(Untitled)

[ruede]

More happy love! more happy, happy love!
For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd,
For ever panting, and for ever young;
All breathing human passion far above,
That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd,
A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

I love how Keats debases this section, line by line...

Comments

[miss_mellie]

One of my favourite parts is just before that, where it sounds like pure envy of the lovers' frozen & immortal state; but then you notice it is all written in absolute negatives, suggesting that this immortality is not a choice, and thereby emphasizing tension between envy and pity.

Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave
Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;
Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss,
Though winning near the goal yet, do not grieve;
She cannot fade, though though hast not thy bliss,
For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

[miss_mellie]

*cough* I realize "absolute negatives" prolly isn't really a literary term... what I mean is that instead of WILL he uses CAN (i.e. "she cannot fade" as opposed to "will not fade")

[miss_mellie]

and yeah, I'm an idiothead... "though THOU has not thy bliss..."

[ruede]

Yes, definitely. *grins* I love that about Keats.