'La Figlia Che Piange' by Thomas Stearns Eliot


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O quam te memorem Virgo ...


Stand on the highest pavement of the stair--
Lean on a garden urn--
Weave, weave the sunlight in your hair--
Clasp your flowers to you with a pained surprise--
Fling them to the ground and turn
With a fugitive resentment in your eyes:
But weave, weave the sunlight in your hair.

So I would have had him leave,
So I would have had her stand and grieve,
So he would have left
As the soul leaves the body torn and bruised,
As the mind deserts the body it has used.
I should find
Some way incomparably light and deft,
Some way we both should understand,
Simple and faithless as a smile and shake of the hand.

She turned away, but with the autumn weather
Compelled my imagination many days,
Many days and many hours:
Her hair over her arms and her arms full of flowers.
And I wonder how they should have been together!
I should have lost a gesture and a pose.
Sometimes these cogitations still amaze
The troubled midnight and the noon's repose.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Introduction

Oh boy, do I have a treat for you literature lovers out there! Today we are going to dive into the realm of Thomas Stearns Eliot's "La Figlia Che Piange" and explore its hidden depths. This poem has been described as one of Eliot's most beautiful and romantic works, and it's easy to see why. But beyond its surface level charm, there are themes and symbols that run deep throughout the poem, and I'm excited to unpack them all. So buckle up, and let's get started!

Overview

"La Figlia Che Piange" is a poem that explores the fleeting nature of beauty and the inevitability of change. It tells the story of a young girl who is weeping over the loss of her youth and beauty, while the speaker of the poem tries to console her by reminding her that everything eventually fades away. The poem is written in the form of a Petrarchan sonnet, which consists of an octave and a sestet, and follows the rhyme scheme ABBA ABBA CDE CDE.

Analysis

Let's start with the title, "La Figlia Che Piange," which translates to "The Daughter Who Weeps." This title immediately establishes a sense of sorrow and melancholy, which is carried throughout the poem. The daughter can be seen as a symbol for youth and beauty, which are both fleeting and temporary. The fact that she is weeping over their loss reinforces this idea.

The poem opens with an image of the daughter "among the cherry-trees," which sets the scene for the rest of the poem. The cherry-trees can be seen as a symbol for the beauty and transience of life. Cherry blossoms are known for their brief but stunning bloom, which is often associated with the beauty and fragility of youth.

The speaker of the poem tries to console the daughter by reminding her that "summer is coming." This can be seen as a metaphor for the cyclical nature of life. Just as summer eventually follows winter, so too does youth eventually give way to old age. The speaker also reminds the daughter that "beauty is a fading flower," which reinforces the idea that beauty is temporary and fleeting.

The octave of the sonnet is filled with images of beauty and youth. The daughter is described as having "rose-lips" and "lovely hair," while the cherry-trees are described as being in "bloom." These images create a sense of beauty and joy, which contrasts with the theme of loss and change that runs throughout the poem.

In the sestet, the speaker shifts his focus to the inevitability of change. He reminds the daughter that "Time beats upon the naked wall" and that "the shadow of the dome of pleasure" eventually fades away. These images create a sense of timelessness and inevitability, which reinforces the idea that everything eventually fades away.

The final lines of the poem are perhaps the most poignant. The speaker tells the daughter that "we are the music-makers, / And we are the dreamers of dreams." These lines can be seen as a metaphor for the power of human creativity and imagination. While everything in life may be temporary and fleeting, the things that we create and imagine can live on forever.

Interpretation

"La Figlia Che Piange" can be interpreted as a meditation on the nature of beauty and the inevitability of change. The daughter can be seen as a symbol for youth and beauty, which are both temporary and fleeting. The cherry-trees can be seen as a symbol for the cyclical nature of life, and the speaker's reminder that "summer is coming" reinforces this idea. The poem is also a reminder of the power of human creativity and imagination, and the fact that the things we create and imagine can live on long after we are gone.

Overall, "La Figlia Che Piange" is a beautiful and poignant poem that explores some of the most fundamental truths of human existence. Its themes of beauty, transience, and creativity are as relevant today as they were when the poem was first written, and its message is one that will resonate with readers for generations to come.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

La Figlia Che Piange: A Masterpiece of Modernist Poetry

Thomas Stearns Eliot, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, is known for his complex and layered poetry that explores the human condition in all its facets. His poem, La Figlia Che Piange, is a perfect example of his mastery of the craft. Written in 1917, this poem is a beautiful and haunting exploration of love, loss, and the fleeting nature of human existence.

The title of the poem, La Figlia Che Piange, translates to "The Weeping Girl" in English. This title sets the tone for the poem, which is a melancholic meditation on the transience of human emotions and experiences. The poem is written in free verse, which allows Eliot to experiment with form and structure, creating a sense of fluidity and movement that mirrors the ebb and flow of human emotions.

The poem begins with a description of a young girl weeping in a garden. The speaker of the poem, who is not identified, observes her from a distance and is struck by her beauty and vulnerability. The girl's tears are described as "pearls on her lashes," which is a powerful image that suggests both the beauty and fragility of human emotions.

As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on the nature of love and the fleeting nature of human existence. He notes that even the most intense emotions, such as love, are temporary and will eventually fade away. He writes:

"The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase, And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall, Then how should I begin To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways?"

These lines are a powerful reminder of the transience of human existence. The speaker suggests that even the most intense emotions, such as love, are fleeting and will eventually fade away. He also suggests that human beings are like insects pinned to a wall, unable to escape the inevitability of their own mortality.

The poem then takes a turn, as the speaker reflects on the nature of memory and the power of the past to shape our present experiences. He writes:

"The memory throws up high and dry A crowd of twisted things; A twisted branch upon the beach Eaten smooth, and polished As if the world gave up The secret of its skeleton, Stiff and white. A broken spring in a factory yard, Rust that clings to the form that the strength has left Hard and curled and ready to snap."

These lines are a powerful reminder of the power of memory to shape our present experiences. The speaker suggests that our memories are like twisted branches on a beach, shaped by the forces of time and experience. He also suggests that our memories are like broken springs in a factory yard, rusted and ready to snap at any moment.

The poem then returns to the image of the weeping girl in the garden. The speaker reflects on the beauty and fragility of human emotions, and suggests that even the most intense emotions, such as love, are temporary and will eventually fade away. He writes:

"The hands that held the bowl of the sky Now spill the stars And catch them again."

These lines are a powerful reminder of the beauty and fragility of human emotions. The speaker suggests that even the most intense emotions, such as love, are like stars in the sky, beautiful and fleeting.

In conclusion, La Figlia Che Piange is a masterpiece of modernist poetry that explores the human condition in all its complexity. Through its use of free verse, powerful imagery, and haunting reflections on the nature of love, loss, and memory, this poem captures the essence of what it means to be human. It is a testament to Eliot's mastery of the craft, and a reminder of the enduring power of poetry to capture the beauty and fragility of the human experience.

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