English 10

From the collection of all the love poems that we have read so far, Come, My Celia written by Ben Jonson is the poem that I like the most. In my opinion, this poem is a great example of a legitimate love poem should look like. I say this because it shows us the affection, desire of love, attraction, and determination that the man has for Celia. Moreover, I like the poem because of the tone, and sound it has, but also because the feeling of emotional desire of love the man has and how he expresses it towards Celia. This poem addresses the social phenomenon of falling in love. During this poem, the narrator is a man that is in love with Celia and wants to prove to her that they can be together.

Come, my Celia, let us prove ,

While we can, the sports of love;

Time will not be ours forever;

He at length our good will sever

Spend not then his gifts in vain. (ll 1-5)

From reading the first 4 lines of the poem, we can see that the speaker is trying to convince Celia to sleep with him. His first argument is that they should experience “the sports of love” while they are young, “Time will not be ours forever” The speaker also comments that God’s gifts should not be wasted, “Spend not, then, his gifts in vain.” This suggests the two were given what they have to use them. The first half of the poem has the running line of encouraging sexual activities while young. However, the third line specifically sticks to me because it is very true thing in life. If you want love someone, then go for it because life is simply short.

Why should we defer our joys?

Fame and rumours are but toys.

Cannot we delude the eyes

Of a few poor household spies (ll 9-12)

This lets us know that the man who wrote the poem is a lot more carefree, he does not care that people will stare or maybe start rumours he just wants to be with her whereas Celia, is a bit more anxious and doesn’t want people to see and stare and start rumours. I like this part of the poem because he says even if rumors are spread, the only thing he cares about is being together with Celia. This shows us the pure love he has, and he expressed it as he only cares about his love with Celia, despite the “rumours” or “fame.” Also, the tone of the speakers attitude shows us the feeling of no care at all. Showing us the pure love he has for Celia and I really like this part of the poem because it demonstrates what a real love poem is.

The poem I disliked the most would have to be Song. To My Inconstant Mistress written by Thomas Carew. I disliked this poem simply because it does not talk about love. The content of this poem is not about “love” because it talks about how the old mistress has missed out and will soon come to regret that choice. Instead of talking about your past relationship, why don’t you talk about what the future of your love journey holds for you. In my opinion, I say that this is a poem about someone who is heartbroken and jealous. Specifically in stanza one of the poem where the speaker who is obviously in pain expresses himself.

When thou, poor excommunicate

From all the joys of love, shalt see

The full reward and glorious fate

Which my strong faith shall purchase me,

Then curse thine own inconstancy. (ll 1-5)

In the first stanza of this piece, the speaker begins by outlining the basic reason why his past mistress should regret being “inconstant” or un-loyal. The first lines refer to her as the “poor excommunicate.” She has been excommunicated by the speaker, due to her actions, from “the joys of love.” I dislike this part because of what the speaker is saying. Where is the sign of love in this poem, the speaker is in pain and is only expressing it. All of this shows that the writer is weak and hurt, and someone who has not yet moved on.

A fairer hand than thine shall cure

That heart, which thy false oaths did wound;

And to my soul, a soul more pure

Than thine shall by Love’s hand be bound,

And both with equal glory crown’d. (ll 6-10)

Still quite angry with the listener, the speaker explains how he is going to move on and improve his life away from her. She has obviously injured him deeply and he is seeking out someone who is more beautiful than she was, to heal him. It was her “false oaths” which “did wound” his heart. Talking like that to your ex lover is simply harsh and not necessary. 

Then shalt thou weep, entreat, complain

To Love, as I did once to thee;

When all thy tears shall be as vain

As mine were then, for thou shalt be

Damn’d for thy false apostasy. (ll 11-15)

In the final stanza, the speaker concludes his angry speech by explaining how “thou,” the mistress, will react when she sees his happiness. This proves that he is a spiteful person that wants her to come back begging to him. Nowhere, is there a sign of love in the end, just a jealous, weak, heartbroken man trying to plan revenge for his personal satisfaction.

A poem is a piece of writing, something that expresses great ideas and even grater feelings. Weather those are feelings of hate or feelings of love, is for the reader to determine. To His Coy Mistress written by Andrew Marvell is my favorite poem out of the collection so far. With it being split into three separate stanzas providing an almost argumentative structure, the use of great imagery and casual humor mixed in with the seriousness, to me, creates a masterful poem. It is a love poem: celebrating beauty, youth, and sexual pleasure. However, these feelings are somewhat masked as the speaker of the poem is haunted by mortality. His tone is familiar, teasing, and yet a bit stern creating the perfect voice inside your head as you read the beautifully flowing lines. The lines flow from one to the other and yet there message remains strong and clear. “Had we but world enough and time, / This coyness, lady, were no crime”(l. 1-2). The first stanza of the poem poses a question and explores a hypothetical world: what would love be like if humans had infinite time to love? In response, the speaker imagines a world of unlimited pleasure. It is exactly these kind of questions that spark deep thought within me, getting me to really think, allowing me to connect with the poem on another level. In stanza two the speaker describes his view of death saying, “And yonder all before us lie / Deserts of vast eternity” (l. 23-24). His view of death is secular; he is not afraid of going to Hell or being punished for his sins. Instead, he fears death because it cuts short his and his mistress’s capacity to enjoy each other. This sentence being the epitome of love, perfect for a love poem. The final stanza, is where our speakers final argument is presented. “Now let us sport us while we may, / And now, like amorous birds of prey, / Rather at once our time devour / Than languish in his slow-chapped power” (l. 37-40). Since death is inevitable then he and his mistress should spend all of their remaining time together, loving each other while they still can. This part of the poem was expected, it is not the content of the poem that makes it my favorite, as most of these love poems are the same, but it is the beautiful way in which it is written. many of the lines are written in perfect iambic tetrameter, and they rhyme in an AA scheme. Furthermore, the first sentence begins an idea that is finished by the second line. Creating easily understandable content. In the end this poem is similar to many of the other poems that we have read, and yet it stands out because of the unique way it is written and the powerful imagery it provides. 

