Poetry · Chapter
Robert F. Morrow explained
The narrator addresses Robert F.
What happens
The narrator addresses Robert F. Morrow, a stranger and foe, expressing a paradoxical and intense desire to embrace him despite his lack of tenderness, wit, and social disgrace. The poem culminates in a declaration of love and a dark pun on being a 'Rope' as a Valentine.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the speaker’s obsessive pursuit of the divine rose fragrance…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Deception and Self-Deception
The narrator's passionate embrace of a 'stranger and a foe' suggests a self-deceptive or ironic twist on affection, masking darker motives.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The speaker of the poem, expressing conflicted affection toward Robert F. Morrow.
Key passages
“Dear man! although a stranger and a foe To soft affection’s humanizing glow; Although untaught how manly hearts may throb With more desires than the desire to rob; Although as void of tenderness as wit, And owning nothing soft but Maurice Schmitt; Although polluted, shunned and in disgrace, You fill me with a passion to embrace!”
Despite being a stranger and enemy, lacking in tenderness and wit, and being shunned and disgraced, you inspire in me a strong urge to embrace you.
The narrator lists Morrow's negative traits before declaring an inexplicable passion.
“Lord of my love, and idol of my hope, You are my Valentine, and I’m A Rope.”
You are the master of my affection and the object of my aspirations; you are my Valentine, and I am a rope.
The final line puns on 'A Rope' as a homophone for 'a rope,' suggesting hanging or bondage, subverting the Valentine's Day sentiment.
