Welcome, fellow explorers of language and meaning, to a fascinating journey into the heart of a truly remarkable poem. Today, we delve into Lady Mary Wroth’s insightful and perhaps surprisingly modern take on one of humanity’s most enduring emotions. Prepare to uncover the layers of meaning in “Love, a child, is ever crying,” a poem that challenges conventional notions and offers a refreshingly candid perspective on affection.
Let us begin by immersing ourselves in the poem itself.
LOVE, a child, is ever crying;
Please him, and he straight is flying;
Give him, he the more is craving,
Never satisfied with having.His desires have no measure;
Endless folly is his treasure;
What he promiseth he breaketh;
Trust not one word that he speaketh.He vows nothing but false matter;
And to cozen you will flatter;
Let him gain the hand, he’ll leave you
And still glory to deceive you.He will triumph in your wailing;
And yet cause be of your failing:
These his virtues are, and slighter
Are his gifts, his favours lighter.Feathers are as firm in staying;
Wolves no fiercer in their preying;
As a child then, leave him crying;
Nor seek him so given to flying.
Unpacking “Love, a child, is ever crying”: A Concise Overview
Lady Mary Wroth’s poem, “Love, a child, is ever crying,” stands as a powerful and distinctive piece from her renowned sonnet sequence, Pamphilia to Amphilanthus, first published in 1621. This work is particularly noteworthy for its bold departure from the idealized and often saccharine portrayals of love common in Renaissance poetry. Instead, Wroth presents a strikingly cynical and realistic perspective.
The central idea of “Love, a child, is ever crying” revolves around an extended metaphor: love is personified as a demanding, insatiable, and ultimately unreliable child. Wroth argues that, much like a spoiled infant, love is never truly content. It constantly craves more, promises much but delivers little, and flatters only to manipulate. This portrayal suggests that love, in its purest form, can be inherently self-serving and untrustworthy, leading to disappointment and pain for those who succumb to its whims.
Three major themes resonate throughout the poem. Firstly, the fickleness and uncertainty of love are consistently highlighted, revealing its transient and unpredictable nature. Secondly, the masterful personification of love as a spoilt child serves as the dominant literary technique, driving the poem’s meaning and tone. Finally, the poem explores the destructive power of manipulative or unrequited affection, cautioning against the emotional toll it can exact. “Love, a child, is ever crying” offers a critical and complex view of love, making it a timeless exploration of human emotion.
An In-Depth Analysis of “Love, a child, is ever crying”
Lady Mary Wroth employs a rich tapestry of literary and poetic devices to craft her compelling argument about the nature of love. A close examination of these elements reveals the depth of her critique and the artistry of her expression.
The Central Metaphor: Love as a Demanding Child
The poem immediately establishes its core concept through the powerful use of personification and apostrophe. Love is not merely an abstract concept but an active, willful entity:
LOVE, a child, is ever crying;
Please him, and he straight is flying;
Give him, he the more is craving,
Never satisfied with having.
Here, “LOVE” is directly addressed as if it were a present, albeit demanding, individual. This direct address, an example of apostrophe, immediately draws the reader into a conversation about this personified entity. The subsequent lines expand on this personification, detailing the child-like behaviors of love: its constant neediness (“ever crying”), its elusive nature when pleased (“straight is flying”), and its insatiable desire (“the more is craving, / Never satisfied with having”). This extended metaphor forms the bedrock of Wroth’s argument, painting love as inherently unstable and self-centered.
Love’s Deceitful Nature and Endless Desires
Wroth further develops her critique by emphasizing love’s manipulative and untrustworthy qualities. The poem utilizes hyperbole to underscore the boundless nature of love’s demands:
His desires have no measure;
Endless folly is his treasure;
What he promiseth he breaketh;
Trust not one word that he speaketh.
The phrase “His desires have no measure” is a clear instance of hyperbole, exaggerating love’s insatiability to emphasize its destructive potential. The repetition of consonant sounds, or consonance, in “Trust not one word that he speaketh” creates a subtle emphasis, reinforcing the warning against love’s deceit. This stanza, like others, maintains a consistent AABB rhyme scheme, which, combined with the regular meter, gives the poem a deceptively simple, almost nursery-rhyme quality. This structural choice ironically contrasts with the profound and cynical message, making the critique even more impactful.
The theme of deceit continues with vivid descriptions of love’s cunning tactics:
He vows nothing but false matter;
And to cozen you will flatter;
Let him gain the hand, he’ll leave you
And still glory to deceive you.
