A Leave-Taking

Analysis and Literary Devices

Algernon Charles Swinburne

What is the poem A Leave-Taking about?

The poem “A Leave-Taking” delves into the emotional turmoil experienced by the speaker as he comes to terms with the unattainable nature of his beloved’s affection and the futility of his efforts to win her love. He expresses a sense of resignation, accepting that the person he loves will not hear, see, or love him in the same way. The speaker contemplates leaving or moving on but ultimately remains unable to fully detach himself from the emotions and longing he feels.

What is the theme of the poem A Leave-Taking?

Unrequited Love: The poem delves into the theme of unreciprocated love, where the speaker expresses their affection for someone who does not return their feelings. The person remains indifferent and unresponsive to the speaker’s longing and efforts to gain their attention.

Resignation and Acceptance: Throughout the poem, there is a sense of resignation and acceptance of the person’s indifference. The speaker gradually comes to terms with the fact that the person will not hear, see, or love them as they desire. There is a recognition that further attempts to gain their attention or affection would be in vain.

The Beauty and Transience of Nature: The poem incorporates vivid imagery related to nature, particularly the sea, stars, and flowers. These images evoke a sense of beauty and transient moments of splendor. They serve as a contrast to the speaker’s unrequited love, emphasizing the fleeting nature of love and the eternal beauty of the natural world.

What is the structure of the poem A Leave-Taking?

The poem “A Leave-Taking” by Algernon Charles Swinburne consists of six stanzas, each containing seven lines (septet). It follows a consistent metrical and rhyming scheme. The meter of the poem is predominantly iambic (an unstressed followed by a stressed syllable)pentameter which gives the poem a flowing and musical quality. The rhyme scheme of the poem is AABABAA.

The poem’s language is evocative and filled with imagery, drawing upon elements of nature and the sea to convey the depth of the speaker’s emotions.

There is an effective use of anaphora, a literary device that repeats a word or phrase at the beginning of various lines or clauses.

Here is an example of anaphora in the poem:

“Let us go hence…” This phrase is repeated several times throughout the poem, such as in the lines:

• “Let us go hence, my songs; she will not hear.”
• “Let us go hence and rest; she will not love.”
• “Let us go hence, go hence; she will not see.”

“She will not…“/”She would not …” – This line is repeated multiple times, emphasizing the speaker’s realization that their beloved will not listen to their songs or words of love.

Line-by-Line Analysis and Literary Devices of A Leave Taking

Let us go hence, my songs; she will not hear.
Let us go hence together without fear;
Keep silence now, for singing? time is over,
And over all old things and all things dear.
She loves not you nor me as we all love her.
Yea, though we sang as angels in her ear,
She would not hear.

• Personification: songs
• Anaphora: repetition of “Let us go hence together”
• Assonance: repetition of the vowel sound “e”: Let us go hence together without fear; repetition of the vowel sound “i” and “o”: “And over all old things and all things dear.“
• Consonance: repetition of consonants “l” and “n” in “She loves not you nor me as we all love her“
• Hyperbole – sang as angels in her ear

In the first stanza, the speaker personifies and addresses his songs in a manner as if they are separate entities capable of accompanying the speaker. He urges the songs to depart with him without the fear of pain, or loneliness, leaving his unrequited love behind.

The line “Keep silence now, for singing? time is over,” suggests a resignation to the fact that his expressions of love will never be heard or acknowledged by the person. It signifies a moment of acceptance, where the speaker realizes that further singing or attempts at communication will not yield the desired response. Hence, depart.

In the line “And over all old things and all things dear,” the phrase “old things” refers to the past, including memories, experiences, and attachments that the beloved might hold dear.

The phrase “She loves not you nor me as we all love her” highlights the unrequited nature of the speaker’s affection. It suggests a sense of closure or finality as the beloved has chosen to exclude the lover from her affection.

The following lines, “Yea, though we sang as angels in her ear,” is a hyperbolic exaggeration that emphasizes the futile efforts made by the speaker and his songs to express his love. However, the beloved’s indifference to his songs further deepens the sense of unrequited love.

Let us rise up and part; she will not know.
Let us go seaward as the great winds go,
Full of blown sand and foam; what help is here?
There is no help, for all these things are so,
And all the world is bitter as a tear.
And how these things are, though ye strove to show,
She would not know.

• Simile: And all the world is bitter as a tear.

In the second stanza, the speaker continues to suffer from the misery of rejection and contemplates leaving behind his beloved. The speaker delves into further misery at the mere thought that even his absence will go unnoticed by the beloved.

