Louise Glück: The Untrustworthy Speaker
Don’t listen to me; my heart’s been broken.
I don’t see anything objectively.
I know myself; I’ve learned to hear like a psychiatrist.
When I speak passionately,
that’s when I’m least to be trusted.
It’s very sad, really: all my life, I’ve been praised
for my intelligence, my powers of language, of insight.
In the end, they’re wasted—
I never see myself,
standing on the front steps, holding my sister’s hand.
That’s why I can’t account
for the bruises on her arm, where the sleeve ends.
In my own mind, I’m invisible: that’s why I’m dangerous.
People like me, who seem selfless,
we’re the cripples, the liars;
we’re the ones who should be factored out
in the interest of truth.
When I’m quiet, that’s when the truth emerges.
A clear sky, the clouds like white fibers.
Underneath, a little gray house, the azaleas
red and bright pink.
If you want the truth, you have to close yourself
to the older daughter, block her out:
when a living thing is hurt like that,
in its deepest workings,
all function is altered.
That’s why I’m not to be trusted.
Because a wound to the heart
is also a wound to the mind.
Discussion Questions
How do you interpret the title? What roles do self-doubt and fear play in this poem?
The speaker states “I know myself; I’ve learned to hear like a psychiatrist.” What does this poem reveal about the speaker? In what ways do you relate – or not relate – to the speaker’s experience?
In what ways can we build capacity for emotion, self-reflection, and self-awareness in health care through the use of poetry? How do you incorporate poetry into your practice?
Reflections from #MedHumChat
“The poem made me feel uncomfortable. To me, it almost seemed as if the narrator had experienced gaslighting and had adopted an outside view of themselves, with all the self-doubt and fear that comes with it. It made me wonder who holds the epistemic power.” —@OdyO11
“For me, The Untrustworthy Speaker speaks to the truth that we are unreliable narratives of our own story - the perspective is always changing. And both fear and self-doubt are the foundational pillars of this poem.” —@LReedsbooks
“To know one's self is difficult. I was intrigued by the speaker's attempt to reconcile with her self in the aftermath of an emotional wound. This poem - especially the last two lines - got me thinking how important it is to have space for self reflection, to tend to our hearts, in order to protect our sense of self.” —@AshnaAsim
About this #MedHumChat
“The Untrustworthy Speaker” was paired with “The Red Poppy” for a #MedHumChat on December 16, 2020 celebrating the work and achievements of Louise Glück.
The pieces for this chat as well as the discussion questions were curated by MedHumChat team member Ashna Asim (@AshnaAsim).
About the Author
Louise Glück is an American contemporary poet and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature (2020). Her work is especially well known for its insight into loneliness, family relationships, divorce, and death.