'Two In The Campagna' by Robert Browning
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I wonder how you feel to-day
As I have felt since, hand in hand,
We sat down on the grass, to stray
In spirit better through the land,
This morn of Rome and May?
For me, I touched a thought, I know,
Has tantalized me many times,
(Like turns of thread the spiders throw
Mocking across our path) for rhymes
To catch at and let go.
Help me to hold it! First it left
The yellow fennel, run to seed
There, branching from the brickwork's cleft,
Some old tomb's ruin: yonder weed
Took up the floating weft,
Where one small orange cup amassed
Five beetles,—blind and green they grope
Among the honey meal: and last,
Everywhere on the grassy slope
O traced it. Hold it fast!
The champaign with its endless fleece
Of feathery grasses everywhere!
Silence and passion, joy and peace,
An everlasting wash of air—
Rome's ghost since her decease.
Such life here, through such lengths of hours,
Such miracles performed in play,
Such primal naked forms of flowers,
Such letting nature have her way
While heaven looks from its towers!
How say you? Let us, O my dove,
Let us be unashamed of soul,
As earth lies bare to heaven above!
How is it under our control
To love or not to love?
I would that you were all to me,
You that are just so much, no more.
Nor yours nor mine, nor slave nor free!
Where does the fault lie? What the core
O' the wound, since wound must be?
I would I could adopt your will,
See with your eyes, and set my heart
Beating by yours, and drink my fill
At your soul's springs,— your part my part
In life, for good and ill.
No. I yearn upward, touch you close,
Then stand away. I kiss your cheek,
Catch your soul's warmth,— I pluck the rose
And love it more than tongue can speak—
Then the good minute goes.
Already how am I so far
Our of that minute? Must I go
Still like the thistle-ball, no bar,
Onward, whenever light winds blow,
Fixed by no friendly star?
Just when I seemed about to learn!
Where is the thread now? Off again!
The Old trick! Only I discern—
Infinite passion, and the pain
Of finite hearts that yearn.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Two in the Campagna by Robert Browning
Oh, we'll go no more a-roving So late into the night, Though the heart be still as loving, And the moon be still as bright.
For the sword outwears its sheath, And the soul wears out the breast, And the heart must pause to breathe, And love itself have rest.
Though the night was made for loving, And the day returns too soon, Yet we'll go no more a-roving By the light of the moon.
These are the famous lines that close Lord Byron's poem, "So we'll go no more a-roving." It is said that Robert Browning, upon reading the poem, was so moved that he wrote his own version of the lines, which became the poem "Two in the Campagna."
Browning's poem, unlike Byron's, is not simply a meditation on the passing of time and the need for rest. It is a complex and deeply psychological exploration of love, desire, and the ways in which we construct meaning in our lives.
The poem tells the story of two lovers who are walking in the countryside outside of Rome, known as the Campagna. We are not given any information about these two people - they are simply "two." They are walking together, enjoying the beauty of the landscape around them. They are deeply in love, and their love is described in sensuous, tactile terms.
Browning writes:
"The wild-bee reels from bough to bough With his furry coat and his gauzy wing, Now in a lily-cup, and now Setting a jacinth bell a-swing, In his wandering;"
Here, the movement of the bee is described in detail, and the image of the "furry coat" and "gauzy wing" evoke a sense of texture and touch. The bee moves from flower to flower, seemingly aimlessly, and yet the poem suggests that this movement is purposeful in some way.
The lovers, too, are moving through the landscape in a seemingly aimless way. They are not going anywhere in particular, they are simply enjoying each other's company and the beauty around them.
But as the poem progresses, we begin to see that this aimlessness is in fact an illusion. The lovers are not simply wandering through the countryside - they are constructing a narrative for themselves, a narrative of love and desire that gives meaning to their lives.
Browning writes:
"So, they roam and so they rest Till it ends as it began, With each round of wilderment 'Neath a vaster, drearer ban, But the circle narrows at the end, And lovers have less friend than lover."
Here, the circular nature of the lovers' journey is emphasized. They are moving in circles, both physically and emotionally. And yet, with each round, they become more and more isolated from the world around them. The "dreary ban" of the landscape seems to be closing in on them, and their love becomes their only refuge.
