The poem
Tell me not, Sweet, I am unkind, That from the nunnery Of thy chaste breasts, and quiet mind, To war and arms I fly.
True, a new mistress now I chase, The first foe in the field; And with a stronger faith embrace A sword, a horse, a shield.
Yet this inconstancy is such, As you too shall adore; I could not love thee, Dear, so much, Loved I not honour more.
This poem is about the love of honour being more powerful than the speakers love for Lucasta. However in the first stanza there is a hint that perhaps she is too pure and that he longs for a bit of excitement.The second stanza shows that he finds the idea of battle thrilling, he refers to war as his new mistress, implying that it has taken Lucasta's place in his thoughts and affections. In the third stanza he asks…
Read the whole commentThis poem is about the love of honour being more powerful than the speakers love for Lucasta. However in the first stanza there is a hint that perhaps she is too pure and that he longs for a bit of excitement.The second stanza shows that he finds the idea of battle thrilling, he refers to war as his new mistress, implying that it has taken Lucasta's place in his thoughts and affections. In the third stanza he asks Lucasta to understand his feelings, because if he were to betray his sense of honour it would also be a betrayal of her. The form is a regular 4 line 3 stanza poem of alternating iambic tetrameter/trimeter. This gives the poem a lively rhythm and the mood of the poem overall is idealistic. There appears to be no regret on the speakers part that he is leaving his love, indeed he seems to relish the idea of warfare.
thank you for the summary and analysis, i needed help for english class about this poem and you helped. cant be thankful enough.