Transcript I Want To Die While You Love Me
By Megan Grams
Background
Born September 10, 1877 in Atlanta, Georgia. Died May 14, 1966 Maiden name was Georgia Blanche Camp Parents were George and Laura Jackson Camp Graduated from Atlanta University Normal College in 1896.
Studied music at Oberlin Conservatory married Henry Lincoln Johnson, an attorney in Atlanta active in the Republican Party. They had two kids.
She worked as a substitute teacher and a file clerk for the civil service. After she lost the Department of Labor job in 1934, in the depths of the Great Depression, Georgia Douglas Johnson worked as a teacher, librarian, and file clerk.
She wrote more than 200 poems, 40 plays, 30 songs, and edited 100 books by 1930.
In 1965 Atlanta University awarded Georgia Douglas Johnson an honorary doctorate in literature.
She also wrote several plays.
During World War II she published poems and read some on radio shows.
I Want To Die While You Love Me
I want to die while you love me, While yet you hold me fair, While laughter lies upon my lips And lights are in my hair. I want to die while you love me, And bear to that still bed, Your kisses turbulent, unspent, To warm me when I'm dead. I want to die while you love me, Oh, who would care to live Till love has nothing more to ask And nothing more to give! I want to die while you love me And never, never see The glory of this perfect day Grow dim or cease to be.
Paraphrase
This poem is basically about Georgia talking to her husband. She is saying exactly what the title says; She wants to die while her husband still loves her. There is nothing more she wants than to die happily in love with this man. She feels as if his love is the most powerful thing in the world and without it she is nothing. If his love still remains for her when she dies then she will die satisfaction.
Speaker & Tone
The speaker is the author. She is speaking in first person about herself. Her attitude is very determined, depressing, and she is very idealistic.
Poetic Devices
Personification Ex: “While laughter lies upon my lips” Ex: “til love has nothing more to ask and nothing more to give” Allusion (to living) Ex: “ And lights are in my hair” Repetition Ex: “I want to die while you love me” Metaphor Ex: “Your kisses turbulant, unspent”
Rhyme Scheme
The rhyme scheme is ABCB.
Each stanza is a repetitive rhyme scheme.
ABCB, ADED, AFGF, AHIH
Work Cited
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http://womenshistory.about.com/od/harlemrenaissance/p/georgia_j ohnson.htm
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