Magill1

Manon Magill
Patterson
AP Lit Per 5
3 April 2012
Analysis of Ben Jonsons Song: To Celia
Born in !nglan" "#ring t$e %enaissan&e' Ben Jonson e(erge" as a lea"ing play)rig$t
an" poet of t$e se*enteent$ &ent#ry+ As an inno*ate (an of t$e %enaissan&e' Jonson "e*elope"
$is o)n te&$ni,#es in )riting &lear' lyri&al poe(s s#&$ as Song: To Celia+ T$e fo#r sets of
,#atrains t$at s$ape t$is poe( $ol" i(agery an" (etap$ors to ill#strate t$e spea-ers "esire to
&on*in&e $is lo*e' Celia' to e.press $er lo*e for $i(+ T$#s' Jonson "e(onstrates $is &reati*e
a/ility in t$is poe( /y applying i(agery' fig#rati*e lang#age' an" "i&tion to esta/lis$ t$e
spea-er' tone' an" t$e(e of t$e poe(+
T$ro#g$o#t t$e poe(' Jonson esta/lis$es t$e spea-er as a lo*er' t$e (an )$o lo*es Celia
"early+ T$e spea-er (aintains a first person point of *ie) )it$ $is 0s an" (es fo#n"
t$ro#g$o#t+ T$is spea-ers a#"ien&e is $is lo*er' Celia' as in"i&ate" in t$e title+ 1et' )it$o#t t$e
in"i&ation in t$e title' Jonson re*eals t$e a#"ien&e as t$e spea-ers lo*er /y "is&#ssing ro(anti&
topi&s s#&$ as a -iss 233' )ine 243' an" a rosy )reat$ 253+ As t$e spea-er a""resses $is
lo*er' $e is trying to &on*in&e $er to e.press $er lo*e for $i( an" "rin- to (e only )it$ t$ine
eyes' 213+
Jonson "e*elops a pre"o(inantly fan&if#l an" affe&tionate tone in t$is poe( as $e
e(ploys i(agery' (etap$ors' an" ot$er fig#rati*e lang#age "e*i&es to ens#re a ro(anti& air
a/o#t t$e poe(+ 6it$in t$e poe(' Jonson &reates a fan&if#l tone /y &atering to ones senses as if
$e )ill )in Celia o*er /y appealing to $er senses+ Beginning )it$ sig$t' t$e spea-er as-s Celia to
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loo- into $is eyes' s#ggesting inti(ate eye &onta&t+ T$e spea-er t$en &alls on t$e sense of to#&$
for a -iss' p$ysi&al affe&tion /et)een t)o people+ 7e.t &o(es t$e spea-ers appeal to taste )it$
)ine an" ne&tar' one a "eli&a&y of (an' t$e ot$er a "eli&a&y of t$e go"s+ 8inally' t$e s&ent of t$e
roses pleases t$e sense of s(ell+ 7oti&e t$at ea&$ of t$ese is o/9e&ts or a&tions asso&iate" )it$
ro(an&e: ga:ing into t$e ot$ers eyes' gi*ing a -iss' t$e fla*orf#l )ine' an" t$e fragrant roses;
t$#s' t$e spea-ers appeal to t$e senses is an elegant &all to ro(an&e+ T$e spea-er also plays #p
t$e ro(an&e t$ro#g$ (etap$ors )it$ in"i&ate $is elo,#ent spee&$ an" /y &o(paring Celia to
roses for t$e rosy )reat$< gro)s' an" s(ells' 0 s)ear' not of itself /#t t$ee= 25>1?3+ 8inally'
Jonson s#pple(ents t$e fan&if#lness of t$e poe( t$ro#g$ &onsonan&e' )$i&$ a""s an e.tra
/o#n&e of lig$tness to t$e poe(+ 8or e.a(ple' t$e rosy )reat$ 253 pro*i"es an a""itional air of
)eig$tlessness as t$e )or"s float a&ross t$e paper+ 7ot only is t$ere a fan&if#l' affe&tionate tone
to t$is poe(' /#t in line 13 t$ere is a tone s$ift )$en t$e spea-er /egins to "is&#ss t$e roses an"
$o) t$ey s(ell of Celia+ Be&a#se of t$is &$ange in attit#"e fro( a feeling of lo*e an" &loseness
to a passionate' "e*otional attit#"e' t$ere is a tone s$ift in line 13' a"9#sting fro( affe&tion to
a"oration+
8inally' t$e t$e(e of t$is poe( "e(onstrates t$e /ea#ty an" i((ortality of lo*e+ T$e
all#sion to Jo*es ne&tar "ire&tly in"i&ates t$at 9#st as t$e go"s are i((ortal' so is lo*e+ T$ro#g$
t$e sensory i(ages "es&ri/e" /efore regar"ing -isses' eyes' )ine' an" roses' Jonson &learly
"es&ri/es t$e greatness of lo*e+ 0n fa&t' lo*e is so great t$at in &ases of tr#e lo*e' it is i((ortal+
A""itionally' t$e (ention of ne&tar also ser*es as a sy(/ol of $o) ri&$ an" s)eet lo*e is'
espe&ially )$en t$at lo*e is ret#rne"+ T$ro#g$ *i*i" i(agery' t$e spea-er atte(pts to &on*in&e
$is /elo*e" Celia to ret#rn $is lo*e to $i( /y "e(onstrating $er lo*e for $i(+ T$e t$e(e of t$e
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/ea#ty an" i((ortality of lo*e is e(/o"ie" /y t$e poe( t$ro#g$ its sensory i(agery of lo*ing
