The song Where Do Broken Hearts Go by Whitney Houston poses a question in its title. It seeks to understand whether true love lasts through challenges in life. The theme of love revolves around the song as Houston claims the lost love she initially had. In the plot, she and her lover might encounter a lousy relationship and decides to part ways for a while. However, it is unclear whether the former lover stills feel the same as Houston. In her song, Houston points out that the short breakup with her makes her need the partner more. Her life is not good with him, and she wants a reunion. She acknowledges that sustaining a relationship requires much effort and perseverance. The song revolves around several poetic and literary terms like imagery, rhyme scheme, rhetorical questions, and personification that reveal the poem’s meaning and make it enjoyable.
In the poem written by Chuck Jackson and Frank Wildhom, there is a rhyme scheme. It creates a tone and makes it more attractive to the listeners. For instance, lines 5 and 6 “We needed space/ But all we found was an empty place” create a rhyme scheme with the words ‘space and place’ (AZ). The rhythmic flow of words encourages the reader to continue reading. Also, there is imagery in the song, which creates a snapshot in a reader’s mind. The reader can perceive Houston’s feeling of loneliness as she wishes to reunite with her lover. She profoundly feels that her lover cares for her and that they will reunite and bring back happiness (AZ). The form of this poem consists of 58 lines that create rhythm, repetition, and a stanza that emphasizes. It is therefore structured to develop an exciting tone and easier understanding to the reader.
Besides, a rhetorical query exists in the poem, and the question “Where do Broken Hearts Go” is rhetorical as it does not require an answer. The narrator asks to reflect on her situation where she is broken-hearted in love and wonders where she has to shift her love. Moreover, it is ironic that the two lovers initially parted ways voluntarily, but Houston begins missing her lover and wishes if they would make love again. She later develops needing her lover desperately rather than moving on and love someone else.
Furthermore, personification is present in the poem, where broken hearts can find their way home. Broken hearts are inanimate objects used in verse to possess human skills to return home (AZ). Therefore, the poetic and literary terms used in the poem make it exciting and emotional. They also allow the narrator to express a deeper meaning of her current situation by reflecting on her love story.
In conclusion, the song “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” creates more understanding of love by readers through Houston. She justifies that keeping a stable relationship is not as straightforward as it seems but requires much effort. The poem also encompasses poetic and literary terms like rhyme scheme, personification, irony, and imagery that make it easy to recite and help the reader develop a deeper meaning of the situation experienced by Houston. Although she finally reunites with her lover, the narrator is desperately affected by her breakup. She represents many people who find themselves in similar circumstances and lack their way out or undergo depression. In this regard, the song is exciting and reveals the importance of nurturing good relationships to avoid depression and heartbreaks.
Work Cited
AZ. “Whitney Houston Lyrics”. Azlyrics. 2021. Web.