Song ("On Her Loving Two Equally") Summary

The poem opens with a speaker presenting an issue, namely: is it possible for a woman to love two men equally? This question frames the stakes for the entire poem, as Behn’s speaker inherits the predominantly male position of pastoral poet to present a vision of feminine desire as plural. In stanza one, the speaker’s feelings about Damon immediately yield to thoughts/feelings of Alexis, and this balancing act continues throughout the poem. Stanza 2 shows how loving two people equally results in a zero-sum game; we learn that even when one of these lovers is present, the speaker actively misses the other. Finally, the poem ends in stanza 3 with the speaker imploring Cupid to remove her affection for one of the two lovers, but remaining indecisive as to whom it will be.