The Lady's Yes
by: Elizabeth Barrett Browning
"Yes," I answered you last night;
"No," this morning, Sir, I say.
Colours seen by candlelight,
Will not look the same by day.
When the viols played their best,
Lamps above, and laughs below--
Love me sounded like a jest,
Fit for Yes or fit for No.
Call me false, or call me free--
Vow, whatever light may shine,
No man on your face shall see
Any grief for change on mine.
Yet the sin is on us both--
Time to dance is not to woo--
Wooer light makes fickle troth--
Scorn of me recoils on you.
Learn to win a lady's faith
Nobly, as the thing is high;
Bravely, as for life and death--
With a loyal gravity.
Lead her from the festive boards,
Point her to the starry skies,
Guard her, by your truthful words,
Pure from courtship's flatteries.
By your truth she shall be true--
Ever true, as wives of yore--
And her Yes, once said to you,
SHALL be Yes for evermore
Browning uses didactic elements, structured stanzas, and a variable tone as a way to show how a woman should act within society during the late 1800's.
1. How did Browning continually use “Yes”, and “No” to show the speaker's intentions?
2. The tone changes between the third and fourth stanzas, how does this show the speakers feelings?
3. What kind of relationship is going on between the speaker and the person being spoken to? What point of view might each person take on the situation?
4. How does Browning use structured stanzas to enhance the poem?
5. Do you feel as if you can relate to this poem, even though it refers to courting in the 1800's?
*didactic elements (meant to teach)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1) Browning continually uses yes and no to show that the speaker is continousally changing their mind. People change their mind all the time, and in this poem, the mind is being changed from night to day.
ReplyDelete"Yes," I answered you last night;
"No," this morning, Sir, I say.
These two lines show that the speaker's intention and the intention of the person being spoken to change throughout.
2) In the third stanza, the woman speaker is stating that the man can say whatever he would like about/to her and it will not make a difference to her. In the fourth stanza, she is stating that dancing is not a time for wooing because it is all too easy to be caught up in a whirlwind romance. She is saying that words will not affect her, but it is posssible that dancing will. The speaker (male) obviously likes the lady, but the lady is resitant to his charm.
3) The speaker showcases a liking for the person being spoken to. The person being spoken to also displays a liking for the speaker, but is more cautious about it. The person being spoken to is thinking more towards the future and what will happen the next day. She is concerned with how their feelings will change in the next day. The speaker may feel as if he needs to learn how to woo the lady in order to win over her heart. The lady might view it as the male is just trying to charm her for a good time.
4) Browning uses structured stanzas to enhance the poem by telling a different story in each stanza but being able to connect them altogether. In the second half ot the poem, Browning uses it as a chance to teach the reader how to truely win a woman's heart. The first half tells a story and the second half teaches the story. It all goes together.
5) I feel as I am able to relate to this poem even thouigh it talks about courting in the 1800's. I feel this because many relationships tend to start out with the 'wooing' stage and includes the whirlwind romance. This all may be nice at first, but afterwards, when it is gone, it gives peopole a chance to change their minds. However, take away the wooing and the courting, the billion dates, flowers and love notes, and if the person still says yes, then you know they are a keeper.