Analysis of 'L'Allegro' by John Milton.

 Introduction

L'Allegro is a pastoral poem written by John Milton, one of the most celebrated poets of the English Renaissance, in the early 17th century. The poem is structured as a lyrical dialogue between two contrasting moods or personalities: L'Allegro and Il Penseroso, which translate to "the cheerful person" and "the thoughtful person" respectively.

Summary

In L'Allegro, the speaker celebrates a joyful and lively outlook on life. The poem describes a day in the countryside filled with mirth and delight. It paints a vivid picture of a person who embraces the pleasures of life, from the morning lark's song to the lively company of friends, music, dancing, and festive celebrations. The speaker expresses a deep appreciation for the natural world and the simple joys that it offers.

Throughout the poem, Milton contrasts the cheerful disposition of L'Allegro with the more somber and contemplative nature of Il Penseroso, creating a juxtaposition that highlights the different ways in which individuals perceive and experience the world.

L'Allegro is known for its musical and rhythmic qualities, with a lively and energetic tone that reflects the spirit of its subject. It is a celebration of the pleasures of life, artistic inspiration, and the beauty of nature, making it a classic example of Milton's poetic skill and his ability to capture the human experience in verse.

Analysis

L'Allegro by John Milton is a lyrical and pastoral poem that explores the contrast between two different states of mind or dispositions: L'Allegro, representing the cheerful and joyful individual, and Il Penseroso, representing the thoughtful and contemplative individual. Let's analyse L'Allegro in more detail.

1. Stanza by Stanza Analysis

Stanza 1:

In the first stanza, the speaker begins by addressing "loathed Melancholy," personifying it as a negative and unwelcome emotion. Melancholy is described as being born in dark and dreadful circumstances, specifically in the underworld ("Of Cerberus, and blackest Midnight born, In Stygian cave forlorn"). The imagery includes "horrid shapes" and "sights unholy," suggesting that melancholy is associated with darkness, fear, and unsettling experiences. The stanza concludes with a desire for Melancholy to remain in desolate and gloomy places.

Stanza 2:

The second stanza shifts in tone as the speaker calls upon the goddess of mirth, Euphrosyne, and personifies mirth itself as "heart-easing Mirth." The speaker imagines Mirth as a joyful figure, born from the union of Venus and Bacchus (the gods of love and wine). This stanza contrasts starkly with the previous one, emphasizing the theme of choosing joy and happiness over melancholy and darkness.

Stanza 3:

Stanza 3 implores Euphrosyne to bring a joyful entourage, including Jest, Jollity, and other playful elements. These include "Quips and cranks," "wanton wiles," "Nods and becks," and "wreathed smiles." The imagery here portrays a lively and carefree atmosphere where laughter and amusement are celebrated. The reference to "Hebe's cheek" highlights the youthful and beautiful aspects of joy, and the stanza underscores that mirth can defeat and ridicule care and sorrow.

Stanza 4:

The fourth stanza continues the invitation to Mirth and her companions. The speaker encourages them to dance lightly on the "light fantastic toe" and lead the mountain-nymph, Liberty. The stanza also expresses the speaker's desire to join Mirth's company and live a life filled with unrestrained pleasures. It envisions the dawn breaking and waking the world from the slumber of night.

Stanza 5:

Stanza 5 repeats the invitation to Mirth and her entourage, echoing the sentiments expressed in stanza 3. It emphasizes the desire to be a part of Mirth's crew and enjoy unreproved pleasures, with particular mention of the lark's song heralding the dawn.

Stanza 6:

The final stanza of the poem reiterates the speaker's willingness to live with Mirth and embrace the delights and joys of life. The stanza expresses a longing for the pleasures of the countryside, including scenes of rural life, dancing, and storytelling. It suggests that even as the day turns to night, the festivities continue with storytelling and the enjoyment of ale. The stanza concludes with the speaker's commitment to live with Mirth. Overall, these lines  reflect the poem's central theme of celebrating joy, happiness, and the cheerful disposition of the human spirit. The contrast between the dark and melancholic imagery of the first stanza and the vibrant, joyful scenes in the subsequent stanzas underscores the poem's message of choosing joy and embracing life's pleasures.

