Directions:
1.) Post your comments responding to the following prompt:
Corresponding to Valentine's Day, this month's poetry packet focuses on the ubiquitous topic of love. You have read numerous declarations of love, whether it be Marlowe's sweet pastoral or Bolton's contemporary "love" poem to her ex. Which poem conveys the passion and/or turmoil of love best? Defend explaining stylistic devices, tone and author's purpose.
2.) Please respond to another classmate's post. Make sure to type in who it is you're addressing.
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Cristopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Sheperd To His Love" showed the passionate feelings of love. He told his love all that he would give her if she would "live with me and be my love." the repetition of this word really proves how much a person will try and gain the affections of the person they adore. The tone is light, yet pleading. He tells her that she can have all these wonderful things if she would just be with him. However, underlying this loving tone, I noticed it seems as if Marlowe was trying to buy her affections (turmoil?). Is that the only way to win the heart of a woman? "a gown made of the finest wool" and "buckles of the purest gold" are both examples of material items women would 'love'. This shows the turmoil of gaining love from another.
ReplyDeleteI’m going to make two assumptions in my response: 1) since it does not directly state genders… I’m assuming that the subject of the poem is a male because the person is described as handsome and smooth-shaven, characteristics which belong to a man, 2) I’m saying the speaker of the poem is a female even though it very well likely is a guy, and that they were married based on contextual clues.
ReplyDeleteThe poem “The Embrace” conveys the passion of love best. The tone throughout the piece is intimate because the speaker of the poem is sharing a dream with her late husband, and expressing her gratitude that she got to see him again. Sharing a dream with your spouse is one of the more intimate practices because it’s not one of the necessary subjects of life that needs to be discussed on a daily basis; it shows the desire the speaker has for her husband’s companionship as he hears her out and also shows the bond between the pair that they can talk about anything. The same feeling could be extracted from the poem if it were written in the form of a letter, because it really speaks to a personal storytelling. Intimacy is present throughout each stanza and because of that I felt that it set the pace for the overall tone. At one point the speaker is asking why it was so difficult to remember her husband’s actual face “without a photograph,” and the word photograph, to me, symbolized grief. Having any sort of distant or dead relative, eventually their memory fades over time… and the easiest way to remember them would be to look at a photograph. With this poem I felt that because it was the speaker’s husband who died, one of the most important people in her life, his absence was in turn the most crushing and inevitably his memory would fade over time, too. The speaker would have to rely on photos just to remember what he really looked like, but each time she glanced at his picture it would just serve as a reminder that she no longer has him in her life and has to resort to looking at pictures to jog her memory. It would be more dispiriting than anything and open up all the raw cuts of grief for his death. There were a few words in particular in this poem, ‘loving,’ ‘warmth,’ and ‘plainly,’ that I associated with a feeling of closeness between the two. ‘Loving’ was an adjective of the husband’s face and served to represent the literal love that he felt for her and vice versa. Using the word warmth showed the physical chemistry that existed between the two where she felt relaxed in his presence. And choosing to emphasis that her husband appeared to her ‘plainly’ reflected the fact that she was accustomed to viewing him everyday and was used to the way he averagely looked. These hints at the closeness between them led me to my second assumption that they were married, because married people develop those traits. The author’s purpose was to thank her husband. She was thanking him for having a moment to hold him again, for not giving her a false sense of reality to think he was still alive while she had he dream, and for giving her a moment of happiness that did not take away from her time of mourning. The most moving part of this poem to me was the connection that the speaker still had with her husband even after his death — she loved him in that ever-lasting marriage sort of way where you can tell he was her true love and there’s no reason for her to look for another person after him. This poem best conveys the passion of love by emphasizing the true bond that can exist between two people, and because it shows that the couple could find love in even the littlest of things, like an embrace. This poem also exemplifies the turmoil of love best because it gives an outlook of loving someone fiercely, having them pass away, and still loving them fiercely through it. That to me is the most extreme height of turmoil that love can reach, and yet it transfixes into passion because it epitomizes true love that lasts forever.