A love poem should be written about love, right? In the case of Song. To My Inconstant Mistress written by Thomas Carew love is not even mentioned, there is just envy, spite, jealousy and hatred. The whole poem is based on revenge. The speaker comes across as a weak, little man because of the way he is solely focused on getting back at his old lover. “A fairer hand than thine shall cure” (l. 6) we can see that he, the speaker thinks a fairer (more beautiful) women will eventually marry him as he unremorsefully says this to his “excommunicate” ex lover. This to me shows no signs of love and only makes me think less of the speaker, on top of that he uses large words like excommunicate that do not necessarily add to the poem. The idea of the poem remains on the topic of revenge throughout eventually saying “Then shalt thou weep, entreat, complain / To love, as I did once to thee;” (l. 11-12). This line shows us that he had once loved her and she had not returned the love, but it also shares that he, being a spiteful person wants her to come back begging to him. The poem ends with the speaker damming his old love for not remaining loyal. To me this poem shows another side a love, the more violent and aggressive side, one might even say the ugly side of love. It is for these reasons that this poem does not appeal to me as much as the others did.

Speaking of my favourite poetry of all the poems so far, the poem that is written by E. E.Cummings, although the grammar of the poem can be described as “syntax error”. All the ends of the sentences are not rhymed at all. However, this is the unique style of E. E. Cummings’s poems. On the contrary, this kind of “syntax error” makes the poem more interesting and it helps the writer to express his thoughts on “love”.

since feeling is first

who pays any attention

to the syntax of things

will never wholly kiss you;

wholly to be a fool

while Spring is in the world

First letter of the sentence is supposed to be capitalized. However, E. E. Cummings did not do so. The end of the sentences are not rhymed as well. This showed the discrepancies between traditional poems, even traditional English and E. E. Cummings’s poem. However, these “syntax errors” are consistent with the content of the first stanza, feeling is before than anything else, no one will pay attention to the syntax, the grammar, which means the inconsequential rules or details of things that can never have “love” with you.

And death i think is no parenthesis

This is the last sentence of the poem. Parenthesis is mostly used for additional information, or a comment about something that is not important or necessarily to be written. Therefore, he is claiming that death is not an explanation for life, it doesn’t explain what we’re all about as well as why we’re here. Yet, “love” does define the meaning of life. I agree with this poem that I also agree if two person have feelings for each other, they should not waste any time because life is short.

I would say Women Constancy is my least favourite poem of all the love poems. Not only the vocabularies choices, I also dislike the content of the poem. First, John Donne, the writer of the poem, used a bunch of words which belong to “old-fashioned” English that made me harder to understand the poem. He also used some “fancy” words such as “antedate” , “wrath”… words that confused me. The content also frustrated me.

Now thou has loved me one whole day,

Tomorrow when you leav’st, what wilt thou say?

Wilt thou then antedate some new-made vow?

Or say that now

We are not just those persons which we were?

John Donne starts the poem with a question – what will you say when you leave me tomorrow? He also assumes that the woman that he likes for a night will break the oath and leave him the next morning to “make new vow” with another man, which means sleep with another man. I disagree with his opinion on women. Yes, maybe all the women he has met treat him like what he described in the poem, but it does not mean all the women in the world are the same with the women that he has met. There are always women that truly in love with men. The reason why he has this statement is he has never met his “true love”. This poem ignited me and I feel resentful after reading it. At the same time, I feel so unfair for all the women in the world.

Come, My Celia by Ben Jonson and published in 1606 gave me a favorable impression towards it. To me, this is a good length for a poem as it is not  excessively long and relatively comprehendible. There is no point in making a long poem where it can not be digested with just the use of our mouth and ears. Especially in these love poems where it should be spoken to the love interest. Not only do I like the length, but I also enjoyed the synical tone you can hear from the speaker in the poem.

Come, my Celia, let us prove,

While we can, the sports of love (ll. 1-2)

In the first two lines, the speaker speak to his “mistress” in a seducing way. It reminds me of a scene of where a mistress is sitting in a bar.

