A song (absent from thee) - earl of rochester john wilmot

“absent from thee, i languish still,”

• anastophree: emphasis put on him being away from his lover and he goes on to contend that this is reason for inner turmoil

• “languish”: consuming and depleting him - lovesick and is like a disease

“The straying fool, twill plainly kill,”

• “straying” from god

• explicit reference to adultery

“dear, from thine Arms then let me flie”

• “dear”: term of endearment showing his love

• after life motif

“that my Fantastastick mind may prove”

“the torments it deserves to try”

• enjambment = desperation - speaker knows his own failins and inability to resist temptation, so suggests he should indulge in his fantasies

• “torments: sexual and religious connotations: hell and religious punishment and sexual torment keeping him from her

• self punishment is a value system upheld by christians mysticism: justification of his adultery and making it seem like a trial, persona prevents himself as suffering

“when wearied with a world of woe”

alliteration is long/mournful

“to thy safe bossom i return”

• close to life but dying

• return to his women/ god where he finds comfort

“where love and peace and truth does flow

may i contented there expire”

• what could be romantic is tainted by sexual imagery- inability to take himself seriously

• triplet: gentle sounding and wishful through usr of syndetic listing

• “there expire”: talking about god and dying - sexual pun

“faithless to thee, False, unfrgiv’n”

• fricatives- violent, harsh, sounds mirror being in hell - emphasis his own self annoyance

• regrets his immorality but he can’t help it

links to jane eyre

• link to separation

• has reflected and changed and is in love with his wife now like jane and rochester