A Valentine Comments

THREE: Carroll cleverly compares this to a "touching Valentine" sent after thirteen days of February. Summed up, "A Valentine" explores the complexities of relationships, emphasizing the emotional toll of friendships while hinting at the enduring nature and romantic love

TWO: While friends are depicted as burdensome, the lover is portrayed differently. The lover, when separated from their beloved, doesn't sink into grief but instead writes heartfelt verses and sends them.

ONE: The poet's opinion is not positive, and he seems to idealize romantic relationships instead. The poem subtly contrasts friendship with romantic love.

He died on 14 January 1898 at his sisters' home, 'The Chestnuts' in Guildford, of pneumonia following influenza.

(CONTINUED! ! ! ! ! ! !) ....'desert waste' (a noun) refers to a barren landscape, mostly made up of sand. five stars ***** bri : )

I'm guessing that 'wasting sorrow' may NOW refer to 'wasted sorrow', meaning 'unnecessary' or 'useless', BUT that a few lines earlier 'desert

I think the last stanza is supposed to be funny/humorous, making fun of people who are overly-emotional in their feelings of missing someone who they have seen recently.

(cont.) In the 19th century, the British typically used mail to refer to letters being sent abroad (i.e. on a ship) and post to refer to letters for domestic delivery.'

I 'love': And if the verse flow free and fast, Till even the poet is aghast, A touching Valentine at last The post shall carry, When thirteen days are gone and past Of February.' (cont.)

'DOLORUM OMNIUM' [from Latin] here means 'pain' I believe (from my online research) . I believe 'lays' is here the plural form of the noun lay, meaning 1: a simple narrative poem: BALLAD 2: MELODY, SONG'

'Lewis Carroll' was born in 1932 in Cheshire England. Do readers of 'Alice' recall a smile attributed to a/the 'Cheshire Cat'? ? ? I think I DO. : ) bri

(cont.) His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems 'The Hunting of the Snark' and 'Jabberwocky'

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. (cont.)

5th Stanza: The lover, if for certain days his fair one be denied his gaze Sinks not in grief and wild amaze But, wiser wooer He spends the time in writing lays And posts them to her! A 'lay' is defined as a short narrative or other poem, esp. one to be sung. A much wiser course of action than pouting when your friend does not appear!

And can not pleasures, while they last Be actual unless, when t past. Wonderfully envisioned poem. Thanks for sharing.

A lonely shadow! ! ! ! ! ! Thanks for sharing this poem with us.

i'm glad to be introduced this poem by carroll. like good humorous poetry it rhymes well, has regular meter, features tasty word choices, and concludes with a barbed last stanza. -gk

I trust to find YOUR heart the seat Good poem Of wasting sorrow.

Glad in meeting friend and not missing when gone away in friendship it is all common occurrence! But on Valentine's day it is entirely different with such friendship in the world of Lewis Carroll!

A measured view on love, obviously not head over heels