I got flowers today

Poem by Paulette Kelly

c1999

Poem analysis by
Nova Starr S. Lacerna
I got flowers today
- Paulette Kelly

I got flowers today.

It wasn't my birthday or any
other special day.
We had our first argument last
night,
And he said a lot of cruel things
that really hurt me.
I know he is sorry and didn't
mean the things he said.
Because he sent me flowers today.
I got flowers today.
It wasn't our anniversary or any other special
day.
Last night, he threw me into a wall and started
to choke me.
It seemed like a nightmare.
I couldn't believe it was real.
I woke up this morning sore and bruised all
over.
I know he must be sorry.
Because he sent me flowers today.
I got flowers today,
and it wasn't Mother's Day or any
other special day.
Last night, he beat me up again.
And it was much worse than all the
other times.
If I leave him, what will I do?
How will I take care of my kids?
What about money?
I'm afraid of him and scared to leave.
But I know he must be sorry.
Because he sent me flowers today.
I got flowers today.
Today was a very special day.
It was the day of my funeral.
Last night, he finally killed me.
He beat me to death.
If only I had gathered enough
courage and strength to leave him,
I would not have gotten
flowers...today.
 Structure
The poem is a

Contemporary Dramatic Monologue

wherein

the SPEAKER is a WOMAN.

vers libre poem; there are no meter patterns and

It is a
rhyme scheme
 Characters
Woman Husband

She is He is
a battered wife and a brutal husband and
a worried mother. a killer.
Setting
It is not stated but there is an
implication that it is at a

house
in the evening time
which shifts to the morning.
Image 1

1st fight:

The couple was fighting and the

husband said many cruel words
to the wife. The next day, the
husband sent her some flowers.
 Image 2
The husband threw the
wife to wall and

Worsening fight:
choked her.
The woman woke up in the
morning with a body full
of bruises but she
received flowers from her
husband.
 Image 3
Enraged The husband continues
battery: to furiously batter
his wife.
The wife starts to think
of leaving but she
weights her decision
by the consequences.
In the morning, she
receives flowers
again.
 Final image
Eternal rest:
The husband
excessively batters
the wife to
DEATH.
 Final Image
Eternal rest:
In the line

“If only I had gathered

enough courage
and strength
to leave him. . . “
The dead wife expressed her
regret for just
receiving the flowers
not fighting back.
 Theme
The repeated lines in every stanza, which serve as
the chorus in the poem is:

“ I got flowers today . . .

. . . Because he sent me flowers today”

It also serves as the theme of the poem:

SUFFERING due to
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
 Theme
Domestic violence!

Fighting and misunderstanding between

couples is a normal part of a relationship but it
becomes unacceptable and even unforgivable
to physically hurt someone.

Nothing, not even a marriage contract, gives

you the license to ABUSE someone.
We must support the campaign against domestic violence on women
because it causes trauma and death.
We must respect women for who they are because
they too are humans and therefore has feelings.
I got flowers today
Poem by Paulette Kelly
c1999

Poem analysis by
Nova Starr S. Lacerna