‘Tis with us perpetual night,

Why should we defer out joys (ll. 8-9)

Here, it gives me the sense of the speaker knowing the inner desires of the mistress. It seems as if the speaker is simply convincing the mistress, this will be a good idea and she will not regret it. Once again, this reminds me of the mistress sitting in a bar somewhere else. As the speaker speaks in a seducing way, it sounds like he wants a one night that might just become something bigger. To me, I enjoy reading something where the girl has a deep sexual desires where they attempt to hide it and become busted by a stranger with a seducing voice. Not only do I like it this way, I can see this poem being relevant in today’s day and age.

To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell and published in 1681 is my least favorite so far. Above, I briefly listed what I believe a good love poem is like. I listed how I preferred poems that are reasonable. Here on the other hand, went way out of his way to create a love poem. I understand how it was very important for high-class mistresses to be coy. However, in modern day, they are not as coy. Even if they did, the chances are, they will be single for the rest of their lives. In lines 4-8, the speaker used multiple references that cannot be understood immediately. He continues to use many words that has multiple meanings and many subtle references. The way the speaker conveys his words did not hold much emotion for me and sounded very bland. Although the words the speaker uses were quite exclusive and impressive, it does not give the impression of a love poem. The length of the poem creates the impression of a rant instead of a love poem that you will say to your mistress. Overall, although the poem is quite impressive, it lacks emotions behind it.

We’ve read a handful of interesting poems. Something they should all, in theory, have in common, is that they should stir up emotions. Emotions, as I’ve learned at 16 years of age, aren’t always positive. So far there’s been two poems that have been able to outright anger me, but I’m only going to talk about one. In particular, Song by John Donne gets 10/10 in my checklist of reasons to abhor something. In this poem the speaker is an incel misogynist, to say the least, but we’re not going to look at the content of this. Instead of content, I would like to present the structure of the poem. It’s very confusing to read, and I don’t know why it’s done this way. The first, third, fifth, sixth and ninth lines of each stanza are normally presented, nothing special. We’re off to a good start. The second, fourth, seventh and eighth lines of each stanza are indented, for no apparent reason. I don’t understand the meaning behind these indents, and they’re a distraction whenever I go to read the poem. The sound of it, whenever I speak it aloud is just generally unpleasant, “If thou beest born to strange sights, / Things invisible to see, / Ride ten thousand days and nights, / Till age snow white hairs on thee.” (ll. 10-13). It’s clunky to say some of the lines and only shows its potential to flow after the fourth or fifth time saying it. Poems should be enjoyed at all stages of reading, not only after analyzing them to bits, and I genuinely didn’t enjoy this poem when I first heard it, and wrote no notes on it, as there was nothing that was particularly shocking or new to me from it.

One of the poems I did write a handful of notes on, was e. e. cummings poem, which remains unlabeled in our document. While Song stirred a repulsive feeling in me, this poem did quite the opposite. It had me engaged while reading it, despite me not fully understanding it, and it still has me thinking about it after reading it over multiple times. I really enjoyed the language he decided to use in this poem, particularly the last two lines, “for life’s not a paragraph / And death I think is no parenthesis” (ll. 15-16). He presented the statement “life is short” in a wording that I had never considered before. It’s a very creative and unique use of language I had never seen done before The imagery presented this poem also stook with me, “-the best gesture of my brain is less than / your eyelids’ flutter which says / we are for each other; then / laugh, leaning back in my arms” (ll. 11-14). Romantic love is supposed to be enjoyed with another person, and the way you can just feel yourself falling into someone’s arms while laughing as you read this really lets you know that this is good poetry. To have heard laughter as you read the word itself brings a deep warm appreciation to the author. I also really enjoyed the lines “and kisses are a better fate / than wisdom” (ll. 8-9). It’s a genuinely beautiful thing to be told, especially by someone who is or presents themself as intelligent, that your kisses would be more enjoyable than their wisdom. I’d kill to have this poem be written for me, it truly got to me, and that’s why I love it.

My favourite poem so far: 

Of all the poems we have read so far, I have liked Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare the best. In this poem, Shakespeare presents the idol of romantic love, and I think it’s nice to read and easy to understand. The poem basically says what love is and what it is not, and that true love doesn’t die.

Let me not to the marriage of true minds 

Admit impediments. (l. 1-2)

Right in the first line he says that he believes that nothing can come between two people who feel true love for each other, nothing can separate them. This really shows that he believes in true love and that two people can love each other unconditionally no matter what. I like that he gets right to the point and makes it clear right at the beginning, that makes it easier to read on.

Love is not love 

Which alters when it alteration finds, 

Or bends with the remover to remove. (l. 2-4)

Basically, he is saying here that it is not true love if it changes when things become difficult. If things change when it gets difficult, then it’s not true love. I like that a lot because when you’re in a relationship and things get difficult, you have to prove that you love the person because a lot of times they leave you when things get difficult, but if you stay and work through the difficulties together, that really shows that it’s true love.

Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks 

Within his bending sickle’s compass come; . (l. 9-10) 

Here he tells us that time does not kill love, it takes away your beauty, but still, no matter how ugly you are, in the end your partner will still love you if it is true love. I am a fan of this part of the poem because I really believe in the statement: looks attract, personality makes you stay. 

