Aubade

I know my leaving in the breakfast table mess.
Bowl spills into bowl: milk and bran, bread crust
crumbled. You push me back into bed.

More “honey” and “baby.”
Breath you tell my ear circles inside me,
curls a damp wind and runs the circuit
of my limbs. I interrogate the air,

smell Murphy’s Oil Soap, dog kibble.
No rose. No patchouli swelter. And your mouth—
sesame, olive. The nudge of your tongue
behind my top teeth.

To entirely finish is water entering water.
Which is the cup I take away?

More turning me. Less your arms reaching
around my back. You ask my ear
where I have been and my body answers,
all over kingdom come.

Unveiling “Aubade”: A Deep Dive into Morning Intimacy

The poem “Aubade” by Amber Flora Thomas offers a captivating exploration of intimacy, domesticity, and the tender reluctance to separate as morning breaks. This guide provides a comprehensive analysis of this evocative work, delving into its themes, structure, and the rich tapestry of literary devices that make it so compelling. For anyone seeking to understand the nuances of this modern aubade, from its surface narrative to its profound emotional depths, this article serves as an authoritative resource.

“Aubade” Summary and Central Idea

Amber Flora Thomas’s “Aubade” presents a quiet, deeply personal morning scene following a night of shared intimacy. The speaker observes the remnants of breakfast, a symbol of the day’s impending demands, yet is gently drawn back into bed by a lover. The poem unfolds through a series of sensory details, capturing the lingering warmth, touch, taste, and scent of their connection. It portrays a moment suspended between the comfort of shared affection and the inevitable return to individual routines.

The central idea of “Aubade” revolves around the profound tenderness of love that permeates everyday existence and the desire to prolong moments of deep connection. It explores how intimacy is not confined to grand gestures but is woven into the mundane fabric of life, found in the ordinary smells of a home, the taste of a lover’s mouth, and the simple act of being held. The poem suggests that true connection blurs the boundaries between individuals, creating a shared space that resists the separation of dawn.

In-Depth Analysis of “Aubade”

The poem “Aubade” masterfully blends the traditional form with contemporary sensibility, offering a nuanced portrayal of love’s quiet power.

The Modern Aubade: Tradition and Subversion

Traditionally, an aubade is a poem or song about lovers parting at dawn. Thomas’s poem embraces this core concept but infuses it with a modern, unromanticized realism. The “leaving” is acknowledged from the very first line:

I know my leaving in the breakfast table mess.

However, instead of a definitive parting, the poem describes a resistance to it, a pulling back into the shared space of the bed. This subversion highlights a desire to prolong intimacy, making the “aubade” a celebration of lingering rather than a lament of separation.

Sensory Immersion and Profound Intimacy

The poem’s power lies in its rich sensory details, which draw the reader into the intimate world of the lovers. The opening stanza immediately establishes a domestic, lived-in atmosphere:

Bowl spills into bowl: milk and bran, bread crust
crumbled.

This visual imagery of a “breakfast table mess” grounds the poem in reality. As the speaker is drawn back, the focus shifts to the lover’s presence. The sense of touch is paramount:

You push me back into bed.

Later, the breath of the lover becomes a powerful, almost physical entity:

Breath you tell my ear circles inside me,
curls a damp wind and runs the circuit
of my limbs.

This tactile and kinesthetic imagery conveys how deeply the lover’s presence affects the speaker, permeating her very being. The poem also engages the senses of smell and taste with striking originality:

smell Murphy’s Oil Soap, dog kibble.
No rose. No patchouli swelter. And your mouth—
sesame, olive. The nudge of your tongue
behind my top teeth.

These details create a vivid, unvarnished portrait of intimacy, emphasizing authenticity over idealized romance.

The Blurring of Boundaries and Lingering Connection

A central theme is the merging of identities and the reluctance to separate. The physical closeness leads to a profound sense of unity, expressed through a powerful metaphor:

To entirely finish is water entering water.
Which is the cup I take away?

This imagery suggests a complete dissolution of individual boundaries, making it difficult to discern where one begins and the other ends. The rhetorical question, “Which is the cup I take away?” underscores the speaker’s feeling of being so intertwined that separation feels incomplete or impossible. The desire to remain connected is further emphasized by the repetition and contrast:

More turning me. Less your arms reaching
around my back.

This line suggests a subtle shift, perhaps a gentle movement towards separation, yet the preceding actions indicate a desire for “more” of the shared experience. The poem concludes with a profound statement of spiritual and physical unity:

You ask my ear
where I have been and my body answers,
all over kingdom come.

This response transcends a simple physical location, implying a journey through profound experience and a complete surrender to the moment, a state of being utterly consumed by the shared intimacy.

