Author: Madison Julius Cawein

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    Can one resolve and hunt it from one's heart?
    This love, this god and fiend, that makes a hell
    Of many a life, in ways no tongue can tell,
    No mind divine, nor any word impart.
    Would not one think the slights that make hearts smart,
    The ice of love's disdain, the wint'ry well
    Of love's disfavor, love's own fire would quell?
    Or school its nature, too, to its own art
    Why will men cringe and cry forever here
    For that which, once obtained, may prove a curse?
    Why not remember that, however fair,
    Decay is wed to Beauty? That each year
    Takes somewhat from the riches of her purse,
    Until at last her house of pride stands bare?

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Type of Poem: Sonnet

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem explores the paradoxical nature of love - its dual capacity for creating both pleasure and pain, which are themes common throughout literature. The tone of the poem is reflective, melancholic and, to some extent, resigned. The speaker seems to express a sense of frustration and confusion over humanity's relentless pursuit of love despite its potential to cause suffering.

The poem is structured in a sonnet form, which is traditionally used to express deep emotions and personal contemplations. The poet uses a range of evocative imagery and metaphors to bring to life the paradox of love. For example, love is referred to as both "god and fiend", suggesting its ability to elevate and destroy. Similarly, the imagery of the “wint'ry well” and "love's own fire" portrays it as a force that can both freeze and burn. The concluding lines of the poem present the overarching message that beauty and love are transient, and the pursuit of them may ultimately leave us empty and disillusioned. This is effectively illustrated through the metaphor of beauty's purse gradually losing its riches until nothing remains. The poem's exploration of these universal themes and its emotive language combine to create a thought-provoking reflection on the human condition.