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Chapter I:
Cour tly Poetry
The awareness to consider the position of women to be equal to men came about in the
th
12 century after their beauty was idealized in courtly love, a term coined by Gaston Paris in
1883 to describe that courtly love was celebrated in the poetry initiated by the French poets
between c. 1100 and 1350 (Cuddon, 1991:202 & 1007). Additionally, Cuddon (1991:203) says
that “the ideals of courtly love do not really manifest themselves in English literature until the
16th century (via Petrarch) in the great sonnet (q.v.) sequences of Sidney, Spencer and
Shakespeare” who wrote under the Elizabethan Age (1485—1625). Before and during this age,
the writing of poetry was part of the education of a gentleman, and the books of lyrics and
sonnets that appeared contained work by numbers of different writers.
A. Petr ar chan and English Sonnets
A sonnet, deriving from the Italian sonetto a ‘little sound’ or ‘song’ (Cuddon, 1991:895),
is a kind of poetry consisting of 14 lines, arranged according to the following scheme:
1) the Italian sonnet (Petrarchan model) consists of 8 lines (the octave) and 6 lines (the
sestet), rhyming ab ba ab ba—cd ec de or cd cd cd, or in any combination except a
rhyming couplet.
2) The English sonnet consists of three quatrains and a couplet, rhyming ab ab, cd cd, ef
ef—gg. This form is much used by Shakespeare.
B. Songs and Lyr ics
Many poems can be classified as songs although they are not set to music (Cuddon,
1991:890). Songs basically refer to poems and their musical setting; poems for “singing or
chanting, with or without musical accompaniment”. In addition, Cuddon says that “up until the
16th century, in Europe, poet and composer/musician were often one and the same”. Lyrics, for
example, can be regarded to belong to this group.
Initially, the definition of a lyric was given by the Greeks who stated that it was “a song
to be sung to the accompaniment of a lyre (lyra)”, but, now, the term is used to “describe a
particular kind of poem in order to distinguish it from narrative or dramatic verse of any kind”
(Cuddon, 1992:514). What's more, Cuddon (1992:514-5) affirms that
it is usually fairly short, not often longer than fifty or sixty lines, and often only between
a dozen and thirty lines; and it is usually expresses the feelings and thoughts of a single
speaker (not necessarily the poet himself) in a personal and subjective fashion.
1
W h en I W a s Fa ir a n d Y o u n g
(Queen Elizabeth I, 1558-160 3)
W hen I w as fair 1) and y oung, and favor graced 2) m e,
Of m any w as I sought, their m istress 3) for to be;
But I did scorn them all, and answ ered them
therefore,
“Go, go, go, seek som e otherw here,
Im portune 4) m e no m ore!”
How m any w eeping ey es I m ade to pine5) w ith w oe,
How m any sighing hearts, I have no skill to show ;
Yet I the prouder grew , answ ered them
therefore,
“Go, go, go, seek som e otherw here,
Im portune m e no m ore!”
Then spake fair Venus6)’ son, that proud victorious
boy ,
And said, “Fine dam e7), since that y ou be so coy ,
I w ill so pluck y our plum es 8) that y ou shall say no
m ore,
“Go, go, go, seek som e otherw here,
Im portune m e no m ore!”
W hen he had spake these w ords, such change
grew in m y breast,
That neither night nor day since that, I could
take any rest.
Then lo! I did repent 9) that I had said before,
“Go, go, go, seek som e otherw here,
Im portune m e no m ore!”
Vocabulary:
1. attractive; free from
bias/dishonesty
2. preferred
3. lover
4. beg persistently; (obs) annoy
5. suffer
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10
15
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Venus (Roman myth) goddess of love and
beauty
7. lady; (arch) a woman of rank or authority
8. a tuft of feathers worn as an ornament on the
hat; a token of honour or distinction
9. feel sorry
6.
W h a t I s Ou r L if e?
(Sir Walter Raleigh, 1552—1618 )
W hat is our life? a play of passion;
Our m irth, the m usic of division 1);
Our m others’ w om bs the tiring-houses 2) be
W here w e are dressed for this short com edy .
Heaven the judicious3) sharp spectator is,
That sits and m arks 4) still5) w ho doth act am iss 6);
Our graves that hide us from the searching sun
Are like draw n curtains w hen the play is done.
Thus m arch 7) w e play ing to our latest rest;
Only w e die in earnest—that’s no jest 8).
Vocabulary:
1. the more rapid accompaniment to, or variation
on, a musical theme
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4.
5.
records
continuously
2
2.
3.
dressing rooms
showing or having good sense; sensible
6.
7.
8.
wrongly
progression
joke
T o Ple a d M y Fa it h W h er e Fa it h H a d N o R e w a r d
(Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, 1566—160 1)
To plead 1) m y faith w here faith had no rew ard,
To m ove rem orse 2) w here favor is not borne,
To heap com plaints w here she doth not regard—
W ere fruitless, bootless3), vain 4), and y ield 5) but scorn.
I loved her w hom all the w orld adm ired,
I w as refused of her that can love none;
And m y vain hopes, w hich far too high aspired 6),
Is dead, and buried, and for ever gone.
Forget m y nam e, since you have scorned m y love,
And w om anlike7) do not too late lam ent 8);
Since for y our sake I do all m ischief 9) prove,
I none accuse10 ) nor nothing do repent.
I w as fond as ever she w as fair,
Yet loved I not m ore than I now despair.
Vocabulary:
1. beg
2. regret
3. useless; unavailing
4. futile; senseless or foolish
5. turn out
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
desire
womanly
feel or express sorrow or regret for
trouble
blame; to bring a charge against
T h e Pa s s io n a t e S h ep h e r d t o H is L o v e
(Christopher Marlowe, 1564-1593)
Com e live w ith m e and be m y love,
And w e w ill all the pleasures prove1)
That valley s, groves, hills, and fields,
W oods, or steepy m ountain y ields.
04
And w e w ill sit upon the rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to w hose falls
Melodious birds sing m adrigals.
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And I w ill m ake thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies 2),
A cap of flow ers, and a kirtle3)
Em broidered all w ith leaves of m y rtle 4);
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A gow n m ade of the finest w ool
W hich from our pretty lam bs w e pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
W ith buckles 5) of the purest gold;
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A belt of straw and ivy buds,
W ith coral clasps and am ber 6) studs 7):
And if these pleasures m ay thee m ove8),
Com e live w ith m e, and be m y love.
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3
The shepherds’ sw ains9) shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May m orning:
If these delights thy m ind m ay m ove,
Then live w ith m e and be m y love.
Vocabulary:
1. test
2. flowers and poems
3. long dress
4. (kind of) evergreen shrub with shiny
leaves and sweet-smelling white flowers
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5. ornamental clasp on a shoe
6. yellowish-brown
7. button-like object to fasten
things
8. arouse the feelings of
9. lovers
T h e N y m p h 's R e p ly t o t h e S h e p h e r d
(Sir W alter Raleigh, 1552-1618 )
If all the w orld and love w ere y oung,
And truth in every shepherd's tongue,
These pretty pleasures m ight m e m ove
To live w ith thee and be thy love.
04
Tim e drives flocks from field to fold 1)
W hen rivers rage and rocks grow cold,
And Philom el2) becom eth dum b;
The rest com plains of cares to com e.
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The flow ers do fade, and w anton 3) fields
To w ayw ard 4) w inter reckoning 5) y ields;
A honey tongue, a heart of gall6),
Is fancy's spring. but sorrow 's fall.
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Thy gow ns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses,
Thy cap, thy kirtle and thy posies
Soon break, soon w ither, soon forgotten
in folly 7) ripe, in reason rotten
16
Thy belt of straw and ivy buds,
Thy coral clasps and am ber studs,
All these in m e no m eans can m ove
To com e to thee and be thy love.
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But could y outh last and love still' breed,
Had joy s no date nor age no need,
Then these delights m y m ind m ight m ove
To live w ith thee and be thy love.
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Vocabulary:
1. fenced field
2. the nightingale
3. serving no useful purpose
4.
5.
6.
7.
disobedient
calculating
rancor, bitter feeling
foolishness
4
A L o v e r ’s V o w
(Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, 1517-1547)
Set m e w hereas the sun doth parch 1) the green,
Or w here his beam s m ay not dissolve2) the ice,
In tem perate3) heat, w here he is felt and seen;
W ith proud people, in presence sad and w ise,
Set m e in base, or y et in high degree;
In the long night, or in the shortest day ;
In clear w eather, or w here m ists thickest be;
In lusty youth, or w hen m y hairs be gray ;
Set m e in earth, in heaven, or yet in hell;
In hill, in dale, or in the foam ing flood;
Thrall4), or at large5), alive w hereso6) I dw ell;
Sick or in health, in ill fam e or in good;
Yours w ill I be, and w ith that only thought
Com fort m y self-w hen that m y hap 7) is naught.
Vocabulary:
1) Scorch
2) melt
3) moderate
4) enslaved
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5) at liberty, free
6) (adv) wheresoever,
wherever
7) good fortune
Sh a ll I Co m p a r e Th e e t o a Su m m e r ’s D a y?
(William Shakespeare, 1564-1616)
Shall I com pare thee to a sum m er’s day ?
Thou art m ore lovely and m ore tem perate1):
Rough w inds do shake the darling 2) buds of May ,
And sum m er’s lease3) hath all too short a date:
Som etim es too hot the ey e of heaven shines,
And often is his gold com plexion dim m ed,
And every fair 4) from fair som etim e declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrim m ed:
But thy eternal sum m er shall not fade,
N or lose possession of that fair thou ow ’st 5),
N or shall death brag 6) thou w and’rest in his shade,
W hen in eternal lines to tim e thou grow ’st.
So long as m en can breathe or ey es can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
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10
Vocabulary:
1.pleasant
2. wonderful
3. charter, contract
1. fair one
2. ownest, have
3. boast
W h o s o L is t t o H u n t
(Thom as Wyatt, 150 3?—1542)
W hoso1) list 2) to hunt, I know w here is an hind 3),
But as for m e, alas, I m ay no m ore.
The vain travail4) hath w earied 5) m e so sore
I am of them that furthest com e behind 6).
Yet m ay I, by no m eans, m y w earied m ind
Draw from the deer: but as she fleeth afore 7)
Fainting I follow . I leave off therefore,
Since in a net I seek to hold the w ind.
W hoso list her hunt, I put him out of doubt,
5
As w ell as I, m ay spend his tim e in vain:
And graven 8) w ith diam onds in letters plain
There is w ritten, her fair neck round about,
“Noli m e tangere 9), for Caesar’s I am ,
And w ild for to hold, though I seem tam e.”
Vocabulary:
1. (old use)whoever
2. likes
3. female deer
4. (archaic) pains of childbirth
5. become/make tired
6.
7.
8.
9.
the last of the (hind) pursuers
(archaic) before
carved
(Latin) do not touch me
On H is H a v in g A r r iv e d t o t h e A g e o f T w e n t y T h r e e
(J ohn Milton, 1608—1674)
How soon hath Tim e, the subtle thief of y outh,
Stolen of his w ing m y three and tw entieth y ear!
My hasting day s fly on w ith full career,
But m y late spring no bud or blossom shew ’th.
Perhaps m y sem blance m ight deceive the truth,
That I too m anhood am arrived so near,
And inw ard ripeness doth m uch less appear,
That som e m ore tim ely -happy spirits indu’th.
Yet be it less or m ore, or soon or slow ,
It shall be still in strictest m easure even
To that sam e lot, how ever m ean or high,
Tow ard w hich Tim e leads m e, and the w ill of Heaven,
All is, if I have grace to use it so,
As ever in m y great Task-m aster’s eye.
John M ilt on, 1608— 1674
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CHAPTER II:
Religiosity and Secular ism
Wikipedia (http://en.wlkipadia.org/wiki/Reliousity) writes that religiosity is revealing "how
religious a person is, and less with how a person is religious (in terms of practicing certain rituals,
retelling certain myths, revering certain symbols, or accepting certain doctrines about deities and
afterlife)". Wijaya (1988:12) clarifies this idea by asserting that religiosity is more comprehensive
than religion is. He uses Trio Bimbo's "Tuhan" as an example. This song, according to him, has a
religious quality, and, therefore, it may be sung by those having different religions like Islam or
Christianity. Or, it may also be convenient to say that this term in this section is used to refer to all
poems which are regarded as sacred poems.
