'THE MAD MAID'S SONG' by Robert Herrick


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Good morrow to the day so fair;
Good morning, sir, to you;
Good morrow to mine own torn hair,
Bedabbled with the dew.

Good morning to this primrose too;
Good morrow to each maid;
That will with flowers the tomb bestrew
Wherein my Love is laid.

Ah!woe is me, woe, woe is me,
Alack and well-a-day!
For pity, sir, find out that bee,
Which bore my Love away.

I'll seek him in your bonnet brave;
I'll seek him in your eyes;
Nay, now I think they've made his grave
I' th' bed of strawberries.

I'll seek him there; I know, ere this,
The cold, cold earth doth shake him;
But I will go, or send a kiss
By you, sir, to awake him.

Pray hurt him not; though he be dead,
He knows well who do love him;
And who with green turfs rear his head,
And who do rudely move him.

He's soft and tender, pray take heed,
With bands of cowslips bind him,
And bring him home;--but 'tis decreed
That I shall never find him.

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Mad Maid's Song: A Masterpiece of Robert Herrick

Are you looking for a poem that will take you through an emotional rollercoaster? Do you want to feel like you are witnessing a mad woman's innermost secrets? Look no further than Robert Herrick's "The Mad Maid's Song."

This five-stanza poem is a remarkable piece of poetry that has been celebrated for centuries. It captures the essence of madness, loneliness, and despair in a way that is both haunting and beautiful. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will dissect the poem stanza by stanza and take a closer look at the themes, literary devices, and interpretations that make this poem a masterpiece.

Stanza One: The Mad Maid's Lament

"Good morrow to the day so fair; Good morning, sir, to you; Good morrow to mine own torn hair, Bedabbled with the dew."

The poem opens with a greeting to the day, but it is not a cheerful one. The speaker of the poem, a mad maid, greets the day and her own hair, which is "torn" and "bedabbled with dew." The use of the word "torn" suggests that the maid is in distress, while "bedabbled with dew" indicates that she has been outside all night.

The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem. We get a sense that the maid is troubled and that she is not in control of her thoughts or actions. The use of the word "mad" in the title reinforces this idea.

Stanza Two: The Mad Maid's Delight

"Good morrow to this primrose too; Good morrow to each maid That will with flowers the tomb bestrew Wherein my love is laid."

In this stanza, the mood changes. The maid greets a primrose and other maids who are laying flowers on a tomb. The use of the word "delight" in the title of this stanza suggests that the maid is happy to see the flowers and the other maids.

However, the tone of the poem remains eerie. The maid's delight is not shared by the other maids, who are mourning a lost love. The contrast between the maid's joy and the other maids' sorrow creates a sense of unease.

Stanza Three: The Mad Maid's Memories

"Ah, woe is me, woe, woe is me, Alack and well-a-day! For pity, sir, find out that bee Which bore my love away."

The third stanza is the most emotional of the poem. The maid laments the loss of her love and asks for the help of a passerby to find the bee that took him away. The use of the word "ah" at the beginning of the stanza and "woe" throughout creates a sense of despair.

The maid's obsession with the bee is a metaphor for her grief. Her love has been taken away, and she cannot accept it. The repetition of the phrase "woe is me" emphasizes the depth of her sorrow.

Stanza Four: The Mad Maid's Absurdity

"See, see, the chariot, and those horses With reins and tail, see, see the postillion With laced boots: ah, wonder courses! Now they are gone, and gone is all his fun."

The fourth stanza is the most surreal of the poem. The maid sees a chariot and horses with a postilion in laced boots. The use of the word "see" at the beginning of each line creates a sense of urgency, as if the maid is desperate for the passerby to see what she sees.

The absurdity of the image suggests that the maid is not in her right mind. The reference to "all his fun" at the end of the stanza implies that the maid is remembering a time when she was happy with her love. However, the reference to the chariot and horses is a figment of her imagination.

Stanza Five: The Mad Maid's Conclusion

"I'll seek him there, I know, ere this The summer fully die; Ah, silly soul, how can'st thou miss What he thy soul doth tie?"

The final stanza is a conclusion to the maid's thoughts. She decides to seek her love in a place where she knows he will be. The use of the word "silly" suggests that the maid is aware that her actions are foolish.