To me the poem by Mark Doty "The Embrace" seemed to be the best example of the passion of love best. In all of the other poems I saw that they seemed a little shallow. They were either overly dramatic or sarcastic. I thought that throughout the poem we can sense the true meaning of love. Not just a show of flashy gifts or good looks but a feel for the being of each other. The first line starts off in a very unusual way in saying "You weren't well or really ill yet either." I thought this presented us with the idea that love isn't always eternal and time takes a toll on our minds. The first stanza tells us a little about what life before the death of the husband in the relationship was like. It seems that this woman never suspected death to break up her relationship this early and the tone of the first stanza pointed toward an unsuspecting illness that took away her husband. The second stanza then states that she accepted the death as an inevitability of living (she knew it would happen one day.) She didn't doubt that he was dead and fully accepted it. She even states that her dreams even reflected the absence of this man. The third stanza reflects the hectic events that followed his death but it then shifts when the line "but even asleep I was shocked out of narrative." So now in her dream we see a change as we shift to stanza four. We see that he returns to her but she finds herself having a hard time remembering his face. This may reflect some unfinished business he left behind that keeps her from fully getting over the death. But in stanza five it shows us a metaphore for the return of the husband. The use of "warm brown tea" reflects her true comfort in finally having the man return. Tea is typically a comfort drink and in his embrace she seems to finally let her emotions free. We see that she might not have actually been over her husband. In the last stanza we see that she had always longed for his return and his absent in reality and imagination she finally feels that she wasn't abandoned by her love but seperated by death. She still seems to accept that he is dead "without thinking you were alive again." but now she feels that her husband returned to finally come to closure with his death. I didn't see a lot of stylistic devices used in this poem other than the metaphore and hyperbole. The imagery also contributed to the shifting tone of Doty. From the beginning the tone was realistic and accepting but in the end it shifts to passion. Altogether I think that Doty wrote this poem to show that true love remains even in death. That love doesn't die with the person but it is a spiritual connection of two souls.
ReplyDeleteFML
ReplyDeleteI also thought that "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" seemed to show that this man tried to buy her love rather then earn it. But I thought that it showed more of the turmoil of love rather than passion. The title Passionate Shepard seemed to give me the sense that this man was more of a dominant controlling person rather than someone who is just in love. Shepards usually master a flock of sheep and keep them in line so I felt that this man was kind of pressuring this girl into love rather than earning it. The first line "Come live with me and be my love." Can be taken through a feminist lens that this man wants to take this woman as an item rather than a person. The man who is trying to win this womans love throughout the poem kind of tells her what she wants rather than giving up his life for her. It doesn't go into any detail other than saying I will take you here, give you this, etc. In trying to buy his love he actually fails to understand her personality. But I agree with the tone light and pleading because maybe in his blindness he fails to actually take into account what this girl actually wants.
Response to Paradox-
ReplyDeleteNow we both know that the speaker of the poem The Embrace was a man. Does knowing this change your outlook opn the poem?
This poem was my second choice to write about, but not for the passion. I saw more turmoil than anything else. You mentioned the speakers inability to remember their lovers face "without a photograph." I saw this to mean that we never truly know someone and will forget them once they leave our lives. How could that express passion? Yes, it appeared as if the speaker was close to the subject, however the thought of loss is not passionate to me. With death, one loses that passion. This is why I decided the poem showed turmoil. I could understand the choices you made, I just don't agree. XP
In the poem, "The Passionate Shepherde to His Love," Marlowe places love in an idyllic pastoral setting. His hyberbole in the third stanza, "a thousand fragrant posies," appears typical of love; the shepherd will do anything for his love. Various stylistic elements contribute to the pastoral simplicity. Marlowe uses couplets, the simplist rhyme pattern, which can be considered quaint. This quaintness, however, plays into the rural pastoral mood that he wants to create.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Marlowe uses tetrameter, in contrast to Shakespeare, Bradstreet, and other Elizabethan-Era poets who confined themselves to pentameter, the rhythm of the upper class. Tetrameter is more suited to the lower class shepherde protaganist of Marlowe his poem. In music, and presumably in poetry as well, groups of three beats were reserved for liturgical settings. Groups of four beats, on the other hand, are considered common: the four-four time signature in music is also called common time to distinguish it from the liturgical three-four time. The number four can also be associated with nature via the four seasons and four elements (earth, water, air, fire). Thus Marlowe his choice of rhythm connects his poem to nature and the common person.
