Oh Mistress Mine
Oh Mistress Mine
William Shakespeare
In preparation to this poem, one must know that it is being told, sung rather, by a jester to two drunkards (within a Shakespeare play) who is asked to sing them a song that could woo a young maiden.
The theme contains a message that seems to say 'the future in unknown, live in the present and wait no longer'. Line 10 says it perfectly: "In delay there lies no plenty". The future is uncertain (Line 9 - What's to come is still undsure) and therefore one should not wait forever but act now for youth is short. In the case of Oh Mistress Mine, the action is a kiss. "Line 11,12 - Then kiss me, sweet and twenty,/Youth's a stuff will not endure.".
In this poem, there are two stanzas with 6 lines in each. Each stanza can be further divided into 2 parts of 3 lines each. This is evident in the rhythm and rhyming scheme. It starts out with an Iambic meter, then on every third line it switches to a Trochaic and back again. The Iambic lines have 4 feet each and the Trochaic lines also have 4 feet, meaning the poem contains Iambic Tetrameter and Trochaic Tetrameter. The rhyming scheme fits the rhythm in much the same way. It goes: AABCCB/DDEFFE. Some lines, like the first two lines, have feminine rhymes (roaming and coming) as well.
Some techniques Shakespeare used are interesting to point out. The first entire stanza is dedicated to catching the attention of the mistress. The first two lines read: "Oh mistress mine! where are you roaming?/Oh! stay and hear; your true love's coming,". Line 5 is much of the same: "Journey's end in lovers meeting,". This would be quite appealing for anyone to hear, that their lover is coming, but who is the jester talking about? Of course, it is not yet known until the second stanza, which keeps the interest high until then.
He continues in the second stanza to point out that life is short and ever uncertain. This is where the jester would convince the mistress that she must live in the 'now' and finally divulges who the lover is: himself. In line 11, "Then come kiss me, sweet and plenty", he finally lets her know that it is he who loves her. (Emphasis/italics are my own). This is told at the very end with one line left in the poem/song. Now that it is known, the last line (12) serves to make the theme more prominent "Youth's a stuff will not endure.". Now that the mistress is captivated by the initial intrigue of the 1st stanza, then given a life lesson, then told who is the lover, the last line is told as a sort of 'cherry on top' to reiterate the theme of mortality and uncertainty.
William Shakespeare
In preparation to this poem, one must know that it is being told, sung rather, by a jester to two drunkards (within a Shakespeare play) who is asked to sing them a song that could woo a young maiden.
The theme contains a message that seems to say 'the future in unknown, live in the present and wait no longer'. Line 10 says it perfectly: "In delay there lies no plenty". The future is uncertain (Line 9 - What's to come is still undsure) and therefore one should not wait forever but act now for youth is short. In the case of Oh Mistress Mine, the action is a kiss. "Line 11,12 - Then kiss me, sweet and twenty,/Youth's a stuff will not endure.".
In this poem, there are two stanzas with 6 lines in each. Each stanza can be further divided into 2 parts of 3 lines each. This is evident in the rhythm and rhyming scheme. It starts out with an Iambic meter, then on every third line it switches to a Trochaic and back again. The Iambic lines have 4 feet each and the Trochaic lines also have 4 feet, meaning the poem contains Iambic Tetrameter and Trochaic Tetrameter. The rhyming scheme fits the rhythm in much the same way. It goes: AABCCB/DDEFFE. Some lines, like the first two lines, have feminine rhymes (roaming and coming) as well.
Some techniques Shakespeare used are interesting to point out. The first entire stanza is dedicated to catching the attention of the mistress. The first two lines read: "Oh mistress mine! where are you roaming?/Oh! stay and hear; your true love's coming,". Line 5 is much of the same: "Journey's end in lovers meeting,". This would be quite appealing for anyone to hear, that their lover is coming, but who is the jester talking about? Of course, it is not yet known until the second stanza, which keeps the interest high until then.
He continues in the second stanza to point out that life is short and ever uncertain. This is where the jester would convince the mistress that she must live in the 'now' and finally divulges who the lover is: himself. In line 11, "Then come kiss me, sweet and plenty", he finally lets her know that it is he who loves her. (Emphasis/italics are my own). This is told at the very end with one line left in the poem/song. Now that it is known, the last line (12) serves to make the theme more prominent "Youth's a stuff will not endure.". Now that the mistress is captivated by the initial intrigue of the 1st stanza, then given a life lesson, then told who is the lover, the last line is told as a sort of 'cherry on top' to reiterate the theme of mortality and uncertainty.