Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;
Their beauty shakes me who was once serene;
Straight through my heart the wound is quick and keen.
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THREE: and prove the misery he has gone through to his lover. It is at this time that it becomes evident that the poet's lover was separated from him owing to her death and thus it is once that he dies that he can meet her again in the other world
TWO: The only wish that he carries in his heart is to meet his lover and let her rule his heart forever. The pain of her separation has become so much a part of his existence that he is ready to face death .
ONE: He again promises saying" Upon my word, I tell you faithfully" that she is the one who shall be the queen of her heart for lifetime and even after he dies. This suggests the depth of his love which is not ready to stay without his lover.
Geoffrey Chaucer writes the most beautiful poems, here is truly a Masterpiece! Top Marks for his beautiful love poem and so clearly created, sharply worded, truly a great Poet of the medieval.
I wish that Chaucer’s original version could also appear on this page, and that the version you now quote could be credited as someone else’s adaptation. Both poets deserve their own credit for their own words.
BECAUSE we have forgotten our ancestors Our children no longer give us honer Kneeling in perilous undergrowth
This beautiful poem is a variation of the Rondel. The first stanza should be a quatrain, but the last line is absent. The poet wanted to suggest that the lover was that person who should add the last line. It was a way to make the missing line become a future response. The first line belonging to the next stanza is relevant, ''Only your word will heal the injury''. Any wound must be clean in order to be cured. The poet's wound was not a common one; he felt his heart suffering. Only love has the holy power of perfection. Usually, the lovers end up wounding each other. This is the consequence of living in this world where the imperfection certainly happens in time. Even they love each other and keep the perfection in their minds, the suffering cannot be avoided. In the poem, this remedial process implies forgiveness, acceptance, and love. Jesus welcomed all who followed Him and told them to love each other. (John 6: 37 and 15: 12) . Usually, the Rondel ends with the first line of the poem. This poem ended with the whole first stanza because it was a need to underline the importance of the holy love for the deep wound. The poet was crying out for a quick positive attitude while being in the imminence of death. It was not the silence to create an invisible barrier in the communication between lovers but the idea of unfaithfulness. The beauty of her eyes shook him, but he waited for her loving gaze in a desperate attempt to save the relationship. Moreover, he called for her words of love. This way, the line, ''Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly; '' gains the main importance in the poem and the whole poem becomes a desperate letter coming from a dying lover. I voted 10.
The looks in beauty kills and the person who falls in love only knows the consequences.
An amazing poem with profound emotions. Thanks for sharing it here.
To hurt my heart! Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
Amazing poem. So profound is the impact of the beloved's piercing eyes. The passion becomes a question of life and death. Like Ghalib said- मुहब्बत में नहीं है फ़र्क जीने और मरने का / उसी को देख कर जीते हैं जिस काफिर पे दम निकले (In love there is no difference between life and death / I live to see her, the one whom I am prepared to die for) . Thanks.
This poem reminds me of the songs BETTE DAVIS EYES and RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES popularized by KIM CARNES and AMERICA, respectively.... Greta Garbo is also remembered......
Exquisite! Beautiful! Superb! Beauty and blissful attraction at their best. A great poet, Chaucer.
What girl or guy doesn't want to feel this captivating through the beauty and power of eyes? I adore this poem.
A beautiful rhythmic love poem written from the heart.