Self Assessment for the Second Half of the Semester
I feel that as this class has gone on, that the whole idea of an electronic classroom has grown on me quite a bit. I had been skeptical for the better part of the semester, but after getting used to it I have changed my opinion. I feel that having us search online for the interpretations and commentary on the poems greatly helped me in my understanding of them. I have never been very good at analyzing the meanings of poetry, but I feel that I really have taken a great step forward in this aspect thanks to this class. Having each of us take poems and work on them individually, with the internet as our source, really helped to develop my ability to analyze poetry. My understanding of researching poetry has also expanded. I learned of several new databases to look through for information. After experiencing this class, I would like to have an increasing number of technology-involved classes in the future. There is an overwhelming amount of information on web 2.0 and having classes that focus on tapping into that knowledge gives students a limitless learning environment.
I did but prompt the age to quit their cloggs By the known rules of antient libertie, When strait a barbarous noise environs me Of Owles and Cuckoes, Asses, Apes and Doggs. As when those Hinds that were transform'd to Froggs Raild at Latona's twin-born progenie Which after held the Sun and Moon in fee. But this is got by casting Pearl to Hoggs; That bawle for freedom in their senceless mood, And still revolt when truth would set them free. Licence they mean when they cry libertie; For who loves that, must first be wise and good; But from that mark how far they roave we see For all this wast of wealth, and loss of blood.
This sonnet was one of Milton's works on his divorce. The negativity in his divorce work usually prevails over reason. This work in particular was said to be targeted at one of two groups, Presbyterians who had rejected his divorce pamphlets, or the radical sects who had welcomed them too enthusiastically.
I did but prompt the age to quit their cloggsBy the known rules of antient libertie,When strait a barbarous noise environs meOf Owles and Cuckoes, Asses, Apes and Doggs. The first section of this sonnet is Milton asking readers to leave behind their thoughts on the divorce laws and to not listen to the opinions swirling around you from others.
As when those Hinds that were transform'd to FroggsRaild at Latona's twin-born progenieWhich after held the Sun and Moon in fee.But this is got by casting Pearl to Hoggs;
This part is a reference to Apollo and Diana, the deities of the sun and moon, and their mother, Latona. Latona went to drink from a pool of water, and the villagers did not allow it, so they were all turned to frogs. The line of the sun and moon holding them in fee means that Apollo and Diana could hold the villagers as their own.
That bawle for freedom in their senceless mood,And still revolt when truth would set them free. Licence they mean when they cry libertie;
In this, he targets the Prebytarians and their rejection of divorce. It was said that Milton didn't target them for taking the Reformation too far, but rather, not taking it far enough. For who loves that, must first be wise and good;But from that mark how far they roave we seeFor all this wast of wealth, and loss of blood. To close the sonnet, Milton says that the civil war took a toll on the people and their quality of life, but did so in vain. It is in vain because those now in power, the Presbytarians, have reverted to old habits that should be a thing of the past, rather than spreading liberty.
Harry whose tuneful and well measur'd Song First taught our English Musick how to span Words with just note and accent, not to scan With Midas Ears, committing short and long; Thy worth and skill exempts thee from the throng, With praise enough for Envy to look wan; To after age thou shalt be writ the man, That with smooth aire couldst humor best our tongue Thou honour'st Verse, and Verse must send her wing To honour thee, the Priest of Phoebus Quire That tun'st their happiest lines in Hymn or Story Dante shall give Fame leave to set thee higher Then his Casella, whom he woo'd to sing Met in the milder shades of Purgatory.
Harry whose tuneful and well measur'd Song First taught our English Musick how to span Words with just note and accent, not to scan With Midas Ears, committing short and long;
This poem was written as an introduction to Henry Lawes' 1648 arrangement of the Psalms, which was dedicated to King Charles. Lawes was a music instructor and close friend of John Milton. The first section of the poem is about Lawes being the first to write a truly musical English song. His music was said to preserve the poets' rhythm and stress patterns when he composed it. The scanning is picking up those patterns and rhythm that he wrote them with. According to myth, Midas lacked the ability to recognize these, so Apollo gave him the ears of a donkey. The short and long in this stanza is short syllables being combined with long notes.
Thy worth and skill exempts thee from the throng,With praise enough for Envy to look wan;To after age thou shalt be writ the man,That with smooth aire couldst humor best our tongue
This stanza is saying that Lawes' skill as a writer and composer distinguishes him from the rest of the writers of his time. The praise he received was enough to "bruise" other writers with envy. After his time is over, he will be remembered as one of the best, who could write in a manner most appealing to singers and listeners.
