Allegro notes

1. Cummings Study Guide Study Guide Edgar Allan Poe Shakespeare Literary Terms Meter in
Poetry Popular Pages Il Penseroso: a Study Guide Milton's L'Allegro: a Study Guide Free Study
Guides for Shakespeare and Other Authors Literary Terms Meter in Poetry and Verse . . L'Allegro A
Poem by John Milton (1608-1674) A Study Guide Cummings Guides Home..|..Contact This Site . Type of
Work Setting Summary Theme End Rhyme Internal Rhyme Meter Poem Text With Notes Tone Figures of
Speech Questions, Writing Topics Milton's Biography . Study Guide Prepared by Michael J.
Cummings...© 2010 . Type of Work and Publication Year

2. .......John Milton's "L'Allegro" is a lyric poem centering on the joy of taking part in the delights of a
spring day, including those provided by nature in a pastoral setting and those provided by the theater in
an urban setting. The title is an Italian word that originally meant "the cheerful man." The poem was
published in London in 1645 as part of a collection, The Poems of John Milton, Both English and Latin. It
is a companion piece to "Il Penseroso," a lyric poem centering on sober, contemplative living that courts
melancholy rather than joy. The poems use similar metric and rhyme schemes. Setting .......The poem is
set in the speaker's mind as he anticipates the pleasures he will enjoy on an invi ting spring day—first in
a countryside setting and then in an urban setting. Summary .......The speaker orders Melancholy from
his life, telling it to find a dwelling place among the Cimmerians—people who live in a land of unending
darkness. At the same time, he invites a goddess of joy, Euphrosyne, to bring him mirth on the dawning
of a new spring day as the song of the lark and the din of a rooster chase the last of the darkness away.
.......The sun begins to rise, robing the clouds in flames. Then the plowman in the field whistles, the
milkmaid sings a song, the mower sharpens his scythe, and shepherds count their sheep under
hawthorn trees. Smoke curls up from a chimney cottage. The young and old come out to play. And when
the sun goes down again, they will tell stories over ale. One of the tales will be about the "lubber fiend,"
a hairy giant with a tail. He does farm work and household chores in return for a bowl of cream. (See
lines 104-114 for the passage about this creature.) But despite his grotesque appearance, he means no
harm. .......On fine days in May, knights and barons in the cities contend with wits or weapons in
peaceful contests before their ladies , and Hymen (the god of marriage) appears to pres ide over many a
wedding “with pomp, and feas t, and revelry, / With mask, and antique Pageantry” (lines 127-128).
.......Then there are the plays to see in the city—those of the great Elizabethan writers Ben Jonson and
William Shakespeare. .......The speaker ends the poem by again addressing the heavenly bringer of joy,
Euphrosyne, this time referring to her as "Mirth." These delights, if thou canst give, Mirth with thee, I
mean to live. (lines 151-152) Theme .......Casting off gloom to embrace the delights of a glorious spring
day is the theme of "L'Al legro." Milton begins the poem by rejecting melancholy in the first ten lines.
Then, in line 11, he invites the goddess of joy (Euphrosyne) to go forth with him into the sun -kissed
fields. He asks her to bring with her Jest and youthful Jollity, Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles, Nods,
and becks, and wreathed smiles (lines 26-28) The rest of the poem centers on the people and activities
they will see. End Rhyme .......The end rhyme of the first ten lines of the poem uses this pattern:
abbacddeec. Following is an illustration of this pattern. Hence loathed Melancholy Of Cerberus, and
blackest Midnight born, In Stygian cave forlorn 'Mongst horrid shapes, and shrieks, and sights unholy;
Find out some uncouth cell, Where brooding Darkness spreads his jealous wings,
3. And the night-raven sings; There under ebon shades, and low-brow'd rocks, As ragged as thy locks, In
dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell Milton wrote the rest of the poem in couplets (pairs of rhyming lines).
Lines 11-16 demonstrate the pattern. But come thou goddess fair and free, In heav'n yclep'd
Euphrosyne, And by men, heart-easing Mirth, Whom lovely Venus at a birth With two sister Graces
more To Ivy-crowned Bacchus bore Internal Rhyme .......Milton also included occasional internal rhyme
in the poem, as in the following lines. And fresh-blown roses wash'd in dew (line 22) Such as hang on
Hebe's cheek (line 29) And love to live in dimple sleek (line 30) Oft list'ning how the hounds and horn
(line 53) Meter .......The meter of the first ten lines of the poem is as follows.
..........1...................2..............3...........4 Hence LOATH..|..èd MEL..|..an
CHO..|..ly,.............................................................iambic tetrameter with an incomplete fourth foot
(catalexis) .....1.............2..................3................4..................5 Of CER..|..ber US,..|..and BLACK..|..est
MID..|..night BORN,...................................iambic pentameter ......1...............2................3 In STYG..|..ian
CAVE..|..for LORN,.........................................................................iambic trimiter
.........1......................2........................3......................4................5..........6 'Mongst HOR..|..rid
SHAPES,..|..and SHRIEKS,..|..and SIGHTS..|..un HO..|..ly;.........iambic hexameter with an incomplete
sixth foot (catalexis) .......1................2.................3 Find OUT..|..some UN..|..couth
CELL,....................................................................iambic trimiter
...........1.....................2.....................3.....................4..................5 Where BROOD..|..ing DARK..|..ness
SPREADS..|..his JEAL..|..ous WINGS,.............iambic pentameter ......1................2.................3 And
THE..|..night-RAV..|..en SINGS;.......................................................................iambic trimiter

