This is a poem from the new book by Sophie Hannah, Pessimism for Beginners. E-Verse highly recommends this book. Click on the picture of the book below to purchase.
Rubbish at Adultery by Sophie Hannah
Must I give up another night
To hear you whinge and whine
About how terribly grim you feel
And what a dreadful swine
You are? You say you’ll never leave
Your wife and children. Fine;
When have I ever asked you to?
I’d settle for a kiss.
Couldn’t you, for an hour or so,
Just leave them out of this?
A rare ten minutes off from guilty
Diatribes—
what bliss.
Yes, I’m aware you’re sensitive:
A tortured, wounded soul.
I’m after passion, thrills, and fun.
You say fun takes its toll,
So what are we doing here? I fear
We’ve lost our common goal.
You’re rubbish at adultery.
I think you ought to quit.
Trouble is, at fidelity
You’re also slightly shit.
Choose one and do it properly
You stupid, stupid git.
7 Comments
Rubbish at Adultery is about a someone is having an affair. Throughout the poem it comes across that the man in the relationship is just moaning about how he has a wife and kids at home. Although the lady just wants some fun, and quotes she doesn’t care if he leave, really she does. This is suggest when she snaps ”Fine.” at him. It also suggest that scarsam is being used, as really it isn’t fine. I think the poet has used to emphasis the fact she doesn’t want him to go back to his wife and kids although it is only some fun. Throughout the whole poem she rambles on about the how there affair should be fun filled, and not all ”winge and whinge” which is what he does. In the end she gets angry and firece and tells him that he is a ”stupid,stupid git”. I think this suggest that the poet wants to show the readers how much she really doesn’t want him to go, but she does want him to make up his mind on what to do so that she can either move on, or carry on having fun with him.
Rubbish at Adultery is about a someone is having an affair. Throughout the poem it comes across that the man in the relationship is just moaning about how he has a wife and kids at home. Although the lady just wants some fun, and quotes she doesn’t care if he leave, really she does. This is suggested when she snaps ”Fine.” at him. It also suggest that scarsam is being used, as really it isn’t fine. I think the poet has used this to emphasis the fact she doesn’t want him to go back to his wife and kids although it is only some fun. Throughout the whole poem she rambles on about the how there affair should be fun filled, and not all ”winge and whinge” which is what he does. In the end she gets angry and firece and tells him that he is a ”stupid,stupid git”. I think this suggest that the poet wants to show the readers how much she really doesn’t want him to go, but she does want him to make up his mind on what to do so that she can either move on, or carry on having fun with him.
To me it smacks of someone who has ended up in a situation he is very nervous of and cannot reconcile in his head. She knows the rules and he doesn’t. She is frustrated that he appears to be promising what he cannot deliver.
He is consumed with guilt and uses his time with her like a therapist. In the end she has become resentful and somewhat bitter; ‘stupid git’ is a tame telling off so it could be frustrated affection. I don’t read that she wants him to leave his wife at all; that’s not in the rules of an affair.
What she wants out of it is affection and some fun, to feel attractive and attracted. What he wants is someone to listen and to sympathise/empathise, although it may have started off differently it has become something he can’t handle very well. He seems oblivious to her annoyance which has built up to this point.
this is really helpful thmks to whoever wrote this. I now know this poem confidently
Woow, this is touching ..
I simply love it. This poem ripped off everything else apart of bare truth of feeling that is empty. We woman feel this way – what to respect if there is nothing ? What to expect if there isn’t a deal ? And why would we feel sorry for someone who messes up ?
It is so bitter, so narrow, so raw and so true. You can get the feeling of anger that comes from strong but pessimistic heart, and this lines are slaps on the face. Love it .
this one of the best poem you have done. :0