Cherry-Ripe
By Thomas Campion
There is a garden in her face
Where roses and white lilies blow;
A heavenly paradise is that place,
Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow
There cherries grow which none may buy
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.Those cherries fairly do enclose
Of orient pearl a double row,
Which when her lovely laughter shows,
They look like rose-buds filled with snow;
Yet them no peer nor prince can buy
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.Her eyes like angels watch them still;
Her brows like bended bows do stand,
Threat’ning with piercing frowns to kill
All that attempt with eye or hand
Those sacred cherries to come nigh,
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.
Summary of Cherry-Ripe
- Popularity of “Cherry-Ripe”: The poem, ‘Cherry-Ripe’ was written by Thomas Campion, a great English poet, and physician. It is a descriptive, poetic piece that was published in 1617. The poem unfolds the striking attractiveness of a lady compared with a garden full of eye-catching flowers and ripe fruits. It also explains that apart from being beautiful, the lady possesses positive character traits that distinguish her from ordinary women. The jaw-dropping description of the natural world and its relevance to female beauty makes this poem worth reading.
- “Cherry-Ripe” As a Representative of Beauty and Wonder: This poem is about a lady whose beauty is compared with the magnificent natural world. It begins when the speaker compares her with a garden full of fruits, lovely flowers, cherries, and lilies. To him, white lilies and roses compose her attractive face, while cherry refers to her lips. The poet has compared her teeth with a double row of ancient pearls. To enhance her beauty, he adds that these pearls act as snow-filled rosebuds when the lady laughs. Although she is the epitome of beauty, no one can dare to touch her unless she allows it. Her dignity and grace further enhance her glory; no prince or peer can buy this garden. Instead, she chooses by herself who can have the taste of her lovely garden.
- Major Themes in“Cherry-Ripe”: Beauty of the natural world, amazement, and feminine beauty are the major themes of the poem. Rich with poetic and literary elements, the poem compares a woman’s beauty with a garden full of delicate flowers and ripe fruits. The speaker draws his contrastive opinion about the unparalleled beauty of the lady, which makes her sound special. However, in the latter part, he discusses her positive character traits; she is a modest, graceful, and decent lady who has her own lifestyle. She doesn’t use her beauty as a weapon or allow any random person to take away her innocence. Instead, she waits for the one she would allow to have her cherry-ripe.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Cherry-Ripe
literary devices allow the writers to create meanings in seemingly simple poems. The devices used in this poem are analyzed as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “Those sacred cherries to come nigh” and the sound of /i/ in “They look like rose-buds filled with snow.”
- Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. Thomas has repeated the word “her” in the last stanza of the poem to emphasize the point. For example,
“Her eyes like angels watch them still;
Her brows like bended bows do stand.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /w/ in “Which when.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “All that attempt with eye or hand” and the sound of /h/ in “Which when her lovely laughter shows.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow
There cherries grow which none may buy
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow”, “Her eyes like angels watch them still” and “They look like rose-buds filled with snow.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet compares the lady’s face with the garden in the opening line, where it is stated as, “There is a garden in her face/Where roses and white lilies blow.”
- Simile: It is a device used to compare something with something else to make the meanings clear to the readers. Thomas used this device throughout the poem to compare the lady’s beauty with a lovely garden, such as; “Her eyes like angels watch them still”, “Her brows like bended bows do stand” and “They look like rose-buds filled with snow.”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. “Cherry-ripe” symbolizes the attractive and inviting lips of the lady.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Cherry-ripe
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having metaphors and similes.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Robert Frost used end rhyme in this poem such as; “cry/buy”, “still/kill” and “stand/hand.”
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABABCB rhyme Scheme, and this pattern continues till the end.
- Sestet: A sestet is a six-lined stanza borrowed from Italian poetry. The poem comprises only one sestet.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, with each comprising six lines.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from ‘Cherry-Ripe’ are useful to quote for a lover to express his strong feelings for the one who marks the center of his life.
“There is a garden in her face
Where roses and white lilies blow;
A heavenly paradise is that place,
Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow.”