The use of enjambment in these lines, where a sentence or phrase continues from one line to the next without a grammatical pause, creates a sense of relentless momentum. For example, “And to cozen you will flatter;
Let him gain the hand, he’ll leave you” flows seamlessly, mirroring the continuous and insidious nature of love’s manipulation. This technique emphasizes the swiftness and inevitability of love’s betrayal once it has achieved its aim.
The Destructive Power and Pain Inflicted by Love
Wroth does not shy away from depicting the painful consequences of engaging with this fickle love. The poem uses strong imagery and symbolism to convey the emotional toll:
He will triumph in your wailing;
And yet cause be of your failing:
These his virtues are, and slighter
Are his gifts, his favours lighter.
The phrase “He will triumph in your wailing” creates a powerful and disturbing image of love reveling in the suffering it causes. “Triumph” here symbolizes love’s malicious joy, while “wailing” vividly portrays the anguish of the deceived. The repetition of the ‘i’ sound in “Are his gifts, his favours lighter” is an example of assonance, contributing to the poem’s musicality while subtly highlighting the insubstantial nature of love’s offerings. The contrast between love’s “virtues” (which are actually vices) and its “slighter” gifts underscores its inherent worthlessness.
A Call for Disengagement: The Poem’s Resolution
The final stanza offers a clear resolution and a piece of advice, reinforcing the poem’s central message through striking similes:
Feathers are as firm in staying;
Wolves no fiercer in their preying;
As a child then, leave him crying;
Nor seek him so given to flying.
The similes “Feathers are as firm in staying” and “Wolves no fiercer in their preying” are particularly impactful. By comparing the fleeting nature of love to the unreliability of feathers and the ferocity of wolves, Wroth emphasizes love’s inherent instability and predatory aspect. The comparison is ironic: feathers are not firm, and wolves are indeed fierce, highlighting how love’s promises are as unreliable as a feather’s stability and its actions as dangerous as a wolf’s hunt. The poem concludes by reiterating its central metaphor, advising the reader to “leave him crying” and “Nor seek him so given to flying,” a powerful call to disengage from this destructive force.
Key Literary and Poetic Devices in “Love, a child, is ever crying”
Lady Mary Wroth masterfully employs a range of devices to convey her profound insights. Understanding these tools enhances appreciation for the poem’s construction and message.
Literary Devices
- Personification: The most prominent device, where love is given human characteristics and actions, behaving like a demanding, deceitful child. This is evident throughout, from “LOVE, a child, is ever crying” to “He will triumph in your wailing.”
- Metaphor: The entire poem functions as an extended metaphor, equating the abstract concept of love with a tangible, misbehaving child.
- Hyperbole: Exaggeration used for emphasis, such as “His desires have no measure,” to highlight love’s boundless greed.
- Simile: Direct comparisons using “as” or “like,” notably in the final stanza: “Feathers are as firm in staying; / Wolves no fiercer in their preying,” which vividly illustrates love’s unreliability.
- Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating mental pictures and evoking emotions. Examples include “Never satisfied with having” and “He will triumph in your wailing.”
- Apostrophe: A direct address to an absent or abstract entity, as seen in the opening line: “LOVE, a child, is ever crying.”
Poetic Devices
- Rhyme Scheme: The consistent AABB rhyme scheme throughout the poem provides a predictable, musical quality, reminiscent of a nursery rhyme, which ironically contrasts with the poem’s cynical message. For example, “crying/flying” and “craving/having.”
- End Rhyme: The use of rhyming words at the end of lines, a fundamental element of the poem’s structure and rhythm.
- Quatrain: The poem is structured into five four-line stanzas, known as quatrains, providing a clear and organized framework for Wroth’s argument.
- Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next without a pause, creating a sense of flow and emphasizing the ongoing nature of love’s deceit. An example is “And to cozen you will flatter;
Let him gain the hand, he’ll leave you.” - Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within close proximity, contributing to the poem’s musicality, such as the ‘i’ sound in “Are his gifts, his favours lighter.”
- Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds, adding texture and subtle emphasis, as in the ‘t’ and ‘r’ sounds in “Trust not one word that he speaketh.”
The Enduring Message of “Love, a child, is ever crying”
Lady Mary Wroth’s “Love, a child, is ever crying” remains a compelling and thought-provoking poem. Through its masterful use of personification, vivid imagery, and a deceptively simple structure, Wroth delivers a powerful critique of love’s fickle, demanding, and often deceitful nature. This poem serves as a timeless caution, urging readers to approach the complexities of affection with wisdom and discernment, recognizing that what often appears as innocent desire can, in fact, be a source of profound emotional turmoil. Its enduring relevance lies in its honest, unromanticized portrayal of an emotion that continues to baffle and captivate humanity.