Poetry Anthology
unrequited
Catherine Quadir
English 1102
Prof. P. Glanville
18 April 2010
love
Table of Contents
Unrequited Love – Introduction to Theme
Page 1
Sylvia Plath – Biography
Page 2
Jilted – a poem by Sylvia Plath
Page 3
Percy Bysshe Shelley – Biography
Page 4
When The Lamp Is Shattered – a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Page 5
Heinrich Heine – Biography
Page 6
Why Is The Rose So Pale – a poem by Heinrich Heine
Page 7
Works Cited
Page 8
Unrequited Love
Unrequited love is defined as love that is not reciprocated or returned in kind. From as early as the 1st century poets have written of their
deep-rooted affections for someone who either did not or could not return their affections, or was not even aware of their affections.
Regardless of the circumstances, the emotion was strong, and the pain of unrequited love was often unbearable. The 17th Century cavalier
poet Abraham Cowley wrote of this intense emotion when he penned “A mighty pain to love it is/And ‘tis a pain that pain to miss/But of all
pains, the greatest pain/Is to love but love in vain” (“17 th Century English”).
The theme of unrequitted love has been used extensively throughout literary history. Many of William Shakespeare’s plays develop the
theme of unrequited love, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night and Othello. This theme can also be seen in Emond
Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac and Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights. The theme of unrequited love has also been used
extensively by musicians, and it is a theme understood and appreciated from one culture to the next.
The therapeutic benefit of poetry can be traced back to primitive man, with the chanting of poetry by Shamans or witchdoctors for the
well-being of the tribe or individual person. The Pennsylvania Hospital, founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin, was the first hospital in
the United States that employed reading, writing and publishing poetry as an ancillary treatment for its mental patients. It is well known
that the suppression of deep-rooted emotions may lead to feelings of depression, low self-esteem and anxiety. Poetry is a perfect venue to
express emotions of hurt and betrayal inherent to unrequited love. Poetry is cathartic, and simply putting those feelings onto paper helps
to unburden the mind and the heart. Sylvia Plath’s choice of words and tone of her poem express the sour, acidic and corrosive feelings
associated with being jilted. She metaphorically compares her broken heart to an unripe, drooping, sour plum. Percy Shelley uses the
connotations of things broken, frail, stormy and cold to describe his broken heart. Heine uses analogies of withering flowers, sorrowful
songs, and dying foliage to express his anguish at being forsaken. Plath wrote at a time when confessional poetry was gaining in popularity,
and this encompassed a method of writing that revealed the poet's personal problems with unusual frankness. She embraced her intense
feelings of betrayal and abandonment and wrote about them with sincerity and honesty. Percy Shelley was at the core of the romantic
movement, a period that was strongly influenced by nature, and this is ever so apparent with the many references to nature used
throughout his poem. Heinrich Heine lived during a time of major social and political upheaval, and he became known for his witty prose,
political journalism and caustic satire. His bittersweet love poems that comprise The Book of Songs allude to his more modern view of life
than that of his romantic predecessors. As is written in the New World Encyclopedia, “For these reasons Heine has often been labeled the
first "post-Romantic" poet, as he was one of the first poets of the nineteenth century to openly cast doubt on the values of Romanticism”
(“Heinrich Heine”).
Each of the three poets selected for this anthology have had a personal experience with the emotions of unrequited love, and these emotions
could not have been expressed in any better way than through the vivid imagery, diction, connotation and tone used throughout their
poems.
Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1932, and in 1962 died tragically
from suicide at the age of thirty. She belonged to the movement known as Confessional
Poetry – poetry of a very personal nature. Plath graduated summa cum laude from
Smith College, which is a private, independent women’s liberal arts college in
Massachusetts, and then moved to England to attend Cambridge University on a
Fulbright Scholarship. She met and married English poet Ted Hughes in 1956, and she
gave birth to a daughter and a son in 1960 and 1962 respectively. Ted Hughes left her
for another woman in 1962, and Plath subsequently fell into a deep depression. It was
during this very painful time in her life that she wrote most of her greatest poems that
would comprise her most famous book, Ariel, published 2 years after her death in 1965.
