Donne’s writings all vary from poems to sonnets to prose. But the one thing that stood out most the most to me was his poem “Song.” Most of his poems had some sort of structural symmetry, but this one varies greatly compared to his others. Honestly, I really can not figure out what this poem is about. And that’s one reason I wanted to post about it. To see if I could get some opinions on what its about.

Go and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the Devil's foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy's stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.

If thou be'st born to strange sights,
Things invisible to see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till age snow white hairs on thee;
Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me
All strange wonders that befell thee,
And swear
No where
Lives a woman true, and fair.

If thou find'st one, let me know,
Such a pilgrimage were sweet;
Yet do not, I would not go,
Though at next door we might meet:
Though she were true, when you met her,
And last, till you write your letter,
Yet she
Will be
False, ere I come, to two or three.

The structure of this poem give emphasis to the last lines in each stanza. The last three lines in each begin with two lines that are indented and only contain two words a piece. These four words are clearly emphasized for a reason. This reason partially evades me because I’m not really certain of the story behind Donne’s words. Though in the last stanza he is obviously talking about finding a women and being somehow disappointed.

I know Ruminations are supposed to be about what we know, but I was intrigued by this poem and really wanted to understand what was going on.

Shakespeare VS Time

Shakespeare’s sonnets that we have read all have a similar theme of love and time passing, introduced by metaphors that he creates by personifying the feeling of love and the perception of time. In some sonnets, Shakespeare even goes as far as to capitalize the word “Time” to give it an importance over the rest of the words. The language he uses when speaking of time also shows his attitude towards time, even more so than his metaphors.
Beginning with Sonnet 12 and looking at time, the poem is an entire metaphor for the passing of time with Shakespeare mentioning the seasons passing and people turning old, while at the end of the poem he writes, “And nothing ‘gainst Time’s scythe can make defense” (13). This use of language shows time as death, carrying his scythe and the fact that no one can stop it. The capitalization of time personifies it in the poem as a person or death, which causes a tonal change near the end of the poem. In Sonnet 19, time turns from death to something the Shakespeare is trying to defeat. He wants his love to last forever and therefore has time killed and mauled by animals. “Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws.” (1). And although Time may take away his love wrongfully, “My love shall in my verse ever live young.” (14). Shakespeare is trying to defeat time; therefore he personifies it as a person so that it is something physical he can overcome. In Sonnet 60, another reference to time as death is made, as he capitalizes time as well as mentioning the scythe:
And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.
Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
And delves the parallels in beauty’s brow,
Feeds on the rarities of nature’s truth,
And nothing stand but for his scythe to mow.
And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,
Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand. (8-14)
Shakespeare’s use of the capitalization of the word time demonstrates that he feels as though time is not something you can escape physically, but it is something his poems and feelings can surpass. As in the final two lines, he states that time can take beauty and life but not his verses, which his transcripts show as a true testament. This statement is shown again in Sonnet 65:
When rocks impregnable are not so stout,
Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?
. . . Shall Time’s best jewel from Time’s chest lie hid?
. . . O none, unless this miracle have might,
That in black ink my love may still shine bright. (8-14)
Without the capitalization and personification of time, Shakespeare’s hatred and fear of it may have been lost in his sonnets.

David Bowie's "Let's Dance"

The album I chose is by one of my favorite men of all time, David Bowie. Bowie's career was an incredible journey, and although he was at times thought to be insane, his fans will always stick by his side. The album that I have chosen isn't all in first person, but all of the songs are about the feeling of love or about a person he is in love with. The songs tones and lyrics are almost melancholy, he has a sense of calm feelings of love, or of a lost love. In "Without You," Bowie is singing about how he wouldn't be able to live without them, and they give him a purpose. The musical tone gives the song a melancholy feelings. The song "Ricochet," if analysed in a certain light, can be seen as what the world is like without love, and how love is sometimes not enough to shield someone from the cruelties of the world. "Criminal World," is written in the third person, but it is a great example of betrayed love. The narrator finds out that he doesn't really know who the person he is in love with is. He one line that "the girls are like baby-faced boys" shows that women can be just as cruel as men, and just as deceiving.

This album represents different types of love and how love can be cruel or doesn't always give you what you want.