He Had Such Quiet Eyes

He had such quiet eyes

She did not realize

They were two pools of lies

Layered with thinnest ice

To her, those quiet eyes

Were breathing desolate sights

Imploring her to be nice 

And to render him paradise

If only she’d been wise

And had listened to the advice

Never to compromise

With pleasure-seeking guys 

She’d be free from ‘the hows and whys’ 

Now here’s a bit of advice

Be sure that nice really means nice

Then you’ll never be losing at dice 

Though you may lose your heart once or twice

by Bibsy Soenharjo

Meaning

Verse 1

The poet observes the folly of a young woman. The persona highlights that the man had eyes which masked his true personality. She did not realize this as he gave her a pleading, sorrowful look and she taken in. she believed his lies.

Verse 2

Now the young woman realizes the awful truth. The poet notes that if the young woman had listened to the advice given, she would never have given in, nor would she have so many questions and regrets afterwards. 

Verse 3

Here the poet is didactic and advices the reader not to be deceived by appearances. A person’s true character is revealed over time. Caution will benefit us especially when it involves feelings.

Elements of the Poem

Persona  

The persona is a third person observing the folly of a young woman who is easily taken in by pleasure-seeking guys.

Themes

• Deception
• Love/lust trap

Message

•  Learn from your mistakes
• Appearances can be deceptive

Moral values

• Do not be fooled by outward appearances or ‘sweet talk’.
• Never compromise your moral values and principles.
• Listen to your elders’ advice.