True Love

While Robert Penn Warren did compose many poems in rhyme and meter, this poem is composed in free verse, which means it does not follow any rhythmical pattern or rhyme scheme. While the text is formed in tercets—stanzas of three lines each—there are no other formal conventions present. It does not appear to have a clear purpose for following this form, though one might argue that the irregular vocal structures of the poem reflect the uncertainties and transitory circumstances of life that the poem depicts.

“True Love” contains two examples of oxymoron: a statement that contradicts itself. The first is “In silence the heart raves. It utters words / Meaningless, that never had / A meaning” (Lines 1-3). This statement contradicts itself because the act of raving involves sound and cannot be silent. Also, words are sounds with meaning, so it is not possible to utter “Meaningless” words. The second example is, “I thought I would wake up dead” (Line 15). This statement is contradictory because if one wakes up, then one is alive and not dead. Instead of conveying nonsense, these oxymorons demonstrate the inexpressibility of love and highlight the extent of the boy’s feelings.