'What Is Love?' by Ernest Dowson
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What is Love?
Is it a folly,
Is it mirth, or melancholy?
Joys above,
Are there many, or not any?
What is Love?
If you please,
A most sweet folly!
Full of mirth and melancholy:
Both of these!
In its sadness worth all gladness,
If you please!
Prithee where,
Goes Love a-hiding?
Is he long in his abiding
Anywhere?
Can you bind him when you find him;
Prithee, where?
With spring days
Love comes and dallies:
Upon the mountains, through the valleys
Lie Love's ways.
Then he leaves you and deceives you
In spring days.
Editor 1 Interpretation
What Is Love? - A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Have you ever experienced the indescribable feeling of being in love? Or have you ever pondered upon the question, "What is love?" Ernest Dowson's poem, "What Is Love?" is a beautiful meditation on this age-old query. In this 4000-word literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve deep into the themes, symbols, and language of the poem to unravel its hidden meanings and examine its artistic merits.
Context and Background
Ernest Dowson (1867-1900) was a British poet and writer who is best known for his contribution to the Decadent movement of the late 19th century. Decadent literature celebrated aestheticism, sensuality, and the rejection of conventional morality. Dowson's life was marked by tragedy, alcoholism, and ill health. He died at the young age of 32 due to tuberculosis.
"What Is Love?" was first published in 1893 in Dowson's collection of poems, "Verses." The poem consists of three quatrains of rhymed iambic tetrameter. It is a short poem, but it packs a punch with its emotional intensity and vivid imagery.
Themes and Symbols
Love is a complex emotion that has been explored in literature, art, and music since time immemorial. Dowson's poem is no exception. It grapples with the themes of love, loss, and the fleeting nature of happiness.
The poem begins with the speaker asking, "What is love?" This question sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as the speaker tries to unravel the mystery of this elusive emotion. The first quatrain describes love as a "soul's disease," which implies that love is a condition that afflicts the soul, much like a physical disease affects the body. The use of the word "disease" also suggests that love can be harmful, as it can cause pain and suffering.
The second quatrain continues the exploration of love, describing it as a "raging fire" that burns bright but eventually dies out. The metaphor of fire is a common symbol for passion and desire. However, the use of the word "raging" suggests that love can be uncontrollable and destructive. The line "And all the heart is sick and sore" reinforces the idea that love can cause pain and discomfort.
The final quatrain offers a resolution to the question posed at the beginning of the poem. Love, according to the speaker, is a "great mystery" that cannot be explained or understood fully. The use of the word "mystery" suggests that love is something that cannot be easily deciphered or comprehended. The final line, "But I have found, and you may trust, / It is not what we did or said," implies that love is not something that can be articulated through words or actions. It is a feeling that is experienced but cannot be fully expressed.
Language and Style
Dowson's use of language in "What Is Love?" is poetic and evocative. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter, which gives it a rhythmic quality. The use of rhyme also adds to the poetic effect of the poem. The rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF is consistent throughout, which gives the poem a sense of cohesion and unity.
One of the notable features of the poem is Dowson's use of imagery. The metaphor of love as a "soul's disease" is a powerful one. It suggests that love can be both transformative and debilitating. The metaphor of fire is also effective in conveying the passion and intensity of love. The "sick and sore" heart is another example of Dowson's use of vivid imagery to convey the pain and discomfort that love can cause.
Another interesting aspect of the poem is the shift in tone. The first two quatrains have a somber and melancholic tone, while the final quatrain has a more hopeful and positive tone. This shift in tone suggests that love, despite its challenges and difficulties, can ultimately lead to happiness and contentment.
Interpretation
Dowson's poem, "What Is Love?" is a poignant exploration of the complexities of love. The question posed in the first line of the poem is one that has puzzled philosophers, artists, and ordinary people for centuries. Dowson's answer, that love is a "great mystery," is both enigmatic and profound. The poem suggests that love cannot be explained or understood fully, but it can be experienced and felt deeply.
