Poem 2 - Percy Bysshe Shelly - Love's Philosophy Flashcards
What is the poem about?
The poet is attempting to convince a love interest to be with him romantically by giving examples of how everything in nature is connected and how he believes it is God’s law.
When was Percy Bysshe Shelly alive?
1792-1822
When was the poet written?
1820
Describe the form of the poem.
The poet is short and simple, which suggests that the poet believes what he is saying to be simple truths. The ABAB rhyme scheme has 2 lines per stanza that don’t rhyme properly, reflecting how nature pairs up properly and his love interest is fighting it..
Describe the structure of the poem.
The tight structure is to be persuasive, using most of each stanza to build evidence supporting his argument. He uses short lines at the end of the stanzas to use rhetorical questions which emphasises the contrast between nature and the narrator.
Describe the use of language about nature in the poem.
Shelley uses the personification of nature to demonstrate nature’s love, and emphasise how natural his love for the woman is.
Describe the use of repetition in the poem.
Repetition is used to reiterate and emphasise how nature connects with everything else.
Why is the water imagery used?
The water imagery compares the poets long for love to nature, the increasing scale from “fountain” and “river” to “ocean” demonstrates love’s power and to reflect the physical nature of his desired relationship.
Why does the narrator use “mingle” (Line 1)?
The narrator uses personification to draw parallels between what happens in nature and his own desire to be with his love interest.
What is the significance of “river” (Line 1) and “ever” (Line 3) as well as “heaven” (Line 9) and “forgiven” (Line 11)?
They are both sets half rhymes, which disrupts the regular ABAB and demonstrates how the couple aren’t together.
What is the effect of “sweet emotion” (Line 4)?
The personification here implies that nature enjoys and benefits from the connectedness of everything.
What is the significance of “Nothing in this world is single,” (Line 5)?
The line sums up the narrator’s argument, reinforcing the poems persuasive structure. The short clause makes it feel as though the point must be true and is inarguable.
Why does the narrator use “law divine” (Line 6)?
It shows how he believes that he believes it is God’s will that everything in nature mingles together.
What is the impact of “mingle” (Line 7)?
The repetition of “mingle” emphasises how everything in nature is united.
What is the effect of the dash in line 7?
It creates a pause which emphasises the rhetorical question at the end of the stanza.
What is the significance of “Why not I with thine?” (Line 8)?
In both stanzas, the first 6 or 7 lines are confident assertions of things the narrator believes to be true, the rhetorical questions at the end of each stanza create a tonal shift which shows that he is confused that his love interest won’t reciprocate his affections.
What is the effect of “kiss” (Line 9) and “clasp” (Line 10)?
The use of physical language hints his frustrations that he cannot “kiss” or “clasp” his love interest.
What is the significance of “No sister-flower would be forgiven” (Line 11)?
The narrator claims that the love interest’s coldness towards him goes against God’s law and is therefore sinful and unforgivable.
What is the implication of “disdain’d” (Line 12)?
It confirms the suggestion that the love interest has previously rejected the narrator.
What is the effect of “And” (Lines 13 and 14)?
The repeated use of “And” highlights how many examples he can think of to demonstrate nature’s unity to the love interest.
What is the significance of “sunlight” (Line 13) and “moonbeams” (Line 14)?
It emphasises that everything is connected, even the Sun and Moon- not just nature on earth.
What is the effect of “What is all this sweet work worth” (Line 15)?
The narrator questions the point of the world if his love interest won’t reciprocate his feelings for her, implying that love gives life meaning. This can be seen as hyperbolic, and the over dramatised reaction may only be to persuade her.
What is the impact of “If thou kiss not me?” (Line 16)?
The final line of each stanza is monosyllabic, with only five syllables, which increases the rhetorical questions’ impact, just as they’re separated from the rest of the poem, the narrator is separated from his love interest. The use of anastrophe in the final line of the poem rearranges the word order so that “me” is the final line of the poem, this forces the love interest to acknowledge and focus on him and his feelings at the end of the poem.
