Stanza 1

As one might expect from a poem entitled "The Last Question," this is a poem that poses a number of questions and concludes with one. This poem is very brief, almost epigrammatic. Unlike the epigram, however, which relies for its success on a pithy, witty, concise statement of some interesting or surprising observation, this poem alternates between questions posed and questions answered. Since the poem is only eight lines long, two brief quatrains, the task of summarizing it is relatively easy. It is a poem that seems to be spoken in two voices. One voice asks questions and one answers them. The first two words of the poem are repeated, "New love, new love." This repetition emphasizes each word. What is important in this poem is the newness of the relationship. "Love" might also be expressed as "lover," but the word "love" functions as a name. The...