Secularism, on the other hand, in its extreme sense, is "an ideology that holds that religion
has no place in public life" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularism). Or, it may also be used to
refer to, still according to Wikipedia, "a belief that human activities and decisions, especially
political ones, should be based on evidence and fact rather than religious influence". Here, it is
used to encompass all poems which address worldly or material issues as their main themes.
A. Metaphysical Poetr y
The name was first used by Dr. J ohnson (1709-1784) to refer to a certain style in a practice of
poetry writing by the poets of the early seventeen century in Britain who all employed a similar fantastic
form of their poetry: far-fetched1), unconventional metaphors called metaphysical conceits, that is, “a
far-fetched (fantastic) metaphor in which a very unlikely connection between two things is established”
(Peck & Coyle, 1992:23), e.g. Donne’s description of lovers’ souls as being like two legs of a pair of
compasses in “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning”. However, it should be understood that the poems do
not bear any metaphysical philosophy2) at all. Among others are John Donne (1572-1631), George
Herbert (1573-1633), Henry Vaughan (1621-1695), Richard Crashaw (1613-1640), Abraham Cowley
(1618-1667), and Andrew Marvell (1621-1678). The themes that most of these poets write are about
secular and divine love. For this, Miller (et al, 1976:245) say if the metaphysical poets give emphasis on
“intellect and wit”.
V e r t u e 1)
(George Herbert, 1593-1633)
Sw eet day , so cool, so calm , so bright,
The bridal2) of the earth and sky;
The dew shall w eep thy 3) fall to night,
1
2
) improbable, being only remotely connected.
) the investigation of the world, or of what really exists, generally by means of rational argument rather than by direct or
mythical intuition.
1
For thou m ust die.
Sw eet rose, w hose hue 4), angry and brave,
Bids5) the rash gazer 6) w ipe his eye;
Thy root is ever in its grave,
And thou m ust die.
Sw eet spring, full of sw eet day s and roses,
A box w here sw eets com pacted 7) lie;
My m usic show s y e8) have y our closes 9),
And all m ust die.
Only a sw eet and virtuous soul,
Like seasoned tim ber 10 ), never gives11);
But though the w hole w orld turn to coal,
Then chiefly 12) lives.
Vocabulary:
1) morality
2) wedding feast
3) your
4) colour
5) commands
6) hasty seer
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
joined firmly together
you
ends
break down
dried, hardened timber (wood)
mainly
B a t t e r M y H ea r t , T h r e e Pe r s o n 'd Go d
(John Donne, 1572—1631)
Batter m y heart, three person'd God; for, y ou
As y et but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to m end;
That I m ay rise, and stand, o'erthrow m e, 'and bend
Your force, to breake, blow e, burn and m ake m e new .
I, like an usurpt tow ne, t'another due,
Labor to 'adm it y ou, but Oh, to no end,
Reason y our viceroy in m e, m e should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves w eake or untrue,
Yet dearely 'I love y ou, and w ould be lov'd faine,
But am betroth'd unto y our enem y,
Divorce m e, 'untie, or breake that knot againe
Take m e to y ou, im prison m e, for I
Except you 'enthrall m e, never shall be free,
N or ever chaste, except you ravish m e.
A V a le d ict io n : Fo r b id d in g M o u r n in g 3
(J ohn Donne, 1572—1631)
As virtuous m en pass m ildly aw ay ,
And w hisper to their souls to go,
W hilst som e of their sad friends do say
The breath goes now , and som e say no:
So let us m elt, and m ake no noise,
N o tear-floods, nor sigh-tem pest m ove;
‘Tw ere profanation of our joys
To tell the laity 1) our love.
05
Moving of th’ earth 2) brings harm s and fears;
3
) Kennedy (1982:305) was informed from Donne’s biographer Izaak Walton that this poem was a gift for his wife before he
departed on a journey to France.
2
Men reckon w hat it did and m eant;
But trepidation of the spheres3),
Though greater far, is innocent 4).
Dull sublunary 5) lovers’ love
(W hose soul is sense6)) cannot adm it
Absence, because it doth rem ove
Those things w hich elem ented 7) it.
But w e, by a love so m uch refined
That ourselves know not w hat it is,
Inter-assured of the m ind 8),
Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to m iss.
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20
Our tw o souls, therefore, w hich are one,
Though I m ust go, endure not y et
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to airy thinness9) beat.
If they be tw o, they are tw o so
As stiff tw in com passes are tw o:
Thy soul, the fixed foot, m akes no show
To m ove, but doth, if th’ other do.
And though it in the center sit,
Yet w hen the other far doth roam ,
It leans and harkens after it,
And grow s erect as that com es hom e.
Such w ilt thou be to m e, w ho m ust,
Like th’ other foot, obliquely run;
Thy firm ness m akes m y circle just 10 ),
And m akes m e end w here I begun.
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30
35
Vocabulary:
1) common people
2) earthquake
3) In Ptolemaic astronomy, before telescopes were used in astronomical study, all planets were assumed to have
orbits that were perfectly circular. Apparently irregularities that were actually caused by elliptical orbits were
explained by the concept of trepidation, or a quivering of the bodies during orbit (Roberts & Jacobs,
1986:599).
4) harmless
5) living beneath the moon; earthly
6) the body as opposed to the mind or spirit
7) composed, made (it) up; constituted
8) each sure in mind that the other is faithful (Kennedy, 1982:305).
9)
Gold is so malleable that, if beaten to the thickness of gold leaf (1/250,000 of one inch), one ounce of gold
would cover 250 square feet faithful (Kennedy, 1982:305).
10) Perfect
T h e Pu lle y
(George Herbert, 1593—1633)
W hen God at first m ade m an,
Having a glass of blessings standing by—
Let us (said he)pour on him all w e can;
Let the w orld’s riches, w hich dispersed lie,
Contract into a span 1).
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3
So strength first m ade a w ay ,
Then beauty flow ed, then w isdom , honor, pleasure:
W hen alm ost all w as out, God m ade a stay ,
Perceiving that, alone of all His treasure,
10
Rest 2) in the bottom lay .
For if I should (said he)
Bestow this jew el also on My creature,
He w ould adore My gifts instead of Me,
And rest in Nature, not the God of N ature:
So both should losers be.
15
Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them w ith repining restlessness;
Let him be rich and w eary , that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet w eariness
My toss him to My breast.
20
Vocabulary:
1) that is, within the control of human beings
2) (a) repose, security; (b) all that remains
T h e Co lla r 1)
(George Herbert, 1593—1633)
I stuck the board, and cry ’d, No m ore.
I w ill abroad.
W hat? shall I ever sigh and pine?
My lines and life are free; free as the rode,
Loose as the w inde, as large as store.
05
Shall I be still in suit 2)?
Have I no harvest but a thorn
To let m e bloud, and not restore
W hat I have lost w ith cordiall fruit?
Sure there w as w ine
10
Before m y sighs did drie it: there w as corn
Before m y tears did drow n it.
Is the y eare onely lost to m e?
Have I no bayes 3) to crow n it?
No flow ers, no garlands gay ? All blasted?
15
All w asted?
N ot so, m y heart: but there is fruit,
And thou hast hands.
Recover all thy sigh-blow n age
On double pleasures: leave thy cold dispute
20
Of w hat is fit, and not; forsake thy cage,
Thy rope of sands,
W hich pettie thoughts have m ade, and m ade to thee
Good cable, to enforce and draw ,
And be thy law ,
25
W hile thou didst w ink and w ouldst not see.
Aw ay ; take heed:
I w ill abroad.
Call in thy deaths head there: tie up thy fears.
He that forbears
30
To suit and serve his need,
Deserves his load.
But as I rav’d and grew m ore fierce and w ilde
At every w ord,
Me thoughts I heard one calling, “Childe:”
35
And I reply ’d, “m y lord.”
4
Vocabulary:
1) According to Roberts and Jacobs (1986:793) it may mean (a) the collar worn by a member of the clergy; (b) the
collar of the harness of a draught animal such as a horse; (c) a restraint placed on prisoners; (d) a pun on
choler (yellow bile), a bodily substance thought to cause quick rages.
2) waiting upon a person of power to gain favor or position
3) laurel crowns to signifyvictory and honor
Pe a ce
(George Herbert, 1593—1633)
Sw eet Peace, w here dost thou dw ell? I hum bly crave,
Let m e once know .
I sought thee in a secret cave,
And asked, if Peace w ere there.
A hollow w ind did seem to answ er, No,
Go seek elsew here.
I did; and going did a rainbow note.
Surely , thought I,
This is the lace of Peace’s coat:
I w ill search out the m atter.
But w hile I looked the clouds im m ediately
Did break and scatter.
Then w ent I to a garden and did spy
A gallant flow er,
The crow n im perial. Sure, said I,
Peace at the root m ust dw ell.
But w hen I digged, I saw a w orm devour
W hat show ed so w ell.
At lenght I m et a rev’rend good old m an,
W hom w hen for Peace
I did dem and, he thus began:
There w as a Prince of old
At Salem 1) dw elt, w ho lived w ith good increase
Of flock and fold.
He sw eetly lived; y et sw eetness did not save
His life from foes.
But after death out of his grave
There sprang tw elve stalks of w heat;
W hich m any w ond’ring at, got som e of those
To plant and set.
It prospered strangely , and did soon disperse
Through all the earth:
For they that taste it do rehearse,
That virtue lies therein,
A secret virtue, bringing peace and m irth
By flight of sin.
Take of this grain, w hich in m y garden grow s,
And grow s for y ou;
Make bread of it: and that repose
And peace w hich ev’ryw here
W ith so m uch earnestness y ou do pursue,
Is only there.
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20
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40
Note:
1) Jerusalem
5
E a s t e r W in g s
(George Herbert, 1593—1633)
Lord, w ho createdst m an in w ealth and store 1),
Though foolishly he lost the sam e,
Decay ing m ore and m ore,
Till he becam e
Most poor:
W ith thee
O let m e rise
As larks, harm oniously ,
And sing this day thy victories:
Then shall the fall further the flight in m e.
My tender age in sorrow did begin:
And still w ith sicknesses and sham e
Thou didst so punish sin,
That I becam e
Most thin.
W ith thee
Let m e com bine
And feel this day thy victory :
For, if I im p 2) m y w ing on thine,
Affliction shall advance the flight in m e.
1. store, abundance
2. imp. A technical term used in falcon. Additional feathers were grafted (imped) onto a falcon’s wings to improve
its ability to fly.
B. Secular Poetry
Secular themes in poetry are mostly employed by the Cavalier poets during the reign of King
Charles I (1625—1649). These poets are the Royalist supporters of King Charles I during the Civil War
(1642—1651) who were fond of fashionable, extravagant clothing. They were opposed to the supporters
of the Parliament called the Roundheads, who were actually the somber Puritans who liked to have short
hair.
The Cavalier poets loved life and its pleasures, and cared little about religious devotion. Their
attitude toward life can be compared to that of Italian Renaissance with the motto “Carpe Diem” or
“Catch the Day”, which practically means “make pleasure while you are still alive, tomorrow you may be
dead”. They abandoned the sonnet form, and they used lyrics to express their love of life, and their sorrow
that life is so short. The best example for the expression of the Cavalier spirit can be found in Robert
Herrick’s poems. The other outstanding writers are Thomas Carew, John Suckling, and Richard Lovelace.
However, their lyrics may not only center on love, they may also wrote poetry of war, honour, and their
duty to the king or sometimes they combined all these themes. Miller (et al, 1976:245) say that the
Cavalier poets give a stress on “grace and charm”. However, many other poets of different periods may
also employ the same themes as explored by the Cavaliers.
6
T o T h e V ir g in s ,T o M a k e M u ch Of T im e
(Robert Herrick, 1591-1674 )
Gather ye rosebuds w hile y e m ay ,
Old Tim e is still a-fly ing;
And this sam e flow er that sm iles today
Tom orrow w ill be dy ing.
The glorious lam p of heaven, the Sun,
The higher he’s a-getting,
The sooner w ill his race be run,
And nearer he’s to setting.
05
That age is best w hich is the first,
W hen y outh and blood are w arm er;
But being spent, the w orse, and w orst
Tim es still succeed the form er.
