Go-and-Catch-a-Falling-Star

Song:GoandcatchafallingstarSongThispoemchieflyconcernsthelackofconstancyinwomen.Thetonetakenisoneofgentlecynicism,andmocking.Donneasksthereadertodotheimpossible,whichhecompareswithfindingaconstantwoman,thusinsinuatingthatsuchawomandoesnotexist.Thetitle,Song,leadsustoexpectcertainthings:alyricalelementtothewords,andamusicalrhythm,whicharefulfilledbythisneatlycraftedpoem.Itisalsoveryambiguous,nothintingatthesubjectmatterofthepoem.Thestanzasareslightlylongerthanmightbeexpected,ninelineseach,butthisallowsforthemorecomplexandabstractideas,whicharearchetypalofmetaphysicalpoetry.Stanza1The1ststanzaisthemostforceful,employingtheimperativetoachieveasenseofcommand,andimplyingthatheistalkingtoonespecificperson.Goandcatchafallingstar,Getwithchildamandrakeroot,Tellmewhereallpastyearsare,OrwhoclefttheDevil'sfoot,Teachmetohearmermaids'singing,Ortokeepoffenvy'sstinging,AndfindWhatwindServestoadvanceanhonestmind.去吧，跑去抓一颗流星，去叫何首乌肚子里也有喜，告诉我哪儿追流年的踪影，是谁开豁了魔鬼的双蹄，教我听得见美人鱼唱歌，压得住醋海，不叫它兴波，寻寻看哪一番好风会顺水把真心推向前。Stanza1AnalysisThe1stsentenceisacommand:“Goandcatchafallingstar”,andanimpossibleone,forhowcanonecatchastar?Theword“falling”suggestsagradualdeterioration逐渐恶化,ratherthanfallenwhichwouldbeirretrievable不可挽回的,thereisasensethatthereisachance,butitisnarrow.ItisinterestingthatDonneisusingtheconventionally按照惯例romanticimageofastarindefiance蔑视ofsuchatraditionalideaasmonogamy一夫一妻制.Itcouldalsobelinkedtothefourthlinewhichreferencesthedevil,asLucifer撒旦wasafallenangel,andthestarsareoftensymbolicofAngelsandheaven,thisdevilimageryperhapsisanearlysuggestion细微迹象oftheduplicity表里不一ofwomen.Stanza1Analysiscont.Donnebuildsonthisideaoftheimpossibleinthesecondline,“Getwithchildamandrakeroot”,thereismuchsuperstition迷信surroundingthemandrakeplant,itissaidtoscreamwhenpulledfromtheground,anditresemblesthehumanform,sometimesthefemaleformandsometimesthemale,accordingtowhethertherootsaretwofoldorthreefold.Thiscouldagainbelinkedtothedevilwhohas“cleft”进退维谷feet,whichalsoresemblethefork-rootedplantthroughtheideaofdivision分配andmultiplicity多样性.Thisinturnissuggestive暗示oftheinconstancy常变的ofwomen,suggestingtheirdoubledrelationships.Stanza1Analysiscont.Furtherfantasticalimageryisthatofthemermaidssinging.Mermaidscouldbeseenasimportantinthispoemastheyappeartobewomenabovethewaistbutarenotbeneath,andthiscouldthereforesuggestthatwomencanbedeceptivecreatures.Thereisalsotheideaofthemluringmentoawaterydeath,ithasbeensaidthatthislinkstotheexperienceofOdysseusin“TheOdyssey”,althoughheencounteredthesirens妖妇whodweltonanisland,notinthesea.Donneusesthewordstingingtodescribeenvy,finallycomingtothepointofthepoemovertly.Thewordstingsuggestssomething,whichisinflictedbysomeexternalforce,itshiftsanyblameawayfromthesubjectoftheenvy.Itisapiquantimage,suggestingintensityoffeeling.Thereisalsoaslightlybitterundertonecausedbytheconstantuseofhardconsonantssuchasgo,get,teachandtell.Thenthepoemseemstoslowdownveryquicklyinthefinalrefrain,seemingtoechothesoundofthewind,thespeakerwondershowhonestycanbegained,andwecanpresumethatthisreferstohonestyinthesenseofbeingchaste.Itisnecessarytopointoutthatalthoughwinddoesnotseemasifitshouldrhymewithfindandmind,itwaspronouncedassuchatthetime,asisoftenseeninShakespeare.Infactitwasratherafamiliarrhymetouse,quiteboringinfact,whichcombinedwiththemonosyllabicbeatoftheselastfewlines,seemstomirrorhisboredomwithwomen.Stanza2Ifthoubeestborntostrangesights,Thingsinvisibletosee,Ridetenthousanddaysandnights,Tillagesnowwhitehairsonthee,Thou,whenthoureturn'st,wilttellmeAllstrangewondersthatbefellthee,AndswearNowhereLivesawomantrue,andfair.如果你生来有异禀，看得见人家不能看见的花样，你就骑马一万夜一万天，直跑到满头顶盖雪披霜，你回来会滔滔不绝的讲述你所遭遇的奇怪事物，到最后却赌咒说美人而忠心，世界上可没有。The2ndstanzaisfullofconvolutedimagesandhyperbole;itisasifDonneismockingtheideaofalovepoeminitself.Stanza2AnalysisRidetenthousanddaysandnights,/Tillagesnowwhitehairsontheeseemstoechotheprofessionsoflovemadebytheotherpoetsofhistime,andyetheisusingtheseimagesagainsttheideaofloveandmonogamy.It’sinterestingDonnetakesthecommonlyusedhyphenatedadjectiveofsnow-whiteandusesitasasubjunctiveverb,heismakingtheimagefairytalelike,suggestingperhapshowunlikelyitwouldbeforawomantobefaithful.Donnealsousestheparadoxical矛盾的ideaofthingsinvisibletoseewhichfurtheremphasisesthisidea.Againthesuggestionoftimeimplicitinthelineissurelyareferencetootherlovepoetsandtheirimpossiblepromisestowomen,tolovethemforeverandadayetcetc.Inthispartofthepoemitseemsasifheischallengingthereadertofindevidencecontrarytohisopinion,assertingthatitsimplydoesnotexist:Thou,whenthoureturn'st,wilttellme...[thatnowhere]...Livesawomantrue,andfair.WhatisoddisthathereDonneseemstobesayingthatitisonlybeautifulwomenwhowillbeunfaithful,doesthismeanthattheuglywomenwillbe?Therepeatedthouisaccusing,itseemsasthoughthelistenerisinfactsuchawoman,beautifulandinconstant.Thetoneattheendofthisstanzaisfarmorepersonal,andthesyntaxmoredifficult;thisisperhapsanindication指示ofpersonalfeeling,ofhismistrust.Stanza3Ifthoufind'stone,letmeknow,Suchapilgrimageweresweet;Yetdonot,Iwouldnotgo,Thoughatnextdoorwemightmeet;Th