Summary Poem Analysis of 'Song' by Lady Mary Wroth
31 views 0 purchase
Course
Poetry
Institution
CIE
Here’s a full analysis of the poem 'Song: Love, a child, is ever crying’ by Lady Mary Wroth, tailored towards A-Level students but also suitable for those studying at a higher level.
Includes:
THE POEM
VOCABULARY
STORY / SUMMARY
SPEAKER / VOICE
LANGUAGE FEATURES
STRUCTURE / FORM
CON...
Song: Love, a child, is ever crying
Lady Mary Wroth
LOVE, a child, is ever crying;
Please him, and he straight is flying;
Give him, he the more is craving,
Never satisfied with having.
His desires have no measure;
Endless folly is his treasure;
What he promiseth he breaketh;
Trust not one word that he speaketh.
He vows nothing but false matter;
And to cozen you will flatter;
Let him gain the hand, he’ll leave you
And still glory to deceive you.
He will triumph in your wailing;
And yet cause be of your failing:
These his virtues are, and slighter
Are his gifts, his favours lighter.
, Feathers are as firm in staying;
Wolves no fiercer in their preying;
As a child then, leave him crying;
Nor seek him so given to flying.
VOCABULARY
Ever - forever / always
Folly - foolishness / stupidity
Promiseth - promises
Breaketh - breaks
Speaketh - speaks / says
Vow - promise
Matter - things
To cozen - to deceive, trick somebody into doing something
Virtues - good qualities
STORY/SUMMARY
The speaker in Stanza 1 says that love is a child, always crying. If he’s pleased he runs
off fast, the more he’s given, the more he asks for - he is never satisfied with what he
has. In Stanza 2, she says that you can’t measure how much he wants, and that he
loves foolishness, he breaks his promises so don’t trust a word he says. Stanza 3 states
that he only makes false promises, and he will flatter you to trick you, if you let him win
he’ll leave and still find glory in deceiving you. In Stanza 4, she says that love will
rejoice when you’re sad and also be the cause of your failure, even though these are
bad qualities, they are the best things you’ll manage to find about him, and he has
even fewer talents than this. Finally, in Stanza 5 the speaker concludes that love sticks
more firmly than feathers, and is fiercer than wolves, so you should leave him crying as
a child and never give your attention to him or go searching for him.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller natashatabani. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.87. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