10
Then be not coy, but use y our tim e;
And w hile y e m ay , go m arry ;
For having lost but once your prim e,
You m ay forever tarry .
15
S h or t M ea su r e
(From a n Ode)
(Ben Jonson, 1572-1637)
It is not grow ing like a tree
In bulk, doth m ake m an better be;
Or standing long an oak, three hundred year,
To fall a log at last, dry , bald, and sere:
A lily of a day
Is fairer far in May ,
Although it fall and die that night—
It w as the plant and flow er of light.
In sm all porportions w e just beauties see;
And in short m easures life m ay perfect be.
D e lig h t in D is o r d e r
(Robert Herrick , 1591 – 1674)
A sw eet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a w antonness.
A law n 1) about the shoulders throw n
Into a fine distraction;
An erring lace, w hich here and there
Enthralls the crim son stom acher;
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribands 2) to flow confusedly ;
A w inning w ave, deserving note,
In the tem pestuous petticoat;
A careless shoestring, in w hose tie
I see a w ild civility ;
Do m ore bew itch m e than w hen art
Is too precise in every part.
Vocabulary:
1) linen
05
10
2) ribbons (old use)
7
T o L u ca st a , On Go in g t o t h e W a r s
(Richard Lovelace, 1618—1658)
Tell m e not. Sw eet, I am unkind,
That from the nunnery
Of thy chaste breast and quiet m ind,
To w ar and arm s I fly
True, a new m istress now I chase,
The first foe in the field;
And w ith a stronger faith em brace
A sw ord, a horse, a shield.
Yet this inconstancy is such
As y ou too shall adore;
I could not love thee, Dear, so m uch,
Loved I not honor m ore.
L ip s a n d E y es
(Thom as Carew , 1594—1640 )
In Celia’s face a question did arise,
W hich w ere m ore beautiful, her lips or ey es?
“W e,” said the ey es, “send forth those pointed darts
W hich pierce the hardest adam antine hearts.”
“From us,” repli’d the lips, “proceed those blisses
W hich lovers reap by kind w ords and sw eet kisses.”
Then w ept the ey es, and from their springs did pour
Of liquid oriental pearl a show er;
W hereat the lips, m oved w ith delight and pleasure,
Through a sw eet sm ile unlock’d their pearly treasure
And bad Love judge, w hether did add m ore grace
W eeping or sm iling pearls to Celia’s face.
T h e Con s t a n t L o v e r
(Sir John Suckling, 1609-1641)
Out upon it! I have loved
Three w hole day s together;
And am like to love three m ore,
If it prove fair w eather.
Tim e shall m olt aw ay his w ings
Ere he shall discover,
In the w hole w ide w orld again,
Such a constant lover.
But the spite on’t is, no praise
Is due at all to m e:
Love w ith m e had m ade no stay s
Had it any been but she.
Had it any been but she,
And that very face,
There had been at least ere this
A dozen dozen in her place.
8
C.
Religious Poetry
Most of the English Parliamentary supporters belong to religious poets. One of the outstanding
figure is J ohn Milton (1608-1674) who was not only a poet, but was also a Latin or Foreign Secretary
official of the Commonwealth during the reign of Oliver Cromwell. He had been brought up according to
the Puritan Principles. From an early age, he had loved music, poetry, and beauty in general. He had the
imagination of the Renaissance (or in England: the Elizabethan Age) and the purity of his religion. He
was educated at Christ’s College, Cambridge where he was known as The Lady of Christ’s. He wrote
with the biblical theme in his long epic, ‘Paradise Lost’. In his sorrowful pastoral elegy, ‘Lycidas’, he
wrote the death by drowning of Edward King, who had been a student with him at Cambridge. He was
drowned in his passage from Chester on the Irish Seas, 1637. By occasion, in this elegy, he attacks the
corrupted clergy and their lack of spirituality. Of course, the same theme may also be employed by any
other poets of different periods.
On H is B lin d n es s
(John Milton, 160 8—1674 )
W hen I consider how m y light is spent 1)
Ere2) half m y day s in this dark w orld and w ide,
And that one talent w hich is death to hide
Lodged 3) w ith m e useless, though m y soul m ore bent 4)
To serve therew ith 5) m y Maker, and present
My true account 6), lest 7) He returning chide8),
“Doth God exact day -labor, light denied?”
I fondly 9) ask. But Patience, to prevent
That m urm ur, soon replies, “God doth not need
Either m an’s w ork or his ow n gifts. W ho best
Bear his m ild y oke10 ), they serve him best. His state
Is kingly: thousands11) at his bidding speed 12),
And post o’er 13) land and ocean w ithout rest;
They also serve w ho only stand and w ait.”
V o ca b u la r y :
1) used up
2) before (old use)
3) placed
4) inclined
5) w ith this
6) life
7) for fear that
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
05
10
rebuke, scold
foolishly
burden
thousands of Angles
travel hastily
over
S o n g On M a y M o r n in g
(John Milton, 160 8—1674)
N ow the bright m orning Star, Day es harbinger,
Com es dancing from the East, and leads w ith her
The Flow ry May , w ho from her green lap throw s
The y ellow Cow slip, and the pale Prim rose.
9
Hail bounteous May that dost inspire
Mirth and youth, and w arm desire,
W oods and Groves, are of thy dressing,
Hill and Dale, doth boast thy blessing.
Thus w e salute thee w ith or early Song,
And w elcom thee, and w ish thee long.
T h e D es t r u ct io n o f S e n n a ch e r ib
(Lord Byron, 1788—1824 )
The Assirian 1) cam e dow n like the w olf on the fold 2),
And his cohorts 3) w ere gleam ing in purple and gold;
And the sheen 4) of their spears w as like stars on the sea,
W hen the blue w ave rolls nightly on deep Galilee5).
Like the leaves of the forest w hen sum m er is green,
That host 6) w ith their banners at sunset w ere seen;
Like the leaves of the forest w hen autum n hath blow n,
That host on the m orrow 7) lay w ithered and strow n 8).
For the Angel of Death spread his w ings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the ey es of the sleepers w axed 9) deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved 10 ), and for ever grew still!
And there lay the steed 11) w ith his nostril all w ide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;
And the foam of his gasping 12) lay w hite on the turf 13 ,
And cold as the spray 14) of the rocks-beating surf 15).
And there lay the rider distorted 16) and pale,
W ith the dew on his brow 17), and the rust on his m ail18):
And the tents w ere all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trum pet unblow n.
And the w idow s of Ashur 19) are loud in their w ail20 ),
And the idols21) are broke in the tem ple of Baal22);
And the m ight of the Gentile23), unsm ote24) by the sw ord,
Hath m elted like snow in the glance of the Lord!
Note & Vocabulary
1) Assyria was a civilization centered on the Upper Tigris river, in Mesopotamia (Iraq)
2) originally, enclosure for sheep (here it is used metaphorically)
3) legion (org., a group of from 300 to 600 soldier in ancient Rome)
4) flashing
5) the sea of Galilee (an ancient Roman province in what is now northern Israel )
6) crowd
7) (arch.) mourning
8) (arch.) strew, to let fall in separate pieces
9) swell up
10)breathe hard
11)horse
12)out of breath
13)grass
14)tiny shower
15)waves breaking in white foam on the shore
16)collapse
17) forehead
10
18)body armour of metal rings or plates
19)the supreme national god of Assyria
20)cry
21)deity, god
22)the chief god of Assyria
23)those who are not Jewish
24)(pp, smite) not be struck/hit
11
Chapter III:
Pastor al Accounts
Another way to understand Britain is by exploring the images of pastoral life as conveyed
in literature. Hornby (1980:613) states that the word “pastoral” pertains to “shepherds and
country life” whereas Cuddon (1992:686) says that this word which is derived from Latin “is
concerned with the lives of shepherds”, and furthermore, he asserts that pastoral literature “tends
to be an idealization of shepherd life, and, by so being creates an image of a peaceful and
uncorrupted existence; a kind of pre-lapsarian world”. According to Wikipedia (2009:par.3)
pastoral literature encompasses “rural subject and aspects of life in the countryside among
shepherds, cowherds and other farm workers that are often romanticized and depicted in a highly
unrealistic manner”. In encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com (2009:par. 6), pastoral literature is
said to deal with “shepherds or rural life, typically contrasting the innocence and serenity of the
simple life with the misery and corruption of city or court life”. The works that amplify the
pastoral tradition in the history of English literature have been, at least, seen since the late 16th
century in the works of Marlowe, Spenser, or Shakespeare. In the Romantic Period in which
intuition was emphasized over reason, pastoral life was still the concern of the poets. Blake, for
example (Cuddon, 1992:690), used the shepherd as “a symbol of an innocence and unspoilt way
of life” and Wordsworth made use of the country life as the representation of flawless nature and
“the uncorrupted existence of countrymen” as the ideal model. In this period, the writers tended
to represent life as it is not—unrealistic—which is the product of imagination rather than that of
reason. The thoughts of French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712—78) inspired the
Romantic writers’ revolt against the ideas developed in the previous period. Rousseau (__,
___:71) teaches that “civilization made man evil”. He also introduces the idea of the “noble
savage”, i.e. “the man of nature was the noblest man of all, uncorrupted by civilization” which
“imposed rules of behavior”. Thus, man’s freedom is restricted by this civilization. Furthermore,
he asserts that man’s attention was, then, given to the lives in the countryside because the city is
the symbol of civilization, and hence, the center of corruption.
One outstanding form of poetry employed in the Romantic period is a ballad,
which is “a form of narrative poetry” (literary.thinkquest.org., 2009:par.1), and, therefore,
a ballad tells a story or in fact, it is fundamentally is “a song that tells a story and
originally was a musical accompaniment to a dance” as it is derived from “the late Latin
and Italian ballare” which means ‘to dance’ (Cuddon, 1992:77). There are basically two
1
kinds of ballads to distinguish, i.e. the folk or traditional ballad and the literary or lyrical
ballad. The former is anonymous and transmitted orally form generation to generation,
and the latter is not anonymous and popularly exploited by the poets of this literary
movement. Wordsworth who “was England's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in
1850” (Wikipedea, 2008: par. 2) and is one of the leaders of this movement believes
(___, ___:77) that Nature brings benefits in three ways: “it teaches us; (2) it cures us,
especially when we are spiritually ill; and (3) it unites Man, Nature, and God”. In the
preface to “Lyrical Ballads” (1798), which is accepted as “a central work of Romantic
literary theory” (Wikipedea, 2008:par. 9), he introduces a definition of poetry as ”the
spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings from emotions recollected in tranquility”
which is still celebrated by many up to the present moment.
T h e T a b les T u r n e d
An Ev ening Scene on the Sam e Subject
Com posed 1798—Published 1798
(William Wordsworth, 1770—1850 )
Up ! up ! m y Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely y ou’ll grow double:
Up ! up ! m y Friend, and clear y our looks;
W hy all this toil1) and trouble?
The sun, above the m ountain’s head,
A freshening lustre 2) m ellow 3)
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sw eet evening yellow .
Book ! ‘tis a dull and endless strife4):
Com e, hear the w oodland linnet 5),
How sw eet his m usic ! on m y life,
There‘s m ore of w isdom in it.
And hark ! how blithe6) the throstle7) sings!
He too, is no m ean preacher:
Com e forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be y our Teacher.
She has a w orld of ready w ealth,
Our m inds and hearts to bless—
Spontaneous w isdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.
One im pulse from a vernal8) w ood
May teach y ou m ore of m an,
Of m oral evil and of good,
Than all the sages 9) can.
Sw eet is the lore10 ) w hich N ature brings;
Our m eddling 11) intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous12) form s of things :—
W e m urder to dissect 13).
2
Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Com e forth, and bring w ith y ou a heart
That w atches and receives.
Vocabulary
1. hard work
2. sheen, soft reflected light
3. rich in colour
4. trouble
5. a small brown songbird, common
in Europe
6. (chiefly poets) gay and joyous
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
a sort of songbird, esp. the kind called song-thrush
(of lit) of, in, as in, the season of spring
wise men
wisdom traditionally handed down
interfering
(poet) beautiful
cut up(parts of an animal body, plant, etc) in order
to study its structure
Co m p o s e d u p o n W es t m in s t e r B r id g e
Septem ber 3, 180 2
(William Wordsworth, 1770—1850 )
Earth has not anything to show m ore fair:
Dull w ould he be of soul w ho could pass by
A sight so touching in its m ajesty:
This City now doth 1), like a garm ent, w ear 1)
The beauty of the m orning; silent, bare,
Ships, tow ers, dom es, theatres, and tem ples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the sm okeless air.