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, 

But bears it out ev’n to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me prov’d, 

I never writ, nor no man ever lov’d. (l.11-14)

He claims that love does not change over time and that if it is real love, it will not die until death. He even makes a bet that if he is wrong about what he wrote, he never wrote that poem and no one has ever truly loved anyone. This shows that he is sure of true love, and I like it very much that he is so sure of that.

My least favourite poem so far: 

So far, I haven’t really disliked any poem, but if I had to pick one, it would be Woman’s constancy by John Donne. I found it hard to read and understand because it has a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary in it. The speaker in this poem questions the faithfulness and loyalty of the woman he is with.

Now thou has loved me one whole day,

Tomorrow when you leav’st, what wilt thou say?

Wilt thou then antedate some new-made vow? (l. 1-3)

Already in the very first line he starts questioning her, wondering if she’s going to leave in the morning, and what excuse she’s going to give him if she leaves. I think you can leave whenever you want and you don’t need an excuse to leave, she doesn’t have to justify herself, and he doesn’t even know if she’s leaving, so he shouldn’t worry too much if she leaves because he doesn’t know yet. He even asks if she will make promises to another man once she leaves, which I don’t think is any of his business because it’s her decision.

So lovers’ contracts, images of those,

Bind but till sleep, death’s image, them unloose?  (l. 9-10)

Here he compares the marriage contract – until death do us part – to the contract they made that only binds them until the next morning when they wake up, and asks if the time they spent sleeping is the same as marriage. I do not think that sleeping once should be compared to a marriage contract.

For by tomorrow, I may think so too (l. 17)

In the last line he states that he may wants to leave in the next morning too. That really confused me, because he basically rejects everything he says before and suddenly doesn’t care anymore. I think it’s just not fair to question your lover and than in the end you say you wanna leave too.

All the love poems we have read so far, are usually about pursuing a woman with whom the author had “fallen in love”. They were writing about desire or adultery, seduction, or simple acts of love, but to me, they are bad lovers. They do not love the person, but what the person has. Therefore, I couldn’t find one poem that I love but if I have to choose, Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare would be my favorite one. It is the content that I prefer. The poem follows an ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme. The speaker has a serious and passionate tone to define what is love. 

“…the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,” (ll. 1-3)

This quote signifies that marriage is established by unchanged minds who keep their promises and that nothing can come between them. The speaker wants to convey his true love to his lover by telling her what love is, to him at least. His definition of love shows his passion and the ideal form of love. It does not change and remains long. The words he uses creates a diction that is compelling, yet poetic. 

“Love is not love…” (l. 2)

“Alters when it alteration finds” (l. 3)

“Remover to remove” (l. 4)

I like how Shakespeare uses the same words in different forms, like alters as a verb; alteration as a noun. It is creative and rhythmic. My favorite line of the sonnet is a metaphor.

“Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle’s compass come;” (ll. 9-10)

What is remarkable about the language used in the quote is that it depicts the passions of love in a rhetorical structure. “Love is not a fool of time” – the speaker makes a clear argument for the eternal passion of love, which turns out to be stronger and more pressing in the speaker’s tone. This line stood out to me and the message comes out strong to the audience. 

In contrast to that, a different poem, Oh Mistress Mine by William Shakespeare is however my least favorite of all the poems we have read. It seems to me that the speaker of the poem is telling the woman to stop yearning for true love when the true love is him. I hate the how the words are hard to understand what Shakespeare is conveying, for example, 

“Present mirth hath present laughter;” (l. 8)

The wordplay from the line above is perplexing which I find unattractive. The poem follows the AABCCB-DDEFFE rhyme scheme. It has a playfulness in the speaker’s tone that almost sounds like a high-paced, upbeat song which is one of the reasons why I don’t like the poem. 

“Oh mistress mine! Where are you roaming?

Oh! Stay and hear; your true love’s coming,” (ll. 1-2)

The poem talks about the speaker who is calling his mistress to stay and stop looking for another man. He wants the mistress to finally look at him as he seduces her. This typical storyline is frustrating and the speaker reveals himself as a weakhearted man. This poem is just pathetic.

Reading all of the love poetry so far, I can confidently say that I have picked out my favourites and my least favourites. My absolute favourite poem out of all of them so far, is since feeling is first by E.E Cummings. It’s quite a basic poem, and it doesn’t rhyme at all, not to mention the grammar is awful. But personally, I like it because of the message that the speaker is sending. The main point of the poem is essentially “Don’t overthink things when you could just feel and embrace it”. This is a great message to live by, as over-thinking and over-analyzing prevents you from being in the present, having fun, and enjoying life to the fullest.

“since feeling is first who pays any attention to the syntax of things will never wholly kiss you” (l.1-4)

What the speaker is trying to say here is that people tend to experience their emotions before thinking rationally and analyzing what’s going on. Our emotions, more often than not, overshadow our thinking as feeling comes to us immediately whereas we need to take time to think and analyze what is going on. This is why we are taught not to drive angry, because often times people allow their emotions to control and overpower them, and they get into an accident. The speaker describes that those who take the time to over-analyze their life like a “syntax” (to really break down everything, including the little details) are prevented from living in the moment and enjoying things like romance and youth. Overthinking will never lead to things such as joy and happiness in life.

