Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Upon a Diamond Cut in Forme of a Heart Set with a Crown" is a poem written by Robert Ayton, a Scottish poet of the 17th century. The poem explores the themes of love, rejection, and the complexities of giving and receiving hearts as symbols of affection.

The poem begins with the speaker recounting how they received a heart that was crowned. At first, they believed it was a gift from the addressee, assuming it belonged to them. However, upon closer inspection, they discover that the heart has a wound, leading them to realize that it is their own heart. The speaker acknowledges the irony of receiving their own heart in a worse condition than it was given to the addressee.

The second stanza reflects on the unusual nature of this gesture. The speaker describes it as a strange conceit or a peculiar idea for the addressee to give back the speaker's own heart. Not only is it returned, but it is returned with a painful wound. The speaker expresses surprise and questions the addressee's actions.

The third stanza expresses the speaker's dismay at the addressee's treatment of the heart. They appeal to the heavens, questioning how the addressee would handle a heart that rebels or resists. The speaker metaphorically depicts the addressee inflicting a wound on the heart with a dart, suggesting that the heart willingly yields itself to the addressee's desires.

In the fourth stanza, the speaker expresses a wish that the heart would experience no more pain than what resulted from the wound inflicted by the addressee. The speaker considers the act of returning the heart to be more painful than the wound itself. They imply that envy may attribute the rejection of the heart to the speaker's own fault or shortcomings, shifting the blame onto the heart itself.

The fifth stanza addresses the addressee's awareness that there is no defect or fault in the heart that they could find. The speaker suggests that the addressee's reluctance to accept the heart stems from a fear of being infected with love. The speaker implies that if the addressee were to give in to the love within the heart, it would endear the heart to them even more, and they would choose to keep it rather than return it.

The final stanza concludes with the speaker's plea to the addressee to either keep the heart or, if they have possessed it for too long, to return it without the pain caused by rejection. The speaker desires the heart to be free from suffering and untouched by wrongdoing when it is returned.

The poem employs a straightforward and concise structure, consisting of seven quatrains with an ABAB rhyme scheme. Ayton's use of plain language and direct expressions conveys the speaker's emotions and contemplations regarding the addressee's treatment of their heart.

Overall, "Upon a Diamond Cut in Forme of a Heart Set with a Crown" explores the themes of love, rejection, and the complexities of giving and receiving affection. The poem highlights the irony and emotional turmoil experienced by the speaker when their own heart is returned to them wounded, shedding light on the delicate nature of love and the potential for heartbreak in romantic relationships.

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