4. ......1..............2..................3..................4.....................5 There UN..|..der EB..|..on SHADES,..|..and

LOW-..|..brow'd ROCKS,..........................iambic pentameter ......1..............2................3 As RAG..|..ged
AS..|..thy LOCKS,...........................................................................iambic trimiter
......1...............2...............3..............4...............5 In DARK..|..Cim MER...|..ian DE..|..sert EV..|..er
DWELL...........................................iambic pentameter The meter of the rest of the poem consists mainly
of iambic and trochaic tetrameters. Here are examples. ......1...............2.......................3.......................4
The FRO..|..lic WIND..|..that BREATHES..|..the SPRING,..........................................iambic tetrameter
........1....................2......................3................4 HASTE thee..|..NYMPH, and..|..BRING
with..|..THEE.................................................trochaic tetrameter with an incomplete fourth foot
(catalexis) Annotated Text of "L'Allegro" Hence loathèd Melancholy, Of Cerberus,1 and blackest
Midnight born, In Stygian2 cave forlorn, 'Mongst horrid shapes, and shrieks, and sights unholy; Find out
some uncouth cell, Where brooding Darkness spreads his jealous wings, And the night-raven sings;
There under ebon3 shades, and low-brow'd rocks, As ragged as thy locks, In dark Cimmerian4 desert
ever dwell.........................................10 But come thou goddess fair and free, In heav'n yclep'd5
Euphrosyne,6 And by men, heart-easing Mirth, Whom lovely Venus7 at a birth With two sister Graces8
more To Ivy-crownèd9 Bacchus10 bore; Or whether (as some sager11 sing) The frolic wind that breathes
the spring, Zephyr,12 with Aurora13 playing, As he met her once a-
Maying,14......................................................20 There on beds of violets blue, And fresh-blown roses
wash'd in dew, Fill'd her with thee, a daughter fair, So buxom, blithe, and debonair. Haste thee nymph,
and bring with thee Jest and youthful Jollity, Quips and cranks,15 and wanton wiles, Nods, and becks,
and Wreathèd smiles, Such as hang on Hebe's 16 cheek, And love to live in dimple
sleek;........................................................30 Sport that wrinkled Care derides, And Laughter holding both
his sides. Come, and trip17 it as ye go

5. On the light fantastic toe, And in thy right hand lead with thee, The mountain-nymph, sweet Liberty;
And if I give thee honour due, Mirth, admit me of thy crew To live with her, and live with thee, In
unreprovèd pleasures free;.............................................................40 To hear the lark begin his flight, And
singing startle the dull night, From his watch-tower in the skies, Till the dappled dawn doth rise; Then to
come in spite of sorrow, And at my window bid good-morrow, Through the sweet-briar, or the vine, Or
the twisted eglantine;18 While the cock with lively din, Scatters the rear of darkness
thin,.....................................................50 And to the stack, or the barn door, Stoutly struts his dames19
before; Oft list'ning how the hounds and horn20 Cheerly21 rouse the slumb'ring morn, From the side of
some hoar hill, Through the high wood echoing shrill. Sometime walking, not unseen, By hedge-row
elms, on hillocks green, Right against the eastern gate, Where the great Sun begins his
state,22.............................................60 Rob'd in flames, and amber light, The clouds in thousand
liveries23dight.24 While the ploughman near at hand, Whistles o'er the furrowed land, And the
milkmaid singeth blithe, And the mower whets his scythe, And every shepherd tells his tale25 Under the
hawthorn in the dale. Straight mine eye hath caught new pleasures Whilst the landskip26 round it
measures,.............................................70 Russet (tan) lawns, and fallows(uncultivated land) gray, Where
the nibbling flocks do stray; Mountains on whose barren breast The labouring clouds do often rest;
Meadows trim with daisies pied (colorful),27 Shallow brooks, and rivers wide. Towers, and battlements
it sees Bosom'd high in tufted trees, Where perhaps some beauty lies, The cynosure(centre of
attention)28 of neighbouring eyes...................................................80 Hard by, a cottage chimney
smokes, From betwixt29 two agèd oaks, Where Corydon and Thyrsis30 met, Are at their savory(spicy)
dinner set Of herbs, and other country messes, Which the neat-handed Phyllis dresses; And then in
haste her bower(home) she leaves, With Thestylis31 to bind the sheaves; Or if the earlier season lead To
the tann'd haycock32 in the mead....................................................90 Sometimes with secure delight The
upland hamlets will invite,

