Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Poetry: Language 

Whenas in silks my Julia goes
Then, then, (methinks) how sweetly flows[JSA/JRA1] 
That liquefaction [JSA/JRA2] of her clothes.
 
Next, when I cast [JSA/JRA3] mine eyes and see
That brave vibration [JSA/JRA4] each way free[JSA/JRA5] ;
Oh, how that glittering taketh me!
 
        -- Robert Herrick

ü Two rhetorically parallel tersest (three lines) with rhyme AAA and BBB – cinch things together.

ü First-then sequence: mini narrative that also details his responses about his lover in two different states; in the first stanza she is “going” and in the second stanza he is seeking and seeing her differently.

ü Parallel “sweetly flows” with “vibrating” and “free” (see comments)

ü Look at grammar: verbs in first stanza are active, intransitive verbs. Verbs in second stanza are all transitive – they are doing things to something.

[JSA/JRA1]Specifically refers to her clothes.

[JSA/JRA2]Longest word. Scientific (process of liquefying) and figurative. In any poem consisting in one or two syllable words, longer words take on special prominence.

[JSA/JRA3]He casts – fishing as well as looking – as the subject of the action to being taken (object of the action) by her.

[JSA/JRA4]Longest word in second stanza. Also scientific. Near rhyme to liquefaction.

[JSA/JRA5]What is free? What is vibrating? Her hips? Her breasts? Is she ungirdled, unbound, naked? This is suggested, but not explicitly stated.

posted by Jeffrey @ Tuesday, November 29, 2005

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