Literary and Poetic Devices in “Aubade”

Amber Flora Thomas employs a range of literary and poetic devices to enrich the meaning and emotional impact of “Aubade.”

• Imagery: The poem is replete with vivid sensory details that create a tangible world for the reader.
  • Visual Imagery: “breakfast table mess,” “Bowl spills into bowl: milk and bran, bread crust crumbled.”
  • Olfactory Imagery: “smell Murphy’s Oil Soap, dog kibble,” “No rose. No patchouli swelter.”
  • Gustatory Imagery: “your mouth— sesame, olive.”
  • Tactile Imagery: “You push me back into bed,” “the nudge of your tongue behind my top teeth,” “your arms reaching around my back.”
  • Kinesthetic Imagery: “Breath you tell my ear circles inside me, curls a damp wind and runs the circuit of my limbs.”
• Metaphor and Simile: These devices create powerful comparisons that deepen understanding.
  • The lover’s breath is a “damp wind” that “runs the circuit of my limbs,” a simile comparing the pervasive effect of intimacy to a natural force or an electrical current.
  • The act of consummation is a metaphor: “To entirely finish is water entering water,” suggesting a complete and indistinguishable merging.
• Contrast: The poem uses contrast to highlight authenticity.
  • The comparison of the lover’s scent to “Murphy’s Oil Soap, dog kibble” versus “No rose. No patchouli swelter” emphasizes a grounded, real intimacy over idealized, clichéd romance.
• Enjambment: The lines often flow into one another without punctuation, creating a sense of continuous thought, breath, or action.
  • “Breath you tell my ear circles inside me,
    curls a damp wind and runs the circuit
    of my limbs.” This continuous flow mirrors the pervasive nature of the breath and the intimacy it conveys.
• Alliteration and Assonance: These sound devices add musicality and emphasis.
  • Alliteration: The repeated “b” sound in “Bowl spills into bowl: milk and bran, bread crust” creates a gentle, almost domestic rhythm.
  • Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds, such as the long “i” in “inside me, limbs, interrogate,” subtly links these ideas.
• Free Verse: The poem is written in free verse, meaning it does not adhere to a strict meter or rhyme scheme. This allows for a natural, conversational tone, reflecting the spontaneity and unforced intimacy of the scene. The rhythm follows the cadence of spoken language, making the poem feel immediate and personal.
• Symbolism:
  • The “breakfast table mess” symbolizes the impending demands of the day and the ordinary reality that contrasts with the intimate space of the bed.
  • “Water entering water” symbolizes the complete merging of two individuals in love.
  • “All over kingdom come” symbolizes a state of profound experience, spiritual ecstasy, or complete surrender rather than a physical location.
• Repetition: The repetition of “More” in the second and fifth stanzas emphasizes a desire for continuation and deeper connection.
  • “More ‘honey’ and ‘baby.'”
  • “More turning me. Less your arms reaching around my back.”
• Rhetorical Question: “Which is the cup I take away?” invites reflection on the nature of individuality after profound union, highlighting the blurring of boundaries.

Structural Analysis of “Aubade”

The poem “Aubade” is composed of five stanzas, with varying line counts: three, four, four, two, and four lines respectively. This irregular structure is characteristic of free verse and contributes significantly to the poem’s organic feel. The absence of a rigid form mirrors the unpredictable and fluid nature of the intimate morning scene it depicts. The varying stanza lengths prevent a predictable rhythm, allowing the poem to breathe and pause naturally, much like the ebb and flow of a conversation or a moment of reflection.

As a free verse poem, “Aubade” does not rely on traditional meter or a consistent rhyme scheme. Instead, its rhythm is derived from the natural cadences of speech, the strategic use of enjambment, and the careful placement of pauses. This structural freedom allows Amber Flora Thomas to prioritize emotional expression and sensory detail, creating a poem that feels authentic and immediate. The short, impactful lines and the way thoughts spill across line breaks contribute to a sense of intimacy and immediacy, inviting the reader into the speaker’s private thoughts and sensations.

Conclusion: The Enduring Appeal of “Aubade”

“Aubade” by Amber Flora Thomas is a beautifully crafted poem that transcends the traditional boundaries of its form to offer a deeply resonant portrayal of modern intimacy. Through its rich sensory imagery, insightful metaphors, and natural free verse structure, the poem captures the delicate balance between domestic reality and profound connection. It reminds readers that love’s most potent expressions often reside in the quiet, unglamorous moments of everyday life, in the lingering touch, the shared breath, and the reluctant pull away from a lover’s embrace. This poem stands as a testament to the enduring power of human connection, making it a compelling study for anyone interested in contemporary poetry and the art of expressing the inexpressible.