Marlowe his message in this poem seems to be that the shepherd and his love can create a quasi-separate world where no problems from the outside world can bother them. This escapism is often characteristic of the mental turbulence caused by love in any form, not merely romantic love.
FML-
ReplyDeleteLooking back at Marlowe his poem, I can see the validity of your interpretation. However, I also see that the poem can be split into two parts. The first two stanzas seem to fit better with my interpretation of the poem as idyllic-pastoral: the list of natural features in the first stanza and the rivers' falls and birds' madrigals in the second stanza. The third through fifth stanzas, though, definitely play into your interpretation as trying to buy the woman's love with lists of gifts. However, it seems to me that the rural/nature motif is still weaved throughout those stanzas. The final stanza seems to tie both parts together combining the natural setting and the various gifts under the term "these delights."
After reading all the poems I came to the conclusion that Memorandum conveyed more turmoil then all the other poems conveyed passion, although you could say that she two expresses passion. In the poem her strongest lit device was her tone. Her tone, throughout the poem, was one of animosity and anger. It was obvious that she once loved this man and she had spent a lot of time with him; long enough to finally not be able to stand him anymore. This tone is show by her word choices for example, “Shit I Never Want to Hear Another Word About as Long as I Live”, right away we can tell she in very serious and what she is going to write about will not be good. The authors’ purpose was also very important, in understanding the poem, and obvious. She makes this poem to show how pissed she is to her “Boyfriend from Hell” and list his faults and why she no longer loves his, if she ever did. Also the fact she can make numerous lists shows there is something wrong with this guy and she wants him to know this, thus why she makes the poem in the form of a memorandum. She really wants to torch the guy, saying this like “ Your Adolescent Only Child” or “ Your Addled Thoughts.”
ReplyDeleteWaffle
ReplyDeleteI truly agree with most of the things your mentioning in your post. This poem is the one that showed the most passion from all the other poems. However, there were a few things that i didn't agree with or i would question. One things being the line "You weren't well or really ill yet either;" You mention that this line is about the relationship more than the well being of the husband, but i thought that she was talking about how he wasn't always perfect and wasn't always patient with her, because of the following line "just a little tired"; this gave me that "im tired so im a little irritable right now" kind of image. Another thing you mentioned is how we finally realize that "she wasn't abandoned by her love but seperated by death." i didn't really understand this, throughout the whole poem i had the impression that the were separated by death and not because he left her or that she felt as if he had left her.
Which poem conveys the passion of love best? I think the poem that conveys the passion of the love the best is Christopher Marlowe's The Passionate Shepherd to His Love. The poem is about a “passionate” shepherd who falls in love with a pretty girl and wants her to become his sweetheart and enjoy him and all the pleasures that nature has to offer. The poem seems to just be about the joy of simple, uncomplicated, love. In the poem it also appears to not be concerned about money or education, just love.
ReplyDeleteIn the third and fourth stanza is where almost all the passion of this shepherds love came out. “A thousand fragrant posies A cap of flowers and a kirtle Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle.” What he is literally saying is he is going to make a dress that will match your beauty and smell from the “leaves of myrtle” which is a shrub that has pink flowers. So it would be beautiful just like the girl that he’s in love with.
Another key fact in this poem it the “shepherd” seems to be a laid back person which likes sitting on a rock listening to the birds. He also seems to just live in the moment and not think about the future, all that matters is now, and right now he’s in love with this girl.
Mathguy......
ReplyDeleteI agree with your Argument " In the poem, "The Passionate Shepherded to His Love," Marlowe places love in an idyllic pastoral setting. His hyperbole in the third stanza, "a thousand fragrant posies," appears typical of love; the shepherd will do anything for his love. Various stylistic elements contribute to the pastoral simplicity. Marlowe uses couplets, the simplest rhyme pattern, which can be considered quaint. This quaintness, however, plays into the rural pastoral mood that he wants to create." I get haw you say that he places " places love in an idyllic pastoral setting" which in my opion is early spring in a rural location where not much is going on. I also aggree with your statement that he will do anything for her love, this is apparent many times in the poem but the one that strikes me the most is the line “ the shepherd swains shall dance and sing” I looked up what was a “swain” and it came up a country youths. So, my guess is that the young country fellows will promise to dance for his love/ the girl.
