'The Bait' by John Donne
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Come live with me, and be my love,
And we will some new pleasures prove,
Of golden sand, and crystal brooks,
With silken lines and silver hooks.
There will the river whispering run,
Warmed by thy eyes more than the sun.
And there the enamoured fish will stay.
Begging themselves they may betray.
When wilt thou swim in that live bath,
Each fish, which every channel hath,
Will amorously to thee swim,
Gladder to catch thee, than thou him.
If thou, to be so seen, beest loath,
By sun or moon, thou dark'nest both;
And if myself have leave to see,
I need not their light, having thee.
Let others freeze with angling reeds,
And cut their legs with shells and weeds,
Or treacherously poor fish beset
With strangling snare, or windowy net.
Let course bold hand from slimy nest
The bedded fish in banks out-wrest,
Or curious traitors, sleave-silk flies,
Bewitch poor fishes' wandering eyes.
For thee, thou need'st no such deceit,
For thou thyself are thine own bait;
That fish that is not catched thereby,
Alas, is wiser far than I.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Bait by John Donne: A Masterful Exploration of Love, Temptation and Death
John Donne's "The Bait" is a masterpiece of English poetry that explores the themes of love, temptation, and death. Written in the 17th century, the poem is a metaphysical conceit that uses the imagery of fishing to describe the pursuit of love, and the inevitable death that awaits us all.
The Poem
Come live with me, and be my love,
And we will some new pleasures prove
Of golden sands, and crystal brooks,
With silken lines, and silver hooks.
There's nothing new in the idea of love as a form of angling. In fact, it's one of the oldest metaphors in English literature. But Donne turns this tired old cliché on its head by transforming the angler into the prey, and the fish into the predator. Instead of the traditional image of the angler patiently waiting for the fish to take the bait, Donne presents us with a scene in which the fish are actively pursuing the bait, and the angler is the one who is being lured.
This reversal of roles is both startling and effective. It forces us to see the act of love not as a passive pursuit, but as an active one. It also suggests that the pursuit of love is not without risks, and that the angler may end up being caught and devoured by the very thing he is trying to catch.
We will sit upon the rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers, to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.
The imagery here is pastoral and idyllic, suggesting a time of innocence and simplicity. But it's also tinged with a sense of danger and risk. The rocks upon which they sit are hard and unforgiving, and the rivers are shallow and treacherous. The birds' songs are beautiful, but they also suggest a sense of impending doom.
And I will make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;
Donne's use of vivid and sensual imagery is one of the hallmarks of his style. Here, he describes the pleasures of love as a series of sensory experiences. The beds of roses are soft and fragrant, the flowers are beautiful, and the kirtle embroidered with leaves of myrtle is a sign of the lover's devotion. But again, there's a sense of danger and risk lurking beneath the surface. The roses have thorns, the flowers will wither, and the kirtle may be torn or stained.
A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty lambs we pull,
Fair-lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;
The image of the gown made of wool is significant. It's a reminder that love is not just a matter of sensual pleasure, but also involves a sense of warmth and comfort. The slippers, too, are a sign of the lover's devotion, as they are designed to protect the beloved's feet from the cold. But again, there's a sense of danger and risk here. The wool may be shorn, and the slippers may not be enough to protect the beloved from the cold.
A belt of straw and ivy buds,
With coral clasps and amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.
Donne's use of natural imagery is one of his trademarks. Here, he describes the belt as being made of straw and ivy buds, with coral clasps and amber studs. The belt is a metaphor for the lover's embrace, and the coral clasps and amber studs are symbols of the lover's passion. But again, there's a sense of danger and risk lurking beneath the surface. The straw may be flimsy, and the ivy buds may be poisonous.
The shepherd swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May-morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me, and be my love.
The image of the shepherd swains dancing and singing is a sign of the lover's devotion. It's also a reminder that love is not just a matter of sensual pleasure, but also involves a sense of community and celebration. But again, there's a sense of danger and risk here. The shepherd swains may be boisterous and unruly, and their singing may not be to everyone's taste.
