A Pilgrim's Solace! Help!

sympathy · #1 13-Feb-2008, 14:27

I have questions about this anonymous poem

Quote:

"A Pilgrim's Solace"

Stay, O sweet, and do not rise!
The light that shines comes from thine eyes;
The day breaks not: it is my heart,
Because that you and I must part.
. Stay! Or else my joys will die
. And perish in their infancy

1) Who is the narrator of this poem? What does "Pilgrim" refer to? What's the theme of the poem?
2) What does 'O' in poetry generally mean? I saw a lot of 'O' before but I don't understand? What is 'O sweet'?
3) What does 'the day breaks not' mean? Does this mean 'the day doesn't break'

Thanks

Anglika · #2 13-Feb-2008, 15:59

The verse you have given is from John Donne's "Stay, O Sweet"

1) Who is the narrator of this poem? What does "Pilgrim" refer to? What's the theme of the poem? It is a love poem. In it the speaker is imploring his lover to stay with him. "A Pilgrim's Solace" is the title of a group of songs, the music of which was written by John Dowland.
2) What does 'O' in poetry generally mean? I saw a lot of 'O' before but I don't understand? What is 'O sweet'? It is an interjection, with no specific meaning, often used to fit the metre of the poem.
3) What does 'the day breaks not' mean? Does this mean 'the day doesn't break' Yes - the light seen is not the dawn but the light from her eyes; and the breaking is his heart because she cannot stay with him.

sympathy · #3 13-Feb-2008, 16:31

Thanks, Anglika.

1) Can you check my understanding of the second couplet
"The day breaks not: it is my heart,
Because that you and I must part."

The day doesn't break: it is my heart that breaks, because of the fact that you and I must part.

Is that right?

2)And also, I still don't get the first line. If the narrator is addressing his lover (Stay, O Sweet), why does the narrator tell his lover not to rise? What does "rise" mean?
The sun can rise, but can a person 'rise'?

3)One more question: Why are the final two lines indented?

Thanks

Anglika · #4 13-Feb-2008, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by sympathy

Thanks, Anglika.

1) Can you check my understanding of the second couplet
"The day breaks not: it is my heart,
Because that you and I must part."

The day doesn't break: it is my heart that breaks, because of the fact that you and I must part.

Is that right? Absolutely correct

2)And also, I still don't get the first line. If the narrator is addressing his lover (Stay, O Sweet), why does the narrator tell his lover not to rise? What does "rise" mean?
The sun can rise, but can a person 'rise'? They are in bed together. He wants her to stay there and not get up [rise]

3)One more question: Why are the final two lines indented? I don't know where you found this particular verse, but it is a technique of laying out poetry on a page. It is not necessary to the poem in this case.

Thanks

You might like to read the whole poem: 173. Stay, O Sweet. John Donne. 1909-14. English Poetry I: From Chaucer to Gray. The Harvard Classics