To A Lady Seen From The Train Poem by Frances Darwin Cornford

This is a difficult poem to figure out basically because no one wants a poet to be a meanie to fat ladies. So I try to get some other meaning out of this. First off, I get caught up in the summertime-ness of this poem, the wandering around in fields of golden sunshine. Hmmmmmmm- that feels good. Who wants to be mean while we're feeling this good? Surely this little triolet isn't meant to be as spiteful as it sounds. .....But, lady, why do you walk through the fields in gloves? Seems an odd thing to do on a walk in the summertime heat. Are you wanting to separate yourself from life? Not be touched by life? You've been rejected so you reject back. ......Poor overweight woman, are you lonely and unloved? I guess if you're lonely and unloved you have to fill in your time somehow. So you wander through a field in white gloves. Gloves. That could be why you're missing so much. Yes, you're missing friendship and love but are you also missing the beauty of that summer day and that grass as soft as the breast of doves? . But why do you walk the fields if it is not to enjoy the beauties of nature? .....Or is the poor tubby lady being used as a target by a narcisstic poet?

THE FAT LADY'S REPLY WHY DO YOU ASSUME IN YOUR SEERSUCKER SUIT ON A TRAIN RIDING BYIM NOT GETTING MINE WITH A STUD FARMER HUNG LIKE A BULL EVERY MORNING FROM SEVEN TO NINE?

This poem is as true now as it ever was but today its the mobile phone that distracts us from the world around us - -missing so much and so much

Sorry, the point of this poem escapes me. What exactly is she missing?

The author sees a woman from a train window so only a fleeting glance. She is a those days was normal dress

A quick glance from a train the author sees a woman

I first saw this poem in 'The Weekend Book' in the 'Hate Poems' section. It has always fascinated me. The meaning is obvi

This poem features in Agatha Christie's 'Murder is Easy', just the third line is changed to 'O lean grey woman whom nobody loves'. The 'lean grey woman' mentioned was (spoiler alert!) jilted by her fiancé (so I suppose she could be the person whom nobody loves) and wears gloves so she can frame her ex- fiancé for a murder. Probably not what the poet originally means however!

I don't understand this poem. How do we, know that nobody loves her & what is she missing by walking through fields in gloves?