Title of the poem
The title "Song of a Common Lover" suggests that the poem explores the theme of love from the perspective of an ordinary or common lover. The poet seems to emphasize the desire for a love that goes beyond common comparisons like shadows, pepper, pillows, rice, or soft speeches. Instead, the speaker longs for a love that is extraordinary, akin to a beautiful dream, a constant companion in life, a valuable piece of money, and a reliable comrade for life's journey. The title sets the tone for the poem's exploration of love's depth and uniqueness in contrast to commonplace notions.
Themes of the poem
The poem "Song of a Common Lover" by Flavien Ranaivo explores several themes:
1. **Unconventional Love:** The speaker rejects common comparisons for love, seeking a unique and exceptional form of affection beyond the ordinary.
2. **Permanence in Love:** The desire to be loved beyond fleeting moments is evident. The speaker wishes for a love that endures, likening it to a beautiful dream and a constant companion.
3. **Material and Immaterial Love:** The poem juxtaposes material metaphors like pepper, rice, and money with immaterial concepts such as dreams and hope. This duality reflects the complexity of the speaker's yearning for a love that encompasses both tangible and intangible aspects.
4. **Day and Night Dichotomy:** The poem plays with the contrast between night and day, suggesting a love that is present both in the darkness of night and the light of day, symbolizing a continuous and unwavering connection.
5. **Metaphorical Objects:** Various objects like a calabash and bridges for a guitar are used metaphorically, symbolizing the speaker's desire for love to
Tone and Mood of the poem
**Tone:** The tone of the poem "Song of a Common Lover" is contemplative and reflective. The speaker expresses their thoughts and desires regarding love with a sense of introspection, contemplating the ideal qualities of a deep and lasting connection. The rejection of common comparisons suggests a tone of longing for something more profound and unique.
**Mood:** The mood of the poem is a combination of yearning and hope. The speaker yearns for a love that goes beyond the ordinary and expresses a deep desire for a connection that is enduring. Despite the rejection of commonplace comparisons, there is an underlying sense of hope in the speaker's words, especially when describing love as a beautiful dream and a faithful comrade. The mood is reflective of the complex emotions associated with love—longing for something extraordinary while maintaining a hopeful outlook.
Imagery of the poem
The poem "Song of a Common Lover" employs vivid imagery to convey the speaker's emotions and desires:
1. **Shadow fading at evening:** The fading shadow serves as a metaphor for transient love, setting the tone for the speaker's desire for a more enduring connection.
2. **Pepper making the belly hot:** This imagery suggests a love that, like pepper, might be intense but fleeting, emphasizing the speaker's preference for a lasting affection.
3. **Pillow in the hours of sleep:** The image of a pillow represents a connection during restful moments, contrasting with the desire for a love that extends beyond sleep into the waking hours.
4. **Rice being forgotten once swallowed:** This metaphor implies a love easily forgotten, contrasting with the speaker's wish for a more memorable and lasting affection.
5. **Honey being sweet but too common:** The imagery of honey conveys sweetness but also suggests a desire for a love that is extraordinary and not commonplace.
6. **Beautiful dream:** Describing love as a beautiful dream creates a vivid image of an idealized and enchanting relationship.
7. **Piece of money always with me on earth:** This imagery represents a tangible and enduring presence, emphasizing the speaker's desire for a love that remains constant.
8. **Calabash intact for drawing water
Symbolism of the poem
The poem "Song of a Common Lover" incorporates symbolism to convey deeper meanings and emotions associated with love:
1. **Shadow:** Symbolizes transient and fleeting love, highlighting the speaker's desire for a more enduring and constant connection.
2. **Pepper:** Represents intense but temporary passion, contrasting with the speaker's wish for a lasting and meaningful relationship.
3. **Pillow:** Symbolizes a connection during moments of rest, emphasizing the need for a love that extends beyond mere physical closeness.
4. **Rice:** Symbolic of forgettable love, implying the desire for a more memorable and lasting affection.
5. **Honey:** Represents sweetness but is deemed too common, suggesting the speaker's aspiration for a love that is extraordinary and unique.
6. **Beautiful Dream:** Symbolizes an idealized and enchanting form of love, evoking a sense of beauty and longing.
7. **Piece of money:** Symbolizes a tangible and constant presence, reflecting the speaker's desire for a love that remains steadfast.
8. **Calabash:** Represents unbroken and reliable love, akin to a vessel drawing water, signifying continuity and support.
9. **Bridges for my guitar:** Symbolizes love as a supportive force, enhancing and connecting different aspects of the speaker's life, much like bridges in music.
Each symbol contributes to the overarching theme of the poem, emphasizing the speaker's quest for a deep, lasting, and extraordinary love that goes beyond conventional comparisons.
Metaphors and similes
**Metaphors:**
1. "nor like pepper which makes the belly hot" - Pepper is a metaphor for intense but temporary passion in love.
2. "nor like a pillow for we'd be together in the hours of sleep" - The pillow is a metaphor for a connection that is present during restful moments.
