Question

"To My Ex"
by Stephanie Harris

Don't chew with your mouth open.
Don't tell me we're as close
as sand and water on the beach.
Now it's war: broken glass.
With gift after gift you set me up,
like ten pins in a game of bowling:
pin 1, a pager; pin 2, gold rings;
pin 3, a gold brooch for my mother;
pin 4, CDs for my brothers; pin 5, expensive
dolls, paying for all my hair styles
and money any time I wanted it.
Don't say you treated me like royalty.
I heard nothing but a cash register drawer.
Our relationship, loneliness,
a ringing phone with no answer.

Source: Harris, Stephanie. "To My Ex." Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers. Ed. Betsy Franco. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2008. Print.



Which word describes the tone of this poem best?

sentimental
bitter
nostalgic
optimistic

Answer 1

bitter, as evidenced in lines 1-5

Answer 2

In "To My Ex" by Stephanie Harris, the tone which describes the poem is bitter.

In the above instance, the poet is broken on how the love between her and her lover was not as close as "sand and water" rather it was always measured in monetary terms rather than feelings. The poet describes how she is left alone when she calls up and there is no response. There are no moments where they share their feelings but rather account the things bought through cash, "With gift after gift you set me up, like ten pins in a game of bowling:" The poet now calls for the war and her heart is like a broken glass now.