Question

Read the following poem. Then, respond to the prompt that follows. The Feeling Is Not Mutual By anonymous I've had them come into my life and leave as fast as they came. Sometimes they seem to fly right in, and they often leave me with pain. They show up unannounced- they often take me by surprise. They suck the life out of me, before I've had time to realize. I meet them in a lot of places- Usually outside when I'm unaware. Their attraction to me is so strong as if they smell love in the air. They annoy me so much that I break out in hives. The thought of them makes me withdraw. The feeling is not mutual-it's unrequited, I don't return their affection at all. In a well-written paragraph of 5-7 sentences, analyze the ambiguous nature of "The Feeling Is Not Mutual." Your response should include: an explanation of your interpretation of the poem's meaning, evidence from the poem (PReP) that supports your interpretation, an explanation of how another reader could interpret the poem differently, and evidence from the poem to support an alternative interpretation.​

Answer 1

"The Feeling Is Not Mutual" is a poem that can be interpreted in multiple ways due to its ambiguous nature. One interpretation could be that the poem is about the speaker's experiences with unrequited love. The speaker describes individuals who "come into my life and leave as fast as they came," causing pain and leaving the speaker feeling drained ("They suck the life out of me"). This could symbolize lovers who do not reciprocate the speaker's feelings, hence the title "The Feeling Is Not Mutual."

However, another reader might interpret the poem differently, seeing it as a metaphor for unwanted attention or harassment. The speaker mentions meeting these individuals "in a lot of places," often when they're "unaware," and describes their attraction as if they "smell love in the air." This could suggest unwanted attention or even stalking. The speaker's reaction to this attention is negative—they "break out in hives" and "withdraw"—indicating that this attention is not only unreciprocated but also unwelcome. Thus, the poem's ambiguity allows for multiple interpretations, each supported by different pieces of evidence within the text.