She wasn’t young

Summary

"She Wasn’t Young" is a villanelle that explores the experiences of an older woman who has had numerous encounters with men but has never truly been in love until she meets a particular man who changes her life.

Abstract

The poem "She Wasn’t Young" by Adelia Ritchie, published in 2020, delves into the romantic history of a woman who, despite her age and many relationships, has never fallen in love. She has found the men she's known to be dull and full of themselves, and she has always maintained control over her love life, even as she attracted a multitude of suitors. However, her life takes a turn when she meets someone special who makes her feel complete, suggesting that true love can come at any stage in life.

Opinions

The woman in the poem has a history of engaging with men who were either uninteresting or arrogant.
She has always been in command of her romantic relationships, dismissing those who did not meet her standards.
Her past experiences with love were transactional and devoid of genuine affection, as implied by her entertaining the Royal Fleet and checking men's "balance sheets."
The poem conveys a sense of transformation when the woman finally encounters a man who profoundly impacts her, implying that she has found true love for the first time.
The poem suggests that age is not a barrier to finding meaningful love.

A villanelle

She wasn’t young, she knew the score. She’d like, she’d lust, she’d feel the heat but she’d never been in love before.

The men she’d known were just a bore — her last was puffed up with conceit. She wasn’t young, she knew the score.

To men she’d say, “Mmmm, je t’adore.” She’d entertained the Royal Fleet! But she’d never been in love before.

She’d tried them all, let them explore, checked out each man’s balance sheet. She wasn’t young, she knew the score.

Her looks attracted men galore — she’d tossed them out like rotten meat — ’cause she’d never been in love before.

But when that man came through her door she knew he’d make her life complete. She wasn’t young, she knew the score, and she’d never been in love before.

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