Appreciation About Cavalier Poets

Made by Ien LiuFrom Class 0905

Cavalier poets• Cavalier Poetry is filled with direct language and clear-cut ex

pressions and images, whereas metaphysical poetry uses complicated metaphors and unfeasible imagery. The strength of Cavalier poetry was in its shortness and directness. It was easy to understand and did not confuse the readers with intricate imagery and deep meaning. Although short and somewhat simple, cavalier poetry was supposed to coincide with their motto “Carpe Diem” translating to “seize the day.”

• Representatives:• Ben Jonson (1572-1637)• Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

Ben Johnson (1572-1637)• After Shakespeare, the English drama underwent a process o

f decline and there were more and more sensationalism ( 感觉主义） and licentious( 淫乱的 )scenes upon the stage to cater to theater-goers. In 1642, 26 years after Shakespeare’s death, the London theaters were closed down altogether.

• Of the many contemporaries and successors of Shake —speare, the most well-known was Ben Johnson who was son of a brick-layer( 砌砖工 ).Johnson received a good education, became a remarkable Greek and Latin scholar, then began to write for the London stage, and rose to be one of the leading dramatists of the day.

• Johnson was a prolific dramatist, writing dozens of plays including tragedies ， comedies and masques( 假面剧 ).

• In his later years, Johnson became the literary king of the time. Around him gathered a group of young poets and writers who loved to sit at his feet in London taverns and were proud to call themselves sons of Ben. Among them was Robert Herrick, author of the lyric poem “Gather ye rose-buds while ye may”. Johnson was the Poet Laureate of James I ( 桂冠诗人 ).

Drink to me only with thine eyes,• And I will pledge with mine;• Or leave a kiss but in the cup,• And I’ll not look?for wine.• The thirst that from the soul doth rise• Doth ask a drink divine;• But might I of Jove’s Nectar sup,• I would?not change for thine.• I sent thee late a rosy wreath,• Not so much honoring thee• As giving it a hope, that thee,• It could not withered be.• But thou thereon did’st only?breathe,• And sent’st it back to me;• Since when it grows, and smells, I swear,• Not of itself, but thee.

• 只需用你的明眸为我祝饮，• 我就用我的双眼来相酬 ;• 或者你可以亲吻一下酒杯，• 那么我也不会再寻求杯中的美酒。• 由于来自灵魂的干渴，• 使得我极想喝到一杯天赐的美酒；• 哪怕爱神可以让我痛饮琼浆，• 我也不会拿你亲吻过的那杯作交换。•• 最近我刚送你一个玫瑰花环，• 并不是我崇敬你• 而是它给人一种期望• 因为你它便不再枯萎。• 只要你在花环边轻轻呼吸一下，• 然后再把它送还给我；• 当它再次盛开，发出香味时，• 让我闻到的不是它的味道，而是你。

Song to CeliaDrink?to

Appreciation• 1. The whole poem is iambic. It’s first 、 third 、 fifth 、 seventh lin

e has four meter each, while its second 、 fourth 、 sixth 、 eighth line has three meter each. Its rhyme was arranged by

• a b c b a b c b. • 2. All the rhymes, mine 、 wine 、 devine 、 thine 、 thee 、 be 、 m

e 、 thee ， fall on the even lines. This arrangement makes the poem full of the beauty of music.

• 3. The poem has two parts. 1)The first part was about drink. With a drink in hand, the lovers express their love between eyes. The poet hoped his lover to leave a kiss on the cup, then even the Jove’s nectar, he would not change his wine. In the poets’ eyes, the drink brewed with love was the most delicious in the world. Compared to this, all the other things was nothing.

• 2 ） the second part was about rose. The rose was a symbol of love. Giving his lover a rose, the poet did not only to express his love, but hoped that the rose would never fade with the lover’s love. In the poet’s eyes, his lover’s aroma was stronger than the rose. The poet described the lover’s delicate psychology perfectly. We can feel the poet’s deep love between the lines.

• 4. The poet praised the sincere and pure love.

• 2 ） the second part was about rose. The rose was a symbol of love. Giving his lover a rose, the poet did not only to express his love, but hoped that the rose would never fade with the lover’s love. In the poet’s eyes, his lover’s aroma was stronger than the rose. The poet described the lover’s delicate psychology perfectly. We can feel the poet’s deep love between the lines.

• 4. The poet praised the sincere and pure love.

• 1.Someone thinks the song praises the true , and pure love, so what’s your idea about true love in real life?

• 2.If you want to pursue of love, what kind of love will you choose, spiritual love or material love? and why?

• Thanks !