1.) Bolton displays the most passion within her poem in comparison with Marlowe. She uses stylistic devices such as diction and conciseness to boast her passionate feelings. The tone of this poem is obviously not loving. It's more along the lines of hatred which can be seen almost always more passionatly than love. This can be seen through her diction using words such as "My Boyfriend..." instead of using his name. This shows that she doesn't have enough respect for him to even put his name in the "TO:" collumn of the email. She also greatly displays this tone of hatred by saying she doesn't want to ever hear anything from him because it's all lies. We know from the "To:" section that he is not longer her boyfriend. In most scenarios, couples will say things like, "I'll love you as long as I live..." This would suit her perfectly because we can infer that she has been told many things from him that will last "as long as she lives." I don't see any purpose from Bolton other than maybe the fact she hates her ex boyfriend, or the fact that she will no longer believe anything a boy tell her that involves forever. She's getting this message out to the people so everyone knows that what men say isn't always true and vise versa. Passion doesn't always need to be seen through a loving perspective. In my opinion passion can be best displayed when we are angry because we are uncensored and all our true feelings come out in a passionate demeanor.
ReplyDeleteFML:
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with your opinion of this poem. In "Th ePassionate Shepherd to His Love," I thought it was extremely cliche and overly used. It's corny in the sense that Marlowe discusses setting surrounded by ramance (2nd stanza) and when he talks about flowers. (3rd stanza) No right man in this world truly enjoys having a conversation about making dresses, slippers, buckles, and belts out of flowery materials. In my opinion I believe he has an alterier motive and only wants to impress her instead of actually being himself. This does not sound passionte to me, it simply sounds pathetic and desperate.
In my opinion the poem "The Embrace" depicts the passionate haze of love best. The speaker worries about not being able to remember the face of her husband without the help of a photograph. It feels like she is almost worried about not being able to bring his image to mind. Almost as through she is scared that he will fade into only memories brought forth by a photo and she will love that wonderful essence that is him. It makes me think of the fear that everyone gets when someone passes away or changes radically, at first you have no problem remembering what they are like but as time goes on you become afraid of their changes and forget the original. When she speaks about his coming to her she say, “Bless you. You came back, so I could see you once more” this makes me think that at one point in time she would have given everything she had to see him once more, and finally he answered her prayer and came to her. The tone is intimate, she brings you right into their intimate space, “inches from mine, smooth-shaven, loving, alert” it almost stops your breath with the sincerity of her words. The speakers words also make me think of the passion of love, using words like “unguarded”, “gaze”, “warmth”, it makes you think of close intimate relationships that nothing can get between. I think the author’s purpose in this poem is to convey the message that the ones we love are not far away. That they can visit you in a dream when you need them, that there love for you will always exist, that your cherished memories can not fade. To me this is the most passionate and loving message anyone could make and that is why I believe this poem “the embrace” to convey love the most.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Skye, who forgot her secret identity—
ReplyDeleteYes, knowing that the speaker of the poem “The Embrace” is a man did change my outlook of the poem. But I’m afraid answering fully would lead to more of a moral and ethical debate, rather than a discussion of perspective… so I’ll make it brief. It changed my outlook because I’m incapable of imagining any sort of ‘passion’ that would exist between two men, and looking at the poem that way made me lose all emotional feeling for it. Hence why I made assumptions first and stuck to them in my response. I’d be interested in knowing, too, for anyone else who wrote that “The Embrace” was the best love poem, does your perception of the poem change with knowing the speaker is a guy?
