By Ben Jonson
Come, my Celia, let us prove,
While we can, the sports of love;
Time will not be ours forever;
He at length our good will sever.
Spend not then his gifts in vain.
Suns that set may rise again;
But if once we lose this light,
’Tis with us perpetual night.
Why should we defer our joys?
Fame and rumor are but toys.
Cannot we delude the eyes
Of a few poor household spies,
Or his easier ears beguile,
So removèd by our wile?
’Tis no sin love’s fruit to steal;
But the sweet thefts to reveal,
To be taken, to be seen,
These have crimes accounted been.
Song: to Celia was the first poem that really stuck with me and had evoked a sense of understanding, not based on my own life but just what seemed.. natural. I imagine this poem to be a story of a young couple that resemble Romeo and Juliet in that they have a great love that is in the spotlight of prying eyes. They are not necessarily famous but rather a unique couple that created curiosity in those around them. Love is hoped to last a lifetime for them, as the speaker makes many references to the light and day, that they will not last forever; to make the most of the time they have together. Those with lingering eyes and irrelevant opinions should be ignored because it is not their concern what happens between the two. Similarly, it is not as if their love is anything more scandalous than what has occurred before them.
Many of the points made within this poem are a reflection of how I believe a great relationship, or love, should be viewed as. "Fame and rumor are but toys" (line 10) stood out because in the few meaningful relationships I have had, these two factors had tested the waters. What others thought of the relationship made a great impact on its health, and not for the better. In an ideal world curiosity in other peoples' lives would be minimal and always encouraging. There is so much negativity that floats about relationships, purely based on opinions that should not have as great an impact as they do. This poem is a letter from a lover to their gift, taking the leap to say forget the negativity and opinions, it is just the two of them and no one else matters. The light they have will last as long as they live and they should focus on what they have, not what others believe they lack.
I love how connected you showed me you were to this poem and your explanation of the poem made me feel as though I could connect to it as well. I love how you connected it to your perception of seeing the people in the poem as Romeo and Juliet. That is something we all connect to and can relate to the poem. I know I can relate to saying how rumors can greatly effect a relationship as well. The things people hear or say about other people definitely influence our feelings towards that person and they definitely shouldn't but they do and that is really sad. Do you broken a love like this could actually happen?
ReplyDeleteI really like your poem choice! You did a great job explaining your thoughts and feelings about it. I love that you connected it to Romeo and Juliet. After you made that connection, I went back and re-read the poem and I could just picture them in my head. I agree with you when you say that others can put a strain on your relationship, but I love the couples views in the poem. I hope that one day everyone forgets the negativity and opinions and lives just the two if them. People should have to chance to fall in love. Do you think that everyone deserves a chance at love? Do you think true love exists?
ReplyDeleteI love the reason you chose this poem, and I chose mine for a similar reason. It seems like you recognize while reading love poetry that much of it is dramatic and unnatural. This poem, however, is honest and transparent about what love is and their love as a couple. It shows the sad parts, the parts the make love real and strong. When I finished reading the poem, all I could think was, what came of their relationship and love for each other?
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