“wholly to be a fool while Spring is in the world.” (l.5-6)

Here the speaker is describing that he would willingly be a fool if that is what it takes to lead a life devoted to the woman he is speaking to. He wants to embrace and experience the joys of spring with the woman he loves, even if he is a fool for doing so.

“Lady i swear by all flowers. Don’t cry – the best gesture of my brain is less than you eyelids’ flutter” (l.9-12)

The speaker is saying that small things like the flutter of your lovers eyelid, is not something that needs to be analyzed, but rather just simply needs to be enjoyed. Love does not need to be carefully thought and planned out, for it is not a game of chess. The speaker also draws back to the theme of spring by using the word “flower”. This is used to represent the beauty of simply existing, and vitality.

“we are for each other: then laugh, leaning back in my arms for life’s not a paragraph. And death i think is no parenthesis” (l.13-16)

Alas, since feeling is first, is above all else, a love poem. So, we have our speaker desperately trying to convince the woman that “Hey, life is short, we’re not gonna be young forever, let’s get together”. This last line is probably my favourite, because I just love how clever it is, and there are so many different ways to interpret it. The most commonly accepted interpretation is that life is not a paragraph because it is a sentence. Why you ask? Because life is short. Death is no parenthesis because it is a period. What does a period do? End a sentence. Since the author never specified what it truly meant, and well, we can’t ask him, it could also mean that life is not to be wasted on boring literature that you are forced to think about, instead just live in the moment and focus on things like romance.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this poem, I didn’t have to think about a rhyme scheme, and it was more my style. The tone of the romantic was very romantic and almost slightly desperate. The structure of the poem is.. definitely a structure. I don’t know if something got lost along the years but the structure and grammar are probably the only two downsides to this poem. I found everything the speaker said to be sincere, which is always a good thing in a love poem.

To His Coy Mistress. This poem made my skin crawl. Out of all the poems we read in class, this was my least favourite. Personally, I don’t find it romantic at all. The entire poem is just the speaker trying to convince this woman to have intercourse with him. The poem was so over-the-top and miles too long. He could have honestly just summed up what he wanted to say without the whole “I’m gonna stare at your breasts for 200 years each” line, because let’s be honest, who actually wants to hear that?

“I would Love you ten years before the flood, And you should, if you please, refuse Till the conversion of the Jews” (l.7-10)

This entire sentence all seems way too exaggerated for this statement to be anything other than empty words just trying to convince the woman to sleep with him. And as the poem moves on, the speaker becomes more desperate and almost angry, it just grows increasingly bitter and the time moves on.

“Now let us sport while we may” (l.37)

It is quite obvious that the speaker is implying they should have sex now before it is too late, but it’s so awkward. Why refer to it as a sport? “Sport” isn’t a very romantic word, and it just ends up making the poem seem even less romantic than it originally was. If the speaker wanted to try and convince the woman to have intercourse with him, this was not the way to go about it. The entire poem is just false confidence.

For a poem that is meant to be considered romantic, it does a pretty bad job. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. The entire poem seems to be the byproduct of a poorly executed relationship, where they both never spoke to each other. The content, the theme, the sound, none of it gave off even the slightest amount of romance. One of the only plus sides to this poem is that it rhymes nicely, but other than that, I despise it. I will say however, it is very well written, and paints a clear image in your head, and the author successfully uses a very developed and wide range of vocabulary to show the reader that the speaker is well educated. That being said, it will continue to remain my least favourite love poem until I find one I dislike even more.

Woman’s Constancy

Woman’s Constancy is a short poem made by John Donne, and personally my favorite poem out of all the poems we’ve read. the short poem is dedicated to love between people having one night stands. 

It well expresses the vows and loyalties people in these relationships have, and how they are broken the next day. Giving off a cold tone towards love, and words that give a somber imagery. The poem is described by a man, who had a one night stay with an unknown woman and is now regretting his actions when she leaves the next day. Its relatable to most people and relationships, meaning it’s not all happy colors and beautiful relationships. I like the contrast it has to most poems. Something I also enjoy is that it doesn’t say love is true and states that it is imperfect.

The poem gives a starting context of time but not necessarily space, leaving an open imagery. all you know is a day has passed by the phrase:

“Now thou hast loved me one whole day tomorrow when thou leav’st what wilt thou say?” (l. 1-2)

I feel like the poem is sad, and gives a certain freedom to the emotion of the man, where his feelings are mixed about his actions and has self doubt well said by:

“We are not just those persons which we were” (l. 5)

I like the use of words like “wraith, death, forswear”, and the author’s use of r, and words with the similar tone. I think it creates a rhythm to the poem, and makes it easy to follow. It also spikes the power of the man’s voice as he speaks like the phrase:

“And his wraith, any may forswear?” (l. 7)

It also describes the lover who has left and the man’s opinion on her and her way of thinking and acting towards him.

 “For having purposed change, and falsehood, you can have no way but falsehood to be true.” (l. 12-13)

Saying that by lying she is forced to make that lie real.

Overall I love the idea of vain love represented by the poem, where love is not forever but rather temporary. My favorite verse to this poem is the verse “Dispute, and conquer, if I would,

“Which I abstain to do, For by tomorrow, I may think so too.” (l. 15-17)

I love the turn around where neither of them is guilty of not loving each other. It brings an impressive ending to the poem.