I can respect your opinion that the poem shows turmoil over passion, but I’ll stand by saying that the turmoil of the poem serves to add to the passion, not take away from it. As for the photograph, I was bringing that up more as a symbol/metaphor than evidence to support my claim.
mathguy,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" is beautifully written and the message is beautiful. But the piece seems to kind of wonder, it seems more about sheep that about love, I see the love as the true message but unless the sheep symbolizes for something I just can't seem to take this poem seriously. He say "the shepherds swains shall dance and sing, For they delight each may morning: If these delights thy mind may move, than live with me and by my love" to me he is saying if you like the sheep and there action's than yes please marry me. But I do have to agree the message is beautiful.
Skye,
ReplyDeleteHow did you find out the speaker in "The Embrace" was a man? That changes, well it changes some of it, its still very passionate but as were now talking about man love man it takes on a different twist I think because I would never think of a man saying those things.
At the risk of sounding petty: We know that the AUTHOR of "The Embrace" was male. We co not know if the SPEAKER was male. I'm just sayin'.
ReplyDelete"We do not," not "We co not." Remember, everyone, proofread before you post. :-)
ReplyDeleteResponse to young $$$
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your analysis on Bolton’s piece of work, the way you thought passion is best conveyed when people are upset or angry. After some pondering on your opinion I would have to say that I agree, yes it is true that when two people are in love there is a sort of heat that occurs when they are being intimate but the fiery passion when one soul is angered has a way of bringing the intensity of the couple to a new level. The way Bolton lacks respect for her boyfriend is definitely evident when she talks to him in such a negative way such as in the “TO:” column but also in the explanations of each numbered complaint. So I just noticed this and was wondering if you saw this too, but in the part where she says “….I never want to hear another word…” did you notice that it was in the “RE:” column which would mean that it was a reply to him. This got me thinking, did the guy in the relationship write her something that ticked her off and so she sent back this nasty response?
Response to HiroLover—
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your interpretation that “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” was the best love poem. Of all the poems in the packet I felt like this one conveyed passion the Least because of how superficial it is. Even the title shows how shallow the shepherd really is because he has to label himself as “Passionate,” instead of letting his actions define his character for him. Also, you said the poem ‘appears not to be concerned about money or education, just love’ but I believe the shepherd was very concerned about love because half of the poem deals with buying his significant other gifts — specifically the “finest” and most “pretty” gifts that he can drag up simply because he’s just trying to win her over with material things. FML had said “I noticed it seems as if Marlowe was trying to buy her affections (turmoil?). Is that the only way to win the heart of a woman?” and I agree that this was precisely what the shepherd was trying to do, and no that should not be the only way to win the heart of a woman. It’s sick! And for him to even mention that he’ll make her beds of roses.. that’s so cliché he’s not even putting any effort into his charade. I mean, come on now… roses?! I don’t agree that these gifts were a symbol of the girl’s beauty, to me it’s just a sham and he should not stoop to buy another person’s love.
Love goes biting-into-your-soul deep, not skimming the surface with pretentious displays of affection.
Marlowe was not the shepherd. He was a poet/playwright who lived in England. He was writing as a shepherd, but the shepherd did not label himself as passionate, Marlowe provided the shepherd with that label. Also, most of the gifts mentioned in the poem were not purchased, they were made by the shepherd. This could show a greater depth of feeling in the shepherd than if he had simply purchased something.
ReplyDeleteWell Mathguy, from my findings the poem "The Embrace" was written directly about Doty's lover, Mr. Roberts, who died of Aids back in 1994. Spoken from the author.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Mathguy, I did not intend to nor directly put Marlowe in association with the Shepherd. I’ll relent to agreeing that Marlowe labeled the shepherd as passionate. But whether those gifts were purchased or not, found in nature or selected from aisle 3, it does not change my opinion that primarily winning someone over with material gifts doesn’t correlate to true passion.
