MORTALITY

Life possesses beauty and youth, however, everything comes to an end. There comes

a time where even the fairest rose or the most powerful ruler must wither.

“W H E N I WA S FA I R A N D Y O U N G ”Q U E E N E L I Z A B E T H I

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Summary: The speaker reveals her new found regret, after she realizes

that beauty and the aspects of youth do not last forever. It was after

causing so many hurtful rejections and neglecting that she comes to see

the cold truth that even she would come to fade in grace.

“But I the prouder grew, and still this spake therefore: Go, go, go, seem

some otherwhere; importune me no more”

Speaker: Egotistical and regretful woman who advices the young to not

waste their golden years, such as she once did.

Subject: To a young audience

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Tone: Regretful

The speaker realizes that youth and beauty should not lead to much egotism, as it is only temporary and will fade inevitably.

AllusionBy alluding to her encounter with Venus, it is at this point that she comes to loose her pride and gains regret.

Repetition The repetition of this phrase throughout the poem demonstrates how determined, prideful, and strong, her personality is through out her life.

PunctuationThe constant use of commas empowers the speakers words. As the audience reads it at a slower pace, this puts more emphasis on her emotions and authority.

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Diction

The word “importune” emphasizes the pride and ego of the speaker, as it means to bother or pester.

“When I was fair and young, and favour graced me,”

“Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere; importune me no more.”

In the first and last line of the first stanza, the speaker creates a connection between the “favour [that once] graced [her]” and how it leads her to dismiss everyone who approaches her about it. “Favour” and “importune” show a main cause and effect that ultimately leads her to her remorse. Telling others to “importune [her] no more” emphasizes her power over others and how they bother and pester her.

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Metaphor

“I will so pluck your plumes as you shall say no more:

Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere; importune me no more.”

By describing how she will “pluck [her] plumes”, Venus is comparing the speaker to a bird of much finery. The plumes represent her high class and how absorbed she is by it. Threatening to “pluck them” highlights to what extent she is so caught up with herself, it also leads you to foreshadow a new change that will be faced.

Hyperbole

“That neither night or day I could take any rest”

At first, the speaker is repetitive in saying how beautiful she is. However, in the last stanza, she exaggerates how restless she is that at no point of the day can she sleep. This creates contrast to what she initiated her speech with. It shows how much she regrets her actions and how she can barely go on living regularly while carrying this weight inside of her.

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Through multiple literal and stylistic devices,

the speaker demonstrates her lifelong growing pride

followed by new found regret.

“ S O N G : G O , L O V E LY R O S E ! ”E D M U N D W A L L E R

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Summary: The speaker dedicates a rose to the woman he admires and compares her physical

aspects as well as her characteristics to that of the flower. He hopes it’ll open her eyes to the youth

and beauty that she has so that she can appreciate it before it is gone.

“How sweet and fair she seems to be.”

“Bid her come forth, suffer herself to be desired.”

Speaker: Amorous and eager to bring awareness and guidance to the woman he admires.

Subject: An oblivious woman who is the subject of a man’s affection.

Tone: Persuasive

“Tell her that’s young, And shuns to have her graces spied, that hadst thou

sprung, in deserts, where no man abide.”

He is very specific as to what he wants to let her know, he proves it by being

persistent to the rose about carrying all these messages.

MORTALITYPersonificationSpeaker aims his message directly towards the rose, it gives it the characteristic of a person who must serve him as a messenger. This emphasizes that the rose should be a reminder of her qualities and how it also has a goal.

RepetitionHe begins by complimenting her and makes his way towards urging that she understands his message. When repeating this phrase at the end it ties the poem together to it’s original idea, his overall message, that she is lovely and he wants her to understand it.

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Metaphor: The characteristics of a rose are usually sweet and beautiful. Just like the rose, she has all its qualities too. This helps illustrate the woman to the reader.

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Diction “Tell her that’s young” “Then die! That she the common fate of all things rare May read in thee, how small a part of time they share That are so wondrous sweet and fair!”

The poets diction throughout the poem posses authority and demand. By

telling the rose to “tell her” something, or to “then die” it highlights his

persistence. By ordering the rose to wither after all it has to live through,

it’s like telling her that she too will fade and die one day. She may be

beautiful like a flower, but even that flower has to shrivel.

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Edmund Waller’s employment of literal and

stylistic devices throughout the poem emphasizes his

appreciation for a woman and her beauty, while

encouraging her to make early use of it.