Name: Oregonian (Signed) · Date: 01/06/14 20:07 · For: Goodbye

Hi, Emma. This is Vicki of Slytherin House commenting on your poem Goodbye. I am trying to decide where this poem fits into the relationship of Harry and Lily, and it seems that Lily is talking to Harry but he can’t hear her. He sounds very young in his two verses, and that makes me conclude that this poem is set in the years of Harry’s early childhood, when he suffers the lovelessness of the Dursley household and longs for his absent parents.

You have expressed what must be the frustration of a long-departed parent who can see her child crying and suffering but cannot do anything about it. She says,”Don’t cry,” and “I am here!” as if by saying the words so forcefully she can somehow break the barrier between the living and the dead and make him hear her. But of course she cannot; she can only watch and wait.

In Harry’s two verses, his little-boy voice sounds almost accusative: “How could you say goodbye?” and “don’t ever say goodbye”. Of course a little child cannot understand what happened, cannot understand that she didn’t leave on purpose.

The poem reminds me of other children’s stories that I have read, in which an orphaned child is desperately longing that his parents or other blood relatives will suddenly turn up some day and rescue him from his miserable situation. But those conversations are usually one-sided; unlike in your poem, there is no answer from the other side of the grave.

Nice job.

Name: Nagini Riddle (Signed) · Date: 11/25/12 20:20 · For: Goodbye

Wow! What inspired this? It was gorgeous in its simplicity and I liked how they were talking to each other. It seemed almost lullaby-like, and I have to admit that I was touched. Good job. :)

Author's Response: thank u so much :) this is my first piece approved on mugglenet and im so glad someone enjoyed it.