At first glance the poem “Earthmoving Malediction” may give the impression that it’s a poem about an affair that occurred in the life of the lovers which reminded me of “Leaving the Motel” by W.D. Snodgrass due to the mention of “rumpled beds.” When I first read the poem, I thought that it had more to do with an affair, which then left me wondering why the speaker wanted to do everything in her power to get rid of, or bulldoze the affair. However, further reading signifies that this poem is actually has more to do with the act of getting over a past lover, rather than an affair. The title of the poem is accurate in the text portrayed throughout. The word “Earthmoving” is simply another word for bulldozer in which we see that the speaker is…show more content… The speaker wants to forget the schemes that they planned in the relationship, and wants to get rid of the location or place where couples evidently hang out in, “the cute exclusives in the social mall.” Throughout the poem we see that various locations are present, from the bedroom to the mall which are locations where couples meet. When the speaker states in lines 19-21, “We dwell on earth, where beds are brown, where swoops are fell.” Upon reading this, it seems as if the speaker is stating that even to death they want to bulldoze the events. In addition, we see the extremity that speaker is even willing to forget about this failed relationship in lines 21-22 when they state, “Bulldoze it all, up to the pearly gates” it gives the implication that even in heaven the speaker wants to forget. The poem ends with poignant line that wraps up the tone of the speaker when they state, “If paradise comes down there is no other hell.” For the speaker it seems as if nothing can remain she’s either madly in love or will choose to forget it all altogether. There’s everything or
