Let's contend no more, love,
Strive nor weep;
All be as before, Love,
–Only sleep!
What so wild as words are?
I and thou
In debate, as birds are,
Hawk on bough!

In "A Woman’s Last Word," Elizabeth Barrett Browning explores the aftermath of a couple’s quarrel with poignant simplicity. The speaker, a wife, seeks to mend the rift with her husband by advocating for peace over further conflict. She longs for the soothing balm of sleep to restore their bond to its former harmony. Her question, "What so wild as words are?" highlights the chaotic and unpredictable nature of spoken arguments. Words, like untamed creatures, have the power to escalate tension without resolving anything. By comparing their debate to birds—hawks perching on boughs—she underscores the natural inclination of passionate exchanges to become predatory and divisive. The plea to "contend no more" and to "only sleep" suggests that sometimes silence and rest can heal wounds that words cannot. This acknowledgment of the need for tenderness and reconciliation in marriage captures the delicate balance required to maintain a loving relationship. Browning’s lines resonate with anyone who has ever sought peace after discord, encapsulating the universal desire for love to prevail over conflict.