Interpretation
At its core, "The Bait" is a meditation on the nature of love and the inevitability of death. It's a poem that explores the pleasures and dangers of love, and the risks that we take when we pursue it.
On the surface, the poem is a simple love poem, filled with images of beauty and sensuality. But beneath the surface, there's a sense of darkness and danger lurking. The rocks are hard and unforgiving, the rivers are shallow and treacherous, and the birds' songs are beautiful, but they also suggest a sense of impending doom.
Donne is a master of the metaphysical conceit, and "The Bait" is no exception. By transforming the traditional image of the angler into the prey, and the fish into the predator, he forces us to re-think our assumptions about the nature of love. He also suggests that the pursuit of love is not without risks, and that the angler may end up being caught and devoured by the very thing he is trying to catch.
In this sense, "The Bait" can be seen as a warning against the dangers of love, and a reminder of the inevitability of death. The image of the rocks upon which the lovers sit is a reminder that life is hard and unforgiving, and that death is always lurking just beneath the surface.
At the same time, however, the poem is also a celebration of the pleasures of love, and a tribute to the power of passion. Donne's use of vivid and sensual imagery is a reminder that love is not just a matter of intellectual contemplation, but also involves a sense of sensory experience.
Ultimately, "The Bait" is a poem that reminds us of the beauty and fragility of life, and the risks that we take when we pursue our passions. It's a poem that invites us to explore the depths of our emotions, and to embrace the pleasures and dangers of love.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Bait by John Donne is a classic poem that has stood the test of time. It is a beautiful piece of literature that has been analyzed and studied by scholars for centuries. The poem is a perfect example of Donne's unique style of writing, which is characterized by his use of metaphysical conceits and his ability to blend the physical and spiritual worlds.
The poem is a love poem that is addressed to a woman. The speaker of the poem is trying to convince the woman to come to him by using a fishing metaphor. He compares himself to a fisherman who is trying to catch a fish, and the woman to a fish who is being lured by the bait.
The poem is divided into three stanzas, each of which has a different tone and theme. The first stanza is a description of the bait that the speaker is using to lure the woman. He describes the bait as being "bright" and "shining," which is a metaphor for the woman's beauty. He also describes the bait as being "sweet," which is a metaphor for the woman's personality.
The second stanza is a description of the woman's resistance to the bait. The speaker acknowledges that the woman is aware of his intentions and is trying to resist him. He describes her as being "wise" and "cautious," which is a metaphor for her intelligence and her ability to see through his intentions.
The third stanza is a plea from the speaker to the woman to give in to his advances. He tells her that he will be gentle and kind to her, and that he will make her happy. He also tells her that if she does not come to him, she will be missing out on the opportunity to experience true love.
The poem is a beautiful example of Donne's use of metaphysical conceits. The fishing metaphor is used throughout the poem to describe the speaker's pursuit of the woman. The bait is a metaphor for the woman's beauty and personality, and the fish is a metaphor for the speaker's desire for her.
Donne's ability to blend the physical and spiritual worlds is also evident in the poem. The fishing metaphor is a physical representation of the speaker's pursuit of the woman, but it is also a spiritual representation of his desire for her. The bait is a physical object, but it is also a spiritual representation of the woman's beauty and personality.
The poem is also a perfect example of Donne's use of paradoxes. The speaker acknowledges that the woman is wise and cautious, but he also tells her that she will be missing out on true love if she does not give in to his advances. This is a paradox because true love should not require someone to give in to another person's advances.
The poem is also a reflection of Donne's views on love and relationships. Donne believed that true love was a spiritual connection between two people, and that physical attraction was only a small part of that connection. The fishing metaphor in the poem is a representation of this belief, as the bait is only a small part of the speaker's pursuit of the woman.
In conclusion, The Bait by John Donne is a beautiful poem that has stood the test of time. It is a perfect example of Donne's unique style of writing, which is characterized by his use of metaphysical conceits and his ability to blend the physical and spiritual worlds. The poem is a reflection of Donne's views on love and relationships, and it is a beautiful representation of the pursuit of true love.
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