The title of this poem caught my eye and I had to read it to find out more. This poem actually evolves around two different viewpoints of how to live life and love. The bishop's perspective is one of morality and spirituality and Jane's perspective is the realistic and sometimes ugly side of love and relationships.
"I met the Bishop on the road
And much said he and I
"Those breasts are flat and fallen now
Those veins must soon be dry;
Not in some foul sty." (Lines 1 - 7)
I interpret this as the Bishop telling her she is no longer youthful. She is older and her body is showing signs of it. He wants her to clean up her life and not continue to engage in immoral behavior.
Jane gives her own perspective by saying:
"Fair and foul are near of kin,
And fair needs foul," I cried.
"My friends are gone, but that's a truth
Nor grave nor bed denied,
Learned in bodily lowliness
And in the heart's pride. " (Lines 7 - 12)
It appears Jane is defending her lifestyle of "fair and foul." She admits some of her friends are gone but she has enjoyed her exploits all the same; despite some adversity.
I guess her motto is: "better to have loved and lost than not to have lever loved at all."
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The lines you selected summarized this poem really well. That bishop was such a jerk for making such observations. Maybe Jane was satisfied how she was, but he didn't consider that. I am glad one of them had sense, and I am glad that she found happiness in spite of adversity. That is so hard for so many people to do, but I think it is worth it in the end. Your motto at the end is a great philosophy to live by.
ReplyDeleteAngela,
ReplyDeleteI must confess I usually have a hard time figuring out what Yeats has in mind in his poems, so I appreciate your taking this one on. While I do not completely follow your explanation, and wish you had gone into greater depth in discussing the passages, on the whole I think you make some good points in your reading.
These lines seem to be very informative on the poem and some of the meanings of what Yeats is trying to portray. And I do like that last motto.
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