N ever did sun m ore beautifully steep 2)
In his first splendour, valley , rock, or hill;
N e’er saw I 3), never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth 4) at his ow n sw eet w ill:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that m ighty heart is ly ing still!
Note:
line 2 may mean a man who could pass by a sight that is so touching in its majesty would be dull
of soul
Vocabulary:
1. doth wear(line 4): wears
2. usually ‘to soak’, here ‘to cover completely’
3. I never saw
4. glides, moves along smoothly
T h e W o r ld Is t o o M u ch w it h Us
Com posed ?.—Published 18 0 7
(William Wordsworth, 1770—1850 )
The w orld is too m uch w ith us ; late and soon,
Getting and spending, w e lay w aste our pow ers:
Little w e see in Nature that is ours;
W e have given our hearts aw ay , a sordid boon !
This Sea that barcs her bosom to the m oon;
The w inds that w ill be how ling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flow ers;
05
3
For this, for every thing, w e are out of tune;
It m oves us not.—Grcat God I’d rathcr be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outw orn;
So m ight I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glim pses that w ould m ake m e less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his w reathed horn.
10
M a t t h ew
(William Wordsworth, 1770—1850 )
IF N ature, for a favourite child,
In thee hath tem pered so her clay ,
That every hour thy heart runs w ild,
Yet never once doth go astray ,
Read o'er these lines; and then review
This tablet, that thus hum bly rears
In such diversity of hue
Its history of tw o hundred years.
--W hen through this little w reck of fam e,
Cipher and syllable! thine ey e
Has travelled dow n to Matthew 's nam e,
Pause w ith no com m on sy m pathy .
10
And, if a sleeping tear should w ake,
Then be it neither checked nor stay ed:
For Matthew a request I m ake
W hich for him self he had not m ade.
Poor Matthew , all his frolics o'er,
Is silent as a standing pool;
Far from the chim ney 's m erry roar,
And m urm ur of the village school.
20
The sighs w hich Matthew heaved w ere sighs
Of one tired out w ith fun and m adness;
The tears w hich cam e to Matthew 's eyes
W ere tears of light, the dew of gladness.
Yet, som etim es, w hen the secret cup
Of still and serious thought w ent round,
It seem ed as if he drank it up-He felt w ith spirit so profound.
--Thou soul of God's best earthly m ould!
Thou happy Soul! and can it be
That these tw o w ords of glittering gold
Are all that m ust rem ain of thee?
30
Sam uel Ta ylor Coleridge
4
I n s cr ip t io n f o r a Fo u n t a in o n a H e a t h
(Samuel Taylor Coleridge , 1772-1834)
This Sycam ore, oft m usical w ith bees,—
Such tents the Patriarchs loved! O long unharm ed
May all its agèd boughs o'er-canopy
The sm all round basin, w hich this jutting stone
Keeps pure from falling leaves! Long m ay the Spring,
Quietly as a sleeping infant's breath,
Send up cold w aters to the traveller
W ith soft and even pulse! N or ever cease
Yon tiny cone of sand its soundless dance,
W hich at the bottom , like a Fairy 's Page,
As m erry and no taller, dances still,
N or w rinkles the sm ooth surface of the Fount.
Here Tw ilight is and Coolness: here is m oss,
A soft seat, and a deep and am ple shade.
Thou m ay 'st toil far and find no second tree.
Drink, Pilgrim , here; Here rest! and if thy heart
Be innocent, here too shalt thou refresh
Thy spirit, listening to som e gentle sound,
Or passing gale or hum of m urm uring bees!
Cla r ib e l
(Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 180 9—1892)
W here Claribel low -lieth
The breezes pause and die,
Letting the rose-leaves fall:
But the solem n oak-tree sigheth,
Thick-leaved, am brosial,
W ith an ancient m elody
Of an inw ard agony ,
W here Claribel low -lieth.
At eve the beetle boom eth
Athw art the thicket lone:
At noon the w ild bee hum m eth
About the m oss'd headstone:
At m idnight the m oon com eth,
And looketh dow n alone.
Her song the lintw hite sw elleth,
The clear-voiced m avis dw elleth,
The callow throstle lispeth,
The slum brous w ave outw elleth,
The babbling runnel crispeth,
The hollow grot replieth
W here Claribel low -lieth.
T h e S p r in g
(Thom as Carew , 1595--1639)
N ow that the w inter's gone, the earth hath lost
Her snow -w hite robes, and now no m ore the frost
Candies the grass, or casts an icy cream
Upon the silver lake or cry stal stream ;
But the w arm sun thaw s the benum bed earth,
And m akes it tender; gives a sacred birth
To the dead sw allow ; w akes in hollow tree
The drow sy cuckoo, and the hum ble-bee.
N ow do a choir of chirping m instrels bring
Thom a s Carew
5
In trium ph to the w orld the youthful Spring.
The valley s, hills, and w oods in rich array
W elcom e the com ing of the long'd-for May .
N ow all things sm ile, only m y love doth lour;
N or hath the scalding noonday sun the pow er
To m elt that m arble ice, w hich still doth hold
Her heart congeal'd, and m akes her pity cold.
The ox, w hich lately did for shelter fly
Into the stall, doth now securely lie
In open fields; and love no m ore is m ade
By the fireside, but in the cooler shade
Am yntas now doth w ith his Chloris sleep
Under a sy cam ore, and all things keep
Tim e w ith the season; only she doth carry
June in her ey es, in her heart January .
Fr a g m e n t 9 : T h e N et h er la n d s
(Samuel Taylor Coleridge , 1772-1834)
Water and windm ills, greenness, Islets green;—
Willows whose Trunks beside the shadows stood
Of their own higher half, and willowy swamp:—
Farm houses that at anchor seem'd—in the inland sky
The fog-transfixing Spires—
Water, wide water, greenness and green banks,
And water seen—
T h e E cch o in g Gr e e n
(William Blake, 1757—1827)
William Blake
The sun does arise,
And m ake happy the skies;
The m erry bells ring
To w elcom e the spring;
The skylark and thrush,
The birds of the bush,
Sing louder around
To the bell's cheerful sound,
W hile our sports shall be seen
On the Echoing Green.
Old John w ith w hite hair,
Does laugh aw ay care,
Sitting under the oak,
Am ong the old folk.
They laugh at our play ,
And soon they all say:
"Such, such w ere the joy s
W hen w e all, girls and boy s,
In our y outh tim e w ere seen
On the Echoing Green."
Till the little ones, w eary ,
N o m ore can be m erry ;
The sun does descend,
And our sports have an end.
Round the laps of their m others
Many sisters and brother,
Like birds in their nest,
Are ready for rest,
And sport no m ore seen
On the darkening Green.
6
Th e S h eph erd
(William Blake, 1757—1827)
How sw eet is the Shepherd’s sw eet lot!
From the m orn to the evening he stray s;
He shall follow his sheep all the day ,
And his tongue shall be filled w ith praise.
For he hears the lam b's innocent call,
And he hears the ew e's tender reply;
He is w atchful w hile they are in peace,
For they know w hen their Shepherd is nigh.
N o B u y er s
(Thomas Hardy 1840—1928 )
A Load of brushes and baskets and cradles and chairs
Labours along the street in the rain:
W ith it a m an, a w om an, a pony w ith w hiteybrow n hairs. —
The m an foots in front of the horse w ith a sham bling sw ay
At a slow er tread than a funeral train,
W hile to a dirge-like tune he chants his w ares,
Sw inging a Turk's-head brush (in a drum -m ajor's w ay
W hen the bandsm en m arch and play ).
A y ard from the back of the m an is the w hiteybrow n pony's nose:
He m irrors his m aster in every item of pace and pose:
He stops w hen the m an stops, w ithout being told,
And seem s to be eased by a pause; too plainly he's old,
Indeed, not strength enough show s
To steer the disjointed w aggon straight,
W hich w riggles left and right in a ram bling line,
Deflected thus by its ow n w arp and w eight,
And pushing the pony w ith it in each incline.
The w om an w alks on the pavem ent verge,
Parallel to the m an:
She w ears an apron w hite and w ide in span,
And carries a like Turk's-head, but m ore in nursing-w ise:
N ow and then she joins in his dirge,
But as if her thoughts w ere on distant things,
The rain clam s her apron till it clings. —
So, step by step, they m ove w ith their m erchandize,
And nobody buy s.
T o On e W h o H a s B e e n L o n g in Cit y Pe n t
(J ohn Keats, 1795-1821)
To one w ho has been long in city pent,
'Tis very sw eet to look into the fair
And open face of heaven,—to breathe a prayer
Full in the sm ile of the blue firm am ent.
W ho is m ore happy , w hen, w ith heart's content,
Fatigued he sinks into som e pleasant lair
Of w avy grass, and reads a debonair
And gentle tale of love and languishm ent?
Returning hom e at evening, w ith an ear
Catching the notes of Philom el,—an ey e
W atching the sailing cloudlet's bright career,
He m ourns that day so soon has glided by :
E'en like the passage of an angel's tear
That falls through the clear ether silently .
7
D give Chapter IV:
Patr iotic Vision
Brainy Quote (2009:par.1) defines ‘patriotism’ as “the passion which inspires one to
serve one’s country” whereas TheFreeDictionary (2009:1) based on The American Heritage
Dictionary of the English language, define it as “love and devotion to one’s country”, and Collins
English Dictionary that it quotes says that patriotism is the “devotion to one’s own country and
concern for its defence”. Thus, patriotism shows the devotion, love and sacrifice to one’s country.
The poems under discussion in this section, although they depart from different milieu and
experience, reveal how this sort of patriotic feelings is conveyed. Aspects of such patriotism as
sympathy for those who are marginalized by others may also be revealed from the poems under
discussion. Profound understanding will only be accomplished when the poems are placed within
their context.
T h e D ea d
(Rupert Brooke,1887-1915)
These hearts w ere w oven 1) of hum an joys and cares,
W ashed m arvelously 2) w ith sorrow , sw ift 3) to m irth 4).
The y ears had given t h em kindness. Daw n w as theirs,
And sunset, and the colours of the earth.
These had seen m ovem ent, and heard m usic; know n
Slum ber 5) and w aking; loved; gone proudly friended 6);
Felt the quick stir 7) of w onder; sat alone8);
Touched flow ers and furs and cheeks. All this is ended.
There are w aters blow n by changing w inds to laughter
And lit by the rich skies, all day . And after,
Frost, w ith a gesture, stay s the w aves that dance
And w andering loveliness. He leaves a w hite
Unbroken glory , a gathered radiance9),
A w idth, a shining peace, under the night.
Vocabulary:
1) were put together
2) magnificently
3) quick
4) being merry, happy and bright
5) sleep soundly
6)
7)
8)
9)
05
10
friendship
excitement
meditation
brightness
1
Fu t ilit y
(Wilfred Owen, 1893—1918 )
Move him into the sun—
Gently its touch aw oke him once,
At hom e, w hispering of fields unsow n.
Alw ay s it w oke him , even in France,
Until this m orning and this snow .
If any thing m ight rouse him now
The kind old sun w ill know .
Think how it w akes the seeds,—
W oke, once, the clay s of a cold star.
Are lim bs, so dear-achieved, are sides,
Full-nerved—still w arm —too hard to stir?
W as it for this the clay grew tall?
—O w hat m ade fatuous sunbeam s toil
To break earth’s sleep at all?
Th e Ca ll
(J essie Pope, 1868—1941)
Who’s for the trench—
Are you, my laddie?
Who’ll follow French—
Will you, my laddie?
Who’s fretting to begin,
Who’s is going out to win?
And who wants to save his skin—
Do you, m y laddie?
Who’s for the khaki suit—
Are you, my laddie?
Who longs to charge and shoot—
Do you, m y laddie?
Who’s keen on getting fit,
Who means to show his grit,
And who’d rather wait a bit—
Would you, my laddie?