As Ronald Hayman notes, in “The Death & Life of Sylvia Plath,” The immense pressure
of trying to raise 2 children on her own, combined with her overwhelming feeling of
abandonment, only added to her depression and growing sense of panic (4). On a cold
winter morning in 1963, she took her own life.
Plath was a prolific poet who used verse to articulate her deep-rooted feelings of rage,
anguish and anxiety. She is remembered as being very elusive and private. Her only
published novel, The Bell Jar, is believed to be autobiographical in that Plath uses the
events surrounding the main character Esther to articulate her own feelings of depression
and anguish experienced during her own adolescence. According to the American
Academy of Poets, “her work is often singled out for the intense coupling of its violent
or disturbed imagery and its playful use of alliteration and rhyme” (“Sylvia Plath”). As
her estranged husband, Ted Hughes, had copyright control over Plath’s work, he
published three volumes of her work, but not before admitting that he had “cautiously
omitted some of the more personally aggressive poems” (Qtd, in Hayman 201) written in
1962 after the breakup of their marriage. In 1982, Plath was awarded the Pulitzer prize
for her work in The Collected Poems, thus making her the first poet to win a Pulitzer
prize after death. Her poem “Jilted” describes her anguish over her husband’s infidelity
and the breakup of their marriage.
Jilted
by Sylvia Plath
1
2
3
4
My thoughts are crabbed and sallow,
My tears like vinegar,
Or the bitter blinking yellow
Of an acetic star.
5
6
7
8
Tonight the caustic wind, love,
Gossips late and soon,
And I wear the wry-faced pucker of
The sour lemon moon.
9
10
11
12
While like an early summer plum,
Puny, green, and tart,
Droops upon its wizened stem
My lean, unripened heart.
This poem is written in a simple abab rhyme
scheme. The words of this poem were expertly
chosen to describe the sour and acidic feelings that
accompany betrayal and abandonment. The tone
of this poem is sour and caustic. In line (2), Plath
compares her tears to vinegar – a substance that is
corrosive, pungent and stinging. In line (4), she
refers to an acetic star, and in line (6) she describes
a caustic wind. Both of these words imply a tone
that is harsh and corrosive. In lines (7) and (8),
Plath uses the depicts imagery of a sour expression
that ensues after tasting a lemon, and she
metaphorically refers to herself as the moon –
alone, cold and desolate. In the last 4 lines of the
poem, Plath metaphorically compares her
drooping and wilted heart to that of a small, sour,
unripe plum. Plath expresses her pain at being
jilted and describes her disposition as being sour
and caustic, and her heart now wilted.
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) has been referred to as one of the major
contributors to English romantic poetry. Harassed by his father, a wealthy country
landowner, he became a rebellious youth, and in 1804 he was expelled from
University College, Oxford, for expressing atheistic views. Shelley was passionate
about life, and it is written in an anonymous Reference.com article that he “channeled
his passionate pursuit of personal love and social justice into poetry” (“Percy
Shelley”). In his biographical essay for British Romantic Prose Writers,, author John
R. Greenfield writes that “Percy’s active imagination was fueled by his early reading
of many Gothic romances ("Percy Bysshe Shelley" ).
In the summer of 1814 he left his first wife, Harriet Westbrook, and ran away with
Mary Woolstonecraft Godwin, whom he subsequently married in 1916 upon the
tragic death of his first wife by suicide. In 1818, Percy and Mary Shelley left
England and moved to Italy, where, according to Greenfield, he became less intent on
social reform and more devoted to writing poetry to express his ideals ("Percy Bysshe
Shelley"). His poetry is sensual and passionate, especially that which was after the
death of his son William in 1819. In 1822, while sailing on his schooner
“Don Juan,” Percy encountered a storm and drowned at the age of 29.
His body washed ashore and he was cremated on the beach near
Viareggio. His ashes are buried in the
Protestant Cemetery in Rome, Italy.
Monument to Shelley
When The Lamp Is Shattered
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
When the lamp is shattered
The light in the dust lies dead-When the cloud is scattered
The rainbow's glory is shed.