Song to my Inconstant mistress

Song to my inconsistent mistress by Thomas Carew explains how a mans heart was broken by a past woman, but now that same man is in love with a better or perfect woman. Representing new relationships.

What the person in the poem is directing the message to is the ex-girlfriend he had before, a hate message telling her that his heart was broken by her and he was damaged but in the end her new girlfriend had become a better person than she was, and she was not worth crying for. This is well said by the phrase:

“When all thy tears shall be as vain As mine were then,” (l. 13-14). 

I don’t like this idea of the person I have now is perfect because at some point he thought the same of her ex. It’s unrealistic and egoistic in my opinion. Also the use of words is very self centered to the speaker, and not the new girlfriend or ex.

I do not enjoy the imagery and the tone the poem uses. I find the words misplaced and unnecessary, described by phrases like: 

“When thou, poor excommunicate” (l.1)

 I find it unnecessary and it doesn’t seem to rhyme the verses organized A,B,A,B,C seem to confuse me and makes the poem’s wording unclear. There is also a lack of connections between phrases

Apart from such I find no clear imagery to the poem, each verse has a completely different imagery than the other, for example

“That heart which thy false oath did wound” (l.7)

is completely different to “Than thine shall by Love’s hand be bound,”. None of them make sense to me, and it ruins the work¡ding of the emotions that are supposed to be represented.

Overall I disagree with the message the poem is giving, but as well I don’t like how its written, the tone, imagery and diction does not fit what Woman’s constancy brought in the way it represented the poem

The poem Separation by W.S. Merwin (1927-2019) is by far my favorite poem. Even though it is very short and just has 1 stanza, it is a powerful poem.  We all have important people in our lives and when you lose someone important to you it really hurts.

“Your absence has gone through me

Like thread through a needle.”

My grandmother passed away in December and even though I’m still healing it doesn’t hurt as much as it did in that moment.

When I read the poem, I remembered her and that’s why it is my favorite.

The poem Woman’s constancy by John Donne (1572-1631) is the poem I hate the most because the author didn’t understand that she was a one-night stand.

“Now thou hast loved me one whole day,

Tomorrow when thou leav’st, what will thou say?”

The author is looking for someone to love but he doesn’t understand that sometimes people are not forever, and those relationships are just for 1 night.

I also didn’t like this poem because I think it has an advanced vocabulary which could be a good thing as well.

I must begin by saying that I do not dislike any of the poems. Each one of them had their own uniqueness alongside a message that is accompanied by with the author’s opinions, and I find it all fascinating, regardless of whether I agree with it or not. The first poem being looked at is, ‘Woman’s Constancy’ by John Donne, the poem has a very consistent rhyming scheme, following a rhyme scheme of aabbcc,  and so the author ensures to add a rhyme for each two sentences. ‘Now thou hast loved me one whole day. Tomorrow when thou leav’st, what wilt thou say?’ The poem’s length changes, sometimes going from a total of four words to a line of seven to eight words. Donne inserts these brief statements that change the idea being previously spoken about and uses them to separate his different ideas from each other. Bind but till sleep, death’s image them unloose? Or, your own end to justify. For having purposed change, and falsehood ,you’. This poem embodies the unwillingness and lack of hope the author illustrates through the speaker of the poem. The speaker is untrusting of the woman and believes she is going to leave him for someone else without any clear indications from her .‘Tomorrow when thou leav’st, what wilt thou say? (line 2). For having purposed change, and falsehood, you. Can have no way but falsehood to be true?’ From a personal view, I cannot afford to think this way. I can’t decide to give that hope up, and decide on a whim that every woman I get with will leave, because that would make finding love impossible.

The next poem is,’ As I Walked Out One Evening’, by W.H Auden. The poem is quite extensive, and for a good reason. It uses its length, to help visualize an occurring event that would eventually explain the entire purpose of the poem. A created scenario in which lovers are being lectured by time, and the speaker happens to have been there. The poem is a ballad with a rhyming scheme abab . ‘As I walked out one evening. Walking down Bristol Street. The crowds upon the pavement’. I appreciate and love the way Auden utilizes the form of a traditional story-teller to deliver the rare insight each of these poems seem to have. He incorporates visual tools and literary devices, making it less of a story and more of a poem. Love is a very big theme in this poem and is spoken about in all ways. But the idea of time being a looming shadow in the distance is also introduced, and how time is always there in the distant, closing the space between. ‘Time watches from the shadow. And coughs when you would kiss’. The message in the poem addresses the issue of time, and confirms it. Reassuring the readers that no matter how strong your love, time doesn’t care for anyone and will go on about its way regardless of anything and everything. It also discusses the use of self-reflection and its ability to transform a person through the years of time, and its importance. ‘O plunge your hands in the water,(line 1). Stare ,stare in the basin. And wonder what you’ve missed.’ Lastly, the lover being addressed is advised to look at themselves and be grateful for what they have, and then it comes back to the topic of love again. How love is the answer to everything and how it should be held up high and its importance should never be forgotten. ‘O look in your distress. Life remains a blessing’. ‘You shall love your crooked neighbor. With your crooked heart’.

