He Had Such Quiet Eyes

Literal and figurative meaning

Stanza Literal Meaning Figurative Meaning

Stanza 1 When the persona looked into the man’s sincere-looking eyes, she was deceived into thinking that he needed love. She was not aware that betrayal was second nature to him. His eyes even made her feel compelled to be ‘good’ to him and to give in his desires.

Meeting people and getting involved in a social relationship is part of parcel of life. However, along the way we may meet two-faced people with ulterior motives. Sometimes, they may come across as so sincere that we innocently accept them as a friend or partner.

Stanza 2 When the persona was betrayed by the man, she wondered why she had not been wiser. She should have remembered the age-old advice of not believing men who are deceitful and want only physical pleasure. If she had held on her principles, she would not be asking herself why and how she was cheated.

Social relationships can turn sour if one party betrays the other. Hence, one should be careful of the other party’s motives. Someone who is sincere would not force you into giving up your morals.

Stanza 3 The poet advises young ladies to be more careful before getting involved in relationships with men. Make sure they know the men well and avoid having physical relationship with them. Learn to differentiate sincerity and falsehood. They will eventually meet the right man, though they may lose their hearts a few times first.

It is not a must for us to show our love for someone through physical intimacy. Hence, do not be pressured into going to bed with someone supposedly out of love. All in all, it is always good to be cautious before committing to a relationship to avoid serious consequences.

Themes:

1. The betrayal of a young girl’s love: She had believed that the man was sincere as he was able to fool her with his ‘quiet eyes’. As a result, she gave her love wholeheartedly to him, only to find out later that he had ulterior motives.

2. Deceitful relationships: The man had deceptive eyes, but the girl was so infatuated with him that she did not realize his hidden agendas. The man was only interested in getting into bed with her and nothing else.