The speaker in "Let me not to the marriage of true minds" takes the prescriptive approach as he dictates what love is. The speaker has a romanticized perspective of love as he makes declarations on the supposed infallibility of love with statements like "O, no, it is an ever fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken" and "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom" (Shakespeare 5-6, 11-12). Based on these statements, the speaker possesses what I consider to be a naive view of love, similar to the unrealistic depictions that's fed to little girls' expectations today through media such as Disney fairy tales and music. Naive might not the right word to describe this perspective, I would even go as far as to call it childish, as the speaker asserts the irrefutable infallibility of love with the statement "If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved" (Shakespeare 13-14). Considering that Shakespeare had a mature understanding of human nature and relations, it is a wonder why the speaker in the poem is in love with the notion of love.
The speaker in "What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why" is a stark contrast to Shakespeare's speaker in tone and perspective. The speaker here speaks with a tone that I would describe as either world-weary or disillusioned as she reflects on what seems to be the failure of the reality of love to meet her expectations of love. While it is never outright stated, it is implied that the speaker has been through many relationships that have ended in failure with the lines "In my heart there stirs a quiet pain For unremembered lads that not again Will turn to me at midnight with a cry" and "I cannot say what loves have come and gone, I only know that summer sang in me A little while, that in me sings no more" (Millay 6-8, 12-14). While the poem is more difficult to decipher, it lends credence to the interpretation of the speaker reflecting on her past experiences of pursuing love and becoming disillusioned with the notion of love since the beginning of the poem makes direct references to this. The line "The rain is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh Upon the glass and listen for reply" is very telling, for the rain can be an indication of the speaker's disposition and ghosts can be referring to past lovers (Millay 3-5). With this in mind, the line suggests that the speaker is trying to reflect on previous relationships but can't remember her lovers, since the "ghosts are listening for her response" with could mean recognition or acknowledgement of them by her.
The two poems compliment each other as one is able to examine love through the lens of an idealist and a jaded veteran. What's notable in comparing the poems and their speakers is that the male is the one who is obsessed with the idea of love, which isn't the norm in how relationships are depicted today. While there's no way find out this information, it would be interesting to know the ages of both speakers, since it would help inform their perspectives.
Excellent explication and commentary! In regards to Shakespeare's sonnet: naive and prescriptive are two great adjectives to describe the speaker's view and approach to love, are these more common to women? the speaker is not necessarily the poet, so is it possible that Shakespeare's speaker does not share the famed poet's insights into human emotions/feelings?
ReplyDeleteSo whom do the "ghosts" represent in Millay's sonnet?
Ages of speakers are worth thinking about- what about the time period, gender?