ReplyDeleteI chose Anne Bradstreet’s poem “To My Dear and Loving Husband” as the one I viewed that exemplified passion of love the best. The first sentence “If ever two were one, then surely we” reveals the true connection that this couple holds that they have endured through life’s trials and have now reached the degree where they can view one another as one individual rather than two separate people. The next instance where passion is identified is when Bradstreet expresses her love to her husband through various statements such as “Compare with me, ye women, if ya can” which indicates her competitive side and how she wants her husband to know that there is no other women who loves her husband more than she. Also “I prize thy love more than….that the East doth hold” which shows that material things have no value in Bradstreet’s life, which is totally opposite direction than Marlowe took when he offered his love multiple possessions in order to win over her love. To turn your check to the worldly possessions, to take off the makeup and masks that people wear and to see your companion for their true self and still feel that love that “rivers cannot quench” is in my opinion the passion that conveys love the best. Bradstreet ends her poem by saying that “when we live no more, we may live ever” which yes is a paradoxical sentence but when analyzed it makes perfect sense for Bradstreet is saying that even when they pass from this life, their love will continue even on to when they reside in Heaven.
ReplyDeleteI believe Mark Doty's "The Embrace" reveals the passion of love best out of the various poems in this month's packet. His diction creates an enamored and fond tone that really resonates throughout the poem. One example of Doty's loving tone is when he describes his lover's face as "unguarded" and "reliable". When I think of what constitutes love or passion, I believe that one must make themselves vulnerable to their partner to really "fall in love" fully. Putting yourself at risk to rejection is part of learning how to love. (in my opinion, anyway) Also, the choice of the word "reliable" conveys a certain trust that the poet feels for his partner. When he says his lover has a reliable face, this infers that he's used to seeing his lover's face whenever he needs to; his lover is there for him. This shows deep respect and trust; which (again, in my own opinion) are two necessary values one must possess to properly love someone. Also convincing of Doty's love is his comparison of his lover's gaze to "warm brown tea." This suggests that his partner's gaze filled the poet up with that warm, fuzzy feeling that so many people today associate with love. Indeed, I believe the author's purpose was to convey feelings of great love towards his subject, and allow readers to gain insight into the intimacy and romance his partner and he shared, when they were together.
ReplyDeleteIn Response To Young $$$:
ReplyDelete"Passion doesn't always need to be seen through a loving perspective. In my opinion passion can be best displayed when we are angry because we are uncensored and all our true feelings come out in a passionate demeanor."
I really like your opinion here. Although anger is not necessarily the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear 'passion', I agree with you that anger/hatred does in fact inspire us to speak our true feelings; uncensored. You make an excellent point, & I enjoyed reading your post. I hadn't thought of passion in that light, but I'm glad to have been enlightened.
When I began reading people’s responses, I couldn’t help but notice that neither Mark Doty’s “The Embrace” nor Billie Bolton’s “Memorandum” (actually I do have the last three stanzas of “Memorandum”) is in my poetry packet. Maybe I am missing more than two poems…which is just sad. Although I haven’t read the complete “Memorandum,” I believe it conveys passion of love the best. Passion in its general sense isn’t necessarily a compelling feeling of love or lust; rather it is any powerful emotion or feeling-including hatred.
ReplyDeleteThe most striking stylistic device in the poem “Memorandum” is the diction. The words used in the poem are colloquial and extremely crude, not to mention derogatory. She openly mocks her ex in phrases such as “deep psychological need for video games and fruit roll-ups,” marking him as juvenile, foolish, and apparently not worth her time. She takes the condescension to a next level in the last stanza titled: Your Significant Others (female). The speaker makes comments such as “red neck…you banged” and “long-haired potheads you balled in your hippie days,” making it apparent that she holds great antagonism toward these women. Tone goes hand in hand with diction, and the tone in the poem is very caustic, derogatory and…accusatory? But why? The man is her ex-boyfriend; she has no reason to hold a grudge against these women but still she shows a great interest and even the desire to have control over her ex’s affairs. James Allen said that “Passion in all its forms is a mental thirst, a fever, a torturing unrest,” and if ‘tis so, then her acute hatred indeed stems from her intense, unending love for the jerk :-)
