Embedded Files
Musicke to heare, why hear'st thou musick sadly,
Sweets with sweets warre not, joy delights in joys:
Why lov"st thou that which thou receavst not gladly,
Or else receav'st with pleasure thine annoy?
If the true concord of well tuned sounds,
By unions married do offend thine eare,
They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds
In singlenesse the parts that thou should'st beare;
Marke how one string sweet husband to another,
Strikes each in each by mutuall ordering
Resembling sier, and child, and happy mother,
Who all in one, one pleasing note do sing;
Whose speechlesse song being many, seeming one,
Sings this to thee thou single wilt prove none.
Commentary
Commentary
Address to a fair young man encouraging him to procreate
Address to a fair young man encouraging him to procreate
The first quatrain establishes the dominant metaphor of music, playing first with tautology and then with contradiction. The poet asks the young man why he, who is music himself, is sad listening to music, why does he like what he does not welcome, or else why he welcomes what he does not like. These are, perhaps, reflections on the action of sad music.
The second quatrain continues the musical metaphor, making the point that if the concords of music displease the young man, it is because the strings, married to each other in harmony, chide him for remaining single.
The third quatrain continues in the same vein, likening the accord of multiple strings to the happy accord of father, mother and child.
The final couplet reasons (falsely) that the song of the father, mother and child seems to be one voice which sings to the young man that remaining single, he will be none.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse