Laura
By Petrarch
Translated by Pierre F. Goodrich
Again with gladsome feet Zephyr returns
Mid grass and flowers, his goodly family
And Procne chatters, Philomela mourns,
While Spring comes forth in all her finery.
The meadows laugh; the skies are bright and fair,
And Aphrodite wins the smile of Jove,
While full of passion is the earth and air
And every creature turns his thoughts to love.
For me, alas! these vernal days are shorn
Of all delight and laden with the sighs
Which from my heart’s recesses she hath torn
Who bore its hopes and pangs to Paradise!
Till birds and flowers and woman’s graces mild
To me are but a desert, stern and wild.
mild To me are but a desert, stern and wild
Summary of Laura
- Popularity of “Laura”: The poem ‘Laura’ was written by Petrarch, a classic Italian poet. It is an excellent poem about love. Although this is just a single sonnet, Petrarch wrote an entire collection in the memory and love of Laura. The current version is translated by Pierre. F. Goodrich. The distinctiveness of these sonnets is rooted in the straightforward approach and picturesque setting that Petrarch envisions for his beloved.
- “Laura” As a Representative of Love: Petrarch opens the sonnet regarding Zephyr that is the breeze of spring. He personifies Zephyr, attributing it with life and emotions, and portrays it as it meets the grass and flowers. The swallow and the nightingale express their delight upon the arrival of Spring. Meadows and skies are not the only ones to welcome this pleasant weather with happiness, for other creatures also join in the celebration of their joy through love. Despite the fact that all the birds and flowers are blooming and celebrating the arrival of spring, engaged in their lovemaking, he feels quite saddened that his woman, Laura, does not possess the same intensity of love. According to him, each day of his life is devoid of any happiness and is instead full of sorrows.
- Major Themes in “Laura”: Arrival of spring, happiness at the pleasant weather, and unrequited love are three major themes of this sonnet. The poet starts this arrival of spring with the arrival of Zephyr, the wind of spring that makes everything happy, including flowers, nightingales, and swallows. The poet’s attempts to win over his love interest are thwarted, as Laura seems unresponsive. He is met with complete silence from her, as she doesn’t respond to him in any way. Even though every other animal and flower is happy after being loved, he still feels that his love is needed.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used In Laura
The use of literary devices in poetry can effectively bring about a sense of symmetry and order in the final output. Petrarch also used some literary devices in this poem and the analysis is as follows.
- Allusion: It is a device that refers to something, person, or idea of historical importance as the poet alluded to personified classical weather elements such as Zephyr, Procne, Jove, and Philomela.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ in “Mid grass and flowers, his goodly family”, the sound of /a/ and the sound /i/ in “And Aphrodite wins the smile of Jove”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /s/ and /l/ in “Mid grass and flowers, his goodly family”, the sound of /l/, the sound of /n/ and the sound of /d/ “Of all delight and laden with the sighs” and the sound of /w/ and the sound of /s/ in “Till birds and flowers and woman’s graces.”
- 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,
For me, alas! these vernal days are shorn
Of all delight and laden with the sighs
Which from my heart’s recesses she hath torn
Who bore its hopes and pangs to Paradise!
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “Mid grass and flowers, his goodly family”, “Of all delight and laden with the sighs” and “Who bore its hopes and pangs to Paradise!”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different in nature. The poet used metaphors of Zephyr, Procne, and Philomela. Zephyr has been compared to a lady, Procne to a woman, and Philomela to a mourning woman.
- Personification: The poet personified Zephyr, meadows, and spring as if they have life and emotions of their own.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows symbols of vegetation, seasons, and love to show his intensity of love.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Laura
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 and Tone: The poem shows the use of classical allusions as personifications. The tone, however, is tragic as well as jubilant.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem shows the use of the ABAC DEDE FGFG rhyme scheme.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. The sonnet has two stanzas, an octave, and a sestet.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from ‘Laura’ are appropriate to use when quoting about the significance of happiness in life during motivational lectures.
The meadows laugh; the skies are bright and fair,
And Aphrodite wins the smile of Jove,
While full of passion is the earth and air
And every creature turns his thoughts to love.