Analysis 1
readers, stating that her literary works have the most innocuous of purposes
Travailed] labored
Give others leave to] allow others to
No whit] not in the least
Mislike] fail to impress
Savor] odor, bouquet
Nosegay] bouquet of flowers
The meter of the poem alternates
between iambic tetrameter and
iambic trimeter, and the poem is
divided into six quatrains, each
featuring a variation on the simple
rhyme scheme abcb. This structure
gives the impression of a list, each
point comprising one quatrain, and
the diversity of the rhymes used
corresponds to the sundry reasons
Whitney has for writing poetry.
Identical rhymes are used in lines 6
and 8, highlighting the word them,
taken to mean Whitneys poems; this
hints at the fact that her work is
important to her. End-stopped lines
are used to separate different ideas,
whereas the prevalence of
enjambment maintains a
lighthearted tone that may be said to
mirror Whitneys attitude toward
poetry: she does not seek to
communicate a crucial message or
unburden her soulshe writes
poetry because it is fun.
The THEME of the poem is quite straightforward: Whitney addresses her
that is, pleasing the audience for which they are intended.
Good reader, now you tasted have a
And smelt of all my flowers, b
The which to get some pain I took, c
And travailed many hours. b
I must request you spoil them not, d
Nor do in pieces tear them; e
But if thyself do loathe the scent, f
Give others leave to wear them. e
I shall no whit be discontent, g
For nothing is so pure h
But no one or other will mislike, i
Thereof we may be sure. h
If he for whom I gathered them j
Take pleasure in the same, k
And that for my presumption l
My friends do not me blame; k
And that the savor take effect m
In such as I do know, n
And bring no harm to any else, o
In place where it shall go; n
And that when I am distant far, p
It worn be for my sake; q
That some may say, God speed her well
That did this nosegay make. q
Although it is quite long for the genre,
the closest match to a poetic form is
an envoi. An envoi is a short stanza
at the end of a poem used either to
address an imagined or actual person
or to comment on the preceding body
of the poem.
The poem is based on a metaphor
Whitney likens her poems to a
bouquet of flowers (line 2). The
phrase good reader (line 1),
coupled with the caesura inserted
immediately after it, clearly
establishes the addressee of the
poem. Whitney then goes on to state
that, despite the enjoyment she
derives from it, writing poetry is not
an easy endeavor, as evidenced by
the phrase travailed many hours
(line 4).
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 Analysis 2
The second quatrain introduces
Whitneys unfazed
acknowledgement of the fact that it
is impossible to please everyone as
a writer. She then goes on to
entreat those who are less than
impressed with her work to simply
move on and preserve her poems
for those who do enjoy them.
The third quatrain further explores
the ideas introduced in the second
one, adding Whitneys avowal of the
fact that her skill as a poet is not
consummate, as evidenced by the
phrase nothing is so pure (line10).
The third quatrainespecially the
phrase he for whom [Whitney]
gathered [the so-called flowers]
(line13)implies that Whitneys poems
are dedicated to a male friend, or
possibly a love interest. The word
presumption (line 15) may be given
two interpretations: firstly, it may refer
to her interest in the aforementioned
gentleman, who might belong to a
higher social class, and who, therefore,
is unavailable; secondly, it may
reference her own social background in
light of the fact that middle-class
women at the time were not expected to
nurture a literary career.
Good reader, now you tasted have a
And smelt of all my flowers, b
The which to get some pain I took, c
And travailed many hours. b
The last two quatrains reveal that
I must request you spoil them not, d
Whitney wrote her poems with the
Nor do in pieces tear them; e
intention of bringing joy to peoples
But if thyself do loathe the scent, f
lives. Lastly, she expresses the wish
Give others leave to wear them. e
that she might be remembered
I shall no whit be discontent, g
through her works in spite of death;
For nothing is so pure h
moreover, Whitney states said wish
But no one or other will mislike, i
lightly and perhaps even humbly,
Thereof we may be sure. h
giving the impression that she
If he for whom I gathered them j
would be overjoyed were this the
Take pleasure in the same, k
case, but that she is well aware of
And that for my presumption l
the fact that she in no way deserves
My friends do not me blame; k
such distinction.
And that the savor take effect m
In such as I do know, n
And bring no harm to any else, o
In place where it shall go; n
And that when I am distant far, p
It worn be for my sake; q
That some may say, God speed her well r
That did this nosegay make. q