My love is like to fire, and I to fire
Storyboard Text
- This is one of the first sentences in this short poem, and is quite lengthy, showing that this is important. This poem is an extended metaphor, and later on in the poem, we will be brought more details on about how he is like fire, and his lover is like ice. We get hints about what he will talk about in this sentence. For example, he questions to the reader why, although these two distinct elements, although deadly to each other, are still able to survive. It makes it seem like a marvelous phenomenon in which two deadly forces complement each other. His fire is not extinguished by the cold, and the women's ice is not melted by the cold.
- How comes it then that this her cold so great Is not dissolved through my so hot desire, But harder grows the more I her entreat?
- Or how come it that my exceeding heat Is not allayed by her heart-frozen cold, But that I burn much more in boiling sweat, And feel my flames augmented manifold?
- He continues the analogy by saying that why, even though he feels the effect on her, his love for her does not disappear, but on the contrary, increment. This virtually impossible miracle makes it more awe-inspiring. It is noted how their differences included their personalities since the women's heart is "frozen". He observes that the more they get closer, he feels his flames augmented, meaning getting stronger, his love towards her increases. His tone of amazement and his use of words such as much more, augmented, and exceeded gives the reader an idea of the magnitude in which his love increases. He makes it seem like his love is uncontrolled and wild, and constantly increasing, showing the effect of their closeness.
- A poetic device that is used on the whole poem is personification. It is important to note that this is not the only one present but the one that is most evident. The author gives human-like abilities, such as the ability to destroy and even giving them a mind of their own. This is used to compare himself and his lover to these two inanimate forces; fire and ice. These two things can never, under any circumstances survive when together. If there is fire around ice, the ice will eventually melt. If there is ice around a small fire, it may stop the fire. Therefore, they can never be together. This makes it more evident that this love force is so 'marvelous'.
- The main idea if the final sentence. The final sentence is the end of all the three questions that make up 3/4 of the poem. It is used to answer the questions in a simple and striking way. This is found on line 13 and 14. It states that love has the power to 'alter all the course of kind'. Although the lover and himself are so different is virtually every way, they are miraculously able to interact with each other and become better humans together. The lines before this build of the idea of how this should be impossible but somehow works.
- We get a sense of how the author feels about this love when he describes it as "miraculous". By saying this, he is emphasizing that this is something that is out of the ordinary, something to be admired by. He restates what he has said plenty of times before, their closeness has had the opposite effect. He makes sure to add that ice is supposed to be cold, and fire should melt, but instead fire had hardened the ice, and the ice; kindled the fire. These words show that although they are different, they have evolved together. He is admired by this, and wants to continue to see their progress. Once again this is a rhetorical question that the reader will soon get the answer to.
- What more miraculous thing may be told, That fire, which all things melts. should harden ice, And ice, which is congeal'd with senseless cold, should kindle fire by wonderful device?
- He ends this 4 sentence poem with the answer of all his questions, which in other words, state this: love conquers all. He has been asking questions to make the reader reflect on love and it effect on humans in all this poem, all in order to culminate with the answer. This simple idea of fire being dangerous yet wonderful is striking when viewed in the eyes of this analogy. It is noted that he emphasizes that in order to have this effect, it must be used ' in a gentle mind', therefore saying that one must be attentive of using this power wisely. If done so correctly, love will have the power to change virtually anything. This brief conclusion makes sure to leave the reader satisfied with the answer and leaves the reader to reflects is they are using this power correctly.
- Such is the power of love in a gentle mind, That it can alter all the course of kind.
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