In the poem, My Ex-Husband, the woman speaking still has feelings for her ex-husband. This all begins with the first line "That's my ex-husband pictured on the shelf". Literally a shelf is an object where you place things you want to be seen or be reminded of. On a decorative stand point the easiest thing to fill the empty space of a shelf is a framed picture. When choosing a picture for a frame your more inclined to choose one that will remind you of good times or some sort of happiness. I don't believe people frame pictures of an unhappy time. In this case her choice for that framed picture is her ex-husband. By her ex-husband being placed in a frame, on a shelf, and not in a drawer, symbolizes that she will have feelings for him as long as he remains on that shelf. A shelf can be a symbol for interests, current things in your life, or things you want to be reminded of. The frame could be a symbol for beauty because in a literal aspect a picture can't present itself any better than with a frame. So now the permanent picture is being beautified by a frame that sits on her shelf and will remain there until she builds up the courage to remove it thus removing all of her feelings for him.
Another example of her feelings is the fourth line "Kind of a shame to waste it (the frame) on him, but what could i do?" Her choice of words makes her seem unsure or her actions. The phrase "kind of" shows her unsureness on the subject of wasting the frame on him. Why couldn't she say "Its a shame to waste it on him"? Why did she start with "kind of"? The last part of that line "but what could I do?" shows that she has no control over her emotions and is controlled by the situation. She obviously wanted to decorate that empty shelf by placing a framed picture but why did she choose one of her ex-husband and why does she then say the phrase "but what could i do?" as if she has no "say" on what gets displayed on her own shelf?
Nicely said. I didnt think about the shelf being portrayed like that. I completely agree with everything you have posted. I dont think she is remotely close to being over him, and she is trying to fill his absence with his picture and talking the way she does about him in a certain tone. Good job.
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