The final line, "what he thy soul doth tie," is a reference to the power of love. The maid is tied to her love, and she cannot let go of him. The use of the word "soul" suggests that her love is more than just a physical attraction. It is a spiritual connection.

Literary Devices

"The Mad Maid's Song" is a masterful use of literary devices. Herrick uses repetition, metaphor, and imagery to create a sense of madness, despair, and longing. The repetition of the phrase "woe is me" emphasizes the maid's despair, while the metaphor of the bee highlights her obsession.

The imagery in the poem is haunting. The reference to the torn hair and bedabbled dew in the first stanza creates a sense of physical distress. The surreal image of the chariot and horses in the fourth stanza is disorienting.

The use of rhyme and meter in the poem is also noteworthy. The poem has a simple ABAB rhyme scheme and is written in iambic tetrameter. The simplicity of the rhyme and meter contrasts with the complexity of the emotions being conveyed.

Interpretation

"The Mad Maid's Song" can be interpreted in many ways. Some readers see it as a commentary on mental illness, while others see it as a metaphor for the pain of lost love. The use of the word "mad" in the title suggests that the poem is meant to be interpreted as a portrayal of mental illness.

The maid's obsession with the bee can be seen as a metaphor for grief. Her inability to let go of her love is a common theme in literature. The contrast between the maid's joy in the second stanza and the other maids' sorrow can be seen as a commentary on the fleeting nature of happiness.

Conclusion

"The Mad Maid's Song" is a masterpiece of poetry. It captures the essence of madness, despair, and longing in a way that is both haunting and beautiful. Herrick's masterful use of literary devices creates a sense of disorientation that mirrors the maid's state of mind. The poem can be interpreted in many ways, but its universal themes of grief and love make it a timeless piece of literature.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The Mad Maid's Song by Robert Herrick is a classic poem that has stood the test of time. It is a beautiful and haunting piece of poetry that captures the essence of madness and the human condition. In this article, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language used in the poem to gain a deeper understanding of its meaning.

The poem is written in the first person, with the speaker being a mad maid who is wandering through the woods. The opening lines of the poem set the tone for the rest of the piece, with the speaker declaring that she is "mad" and that she is "free." This juxtaposition of madness and freedom is a recurring theme throughout the poem, and it is one that is explored in great detail.

The first stanza of the poem is filled with vivid imagery that helps to set the scene. The speaker describes the woods as being "green" and "fair," and she talks about the "sweet birds" that sing in the trees. However, there is also a sense of danger in the woods, with the speaker talking about the "winding streams" and the "thorny brakes" that she must navigate. This imagery helps to create a sense of tension and unease, which is a recurring theme throughout the poem.

The second stanza of the poem is where the speaker's madness becomes more apparent. She talks about how she is "free" and how she can "dance and sing." However, there is also a sense of sadness in her words, with her talking about how she is "forsaken" and how she has "no friend." This sense of loneliness and isolation is a common theme in poetry, and it is one that is explored in great detail in this poem.

The third stanza of the poem is perhaps the most haunting. The speaker talks about how she is "mad" and how she can "see things that others cannot." She talks about how she can see "fairies" and "goblins" and how she can hear the "music of the spheres." This imagery is both beautiful and terrifying, and it helps to create a sense of otherworldliness that is often associated with madness.

The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most poignant. The speaker talks about how she is "mad" and how she is "free," but she also talks about how she is "weary" and how she longs for "rest." This sense of weariness and longing is a common theme in poetry, and it is one that is explored in great detail in this poem. The final lines of the poem are particularly haunting, with the speaker declaring that she is "mad" and that she is "free," but also that she is "nothing" and that she is "all."

In terms of language, the poem is filled with beautiful and evocative imagery. The use of words like "fair," "green," and "sweet" helps to create a sense of beauty and wonder, while the use of words like "thorny," "winding," and "forsaken" helps to create a sense of danger and unease. The use of repetition is also effective, with the speaker repeating the phrase "I am mad" throughout the poem to create a sense of emphasis and urgency.

Overall, The Mad Maid's Song by Robert Herrick is a beautiful and haunting piece of poetry that explores the themes of madness, freedom, and the human condition. The use of vivid imagery and evocative language helps to create a sense of tension and unease, while the recurring themes of loneliness and weariness help to create a sense of poignancy and longing. This is a classic poem that is well worth reading and exploring in greater detail.

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