T h o u g h t o f a B r it o n o n
T h e S u b ju g a t io n o f S w it z e r la n d
(William Wordswo
Cour tly Poetry
The awareness to consider the position of women to be equal to men came about in the
th
12 century after their beauty was idealized in courtly love, a term coined by Gaston Paris in
1883 to describe that courtly love was celebrated in the poetry initiated by the French poets
between c. 1100 and 1350 (Cuddon, 1991:202 & 1007). Additionally, Cuddon (1991:203) says
that “the ideals of courtly love do not really manifest themselves in English literature until the
16th century (via Petrarch) in the great sonnet (q.v.) sequences of Sidney, Spencer and
Shakespeare” who wrote under the Elizabethan Age (1485—1625). Before and during this age,
the writing of poetry was part of the education of a gentleman, and the books of lyrics and
sonnets that appeared contained work by numbers of different writers.
A. Petr ar chan and English Sonnets
A sonnet, deriving from the Italian sonetto a ‘little sound’ or ‘song’ (Cuddon, 1991:895),
is a kind of poetry consisting of 14 lines, arranged according to the following scheme:
1) the Italian sonnet (Petrarchan model) consists of 8 lines (the octave) and 6 lines (the
sestet), rhyming ab ba ab ba—cd ec de or cd cd cd, or in any combination except a
rhyming couplet.
2) The English sonnet consists of three quatrains and a couplet, rhyming ab ab, cd cd, ef
ef—gg. This form is much used by Shakespeare.
B. Songs and Lyr ics
Many poems can be classified as songs although they are not set to music (Cuddon,
1991:890). Songs basically refer to poems and their musical setting; poems for “singing or
chanting, with or without musical accompaniment”. In addition, Cuddon says that “up until the
16th century, in Europe, poet and composer/musician were often one and the same”. Lyrics, for
example, can be regarded to belong to this group.
Initially, the definition of a lyric was given by the Greeks who stated that it was “a song
to be sung to the accompaniment of a lyre (lyra)”, but, now, the term is used to “describe a
particular kind of poem in order to distinguish it from narrative or dramatic verse of any kind”
(Cuddon, 1992:514). What's more, Cuddon (1992:514-5) affirms that
it is usually fairly short, not often longer than fifty or sixty lines, and often only between
a dozen and thirty lines; and it is usually expresses the feelings and thoughts of a single
speaker (not necessarily the poet himself) in a personal and subjective fashion.
1
W h en I W a s Fa ir a n d Y o u n g
(Queen Elizabeth I, 1558-160 3)
W hen I w as fair 1) and y oung, and favor graced 2) m e,
Of m any w as I sought, their m istress 3) for to be;
But I did scorn them all, and answ ered them
therefore,
“Go, go, go, seek som e otherw here,
Im portune 4) m e no m ore!”
How m any w eeping ey es I m ade to pine5) w ith w oe,
How m any sighing hearts, I have no skill to show ;
Yet I the prouder grew , answ ered them
therefore,
“Go, go, go, seek som e otherw here,
Im portune m e no m ore!”
Then spake fair Venus6)’ son, that proud victorious
boy ,
And said, “Fine dam e7), since that y ou be so coy ,
I w ill so pluck y our plum es 8) that y ou shall say no
m ore,
“Go, go, go, seek som e otherw here,
Im portune m e no m ore!”
W hen he had spake these w ords, such change
grew in m y breast,
That neither night nor day since that, I could
take any rest.
Then lo! I did repent 9) that I had said before,
“Go, go, go, seek som e otherw here,
Im portune m e no m ore!”
Vocabulary:
1. attractive; free from
bias/dishonesty
2. preferred
3. lover
4. beg persistently; (obs) annoy
5. suffer
05
10
15
20
25
Venus (Roman myth) goddess of love and
beauty
7. lady; (arch) a woman of rank or authority
8. a tuft of feathers worn as an ornament on the
hat; a token of honour or distinction
9. feel sorry
6.
W h a t I s Ou r L if e?
(Sir Walter Raleigh, 1552—1618 )
W hat is our life? a play of passion;
Our m irth, the m usic of division 1);
Our m others’ w om bs the tiring-houses 2) be
W here w e are dressed for this short com edy .
Heaven the judicious3) sharp spectator is,
That sits and m arks 4) still5) w ho doth act am iss 6);
Our graves that hide us from the searching sun
Are like draw n curtains w hen the play is done.
Thus m arch 7) w e play ing to our latest rest;
Only w e die in earnest—that’s no jest 8).
Vocabulary:
1. the more rapid accompaniment to, or variation
on, a musical theme
05
10
4.
5.
records
continuously
2
2.
3.
dressing rooms
showing or having good sense; sensible
6.
7.
8.
wrongly
progression
joke
T o Ple a d M y Fa it h W h er e Fa it h H a d N o R e w a r d
(Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, 1566—160 1)
To plead 1) m y faith w here faith had no rew ard,
To m ove rem orse 2) w here favor is not borne,
To heap com plaints w here she doth not regard—
W ere fruitless, bootless3), vain 4), and y ield 5) but scorn.
I loved her w hom all the w orld adm ired,
I w as refused of her that can love none;
And m y vain hopes, w hich far too high aspired 6),
Is dead, and buried, and for ever gone.
Forget m y nam e, since you have scorned m y love,
And w om anlike7) do not too late lam ent 8);
Since for y our sake I do all m ischief 9) prove,
I none accuse10 ) nor nothing do repent.
I w as fond as ever she w as fair,
Yet loved I not m ore than I now despair.
Vocabulary:
1. beg
2. regret
3. useless; unavailing
4. futile; senseless or foolish
5. turn out
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
desire
womanly
feel or express sorrow or regret for
trouble
blame; to bring a charge against
T h e Pa s s io n a t e S h ep h e r d t o H is L o v e
(Christopher Marlowe, 1564-1593)
Com e live w ith m e and be m y love,
And w e w ill all the pleasures prove1)
That valley s, groves, hills, and fields,
W oods, or steepy m ountain y ields.
04
And w e w ill sit upon the rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to w hose falls
Melodious birds sing m adrigals.
08
And I w ill m ake thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies 2),
A cap of flow ers, and a kirtle3)
Em broidered all w ith leaves of m y rtle 4);
12
A gow n m ade of the finest w ool
W hich from our pretty lam bs w e pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
W ith buckles 5) of the purest gold;
16
A belt of straw and ivy buds,
W ith coral clasps and am ber 6) studs 7):
And if these pleasures m ay thee m ove8),
Com e live w ith m e, and be m y love.
20
3
The shepherds’ sw ains9) shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May m orning:
If these delights thy m ind m ay m ove,
Then live w ith m e and be m y love.
Vocabulary:
1. test
2. flowers and poems
3. long dress
4. (kind of) evergreen shrub with shiny
leaves and sweet-smelling white flowers
24
5. ornamental clasp on a shoe
6. yellowish-brown
7. button-like object to fasten
things
8. arouse the feelings of
9. lovers
T h e N y m p h 's R e p ly t o t h e S h e p h e r d
(Sir W alter Raleigh, 1552-1618 )
If all the w orld and love w ere y oung,
And truth in every shepherd's tongue,
These pretty pleasures m ight m e m ove
To live w ith thee and be thy love.
04
Tim e drives flocks from field to fold 1)
W hen rivers rage and rocks grow cold,
And Philom el2) becom eth dum b;
The rest com plains of cares to com e.
08
The flow ers do fade, and w anton 3) fields
To w ayw ard 4) w inter reckoning 5) y ields;
A honey tongue, a heart of gall6),
Is fancy's spring. but sorrow 's fall.
12
Thy gow ns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses,
Thy cap, thy kirtle and thy posies
Soon break, soon w ither, soon forgotten
in folly 7) ripe, in reason rotten
16
Thy belt of straw and ivy buds,
Thy coral clasps and am ber studs,
All these in m e no m eans can m ove
To com e to thee and be thy love.
20
But could y outh last and love still' breed,
Had joy s no date nor age no need,
Then these delights m y m ind m ight m ove
To live w ith thee and be thy love.
24
Vocabulary:
1. fenced field
2. the nightingale
3. serving no useful purpose
4.
5.
6.
7.
disobedient
calculating
rancor, bitter feeling
foolishness
4
A L o v e r ’s V o w
(Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, 1517-1547)
Set m e w hereas the sun doth parch 1) the green,
Or w here his beam s m ay not dissolve2) the ice,
In tem perate3) heat, w here he is felt and seen;
W ith proud people, in presence sad and w ise,
Set m e in base, or y et in high degree;
In the long night, or in the shortest day ;
In clear w eather, or w here m ists thickest be;
In lusty youth, or w hen m y hairs be gray ;
Set m e in earth, in heaven, or yet in hell;
In hill, in dale, or in the foam ing flood;
Thrall4), or at large5), alive w hereso6) I dw ell;
Sick or in health, in ill fam e or in good;
Yours w ill I be, and w ith that only thought
Com fort m y self-w hen that m y hap 7) is naught.
Vocabulary:
1) Scorch
2) melt
3) moderate
4) enslaved
05
10
5) at liberty, free
6) (adv) wheresoever,
wherever
7) good fortune
Sh a ll I Co m p a r e Th e e t o a Su m m e r ’s D a y?
(William Shakespeare, 1564-1616)
Shall I com pare thee to a sum m er’s day ?
Thou art m ore lovely and m ore tem perate1):
Rough w inds do shake the darling 2) buds of May ,
And sum m er’s lease3) hath all too short a date:
Som etim es too hot the ey e of heaven shines,
And often is his gold com plexion dim m ed,
And every fair 4) from fair som etim e declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrim m ed:
But thy eternal sum m er shall not fade,
N or lose possession of that fair thou ow ’st 5),
N or shall death brag 6) thou w and’rest in his shade,
W hen in eternal lines to tim e thou grow ’st.
So long as m en can breathe or ey es can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
05
10
Vocabulary:
1.pleasant
2. wonderful
3. charter, contract
1. fair one
2. ownest, have
3. boast
W h o s o L is t t o H u n t
(Thom as Wyatt, 150 3?—1542)
W hoso1) list 2) to hunt, I know w here is an hind 3),
But as for m e, alas, I m ay no m ore.
The vain travail4) hath w earied 5) m e so sore
I am of them that furthest com e behind 6).
Yet m ay I, by no m eans, m y w earied m ind
Draw from the deer: but as she fleeth afore 7)
Fainting I follow . I leave off therefore,
Since in a net I seek to hold the w ind.
W hoso list her hunt, I put him out of doubt,
5
As w ell as I, m ay spend his tim e in vain:
And graven 8) w ith diam onds in letters plain
There is w ritten, her fair neck round about,
“Noli m e tangere 9), for Caesar’s I am ,
And w ild for to hold, though I seem tam e.”
Vocabulary:
1. (old use)whoever
2. likes
3. female deer
4. (archaic) pains of childbirth
5. become/make tired
6.
7.
8.
9.
the last of the (hind) pursuers
(archaic) before
carved
(Latin) do not touch me
On H is H a v in g A r r iv e d t o t h e A g e o f T w e n t y T h r e e
(J ohn Milton, 1608—1674)
How soon hath Tim e, the subtle thief of y outh,
Stolen of his w ing m y three and tw entieth y ear!
My hasting day s fly on w ith full career,
But m y late spring no bud or blossom shew ’th.
Perhaps m y sem blance m ight deceive the truth,
That I too m anhood am arrived so near,
And inw ard ripeness doth m uch less appear,
That som e m ore tim ely -happy spirits indu’th.
Yet be it less or m ore, or soon or slow ,
It shall be still in strictest m easure even
To that sam e lot, how ever m ean or high,
Tow ard w hich Tim e leads m e, and the w ill of Heaven,
All is, if I have grace to use it so,
As ever in m y great Task-m aster’s eye.
John M ilt on, 1608— 1674
6
CHAPTER II:
Religiosity and Secular ism
Wikipedia (http://en.wlkipadia.org/wiki/Reliousity) writes that religiosity is revealing "how
religious a person is, and less with how a person is religious (in terms of practicing certain rituals,
retelling certain myths, revering certain symbols, or accepting certain doctrines about deities and
afterlife)". Wijaya (1988:12) clarifies this idea by asserting that religiosity is more comprehensive
than religion is. He uses Trio Bimbo's "Tuhan" as an example. This song, according to him, has a
religious quality, and, therefore, it may be sung by those having different religions like Islam or
Christianity. Or, it may also be convenient to say that this term in this section is used to refer to all
poems which are regarded as sacred poems.
