Song: Why so pale and wan fond lover?

What thing is love?By George Peele(1556-1596)

20/25

Presentation by Yabework Abebe KifetewWhat thing is love? for sure love is a thing.It is a prick, it is a sting,It is a pretty, pretty thing;It is a fire, it is a coal,Whose flame creeps in at every hole;And, as my wit doth best devise,Loves dwelling is in ladies eyes,From whence do glance loves piercing darts,That make such holes into our hearts.Structure and formIt is a poem about loveIt is very short, with only one stanzaIt has 9 linesIt starts with a question, and the rest of the poem attempts to answer it.The one stanza is short, as it is one continuous thought. The speaker is exploring and contemplating what he/she thinks to be love. It may also show that the speaker finds this a very important and pressing issue.31. What thing is love? for sure love is a thing.2. It is a prick, it is a sting,3. It is a pretty, pretty thing;

The first part of line 1 is a rhetorical question, while the remaining part of the line refers to love as an important, tangible thing. The rest of the poem attempts to answer the questionIn lines 2-3, he describes loves two contrasting elements. First it is a prick, a sting, suggesting dangers and that love can be painful, but immediately after contradicts it by saying It is a pretty, pretty thing, which shows the speaker still appreciates its beauty despite the risk of being hurt

Here, a prick and a sting is a short, temporary pain doesnt last long.44. It is a fire, it is a coal,5. Whose flame creeps in at every hole; Line 4 portrays love as a fire; something that burns, that is passionate. This goes with the popular definition of love something passionate, hot, and exciting, yet also dangerous, uncontrollable and can burn out quickly. The coal could suggest that love is the fuel of life sustaining and solid. Or, it could suggest a more powerful and negative connotation of darkness and hardness. The subsequent line(line 5) claims that loves flame creeps in at every hole. This reinforces the message that it is uncontrollable, and cannot be blocked out. It will find its way in, and will affect every part/hole in you.6. And, as my wit doth best devise,7. Loves dwelling is in ladies eyes,8. From whence do glance loves piercing darts,9. That make such holes into our hearts.

In the last 4 lines, the speaker talks about where they believe love comes from.In line 6-7, the speaker states that loves dwelling is in ladies eyes. This does not necessarily mean women are the ones affected, but perhaps that, in the speakers opinion, a glance from a lady is enough to make one fall in love.Lines 8-9 again gives across the message that love has the power to cause severe pain, that is very overwhelming like a hole in your heart.When referring to ladies eyes, it can mean both positive or negative things. Either to show the power the beauty of ladies have, and how easy it is to fall in love with them, OR, being that they are the ones that cause the holes in our hearts, it can be implying that women are the sole cause of all the pain experienced in love.6Theme and toneLove:How powerful it isIt can cause pain, and yet is still a beautiful thing to experienceIt is overpowering, and uncontrollableTone has both positive and negative sayings, but the poem is generally very matter-of-fact like. It does not dispute anything, it calmly states what love is. It neither complains or deeply appreciates love, it merely talks about it.General Meaning- Love has the ability to be both good and bad/pure and dark, but when it is experienced, it is a beautiful and painful thing. One cannot chose whether they fall in love or not, but it is something that can consume them with passion and feeling. It leaves you with a feeling of emptiness in your heart, perhaps that had been yearning for more and was met with the piercing pain of failed love. Usually, love is painful when it is not reciprocated.8Personal ResponseI mostly agree with the poem, except perhaps the ladies eyes. I believe love can be painful, but not always. I think he has described one type of love, mostly romantic love, but there are other types of love that do not cause pain or holes in our hearts. Still, I agree that it is very often something that causes heaviness in the heart, and I relate to the speaker in the poem in a way.