'Counting The Beats' by Robert Graves
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You, love, and I,
(He whispers) you and I,
And if no more than only you and I
What care you or I?Counting the beats,
Counting the slow heart beats,
The bleeding to death of time in slow heart beats,
Wakeful they lie.Cloudless day,
Night, and a cloudless day;
Yet the huge storm will burst upon their heads one day
From a bitter sky.Where shall we be,
(She whispers) where shall we be,
When death strikes home, O where then shall we be
Who were you and I?Not there but here,
(He whispers) only here,
As we are, here, together, now and here,
Always you and I.Counting the beats,
Counting the slow heart beats,
The bleeding to death of time in slow heart beats,
Wakeful they lie.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Counting The Beats by Robert Graves: A Masterpiece of Poetic Ambiguity
Counting The Beats is a poem that defies a clear interpretation. At first glance, it seems like a simple love poem, with a speaker describing the end of a relationship. However, as one delves deeper into the poem, it becomes clear that there is much more going on, and that the true meaning of the poem is far from straightforward. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the various interpretations of Counting The Beats, and argue that the poem is a masterpiece of poetic ambiguity that reflects the complexity and ambiguity of human relationships.
The Surface Meaning: Love and Heartbreak
At its most basic level, Counting The Beats is a poem about love and heartbreak. The speaker describes the end of a relationship, lamenting the loss of love and the pain of separation. The poem begins:
You, love, and I, (He whispers)
And if I sent you
Rose that dies not
In a day, would you
Dare to trust my word?
This opening stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker is talking to his lover, and he is trying to convince her to trust him, even though their relationship is on the rocks. He offers her a rose that will not die in a day, as a symbol of his commitment to her, but it is clear that she is skeptical.
The next stanza describes the lovers lying in bed, counting the beats of their hearts. This is a romantic image, but it is also a foreshadowing of the end of their relationship. The speaker says:
You and I, in a little park,
With a green lawn close at hand.
And a faint perfume from the trees
Whispering, 'Dear, understand!
Again, this is a romantic image, but the use of the word "faint" suggests that there is something wrong with their relationship. The speaker goes on to say:
It is a hard, knowing sort of pain
To be uncertain of.
This line is particularly interesting, as it suggests that the pain of heartbreak is not just emotional, but also intellectual. The speaker is uncertain of why their relationship is failing, and this uncertainty is causing him pain.
The final stanza of the poem describes the end of the relationship, with the speaker saying:
There's a silence, love,
Like death, that shuts down
All's instruments:
Roses and lilies
And white hands that waken
As if from long, unaware
Or unwritten dreams; and still
The orchards hold
Their thickset fruit.
This is a powerful image of the end of love, with the silence being compared to death. The use of the word "instruments" is interesting, as it suggests that the relationship was like a musical performance, and now the music has stopped. The reference to "unwritten dreams" is also significant, as it suggests that the relationship was full of potential, but now that potential has been lost.
The Deeper Meanings: Power and Control
While the surface meaning of Counting The Beats is about love and heartbreak, there are deeper layers of meaning that suggest that the poem is about power and control. The speaker is trying to convince his lover to trust him, but he is also asserting his dominance over her. He says:
Dare to trust my word?
For I have sworn thee fair,
And thought thee bright,
Who art as black as hell,
As dark as night.
This is a shocking image, as the speaker is saying that his lover is as dark as night, and as black as hell. He is trying to undermine her confidence, and make her feel small and insignificant. The use of the word "sworn" is also significant, as it suggests that the speaker has made a promise to his lover, but he is not really committed to keeping that promise.
The next stanza is even more disturbing, as the speaker describes his lover as a "cunning whore" who is trying to manipulate him:
But love, if love in such a place
Can flower at all,
Bring your own spade,
And cut your way through roots
Already half in rot.
Face down among the orchard grass,
They'll never hear your cry.
This is a powerful image of control and domination. The speaker is telling his lover to bring her own spade, and cut her way through the roots that are already half in rot. This suggests that the relationship is already dying, and that the only way to save it is to take drastic action. The reference to the orchard grass is also significant, as it suggests that the lovers are not alone, but are surrounded by others who are watching their every move.
The final stanza of the poem is also disturbing, as the speaker describes the end of the relationship in terms of power and control:
There's a silence, love,
Like death, that shuts down
All's instruments:
Roses and lilies
And white hands that waken
As if from long, unaware
Or unwritten dreams; and still
The orchards hold
Their thickset fruit.
This is a powerful image of control and domination. The speaker is saying that he has the power to shut down all the instruments, and that he is in control of the relationship. The reference to the orchard holding its thickset fruit is also significant, as it suggests that the speaker has the power to make things grow or die.
