SIR JOHN SUCKLING'S POEM - THE CONSTANT LOVER

 

 

On the 15 th day of the Blog chatter’s #WRITEAPAGEADAY, Here is a poem with love as the major theme.

 

Poet:  SIR JOHN SUCKLING

Poem:  THE CONSTANT LOVER

 

 Out upon it, I have loved

Three whole days together!

And am like to love three more,

If it prove fair weather.

Time shall moult away his wings

Ere he shall discover

In such whole wide world again

Such a constant lover.

But the spite on’t is, No praise

There is due at all to me:

Love with me had made no stay,

Had it any been but she.

Had it any been but she,

And that very face,

There had been at least ere this

A dozen dozen in her place.

 

Sir John Suckling (1609- 1642) was educated at Cambridge. On inheriting a large fortune from his

 father in 1629, he travelled abroad. Witty and generous, he was a great favourite at the Court of

 Charles the First but plotting to rescue Strafford from the Tower obliged him to seek safety out of

 England. Suckling has a pretty wit, and there are few situations in life in which he cannot find food for

 laughter. Nor is the laughter coarse and cynical as with many of his successors; it is a pleasant,

 mercurial quality, that disarms the most captious. Suckling's intent in this poem was to amuse the

 audience. He did this by sort of poking fun at love. For most people, love is a very serious subject.

 Suckling's view on love seems to be a bit teasing. In the time the poem was written, (17th Century)

 love was a very common theme with poets. The poem  suggest that the love will remain if one’s partner

 continues to be as “constant” and beautiful as they are  at the beginning of the relationship.