Discuss the way different poets treat the subject of love.

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Daros Koding

U6 English Literature

Discuss the way different poets treat the subject of love

The subject of love has always been a popular theme for the composing of poems, ever since the beginnings of literature as we know it. Poets of days gone by played with the themes of love in many interesting ways.

Two poets from the Romantic Era of literature wrote poems on love, but obviously they were not the only ones. Robert Burns wrote, “A Red, Red Rose” and Lord Byron wrote “So We’ll Go No More A-Roving.” Burns’ poem is about his passionate and ‘sweet’ love, for his ‘bonnie lass.’ He describes his love in simple language and simple imagery, such as ‘a red, red rose that’s newly sprung in June,’ or ‘the melodie that’s sweetly played in tune’, which denotes honesty and straightforwardness. He also mentions about how his love will go on,

                Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

                And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:

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He also talks about going away for a while, but then promises that he’ll come back, ‘though it were ten thousand mile.’ This suggests that Burns is saying that he is an honest and faithful man, and that he will always stand by his lady’s side, come what may. The ‘folky’ dialect and the sing-song ballad-form add certain genuineness to Burns’ declaration to his ‘Red, Red Rose’ and give the poem a romantic, overall, feeling. Of course, from Burns’ background, we know that he was far from the faithful and constant man that he paints himself out to be ...

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