BOTH
'Early or late,
When lovers wait,
And Love's watch gains, if Time a gait
So snail-like chooses,
Why should his feet
Become more fleet
Than cowards' are, when lovers meet
And Love's watch loses?'
The Annotated Edition
BOTH by James Russell Lowell
Read aloud in ~1 minOpen reading mode →
This short poem poses a whimsical yet sharp question: why does time seem to crawl when you're waiting for your lover, yet rush by and disappear the instant you're together.
- Themes
- loneliness, love, sorrow
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This short poem poses a whimsical yet sharp question: why does time seem to crawl when you're waiting for your lover, yet rush by and disappear the instant you're together? Lowell presents it as a riddle about love and time, treating both parts of the experience with equal importance. The title "Both" suggests that the poem captures two conflicting emotions simultaneously — the pain of waiting and the sorrow of time slipping away.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
'Early or late, / When lovers wait,
Editor's note
The poem begins with a single, cohesive stanza focused on one overarching question. The opening two lines establish the setting: it doesn’t matter if it’s early or late — when you’re waiting for someone you love, time acts strangely. The phrase "early or late" suggests that this experience is universal, not just a personal grievance. The next two lines introduce the concept of Love's watch, a metaphor illustrating how love alters our perception of time. When time drags on ("if Time a gait / So snail-like chooses"), Love's watch actually *gains* — meaning the minutes seem to stretch, as if the clock is racing ahead of you. Then we reach the pivotal moment: "Why should his feet / Become more fleet / Than cowards' are" — cowards, after all, are known for running away quickly. Lowell poses the question: why does time suddenly race away like a coward escaping a confrontation when lovers finally reunite? "Love's watch loses" indicates that the clock now ticks slowly compared to how fast time *feels* — presenting the contrary issue. The entire stanza functions as a rhetorical question without a provided answer, which is intentional. There’s no justifiable reason. Time simply treats lovers unfairly, in both aspects — and the title "Both" perfectly encapsulates that dual injustice.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
The tone is wry and somewhat frustrated — as if someone has spotted an absurd injustice and can't resist highlighting it with a smirk. There's a teasing, almost riddle-like rhythm, featuring tight rhyme and a lively meter that reflects the very restlessness it conveys. Beneath the playful surface lies a real ache: the poem understands that lovers never have time on their side.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- Love's watch
- A clock that embodies Love itself. When it "gains," time seems to stretch; when it "loses," time feels like it rushes by. This is Lowell's way of expressing how love alters our perception of time in both ways.
- The snail's gait
- The slow crawl of time while waiting feels unbearable. The snail perfectly symbolizes slowness, capturing the dragging, almost painful nature of anticipation.
- The coward's fleet feet
- Cowards run away fast — that's their signature move. Lowell uses this image to convey how swiftly time slips away when lovers are together, suggesting that time itself is acting shamefully, like someone too afraid to stand and face you.
§06Historical context
Historical context
James Russell Lowell wrote in the mid-nineteenth century, a time when American poetry was still largely shaped by British Romantic and metaphysical influences. A Harvard-educated poet, critic, and diplomat, Lowell had the ability to write with intellectual depth, but he also excelled at light verse — short, witty poems that convey a significant message without overdoing it. "Both" falls into this lighter category. The poem is part of a long lineage of love lyrics that reflect on time, tracing back to Shakespeare's sonnets and Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress." At that time, the parlor poem — brief, clever, and perfect for recitation — was a valued form, and "Both" stands out as a refined example of this style. Its concise rhyme scheme and tight logic indicate a poet who relished the challenge of expressing something meaningful in as few words as possible.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
It explores how time can seem unjust for those in love — it drags on when you're anticipating a meeting, yet flies by when you're together. The poem presents this as one lingering question without a clear answer.
The title highlights the contrasting experiences depicted in the poem: the slow agony of waiting *and* the rapid passage of time when lovers are united. Lowell suggests that love is shortchanged in both scenarios, not merely in one.
A watch that "gains" runs fast — it displays more time than what has actually elapsed. So when time crawls, Love's watch *gains*, making every minute feel extended and longer than it really is.
A watch that "loses" runs slow—it falls behind the actual time. When lovers are finally together, time flies, but Love's watch can't keep pace. This means that their joyful moments always seem too brief.
Cowards are known for their quick retreats. By stating that time's feet become "more fleet than cowards' are," Lowell suggests that time is not only fast but *shamefully* so—it rushes away when it should linger, much like someone who avoids confronting a tough situation.
The poem follows a tight AABCCB rhyme scheme in its stanza, where the two-syllable lines ("Early or late," "When lovers wait") rhyme with each other, while the longer lines develop the argument. This lively, compact rhythm reflects the anxious energy of waiting.
Both fit the title perfectly. The tone is playful, and the structure resembles a riddle, yet there's a genuine feeling underneath. Lowell offers a real observation about love and time, using a light touch instead of heavy emotion.
It’s part of a long tradition of poems about love and time — the *carpe diem* tradition. Poets like Marvell and Shakespeare grappled with the notion that time can undermine love, and Lowell offers his own clever and concise perspective on this age-old debate.
Read next