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Miscommunication Trope

There are two sides to this story: the perception and the truth

By Alexandria StanwyckPublished 3 months ago 3 min read
3
Miscommunication Trope
Photo by Afif Ramdhasuma on Unsplash

Angrily pacing in the living room
Believing the worst based on what I just saw
Complete realization that this is our doom
Didn't they warn me he would break my heart's laws?
Eyes used to sweep up and down better than a broom
Forgot the worst of his previous flaws:
Generously spending time in many girls' bedrooms
How could I allow myself to think he was different now, ha
Ignorance is bliss until it leads you to your gloom
Just wish it didn't lead to me rubbing my eyes raw
Killing the dream now that you would be my groom
Let the wolf that is you blow down this love made of straw
Maybe it time to bury our future in its tomb

***

Never did I think I was the best for you
Oh, but believe me with what I'm about to say
Please don't say the time to talk came and flew
Quickly I came here; losing you is a price I couldn't pay
Right when you walked in, it was like someone had given a cue
She kissed me, yes, but I pushed her away
Told her you were my forever as sure as the sky is blue
Upset with the past me for leading you to think this way
Vulnerable, crying tears that wet the ground like morning dew
Wish there was a way to prove I would never stray
X-rays don't show how much my heart beats for only you
Yes, I understand this love seems broken like a pot made of clay
Zealously I will try to prove to you what is true

***

I have not been shy when it comes to talking about my love of books. But like any book lover, there are certain tropes I can not stand. One of these is the miscommunication trope.

Book Riot defines this trope like this:

The miscommunication trope, for those who may be unfamiliar with the term, describes when characters interact with each other in some way, but miss saying something which would very likely — and often, very easily — solve whatever misunderstanding they're now facing. Sometimes, characters will say the wrong things in all the wrong ways, or a character will understand something in the complete opposite way of what was meant.

This also seems to occur when a character supposedly catches their love interest in the act of doing something wrong, typically cheating on them (i.e. kissing another girl). It is revealed later that, much like in the case of this poem, the love interest did not encourage the kiss and quickly shoved the other person away. I see this a lot when the love interest is a reformed playboy or a so-called out of the girl's league kind of guy, like the incident is supposed to be some final test before the happily ever after.

It appears the miscommunication trope is there for many authors to extend their story a little bit longer or to build up to the climax of the story. There are some moments when I can tolerate it, but it seems unnecessary to toss in the trope when they have demonstrated their conversational capabilities throughout the rest of the book.

Am I the only one whose not a fan of this trope? Or maybe you are a fan? Share your reasons or talk about any other tropes you like (or don't) in the comments section.

social commentaryslam poetryperformance poetrylove poemsheartbreak
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About the Creator

Alexandria Stanwyck

My inner child screams joyfully as I fall back in love with writing.

I am on social media! (Discord, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.)

instead of therapy poetry and lyrics collection is available on Amazon.

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Comments (3)

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  • Randy Wayne Jellison-Knock3 months ago

    The miscommunication trope always fills me with angst. I just want to shake the characters & set them straight--which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In my experience, however, it's not nearly so simple to overcome the miscommunication in real life as it is in books or the movies.

  • I quite enjoy miscommunication tropes done well... I enjoyed your poem.

  • Cathy holmes3 months ago

    For me, it depends on how it's done. I think a miscommunication can work between characters, in some instances. And not just in romance. Imagine two scientists working on a cure for the world's worst diseases, one misunderstands the instructions from the other, and they end up killing millions of people, so now they need to fix it. Lol. Yeah, I know I've completely lost the plot. Sorry.

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