Full Answer
What is the message of the poem song to Celia?
‘ Song: to Celia ’ by Ben Jonson describes the deep love which exists between the speaker and his lover and how it transcends normal bounds. The poem begins with the speaker suggesting that his lover “Drink to” him with only her eyes.
What does song to Celia by Ben Jonson mean?
‘Song: to Celia’ by Ben Jonson describes the deep love which exists between the speaker and his lover and how it transcends normal bounds. The poem begins with the speaker suggesting that his lover “Drink to” him with only her eyes.
Where did the song Come my Celia come from?
The other two, “Come my Celia” and “Kiss me, sweet,” first appeared in Ben Jonson’s play Volpone (1605). “Song: To Celia” is Jonson’s reworking of five different passages of prose from the Greek sophist writer Philostratus (third century c.e. ).
How many quatrains are in the poem song to Celia?
“Song: To Celia” is a sixteen-line iambic poem written in four quatrains. The content of the poem divides after the second quatrain to form two octets representing two distinct scenes. The poem is the third of three songs addressed to Celia that are collected in The Forest.
What is the third song in the poem "Come my Celia"?
The poem is the third of three songs addressed to Celia that are collected in The Forest. The other two, “Come my Celia” and “Kiss me, sweet,” first appeared in Ben Jonson’s play Volpone (1605).
Who wrote the song "To Celia"?
“Song: To Celia” is Jonson ’s reworking of five different passages of prose from the Greek sophist writer Philostratus (third century c.e. ). The lyric exists in several manuscript versions; Jonson reworked it until he hit upon what is generally considered his finest lyric, indeed one of the finest lyrics of the English Renaissance. In the eighteenth century, an anonymous composer set the poem to music, and it became a popular song.
What does the last quatrain tell us about the poet?
The last quatrain tells of the poet’s rejection. Celia sent the token back. The poet believes that she has breathed on the wreath and that her sweet smell still clings to it, but this is his fancy, his attempt to wring a compliment, and perhaps hope, out of his rejection.
Why did the poet send Celia a rosy wreath?
He claims that he sent it not to honor her (obviously such a paltry, mortal token could not do justice to Celia’s beauty), but in the hopes that the wreath would live forever in Celia’s presence —she being a font of life, light, and joy.
What happens if Celia leaves a kiss but in the cup?
Even better, if she will “leave a kiss but in the cup” (that is, pledge a kiss), he will forget about wine. The pleasures of Celia’s love are a more profound intoxication, a greater sensual delight, than alcohol. The second quatrain starts more seriously.
What are the substitutes that the poet is willing to accept?
The substitutes that the poet is willing to accept seem more ethereal: the glance, the kiss in a cup. Indeed, the wine itself becomes rarefied into Jove’s nectar, a divine drink that reputedly had a rejuvenating effect—the same effect that Celia has on the poet. The wreath dominates the second octet.
Why is Jonson's poem so popular?
The poem's popularity is most likely due to its use of simple, direct language that is not difficult for the reader to understand. Robert C. Evans, in his article on Jonson for the Dictionary of Literary Biography, concludes that Jonson's "'plain style' was neither artless nor utterly clear" and that it avoids the extremes of "sublimity and vulgarity." Evans argues that Jonson's style was "meant to communicate, to have an effect, and it gives his poetry a directness, practicality, seriousness, and force that loftier, lower, or more complicated phrasing would obscure."
Song to Celia ("Drink to me only with thine eyes") Introduction
In 1616 Ben Jonson published the first collected edition of his works. The collection included a number of Jonson's plays (he was a contemporary of Shakespeare 's, and relatively well-known playwright at the time) as well as a short collection of poems called The Forest.
What is Song to Celia ("Drink to me only with thine eyes") About and Why Should I Care?
Can you think of something that you really, really love? Maybe you love a type of food (fries with mayo?) or a celeb (gaga for Lady Gaga?) or a hobby (button collecting?).
Song to Celia ("Drink to me only with thine eyes") Resources
Luminarium Ben Jonson's page on Luminarium.org includes a bio, some of his writings, essays on his work, and more.
