Song (Love What Art Thou? A Vain Thought) Quotes

Quotes

“Love what art thou?”

Speaker

The entire poem is structured as a metaphorical answer to this query. That’s important because the query commences each stanza. The succeeding lines of the stanza refer generally to the overall motif of providing an answer and—generally speaking—to the specific metaphor of each individual section.

“Childish, vain

Firm as bubbles made by rain”

Speaker

These lines can be interpreted in a number of ways. The speaker may be suggesting that love is fragile, like a child or someone consumed by vanity or bubbles. At the same time, most people outgrow childish behavior, few people are consumed by vanity permanently and bubbles do not last forever. So the interpretation can be taken in a more negative fashion or as something more positive; a brief thing of beauty that should be enjoyed while it lasts.

“A sweet flower

Once full blown, dead in an hour.”

Speaker

Stanza 3 offers a very familiar metaphor for a love gone dead. What begins in bloom with a sweet bouquet ends too quickly and often smells of rot in the aftermath.

“If thy humor change, to lour”

Speaker

For the sake of clarity, “humor” is used synonymously with lark or whim. “Lour” is an archaic and little-used word describing change in emotional tone marked by a scowl or sullen behavior.

“Yet alas these are not the worst:

Much more of thee may be said.

But thy law I once obeyed,

Therefore say no more at first.”

Speaker

The final stanza moves slightly away from metaphor to a more abstract sort of symbolism which suggests that the speaker’s melancholic tone and wistful attitude toward trying to describe love is based on the heat of the moment. The moment of recognition when love has been lost can be every bit as fiery as when love is burning brightly, but it is, of course, a fire that is cold to the touch.

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

Update this section

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.

Cite this page