Embrace by Billy Collins

You know the parlor trick.

Wrap your arms around your own body

and from the back it looks like

someone is embracing you,

her hands grasping your shirt,

her fingernails teasing your neck.

From the front it is another story.

You never looked so alone,

your crossed elbows and a screwy grin.

You could be waiting for a tailor

to fit you for a straightjacket,

one that would hold you really tight.

The imagery through the denotations in this poem is what helps the reader to fully understand it's connotative meaning. The words "embracing" and "grasping" prove their lust for connection with another individual. This contrasts with the word "alone" used in the second stanza which proves their lonliness. "Screwy grin" and "straightjacket" are the words which automatically rise some sort of suspision. The fact that these words are used only two lines away from eachother is significant because it shows the individual's possibly insanity.

When I first read the poem, It didn't occur to me right away that the individual is crazy. I just thought they might be lonely and crave attention. But after taking a closer look, I noticed things I didn't before. The word "parlor"  is significant because it is a room in a monastery or the like where the inhabitants may converse with visitors or with each other. This shows a sense of isolation since visitors are required. Then when analyzing the poem further I realized the second line essentially describes what needs to be done while in a straight jacket- "wrap your arms around your own body". In all, the individual can be in some sort of mental instability which is one of the only reasons why people are put in straight jackets. The individual thus is craving the loving care and affection of another because they feel isolated and alone.