Song Meaning
This poem opens with a direct, almost exasperated question: "Why so pale and wan fond lover?" It immediately establishes a scene of unrequited affection, where the speaker observes a lover whose physical decline mirrors his emotional state. The repetition of "Prithee why so pale?" underscores the futility of this suffering, suggesting the lover's suffering is visible but ineffective in winning the object of his desire. The poem questions the logic of his pining, asking if looking unwell after failing to impress while looking well will somehow change the outcome.
The central tension lies in the lover's persistent, self-destructive pursuit of someone unresponsive. The second stanza shifts to a similar pattern, asking "Why so dull and mute young sinner?" This highlights a different approach – silence and withdrawal – as equally ineffective as outward displays of affection or suffering. The speaker points out the paradox: if speaking eloquently fails, will saying nothing succeed? The repeated "Prithee why so mute?" reinforces the speaker's bewilderment at the lover's strategies.
The poem's craft shines in its direct address and rhetorical questioning, creating a sense of shared, albeit critical, observation. The structure, with its parallel stanzas and repeated refrains, emphasizes the cyclical and ultimately pointless nature of the lover's efforts. The final stanza delivers a blunt conclusion: "Quit, quit for shame, this will not move / This cannot take her." The speaker asserts that if the beloved's affection cannot be earned through genuine feeling or effort, then nothing else will work. The final, harsh line, "The devil take her," reveals a deeper frustration, perhaps even a hint of envy or scorn, directed at both the unresponsive woman and the lover's pathetic devotion.
View Artist