6. When the merry bells ring round, And the jocund rebecks(stringed instru)33 sound To many a youth,
and many a maid, Dancing in the chequer'd shade; And young and old come forth to play On a sunshine
holiday, Till the live-long daylight fail; Then to the spicy nut-brown
ale,............................................................100 With stories told of many a feat, How Faery Mab34 the
junkets35 eat, She was pinch'd and pull'd she said, And he by friar's lanthorn36 led, Tells how the
drudging goblin sweat, To earn his cream-bowl duly set, When in one night, ere glimpse of morn, His
shadowy flail hath thresh'd the corn That ten day-labourers could not end; Then lies him down, the
lubber fiend,37...................................................110 And stretch'd out all the chimney's length, Basks at
the fire his hairy strength; And crop-full out of doors he flings, Ere the first cock his matin38 rings. Thus
done the tales, to bed they creep, By whispering winds soon lull'd asleep. Tower'd cities please us then,
And the busy hum of men, Where throngs of knights and barons bold, In weeds39 of peace high
triumphs hold,..................................................120 With store of ladies, whose bright eyes Rain influence,
and judge the prize Of wit, or arms, while both contend To win her grace, whom all commend. There let
Hymen40 oft appear In saffron robe, with taper clear, And pomp, and feast, and revelry, With mask, and
antique pageantry; Such sights as youthful poets dream On summer eves by haunted
stream........................................................130 Then to the well-trod stage anon, If Jonson's41 learnèd
sock42 be on, Or sweetest Shakespeare, Fancy's child, Warble his native wood-notes wild. And ever
against eating cares(troubles), Lap me in soft Lydian airs,43 Married to immortal verse, Such as the
meeting soul may pierce In notes with many a winding bout(periods) Of linkèd sweetness long drawn
out,.........................................................140 With wanton(motiveless) heed(attention), and
giddy(volatile) cunning(shrewdness), The melting voice through mazes running, Untwisting all the chains
that tie The hidden soul of harmony; That Orpheus'44 self may heave his head From golden slumber on
a bed Of heap'd Elysian45 flow'rs, and hear Such strains as would have won the ear Of Pluto,46 to have
quite set free His half-regain'd Eurydice.47......................................................................150 These delights
if thou canst give,

7. Mirth,48 with thee I mean to live. . . Notes 1.....Cerberus: In Greek mythology, a three-headed dog
keeping watch at the gates of Hades (the Underworld). 2.....Stygian: Having to do with the River Styx,
which in Greek mythology encircles Hades (the Underworld). 3.....ebon: (1) Like ebony, a dark
hardwood; black; dark. (2) Ebony itself. 4.....Cimmerian: (1) Dark, gloomy . 5.....yclep'd: Named, called.
6.....Euphrosyne: See Graces. 7.....Venus: Roman name for Aphrodite, the goddess of love in Greek
mythology . 8.....Graces: In Greek mythology, three sister deities: Aglaia, goddess of splendor and
brightness; Euphrosyne, goddess of joy; and Thali a, goddess of festivity and good cheer. 9.....Ivy-
crownèd: Wearing an ivy wreath as a crown. 10...Bacchus: Roman name for Dionysus, the god of wine
and revelry in Greek mythology. 11...sager: Wiser person. 12...Zephyr: In Greek mythology, the god of
the west wind. 13...Aurora: Roman name for Eos, the goddess of dawn in Greek mythology. 14...a-
Maying: Celebrating and enjoying the delights of the month of May. 15...cranks: Clever or fanciful
speech; whims; caprices. 16...Hebe: In Greek mythology, the goddess of youth. 17...trip: Dance.
18...eglantine: Wild rose with sweet-smelling foliage. Also called sweetbrier. 19...dames: Hens.
20...hounds and horn: The baying hounds and blowing horns of a fox hunt. 21...cheerly: Cheerily.
22...state: Rule, reign. 23...liveries: Uniforms worn in trades, such as a butler's uniform. Here, the word
is used figuratively. 24...dight: Dressed. 25...tells his tale: Counts his sheep. 26...landskip: Landscape.
27...pied: Of many colors; colorful. 28...cynosure: Center of attention. 29...betwixt: Between.
30...Corydon and Thyrsis: Corydon is a goatherd in Idyll IV of Theocritus (300-260 BC), a Greek pastoral
poet. Thyrsis is a shepherd in Idyll I of Theocritus. Corydon and Thyrsis appear together in Eclogue VII of
the Roman poet Virgil (70 -19 BC), who used the works of Theocritus as a source. 31...Thestylis: Servant
girl in Idyll II of Theocritus (300-260 BC), a Greek pastoral poet. 32...haycock: Pile of hay heaped into a
cone shape. 33...rebecks: Stringed musical instruments. 34...Faery Mab: In English folklore, a fairy
queen. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio says that She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone On the fore-finger of an alderman (1.4.59-63) 35...junkets:
Sweetened milk curds. 36...lanthorn: Lantern. 37...lubber fiend: In English folklore, a huge manlike figure
with a tail who does household or farm chores at night in exchange for a bowl of cream. 38...matin:
Morning song. 39...weeds: Attire, clothing. 40...Hymen: In Greek mythology, the god of marriage.

