Why so pale and wan fond lover?
Prithee why so pale?
Will, when looking well can’t move her,
Looking ill prevail?
Prithee why so pale?
Why so dull and mute young sinner?
Prithee why so mute?
Will, when speaking well can’t win her,
Saying nothing do’t?
Prithee why so mute?
Quit, quit for shame, this will not move,
This cannot take her;
If of herself she will not love,
Nothing can make her;
The devil take her.
Analysis
In Sir John Suckling's "Why so pale and wan fond lover?," two men are discussing how one of them can't make a woman fall in love with him no matter what he does. The speaker repeatedly asks the other man why he's so pale and so quiet. He sees that his efforts were futile and useless and he advises his friend to give up on the girl since nothing is working.
Probably the most shocking part is the ending when he say "Quit, quit for shame, this will not move, / This cannot take her; / If of herself she will not love, / Nothing can make her; / The devil take her." It's gotten to the point where he tells his friend that he should give up on her and she'll go to hell.
sincerely yours,
the breakfast club basketcase
I agree with you in your analysis. the poem can be viewed as a bro talking to his other bro saying " Brah! forget about her! like bro to hell with her" which the devil take her can also mean to hell with her or forget about her.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a really good analysis in explaining what was happening and what they guys meant by the devil can take her. It helped me understand hte poem and what he meant in the poem. Good job
ReplyDeleteYour explanation of the poem helped me to know what the poem was talking about because at first I was confused about it. I understood it better and I agree with what you said at the end of your analysis.
ReplyDeleteYour analysis helped me to better understand the poem, I understood it after reading your analysis.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit confused by the poem since the poem was all broken up in phrases and was in not complete sentences. Your analysis was great and clarified that ambiguity as you began to talk about the paleness of the character. I think that it was important to note that the first two paragraphs seem to be filled with nothing but questions, which shows that the speaker is genuine in his feelings on helping and that the speaker is knows his friend well. Your analysis connected the whole poem which made it easier to see what events were unfolding.
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