Love is the greatest human emotion we can feel. In the poem "Leaving the Motel" by W.D. Snodgrass and "Sex Without Love" by Sharon Olds, each poet shares different views on the topic of love. Snodgrass's poem focuses on a couple having an affair in a motel. As they leave, they go over a checklist to make sure they keep their secret. Whereas Olds' poem focuses more on how people have sex without being in love. These two poems illustrate a strong feeling of love in different ways using point of view, mood, and symbolism. Even though the poems were told from a different point of view, the theme of love was still present in each poem. In "Leaving the Motel", Snodgrass uses the first person to show the intimacy of the affair he is having. Since Snodgrass gives virtually no information about this couple, first-person narration is ideal. Compared to second or third person, first person narrative is much more intimate and personal, which may explain why Snodgrass used it. Another advantage of the first person allows the reader to understand what the characters are thinking. Throughout the poem, the word “we” is repeated several times (lines 11, 18, 22, 25, and 26), which has a powerful overall meaning signifying the love these couples share. In contrast, the Olds poem constantly uses the word “they” (lines 8, 16, and 18). This means that the poem was written in the third person. A third-person narrative has just as many benefits as a first-person narrative, allowing for a stronger sense of connection with the reader. Using the word “they” is a smart choice on Olds’ part, as he is speaking to a boardroom audience. Another thing to note, Olds' choice to use the third person narrative brought out the amazing imagery in the poem...... middle of paper ...... to express their poetry. These poets use different elements of poetry to make their own poems unique. Using specific forms of poetry will make the poem more rhythmic, highlighting key aspects of the poem. Snodgrass's decision to use the first-person narrative highlighted the closeness he had with his partner. In contrast, Olds' choice of third person allows the reader to interpret the poem differently as if it were in the first person. These storytelling perspectives are necessary to depict different aspects of love in poetry. However, these two poems go together well. Ever since Olds wrote his poem about how individuals have sex without love. Snodgrass's poem doesn't see the problem with one-night stands and seems to be participating in one of its own. These two poems share many differences; however, they both express their views on the same theme: love.