Among all the love poetry that I’ve read so far, I don’t have a specific poem that I dislike or like the most. Even though most love poems are created by authors who either try to persuade their lovers to have sexual intercourse with them or propose that women should have fun with men when their youth and beauty maintain, there are two poems that brought me a deep impression, which was To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell and since feeling is first by E. E. Cummings.

To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell is the poem that I like best. It is the longest yet most romantic poem in the poetry collection. Similar to other love poems, Marvell attempted to use the same format to propose that his lover should respond to his love and accept his invitation to do “the sports of love”. Although its intended outcome was sex-related, I am impressed by the romantic atmosphere created by the author’s use of the word and literary devices.

“Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side

Shoulds rubies find; I by the tide

Of Humber would complain.” (ll. 5-7)

In these 3 lines, the author utilizes a river in India, the Ganges, and a river in England, which is represented by “the tide of Humber” to show that they could travel around the world and slowly walk by these attractions and spend their long love’s day together. From his writing style, we can define him as a romantic person.

“An hundred years should go to priase

Thine eyes, and on thy foreheaad gaze;

two hundred to adore each breast,

But thirty thousand to the rest” (ll. 13-16)

From the above 4 lines, it clearly shows that the author used hyperbole to emphasize his love for his lover’s body and soul. The use of exaggeration did enhance the overall romantic atmosphere that appeared before this phrase because no one would spend two hundred years standing still, doing nothing but just adoring a woman’s breast, besides, a human doesn’t have the ability to live more than 100 years in general. Therefore, the author is overstating his love for his lover for an impossibly long period of time and shows that it is unstoppable for the in-loved author to express his love for the woman that he desires at any second in his life.

“Had we but world enough, and time,

This coyness, lady were no crime.” (ll. 1-2)

“The grave’s a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace.” (ll. 31-32)

Apart from including the romanticism movement in the choice of words, the feeling that the author is trying to convey to his lover is sincere but not only wanting and demanding to do “the sports of love” with his lover. From the above phrase, he indicates that it is fine for his lover to be shy and prudish and wants their relationship to be developed at a slow pace because the author thinks that they would have long enough time in the world. In other words, the author is willing to spend his whole life staying with the same woman because the hyperbole evidence above, shows that the author is deeply obsessed and attached to his lover. In comparison with other poems that mainly persuade women to have sexual intercourse with men while their beauty maintains and to have fun while they are young but none of them mention staying together forever after they enjoy “the sports of love” together. Most authors are only aware of their lover’s beauty and bodies instead of souls which is apparently lust, not love. However, Andrew Marvell, a man haunted by mortality, uses different poetic devices and a wide range of diction to show his true heart to his lover and secondly, attempts to propose having sexual intercourse with his lover before they both die.

since feeling is first by E. E. Cummings is the poem that I dislike the most. Although it was categorized as a contemporary love poem, it is not really a love poem because of a lack of romantic atmosphere in the writing style and the diction.

“since feeling is first

who pays any attention

to the syntax of things” (ll. 1-3)

By scrutinizing the diction and meaning of the above lines, the author tends to argue and inquire about the relationship between feeling and thinking by analyzing life as a piece of syntax with different grammar rules and further foreshadowing these analyses into different real-life events. The way he wrote this first few lines made it become the “thesis statement” of the poem and has offered the poem a more philosophical beginning than a romantic beginning and further affect the atmosphere of the ongoing stanzas, even though the author did mention words, such as “kiss”.

“we are for each other: then

laugh, leaning back in my arms

for life’s not a paragraph

And death i think is no parenthesis” (ll. 13-16)

Although its use of words or simple, when the author group it together, the phrase is too hard to interpret and understand because the meaning is too deep that requires you to use a lot of background knowledge to figure out the actual author’s message. Due to this, the poem is not straightforward in convincing its idea, especially in line 16 which was the last line of the poem, which makes the author’s idea confusing sometimes. Therefore, the lack of a romantic atmosphere and the deep hidden message, especially in line 16 which was the last line of the poem, made the poem less convincing and less related to love poems. Nevertheless, proved that the use of metaphor, in this case, is not convincing at all. Using grammar rules and syntax to refer back to life is a new and unique idea compared to other poems but made it less love-related at the same time.

“lady i swear by all flowers. Don’t cry

-the best gesture of my brain is less than

your eyelid’s fluutter which says” (ll. 10-12)

Another reason that I dislike this poem was the ideological differences between the author and me. Refer back to the first sentence:

“since feeling is first” (l. 1)

It is clear that the author stated he believes feelings are the most important things in developing a relationship and that he starts to encourage people to stop overthinking details in love and they should simply enjoy the joy brought by love by ignoring the reality.

“for life’s not a paragraph” (l. 15)

This quote indicated the author thinks that life is short and they should live their life with only feelings and joy. This is not a possible idea because life is bittersweet at all times, the same as love. Love is not only about joy, passion, and enthusiasm, it is more about dullness. Love is when the relationship between couples is not passionate anymore but they still decide to stay and stand by each other’s side. If the author was deeply attached to a woman, it is impossible for their relationship to stay passionate forever, instead, passion will slowly fade away throughout the time the author spends with her. Furthermore, when the passion fades away, their relationship will be more realistic which requires planning and thinking about their future.

