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George Gascoigne's 'For That He Looked Not Upon Her'

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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

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