Amores by D.H. Lawrence [PDF]

Information: Amores

• Author: D.H. Lawrence
• Publication Date: 1916
• Main Characters:
  • Miriam: The central love figure in several poems, based on Jessie Chambers, Lawrence's real-life companion and intellectual partner whose relationship he portrays with both tenderness and painful ambivalence
  • The Mother: A recurring presence drawn from Lawrence's own mother Lydia, appearing in poems about maternal love, grief, and the powerful bond between mother and son
  • The Lover/Speaker: Lawrence's poetic persona, a young man caught between desire and restraint, mourning and passion, who narrates most of the collection with unflinching honesty
  • The Bride: A figure of idealized femininity and transition who appears in several poems exploring the threshold between innocence and intimate experience
• Brief Summary: "Amores" is a collection of 60 poems by D.H. Lawrence that explores the deeply personal terrain of love, loss, desire, and family. Many of the poems draw directly from Lawrence's relationship with Jessie Chambers (the "Miriam" of his novel Sons and Lovers) and the painful loss of his mother. The collection moves between lyrical nature imagery and confessional emotional intensity, covering everything from childhood memories to adult passion. Lawrence experiments with both traditional forms and freer verse structures, giving the collection a restless, searching quality throughout.
• Thematic Analysis: The collection circles around themes of romantic love, physical desire, grief, and the tension between personal freedom and emotional attachment. Lawrence also explores the mother-son bond with striking honesty, alongside moments of spiritual searching and connection to the natural world. The interplay between restraint and longing runs through many of the poems, reflecting Lawrence's own conflicts during a formative period in his life.
• Historical Context: "Amores" was published in 1916 by B.W. Huebsch in New York, during the early years of World War I. Lawrence wrote many of these poems between 1905 and 1912, a period when he was working as a schoolteacher, mourning his mother's death, and navigating his complicated relationship with Jessie Chambers. The collection appeared just three years after his breakthrough novel "Sons and Lovers," placing it at a pivotal moment in his literary career.