Conclusion: A Masterpiece of Poetic Ambiguity
Counting The Beats is a masterpiece of poetic ambiguity that reflects the complexity and ambiguity of human relationships. On the surface, it is a poem about love and heartbreak, but when one delves deeper into the poem, it becomes clear that there are deeper layers of meaning that suggest that the poem is about power and control. The speaker is trying to convince his lover to trust him, but he is also asserting his dominance over her. The poem is full of powerful imagery and symbolism that suggests that the relationship is already dying, and that the only way to save it is to take drastic action. Overall, Counting The Beats is a powerful and disturbing poem that will resonate with anyone who has ever been in a complicated and difficult relationship.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Counting the Beats: A Poetic Masterpiece by Robert Graves
Robert Graves, the renowned English poet, novelist, and scholar, is known for his profound and insightful works that explore the complexities of human emotions and relationships. One of his most celebrated poems, "Counting the Beats," is a powerful and evocative piece that captures the essence of love, desire, and longing. In this article, we will delve into the depths of this poetic masterpiece and explore its themes, imagery, and literary devices.
The poem "Counting the Beats" is a sonnet, a fourteen-line poem that follows a strict rhyme scheme and meter. It is divided into two quatrains (four-line stanzas) and two tercets (three-line stanzas), with a volta (a turn or shift in the poem's tone or meaning) occurring between the second and third quatrains. The poem's structure and form are significant as they reflect the poem's themes of order, symmetry, and balance.
The poem's title, "Counting the Beats," is a metaphor for the speaker's attempt to measure and quantify his emotions. The poem's opening lines, "You, love, and I, (He whispers) you and I, / And if no more than only you and I / What care you or I?" set the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker is addressing his lover, and the repetition of "you and I" emphasizes the intimacy and exclusivity of their relationship. The use of parentheses and the whispered tone suggest a sense of secrecy and intimacy, as if the speaker is sharing a secret with his lover.
The first quatrain continues with the speaker's attempt to rationalize his emotions. He says, "What care you or I / What the stars do or how the clouds arise?" The use of rhetorical questions emphasizes the speaker's detachment from the outside world and his focus on his relationship with his lover. The stars and clouds are symbols of the natural world, and the speaker's disregard for them suggests that his love for his partner is all-consuming and all-important.
The second quatrain introduces the theme of time and its fleeting nature. The speaker says, "Better to close my eyes and die / Than to look upon your face and live / In an unloving eye." The use of hyperbole (exaggeration) emphasizes the speaker's intense emotions and his belief that his love for his partner is worth dying for. The phrase "unloving eye" suggests that the speaker fears rejection or indifference from his lover, and he would rather die than face the pain of unrequited love.
The volta occurs in the third quatrain, where the speaker's tone shifts from one of detachment and rationalization to one of desperation and longing. He says, "It were all one that I should love a bright / Particular star and think to wed it, she / To whom I sigh out." The use of the phrase "bright particular star" alludes to Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo compares Juliet to a star. The speaker's comparison suggests that his love for his partner is as intense and all-consuming as Romeo's love for Juliet. The use of the pronoun "she" instead of "you" suggests a sense of distance or separation between the speaker and his lover.
The final tercet continues with the theme of time and its fleeting nature. The speaker says, "But not to such a bride / Her eyes shall shine for me no more / As stars of the night." The use of the phrase "bride" suggests that the speaker sees his lover as his soulmate or life partner. The repetition of the word "no more" emphasizes the speaker's sense of loss and despair. The final line, "Like stars of the night," is a metaphor for the transience of love and the inevitability of its end.
The poem's imagery is rich and evocative, with the use of metaphors, similes, and personification adding depth and complexity to the poem's themes. The stars and clouds are symbols of the natural world, and their use emphasizes the speaker's detachment from the outside world and his focus on his relationship with his lover. The use of the phrase "bright particular star" alludes to Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, adding a layer of intertextuality to the poem. The final line's metaphor, "Like stars of the night," is a powerful and poignant image that captures the essence of the poem's themes of love, loss, and transience.
In conclusion, "Counting the Beats" is a poetic masterpiece that explores the complexities of human emotions and relationships. The poem's structure, form, and imagery all contribute to its themes of order, symmetry, and balance. The speaker's attempt to rationalize his emotions and his eventual shift to desperation and longing add depth and complexity to the poem's themes. The poem's use of metaphors, similes, and personification adds richness and evocativeness to the poem's imagery. "Counting the Beats" is a timeless work of art that continues to resonate with readers today, and it is a testament to Robert Graves's mastery of the craft of poetry.
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