Poem Paraphrase - Entry 12

Triolet, by Robert Bridges, is a short poem that reveals the common phenomenon of the human love relationship and the work that is required to keep the love alive.
"When first we met we did not guess
That Love would prove so hard a master;"
Of course not, why would anyone even give a second thought to what lies ahead when you're newly in love. But isn't this what's referred to as "the honey moon must be over."
"Of more than common friendliness
When first we met we did not guess."
Once the newness wears off, a couple is of course still in love, but the intensity of day to day interactions are now quite subdued and are more equivalent to a strong friendship.
"Who could foretell this sore distress,
This irretrievable disaster
When first we met - We did not guess
That Love would prove so hard a master."
At this point, the poem takes a turn and suggests that the relationship that Bridges is writing about has become quite strained. Perhaps the couple has moved away from even the common courtesy of "friendliness."
The repeating line about love being a task master emphasises the pain-staking difficulty of keeping a relationship in strong.
This old poem certainly is ageless. Relationships are never just easy, they take a lot of work; ask anyone.