The poem “10 Things I Hate About You” isn’t a standalone piece, but rather a pivotal scene from the 1999 teen comedy film of the same name.
In the movie, the protagonist Kat Stratford, a fiercely independent and rebellious teenager, is tasked with writing a sonnet for an English assignment. With a twist on the traditional romantic sonnet, Kat creates a list titled “10 Things I Hate About You” which she reads aloud in class.
Though the poem starts with barbs directed at a specific person (possibly a classmate), the content is laced with hidden affection. The lines playfully mock mannerisms and habits, hinting at a deeper connection than what’s being expressed on the surface. Here is the text of the poem:
I hate the way you talk to me,
I hate the way you talk to me,
And the way you cut your hair,
I hate the way you drive my car,
I hate it when you stare,
I hate your big dumb combat boots,
And the way you read my mind,
I hate you so much that it makes me sick,
It even makes me rhyme,
I hate the way you’re always right,
I hate it when you lie,
I hate it when you make me laugh,
Even worse when you make me cry,
I hate it when you’re not around,
And the fact that you didn’t Call，
But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you
Not even close
Not even a little bit
Not even at all
Here’s a poem inspired by “10 Things I Hate About You”:
Ten reasons, a list, a childish charade,
To mask what my heart for you has displayed.
I loathe how you speak, with that charming wit,
And the way that your hair never seems to quite quit
Its messy perfection, that drives me insane.
The car? Just an excuse, for your name on my brain.
Your gaze lingers long, a sweet kind of torture,
Those combat boots, a symbol, a rebel allure.
It chills me to see how you see through my lies,
But worse is the silence when you’re not by my side.
These reasons I list, a desperate ploy,
To hide the truth, that I can’t help but enjoy…
The way that you make my whole world spin around,
The laughter, the tears, to your presence I’m bound.
So here’s the confession, the truth I can’t hide,
These ten things I hate? Well, they all reside deep inside.