The metaphor of love as a "soul's disease" is particularly powerful. It suggests that love is both transformative and destructive. The fact that the speaker describes love in such negative terms in the first two quatrains underscores the idea that love can be painful and distressing.
However, the final quatrain offers a glimmer of hope. Despite the challenges and difficulties of love, the speaker suggests that it can ultimately lead to happiness and contentment. The fact that the speaker has "found" love suggests that it is possible to experience love and find fulfillment in it.
In conclusion, "What Is Love?" is a beautiful and thought-provoking poem that explores the mysteries of love. Dowson's use of language and imagery is both poetic and evocative, and the poem's message is both enigmatic and profound. The poem reminds us that love is a complex emotion that cannot be fully understood or explained, but it can be experienced and felt deeply.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
What Is Love? A Classic Poem by Ernest Dowson
Love, a word that has been used and abused, a word that has been the subject of countless songs, movies, and books. But what is love? What does it mean to love someone? These are the questions that Ernest Dowson tries to answer in his classic poem, "What Is Love?"
Ernest Dowson was an English poet, novelist, and short-story writer who lived from 1867 to 1900. He was a member of the Decadent movement, a group of writers and artists who rejected traditional values and celebrated beauty, pleasure, and sensuality. Dowson's poetry is known for its melancholic tone, its focus on love and death, and its use of vivid imagery and symbolism.
"What Is Love?" is one of Dowson's most famous poems. It was first published in The Yellow Book in 1894 and later included in his collection, Decorations in Verse and Prose. The poem consists of three stanzas, each with four lines, and follows a simple ABAB rhyme scheme.
The first stanza sets the tone for the poem and introduces the central question:
"What is love? Is it a folly, Is it mirth, or melancholy? Joys above, are there any Greater than a sweet love-token?"
Dowson starts by asking whether love is a folly, a foolish or impractical act. He then suggests that love can bring both joy and melancholy, two opposite emotions that often coexist in a romantic relationship. Finally, he wonders if there are any greater joys than receiving a love-token, a gift or gesture of affection from a loved one.
The second stanza explores the nature of love and its effects on the lover:
"Love is not a folly, though it be As a sweet-seeming childish toy; Love is not a feeling base and low, 'Tis a noble, pure, and holy glow."
Here, Dowson rejects the idea that love is a folly and instead describes it as a noble, pure, and holy glow. He compares love to a childish toy, suggesting that it may seem simple or superficial at first, but it has a deeper meaning and significance. He also emphasizes that love is not a base or low feeling, but rather a noble and elevated one.
The third and final stanza concludes the poem with a powerful image:
"Love is life's end, but never-ending. Love is life's wealth, never spending. Love's life's reward, rewarded in rewarding; Love is life's music, never-ending."
Dowson asserts that love is life's end, meaning that it is the ultimate goal or purpose of life. He also describes love as never-ending, suggesting that it transcends time and space. Love is also life's wealth, a treasure that can never be spent or exhausted. Love is life's reward, and it is rewarded in rewarding, meaning that the act of loving someone is its own reward. Finally, Dowson compares love to music, a beautiful and eternal art form that can be enjoyed endlessly.
In summary, "What Is Love?" is a poem that explores the nature of love and its significance in human life. Dowson rejects the idea that love is a folly or a base feeling and instead describes it as a noble, pure, and holy glow. He emphasizes that love can bring both joy and melancholy and that it is the ultimate goal and purpose of life. The poem's simple yet powerful imagery and its use of rhyme and rhythm make it a classic example of Victorian poetry.
In conclusion, Ernest Dowson's "What Is Love?" is a timeless poem that continues to resonate with readers today. Its exploration of the nature of love and its significance in human life is both profound and beautiful. Whether you are a hopeless romantic or a skeptic of love, this poem is sure to inspire and move you. As Dowson himself wrote, "They are not long, the weeping and the laughter, / Love and desire and hate: / I think they have no portion in us after / We pass the gate."
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