Flashcards for Cozy Apologia

Fred (The Beloved)

Fred is the beloved subject of Rita Dove's lyric poem "Cozy Apologia," a quiet, domestic presence whose very normalcy becomes the poem's central revelation.

character

The Speaker (Rita Dove)

The Speaker is the only voice in the poem and serves as its central consciousness—a mature woman who talks to her partner, Fred, with a blend of tender confession and sharp self-awareness.

character

Youthful Heroes (Remembered Lovers)

The Youthful Heroes—the speaker's past lovers that she remembers—appear in "Cozy Apologia" not as fully realized individuals but as a blend of half-remembered memories that she consciously dismisses to celebrate her current love, Fred.

character

“I could pick anything and think of you—”

"I could pick anything and think of you—" appears in Rita Dove's poem Cozy Apologia, a heartfelt love letter to her husband, the writer Fred Viebahn.

Poetic speaker (Rita Dove)

“outside, the world's a raging fury.”

In Rita Dove's poem Cozy Apologia, from her 1999 collection On the Bus with Rosa Parks, the line "Outside, the world's a raging fury" sets up a striking contrast.

Rita Dove (lyric speaker / poet) · Cozy Apologia

“I'll light a candle, find that song, the one we hummed all last summer.”

This line is from Rita Dove's poem "Cozy Apologia," which she wrote for her husband, the writer Fred Viebahn.

Rita Dove (the speaker/narrator)

“How I adore the room's great dark, and you.”

This line is taken from Rita Dove's poem "Cozy Apologia," which appears in her 1995 collection Mother Love.

Rita Dove (lyric speaker)

“Fred, you're the one I want to grow old with.”

This tender declaration is from Rita Dove's poem "Cozy Apologia," found in her 1999 collection On the Bus with Rosa Parks.

Rita Dove (lyric speaker)

“Those heroes of my twenties were all wrong.”

"Those heroes of my twenties were all wrong" appears in Rita Dove's poem Cozy Apologia (found in On the Bus with Rosa Parks, 1999).

Rita Dove (lyric speaker)

“Now I see: the trick is in the choosing.”

This line is from Rita Dove's poem "Cozy Apologia," featured in her 1999 collection On the Bus with Rosa Parks.

Rita Dove (lyric speaker/narrator)

“I used to love a man who rode motorcycles, who played guitar and had no pity.”

This line opens Rita Dove's poem "Cozy Apologia," which appears in her 1999 collection On the Bus with Rosa Parks.

Poetic Speaker (Rita Dove) · Cozy Apologia

Firelight and Cozy Interior

In Rita Dove's "Cozy Apologia," the firelight and inviting home setting represent the safety of a mature, established love.

Hurricane Floyd

In Rita Dove's poem Cozy Apologia, Hurricane Floyd symbolizes the intense and disruptive nature of passionate love.

The Sweater / Domestic Warmth

In Rita Dove's "Cozy Apologia," the sweater symbolizes the warmth of a mature and settled love.

Youthful Heroes / Past Lovers

In Rita Dove's poem Cozy Apologia, the youthful heroes and past lovers the speaker remembers — those swaggering, larger-than-life figures from comic books and teenage dreams — embody the romantic idealism and passion of youth.

Apostrophe

The poem speaks directly to Dove's husband, Fred Viebahn, creating a continuous apostrophe.

Juxtaposition

Dove contrasts the intense emotions of adolescence—like having a crush on Bobby and the fantasy heroes found in comic books and pop culture—with the ordinary domestic scene of a hurricane evening spent with her husband.

Imagery

Dove anchors the poem in rich sensory details that bring the domestic scene to life.

Allusion

The poem connects to the chivalric and courtly love tradition through its title, 'apologia,' and the speaker's youthful infatuations with heroic figures—'a boy who could easily / have been a god.'

Metaphor

Dove employs metaphor to enhance the ordinary without making it overly sentimental.

Irony

The title of the poem, 'Cozy Apologia,' carries an ironic twist: an apologia refers to a formal defense or justification, typically a serious form of rhetoric, but the word 'cozy' immediately undermines that seriousness.

Volta

Though 'Cozy Apologia' isn't a strict sonnet, it does have a turn similar to a volta in its final movement.

Lyric Poem

The poem fits neatly within the lyric tradition: it’s brief, personal, written in the first person, and revolves around a single emotional insight rather than a storyline.

Free Verse

Dove writes in free verse, avoiding fixed meter or rhyme scheme, which enhances the poem's themes.

Understatement

The poem's emotional impact lies in what it chooses not to express dramatically.

Motif

The motif of storm and shelter weaves throughout the poem, shaping its emotional landscape.

Pathetic Fallacy

The hurricane in the poem isn’t just scenery; it reflects the emotional turmoil of romantic love.

apologia

A formal written defense or justification of one's choices or beliefs — here, the speaker's defense of writing tender, domestic love poetry as a worthy act.

noun · Chapter 1

cozy

Warm, comfortable, and snug in a domestic setting — used here with a slightly self-conscious tone, as if the speaker is aware that such comfort might seem unambitious or embarrassing.

adjective · Chapter 1

nestled

Settled comfortably and snugly into a sheltered place, the way a person tucks themselves into a safe, warm spot.

verb · Chapter 1

dial your number

To call someone by entering their phone number — used here to suggest the temptation of reaching out, which the speaker deliberately resists in favor of quiet presence.

phrase · Chapter 1

settling

Making small creaking or shifting sounds as a structure adjusts — here used figuratively to suggest the house wrapping itself around the couple like something intimate and confessional.

verb · Chapter 1

confession

An honest, private admission of something deeply felt — used here not in a religious sense but to suggest the house itself is quietly revealing or holding a tender truth.

noun · Chapter 1

filled whole notebooks

Wrote obsessively and at great length — describing the youthful habit of recording every detail of a crush in page after page of private writing.

phrase · Chapter 1

longing

A deep, aching desire for something or someone just out of reach — here contrasted with the real, present intimacy the speaker now shares with her husband.

noun · Chapter 1

thrillingly

In a way that produces excitement mixed with a slight edge of danger or risk — describing the appeal of the reckless, leather-jacketed figures from the speaker's youth.

adverb · Chapter 1

rages

Moves or acts with violent, uncontrolled force — used of the hurricane to convey its wild, destructive energy just outside the speaker's calm domestic space.

verb · Chapter 1

valentine

A sentimental expression of love, typically written or given to a romantic partner — here used to describe the poem itself as a slightly shy, heartfelt love offering.

noun · Chapter 1

this is enough

A declaration that what one has is fully satisfying and needs no addition — the speaker's quiet but firm assertion that ordinary domestic happiness is complete in itself.

phrase · Chapter 1