When the lute is broken,
Sweet tones are remembered not:
When the lips have spoken,
Loved accents are soon forgot.
As music and splendour
Survive not the lamp and the lute,
The heart's echoes render
No song when the spirit is mute:-No song but sad dirges,
Like the wind through a ruined cell,
Or the mournful surges
That ring the dead seaman's knell.
When hearts have once mingled
Love first leaves the well-built nest;
The weak one is singled
To endure what it once possessed.
O Love! who bewailest
The frailty of all things here,
Why choose you the frailest
For your cradle, your home, and your bier?
Its passions will rock thee
As the storms rock the ravens on high;
Bright reason will mock thee,
Like the sun from a wintry sky.
From thy nest every rafter
Will rot, and thine eagle home
Leave thee naked to laughter,
When leaves fall and cold winds come.
In this poem, Shelley uses a simple abab rhyme
scheme and many references to nature, which is
characteristic of the Romantic Period. Shelley
uses strong words and onomatopoeia to express
his suffering and frustration when love is not
allowed to grow and flourish. He
metaphorically compares his broken heart and
lost love to the extinguishing light of a shattered
lamp, the dissipation of a rainbow, and a
broken musical instrument that has lost its
ability to give the gift of sweet music. When the
heart is broken, it can only relate to sad dirges
(13) or the mournful sounds, such as the ringing
of a bell to indicate death (dead seaman’s knell
– line 16). In lines 17 through 20, he refers that
when love is lost, it is always the weaker heart
that suffers the most (the person betrayed or
abandoned). In line (24), Shelley references
death when he compares himself to a cradle or
bier – a stand on which a coffin or corpse is
placed before burial. In this strong statement,
his is asking why did love chose him as its last
resting point before it died and was lost forever.
In line (26), he compares his grief to that of a
destructive storm that blows by without reason,
like the incongruity of a warm sun on a cold,
wintery day. Line (31) refers to the vulnerability
and insecurity that one feels after love is lost.
The last line of the poem (32) compares the
death of love to the death of foliage in the fall,
and the inevitable assault of the cold and
unforgiving winter.
Heinrich Heine
Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) wrote poetry during the
Revolutionary Literary Movement. He was born in
Dusseldorf to a respected Jewish family. According to
Enotes.com, Heinrich’s parents wanted him to go into
business, and in 1817, he was sent to Hamburg to begin an
apprenticeship with his uncle Salomon Heine, a wealthy and
influential banker (“Heinrich Heine Criticism”). Heinrich
convinced his uncle to let him go to the University of Bonn to
study law; however, Heinrich instead studied literature and
history. He had an innate talent for writing, and he formally
began his writing career as a student when he published his
first book of poetry in 1822.
.He gained literary notoriety with the
publication of his third volume of poetry,
the immensely popular Buch der Lieder
(Book of Songs) in 1856. This collection
has unrequited love as its central theme, and
it is believed, as suggested by the New
World Encyclopedia, to have been
influenced by his unsuccessful attempt to
seek the hand of his cousin Amalie during
his apprenticeship in Hamburg.
(“Heinrich Heine”).
This collection of poems established his popularity as a
lyric poet (a form of poetry that emphasizes the
expression of personal feelings rather than trying to
narrate a story). An anonymous early critic of his work
notes that that “This early poetry reflects the influence of
Romanticism in its emphasis on love and despair, as well
as in its pervasive tone of reverie” but suggests that
“Book of Songs also abounds with realism, skepticism,
wit, and irony” (Qtd. in enotes.com).
His lyrics were extremely popular and
were used by all of the major composers
of his era, including Mendelssohn, who
composed the music for this anthology’s
selected poem “Warum Sind Den Die
Rosen So Blass? or Why Is The Rose So
Pale?” According to the New World
Encyclopedia, as he was a liberal, Heine
was so disillusioned with Germany that he
emigrated to Paris in 1831, where he
remained for most of his life banker
(“Heinrich Heine Criticism”) .
Why Is The Rose So Pale
by Heinrich Heine
1.
2.
3.
4.
Oh Dearest, canst thou tell me why
The Rose should be so pale?
