George Gascoigne’s poem “For That He Looked Not upon Her” discusses the misery of love by exploring speaker’s internal conflict between the his romantic desires and his fear of betrayal. After leaving a difficult relationship, the speaker refuses to look his former partner in the eye even though he is still deeply attracted to her. He justifies his action by explaining how his desire for her will only continue to bring him distress. The speaker uses the poem’s form and diction in order to establish a dismal yet cautious tone in the poem. Furthermore, through various instances of imagery, he reveals his fear of being deceived in the future. By employing these literary devices, Gascoigne highlights the theme of human desire and how it consequently leads to the speaker’s emotional suffering. The poem’s structure as a sonnet allows the speaker’s feelings of distrust and heartache to gradually manifest themselves as the poem’s plot progresses. Each quatrain develops and intensifies the speaker’s misery, giving the reader a deeper insight into his convoluted emotions. In the first quatrain, the speaker advises his former partner to not be surprised when she “see[s] him holding [his] louring head so low” (2). His refusal to look at her not only highlights his unhappiness but also establishes the gloomy tone of the poem. The speaker then uses the second and third quatrains to justify his remoteness; he explains how he feels betrayed by her and reveals how his distrust has led him
In the poem “For That He Looked Not Upon Her” Gascoigne uses comparison and personification to convey the complexity behind making mistakes, but also portrays the urge or craving to go and make that same mistake again. In lines 1-2, the narrator is stating that he hangs his head low and gloomy around the woman. “Though you think it's strange to see me hold my lurching head so low”. It leaves the reader curious as to why he does that.
The author of “For That He Looked Not Upon Her” uses several literary techniques such as form, imagery, and diction that develop the complex attitude of the poem. The situation of this poem is a couple having problems that causes them to question their relationship. The further we read into the poem the more we learn of the fear and doubt between the two individuals. The authors use of melancholy diction contributes to the tone and the complex attitude of the poem. The complex attitude of the poem is lack of trust that the couple has in their relationship. The man loves his partner even though she has hurt him. He is confused and unsure of whether or not he should continue
In For That He Looked Not upon Her, George Gascoigne uses several literary devices to bring his poem together in a way that makes the point of it clear. He also uses these devices to show the deeper meaning behind his words. Of many, three of the devices used prominently throughout his work is form, diction, and imagery. All pulled together the author is able to clearly portray a betrayed tone towards the subject of the poem.
In the poem "For That He Looked Not upon Her" by George Gascoigne, the speaker portrays a cautious and distrustful, yet longing attitude towards the woman which he speaks of. Through his usage of literary devices, Gascoigne is able to develop this attitude throughout the poem.
In George Gascoigne sonnet, For That He Looked Not upon Her the speaker uses a complex attitude toward a female whom he was in a previous relationship with. The speaker expresses his complex attitude through the use of a confused or conflicted tone and imagery. The speaker is attracted to the female but doubtful about her. Also, the speaker does not want to be drawn in again because he remembers her hurting him,even though she tempts him and is very desirable.
“For That He Looked Not Upon Her” is a poem written by 16th-century poet George Gascoigne. In the poem, Gascoigne uses sonnet form to organize his work. Next, he uses strong diction to help convey the attitude of the speaker. Finally, Gascoigne uses imagery to bring the words to life through vivid analogies. Gascoigne effectively uses form, strong diction, and active imagery to develop the complex tone of the speaker.
What is a relationship worth if it will only end in misery? In the poem For That He Looked Not upon Her, English poet George Gascoigne explores the universal feeling of fear and disappointment with a multitude of vivid imagery, metaphors, and literary devices by painting a picture of fear, self loathing, destruction, and dread. In fifteen lines, Gascoigne uses multiple literary devices to communicate his ideas efficiently, but also with plenty of emotion. Gascoigne conveys his emotions through two deceivingly simple images: a mouse and a fly, which play into the entire poem as a whole.
The tone of despair and loneliness is carried on to the proceeding stanzas, and is more evident in the last two. By saying that “Water limpid as the solitudes that flee
The poem is poignant as it causes readers to think of those things that revive melancholy experiences. Lacroix interweaves “the irreplaceable moments of life and the sweet sting of memories” (canlit) into a poem describing the difficulty in acknowledging the departure of a better time. The line breaks that that occur place emphasis on the words at the beginnings and the ends of lines; an important element is that every three lines (besides one exception of four), either “you”, “we”, or “I” begin the line. The first half of the poem speaks of “you”, “I”, and “we”, but the last half is all “I”. The change from two people to one is a striking representation of how even though the husband is still alive, he is already gone in the mind of the wife. She is resigned to being alone now, and finds it unbearable to look at the “books/ the photo albums and flowered shirts” (Lacroix 52) because they remind her that the one thing she wants (her husband) is no longer beside
The use of symbolism and imagery is beautifully orchestrated in a magnificent dance of emotion that is resonated throughout the poem. The two main ideas that are keen to resurface are that of personal growth and freedom. Furthermore, at first glimpse this can be seen as a simple poem about a women’s struggle with her counterpart. However, this meaning can be interpreted more profoundly than just the causality of a bad relationship.
While the speaker compares his mistress to several beautiful things which are never in favor of the mistress, the speaker shows how the sonnet makes a complete mockery of Petrarchan conventions. The speaker constantly compares his mistress to beautiful and valuable objects. The speaker notes that “[He has] seen roses damasked, red and white”, to show how he has seen a variety of different color changes in roses; However, he acts surprised by the fact that he has never been able to see that marvelous color change in his mistress’s cheeks which show how . In the first few lines of the poem, the speaker points out what his mistress’s physical appearance is lacking. The speaker thinks his “mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun.” Instead of making
In this particular passage, the speaker offers both day and night flattery, in hopes of finding rest. The flattery aligns day and night, and creates images by contrasting both of them. The simple contrast of the day as light and the night as dark calls into attention other contrasts such as the day is freckled with clouds, while the night is beautiful even when stars fade. These small details create vivid images that help the speaker continue the idea of connecting day and night. Therefore, these vivid details enhance the overall poem by revealing the speaker’s desperation to achieve rest. Being haunted by the thoughts and memories of a lover can be described in many different ways, but this particular sonnet gives the reader the idea
In the opening lines of Millay’s poem, it seems as if she is speaking to a lover. The tone of the poem is set in the first line, “in some quite casual way” (1). Throughout the sonnet, one senses a frighteningly casual tone, something very matter of fact, as if these fourteen lines are a passing thought in Millay’s head. The alliteration of “quite casual” supports the plain-spoken tone, giving a feel of simple, everyday speech. Millay imagines that as she is on the subway, she casually glances over and notices on “the back-page of a paper, say / Held by a neighbor” (3-4) her lover is gone and not to return.
The couplet of this sonnet renews the speaker's wish for their love, urging her to "love well" which he must soon leave. But after the third quatrain, the speaker applauds his lover for having courage and adoration to remain faithful to him. The rhyme couplet suggests the unconditional love between the speaker and his
The second quatrain serves as a justification not only for the narrator, but also for readers of the sonnet. The narrator insists that the young man’s worth is “as wide as the ocean is” and, that, his (the young man’s) humility is “the proudest sail [he] doth bear”. Although there is a juxtaposition between pride and humility, the narrator’s idea of the young man is justification enough for his continued musings on the other man. The narrator affirms that he is content with continuing to write and praise the young man despite his boat being “far inferior to his (the other suitor)”. Because the narrator’s “saucy bark” does “willfully appear” on the young man’s “broad main”, it further implicates that while the narrator knows there is a “better spirit” he also will continue writing about the young man.