Wealth
In “Obligation,” Lowell depicts two characters—lovers. The narrator (who is presumably man, but could be a woman) bemoans the fact that he us unable to provide his lover with materialistic riches. He wishes that he could shower her in gold and jewelry and wealth. And yet, as the narrator later admits, he is poor and has no means to do so. Despite this, the couple are still very happy together and are committed to one another. In this way, Lowell is commenting on two types of wealth: materialistic and emotional. Though this couple is not wealthy when it comes to riches or materialistic objects, they are wealthy in love. Both are rich because their love for each other is so powerful and so great that it transcends materialism. In this way, Lowell suggests that one can be rich even when they have no money.
Nature
The theme of “nature” plays heavily in two of Amy Lowell’s poems: “November” and “Night Clouds.” In both of these poems, Lowell uses descriptive imagery to paint vivid and beautiful pictures of nature. In “Night Clouds,” Lowell urges the night clouds to “scatter the milky dust of stars” and describes the sunrise’s “vermillion tongue.” Her use of descriptive language depicts nature as a living, breathing animal—something elegant, beautiful, and ever-changing. Likewise, in “November,” Lowell describes how—as autumn changes to winter—the leaves and flowers and trees all begin to wilt away. She describes the “brittle boughs of lilac-bushes” as they lose their color. Lowell’s fascination with the way that nature appears to live and breathe around us played very prominently in her poems.
Love
In “Obligation,” Lowell paints an incredibly romantic story about a couple in love. The narrator (presumably a man), proclaims his love for his significant other and his wish that he had the ability to shower her in wealth and riches. As he later admits, however, he has no money to do so. The narrator admits that he only wishes to shower his lover with wealth and riches because of how valuable she is to him; he wants to prove to her how worthy she is of such treasures. In this way, it becomes clear that the narrator’s love for this woman runs true and deep. Likewise, at the conclusion of the poem, the two lovers come to terms with the fact that—though they may never be rich with money—the love they have for each other makes them wealthy. In this way, it’s clear that love is very important to Lowell and her poems.