**Simile:**
1. "Love me like a beautiful dream, your life in the night" - The comparison using "like" makes this a simile, expressing the desire for love akin to a beautiful dream.
These literary devices contribute to the rich imagery and symbolism in the poem, enhancing the expression of the speaker's emotions and desires.
Language and diction
The poem "Song of a Common Lover" employs a poetic and expressive language with carefully chosen diction. Here are some aspects of the language and diction:
1. **Imagery-rich Language:** The poet uses vivid and imaginative language to paint pictures and evoke emotions, as seen in metaphors like "Love me like a beautiful dream."
2. **Symbolic Diction:** The poet uses words with symbolic significance, such as "calabash" and "bridges for my guitar," contributing to the deeper layers of meaning within the poem.
3. **Contrast in Diction:** There's a deliberate use of contrasting diction, like "nor like pepper" and "Love me like a beautiful dream," highlighting the speaker's rejection of ordinary comparisons in favor of a more exceptional love.
4. **Elevated and Poetic Tone:** The language maintains an elevated and poetic tone, befitting the theme of love and the speaker's introspective exploration of it.
5. **Concise and Evocative Phrasing:** The poet employs concise and evocative ph
Structure of the poem
The poem "Song of a Common Lover" has a distinctive structure characterized by its organization and form. Here are some structural elements:
1. **Stanzas:** The poem is divided into stanzas, each containing a specific set of ideas or reflections. The stanzas contribute to the overall flow and organization of the poem.
2. **Repetition:** The use of "nor" at the beginning of several lines creates a repetitive structure, emphasizing the speaker's rejection of common comparisons for love.
3. **Enjambment:** The poem utilizes enjambment, where lines flow into each other without a pause, contributing to a continuous and fluid rhythm. This technique enhances the cohesion of ideas within and between stanzas.
4. **Variety in Line Length:** The poem employs varying line lengths, contributing to a dynamic and rhythmic quality. This variety adds emphasis to certain ideas and allows for a nuanced exploration of the theme.
5. **Punctuation:** The poet uses punctuation, such as semicolons and commas, to shape the pace and rhythm of the poem. These punctuation marks guide the reader in interpreting pauses and connections between ideas.
6. **Metaphorical Progression:** The poem follows a progression of metaphors, moving from shadows to pepper, pillow, rice, soft speeches, honey, and finally, to more profound and symbolic representations like a beautiful dream, a piece of money, a faithful com
Sound and rhythm
The poem "Song of a Common Lover" exhibits a careful attention to sound and rhythm, contributing to its overall poetic effect:
1. **Alliteration:** The repetition of consonant sounds, such as in "Love me like a beautiful dream," creates a melodic quality and emphasizes certain phrases.
2. **Assonance:** The repetition of vowel sounds, like in "nor like soft speeches," adds a musicality to the language, enhancing the auditory experience.
3. **Consonance:** The repetition of consonant sounds, seen in phrases like "nor like pepper," contributes to the poem's rhythmic flow.
4. **Rhyme:** While the poem doesn't strictly adhere to a regular rhyme scheme, there are instances of near rhyme and internal rhyme, contributing to the musicality of the language.
5. **Rhythm:** The poem maintains a rhythmic flow, partly achieved through the skillful use of enjambment and varied line lengths. This rhythmic quality enhances the overall cadence of the poem.
6. **Repetition:** The repetition of certain phrases, such as the use of "nor" at the beginning of lines, creates a rhythmic pattern, emphasizing the rejection of common comparisons.
The combination of these sound devices and rhythmic elements contributes to the poem's aesthetic appeal, making it engaging to read aloud and enhancing the emotional impact of the speaker's reflections on love.
Syntax
The syntax of "Song of a Common Lover" contributes to the overall structure and meaning of the poem. Here are some aspects of the syntax:
1. **Parallel Structure:** The poem often employs parallelism, particularly in the repetitive use of "nor," creating a structured and balanced syntax. This repetition emphasizes the speaker's rejection of commonplace comparisons.
2. **Inverted Syntax:** The poet occasionally uses inverted syntax, altering the typical word order for emphasis or poetic effect. An example is "nor like soft speeches for they quickly vanish," where the inversion adds a rhythmic variation.
3. **Ellipsis:** The use of ellipsis, as seen in "nor like rice for once swallowed you think no more of it," creates a pause, allowing readers to contemplate the meaning and implications of the comparison.
4. **Semicolons:** The poet employs semicolons to connect related ideas within the same line, contributing to a sense of continuity and flow. For instance, "like a calabash: intact, for drawing water."
5. **Enjambment:** The use of enjambment contributes to a flowing syntax, where lines move seamlessly into the next without a pause. This technique maintains a sense of continuity and fluidity in the poem.
6.Conciseness: The syntax is often concise, conveying complex emotions and desires in a succinct manner, contributing to the intensity of the language.These syntactic elements contribute to the overall structure and poetic flow of the poem, allowing for a nuanced exploration of the speaker's thoughts on love.
Leave a comment behind