Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

MONTANUS' SONNET: 2, FR. ROSALIND [ROSALYNDE], by THOMAS LODGE Poet Analysis Poet's Biography

Montanus' Sonnet 2, from "Rosalynde" by Thomas Lodge, delves deep into the pastoral tradition's heart, employing nature as a tableau for the expression of profound sorrow and unrequited love. This poem navigates through the emotional landscape of Montanus, who likens his despair over unreciprocated affection to the mourning of a turtle (a turtle dove, symbolizing faithful love) and the legendary lovesickness of Polyphemus for Galatea. Through this rich tapestry of classical and natural imagery, Lodge explores themes of love, loss, and the communal nature of grief, while also subtly commenting on the intensity of Montanus' own sufferings.

The poem begins with a vivid image of a turtle dove lamenting the absence of her mate upon a "leaveless tree," a powerful symbol of desolation and barrenness. This opening scene sets a tone of melancholy that permeates the entire sonnet. The "citizens of wood" — the forest animals and the trees themselves — gather around the mourning dove, sharing in her grief, illustrating the poem's central motif: the universal expression and recognition of sorrow within the natural world. This communal aspect of mourning underscores the sonnet's exploration of empathy and shared experiences of loss.

As the dove rends her plumes and laments her lost love, the response from her surroundings intensifies the scene's emotional depth. The trees and birds personify sorrow, reflecting the interconnectedness of all beings within the pastoral landscape in their collective mourning. This shared sorrow blurs the lines between the human and the natural, suggesting that the experience of loss is universal, transcending species and form.

The transition to the story of Polyphemus and Galatea shifts the focus from the natural world's shared grief to classical mythology, drawing a parallel between the dove's lament and Montanus' own lovesick plight. Polyphemus, the Cyclops who loved the sea-nymph Galatea in vain, is depicted on a barren shore, mourning his unrequited love with such intensity that it affects the earth and skies. Lodge uses this mythological reference to amplify the scale of Montanus' despair, juxtaposing it with a well-known story of love and loss to emphasize the depth of his emotions.

The broken pipe and hook symbolize the abandonment of pastoral and artistic pursuits in the face of overwhelming grief. Polyphemus' forsaking of his music and fishing, traditional symbols of the pastoral life, underscores the poem's theme of love's all-consuming power. The mourning of the morning and the sea-nymphs for Polyphemus' plight further illustrates the widespread impact of personal sorrow, mirroring the earlier communal mourning among the forest creatures.

Montanus' concluding reflection that his own woe would evoke an even greater response from Phoebe (the moon, often associated with chastity and untouched love) if only she could perceive it, serves as a poignant climax to the sonnet. This final statement not only emphasizes the depth of Montanus' suffering but also reflects the inherent solitude of unrequited love — a pain so profound that it remains incomprehensible to others, despite the shared nature of grief depicted throughout the poem.

Montanus' Sonnet 2 eloquently captures the essence of pastoral lament, weaving together themes of love, loss, and the natural world's empathetic resonance with human emotion. Through its rich imagery and classical references, the poem offers a deep exploration of sorrow, articulating a universal experience that resonates with the beauty and tragedy of the human condition.

POEM TEXT:

A turtle sate up on a leaveless tree,

Mourning her absent fere

With sad and sorry cheer

A bout her wondering stood

The citizens of wood

And whilst her plumes She rents

And for her love laments,

The stately trees complain them,

The bird s with sorrow pain them.

Each one that d oth her view

Her p ain and sorrows rue ;