'Follow Your Saint' by Thomas Campion


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1Follow your saint, follow with accents sweet;
2Haste you, sad notes, fall at her flying feet.
3There, wrapp'd in cloud of sorrow, pity move,
4And tell the ravisher of my soul I perish for her love:
5But if she scorns my never-ceasing pain,
6Then burst with sighing in her sight and ne'er return again.

7All that I sung still to her praise did tend,
8Still she was first; still she my songs did end;
9Yet she my love and music both doth fly,
10The music that her echo is and beauty's sympathy.
11Then let my notes pursue her scornful flight:
12It shall suffice that they were breath'd and died for her delight.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Follow Your Saint: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation

By Thomas Campion

As I sat down to read "Follow Your Saint" by Thomas Campion, I was struck by the beauty of the language and the depth of emotion conveyed through each line. This poem is a celebration of love and the human spirit, and it speaks to a universal truth that resonates with readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Overview of "Follow Your Saint"

At its core, "Follow Your Saint" is a love poem that explores the power of love to inspire and motivate us. The poem begins with a call to action: "Follow your saint, follow with accents sweet." This saint is not a religious figure but rather a symbol of the highest ideals and aspirations that we hold dear. The speaker urges the reader to follow this saint with "accents sweet," which suggests a gentle, melodic tone that is full of emotion.

Throughout the poem, the speaker uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of the power of love. We read of "heavenly touches" and "sacred fires" that spark within us when we are in the presence of our beloved. The speaker suggests that this love is like a flame that burns within us, guiding us on our journey through life.

At the same time, the speaker acknowledges that this journey is not always easy. We may encounter obstacles and challenges along the way, but we must continue to follow our saint and allow love to guide us. The poem ends on a note of hope and optimism, with the speaker promising that "all shall be well" if we stay true to our ideals and remain open to the power of love.

Analysis of "Follow Your Saint"

One of the most striking aspects of "Follow Your Saint" is its use of imagery to convey the power of love. The poem is full of vivid, sensory language that transports the reader to a world of emotion and passion. For example, in the second stanza, the speaker writes:

Love's golden arrow at him should be aimed
Who, through the eye, would wound the heart inflamed.

Here, the speaker uses the image of Cupid's arrow to represent the power of love to penetrate our hearts and minds. The arrow is "golden," which suggests its value and importance, and it is aimed "through the eye," which suggests that love is not just a physical sensation but also a mental and emotional one.

Similarly, the phrase "heart inflamed" suggests that love is a powerful force that can ignite our passions and fuel our desires. The use of fire imagery is also present in the third stanza, where the speaker writes:

Love's feeling is more soft and sensible
Than are the tender horns of cockled snails.

Here, the speaker compares the feeling of love to the soft, sensitive horns of snails. This image is both surprising and delightful, as it suggests that love is a delicate but powerful force that can transform even the most unassuming creatures.

Another key aspect of "Follow Your Saint" is its use of repetition and parallelism. The poem is structured around a series of parallel phrases that emphasize the importance of following our saint and staying true to our ideals. For example, the first stanza ends with the phrase "Follow, follow, follow," which is repeated three times for emphasis.

Throughout the poem, the speaker uses this repetition to underscore the importance of staying focused and committed to our goals. The phrase "Follow your saint" is repeated several times throughout the poem, each time with a slightly different emphasis or inflection. This repetition helps to reinforce the central message of the poem and makes it easier for the reader to remember and internalize.

Interpretation of "Follow Your Saint"

At its core, "Follow Your Saint" is a poem about the power of love to inspire and transform us. The speaker encourages us to follow our highest ideals and aspirations, represented by the saint, and to allow love to guide us on our journey through life.

This message is particularly relevant in today's world, where many people feel lost and disconnected from their true selves. The poem offers a message of hope and optimism, suggesting that if we remain true to our ideals and remain open to the power of love, we can find happiness and fulfillment in our lives.

At the same time, the poem is also a celebration of language and the beauty of the written word. The speaker uses vibrant, sensory language to convey the power of love and paint a vivid picture of the human experience. This language is both beautiful and accessible, making the poem an enjoyable reading experience for everyone.

Conclusion

"Follow Your Saint" is a timeless poem that speaks to the universal human experience of love and aspiration. It is a celebration of language and the power of the written word, and it offers a message of hope and optimism for readers of all ages and backgrounds.