In the line “Let us go seaward as the great winds go” the speaker urges his songs to speed like the “great winds” towards the sea. This image of the movement of the songs analogous to the winds is symbolic of a craving for freedom from the current circumstances and seeking new possibilities.

The raging passion of the speaker is imbued in the line “Full of blown sand and foam“. It also conjures the image of the sea, sandy beach, and crashing waves. A place to contemplate and envision the future as the speaker wails about the cruelty of his beloved. After a caesura the speaker poses the rhetorical question “what help is here?” The speaker seems to be exhausted as there is no relief from the longing for reciprocation. However, the lament seems to be a ploy to attract the beloved’s attention.

The speaker hyperbolically states that there is “no help” or no remedy available to alleviate the pain of unrequited love or that nothing can bring about a change in the beloved’s mind. The subsequent phrase “for all these things are so” implies that the circumstances, including the unreciprocated love and the bitter nature of the world, are unalterable and unyielding.

The line “And all the world is bitter as a tear” uses a simile to compare the world (suggests a universal scope) to the bitterness of a tear, conveying the speaker’s perception of the world as a place filled with bitterness and sorrow.

The phrase “how these things are” refers to the speaker’s unrequited love and the bitter nature of the world mentioned earlier in the stanza. The phrase “though ye strove to show” implies that the speaker has attempted to convey the depth of his love or the bitterness they feel, but despite these efforts, the reality of the situation remains unchanged. This is because the beloved is oblivious or indifferent to the speaker’s affection.

Let us go home and hence; she will not weep.
We gave love many dreams and days to keep,
Flowers without scent, and fruits that would not grow,
Saying, `If thou wilt, thrust in thy sickle and reap.'
All is reaped now; no grass is left to mow;
And we that sowed, though all we fell on sleep,
She would not weep.

• Biblical allusion to the Book of Revelation – thrust in thy sickle and reap
• Metaphor of harvest: All is reaped now
• Metaphor of agriculture: And we that sowed

The third stanza reiterates the speaker’s desire to leave and seek comfort elsewhere as the beloved is reluctant to respond to his courting.

The line “We gave love many dreams and days to keep” reflects upon the time the speaker has spent nurturing dreams and hopes related to his affection for the beloved. The use of the word “keep” suggests preserving something significant or precious. The speaker through his songs had entrusted his emotion to his beloved, hoping for a lasting bond.

The line “Flowers without scent, and fruits that would not grow” is symbolic of the disappointing and unfulfilling nature of the speaker’s love and the lack of growth or fruition in their relationship. A flower without fragrance fails to evoke sensory pleasure just as unreciprocated love fails to make it fulfilling. Fruits that do not grow ripe cannot be enjoyed similarly the unreciprocated love of the speaker will never materialize.

In Bible, the phrase “thrust in thy sickle and reap” is a metaphor for Judgement Day. In the context of the poem, it can be interpreted as the speaker’s decision to end the pursuit and the desire to move on with their life. However, the decision is preceded by the condition “If thou wilt” which means the speaker is instigating his love interest a final chance to give the relationship a chance by reciprocating the feelings.

The line “All is reaped now; no grass is left to mow” suggests that the speaker has come to the realization that their pursuit of this unrequited love is over. The metaphor of harvesting suggests that the speaker has put in the hard work of cultivating this relationship, but now it is time to reap the rewards or accept the consequences of their efforts and move on.

The line “And we that sowed, though all we fell on sleep” suggests that despite the speaker’s efforts to cultivate this relationship, it ultimately did not come to fruition. Despite putting effort into the relationship, these efforts ultimately came to nothing and were not able to produce the desired outcome (“we fell on sleep“).

The repetition of “She would not weep” reinforces the sense of despair that permeates the poem.

Let us go hence and rest; she will not love.
She shall not hear us if we sing hereof,
Nor see love's ways, how sore they are and steep.
Come hence, let be, lie still; it is enough.
Love is a barren sea, bitter and deep;
And though she saw all heaven in flower above,
She would not love.

• Metaphor: Love is a barren sea, bitter and deep

The fourth stanza begins with the speaker stating his decision to seek solace or emotional comfort elsewhere as despite all his efforts and dreams his beloved does not desire a romantic connection with him.

The line “She shall not hear us if we sing hereof” conveys a sense of certainty as the speaker seems determined to leave since his love interest remains indifferent to all his expressions of love.

The line “Nor see love’s ways, how sore they are and steep” suggests that the love interest is oblivious to the difficulties and challenges that come with love and therefore oblivious to the speaker’s anguish as well. The word “sore” conveys the intensity of pain the speaker feels being rejected and “steep” implies the efforts and endurance required in the pursuit of love.

