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Comment 1 of 1, added on October 27th, 2005 at 12:05 PM.
Marvell’s tone in the poem conveys his awe at the beauty of dew, and this opens the first stanza: “ See how the Orient Dew”
‘Orient’ compares the dewdrop to the glow of a pearl(definition). Although both spherical in shape, a pearl is rare and far more valued than a droplet of “free” water, and I think that he is challenging our perception of beauty. This idea is continued with,
“ Shed from the Bosom of the Morn”
His use of the word ‘Bosom’ personifies the morning, with connotations that it is protective and caring. Poetically, the bosom is considered the heart of our emotions. This implies that to have been shed from there, the dewdrop is a central part of morning. The word “shed” also reinforces Marvell’s wonder at the beauty of morning, by suggesting that the dewdrop is merely a by-product of it and there are many more wonders. He is accentuating the simple beauty that can be found in a morning, and not just in rare gems like pearls.
He leads on to an image of the dew amongst the flowering roses. This is a pretty image but Marvell seems to be saying that in relation to the simple, yet beautiful, dewdrop, it does not compare- as a result the dewdrop is oblivious to its surroundings and only aware of its “Globe’s Extent”(cannot see beyond the wall of water, its element). This exemplifies the beauty of its purity.
Marvell personifies the dewdrop to convey the idea that it belongs in the sky- “gazing back upon the skies”-and suggests that the reason for this is its fear of being tainted by its surroundings-“lest it grow inpure”. When the metaphorical meaning of the poem is taken into account, the impurity could be sins, and the human struggle against sinning.
An interesting image is the Sun ‘exhaling’ the dewdrop back to the skies because “inhaling” is a more logical word to use in the context. Marvell possibly does this because he wishes to separate the Sun from the sky rather than make it a part of it by ‘inhaling’, so that the ambiguity of “Sun” is more obvious when the poem reaches its metaphorical level when describing the soul. (Pun- Jesus Christ)
“So the soul” divides the poem into two because it reveals Marvell’s thinking: that the soul is similar to the drop of dew he has described. Like a droplet evaporating, the human soul departs from the body and travels to the Heavens- the rose represents the human body, which the soul “shuns”. He seems to believe that the soul originated in the Heavens to have been 'divided' from them. If the first half of the poem is re-read, the lines,
“because so long divided from the Sphear,
restless it roules and unsecure”
can hold a deeper metaphorical meaning: ‘Sphear’, in addition to round, means “the night sky as a vaulted roof”, so reinforces the idea of the soul longing to be in Heaven.
Marvell also suggests that the beauty of the soul can only be expressed once it is free from the body- the dewdrop shines a “mournful” light when on the flower. The ‘light’ maintains the image of its beauty, whilst also suggesting its sadness to be there. Once free it can shine its own Light.
The idea that true beauty lies in the purity of the dewdrop is continued with,
“ Does, in its pure and circling thoughts express
The greater Heaven in an Heaven less.”
Which proposes that the soul represents Heaven because it is pure. The “Heaven less” could refer to it being trapped in the body, which does not belong in heaven because it is not pure and has sinned.
In the remainder of the poem Marvell describes the soul further by conveying its opposition to the body, as it tries to ‘bend upwards’. He is emphasising the idea that the soul belongs in heaven.
The word “element” (line 8) in Christian terms can represent the bread or wine that has been blessed in the Eucharist. “Frames as it can” then implies that the soul retains the blessing of the ritual as much as it can when trapped in the body.
