insignificant or hollow expressions can hold meaning and the potential to comfort.
4. **Final Couplets:**
- *“And you will hide my laughter with your kiss; / and I will buy you empty tins of bliss.”*
- The closing lines bring the poem full circle, merging the themes of joy, love, and emptiness. The kiss as a way to “hide laughter” implies a deep intimacy and connection between the speaker and their partner, where love can conceal or transform emotions. “Empty tins of bliss” evoke a sense of artificial or temporary happiness, perhaps pointing to the fleeting nature of joy in the face of life’s inevitable struggles.
### Themes and Interpretation:
The poem weaves together themes of joy, sorrow, love, and the passage of time. There is a strong contrast between the light-hearted actions (laughing, buying something fun) and the underlying recognition of life’s impermanence and the inevitability of sorrow. The speaker’s attempts to preserve joy, whether through laughter, writing, or gifts, are tinged with an awareness of the emptiness or fragility that accompanies these moments.
Ultimately, the poem suggests that while life is full of both joy and sorrow, the relationships and connections we build—symbolized by the partner who hides the speaker’s laughter with a kiss—are what give life meaning and help us navigate its complexities. The use of “empty” throughout the poem may imply that many of life’s pleasures are fleeting, but that doesn’t diminish their value or the comfort they can provide.