Secularism, on the other hand, in its extreme sense, is "an ideology that holds that religion
has no place in public life" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularism). Or, it may also be used to
refer to, still according to Wikipedia, "a belief that human activities and decisions, especially
political ones, should be based on evidence and fact rather than religious influence". Here, it is
used to encompass all poems which address worldly or material issues as their main themes.
A. Metaphysical Poetr y
The name was first used by Dr. J ohnson (1709-1784) to refer to a certain style in a practice of
poetry writing by the poets of the early seventeen century in Britain who all employed a similar fantastic
form of their poetry: far-fetched1), unconventional metaphors called metaphysical conceits, that is, “a
far-fetched (fantastic) metaphor in which a very unlikely connection between two things is established”
(Peck & Coyle, 1992:23), e.g. Donne’s description of lovers’ souls as being like two legs of a pair of
compasses in “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning”. However, it should be understood that the poems do
not bear any metaphysical philosophy2) at all. Among others are John Donne (1572-1631), George
Herbert (1573-1633), Henry Vaughan (1621-1695), Richard Crashaw (1613-1640), Abraham Cowley
(1618-1667), and Andrew Marvell (1621-1678). The themes that most of these poets write are about
secular and divine love. For this, Miller (et al, 1976:245) say if the metaphysical poets give emphasis on
“intellect and wit”.
V e r t u e 1)
(George Herbert, 1593-1633)
Sw eet day , so cool, so calm , so bright,
The bridal2) of the earth and sky;
The dew shall w eep thy 3) fall to night,
1
2
) improbable, being only remotely connected.
) the investigation of the world, or of what really exists, generally by means of rational argument rather than by direct or
mythical intuition.
1
For thou m ust die.
Sw eet rose, w hose hue 4), angry and brave,
Bids5) the rash gazer 6) w ipe his eye;
Thy root is ever in its grave,
And thou m ust die.
Sw eet spring, full of sw eet day s and roses,
A box w here sw eets com pacted 7) lie;
My m usic show s y e8) have y our closes 9),
And all m ust die.
Only a sw eet and virtuous soul,
Like seasoned tim ber 10 ), never gives11);
But though the w hole w orld turn to coal,
Then chiefly 12) lives.
Vocabulary:
1) morality
2) wedding feast
3) your
4) colour
5) commands
6) hasty seer
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
joined firmly together
you
ends
break down
dried, hardened timber (wood)
mainly
B a t t e r M y H ea r t , T h r e e Pe r s o n 'd Go d
(John Donne, 1572—1631)
Batter m y heart, three person'd God; for, y ou
As y et but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to m end;
That I m ay rise, and stand, o'erthrow m e, 'and bend
Your force, to breake, blow e, burn and m ake m e new .
I, like an usurpt tow ne, t'another due,
Labor to 'adm it y ou, but Oh, to no end,
Reason y our viceroy in m e, m e should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves w eake or untrue,
Yet dearely 'I love y ou, and w ould be lov'd faine,
But am betroth'd unto y our enem y,
Divorce m e, 'untie, or breake that knot againe
Take m e to y ou, im prison m e, for I
Except you 'enthrall m e, never shall be free,
N or ever chaste, except you ravish m e.
A V a le d ict io n : Fo r b id d in g M o u r n in g 3
(J ohn Donne, 1572—1631)
As virtuous m en pass m ildly aw ay ,
And w hisper to their souls to go,
W hilst som e of their sad friends do say
The breath goes now , and som e say no:
So let us m elt, and m ake no noise,
N o tear-floods, nor sigh-tem pest m ove;
‘Tw ere profanation of our joys
To tell the laity 1) our love.
05
Moving of th’ earth 2) brings harm s and fears;
3
) Kennedy (1982:305) was informed from Donne’s biographer Izaak Walton that this poem was a gift for his wife before he
departed on a journey to France.
2
Men reckon w hat it did and m eant;
But trepidation of the spheres3),
Though greater far, is innocent 4).
Dull sublunary 5) lovers’ love
(W hose soul is sense6)) cannot adm it
Absence, because it doth rem ove
Those things w hich elem ented 7) it.
But w e, by a love so m uch refined
That ourselves know not w hat it is,
Inter-assured of the m ind 8),
Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to m iss.
10
15
20
Our tw o souls, therefore, w hich are one,
Though I m ust go, endure not y et
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to airy thinness9) beat.
If they be tw o, they are tw o so
As stiff tw in com passes are tw o:
Thy soul, the fixed foot, m akes no show
To m ove, but doth, if th’ other do.
And though it in the center sit,
Yet w hen the other far doth roam ,
It leans and harkens after it,
And grow s erect as that com es hom e.
Such w ilt thou be to m e, w ho m ust,
Like th’ other foot, obliquely run;
Thy firm ness m akes m y circle just 10 ),
And m akes m e end w here I begun.
25
30
35
Vocabulary:
1) common people
2) earthquake
3) In Ptolemaic astronomy, before telescopes were used in astronomical study, all planets were assumed to have
orbits that were perfectly circular. Apparently irregularities that were actually caused by elliptical orbits were
explained by the concept of trepidation, or a quivering of the bodies during orbit (Roberts & Jacobs,
1986:599).
4) harmless
5) living beneath the moon; earthly
6) the body as opposed to the mind or spirit
7) composed, made (it) up; constituted
8) each sure in mind that the other is faithful (Kennedy, 1982:305).
9)
Gold is so malleable that, if beaten to the thickness of gold leaf (1/250,000 of one inch), one ounce of gold
would cover 250 square feet faithful (Kennedy, 1982:305).
10) Perfect
T h e Pu lle y
(George Herbert, 1593—1633)
W hen God at first m ade m an,
Having a glass of blessings standing by—
Let us (said he)pour on him all w e can;
Let the w orld’s riches, w hich dispersed lie,
Contract into a span 1).
05
3
So strength first m ade a w ay ,
Then beauty flow ed, then w isdom , honor, pleasure:
W hen alm ost all w as out, God m ade a stay ,
Perceiving that, alone of all His treasure,
10
Rest 2) in the bottom lay .
For if I should (said he)
Bestow this jew el also on My creature,
He w ould adore My gifts instead of Me,
And rest in Nature, not the God of N ature:
So both should losers be.
15
Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them w ith repining restlessness;
Let him be rich and w eary , that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet w eariness
My toss him to My breast.
20
Vocabulary:
1) that is, within the control of human beings
2) (a) repose, security; (b) all that remains
T h e Co lla r 1)
(George Herbert, 1593—1633)
I stuck the board, and cry ’d, No m ore.
I w ill abroad.
W hat? shall I ever sigh and pine?
My lines and life are free; free as the rode,
Loose as the w inde, as large as store.
05
Shall I be still in suit 2)?
Have I no harvest but a thorn
To let m e bloud, and not restore
W hat I have lost w ith cordiall fruit?
Sure there w as w ine
10
Before m y sighs did drie it: there w as corn
Before m y tears did drow n it.
Is the y eare onely lost to m e?
Have I no bayes 3) to crow n it?
No flow ers, no garlands gay ? All blasted?
15
All w asted?
N ot so, m y heart: but there is fruit,
And thou hast hands.
Recover all thy sigh-blow n age
On double pleasures: leave thy cold dispute
20
Of w hat is fit, and not; forsake thy cage,
Thy rope of sands,
W hich pettie thoughts have m ade, and m ade to thee
Good cable, to enforce and draw ,
And be thy law ,
25
W hile thou didst w ink and w ouldst not see.
Aw ay ; take heed:
I w ill abroad.
Call in thy deaths head there: tie up thy fears.
He that forbears
30
To suit and serve his need,
Deserves his load.
But as I rav’d and grew m ore fierce and w ilde
At every w ord,
Me thoughts I heard one calling, “Childe:”
35
And I reply ’d, “m y lord.”
4
Vocabulary:
1) According to Roberts and Jacobs (1986:793) it may mean (a) the collar worn by a member of the clergy; (b) the
collar of the harness of a draught animal such as a horse; (c) a restraint placed on prisoners; (d) a pun on
choler (yellow bile), a bodily substance thought to cause quick rages.
2) waiting upon a person of power to gain favor or position
3) laurel crowns to signifyvictory and honor
Pe a ce
(George Herbert, 1593—1633)
Sw eet Peace, w here dost thou dw ell? I hum bly crave,
Let m e once know .
I sought thee in a secret cave,
And asked, if Peace w ere there.
A hollow w ind did seem to answ er, No,
Go seek elsew here.
I did; and going did a rainbow note.
Surely , thought I,
This is the lace of Peace’s coat:
I w ill search out the m atter.
But w hile I looked the clouds im m ediately
Did break and scatter.
Then w ent I to a garden and did spy
A gallant flow er,
The crow n im perial. Sure, said I,
Peace at the root m ust dw ell.
But w hen I digged, I saw a w orm devour
W hat show ed so w ell.
At lenght I m et a rev’rend good old m an,
W hom w hen for Peace
I did dem and, he thus began:
There w as a Prince of old
At Salem 1) dw elt, w ho lived w ith good increase
Of flock and fold.
He sw eetly lived; y et sw eetness did not save
His life from foes.
But after death out of his grave
There sprang tw elve stalks of w heat;
W hich m any w ond’ring at, got som e of those
To plant and set.
It prospered strangely , and did soon disperse
Through all the earth:
For they that taste it do rehearse,
That virtue lies therein,
A secret virtue, bringing peace and m irth
By flight of sin.
Take of this grain, w hich in m y garden grow s,
And grow s for y ou;
Make bread of it: and that repose
And peace w hich ev’ryw here
W ith so m uch earnestness y ou do pursue,
Is only there.
05
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Note:
1) Jerusalem
5
E a s t e r W in g s
(George Herbert, 1593—1633)
Lord, w ho createdst m an in w ealth and store 1),
Though foolishly he lost the sam e,
Decay ing m ore and m ore,
Till he becam e
Most poor:
W ith thee
O let m e rise
As larks, harm oniously ,
And sing this day thy victories:
Then shall the fall further the flight in m e.
My tender age in sorrow did begin:
And still w ith sicknesses and sham e
Thou didst so punish sin,
That I becam e
Most thin.
W ith thee
Let m e com bine
And feel this day thy victory :
For, if I im p 2) m y w ing on thine,
Affliction shall advance the flight in m e.
1. store, abundance
2. imp. A technical term used in falcon. Additional feathers were grafted (imped) onto a falcon’s wings to improve
its ability to fly.
B. Secular Poetry
Secular themes in poetry are mostly employed by the Cavalier poets during the reign of King
Charles I (1625—1649). These poets are the Royalist supporters of King Charles I during the Civil War
(1642—1651) who were fond of fashionable, extravagant clothing. They were opposed to the supporters
of the Parliament called the Roundheads, who were actually the somber Puritans who liked to have short
hair.
The Cavalier poets loved life and its pleasures, and cared little about religious devotion. Their
attitude toward life can be compared to that of Italian Renaissance with the motto “Carpe Diem” or
“Catch the Day”, which practically means “make pleasure while you are still alive, tomorrow you may be
dead”. They abandoned the sonnet form, and they used lyrics to express their love of life, and their sorrow
that life is so short. The best example for the expression of the Cavalier spirit can be found in Robert
Herrick’s poems. The other outstanding writers are Thomas Carew, John Suckling, and Richard Lovelace.
However, their lyrics may not only center on love, they may also wrote poetry of war, honour, and their
duty to the king or sometimes they combined all these themes. Miller (et al, 1976:245) say that the
Cavalier poets give a stress on “grace and charm”. However, many other poets of different periods may
also employ the same themes as explored by the Cavaliers.
6
T o T h e V ir g in s ,T o M a k e M u ch Of T im e
(Robert Herrick, 1591-1674 )
Gather ye rosebuds w hile y e m ay ,
Old Tim e is still a-fly ing;
And this sam e flow er that sm iles today
Tom orrow w ill be dy ing.
The glorious lam p of heaven, the Sun,
The higher he’s a-getting,
The sooner w ill his race be run,
And nearer he’s to setting.
05
That age is best w hich is the first,
W hen y outh and blood are w arm er;
But being spent, the w orse, and w orst
Tim es still succeed the form er.