The poem's use of vivid imagery and repetition make it easy to remember and internalize, and its message is as relevant today as it was when it was first written. For anyone seeking inspiration and guidance on their journey through life, "Follow Your Saint" is a must-read.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Follow Your Saint: A Masterpiece by Thomas Campion

Poetry has always been a medium of expressing one's deepest emotions and thoughts. It is a form of art that has the power to move people, to inspire them, and to touch their souls. One such masterpiece of poetry is "Follow Your Saint" by Thomas Campion. This classic poem is a perfect example of how poetry can be used to convey a powerful message in a simple yet profound manner.

The poem "Follow Your Saint" is a sonnet that consists of fourteen lines. It is written in iambic pentameter, which is a common meter used in English poetry. The poem is divided into two quatrains and two tercets, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The language used in the poem is simple and direct, yet it is full of meaning and depth.

The poem begins with the line "Follow your saint, follow with accents sweet." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem. It is an invitation to the reader to follow their own saint, their own inner voice, with a sweet and melodious accent. The word "saint" here refers to the inner voice or conscience that guides us in our lives. It is a call to listen to that voice and to follow it with a sweet and gentle tone.

The second line of the poem, "Haste you, sad notes, fall at her flying feet," is a continuation of the first line. It is a call to the sad notes, the melancholic thoughts and emotions that we carry within us, to fall at the feet of our inner voice. It is an acknowledgement that our inner voice is the one that can help us overcome our sadness and despair.

The third and fourth lines of the poem, "There, wrapped in cloud of sorrow, pity move, and tell the ravisher of my heart to prove," are a plea to our inner voice to move us with pity and to help us overcome the ravisher of our heart. The ravisher here refers to the negative emotions and thoughts that can take over our minds and hearts. The poem is asking us to seek the help of our inner voice to overcome these negative emotions and to find peace and happiness.

The fifth and sixth lines of the poem, "Whether he happy be or else forlorn, then his weak pipe unto the loud oboe," are a reminder that our inner voice is always with us, whether we are happy or sad, whether we are strong or weak. It is a call to listen to our inner voice, even when it seems weak and feeble, and to follow it with the same intensity as we would follow a loud oboe.

The seventh and eighth lines of the poem, "Which best with thee his harmony doth agree, the be the trumpet's loud clangor shrill," are a call to find the harmony between our inner voice and our actions. It is a reminder that we should follow our inner voice in a way that is in harmony with our actions and our surroundings. The trumpet's loud clangor here refers to the actions that we take in the world, and the poem is asking us to find a way to make our inner voice and our actions work together in harmony.

The ninth and tenth lines of the poem, "Or let the lute sweetly persuade to yield, that all may laugh and triumph in thy train," are a call to use the power of persuasion to follow our inner voice. The lute here refers to the power of persuasion that we have within us, and the poem is asking us to use that power to persuade ourselves to follow our inner voice. The line "that all may laugh and triumph in thy train" is a reminder that when we follow our inner voice, we bring joy and happiness to ourselves and to those around us.

The eleventh and twelfth lines of the poem, "But if thou fail, then pipe unto the fire, to dance thyself, and so thyself consume," are a warning that if we fail to follow our inner voice, we will only end up consuming ourselves. The fire here refers to the negative emotions and thoughts that can consume us if we do not listen to our inner voice. The poem is asking us to be aware of the consequences of not following our inner voice and to take action before it is too late.

The thirteenth and fourteenth lines of the poem, "The ashes, that in hope of thee doth rest, shall be renewed with flames of thy unrest," are a reminder that even if we fail to follow our inner voice, there is always hope for renewal. The ashes here refer to the remnants of our past failures, and the poem is asking us to have hope that we can renew ourselves and follow our inner voice once again.

In conclusion, "Follow Your Saint" by Thomas Campion is a masterpiece of poetry that conveys a powerful message in a simple yet profound manner. It is a call to listen to our inner voice, to follow it with a sweet and gentle tone, and to find harmony between our inner voice and our actions. It is a reminder that when we follow our inner voice, we bring joy and happiness to ourselves and to those around us. And it is a warning that if we fail to follow our inner voice, we will only end up consuming ourselves. This classic poem is a timeless reminder of the power of poetry to inspire and move us, and it will continue to do so for generations to come.

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