a&ts an" &o(paring Celias lo*e to Jo*es ne&tar' a ri&$' i((ortal "rin-+
Ben Jonson esta/lis$es t$e spea-er' tone' an" t$e(e of Song: To Celia t$ro#g$ "i&tion'
i(agery' an" fig#rati*e lang#age+ T$ro#g$o#t t$e poe(' a lo*e>stri&-en (an atte(pts to &oa. $is
lo*e' Celia' into e.pressing $er lo*e for $i( /y e.pressing $is lo*e an" )is$es t$ro#g$ sensory
i(agery+ T$e poe( also &ontains &onsonan&e' &ontri/#ting to t$e lig$t' airiness t$at &ontri/#te to
t$e fan&if#l tone of t$e poe( along )it$ its ro(anti& aspe&ts' &reating a fan&if#l' affe&tionate
poe(+ Alt$o#g$ t$ere is one tone s$ift' it is (erely an ele*ate" e.pression of lo*e' in"i&ating t$e
i(portan&e of lo*e as an e*er>lasting &on"ition+ T$ro#g$ t$ese )ays' t$e t$e(e of t$e poe( is
esta/lis$e": lo*e is /ea#tif#l an" i((ortal+
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1+ Spea-er
o 6$o is t$e spea-er@
o 6$at is t$e spea-erAs point of *ie)@
o 6$o is t$e spea-erAs a#"ien&e@
o 6$at is t$e spea-erAs topi&' arg#(ent' et&+@
T$e spea-er of t$is poe( is a (an in lo*e+ T$e spea-er #ses first person point of *ie) as $e
a""resses $is lo*er' Celia' trying to &on*in&e $er to e.press $er lo*e for $i(+
2+ Tone
o 6$at is t$e "o(inant tone in t$e poe(@
o Boes t$e tone of t$e poe( s$ift@ 6$ere@ 6$y@
T$e spea-er (aintains a fan&if#l' affe&tionate tone+ 0n line 13 t$ere is a tone s$ift fro( a (ore si(ple
affe&tion to a /#rning a"oration+
3+ 0(agery
o Csing t$e fi*e senses 2feel' $ear' see' s(ell' taste3 isolate t$e (ain i(ages
o 6$at is s#ggeste" /y t$e #se of t$e i(age@
o Boes t$e i(age pro*o-e an e(otion or i"ea@ Do)@
8eel: -iss+ See: t$ine eyes' rosy )reat$+ S(ell: t$e s&ent of t$e roses is not t$e s&ent of roses /#t t$e
s&ent of Celia+ Taste: )ine' Jo*es ne&tar+ 6ine' roses' an" eyes are &o((only asso&iate" )it$
ro(an&e' so t$e spea-er is s#ggesting ro(an&e+ Jo*es ne&tar is asso&iate" )it$ t$e go"s an" is a
"eli&a&y' s#ggesting t$e ri&$ness of $is lo*e for $er an" t$e i((ortality of lo*e+
4+ 8ig#rati*e Lang#age
o Be a/le to fin"' "is&#ss' an" #n"erstan" t$e fig#rati*e lang#age #se" in t$e poe(+
o Cse t$e list of literary "e*i&es t$at are liste" /elo)+
All#sion: Jo*es ne&tar+ %eferen&e to %o(an go" Jo*e an" t$e "rin- of t$e go"s+ Metap$ors: "rin- to (e
only )it$ t$ine eyes > Loo- into (y eyes+ %osy )reat$< gro)s an" s(ells< not of itself /#t t$ee= E
1o# are a rose+
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5+ So#n"
o 6$at so#n" ele(ents are t$e (ost pro(inent@ 6$y@
o Cse t$e list of literary "e*i&es t$at are liste" /elo)+
o Do) "oes t$e so#n" ele(ent $elp to reinfor&e t$e (eaning of t$e poe(+
Consonan&e: Kiss /#t in t$e c#p+ Rosy wreat$+ Sentst is /a&- to (e sin&e )$en it gro)s' an" s(ells' 0
s)ear+ Pro*i"es t$e lig$t' airy' fan&if#l aspe&t+
?+ T$e(e
o 6$at is t$e t$e(e of t$e poe(@
o 6$at is t$e p#rpose of t$e poe(@
o Do) "oes t$e poe( $elp to e.e(plify t$e t$e(e@
T$e(e: 0((ortality of lo*e P#rpose: &on*in&e Celia to s$o) t$e spea-er $er lo*e for $i(+ Fi*i" i(agery
in*ol*ing t$e senses as to &a#se $er to )ant $i( )it$ all of $er senses' all of $er /eing
ST08ST !ssay : Cse t$e ans)ers to t$e annotation 2a/o*e to &o(pose a #nifie" analysis of t$e poe(s
t$e(e' spea-er' tone3+
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6or-s Cite"
G!li:a/et$an an" Ja&o/ean !ras Si(iliarities an" Bifferen&es+G Elizabethan Era England Life+
!li:a/et$an !ra !nglan" Life+ 6e/+ 02 Apr+ 2012+
H$ttp:II)))+eli:a/et$anenglan"life+&o(Ieli:a/et$an>an">9a&o/ean>eras+$t(lJ+
G!.planation Kf: GSong: To CeliaG /y Ben Jonson+G LitFinder+ Lale+ 6e/+ 2 Apr+ 2012+
GJa&o/ean !ra+G Newworldencyclopedia.org+ 7e) 6orl" !n&y&lope"ia' 2M J#ly 200M+ 6e/+ 02 Apr+
2012+ H$ttp:II)))+ne))orl"en&y&lope"ia+orgIentryIJa&o/eanNeraJ+
Jonson' Ben+ GSong: To Celia+G Household Book of Poetry+ Appelton an"' 1MM2+ LitFinder+ 6e/+
2 Apr+ 2012+