Robert Herrick “The Argument of His Book”

1. The poem is the introduction to Herrick’s only collection of poems, consisting of

two parts: Hesperides (the secular poems) and His Noble Numbers (the religious
ones). What topics does it indicate his poems are going to revolve around?
"The Argument of His Book" serves as the introduction to his collection of poems, Herrick
provides a glimpse into the themes and topics that will be explored in his poetry. This poem
suggests that his collection will encompass a wide range of subjects, both secular and
religious and demonstrates the breadth of his poetic expression.

2. Who were the Hesperides? Why do you think Herrick found them appropriate for
the collective title of his secular poems?

- The title refers to the Hesperides, nymphs of the evening in Greek mythology
that took care of the tree with golden apples. By that he indicates that his poems are
golden apples from his residence in western Devonshire.
3. The first four lines of this poem establish Herrick’s participation in the pastoral
tradition. What do the subjects mentioned here have to do with pastoral poetry?
- Pastoral poetry is known for exploring the relationship between humans and nature,
and for romanticizing the ideals of a simple country life. In this poem he takes part in
the festival to celebrate the dedication of a new church. “Hock carts” carried home
the last load of harvest, so they were adored and celebrated. “Wassails” were Twelfth
Night celebrations.
4. How do you interpret “cleanly wantonness” of line 6?
- shameful sense of innocent playfulness
- suggest sex without sin

Robert Herrick “Delight in Disorder”

1. Herrick uses some imperfect rhymes in this poem. Can you spot them? What is the
connection between the imperfections of rhyme and the subject of the poem?
- Through his “delight in disorder,” the speaker suggests that beauty and sexiness lie
not in polished perfection, but in imperfection. The speaker prefers the way people
look when they’re enjoying their lives, not when they’re presenting a perfect, pristine
façade. Its improvised shape fits right in with its subject: this is a poem about mess,
so it makes sense that it wouldn't use a strict form.
2. There is also a lot of alliteration in this poem. Find a few examples. What quality
does it create when you read the poem (or preferably, read it aloud)?
- Alliteration evokes the "delight" this speaker takes in "disorder"—and draws attention
to his claim that mess is sexier by far than elegant perfection. "A sweet disorder in
the dress." That repeated /d/ helps the poem zero in on its subject, moving the
reader from "disorder" in general to disorderly clothing in particular. Every moment of
alliteration here links only two words—a pattern that harmonizes with the poem's
rhymed couplets. In line 2, for example, the reader finds linked /k/ sounds in "kindles
in clothes," and in line 9, linked /w/ sounds in "A winning wave." These musical
one-two sounds give the poem a singsong, back-and-forth music that might also
evoke the fun the speaker imagines sharing with all these disorderly ladies!
Alliteration turns up once more at the end of the poem, when the speaker concludes
that disorder is much more charming than: “Is too precise in every part.” The firm pop
 of those two final /p/ sounds makes it seem as if the speaker has come to a final
pronouncement on the matter of mess: precision just isn't for him.

3. What does “tempestuous petticoat” suggest?

- With these lines, the speaker continues to refer to women’s clothing which is messy.
The word “tempestuous” refers to a “tempest” or a great storm. This particular
petticoat must have been entirely out of place so that it looked as though it had
survived a great storm. And yet, the speaker takes delight in it.
4. What poetic figure of speech is “wild civility”? And how can civility be wild?
- This reveals that although he knows order must be followed in society and in the
world at large, he enjoys seeing disorder in the subtle things because he knows that
it reveals individuality. To him, the disorder he sees is not the lack of civility, but
rather, “wild civility”. While these people he has seen are still living according to the
rules of civility and society, they are also expressing their disorder and individuality in
subtle ways which the speaker enjoys observing.
5. Even though there are some imperfect rhymes in the poem, the opening and
closing couplet are perfectly rhymed. Can you think about the reason why?
The reason for this could be to create a sense of closure and unity within the poem, it helps
to frame the poem, creating a cohesive and harmonious effect. In addition, the choice of
rhymes in these key positions could be used to emphasize the central message of the poem,
which is about finding pleasure in disorder.
6. Overall, what quality does the image of the not-quite-perfectly dressed lady
suggest? Why is she more alluring than the perfect one?
- Through his “delight in disorder,” the speaker suggests that beauty and sexiness lie
not in polished perfection, but in imperfection. The speaker prefers the way people
look when they’re enjoying their lives, not when they’re presenting a perfect, pristine
façade

Richard Lovelace “Song: To Lucasta, Going to Wars”

1. The first stanza is built around two contrasting ideas. What are they?
- The speaker acknowledges that what he's doing may feel like a betrayal, especially
to someone as “chaste” (or pure) as Lucasta. He even compares the idea of chasing
after an enemy soldier on the battlefield to chasing after “a new mistress.” In other
words, he knows Lucasta probably feels like he's leaving her for something newer
and more exciting.
2. Lovelace makes a pun using the word “arms” (extended further by his use of
“embrace”). What meanings of the word does he use?
- "war and arms" (arms, in this case, meaning weaponry)
3. The poem is based on a paradox – the speaker admits that his constancy could be
questioned. Why in the end, as he argues, he is actually true to his love?
4. What wars does the poet refer to? Why is honor and constancy such an important
issue in this time and place?
- The speaker believes that his duty to his country takes precedence over romantic
love, and thus that going to war is the right thing to do. To the speaker, to stay with
Lucasta would be to dishonor himself and thus to cheapen the love he and Lucasta
share. Honor means acting on his beliefs, even if that means being separated from
the person he loves. It was during English Civil War
Ben Jonson “Ode to Himself”
1. As you can learn from the footnote, the poem was inspired by the poor reception of
Jonson’s latest play. What reasons for this does Jonson identify in the first stanza?
Does he ever think his play might not be very good?

