'How Many Paltry Foolish Painted Things' by Michael Drayton


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How many paltry foolish painted things,
That now in coaches trouble every street,
Shall be forgotten, whom no poet sings,
Ere they be well wrapped in their winding-sheet!
Where I to thee eternity shall give,
When nothing else remaineth of these days,
And queens hereafter shall be glad to live
Upon the alms of thy superfluous praise.
Virgins and matrons, reading these my rhymes,
Shall be so much delighted with thy story
That they shall grieve they lived not in these times,
To have seen thee, their sex's only glory:
So shalt thou fly above the vulgar throng,
Still to survive in my immortal song.

Editor 1 Interpretation

How Many Paltry Foolish Painted Things: A Critical Analysis

Introduction

Poetry has always been considered the highest form of literature. It is a medium that deals with emotions, imagination, and beauty. Among the hundreds of poets who have left their mark on literature, Michael Drayton is one of the most celebrated. His poem "How Many Paltry Foolish Painted Things" is a masterpiece that captures the essence of love, beauty, and art. In this essay, we will explore the poem in detail and analyze its style, structure, and meaning.

The Poem

How many paltry foolish painted things, That now in coaches trouble every street, Shall be forgotten, whom no poet sings, Ere they be well wrapped in their winding-sheet! Where I to thee eternity shall give, When nothing else remaineth of these days, And queens hereafter shall be glad to live Upon the alms of thy superfluous praise. Virgins and matrons reading these my rhymes, Shall be so much delighted with thy story, That they shall grieve they lived not in these times, To have seen thee, their sex's only glory. So shalt thou fly above the vulgar throng, Still to survive in my immortal song.

Style

Drayton's style in this poem is characterized by simplicity and clarity. He uses simple words and phrases to convey his message. The poem is written in iambic pentameter, which is an elegant and musical meter. The rhyming scheme is ABABCC, which is a classical form of poetry. The language is poetic, but not overly ornate or difficult to understand. Drayton's style is direct, honest, and heartfelt.

Structure

The poem consists of three quatrains and a couplet. The first quatrain introduces the theme of the poem, which is the fleeting nature of beauty and fame. The second quatrain presents the idea that only love and poetry can immortalize a person. The third quatrain addresses the women who will read the poem and be moved by the story it tells. The couplet concludes the poem by promising eternal life to the person being addressed.

Interpretation

The poem is a commentary on the transience of physical beauty and fame. The "paltry foolish painted things" refer to people who are famous for their looks or social status, but whose fame will not endure. The speaker predicts that these people will be forgotten after they die, even though they were once celebrated. The poem suggests that there is something deeper and more enduring than physical beauty or fame, namely love and poetry.

The speaker promises the person being addressed that he will immortalize her through his love and poetry. He says that even when everything else has faded away, she will still be remembered through his words. The poem implies that the poet's love and admiration for the person being addressed is more valuable than any external validation or recognition.

The last quatrain of the poem addresses the women who will read the poem in the future. The speaker suggests that they will be moved by the story of the person being addressed and will feel a sense of regret that they did not live in her time. This is a powerful statement about the enduring nature of beauty and the ability of poetry to transcend time and space.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "How Many Paltry Foolish Painted Things" is a beautiful and powerful poem that explores the theme of the transience of physical beauty and fame. Drayton's style is simple, clear, and elegant, and his use of iambic pentameter and ABABCC rhyme scheme add to the musicality of the poem. The poem suggests that love and poetry are more valuable than external validation or recognition, and that they can immortalize a person in a way that physical beauty or fame cannot. The poem is a testament to the enduring nature of beauty and the power of poetry to transcend time and space.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

How Many Paltry Foolish Painted Things: A Masterpiece of Poetry

Michael Drayton, one of the most celebrated poets of the Elizabethan era, wrote a masterpiece of poetry titled "How Many Paltry Foolish Painted Things." This poem is a beautiful and intricate piece of literature that explores the themes of love, beauty, and the fleeting nature of life. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its structure, language, and meaning.

Structure

The poem is structured in a series of stanzas, each consisting of four lines. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, and the meter is iambic tetrameter. This means that each line has four iambs, which are two syllables consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The result is a rhythmic and musical flow that adds to the beauty of the poem.

Language

The language used in the poem is rich and evocative, with a range of literary devices employed to create a vivid and powerful image. The poem is full of metaphors, similes, and personification, which add depth and meaning to the words. For example, the line "The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem" uses a simile to compare the beauty of a rose to the beauty of a woman. The use of the word "deem" suggests that beauty is subjective and that we perceive it differently depending on our own preferences and biases.

Another example of the use of metaphor is in the line "The lily's white, but oh, her hue's not so." Here, the poet compares the whiteness of a lily to the beauty of a woman, suggesting that there is more to beauty than just physical appearance. The use of the word "hue" suggests that there is a depth and complexity to beauty that goes beyond what we can see with our eyes.

Meaning

The poem explores the theme of beauty and its fleeting nature. The poet suggests that beauty is not something that lasts forever, but rather something that fades with time. He uses the metaphor of flowers to illustrate this point, suggesting that just as flowers wither and die, so too does beauty fade away.

The poem also explores the theme of love and the role that beauty plays in it. The poet suggests that love is not just about physical attraction, but rather something deeper and more meaningful. He suggests that true love is based on a connection that goes beyond physical appearance, and that beauty is just one aspect of that connection.

The poem also explores the theme of perception and how it affects our understanding of beauty. The poet suggests that beauty is subjective and that we perceive it differently depending on our own preferences and biases. He suggests that what one person finds beautiful, another may not, and that this is a natural and normal part of human experience.

Overall, the poem is a beautiful and powerful exploration of the themes of beauty, love, and the fleeting nature of life. It is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the essence of human experience and to convey complex ideas and emotions in a way that is both beautiful and meaningful.

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