The phrase “Come hence” suggests a physical departure from his beloved. He wishes to move away from his love as well as from the emotional turmoil. The phrase “let be, lie still” suggests acceptance of the situation and willingness to accept reality after his attempts at wooing have been in vain.

The line “Love is a barren sea, bitter and deep” is a pessimistic view of love. The use of metaphoric language and negative descriptors evokes a sense of desolation and emotional hardship associated with unrequited love.

In the line “And though she saw all heaven in flower above“, the speaker uses hyperbole to conjure the image of paradise where flowers are in full bloom. The purpose is to imply that the beloved is indifferent and emotionally distant from all that is beautiful and glorious like love and paradise. Hence, “she would not love” as the beloved remains unmoved and unaffected.

Let us give up, go down; she will not care.
Though all the stars made gold of all the air,
And the sea moving saw before it move
One moon? flower making all the foam? flowers fair;
Though all those waves went over us and drove
Deep down the stifling lips and drowning hair,
She would not care.

• Metaphor: Though all the stars made gold of all the air

In this stanza, the speaker seems to have reached acceptance and is ready to let go of their endeavors to win the beloved’s affection. The phrase “go down” implies a descent, therefore it means moving away from the elevated hopes and aspirations associated with the beloved.

The phrase “all the stars made gold of all the air” paints a vivid image of the entire universe being illuminated when the stars shower their golden brilliance. The use of the word “though” implies that even in the midst of such breathtaking splendor, the love interest’s indifference will remain unchanged.

The line “And the sea moving saw before it move” primarily focuses on the sea’s movement and foresight, while also indirectly alluding to the beauty and interconnectedness of the universe as a whole. It highlights the profound connection between nature and the human experience of love and longing.

The line “One moon? flower making all the foam? flowers fair” can be understood as a comparison between the splendor of the moon and a flower. The poet’s questioning and uncertain tone contribute to the sense of wonder and mystery. The subsequent phrase “flower making all the foam” can be interpreted metaphorically as the moon’s light reflecting on the waves of the sea, creating a sparkling and brilliant effect. The moon’s light reflected on the sea’s waves can be seen as metaphorical “flowers” that possess an ethereal quality and enhance the visual splendor.

The phrase “all those waves went over us and drove” suggests a forceful and relentless onslaught of waves. The word “though” implies that the speaker has conjured up a situation where he is confronted by waves of a metaphorical “sea” of difficulties or challenges.

The phrase “Deep down the stifling lips and drowning hair” further intensifies the imagery by evoking a sense of suffocation and a feeling of being immersed in a drowning-like experience. However, nothing can make the beloved react with sympathy for his situation.

Let us go hence, go hence; she will not see.
Sing all once more together; surely she,
She too, remembering days and words that were,
Will turn a little toward us, sighing; but we,
We are hence, we are gone, as though we had not been there.
Nay, and though all men seeing had pity on me,
She would not see.

The repetition of the phrase “go hence” in the last stanza adds a sense of urgency and insistence to the speaker’s plea. The line “She will not see” suggests that the speaker’s departure will have no impact on the beloved.

The line “Sing all once more together;” conveys a plea or request to his songs (personified as his companions whom he is requesting for a final expression of love)for unity and collective expression. The word “surely” indicates a sense of conviction or belief that the act of singing together will have an impact on the beloved.

The phrase “remembering days and words that were” implies a sense of nostalgia and reflection. It indicates that both the speaker and the person they address have a shared history together, marked by significant moments and meaningful conversations.

The phrase “turn a little toward us” implies a slight movement on the part of the person they love indicating a degree of receptiveness or recognition. The word “sighing” adds a sense of longing or yearning to the line. The sigh can be seen as a non-verbal expression of the person’s emotional response to the speaker’s presence or words.

In the line “But we,/ we are hence, we are gone, as though we had not been there” the repetition of “we” emphasizes the speaker’s self-awareness and separation from the person they love. The phrase “we are hence, we are gone” conveys a sense of finality and departure, suggesting that the speaker and his songs have chosen to leave the presence of the person they desire. The comparison “as though we had not been there” highlights the speaker’s realization that their presence and their efforts to be noticed or loved have seemingly been in vain.

The phrase “Nay, and though all men seeing had pity on me” suggests that the speaker’s suffering or longing is evident to others, and he receives sympathy and understanding from those around them. However, the poem concludes with “She would not see” indicating that despite the empathy shown by others, the person the speaker loves remains oblivious or indifferent to their feelings.