Alienation from Self
In his poetry, Field focuses largely upon romantic love. He pursues his lovers as if these women are something alien from himself. He sees them as desirable because they are different from him. Pomes like "Power in Silence" and "Beloved" describe his beloved as otherworldly -- like a star -- or as some alternate creature, like a bird. In his estimation of his lovers he attributes everything good and desirable to them, while assigning them the designation of other. By consequence he reveals that he does not consider himself particularly good or desirable. He even feels like a different species from these things, relating an alienation of self.
Contemplation in Silence
For Field's narrators, silence is a personal experience. He doesn't enjoy the spaces of silence, viewing them as times of inactivity or even waste. In "XXI" he begs the muses to give him inspiration so that he may stop being silent. But then again he embraces "Power in Silence" as a sort of skill of his, something which he offers other people. He gives his lover comfort and peace through silence, when she feels content to stop singing. The disparity between these two relationships with contemplation illustrates Field's own conflict within himself. He cannot decides which version of himself is true, so he retreats further inward.
Divination of the Beloved
In his esteem of his lovers, Field has his narrators pursue love to the point of divination. He no longer can see them as people so much as goddesses. Because of this, he asks them to do nearly impossible things. He sets such high expectations. The beloved in "A Girl" is asked to complete the poem because the two lovers are so closely tied that it should be destiny that they complete each other's work. This line or reasoning leads to a rather disturbing conflation of Field's beloved with something supernatural and non-human, demonstrating his intense desire to be rescued or redeemed.
