( first impression)

The poem focuses the reader attention thanks to its regular pattern that create an effects of balance and elegance, indeed there is a symmetrical layout which results from an anaphoric structure due to the initial line of every stanza that opens the word love. The intelligent reader therefore understand that “Love” is really the key word and the theme of the all text. In addiction it records the title.

The text is a song address to Lucinda and once more, it underscore a reflection of love, the poem as a recognition and invites reflection. To tell the truth the intelligent reader may be curious to find out the identity of the addressee and the reason why the speaking voice is writing to Lucinda who’s name suggest the idea of light and therefore something that may provide a sense of direction or a guide. It follows that the analysis of the poem is meant to find out/ to discover the message the speaking voice wants to sends Lucinda and what relationship he might have with her.

(structure analysis)

In order to reach the goal the present work will develop a structure analysis first and on a second moment will consider how connotative choices add to meaning.

Just considering the lay out the reader realizes the text is organized into 3 sestet that exhibit the same structure as well as the same anaphora meant to make the reader aware that what was being discuss here is the nature of love.

From the structural point of view, punctuation, reveals an essential to understand the reason why the poet has organized the sestet into two tercet. To tell the truth in each stanza the tercets play the same role: the first one realized on a metaphor hinting at some qualities of love while the second tercet conveys the possible or probable consequence of that particular feature of love anticipated by the previous metaphor.

Before tackling with the different metaphor for love and it’s effects it worth considering also line length in the song. The investigation immediately makes clear that every stanza starts the second tercet with a very short line or at least one shorter than any other. What’s more the fourth line of the last stanza consists of two words among which the personal subject pronoun with comes to the fore front thus giving Lucinda a central and therefore core position to the lady. In sounding the speaker not only focuses the reader attention on “you” but it also gives Lucinda a privilege position and none intelligent reader can escaping noticing reader. What’s more the intelligent reader should speculate on the nature of the subject pronoun because it may refer to Lucinda as well as to the reader or, last but not least, acquire an impersonal meaning and therefore being meaningful to everybody. This will result from the next steps of analysis.

(metaphoric structure analysis)

Now moving forward with the analysis of the metaphoric structure of the text, the reader realized that all the metaphorical choices that cover the second line of each sestet provide a highly positive connotation of love as well as being expresses an assertive tone that admits no reply “love is”, “love is”, “love is”. The speaker sounds totally sure of his statement that are made up according to the structure adjective plus noun: “ride plum”, “bright star” and “high mountain”. In addition, the expressions are the result of long open values sounds that widen both the prospective of love and the phonological effect on the reader who might understand something more than the simple metaphorical meaning that realized on the language of sense impression ( taste, sight and so one). Indeed love is an experience that they acquires an dynamic opening and welcome to someone different from the subject who experiences it. It follows that all the stylistic choices illustrated so far contribute to make meaning more lively. Also they add a sense of fullness to message sent: you certainly fell satisfy once you live a love experience.

(syntax analysis)

Syntax, contribute together with the semantic choices to add to the idea of love as a dynamic process. You can see it if you compare the structure of line three in the first two tercet. They both rely on a progressive aspect of the verb. Indeed “growing on a purple tree“ and “glowing in far southern skies” both convey the idea of the pleasure one can fell when he or she is in love. The use of the progressive aspect hints at love as a transforming experience. In the third sestet , on the contrary, the speaker does not use the progressive aspect but adds qualities to the metaphor of love. In particular the adjective “stark in a windy sky” underlines a feature of love as an experience that asks for a commitment. Therefore the last sestet seem to play a warning function which comes to fore front in the end of the text.

If you carry on with the analysis of the second tercet in the different stanzas you will soon realize that each one shows the consequence or the effect of the specific idea of love expressed in the previous metaphor.

In the first sestet the effect underline by the speaker is a form of “enchantment”, a feeling that record the word song of the title part of speaking voice warns both Lucinda and the reader that once you experience love you will no longer be as you were before the experience because you are under a “spell” and the speaking voice’s is a aware that in a way or another you become addicted. The use of the verb taste in the imperative not only underlines the body aspect, it also let the reader understand the feeling of loss you experience when your love is gone. If follows that the key idea develop in the first sestet is one of love being a magic formula able to turn once life upside down.