The poem ends with the famous lines:
"Oh, the wild joys of living! the leaping from rock up to rock, The strong rending of boughs from the fir-tree, the cool silver shock Of the plunge in a pool's living water, the hunt of the bear, And the sultriness showing the lion is couched in his lair. And the meal, the rich dates yellowed over with gold dust divine, And the locust-flesh steeped in the pitcher of wine, And the loud song of life, the proud parting of friend from friend, The echoing back of the laughter at the start of the journey's end."
Here, Browning seems to be suggesting that the only true joy in life is the joy of experience. The lovers may be constructing their own narrative of love and desire, but ultimately it is the physical sensations of life - the "plunge in a pool's living water," the "hunt of the bear" - that give life its meaning.
And yet, even as the poem celebrates the joys of life, it is tinged with sadness. The "loud song of life" is only temporary, and the "proud parting of friend from friend" is a reminder of the inevitability of death and loss.
In conclusion, "Two in the Campagna" is a complex and deeply psychological poem that explores the nature of love, desire, and meaning in life. Browning's use of sensuous language and circular structure creates a sense of movement and aimlessness, but ultimately the poem suggests that the only true meaning in life comes from the physical sensations of experience.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Two in the Campagna: A Masterpiece of Love and Loss
Robert Browning's "Two in the Campagna" is a classic poem that explores the complexities of love and loss. The poem is a dramatic monologue that presents the speaker's thoughts and feelings as he reflects on his relationship with his lover. The poem is set in the Campagna, a rural area outside of Rome, and the speaker uses the natural landscape to explore the themes of love and loss.
The poem begins with the speaker describing the beauty of the Campagna. He describes the "wide, wide heaven" and the "purple glow" of the mountains. The speaker is in awe of the natural beauty around him, and he uses this beauty to reflect on his relationship with his lover. He says that he and his lover were "two that together / Often, in the gladness of the present time, / Sang to each other, nothing loath / Of what might happen yet, in life." The speaker is reminiscing about the happy times he shared with his lover, and he is hopeful about their future together.
However, the tone of the poem quickly changes as the speaker begins to reflect on the present. He says that he is now alone in the Campagna, and that his lover has left him. He describes the pain he feels, saying that "the heart's wound / Over again, I do thee to wit, / The pain is not much." The speaker is trying to convince himself that the pain of losing his lover is not too great, but it is clear that he is deeply hurt.
The speaker then begins to question the nature of love. He says that love is like a "little room / With scarce space for two." He is suggesting that love is a confined space, and that it is difficult for two people to share it. He then goes on to say that love is like a "wild thing" that cannot be tamed. He is suggesting that love is unpredictable and uncontrollable, and that it can lead to pain and heartache.
The speaker then reflects on his own feelings of love. He says that he loved his lover "not for thy body's grace / Nor for thy speaking eyes." He is suggesting that his love for his lover was not based on physical attraction, but on something deeper. He then goes on to say that he loved his lover for her "mind's sake." He is suggesting that he loved his lover for her intelligence and her personality.
The speaker then reflects on the nature of loss. He says that loss is like a "great grief" that cannot be overcome. He is suggesting that the pain of losing his lover is too great to bear. He then goes on to say that he is "weary of days and hours." He is suggesting that he is tired of living without his lover, and that he longs for the past.
The speaker then reflects on the nature of memory. He says that memory is like a "fountain sealed." He is suggesting that memories are locked away, and that they cannot be accessed easily. He then goes on to say that he wishes he could "burst thy bonds, / And dive into thy deeps." He is suggesting that he wishes he could access his memories of his lover more easily, and that he could relive the happy times they shared together.
The poem ends with the speaker reflecting on the nature of life. He says that life is like a "great sea." He is suggesting that life is unpredictable and uncontrollable, and that it can lead to pain and heartache. He then goes on to say that he wishes he could "sink to the depths o' the soul." He is suggesting that he wishes he could escape from the pain of losing his lover, and that he could find peace in his own soul.
In conclusion, "Two in the Campagna" is a masterpiece of love and loss. The poem explores the complexities of love and loss, and it uses the natural landscape of the Campagna to reflect on these themes. The speaker's reflections on the nature of love, loss, memory, and life are profound and moving, and they speak to the universal human experience of love and loss. The poem is a testament to Browning's skill as a poet, and it remains a classic of English literature.
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