Song Meaning
The narrator directly addresses "May," who claims to love everyone and everything. The opening lines immediately establish a plea for a more specific, perhaps exclusive, form of affection. The narrator feels lost in this universal love, asking May to find a way to love them "better than to love me," a paradoxical request that highlights their insecurity.
The core tension lies in the narrator's profound dissatisfaction with May's all-encompassing affection. They contrast May's "world-kissing eyes" with their own "sad, overwise" state, feeling alienated by her indiscriminate tenderness. The narrator loathes the "sweet looks dealt to / All things—men and flies," suggesting a deep-seated jealousy and a desire to be seen as unique, not just another recipient of May's general benevolence.
The most striking craft element is the narrator's desperate, almost masochistic, plea in the final stanza. They reiterate May's claim of loving all, then implore her to "abate me / Just your love." The request to "Shut your eyes and hate me— / Only me—fair May!" is a powerful expression of wanting exclusive attention, even if it's negative. This stark contrast between universal love and the demand for singular, even hateful, focus is the emotional engine of the piece.
This lyrical construction is effective because it taps into a raw, relatable human need for validation and specialness. The narrator's struggle isn't about being unloved, but about being loved in a way that feels insignificant. By demanding May "hate" them exclusively, the narrator is paradoxically seeking the ultimate proof of their importance in May's world, a proof that universal love cannot provide.
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