A study of how pre-1914 poets have explored different aspects of love over time.

Authors Avatar

Pre-1914 Love Poetry: GCSE Coursework Essay

Q: A study of how pre-1914 poets have explored different aspects of love over time.

The way in which love is expressed through poetry has changed considerably over time. Poets from different eras focused on different aspects of love, and in turn used contrasting technique to express these. During the Elizabethan period, poets like Shakespeare used the theme of nature to explore the more sentimental aspects of love. Metaphysical poets preferred to talk about the physical consummation of love, using sensational, hyperbolic imagery and inventive arguments to communicate their feelings and desires. This was followed by the Romantic Movement; which brought about a dramatic change in the way love poetry was written, as writers tried to break away from the norm and experimented with a variety of forms and literary techniques. The poetry in each of these three time periods were uniquely special, and it is very interesting to examine the differences in the styles of writing.

In the Elizabethan era, imagery associated with nature was a common technique used in love poetry. This can be seen in Christopher Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepherd to his Love” – a typical Elizabethan love poem. The poem tells the story of a shepherd who is desperately trying to lure his beloved to him. He repeatedly pleads with her to “come love with me and be my love” and tries to entice her by setting out a beautiful scene in front of her. The use of emotive language is abundant, as the shepherd vividly describes the “pleasures” of nature: the “valleys, groves, hills, and fields”; the “melodious birds (that) sing madrigals” and the “beds of roses/ and a thousand fragrant posies”; among others. In addition, the fixed rhyme scheme gives it a musical quality which also plays a role in persuading the girl to join the shepherd. Like most poems of the era, “The Passionate Shepherd to his Love” portrays a sentimental view of love; and Marlowe is able to successfully capture the charm and ‘perfection’ usually associated with love and romance.

Using nature as a means to express love was a technique also favoured by William Shakespeare in his sonnet sequence. Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130, two of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets, are rich in metaphors referring to the splendour and perfection of nature. In terms of content, most poems of the Elizabethan period were modelled upon the famous sonnet sequence written by Petrarch in the 14th century. That particular sequence of poems was written in praise of his lover, and Petrarch used an extraordinary variety of metaphors largely based on natural beauty. These metaphors soon became cliché, but were still widely accepted as the way to write love poetry. Sonnet 18 follows the guidelines of a traditional Petrarchan sonnet. Although Shakespeare adapted the form of the poem, the content remained relatively similar. The first two lines, “Shall I compare thee to summer’s day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate”, summarise the poem, and the remaining lines elaborate upon this notion. His thesis is that the “eternal summer” of his beloved “shall not fade” because it is preserved in the poetry; whereas as the beauty of summer is bound to wither away and die as the seasons changed. Sonnet 130 is completely the opposite. Once again, Shakespeare compares his beloved to different aspects of nature, but this time he earnestly explains that the beauty of nature in infinitely superior to the beauty of his mistress. He uses very direct approach; and again the first two lines, “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; / Coral is far more red than her lips red”, directly signals his intentions. The rhyming couplet at the end states that despite these ‘imperfections,’ Shakespeare still greatly loved and valued his mistress, as opposed to the general tone created by the rest of the poem. The poem is a mockery of the traditional metaphors used by Petrarch, which if taken literally are ridiculously exaggerated and untrue. By using this comparison with nature, Shakespeare is trying to say that women don’t need to be patronised in such an excessive way, because they are beautiful just the way they are. In both sonnets, Shakespeare uses nature, in different ways, to describe his love for his mistress, and he is able to do so very effectively. 

Join now!

Metaphysical poets wrote in the 17th century, and they had a very distinct style of writing. Majority of their poems were exclusively about sex, and their erotic carnality was what set them apart from others. John Donne of the most influential Metaphysical poets and his ability to shock the reader with graphic, but yet subtle, sexual imagery was astonishing. Like all metaphysical poets, the arguments that he applied were extremely clever, witty, and at times just plain daft. All these attributes can be seen clearly in “The Flea.” In the poem, Donne presents his lover with a very simple argument ...

This is a preview of the whole essay