Lonely Hearts

"Can someone make my simple wish come true?"
"Lonely Hearts"
Wendy Cope


This poem shows different people advertising for someone to be in a relationship with. Each stanza includes a person with certain needs in a relationship. The first person, (lines 1-3) is most likely an athletic man who seeks a woman that enjoys the outdoors and sports. The second stanza introduces a person searching for someone who is not mainstream, like they are; someone who is into arts and cares deeply about certain issues such as gay marriage and eating as a vegetarian. The third person (lines 7-9) may be someone who has dated the same type of person for a long time, and it's not working out, so they are seeking something new-"Bisexual woman, arty, young." The fourth stanza shows the typical standards a person a may have for a relationship-someone who is intelligent, attractive, stable, and successful, or rich. The last person in lines 13-15 is most likely a younger person, who has not dated much, "inexperienced," and is asking for two specific things, "slim," and "non-smoker."

Throughout the poem the lines, "Can someone make my simple wish come true?" and "Do you live in North London? Is it you?" are repeated. This villanelle style of poetry is appropriate because the poem introduces different people with different needs, yet these quotes that are placed at the end of each stanza show that all these people have one thing in common: they all have hope that someone will come along to love them.