“Such did the Manna’s sacred dew distil” is a reference to Exodus XVI where a food was discovered after the dew had evaporated, and named Manna- a food from Heaven. It was provided by God to show the people that he was the Lord. Marvell’s allusion to this links it to the theme of the poem; in this chapter God was saving the people from starvation by providing them with food after the dew evaporated.· I think this gives a further contrast between the purity of Heaven and the sins of Earth. In Exodus the people kept ignoring God’s wishes e.g they were not to store the Manna, and when they did this the Manna became rotten- “congeal’d and chill” is a representation of this. The contrast is that on earth, a heavenly food such as Manna can become horrible due to people sinning against God, but in Heaven this is not the case because sin does not exist- the Manna is free to “run into the Glories of th’almighty Sun”
Sophie from United Kingdom
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Marvell’s tone in the poem conveys his awe at the beauty of dew, and this opens the first stanza: “ See how the Orient Dew”
‘Orient’ compares the dewdrop to the glow of a pearl(definition). Although both spherical in shape, a pearl is rare and far more valued than a droplet of “free” water, and I think that he is challenging our perception of beauty. This idea is continued with,
“ Shed from the Bosom of the Morn”
His use of the word ‘Bosom’ personifies the morning, with connotations that it is protective and caring. Poetically, the bosom is considered the heart of our emotions. This implies that to have been shed from there, the dewdrop is a central part of morning. The word “shed” also reinforces Marvell’s wonder at the beauty of morning, by suggesting that the dewdrop is merely a by-product of it and there are many more wonders. He is accentuating the simple beauty that can be found in a morning, and not just in rare gems like pearls.
He leads on to an image of the dew amongst the flowering roses. This is a pretty image but Marvell seems to be saying that in relation to the simple, yet beautiful, dewdrop, it does not compare- as a result the dewdrop is oblivious to its surroundings and only aware of its “Globe’s Extent”(cannot see beyond the wall of water, its element). This exemplifies the beauty of its purity.
Marvell personifies the dewdrop to convey the idea that it belongs in the sky- “gazing back upon the skies”-and suggests that the reason for this is its fear of being tainted by its surroundings-“lest it grow inpure”. When the metaphorical meaning of the poem is taken into account, the impurity could be sins, and the human struggle against sinning.
An interesting image is the Sun ‘exhaling’ the dewdrop back to the skies because “inhaling” is a more logical word to use in the context. Marvell possibly does this because he wishes to separate the Sun from the sky rather than make it a part of it by ‘inhaling’, so that the ambiguity of “Sun” is more obvious when the poem reaches its metaphorical level when describing the soul. (Pun- Jesus Christ)
“So the soul” divides the poem into two because it reveals Marvell’s thinking: that the soul is similar to the drop of dew he has described. Like a droplet evaporating, the human soul departs from the body and travels to the Heavens- the rose represents the human body, which the soul “shuns”. He seems to believe that the soul originated in the Heavens to have been 'divided' from them. If the first half of the poem is re-read, the lines,
“because so long divided from the Sphear,
restless it roules and unsecure”
can hold a deeper metaphorical meaning: ‘Sphear’, in addition to round, means “the night sky as a vaulted roof”, so reinforces the idea of the soul longing to be in Heaven.
Marvell also suggests that the beauty of the soul can only be expressed once it is free from the body- the dewdrop shines a “mournful” light when on the flower. The ‘light’ maintains the image of its beauty, whilst also suggesting its sadness to be there. Once free it can shine its own Light.
The idea that true beauty lies in the purity of the dewdrop is continued with,
“ Does, in its pure and circling thoughts express
The greater Heaven in an Heaven less.”
Which proposes that the soul represents Heaven because it is pure. The “Heaven less” could refer to it being trapped in the body, which does not belong in heaven because it is not pure and has sinned.
In the remainder of the poem Marvell describes the soul further by conveying its opposition to the body, as it tries to ‘bend upwards’. He is emphasising the idea that the soul belongs in heaven.
The word “element” (line 8) in Christian terms can represent the bread or wine that has been blessed in the Eucharist. “Frames as it can” then implies that the soul retains the blessing of the ritual as much as it can when trapped in the body.
“Such did the Manna’s sacred dew distil” is a reference to Exodus XVI where a food was discovered after the dew had evaporated, and named Manna- a food from Heaven. It was provided by God to show the people that he was the Lord. Marvell’s allusion to this links it to the theme of the poem; in this chapter God was saving the people from starvation by providing them with food after the dew evaporated.· I think this gives a further contrast between the purity of Heaven and the sins of Earth. In Exodus the people kept ignoring God’s wishes e.g they were not to store the Manna, and when they did this the Manna became rotten- “congeal’d and chill” is a representation of this. The contrast is that on earth, a heavenly food such as Manna can become horrible due to people sinning against God, but in Heaven this is not the case because sin does not exist- the Manna is free to “run into the Glories of th’almighty Sun”
Sophie from United Kingdom