Caitlin Flynn

February 15th, 2016

Phillips

English 101

"We All Want What We Can't Have"

One of the worst feelings in the world is wanting something that is unattainable. Whether it is a material item or something deeper such as happiness or love, everyone wants something they cannot have. In the poem, "You Were You", written by Sandra Beasley, a woman describes a dream in which she is a jukebox watching the man she loves at a bar with another woman. Through imagery, metaphors and symbolism, Beasley depicts the hopelessness the narrator feels as she watches the man she so deeply cares about interact with a woman that is not her. 

The use of imagery throughout the poem helps the reader better picture the setting of the poem and the characters described by the narrator. The first line, "I dreamt we were in your favorite bar", sets the scene for the whole poem. By saying it was a dream, the narrator sets a nostalgic, reflective tone for the rest of the poem. The setting of the dream also makes the reader wonder if what is portrayed throughout the poem actually happened or if it was just dreamt up in the narrator's head. The narrator also goes on to give the reader insight into what the man looks like. The woman fondly recalls the man by saying, "You were wearing your best smile / and the shirt that makes your eyes green". The way the boy in the bar is described by the narrator implies that she is feeling nostalgic over their past. She describes him fondly, implying she knows him well enough to know which smile is his best and what exact shirt in his wardrobe makes his eyes a different color. It illustrates the narrator's attention to detail when it comes to her ex lover's appearance. The narrator also pays special attention to the woman the man is flirting with at the bar. The line "If you had asked, I'd have told you / her hair looked like plastic", is the only line in which the narrator describes the woman the man is with. It illustrates that she is more interested in what the man is doing at this bar, then the looks of the woman she is with. It also reveals the bitterness the narrator has towards the other woman, because describing someone's hair as plastic is not the highest compliment one can receive. "Plastic" is also a word commonly used to describe someone as fake and not real. The narrator sees the woman as a lesser being because she feels she is fake and not real enough for the man she loves. By using descriptive imagery, Beasley helps the reader of the poem better depict the world through the eyes of the jukebox.

The author of the poem also uses extensive metaphors throughout her work. The biggest comparison written throughout the poem is the narrator comparing herself to a jukebox. She recalls her dream, "You were you, I was the jukebox". A jukebox is a common object in many bars, so having one is not unusual. It was also a necessity back in the day, but jukeboxes are not as widely used anymore. The narrator decides to compare herself to one because she feels as though she is just an insignificant person in this man's life, as a jukebox is an insignificant, outdated item in many bars and establishments. The narrator also feels as though she cannot speak up and let her heartbrokenness be known. "But then, my mouth was plastic," is what the narrator compared her inability to talk to. By saying her mouth was plastic, it describes that the narrator feels she either has the inability to stand up for herself, or she does not want to speak up and let the man in the bar know how she feels about him. It demonstrates that the narrator wants to speak up and be heard, but she just cannot bring herself to do it. The narrator also goes into detail on how she looks as a jukebox. She describes her look as a jukebox by saying, "I weighed 300 pounds / I glittered like 1972". By comparing herself to a 300 pound jukebox, it implies that the narrator feels heavy and like a burden on this man's life. By describing herself as something so large, she makes the reader believe that she thinks of herself as something that is bulky and is just there to take up space. Also, comparing herself to something out of the year 1972, it reiterates the idea that the author sees herself as outdated and unnecessary in the man's life, just as a jukebox is to bars and restaraunts in the modern era. The metaphors used in the poem help the reader get a better understanding of the woman's thoughts and feelings throughout the dream sequence.

Scattered throughout the poem are various symbols of the woman's feelings of hopelessness and heartbrokenness. "I wanted to dance. I wanted a scotch / I wanted you to take your hand off of her, " is symbolic of the narrator's want and need to go back to what used to be and to be free of this jealousy that is tormenting her. Since she compared herself to a jukebox, an inanimate object, she cannot dance or drink. This is symbolic of what she used to enjoy with this man that has since been taken from her once whatever type of relationship they were in had ended. Dancing and drinking are also some simple joys of life, and the narrator now does not experience any simple joys since she does not have this man by her side. By saying she wants the boy to take his hand off the new woman, it is symbolic of her desire for this man to cut all ties with the new woman and go back to the narrator instead. It is also symbolic of the jealousy the narrator has deep in her heart watching this man do all the things he probably did with her to someone else. The narrator also feels as though no one can compare to this man. She goes on to explain, "A man tried to seduce me with quarters / but I could hear his truck outside."  This quote from the poem is symbolic of the fact that the narrator feels as though she can never meet anyone like this man again. The quarters are necessary for any jukebox to work properly and to play music. The quarters are symbolic of all the things the narrator needs and could be offered in the world, but it means nothing to her if it does not come from or involve this man that she loves and cares deeply about. Also, by saying that she was able to hear his truck running outside, it represents the narrator's fear of another man running out of her life just as this man presumably did. It represents the lack of trust the narrator now has for those around her because of the failed relationship with the man at the bar. The concluding sentence of the poem is quite possibly the most symbolic of them all. The narrator finishes off by saying, "In the morning, they came to repair me." She uses the broken jukebox as a symbol of her broken heart. She is completely hopeless and heartbroken with what had happened, that she feels as though she needs to be "fixed". Whatever happened between her and the man had left her completely broken and needing those around her to come and fix her broken heart. It is symbolic of all the damage this failed relationship and the man has presumably done to her, and the need for the narrator to fix her broken self back up and move on to something new. By ending the dream with the next morning, it is also a symbol of the fresh start the narrator now needs. It represents the closing of one chapter in her life, and the start of a new one.

The poem "You Were You" recalls the dream of one heartbroken woman dreaming about watching her lover with another woman through the eyes of a jukebox. Through the use of imagery, metaphors and symbolism, Beasley depicts the nostalgic feelings the narrator conveys to the reader. 