8. 41...Jonson's: Reference to Ben Jonson (1572-1637), a major Elizabethan playwright and poet and
contemporary of Shakespeare. 42...sock: Footwear of actors with comic parts in the drama of ancient
Greece and Rome. Here, Milton uses the word to mean wittiness or drollery. 43...Lydian airs: Soothing
Lydian music. The ancient kingdom of Lydia was in the northwestern region of present -day Turkey. It
flourished in the seventh and sixth centuries BC. 44...Orpheus: In Greek mythology, an extraordinary
musician who was the son of the god Apollo and the muse Calliope. When he played the lyr e, his music
was so beautiful that even the rivers would change their courses to listen to it. The god of the
Underworld, Pluto (Greek name, Hades), was so enthralled with his music that he allowed Orpheus to
attempt to lead his wife, Eurydice, out of the Underworld. But he failed because he disobeyed an order
from Pluto not to look back at her until they reached the upper world. 45...Elysian: Heavenly. 46...Pluto:
Roman name for Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. 47...Eurydice: See Orpheus. 48...Mirth: The
speaker of the poem addresses Euphrosyne, the goddess of joy, previously addressed in line 12.. Tone
.......The tone of the poem is joyful and exuberant. Figures of Speech .......Following are examples of
figures of speech in the poem. For definitions of figures of speech, see Literary Terms. Alliteration some
sager sing (line 17) Oft list'ning how the hounds and horn (line 53) Jest and youthful Jollity (line 26) And
love to live in dimple sleek (line 30) dappled dawn doth (line 44) Stoutly struts his dames before (line 52)
Warble his native wood-notes wild (line 134) Apostrophe But come thou goddess fair and free, In heav'n
yclep'dEuphrosyne, The speaker is addressing the goddess of joy, Euphrosyne Metaphor Right against
the eastern gate, Where the great Sun begins his state (lines 59-60) Comparison of the eastern horizon
to a gate Rob'd in flames, and amber light, The clouds in thousand liveries dight. (lines 61-62)
Comparison of sunlight to flames Mountains on whose barren breast The labouring clouds do often rest
(lines 73-74) Comparison of mountains' slopes to a breast With store of ladies, whose bright eyes Rain
influence, and judge the prize (lines 121-122) Comparison of the gaze of the ladies' eyes to rain

9. Onomatopoeia And the busy hum of men (line 118) Paradox wanton heed (line 141) Use of wanton
(which means undisciplined) to describe heed (which means disciplined or careful attention)
Personification Or sweetest Shakespeare, Fancy's child (line 133) Comparison of a parent to imagination
Study Questions and Writing Topics In Milton's time, there were of course no televisions, computers,
or other indoor amusements. Consequently, a sunny day in May was an irresistible attraction for young
people. Write an essay centering on the outdoor activities seventeenth -century children, adolescents,
and young adults favored when spring arrived. Write a short poem about the pleasures of a sunny
spring day. What is the difference between a lyric poem, such as "Il Penseroso," and a ballad? What
is the meaning of lines 35-36: "And ever against eating cares, / Lap me in soft Lydian airs"? . Share
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