swgnmar3

Written

1817

Context

Included in letter to close friend Thomas Moore
- Letter demonstrates his sense of dissatisfaction with life in Venice and awareness of his ageing state
- Had been living in exile for a year at this point

No intention for poem to be published - not even titled in letter

Diane \= moon godess

Form

ABAB CDCD AEAE rhyme scheme
- Whilst poem is about no destination, the rhyme is cyclical and remains neat + compact

Half rhyme of 'roving' and 'loving'

Every line (minus 2 and 8) have an anapest followed by two Iambs

'A Roving' \= traditional song lyric in ballads

Language

Assonance of 'o' creates a moaning sound
Sibilance
Sexual innuendo
Repetition

Themes

Death
Love
Dissatisfaction
Ageing
The soul
Night/Day
Nature

Links to Romanticism

The human soul
Praise of nature
Traditional lyrical ballads with simple language that Romantics strived for

Structure

'Roving' 'loving' 'loving' 'roving' \= chiamus - makes the poem seem neat/compact/balanced

Cyclical structure - repetition of 'A' rhyme
- Compliments the rhyme - makes the poem feel compact, balanced, purposeful

Language of a ballad
- simple lang, rhyme scheme, steady rhythm

Comparison

Intimations of Immortality - spirituality/ the soul
The cold earth slept below - depiction of night
Fare thee well - the end of a relationship
R Alcona to J. Brenzaida - End of relationship/ death

Title Analysis

So - finality, implies conclusion
We'll - something ending between two people
Roving - Wandering or roaming associated with youth
- Symbolises childish activities that someone outgrows
- Luxury only given to the young as they lack purpose
- Done at night - hidden activities

Stanza One

Assonance in line one creates moaning effect - implies poet is weary

Internal rhyme highlights denial (no) and roving are closely linked

Anaphoric repetition of 'so' - finality

'Though' - unknown reason to stop - creates mystery - that's the point, to build ambiguity
- Something no longer satisfies him despite nothing changing

Moon - seductress - changes the way we look at the world by bathing it in silvery light - 'bright' \= alluring

ALT. READING: 'Late into the night' of his life - feels he is approaching death despite still being young

Stanza Two

Dissatisfied by metaphorical 'sheath' in his life - needs something else

Anaphoric repetition of 'and' - accumulation, listing, tiresome

Simile to death - his own death or death of enjoyment - soul wearing out the body - leaving it behind
- Belief that soul leaves body and lives on \= ingrained in popular belief - body and soul are separate

'breast' - synecdoche for body

'heart must pause' - would cause death - metaphor for how he must re-evaluate his own life - pause suggests not final

'have rest' - death? permanent rest? - must rest as has aged

Stanza Three

'night was made for loving'
- sexual innuendo - makes him regretful he has to stop roving as he is not using the night for its purpose
- OR night was made to be loved

Day returns too soon
- Sign of hope/ life
- OR reference to rebirth/ after life
- OR sad of days return as he is no longer hidden - hatred of fame
- Day \= clarity, rational, sense

Roving by moonlight
- Romantic but also more hidden from public
- Shady activities?
- Hatred of fame?