Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Roden Berkeley Wriothesley Noel';s poem "Pity of It" explores the fragility of love and the inevitability of its potential decay, casting a melancholic shadow over the fleeting nature of human emotions. The speaker reflects on a relationship, specifically addressing "Lily," a figure symbolic of beauty and purity, while mourning the possibility that their love might wither and fail. The poem is suffused with imagery of fading blossoms and passing time, serving as a metaphor for the slow decline of affection, and ultimately, for the transience of life itself.

The opening lines set a tone of uncertainty and impending loss: "If our love may fail, Lily, / If our love may fail, / What will mere life avail, Lily, / Mere life avail?" The speaker';s repeated conditional phrase, "if our love may fail," emphasizes the fragility and precariousness of love. It suggests that love, once so full of promise, now teeters on the brink of dissolution. The repetition in these lines mimics a kind of internal questioning or grappling with the reality that love, which once seemed so eternal, may indeed fail. The speaker’s subsequent rhetorical question—what will life avail without love?—highlights the deep existential despair that accompanies the loss of romantic connection. Life without love, the poem suggests, is hollow and unfulfilling.

Noel introduces the powerful metaphor of a seed that promised to blossom, only to "wither in the mould": "Seed that promised blossom, / Withered in the mould! / Pale petals overblowing, / Failing from the gold!" The seed, a symbol of potential and future growth, represents the early stages of love, which once held the promise of blossoming into something beautiful and lasting. Yet the image of it withering in the mold underscores the notion of lost potential. The pale petals, once vibrant, now overblow, losing their vitality and falling away from the golden center, the heart of the flower. This decay mirrors the disintegration of the lovers'; relationship, which, like the flower, was once full of life and color but is now fading into lifelessness.

The lines, "When the fervent fingers / Listlessly enclose, / May the life that lingers / Find repose, Lily, / Find repose!" express a sense of emotional numbness. The fervent passion that once animated the relationship has given way to apathy, as "fervent fingers" now "listlessly enclose." The speaker seems resigned to this slow fading, hoping that whatever life remains in their connection will at least find peace or repose in the end. This resignation reflects the acceptance of an inevitable decline and the desire for a quiet end, without the pain or struggle of holding on to something that has already begun to fade.

As the speaker continues, they consider the ephemeral nature of love';s joy and the fleeting beauty of romantic triumph: "Who may dream of all the music / Only a lover hears, / Hearkening to hearts triumphant / Bearing down the years?" The music, which only lovers can hear, symbolizes the unique joy and harmony that love brings. It speaks to the deep connection between two people in love, a connection that feels eternal and transcendent. Yet, the speaker questions whether even this eternal anthem might "dwindle / To a low sound of tears," suggesting that even the most triumphant love can be reduced to sorrow and loss over time. The shift from joyful music to tears encapsulates the emotional arc of the poem—what begins in the ecstasy of love often ends in sadness, as love proves to be impermanent.

Noel deepens this theme of impermanence with the lines, "Room in all the ages / For our love to grow, / Prayers of both demanded / A little while ago." Here, the speaker reflects on the belief that their love could flourish across time, with both lovers having once prayed for its endurance. Yet now, in the present, there remains only a few moments between life and death, moments that may be "all too ample / For love';s breath." This notion that even the briefest span of time may prove sufficient to exhaust love';s breath suggests the fleeting nature of human emotion. Love, once thought to last forever, can dissipate in mere moments.

The speaker also takes some responsibility for the relationship’s decline: "I well believe the fault lay / More with me than you." This admission adds complexity to the poem’s meditation on love, introducing the idea of personal accountability and human imperfection. Yet, despite this acknowledgment, the speaker feels the "shadow closing / Cold about us two," as if the inevitability of the relationship';s end is beyond their control. The coldness of this shadow suggests the emotional distance that has grown between the two lovers, a distance that now feels insurmountable.

The poem concludes with a reflection on the finality of this emotional death: "An hour may yet be yielded us, / Or a very little more— / Then a few tears, and silence / For evermore, Lily, / For evermore!" The brevity of the time remaining to the lovers, whether an hour or a little more, conveys the sense that the end is near. Once the relationship ends, there will be only "a few tears, and silence," emphasizing the inevitability of loss and the quiet that follows it. The repetition of "for evermore" at the poem’s end underscores the permanence of this separation, as the speaker resigns themselves to the end of love and the silence that follows it.

"Pity of It" is a poignant exploration of the transient nature of love and the sorrow that accompanies its decline. Through vivid imagery of decaying flowers and fading music, Noel captures the pain of watching something beautiful wither away. The speaker’s resigned tone, combined with moments of introspection and reflection, adds depth to the poem, making it not only a lament for a lost relationship but also a meditation on the impermanence of human experience. Noel’s delicate handling of these themes evokes both the beauty and the sorrow inherent in love, ultimately suggesting that all things, even the most cherished, are subject to time';s inevitable passage.

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