10
Then be not coy, but use y our tim e;
And w hile y e m ay , go m arry ;
For having lost but once your prim e,
You m ay forever tarry .
15
S h or t M ea su r e
(From a n Ode)
(Ben Jonson, 1572-1637)
It is not grow ing like a tree
In bulk, doth m ake m an better be;
Or standing long an oak, three hundred year,
To fall a log at last, dry , bald, and sere:
A lily of a day
Is fairer far in May ,
Although it fall and die that night—
It w as the plant and flow er of light.
In sm all porportions w e just beauties see;
And in short m easures life m ay perfect be.
D e lig h t in D is o r d e r
(Robert Herrick , 1591 – 1674)
A sw eet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a w antonness.
A law n 1) about the shoulders throw n
Into a fine distraction;
An erring lace, w hich here and there
Enthralls the crim son stom acher;
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribands 2) to flow confusedly ;
A w inning w ave, deserving note,
In the tem pestuous petticoat;
A careless shoestring, in w hose tie
I see a w ild civility ;
Do m ore bew itch m e than w hen art
Is too precise in every part.
Vocabulary:
1) linen
05
10
2) ribbons (old use)
7
T o L u ca st a , On Go in g t o t h e W a r s
(Richard Lovelace, 1618—1658)
Tell m e not. Sw eet, I am unkind,
That from the nunnery
Of thy chaste breast and quiet m ind,
To w ar and arm s I fly
True, a new m istress now I chase,
The first foe in the field;
And w ith a stronger faith em brace
A sw ord, a horse, a shield.
Yet this inconstancy is such
As y ou too shall adore;
I could not love thee, Dear, so m uch,
Loved I not honor m ore.
L ip s a n d E y es
(Thom as Carew , 1594—1640 )
In Celia’s face a question did arise,
W hich w ere m ore beautiful, her lips or ey es?
“W e,” said the ey es, “send forth those pointed darts
W hich pierce the hardest adam antine hearts.”
“From us,” repli’d the lips, “proceed those blisses
W hich lovers reap by kind w ords and sw eet kisses.”
Then w ept the ey es, and from their springs did pour
Of liquid oriental pearl a show er;
W hereat the lips, m oved w ith delight and pleasure,
Through a sw eet sm ile unlock’d their pearly treasure
And bad Love judge, w hether did add m ore grace
W eeping or sm iling pearls to Celia’s face.
T h e Con s t a n t L o v e r
(Sir John Suckling, 1609-1641)
Out upon it! I have loved
Three w hole day s together;
And am like to love three m ore,
If it prove fair w eather.
Tim e shall m olt aw ay his w ings
Ere he shall discover,
In the w hole w ide w orld again,
Such a constant lover.
But the spite on’t is, no praise
Is due at all to m e:
Love w ith m e had m ade no stay s
Had it any been but she.
Had it any been but she,
And that very face,
There had been at least ere this
A dozen dozen in her place.
8
C.
Religious Poetry
Most of the English Parliamentary supporters belong to religious poets. One of the outstanding
figure is J ohn Milton (1608-1674) who was not only a poet, but was also a Latin or Foreign Secretary
official of the Commonwealth during the reign of Oliver Cromwell. He had been brought up according to
the Puritan Principles. From an early age, he had loved music, poetry, and beauty in general. He had the
imagination of the Renaissance (or in England: the Elizabethan Age) and the purity of his religion. He
was educated at Christ’s College, Cambridge where he was known as The Lady of Christ’s. He wrote
with the biblical theme in his long epic, ‘Paradise Lost’. In his sorrowful pastoral elegy, ‘Lycidas’, he
wrote the death by drowning of Edward King, who had been a student with him at Cambridge. He was
drowned in his passage from Chester on the Irish Seas, 1637. By occasion, in this elegy, he attacks the
corrupted clergy and their lack of spirituality. Of course, the same theme may also be employed by any
other poets of different periods.
On H is B lin d n es s
(John Milton, 160 8—1674 )
W hen I consider how m y light is spent 1)
Ere2) half m y day s in this dark w orld and w ide,
And that one talent w hich is death to hide
Lodged 3) w ith m e useless, though m y soul m ore bent 4)
To serve therew ith 5) m y Maker, and present
My true account 6), lest 7) He returning chide8),
“Doth God exact day -labor, light denied?”
I fondly 9) ask. But Patience, to prevent
That m urm ur, soon replies, “God doth not need
Either m an’s w ork or his ow n gifts. W ho best
Bear his m ild y oke10 ), they serve him best. His state
Is kingly: thousands11) at his bidding speed 12),
And post o’er 13) land and ocean w ithout rest;
They also serve w ho only stand and w ait.”
V o ca b u la r y :
1) used up
2) before (old use)
3) placed
4) inclined
5) w ith this
6) life
7) for fear that
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
05
10
rebuke, scold
foolishly
burden
thousands of Angles
travel hastily
over
S o n g On M a y M o r n in g
(John Milton, 160 8—1674)
N ow the bright m orning Star, Day es harbinger,
Com es dancing from the East, and leads w ith her
The Flow ry May , w ho from her green lap throw s
The y ellow Cow slip, and the pale Prim rose.
9
Hail bounteous May that dost inspire
Mirth and youth, and w arm desire,
W oods and Groves, are of thy dressing,
Hill and Dale, doth boast thy blessing.
Thus w e salute thee w ith or early Song,
And w elcom thee, and w ish thee long.
T h e D es t r u ct io n o f S e n n a ch e r ib
(Lord Byron, 1788—1824 )
The Assirian 1) cam e dow n like the w olf on the fold 2),
And his cohorts 3) w ere gleam ing in purple and gold;
And the sheen 4) of their spears w as like stars on the sea,
W hen the blue w ave rolls nightly on deep Galilee5).
Like the leaves of the forest w hen sum m er is green,
That host 6) w ith their banners at sunset w ere seen;
Like the leaves of the forest w hen autum n hath blow n,
That host on the m orrow 7) lay w ithered and strow n 8).
For the Angel of Death spread his w ings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the ey es of the sleepers w axed 9) deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved 10 ), and for ever grew still!
And there lay the steed 11) w ith his nostril all w ide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;
And the foam of his gasping 12) lay w hite on the turf 13 ,
And cold as the spray 14) of the rocks-beating surf 15).
And there lay the rider distorted 16) and pale,
W ith the dew on his brow 17), and the rust on his m ail18):
And the tents w ere all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trum pet unblow n.
And the w idow s of Ashur 19) are loud in their w ail20 ),
And the idols21) are broke in the tem ple of Baal22);
And the m ight of the Gentile23), unsm ote24) by the sw ord,
Hath m elted like snow in the glance of the Lord!
Note & Vocabulary
1) Assyria was a civilization centered on the Upper Tigris river, in Mesopotamia (Iraq)
2) originally, enclosure for sheep (here it is used metaphorically)
3) legion (org., a group of from 300 to 600 soldier in ancient Rome)
4) flashing
5) the sea of Galilee (an ancient Roman province in what is now northern Israel )
6) crowd
7) (arch.) mourning
8) (arch.) strew, to let fall in separate pieces
9) swell up
10)breathe hard
11)horse
12)out of breath
13)grass
14)tiny shower
15)waves breaking in white foam on the shore
16)collapse
17) forehead
10
18)body armour of metal rings or plates
19)the supreme national god of Assyria
20)cry
21)deity, god
22)the chief god of Assyria
23)those who are not Jewish
24)(pp, smite) not be struck/hit
11
Chapter III:
Pastor al Accounts
Another way to understand Britain is by exploring the images of pastoral life as conveyed
in literature. Hornby (1980:613) states that the word “pastoral” pertains to “shepherds and
country life” whereas Cuddon (1992:686) says that this word which is derived from Latin “is
concerned with the lives of shepherds”, and furthermore, he asserts that pastoral literature “tends
to be an idealization of shepherd life, and, by so being creates an image of a peaceful and
uncorrupted existence; a kind of pre-lapsarian world”. According to Wikipedia (2009:par.3)
pastoral literature encompasses “rural subject and aspects of life in the countryside among
shepherds, cowherds and other farm workers that are often romanticized and depicted in a highly
unrealistic manner”. In encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com (2009:par. 6), pastoral literature is
said to deal with “shepherds or rural life, typically contrasting the innocence and serenity of the
simple life with the misery and corruption of city or court life”. The works that amplify the
pastoral tradition in the history of English literature have been, at least, seen since the late 16th
century in the works of Marlowe, Spenser, or Shakespeare. In the Romantic Period in which
intuition was emphasized over reason, pastoral life was still the concern of the poets. Blake, for
example (Cuddon, 1992:690), used the shepherd as “a symbol of an innocence and unspoilt way
of life” and Wordsworth made use of the country life as the representation of flawless nature and
“the uncorrupted existence of countrymen” as the ideal model. In this period, the writers tended
to represent life as it is not—unrealistic—which is the product of imagination rather than that of
reason. The thoughts of French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712—78) inspired the
Romantic writers’ revolt against the ideas developed in the previous period. Rousseau (__,
___:71) teaches that “civilization made man evil”. He also introduces the idea of the “noble
savage”, i.e. “the man of nature was the noblest man of all, uncorrupted by civilization” which
“imposed rules of behavior”. Thus, man’s freedom is restricted by this civilization. Furthermore,
he asserts that man’s attention was, then, given to the lives in the countryside because the city is
the symbol of civilization, and hence, the center of corruption.
One outstanding form of poetry employed in the Romantic period is a ballad,
which is “a form of narrative poetry” (literary.thinkquest.org., 2009:par.1), and, therefore,
a ballad tells a story or in fact, it is fundamentally is “a song that tells a story and
originally was a musical accompaniment to a dance” as it is derived from “the late Latin
and Italian ballare” which means ‘to dance’ (Cuddon, 1992:77). There are basically two
1
kinds of ballads to distinguish, i.e. the folk or traditional ballad and the literary or lyrical
ballad. The former is anonymous and transmitted orally form generation to generation,
and the latter is not anonymous and popularly exploited by the poets of this literary
movement. Wordsworth who “was England's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in
1850” (Wikipedea, 2008: par. 2) and is one of the leaders of this movement believes
(___, ___:77) that Nature brings benefits in three ways: “it teaches us; (2) it cures us,
especially when we are spiritually ill; and (3) it unites Man, Nature, and God”. In the
preface to “Lyrical Ballads” (1798), which is accepted as “a central work of Romantic
literary theory” (Wikipedea, 2008:par. 9), he introduces a definition of poetry as ”the
spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings from emotions recollected in tranquility”
which is still celebrated by many up to the present moment.
T h e T a b les T u r n e d
An Ev ening Scene on the Sam e Subject
Com posed 1798—Published 1798
(William Wordsworth, 1770—1850 )
Up ! up ! m y Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely y ou’ll grow double:
Up ! up ! m y Friend, and clear y our looks;
W hy all this toil1) and trouble?
The sun, above the m ountain’s head,
A freshening lustre 2) m ellow 3)
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sw eet evening yellow .
Book ! ‘tis a dull and endless strife4):
Com e, hear the w oodland linnet 5),
How sw eet his m usic ! on m y life,
There‘s m ore of w isdom in it.
And hark ! how blithe6) the throstle7) sings!
He too, is no m ean preacher:
Com e forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be y our Teacher.
She has a w orld of ready w ealth,
Our m inds and hearts to bless—
Spontaneous w isdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.
One im pulse from a vernal8) w ood
May teach y ou m ore of m an,
Of m oral evil and of good,
Than all the sages 9) can.
Sw eet is the lore10 ) w hich N ature brings;
Our m eddling 11) intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous12) form s of things :—
W e m urder to dissect 13).
2
Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Com e forth, and bring w ith y ou a heart
That w atches and receives.
Vocabulary
1. hard work
2. sheen, soft reflected light
3. rich in colour
4. trouble
5. a small brown songbird, common
in Europe
6. (chiefly poets) gay and joyous
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
a sort of songbird, esp. the kind called song-thrush
(of lit) of, in, as in, the season of spring
wise men
wisdom traditionally handed down
interfering
(poet) beautiful
cut up(parts of an animal body, plant, etc) in order
to study its structure
Co m p o s e d u p o n W es t m in s t e r B r id g e
Septem ber 3, 180 2
(William Wordsworth, 1770—1850 )
Earth has not anything to show m ore fair:
Dull w ould he be of soul w ho could pass by
A sight so touching in its m ajesty:
This City now doth 1), like a garm ent, w ear 1)
The beauty of the m orning; silent, bare,
Ships, tow ers, dom es, theatres, and tem ples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the sm okeless air.
