Development: second and third quatrains: Solution :Volta/couplet:

Problem: first quatrain: the speaker is envious of the instrument the speaker resolves to let
the woman the and in the third quatrain desires to switch the instrument have the
speaker references places with the keys who are being shown woman's fingers in
sways him with her an utmost mastery and dedication. exchange for her lips

music

Assonance: sets the tone as sweet and

How oft when thou, my music, music play'st,

light like good music by conjuring mellow

Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds
sonic images.

Personification: the speaker is saying that

With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway'st
the wood is blessed, therefore conveying

that her music so powerful that it might as

The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,
well be able to bring the instrument to life.

Enjambment: conveys the thought of a

Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap,

smooth, music-like tone-one perhaps as

beautiful as the player's music.

To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,

Whilst my poor lips which should that harvest reap,

Personification: through expressing the

readiness of the keys to be played, the

At the wood's boldness by thee blushing stand!
speaker exemplifies his envy of the

keys. He desires that same experience-

to be treated so well.
To be so tickled, they would change their state

Metaphor: saying that the beauty of the

And situation with those dancing chips,
player and the playing is like a harvest

calls to the mind an intense amount of

O'er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,
something, in this case that something

is the bounty of splendor produced by

Making dead wood more bless'd than living lips.
the player's music.

Alliteration: brings attention to the

Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,

speakers inability to act upon his

feelings by shining light upon the
Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss

contrast between the instrument and

himself-boldness and blushing

End-stopped line: stops the respectively.

previous voice of the speaker Personification: the whole concept of

speaking to himself and shifts to this quatrain is shaped by

him talking to the beauty in the personification. Overall, it shows how
jealous the speaker is. This can be seen
Couplet: As if by the end of the poem he because he states that his lips would
figured out a solution, the speaker makes a gladly switch places with the instrument
compromise with the player to let her keep for it is better treated than he is by her.
her fingers playing if he may have her lips to
kiss. All of this is very neatly summed up in
two lines showing the wittiness of the
speaker.