Absent from thee Flashcards
Who wrote Absent from thee?
•John Wilomt, Earl of Rochester in mid-to late 1600’s
What themes are prevalent in the poem?
•Love and loss, deception, religion vs freedom
What is the context of the poem?
•He is a restoration poet
•The restoration took place in the United Kingdom’s of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1660 when King Charles II returned from exile
•The period saw a new political settlement and the new monarchy was one of liveliness and new life which accompanied a libertine ethos of sensual indulgence
•Wilmot’s “Absent from Thee” internalizes conflict, presenting a speaker torn between emotional fidelity and physical indulgence, illustrating the inherent tension within the libertine lifestyle
“Absent from thee, I languish still; Then ask me not, When I return”
•hyperbolic language
•He contends his inner turmoil of being away from his lover and his lovesickness
•In reality this is misleading as he asks not to be questioned because he’s conscious of his immoral behaviour
“From thine arms then let me fly”
•He is aware of his own failing inability to resist temptation and so suggests he should indulge in his sinful fantasies