And why the azure Violet
Should wither in the vale?
5.
6.
7.
8.
And why the Lark should, in the cloud,
So sorrowfully sing?
And why from loveliest balsam-buds
A scent of death should spring?
9.
10.
11.
12.
And why the Sun upon the mead
So chillingly should frown?
And why the Earth should, like a grave,
Be mouldering and brown?
13.
14.
15.
16.
And why is it that I, myself,
So languishing should be?
And why is it, my Heart-of-Hearts,
That thou forsakest me?
This poem uses a simple abcb rhyme scheme and many
references to nature, which hint at Heine’s influence
from the romantic period. This lyric poem uses imagery
often to express Heine’s deep, heartfelt sadness. In the
first 4 lines of this poem, Heine compares the withering
of love to that of withering flowers in a valley. In lines (5
and 6), he compares the dirge of lost love to that of a
Lark’s sorrowful song. The depiction of a lark singing a
sorrowful strong is used in this poem to emphasize
Heine’s deep emotional pain as larks are generally
notorious for their excellent vocal abilities with beautiful
songs that cascade down from the sky. When a lark can
no longer sing a beautiful song, then the tragedy must be
great. Heine also emphasizes the tragedy of his loss in
lines (7 and 8) when he refers to the scent of death
coming from the lovely balsam buds – normally
notorious for the pleasant balsam smell emanating from
the opening buds and leaves in the spring. In lines (9
through 12), Heine describes his sadness as if the sun
had lost its warmth, and all of nature had begun to
whither and turn brown, thus signifying the death of all
that was once beautiful. Heine expresses his heartfelt
grief in lines (13 and 14), and he ends his poem with the
direct question – “Why did you forsake me?”
Works Cited
“17th Century English: Cavalier Poets.” Luminarium.org. 04 Feb. 2007. Web. 16 April 2010.
Greenfield, John R. "Percy Bysshe Shelley." British Romantic Prose Writers, 1789-1832: Second Series. Ed. John R. Greenfield.
Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 110. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 17 Apr.
2010.
Hayman, Ronald. “The Death & Life of Sylvia Plath.” New York: Carol Publishing Group. 1991. Print
”Heinrich Heine Criticism.” Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 16 April 2010.
“Heinrich Heine.” New World Encyclopedia. 03 April 2008. Web. 16 April 2010.
“Percy Bysshe Shelley.” Reference.com, n.d. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Web. 15 April 2010.
“Sylvia Plath.” Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. April 14, 2010.
Images Used
Slide 1 Background Image:
Golden Hearts. N.d. Google Images. Online Image. 7 Nov. 2010.
Slides 2 Background Image:
Candle Smoke. N.d. Google Images. Online image. 6 Nov. 2010.
Slide 3 Background Image:
Gothic Rose. N.d. Google Images. Online image. 7 Nov. 2010.
Slide 3 Background Image:
Black and White Forest. N.d. Google Images. Online image. 7 Nov. 2010.
Slide 4 Center Right Image:
Mckenna, Rollie. Sylvia Plath. 1997. Poets.org. Online image. 6 Nov. 2010.
Slide 5 left Background Image:
Dark Forest. N.d. Google Images. Online image. 7 Nov. 2010.
Slide 6 Top Left Image:
Percy Shelley. 2003. PoetsGraves. Online image. 7 Nov. 2010.
Slide 6 Bottom Right Image:
Stodart, George. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley. 1853. Wikipedia.Online
Stipple engraving.
Slide 7 Background Image:
Candlelight. N.d. Google Images. Online Image. 5 Nov. 2010.
Slide 8 Image:
Oppenheim, Moritz Daniel. Heinrich Heine. 1821. Online Image. 6 Nov. 2010.
Slide 9 Background Image:
Pink Rose. N.d. Google Images. Online image. 7 Nov. 2010.
Slide 10 Background Image:
Graveyard and Weeds. N.d. Google Images. Online image. 7 Nov. 2010.
Slide 11 Background Image:
Paper Rose. 2010. Microsoft Powerpoint. Backround Image. 8. Nov. 2010.