Thou honour'st Verse, and Verse must send her wingTo honour thee, the Priest of Phoebus Quire That tun'st their happiest lines in Hymn or Story
In this stanza, it is said that his ability to write not only pleases listeners, but brings honor upon the verse in which the psalm is written. It is work worthy of the choir of Apollo, the god of music and poetry.
Dante shall give Fame leave to set thee higherThen his Casella, whom he woo'd to singMet in the milder shades of Purgatory.
The last stanza is a reference to Dante and his entrance to purgatory, where he ran into his friend, Casella, a friend who was a musician. Dante requests a song played, and Casella plays Purgatorio, which was Dante's work put to music by the musician.
My Mind was once the true survey
Of all these Meadows fresh and gay;
And in the greenness of the Grass
Did see its Hopes as in a Glass;
When Juliana came, and she What I do to the Grass, does to my Thoughts and Me.
But these, while I with Sorrow pine,
Grew more luxuriant still and fine; That not one Blade of Grass you spy'd,
But had a Flower on either side; When Juliana came, and She
What I do to the Grass, does to my Thoughts and Me.
Unthankful Meadows, could you so
A fellowship so true forego,
And in your gawdy May-games meet,
While I lay trodden under feet?
When Juliana came , and She What I do to the Grass, does to my Thoughts and Me.
But what you in Compassion ought,
Shall now by my Revenge be wrought:
And Flow'rs, and Grass, and I and all, Will in one common Ruine fall. For Juliana comes, and She
What I do to the Grass, does to my Thoughts and Me.
And thus, ye Meadows, which have been
Companions of my thoughts more green,
Shall now the Heraldry become
With which I shall adorn my Tomb; For Juliana comes, and She
What I do to the Grass, does to my Thoughts and Me.
My Mind was once the true survey
Of all these Medows fresh and gay;
And in the greenness of the Grass
Did see its Hopes as in a Glass;
When Juliana came, and she
What I do to the Grass, does to my Thoughts and Me.
Green is the color of hope, and the glass is a mirror. I believe that to mean that when he looks inside himself, he sees hope for his future with Juliana. This is his overconfidence of his place in the natural order of things. His innocence can be better seen as ignorance. The last two lines say that what he does to the grass, cut it down with his scythe, is the same as what she does to his thoughts and self when she comes. This means that his yearning for her is truly tearing him apart.
But these, while I with Sorrow pine,
Grew more luxuriant still and fine;
That not one Blade of Grass you spy'd,
But had a Flower on either side;
When Juliana came, and She
What I do to the Grass, does to my Thoughts and Me.
This stanza is saying that while he laments his sorrow, the grass grows more and more abundant. His sorrow is that he is not the center of the world and that it does not revolve around him. He then says that the flowers are not growing, perhaps signifying that their love is not blossoming as the mower would have hoped.
Unthankful Meadows, could you so A fellowship so true forego,
And in your gawdy May-games meet,
While I lay trodden under feet?
When Juliana came , and She
What I do to the Grass, does to my Thoughts and Me.
This stanza is possibly saying that nature is ungrateful for the service Damon provides. The mower sees nature in his own narrow view of what is and what is not right in the world. He blames nature for being unnatural, but in all actuality, it is doing precisely what it is supposed to do. The line about gaudy may-games is said to be a reference to “The excessive zeal of the Puritan consciousness with which Marvell and other moderates had to contend.”
But what you in Compassion ought, Shall now by my Revenge be wrought:
And Flow'rs, and Grass, and I and all, Will in one common Ruine fall.
For Juliana comes, and She
What I do to the Grass, does to my Thoughts and Me.
In the fourth stanza, the human nature of revenge becomes Damon’s motivation in life. He is saying that as he cuts the grass, so too will he fall. He says this because he is not with Juliana.
And thus, ye Meadows, which have been
Companions of my thoughts more green,
Shall now the Heraldry become With which I shall adorn my Tomb;
For Juliana comes, and She
What I do to the Grass, does to my Thoughts and Me.
The last stanza here is about the Mower’s acceptance of his fate. He will not be with Juliana but he can still be with his meadow. It’s said that in this stanza, the mower is somewhat self-accepting, but only to a certain extent. The lines about heraldry and tombs suggest a lavish, aristocratic burial, yet Damon is a rural mower. It ends with him perhaps still not fully understanding how the world truly works.
