Poetry Analysis Project
Connotations
- "gather ye rosebuds" - live your life while young
- "the glorious lamp of heaven" - the sun
- "the sooner his race will be run" - a reference to the Greek sun god, Helios, who rides past the sun on a chariot
- "when youth and blood are warmer" - when one is younger, their blood is "warmer" because they are full of life
Life in a Love
To The Virgins, To Make Much of Time
Symbolism
Diction, Syntax and Tone
And this same flower that smiles today
Poetic Form
- Diction is passionate, loaded and poetic
Flowers ( First Stanza)
- Used to represent the shortness of life
Theme
by Robert Browning
- Syntax is balanced and involved to convey passion and meaning
Interpretation
Literary Techniques
The Sun ( Second Stanza)
- The sun setting is compared to one's life ending
Rhyme Scheme
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, (A)
Old Time is still a-flying; (B)
And this same flower that smiles today (A)
Tomorrow will be dying. (B)
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, (C)
The higher he's a-getting, (D)
The sooner will his race be run, (C)
And nearer he's to setting. (D)
Conflict: the persona is having a conflict with the woman he is speaking of - she will not accept his love, but he refuses to stop
- Tone is direct and impassioned to convey the persona's strong feeling
The higher he's a-gett-ing
- Loving and not being loved back is painful
Line 6 is an example of catalexis - a word from the ancient Greek, used in iambic trimeter to add an extra syllable
Words like "loving", "baffled" and "eluded" are used
Hot Temperature (Lines 8-10)
- When it is warmer, it represents youth and livelihood
by Robert Herrick
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time is a beautiful allegory about seizing the day while in your prime.
Herrick eloquently conveys the theme of making the most of life in one's youth.
The poet makes the case that youth is like a flower, and eventually it will die. One must bloom to the best of their ability before they are no longer in their best years.
Characterization: readers are able to learn that the persona is persistent, possibly to the point of annoyance, and will not stop going after what he wants even when he is refused
My life is a fault at last, I fear (Line 8)
While look, but once from your farthest bound
At me, so deep in the dust and dark (Lines 16-17)
These metaphors help to convey the persona's inner feelings about his pursuits of the woman.
It seems too much like a fate, indeed! (Line 9)
This simile helps develop the idea that the persona believes it is fate for the woman and himself to be together.
Analysis
About the Author
Literary Techniques
Connotations
Hyperbole: the persona in the poem wildly exaggerates the speed of time to create the idea that time flies
Imagery: The constant mention of flowers in the poem goes along with the theme of seizing the day and making the most of one's youth, the persona says flowers do not stay in full bloom forever
Poetic Form
Theme
Diction, Syntax and Tone
Iambic Tetrameter, Pentameter, with Catalexis
- "it seems too much like a fate" - the persona is claiming that fate wants them together
- Born in London on August 24, 1591, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished nondramatic poets of his day
- His father committed suicide when he was 1 by "falling" out of an upper story window
- Father figures became prevalent in his works
- Became his uncle's apprentice for 6 years, then went to school at St. John's College.
- Disciple of Ben Jonson, and became a vicar in Devonshire
- Wisely Guarding Your Virginity
- Begins with poetic ferrules at beginning and end (Lines 1-3, 20-22)
- Order is tetrameter, nanometer, tetrameter, pentameter(sometimes catalexis)
- Herrick uses euphonious and connotative diction to convey pleasantness such as "glorious"
Imagery
- "to dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall" - despite his rejections, the persona refuses to give up
- Born on May 7, 1812 in Camberbell, London
- Regarded as one of the most important Victorian poets
- His mother's love of music and poetry was a large influence
- Very unusual style, attributed to his homeschooling
- Parents willingly funded and supported his writing career
Personification
- Herrick enhances the lines by creating rhythmic, elegant sentences
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today (Lines 2-3)
Old Time is a reference to Father Time, and the flower is being compared to an actual person who will soon die.
Synecdoche
While I am I, and you are you (Line 4)
The flower is used throughout the play as a synecdoche for an actual young girl.
At me so deep in the dust and dark (Line 17)
- This line makes the reader imagine darkness enveloping the speaker as he talks about him changing
- "so deep in the dust and dark" - the persona assumes that the woman sees him in a dark way
"The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, the higher he's a-getting;"(Lines 5-6)
- The tone is lively and dramatic
But what if I fail of my purpose here? (Line 11)
So long as the world contains us both (Line 5)
- Creates an image of the two subjects of the poem being together in a large world
- Early writing career described as "a search for appropriate poetic form"
- Attempted to write plays, proved unsuccessful
- His first successful poem, Paracelsus, paved the way for him to grow as a poet
- Married another poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, in 1846
- Today, most known for writing "The Pied Piper of Hamelin", a widely popular children's story
Rhyme Scheme
- Stayed a vicar for 31 years until he was removed from his position during the Great Revolution
- Reinstated in 1661 until his death in October 1674
- Herrick never married - the women in his poems are thought to all be figments of his imagination
- Influenced by classic Roman poetry, themes of religion, English country life, and village customs
While I am I, and you are you (A)
So long as the world contains us both, (B)
Me the loving and you the loth (B)
While the one eludes, must the other pursue (A)
My life is a fault, at last I fear: (C)
It seems too much like a fate, indeed! (D)
Though I do my best I shall scarce succeed (D)
But what if I fail of my purpose here? (C)
It is but to keep the nerves at strain (E)
To dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall (F)
And, baffled, get up and begin again (E)
So the chace takes up one's life, that's all (F)
While, look but once from your farthest bound (G)
At me, so deep in the dust and dark (H)
No sooner the old help goes to ground (G)
Than a new one, straight to the same self-mark (H)
Interpretation
Browning writes this poem to depict a tragic case of unrequited love, however the persona is unwilling to give up his pursuits.
The persona is madly in love with the woman being spoken of.
Because of his deep feelings, he refuses to give up and will constantly pursue her no matter her much she eludes him.
Comparison/Contrast
Thesis
"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" and "Life in a Love" are two distinct poems with very little in common. Despite this, both works are beautifully written and explore unique and various themes.
Conclusion/Critique
References
Both To the Virgins... and Life in a Love are beautiful works of poetry.
The poems are easy to understand and easy to read.
The themes of the poems are simple and understandable.
- Herrick, Robert. "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 24 July 2015. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
- "Robert Herrick." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
- Shmoop Editorial Team. "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time (Gather Ye Rosebuds) Analysis." Shmoop. Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
- "Go to Bing Homepage." To+the+virgins+to+make+much+of+time+youtube - Bing Video. Youtube, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
- Browning, Robert. "Life in a Love." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 01 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
- "Robert Browning." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 15 Dec. 2016. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
- MichPoetryOutLoud. ""Life in a Love" by Robert Browning." YouTube. YouTube, 10 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.