Textuality » 4A Interacting
Textual Analysis - Witchcraft by a Picture
Considering the title I think the poem may be about a Witchcraft made by a Picture or portrait which in the Renaissance had the function to describe a human's personality.
The poem deals with a lover (the speaker) who tries to console his beloved who is crying because of his departure.
The poem is dived into two stanzas, the first describes the situation and the second present the development.
The poet uses a simile in which compares the situation between the two lovers to witchcraft by a picture; the speaker compares his beloved to a witch that in the Renaissance disfigured the portrays of person to cause harm or kill.
In the first stanza the key-word Picture take different meaning:
•- In line 2 the picture refers to a poet's image that himself see in the eye of his beloved and this image "burning" which means the passion of the mistress
•- In line 3 the picture refers to an image reflected through the tears of sorrow of the mistress, this image "drowned" which underlines the fault of the speaker that he will depart. As a matter of fact the dislocation in line 3-4 puts more emphasis on the word "espies" which stresses the fault
•- In line 6 the picture refers to a Renaissance belief in which the portrays is defaced in magic rituals with the aim of killing the person of the image. The speaker uses this simile to communicate the woman's skill of make what she will.
In the second stanza the speaker uses the oxymoron "sweet salt tears" to communicate that even though the tears are salt they are also sweet because they are love's tears.
Also in this stanza the key word Picture take different meaning:
•- In line 10 the picture "vanished" after the decision of the speaker so the poet can't be damaged by the mistress crying
•- In line 13 the picture refers to a "spiritual image" which is to be found in the heart of faithful mistress, an image that nothing can harm.
The speaker has fear to hurt his beloved but he must depart. The poem implies a passionate relationship("burning") between the two lovers so the love that the poet communicate is not only the union of two soul but also the union of two bodies.