If I Could Tell You
By W. H. Auden
Time will say nothing but I told you so,
Time only knows the price we have to pay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.If we should weep when clowns put on their show,
If we should stumble when musicians play,
Time will say nothing but I told you so.There are no fortunes to be told, although,
Because I love you more than I can say,
If I could tell you I would let you know.The winds must come from somewhere when they blow,
There must be reasons why the leaves decay;
Time will say nothing but I told you so.Perhaps the roses really want to grow,
The vision seriously intends to stay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.Suppose all the lions get up and go,
And all the brooks and soldiers run away;
Will Time say nothing but I told you so?
If I could tell you I would let you know.
Meanings of If I Could Tell You
The poem ‘If I Could Tell You’ by W. H. Auden presents time as the major player in the life of human beings. The speaker conveys the fundamental idea of life’s ephemerality, the timing of events, awareness of these events, and the cost that humans are obliged to pay.
Meanings of Stanza -1
Time will say nothing but I told you so,
Time only knows the price we have to pay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.
The speaker references time and its capacity to signify its appearance or disappearance, however, emphasizes that the toll of an event or occurrence can only be disclosed by time. Additionally, he affirms his commitment to informing his viewers of any knowledge he may gain on the subject beforehand. He has presented time as a mysterious thing that arrives and departs without information and knowledge. This contributes to the mysterious nature of time and its knowledge, the main ideas of the poem.
Meanings of Stanza –2
If we should weep when clowns put on their show,
If we should stumble when musicians play,
Time will say nothing but I told you so.
The speaker articulates his perspective tentatively, using the conjunction “if,” and maintains that time would not interrupt when one weeps following the amusement generated by clowns or when one falters while listening to music. However, the speaker informs the audience to be prepared for such situations to manifest. Time does not intervene at those moments. It is apparent that the speaker acknowledges the inscrutable quality of time, which remains unknown to everyone. This provides further information about the main idea, which is time’s transience and mysterious nature.
Meanings of Stanza -3
There are no fortunes to be told, although,
Because I love you more than I can say,
If I could tell you I would let you know.
The speaker states that he does not know about treasures. However, he would love to inform others if he knows about such fortunes. He states that if he has the power to tell, then he would make everything known to the audience. Although the speaker is only talking about wealth and treasure, he is actually stating that time does not tell when somebody is to going to have fortunes or discover a treasure. This is a partial contribution to the main idea of the transience of time and knowledge of something.
Meanings of Stanza -4
The winds must come from somewhere when they blow,
There must be reasons why the leaves decay;
Time will say nothing but I told you so.
The speaker states that there is a reason for everything. According to him, if the wind blows, they have an origin. If leaves decay, there are reasons behind their decay. Yet, time is always silent about such issues. It silently comes and passes away. If the speaker realizes these matters, he will communicate the information to others. This stanza adds to the mystery of knowledge and time, the poem’s main idea.
Meanings of Stanza -5
Perhaps the roses really want to grow,
The vision seriously intends to stay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.
The speaker presents two different things that they want to continue. One concept involves the reason, while the other involves the vision. He states that roses really want to grow, but they do so when the time comes for them to decay or die away. Similarly, the human vision cannot remain unaltered, despite its intention to do so. The speaker is currently unaware of anything but promises to deliver a simple statement as soon as he is informed. The stanza makes an indirect reference to time while explicitly emphasizing the main theme of the poem, which is knowledge.
Meanings of Stanza -6
Suppose all the lions get up and go,
And all the brooks and soldiers run away;
Will Time say nothing but I told you so?
If I could tell you I would let you know.
The speaker poses several queries, including asking the audience to imagine lions that come and go, brooks that run away, and soldiers that flee. Will time tell you everything about these happenings? The speaker poses this rhetorical question to show that it never does. The speaker states that the condition of knowing these things is the same and that he must know these things in advance. Hence, the speaker articulates the principal concept in the final stanza, which pertains to the ephemeral nature of time and the comprehension of things.
Summary of If I Could Tell You
- Popularity of “If I Could Tell You”: The poem ‘If I Could Tell You’ was written by Wystan Hugh Auden, a great American poet and writer, which contains paradoxical elements. The poem, published in 1940, articulates a series of statements about the concept of time. The statement expresses the speaker’s musings on the fundamental nature of the world. The poet details the limits of humanity, as people lack the ability to foresee what awaits them in the future. However, the poem’s acclaim is founded on the speaker’s singular viewpoint on time and its repercussions on human existence.
- “If I Could Tell You” As a Representative of Time Phenomenon: The poet talking about the time that marks our present, past, and future. He sees time as the greatest teacher of humanity as it teaches us new lessons and makes us acknowledge our faults. Understanding the phenomenon of life, though, necessitates a significant amount of time. The speaker argues they will provide us with all necessary details prior to attaining actual realization. Throughout the poem, he explains we cannot see the future and cannot realize the whims of time. He finds the same symmetry in the natural world; the powerful autumn imagery signals the end and decay of life. In contrast to humans, natural entities are subject to the cyclical order, which constrains their survival instincts. Also, the representation of carnival imagery toward the end of the poem signals the uncertain happenings we face with time. He advocates for enjoying life instead of getting bogged down by time.
- Major Themes in “If I Could Tell You”:The poem’s major themes: transient life, powerful time, and knowledge. Throughout the poem, the speaker tries to explain that we are bound to follow the natural order. There is time for birth and decay. The poem seems to be about an unpredictable future focusing particularly on the uncertainties of life. He considers time to be a crucial factor in life. Also, he comments on man’s nature that we desire to know things beyond our comprehension. It is unfortunate that in doing so, we fail to appreciate the blessings life has given us. The speaker effectively communicates the value of life and, more importantly, the value of time through this simple text.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in If I Could Tell You
literary devices are tools that allow the writers to make their intended meanings clear to the readers. W. H Auden also used some literary devices in the poem to make it appealing. The analysis of the devices used in this poem is given below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ and /uh/ in “The vision seriously intends to stay” and the sound of /o/ in “There are no fortunes to be told, although.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /r/ in “roses really want” and /w/ sound in “weep when.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /m/ in “The winds must come from somewhere when they blow,” and the sound of /r/ in “Perhaps the roses really want to grow.”
- Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning. The writer has used this device in the opening stanza of the poem while talking about the things time has washed away, but he remembers, such as;
“Time will say nothing but I told you so,
Time only knows the price we have to pay.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “Perhaps the roses really want to grow”, “Suppose all the lions get up and go” and “And all the brooks and soldiers run away.”
- Rhetorical Question: The poem shows the use of rhetorical question that is posed not to elicit some answer but to stress upon the idea, such as,
And all the brooks and soldiers run away;
Will Time say nothing but I told you so?
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poem shows the use of extended metaphors of time, imagination, and realization.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in If I Could Tell You
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having metaphors, symbolism, and hyperbole.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an ABA rhyme scheme, and this pattern continues until the last stanza, which shows the rhyme scheme of ABAC.
- Repetition: There is a repetition of the verse “If I could tell you I would let you know” which has created a musical quality in the poem.
- Refrain: The lines repeatedly occurring at some distance in a poem is called a refrain. The verse “If I could tell you I would let you know” is, therefore, a refrain.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are six stanzas in this poem, with each comprising a different number of verses.
Quotes to be Used
These lines are useful while talking about the realities of life during a motivational session.
“Time will say nothing but I told you so,
Time only knows the price we have to pay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.”