Bolton's poem "Memorandum" provides the most vivid image of the true nature of love. In "Memorandum", Bolton's poem is structured to resemble an email heading to her "boyfriendn from hell". Bolton's diction shows the reality of love. At times, relationships do get rocky and spouses do get frustrated with each other. By stating her boyfriend is "from hell", Bolton expresses her irritation and anger directed at her spouse. This statement, along with using the "S" word in place of a word such as things, displays Bolton's irritated tone. The reason this poem best represents love is because it uses graphic language that does not try to cover up any type of negative emotions the speaker is feeling. The love that is portrayed in Bolton's poem is "real" love. The love is real because it is not fluffed up in order to fit any commercial idea of the negative side of love. The author purposley uses strong language in order to show that there are rough patches in relationships and people dont always like everything about thier significant other, but that does not necessarily mean that love does not exist. Bolton's purpose in writing "Memorandum" was to give insight to every day struggles people in relationships have.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteto waffles
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your statement that "Embrace" showed the "passion" of love best. Though you stated that the poem did not seem "overly dramatic", in my eyes is was just that. The speaker describes how looking at his significant other opened "all the warmth and clarity in you". I mean No one actually talks like that. This poem is the epitomy of fluffy. "Embrace" does not show any hard truths about life. I do agree that some of what the author says is true, like his portrayal of heartache as he was losing his loved one. However, the author's diction was not real and only possessed what should be referred to as "socially acceptable love". By this I mean the love that is portrayed on television and in fictional stories, but not in real life. For me, "The Embrace" was a little too over dramatic. (btw, pancakes are better)
In response to flipflops: I believe Anne Bradstreet’s “To My Dear and Loving Husband” exemplified passion of love the least. In your argument you said that “If ever two were one, then surely we” revealed the intimacy and the bond which existed between the couple; to me it expresses a loss of passion- passion which has plateaued over the course of time. Aldous Huxley said that a strong emotion is a consequence of the “time-interval between the consciousness of a desire and its fulfillment.” Where will be the obstacle of love, the abstinence, which is much needed to fuel one’s desire for another, when lovers have already become one? If passion is the thirst to finally conquer and dominate, how can passion exist after two people have already reached the zenith of their intimacy? You have also used the line “Compare with me, ye women, if you can” from the poem. This line further illustrates that the speaker has achieved complete satisfaction; she was confident that no woman is, nor can she be, more than the speaker in her present state. Such overconfidence can only result in her fall and the decline of her relationship; after all, if you’ve reached the summit, the only way you can go is down.
ReplyDeleteI personally really enjoyed Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love." I get the impression that maybe this shepherd is loving someone out of his league. It has a subtle passion, one that stars low and builds. It's the kind of love that is demonstrated through a peaceful yet pleading tone. I like the images he paints, of living on love and in nature rather than being surrounded by riches. It's a simplistic love that often isn't found today. Instead of being a flame that burns quick and hot, it's one that is sweet and lasts for a long time. One that you kind of sit watching, enjoying as it just continues on. It smolders.
ReplyDeleteflipflops- I also really liked the poem by Anne Bradstreet. It's almost as if this woman is claiming to be the perfect image of a wife, like no one can compare to her. Kind of a gutsy thing to throw out there. Seems like women would fight that. Or aspire to be like her...I like the poem, but I still feel like the shepherd's one speaks to me the most. Like I said, it may not be fiery passion, but it's slow and it lasts.
ReplyDeleteIn response to FML: I don’t believe Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” shows passionate feelings of love. By choosing a shepherd to be the speaker, the author is making biblical allusions- or at least that is how I perceived it. The promises of the valleys, the fields and the shallow rivers reminded me of Psalm 23 and the promises of green pastures and still waters thereof.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore it also reminded me of the parable of the lost lamb. It says that a man would desert ninety-nine sheep in the desert in order to look for one lost lamb. Oh, how he displays such passion and effort for the one lamb not within his grasp; but what about the ninety-nine other lambs? They are left alone, untended and destitute. The words of love whispered and the caressing touches are only fleeting- the lamb is not special amongst a hundred others. And when another lamb, a new lamb, comes along, the shepherd will no longer love it as he had in the past.
The poem that best captures love is Shakespeare's Not marble,nor the gilded monuments. He is saying that he loves her, no matter what, but he is saying that they will struggle, thats why they talk about the war, and fire and Mars,the god of war, he is saying they will struggle but he will love her no matter what and she will always be loved through this poem. Shakespeare uses allusion to convey the struggle, he alludes to war, the god of war, all to show the war and struggle that love is.
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