- The audience is unable to appreciate a good play

- The play is just not right for that particular audience's taste
2. Stanza two is constructed around a series of food and drink metaphors. What does
Jonson compare his play to and what does the audience prefer?
- He compares his play to bread and wheat
- The audience would prefer acorns and grain
3. In the third stanza food/taste metaphors continue. To what does Jonson compare
other, more popular plays than his? Note that probably only the second (much better)
part of Pericles was written by Shakespeare, so what makes Jonson’s metaphor here
appropriate?
- In the third stanza Jonson uses an extended metaphor of the sheriff's basket, into
which people threw their leftover food as alms to prisoners as an image for these
poor plays scraped together from leftover bits. Jonson uses Shakespeare’s Pericles
as an example of such a play, which makes his previous praises of Shakespeare a
bit disingenuous. Pericles may not be among Shakespeare’s finest and he probably
only wrote the second part of it, and that’s why probably Jonson thought about it
when he thought about the random contents of the sheriff’s basket.
4. This is an explanation of stanza 4, not a question. Jonson addresses his audience,
“brave plush and velvet men” – The New Inn premiered in Blackfriars, the smaller and
more expensive playhouse which belonged to Shakespeare’s former company, King’s
Men, so its audience consisted mostly of well-dressed wealthy men. Jonson paints
them as complicit with actors, hence the reference to “stage clothes”, because actors
often bought second-hand clothes of rich people to use as costumes. These people
are going to pay back (“quit”) with applause

5. So – since I already did most of the job for you – what do “socks” and “blocks”
stand for in stanza 4?
- socks - symbol of comedy
- blocks - molds, blockheads
6. In stanzas 5 and 6 Jonson envisages himself turning to a new career path. What is
it? What is the audience’s response he imagines?
7. Summing up, this is a poem in which Jonson says “I don’t care about the audience,
because they have no taste”. But does he really mean that?
- While Jonson may claim to be unconcerned with the tastes of his audience, the very
act of writing and publishing the poem suggests an ongoing engagement with the
world and a desire for recognition. The poem serves as a nuanced exploration of the
poet's relationship with his audience, mixing moments of defiance with a deeper
desire for recognition and understanding.
Thomas Carew “To Ben Jonson”

1. In ll. 1 – 3 Carew uses the metaphor of a firebrand, a tool used then

commonly to stigmatise criminals, but also by surgeons to treat boils. In
his poem, what does the firebrand stand for and what is it intended to treat?
In lines 1-3, the metaphor of the firebrand symbolizes both a tool to stigmatize
Jonson with common accusations and a therapeutic instrument aimed at
addressing the perceived flaws in Jonson's poetry.
2. Carew starts by agreeing with Jonson, but what does he say in the words
starting from “and yet…” in l. 4?
Carew expresses a contrasting viewpoint, suggesting that while Jonson's
talent is acknowledged, his poetic style lacks the graceful and refined
qualities found in other poets.
3. And then we get another “yet..” in l. 9 – how does Carew contradict himself
again?
The second "yet" in line 9 marks a contradiction as Carew praises Jonson's
verse, appreciating its vigor and strength, despite his earlier critique of
Jonson's style in line 4.
4. The next metaphor is that of eaglets, which are supposed to stand for
Jonson’s plays. Jonson is like the father-eagle, but what is the attitude of
“we” (presumably Carew and his other friends)?
- All your plays are like eaglets, but it is fair to say that one eaglet has fairer
plums or the other is stronger, but they are all your children
5. Carew studied law and he uses legal language in ll. 16 – 20. How does he
uses various kinds of inheritance law in his metaphor?
- referring to some local laws which allowed the inheritance to be divided
equally among all the descendants, in contrast to the law of primogeniture
(the eldest son takes all, or at least the most) predominating in England at
that time.
- the audience is going to distinguish between your plays, just like the law
usually distinguishes one’s children according to their sex and birth order.
6. “Such thirst will argue drought.” (l. 27). Why shouldn’t Jonson show
publicly his “thirst”?
- Being a fast writer is not a praise but an excuse for sloppy writing, and
borrowing from other writers is not theft but like carrying proudly the spoils of
war.
7. In ll. 27 – 29, what advice does Carew give Jonson about responding to
criticism?
In lines 27-29, Carew advises Jonson to dismiss detractors, asserting that his
own poetry is the best defense against criticism.
8. Carew does tease Jonson a bit, repeating some of the charges often
levelled at Jonson – what are they and how does Carew rebut them?
9. The last two lines contain one more affectionate jab at Jonson – what is it?
- In a masterful ending combining praise with teasing, Carew writes: all the
smart people value Jonson’s work more highly than anybody else’s and only
slightly less than Jonson himself does.