Robert Herrick 1591-1674
Most prominent among Sons of Ben typical Cavalier in life and in art sensual epicureanism carpe diem themes and motifs originality in expression: wild civility brave vibration civil wilderness of sleep etc. Hesperides (1648) published during the peak of Civil War; only several months before Charles execution (the name alludes to the legend of the beautiful island at the corner of the world, in which the beautiful golden apple can be found)
The Argument of His Book theme, subject matter of his single collection of poems natural cycles human cycles tradition, order, social stability symbolized by the court of Queen Mab festivals which emphasizes the harmony between nature and human
carpe diem motif springtime, harvest, dew, rain, morning, evening, youth, love, death, time trans-shifting - truth of human life cleanly wantonness - innocent lust - paradox festivals and rituals are associated with the court (royalist sympathy) poetry, traditions, festivities are the fortress against the spoil of time his poems, though sometimes crude or bawdy, has morals; it depicts the good, harmonious life and offers guide and comfort in time of trouble
The Vine nocturnal emission, wet dream - normal, natural phenomenon of adult male s sexual life (hence clean, innocent) plant metaphor: male organ vine, tendril, nervelets, clusters, curls, leaves climax stock (stump, lump of wood) - erection
To read my book the virgin shy' may blush - criticizing women s false modesty never stain a cheek for it - asserting that the frank treatment of human sexuality in his work is natural, hence there is nothing sinful or shameful about it
Upon Julia s Clothes sensuous simplicity tight, epigrammatic silk: rare, refined, exotic, oriental, glossy, slinky, clinging to body, shiny, glittering /l/ - liquid consonant (silk, Julia, sweetly, flow, liquefaction, clothes) long vowels (goes, how, flows, clothes) very mouthful when trying to read aloud smoothness of the lines imitates Julia s freedom of movement in her silk garments - sound echoes sense (auditory, tactile, visual) brave vibration - sonorous & quaking sound - her beauty literally moves and shakes all beholders and instantly capturing their attention
52 poems about Julia s beauty in Hesperides not the conventional Petrarchan lady loose, wanton unchaste lady
Delight in Disorder echo of Jonson s Still to be Neat sensual delight in her wantonness chaotic, unreasonable, proportionless voluptuous beauty
supreme art must hide its own artistry wild civility - paradoxical - naturalness vs. puritanical, rigid art vs. excessive, artificial art unnatural
Corinna s Going A-Maying May Day Festival (1st of May) agricultural origin; paganism spiritual significance: spring, rebirth of fertile land, hope of eternal life pagan gods, festivals, dance, drunkenness, moral and sexual looseness replaced by Easter now internationally known as Labour Day
direct speaking voice; colloquialism bridal imagery carpe diem reconciliation between paganism and Christianity (sexual licentiousness > but eventually coming inside the church to receive priest s blessings)
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time woo song argumentative (and, but, then) naturalness of expression playful images compare with Marvell s To His Coy Mistress
The Hock Cart, or Harvest Home hock cart - last load of harvest, beginning of celebration religious undertone: lord, toil, hands, wine, land, crown paganism funeral imagery (harvest, ear of corn, shroud, scarecrow) & rebirth and fertility noblesse oblige of landlord to vassals vassals gratitude to landlord
alcohol can rob men of their senses, but let s drink to a higher purpose: showing respect to landlord & remembering one s own duty feast & alcohol & pleasure ~ rain (baptismal water) - to renew the vassals hard work the following spring
To his book's end this last line he'd have placed:-- Jocund his Muse was, but his Life was chaste. more poems by Herrick can be found at http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/ herrick/herribib.htm
Edmund Waller s Go, Lovely Rose apostrophe insincere praise regarding women only as physical beauty, appearance attacking her pretended virtue
On a Girdle Jonsonian octosyllabic couplet caesurae Donnean conceit: girdle ~ perfect circle in which her virginity, chastity is protected circle image sacred & profane ( temples ) Air and Angels, Forbidding Mourning, and Sun Rising