POETRY

INTRODUCTION

Explore the theme of love and loss in the poems you have studied, showing how the poets use language and form to express their ideas. Have you ever looked up the word poetry in a dictionary? Poetry is defined as literature in its most intense, most imaginative and most rhythmic forms. For the poet, it can be a way to relieve their stress and just "let go" and for the reader it can be an adventure into the state of mind of the poet. The Romantic Era, during the late 18th and early 19th century, was a period of time in which poets started to express their love and lust for others through poetic forms. This essay will be exploring the way in which poets use language, imagery and form to express their ideas to the reader. Sir Philip Sidney was famous as a poet, a courtier and a soldier and he is still known as a writer of sonnets. He was a very religious man and consequently, religion and faith affected his poetry greatly. One of his famous works is entitled "My True Love Hath My Heart".

MIDDLE

He uses Biblical references, for example, when he says, "I would/Love you ten years before the Flood;/And you should, if you please, refuse/Till the conversion of the Jews", he is talking about the story of Noah's Arc and he is basically saying that if you refuse my love it will not matter, because my love for you is eternal and never ending (the Jews will never convert). The character is showing off, but he could also be putting on an act to show her that he is cultured and sophisticated - this could be another attempt to win her heart and to get her to sleep with him. Marvell portrays the characters eternal love for her by using the hyperbole, "My vegetable love should grow/Vaster than empires, and more slow." Again, the character is showing off the fact that he is well educated, by mentioning his knowledge of the Roman Empire which was extremely strong at the time.