N ever did sun m ore beautifully steep 2)
In his first splendour, valley , rock, or hill;
N e’er saw I 3), never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth 4) at his ow n sw eet w ill:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that m ighty heart is ly ing still!
Note:
line 2 may mean a man who could pass by a sight that is so touching in its majesty would be dull
of soul
Vocabulary:
1. doth wear(line 4): wears
2. usually ‘to soak’, here ‘to cover completely’
3. I never saw
4. glides, moves along smoothly
T h e W o r ld Is t o o M u ch w it h Us
Com posed ?.—Published 18 0 7
(William Wordsworth, 1770—1850 )
The w orld is too m uch w ith us ; late and soon,
Getting and spending, w e lay w aste our pow ers:
Little w e see in Nature that is ours;
W e have given our hearts aw ay , a sordid boon !
This Sea that barcs her bosom to the m oon;
The w inds that w ill be how ling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flow ers;
05
3
For this, for every thing, w e are out of tune;
It m oves us not.—Grcat God I’d rathcr be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outw orn;
So m ight I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glim pses that w ould m ake m e less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his w reathed horn.
10
M a t t h ew
(William Wordsworth, 1770—1850 )
IF N ature, for a favourite child,
In thee hath tem pered so her clay ,
That every hour thy heart runs w ild,
Yet never once doth go astray ,
Read o'er these lines; and then review
This tablet, that thus hum bly rears
In such diversity of hue
Its history of tw o hundred years.
--W hen through this little w reck of fam e,
Cipher and syllable! thine ey e
Has travelled dow n to Matthew 's nam e,
Pause w ith no com m on sy m pathy .
10
And, if a sleeping tear should w ake,
Then be it neither checked nor stay ed:
For Matthew a request I m ake
W hich for him self he had not m ade.
Poor Matthew , all his frolics o'er,
Is silent as a standing pool;
Far from the chim ney 's m erry roar,
And m urm ur of the village school.
20
The sighs w hich Matthew heaved w ere sighs
Of one tired out w ith fun and m adness;
The tears w hich cam e to Matthew 's eyes
W ere tears of light, the dew of gladness.
Yet, som etim es, w hen the secret cup
Of still and serious thought w ent round,
It seem ed as if he drank it up-He felt w ith spirit so profound.
--Thou soul of God's best earthly m ould!
Thou happy Soul! and can it be
That these tw o w ords of glittering gold
Are all that m ust rem ain of thee?
30
Sam uel Ta ylor Coleridge
4
I n s cr ip t io n f o r a Fo u n t a in o n a H e a t h
(Samuel Taylor Coleridge , 1772-1834)
This Sycam ore, oft m usical w ith bees,—
Such tents the Patriarchs loved! O long unharm ed
May all its agèd boughs o'er-canopy
The sm all round basin, w hich this jutting stone
Keeps pure from falling leaves! Long m ay the Spring,
Quietly as a sleeping infant's breath,
Send up cold w aters to the traveller
W ith soft and even pulse! N or ever cease
Yon tiny cone of sand its soundless dance,
W hich at the bottom , like a Fairy 's Page,
As m erry and no taller, dances still,
N or w rinkles the sm ooth surface of the Fount.
Here Tw ilight is and Coolness: here is m oss,
A soft seat, and a deep and am ple shade.
Thou m ay 'st toil far and find no second tree.
Drink, Pilgrim , here; Here rest! and if thy heart
Be innocent, here too shalt thou refresh
Thy spirit, listening to som e gentle sound,
Or passing gale or hum of m urm uring bees!
Cla r ib e l
(Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 180 9—1892)
W here Claribel low -lieth
The breezes pause and die,
Letting the rose-leaves fall:
But the solem n oak-tree sigheth,
Thick-leaved, am brosial,
W ith an ancient m elody
Of an inw ard agony ,
W here Claribel low -lieth.
At eve the beetle boom eth
Athw art the thicket lone:
At noon the w ild bee hum m eth
About the m oss'd headstone:
At m idnight the m oon com eth,
And looketh dow n alone.
Her song the lintw hite sw elleth,
The clear-voiced m avis dw elleth,
The callow throstle lispeth,
The slum brous w ave outw elleth,
The babbling runnel crispeth,
The hollow grot replieth
W here Claribel low -lieth.
T h e S p r in g
(Thom as Carew , 1595--1639)
N ow that the w inter's gone, the earth hath lost
Her snow -w hite robes, and now no m ore the frost
Candies the grass, or casts an icy cream
Upon the silver lake or cry stal stream ;
But the w arm sun thaw s the benum bed earth,
And m akes it tender; gives a sacred birth
To the dead sw allow ; w akes in hollow tree
The drow sy cuckoo, and the hum ble-bee.
N ow do a choir of chirping m instrels bring
Thom a s Carew
5
In trium ph to the w orld the youthful Spring.
The valley s, hills, and w oods in rich array
W elcom e the com ing of the long'd-for May .
N ow all things sm ile, only m y love doth lour;
N or hath the scalding noonday sun the pow er
To m elt that m arble ice, w hich still doth hold
Her heart congeal'd, and m akes her pity cold.
The ox, w hich lately did for shelter fly
Into the stall, doth now securely lie
In open fields; and love no m ore is m ade
By the fireside, but in the cooler shade
Am yntas now doth w ith his Chloris sleep
Under a sy cam ore, and all things keep
Tim e w ith the season; only she doth carry
June in her ey es, in her heart January .
Fr a g m e n t 9 : T h e N et h er la n d s
(Samuel Taylor Coleridge , 1772-1834)
Water and windm ills, greenness, Islets green;—
Willows whose Trunks beside the shadows stood
Of their own higher half, and willowy swamp:—
Farm houses that at anchor seem'd—in the inland sky
The fog-transfixing Spires—
Water, wide water, greenness and green banks,
And water seen—
T h e E cch o in g Gr e e n
(William Blake, 1757—1827)
William Blake
The sun does arise,
And m ake happy the skies;
The m erry bells ring
To w elcom e the spring;
The skylark and thrush,
The birds of the bush,
Sing louder around
To the bell's cheerful sound,
W hile our sports shall be seen
On the Echoing Green.
Old John w ith w hite hair,
Does laugh aw ay care,
Sitting under the oak,
Am ong the old folk.
They laugh at our play ,
And soon they all say:
"Such, such w ere the joy s
W hen w e all, girls and boy s,
In our y outh tim e w ere seen
On the Echoing Green."
Till the little ones, w eary ,
N o m ore can be m erry ;
The sun does descend,
And our sports have an end.
Round the laps of their m others
Many sisters and brother,
Like birds in their nest,
Are ready for rest,
And sport no m ore seen
On the darkening Green.
6
Th e S h eph erd
(William Blake, 1757—1827)
How sw eet is the Shepherd’s sw eet lot!
From the m orn to the evening he stray s;
He shall follow his sheep all the day ,
And his tongue shall be filled w ith praise.
For he hears the lam b's innocent call,
And he hears the ew e's tender reply;
He is w atchful w hile they are in peace,
For they know w hen their Shepherd is nigh.
N o B u y er s
(Thomas Hardy 1840—1928 )
A Load of brushes and baskets and cradles and chairs
Labours along the street in the rain:
W ith it a m an, a w om an, a pony w ith w hiteybrow n hairs. —
The m an foots in front of the horse w ith a sham bling sw ay
At a slow er tread than a funeral train,
W hile to a dirge-like tune he chants his w ares,
Sw inging a Turk's-head brush (in a drum -m ajor's w ay
W hen the bandsm en m arch and play ).
A y ard from the back of the m an is the w hiteybrow n pony's nose:
He m irrors his m aster in every item of pace and pose:
He stops w hen the m an stops, w ithout being told,
And seem s to be eased by a pause; too plainly he's old,
Indeed, not strength enough show s
To steer the disjointed w aggon straight,
W hich w riggles left and right in a ram bling line,
Deflected thus by its ow n w arp and w eight,
And pushing the pony w ith it in each incline.
The w om an w alks on the pavem ent verge,
Parallel to the m an:
She w ears an apron w hite and w ide in span,
And carries a like Turk's-head, but m ore in nursing-w ise:
N ow and then she joins in his dirge,
But as if her thoughts w ere on distant things,
The rain clam s her apron till it clings. —
So, step by step, they m ove w ith their m erchandize,
And nobody buy s.
T o On e W h o H a s B e e n L o n g in Cit y Pe n t
(J ohn Keats, 1795-1821)
To one w ho has been long in city pent,
'Tis very sw eet to look into the fair
And open face of heaven,—to breathe a prayer
Full in the sm ile of the blue firm am ent.
W ho is m ore happy , w hen, w ith heart's content,
Fatigued he sinks into som e pleasant lair
Of w avy grass, and reads a debonair
And gentle tale of love and languishm ent?
Returning hom e at evening, w ith an ear
Catching the notes of Philom el,—an ey e
W atching the sailing cloudlet's bright career,
He m ourns that day so soon has glided by :
E'en like the passage of an angel's tear
That falls through the clear ether silently .
7
D give Chapter IV:
Patr iotic Vision
Brainy Quote (2009:par.1) defines ‘patriotism’ as “the passion which inspires one to
serve one’s country” whereas TheFreeDictionary (2009:1) based on The American Heritage
Dictionary of the English language, define it as “love and devotion to one’s country”, and Collins
English Dictionary that it quotes says that patriotism is the “devotion to one’s own country and
concern for its defence”. Thus, patriotism shows the devotion, love and sacrifice to one’s country.
The poems under discussion in this section, although they depart from different milieu and
experience, reveal how this sort of patriotic feelings is conveyed. Aspects of such patriotism as
sympathy for those who are marginalized by others may also be revealed from the poems under
discussion. Profound understanding will only be accomplished when the poems are placed within
their context.
T h e D ea d
(Rupert Brooke,1887-1915)
These hearts w ere w oven 1) of hum an joys and cares,
W ashed m arvelously 2) w ith sorrow , sw ift 3) to m irth 4).
The y ears had given t h em kindness. Daw n w as theirs,
And sunset, and the colours of the earth.
These had seen m ovem ent, and heard m usic; know n
Slum ber 5) and w aking; loved; gone proudly friended 6);
Felt the quick stir 7) of w onder; sat alone8);
Touched flow ers and furs and cheeks. All this is ended.
There are w aters blow n by changing w inds to laughter
And lit by the rich skies, all day . And after,
Frost, w ith a gesture, stay s the w aves that dance
And w andering loveliness. He leaves a w hite
Unbroken glory , a gathered radiance9),
A w idth, a shining peace, under the night.
Vocabulary:
1) were put together
2) magnificently
3) quick
4) being merry, happy and bright
5) sleep soundly
6)
7)
8)
9)
05
10
friendship
excitement
meditation
brightness
1
Fu t ilit y
(Wilfred Owen, 1893—1918 )
Move him into the sun—
Gently its touch aw oke him once,
At hom e, w hispering of fields unsow n.
Alw ay s it w oke him , even in France,
Until this m orning and this snow .
If any thing m ight rouse him now
The kind old sun w ill know .
Think how it w akes the seeds,—
W oke, once, the clay s of a cold star.
Are lim bs, so dear-achieved, are sides,
Full-nerved—still w arm —too hard to stir?
W as it for this the clay grew tall?
—O w hat m ade fatuous sunbeam s toil
To break earth’s sleep at all?
Th e Ca ll
(J essie Pope, 1868—1941)
Who’s for the trench—
Are you, my laddie?
Who’ll follow French—
Will you, my laddie?
Who’s fretting to begin,
Who’s is going out to win?
And who wants to save his skin—
Do you, m y laddie?
Who’s for the khaki suit—
Are you, my laddie?
Who longs to charge and shoot—
Do you, m y laddie?
Who’s keen on getting fit,
Who means to show his grit,
And who’d rather wait a bit—
Would you, my laddie?
T h o u g h t o f a B r it o n o n
T h e S u b ju g a t io n o f S w it z e r la n d
(William Wordswo