James Weldon Johnson’s “Sence You Went Away” creates a speaker/singer who bemoans the loss of a loved one. The poem/song consists of four stanzas, each with the rime scheme AAAB, wherein the final line constitutes the refrain in which the speaker reveals the reason for his melancholy.
First Stanza: “Seems lak to me de stars don’t shine so bright”
The speaker expresses his sorrow by reporting that both the sun and stars do not seem to be shedding light now that “you went away.” The reader/listener learns nothing about the person who has gone away, only that the speaker’s life has been adversely affected by the loved one’s absence.
Not only do the speaker’s eyes seem no longer to perceive light, but he also feels that nothing in his life is “goin’ right.” He makes it clear that he is not asserting that the world itself has changed; he is merely revealing how things “seem” to him as he repeats throughout the poem, “seems lak to me,” that is, “seems like to me.”
Second Stanza: “Seems lak to me de sky ain’t half so blue”
The absence of sun and starlight affect the shade of the blue sky, which is now only “half so blue.” Everything reminds him that he is missing his belovèd, because “Seems lak to me dat ev’ything wants you.” Of course, his exaggeration merely underscores how desperately he desires the return of his missing belovèd.
Third Stanza: “Seems lak to me dat ev’ything is wrong”
Again, the speaker asserts that nothing seems right for him anymore, that “ev’ything is wrong.” And he reveals that time seems to lag because of his sorrow: “Seems lak to me de day’s jes twice es long.”
Nature in the form of singing birds is lost on him, because he feels that “de bird’s forgot his song.” His melancholy colors all of his senses, especially seeing and hearing. Life has lost its luster, light has escaped him, and even pleasant sounds are no longer detectable.
Fourth Stanza: “Seems lak to me I jes can’t he’p but sigh”
Finally, the speaker reveals his own behavior has been influenced by the sad fact that “you went away.” He can’t stop sighing, and “ma th’oat keeps gittin’ dry,” while “a tear stays in ma eye.” His physical functions are out of kilter: what needs to be wet is dry, and what needs to be dry is wet.
The speaker’s world has transformed into a melancholy fog of sorrow and disorientation—all because his belovèd has gone away.
To hear a musical rendition of this poem performed by Kris Delmhorst, please visit “ Since You Went Away.”
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Linda Sue Grimes - As a writer, researcher, and SRF devotee, Linda Sue Grimes has studied poetry and practiced Kriya Yoga for over thirty years..
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