So hear is another poem about music. This time a famous poem from the all known William Shakespeare.
Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?
Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy.
Why lov'st thou that which thou receiv'st not gladly,
Or else receiv'st with pleasure thine annoy?
If the true concord of well-tunèd sounds,
By unions married, do offend thine ear,
They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds
In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear.
Mark how one string, sweet husband to another,
Strikes each in each by mutual ordering,
Resembling sire and child and happy mother,
Who, all in one, one pleasing note do sing;
Whose speechless song being many, seeming one,
Sings this to thee: "Thou single wilt prove none."
So this is a poem by William Shakespeare. The classic Shakesperean poem, Sonnet 8 is obviously a sonnet, written in iambic rhythm giving it a very nice flow. This sonnet is about the author urging a young man to have a family, and quit living a single life. All throughout the poem, he uses the metophor of music, comparing the man to a sting or a note, and how alone it sounds sad, but in harmony with other notes, symbolizing a family and wife in unity, the notes sound beautiful, just like this wonderful poem
Thank you for an excellent poem and explication! The Shakespearean language was hard for me to follow, but I could defs see some of the musical metaphors, which, by the way, were clever comparisons. Interesting how "ear" and "bear" rhyme back then. It's neat how Shakespeare is able to write about both music and marriage all in one poem.
ReplyDeleteYeah i agree with lana. i mean i guess it was a good poem but i found it hard to follow with Shakespeare language. Other than that i liked how it wasnt directly about like a musical instrument but the poem related it to life. Good job
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