Love's farewell

Question 1

Who was the poet, Michael Drayton?

Answer 1

He was a contemporary of Shakespeare. Like other poets of his era, Drayton was active in writing for the theatre; but unlike Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, or Samuel Daniel, he invested little of his art in the genre.

Question 2

What type of poem is this?

Answer 2

The poem is an Elizabethan sonnet with three quatrains and a rhyming couplet.

Question 3

What effect does the octave have?

Answer 3

The octave (8 lines) presents the issue which is that the speaker and his lover are parting as their relationship no longer brings them pleasure.

Question 4

What effect does the sestet have?

Answer 4

The sestet (6 lines) introduces a shift in the speaker’s state of mind in which he considers the last dying moments of their relationship and wonders about the possibility of reviving their love.

Question 5

What is the relationship status?

Answer 5

The relationship is over, and we are not given a reason for their parting, but the ending does seem to be mutual.

Question 6

What is the effect of the poem being written in the first person?

Answer 6

The sonnet is written in the first person which gives the reader a first-hand, authentic account of his emotions.

Question 7

What is the speaker’s initial tone?

Answer 7

The speaker begins with an assertive, resolute tone suggesting that their parting is non-negotiable as ‘there’s no help’.

Question 8

What is the dash at the end of the line meant to convey?

Answer 8

The dash at the end of line 1 is used to convey the speaker pausing to think about the situation before reinforcing his decision with ´Nay, I have done, you get no more of me; ‘

Question 9

The speaker is determined to assert that he has no ____ attachment to his lover and that the end of their relationship is something which brings him both ____ and relief, ‘And I am glad, yea, glad with all my heart,’ He wishes to sever the bonds of their relationship without emotion, ‘That thus so cleanly I myself can free;

Answer 9

emotional

pleasure

Question 10

Why does the speaker make use of commands?

Answer 10

The speaker makes use of commands in the second quatrain dictating how they should behave towards each other in the future.

Question 11

____ of their separation, which is seen as unemotional and without regret, ‘Shake hands for ever, cancel all our vows,’

Answer 11

formality

Question 12

What does the speaker not want to display in future?

Answer 12

The speaker does not want them to display any emotion if they meet at any time in the future, ‘And when we meet at any time again,’. If they do meet again, he is adamant that there will be no visible signs of regret at the loss of their love, ‘Be it not seen in either of our brows that we one jot of former love retain.

Question 13

What is the speaker’s attitude in the octave?

Answer 13

The speaker’s attitude in the octave is firm and unwavering - he is convinced that this relationship is irreparable.

Question 14

What figure of speech does the third quatrain employ?

Answer 14

The third quatrain employs personification to convey the end of their relationship as a dying person. Their love is seen as helpless and frail.

Question 15

What does the last gasp suggest?

Answer 15

The last gasp ‘suggests the dying throes of their love.

Question 16

What does the diction in the third quatrain convey?

Answer 16

The diction used in the third quatrain conveys love’s decline, his pulse failing ‘provides an image of watching the last moments of a person’s life.

Question 17

‘Passion speechless lies’ provides the reader with the idea that passion has been rendered ____ highlighting that there is nothing that can be saved in this relationship; there are no words or emotions that can restore it.

Answer 17

helpless

Question 18

Faith is presented as an ____ that is powerless to change the situation and can only watch this love come to an end, ‘Faith is kneeling by his bed of death’

Answer 18

onlooker

Question 19

What does the reference to ‘innocence is closing up his eyes’ allude to?

Answer 19

The reference to ‘innocence is closing up his eyes’ alludes to the speaker’s loss of innocence over his belief that their love would endure.

Question 20

Comment on the shift in tone in the third quatrain?

Answer 20

There is a shift in tone in this quatrain from the resoluteness of the octave to one of vulnerability and regretfulness.

Question 21

What is the function of the dash?

Answer 21

The function of the dash is to convey a pause which at first appears to suggest the last moment before death but then precedes a change of thought.

Question 22

True or false
Despite all the evidence that indicates their love is irrecoverable the speaker still believes that there is a possibility of restoring their relationship.

Answer 22

True, despite all the evidence that indicates their love is irrecoverable and ‘when all have given him over,’ the speaker still believes that there is a possibility of restoring their relationship conveyed by ‘From death to life thou might’st him yet recover!’

Question 23

Explain the effect of the exclamation mark?

Answer 23

The use of the exclamation mark displays the speaker’s conviction and is an appeal to his lover to take action in this regard.