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

To A Lady Seen From The Train

Rating: 3.1


O why do you walk through the fields in gloves,
Missing so much and so much?
O fat white woman whom nobody loves,
Why do you walk through the fields in gloves,
When the grass is soft as the breast of doves
And shivering sweet to the touch?
O why do you walk through the fields in gloves,
Missing so much and so much?

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Susan Williams 30 January 2016

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?

30 0 Reply
Kim Barney 29 January 2016

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

3 2 Reply
Edward Kofi Louis 29 January 2016

Missing the muse of sweet love. Thanks for sharing.

1 3 Reply
M Asim Nehal 29 January 2016

Nice dedication to the fat white lady moving in the fields......10+++

2 0 Reply
Richard Toseland 01 October 2021

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

1 1 Reply
Bridget Ann Gerard 24 April 2020

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!

5 0 Reply
Jean Bellis 28 July 2019

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

3 0 Reply
Jessica 24 August 2021

The sensation of the grass against her bare hands

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Anna Dragonetti 01 December 2018

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

5 0 Reply
Richard O''Connell 20 June 2018

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?

10 4 Reply
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Frances Darwin Cornford

Frances Darwin Cornford

Cambridge, England
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