“wholly to be a fool

while Spring is in the world

my blood approves,” (ll. 5-7)

The thought that the author believes feelings can conquer reality and thinking is extremely naive and brainless, just like how he mentioned he is perfectly delightful in being a complete fool in the above lines.

They Flee From Me by Thomas Wyatt is one of the better love poems that we have read in my opinion. I like this poem because the content can relate to the modern-day, and I like the use of imagery, tone, and sound. In the lines of this poem an educated, wealthy man speaks about his lovers. The poem is about how the women who seek him in his chamber always flee him and look for something new. I like that this content can relate to today as opposed to taking a stance where true love is the meaning of life. Even though it was written in the 1500s, the fact that the girl is fleeing and not wanting to commit to a relationship is something that happens regularly today.  Another aspect that I like about this poem is the imagery. Specifically, I like the part where the speaker compares his lover to a deer;

“I have seen them, gentle tame, and meek”(l.3).

Although it does not directly state that the animal is a deer, the descriptive words make for distinct imagery of a deer taking bread from a hand. I like the comparison because of the clear visual image. As well as the imagery, another part that I like is the tone that the speaker has in this poem. The tone is mostly sarcastic and bitter and I like that because it makes me laugh. In the line

“But since that, I so kindly am served, I fain would know what she hath deserved”(l.20)

the word kindly is sarcastic. The speaker is feeling bitter about being left by women and so he uses irony to write about it. The final thing that draws me to this poem is the sound. The use of assonance and consonance complement the poem’s context well.  An example of consonance in this poem is the repeated “s” sound;

“ They flee from me, that sometime did me seek, With naked foot, stalking in my chamber” (ll1-2).

This repeated sound gives off a very soft whisper snake-like sound which fits with the content of predators stalking prey. All aspects of the poem work well together and that is why I like it as well as the fact that it can relate to the modern-day.

 Oh Mistress Mine was written by William Shakespeare and is not one of my favorite poems that we have read so far. I don’t like the content, rhyme scheme, or tone of this poem. The speaker in this poem is speaking to a woman whom he believes is his true love. The content of this poem is the speaker thinks he is the man for this girl and that it is true love;

“ Oh! Stay and hear; your true loves coming” (l.2).

I don’t like the true love aspect of this poem because I think that it is unrealistic. This line also gives the impression that the speaker is arrogant. He is acting like he knows what is best for the girl and the girl should listen to him. Moving away from the content in this poem other things that I do not enjoy are the tone and the rhyme scheme. The tone is unpleasant;

“oh mistress mine where are you roaming.”(l.1).

the speaker gives off a whiny tone which is not enjoyable. I think that the whiney tone contributes to the sound of the poem not flowing nicely.  As opposed to They Flee From Me by Thomas Wyatt there are no sounds of assonance or consonance that add to the experience and sound of the poem. I think that the overall reason that I don’t enjoy this poem, is because I don’t agree with the opinions and content as well as it is not relatable. I think that it is still a well-written poem. 

I have read more love poems so far than I can remember, and they are all impressive. Two of them have been particularly memorable for me. “They Flee from Me” by Thomas Wyatt is a love poem that I like best. Which part specifically I like is how he expresses to the woman he once loved. I was impressed by how original and exciting his choice of words was.

“I have seen them, gentle, tame, and meek,

That now are wild, and do not remember

That sometime they put themselves in danger

To take bread at my hand; and now they range, (ll.3-6)”

In these four lines, the speaker implies himself as standing at the top of the food chain and his lover as a creature lower than him. The implication is that he should have been in charge, but at some point, she became feral and abandoned the speaker. The expression here is particularly interesting, suggesting that there was a thrill of risk-taking “To take bread at my hand”, in other words, a thrill that led to an adulterous relationship. It is fascinating to see the expression of the very sad feeling that he wanted a committing relationship and she wanted variety.

“To the virgins, to Make Much of Time” is a love poem that I hate the most. The reason why I don’t like this is that the poem is not very convincing. The speaker is telling us through this poem to have lots of intercourse and find a husband while we are young.

“Gather ye rosebuds while we may,

Old time is still a-flying;

And this same flower that smiles today

Tomorrow will be dying (ll.1-4)”

Here “rosebud” is a metaphor for a sexual experience or a young woman. Even if it is “smile today”, “Tomorrow will be dying” indicates that time passes quickly and that women should enjoy their youth because it is only for a limited period of time. It is a sign that time passes quickly and that women should enjoy their youth because it is limited. This much is understandable, but the fact that the author, who is a man, says this makes it less convincing. If this were a woman’s own experience, it might make sense, but I am not convinced that a man should be told to enjoy the time-limited opportunities of being a woman while young. In addition, the author says things that are more confusing in the last stanza that follows.

“Then be not coy, but use your time,

And, while ye may, go marry; (ll.13-14)”

Here the author is encouraging people to get married, when before he was encouraging them to take sexual opportunities because youth doesn’t last forever. I see this as a contradiction because it is impossible for a playful person to marry and settle down with just one person. After all, there is a relative contrast between enjoying youth and “go marry”.