2. Structure and Form

 L'Allegro is written in rhymed quatrains. The first ten lines are of alternating length, switching from the iambic pentameter to the trimeter. This structured form reflects the balanced and harmonious nature of a cheerful and contented life.

3. Imagery and Description

Morning and Night: The poem begins with a description of morning, with references to the skylark's song and the rooster's crow. This imagery symbolizes the beginning of a cheerful and active day. Conversely, Il Penseroso starts with images of the night, suggesting a more reflective and solitary mood.

Musical Imagery: Throughout the poem, there are references to music and dance, emphasizing the role of art and entertainment in a joyful life.

Social Enjoyment: The poem also highlights the importance of social interaction and friendship in creating a joyful atmosphere. It mentions gatherings with friends, feasts, and the pleasures of storytelling and laughter.

Contrast with Il Penseroso: L'Allegro is often paired with Milton's companion poem, Il Penseroso, which explores the contrasting theme of thoughtfulness and solitude. The juxtaposition between the two poems underscores the idea that life can be experienced in different ways, either through cheerful engagement with the world or through solitary contemplation.

Artistic Inspiration: The poem suggests that a cheerful disposition can be a source of artistic inspiration. Milton himself was known for his contemplative and deeply intellectual works, but L'Allegro shows that he also recognized the value of embracing joy and inspiration from the world around him.

In summary, L'Allegro by John Milton is a celebration of joy, nature, music, and social interaction. It contrasts the cheerful disposition with its companion poem, Il Penseroso, to explore the different facets of human experience and the ways in which individuals can engage with the world. The poem's structured form and vivid imagery make it a classic example of Milton's poetic skill and his ability to convey the richness of life's pleasures through verse.

Themes

L'Allegro explores several themes through its celebration of a joyful and cheerful disposition. These themes include:

i. Joy and Happiness: The most prominent theme in the poem is joy and happiness. L'Allegro extols the virtues of a cheerful and lively outlook on life. The speaker revels in the pleasures of existence and celebrates the simple joys of nature, music, dance, and social interaction. The poem emphasizes that joy is a valuable and worthwhile state of mind.

ii. Contrast with Melancholy: A central thematic element is the contrast between joy and melancholy. The poem begins by addressing "loathèd Melancholy" and the somber, introspective aspects of life. This sets up a dichotomy between the cheerful and the melancholic dispositions, with the poem ultimately championing the former over the latter.

iii. Nature and the Natural World: The poem uses vivid imagery to depict the beauty of the natural world. References to meadows, groves, streams, and the morning lark's song underscore the idea that nature is a source of inspiration and a backdrop for joyful experiences. Nature is presented as a place where one can find solace and delight.

iv. Artistic Inspiration: L'Allegro suggests that a cheerful disposition can be a wellspring of artistic inspiration. The poem itself is a testament to this idea, as Milton celebrates the joyful aspects of life in his verses. The connection between joy and creativity is implied throughout the poem.

v. Social Interaction and Celebration: Social interaction and celebration are recurring themes in the poem. The speaker describes gatherings with friends, feasts, music, dancing, and storytelling as integral to a joyful existence. This theme underscores the importance of shared experiences and human connections in fostering happiness.

vi. Freedom and Liberty: The mention of the mountain-nymph, Liberty, in the poem suggests that freedom from constraints and responsibilities is associated with joy. The speaker envisions a life free from worries and filled with unrestrained pleasures, highlighting the theme of personal freedom.

vii. Morning and Night: The poem begins with a depiction of morning, symbolizing the beginning of a cheerful and active day. In contrast, Il Penseroso explores themes associated with the night and solitude. The recurring imagery of morning and night reinforces the theme of duality in human experience.

In summary, L'Allegro by John Milton explores themes of joy, contrast with melancholy, the beauty of nature, artistic inspiration, social interaction, freedom, and the cycle of morning and night. These themes collectively contribute to the poem's celebration of a cheerful and vibrant outlook on life, while contrasting it with the more introspective and somber alternatives presented in its companion poem, Il Penseroso.

Conclusion

John Milton's L'Allegro is a timeless masterpiece that celebrates the enduring human spirit's capacity for joy and light. Through its vivid imagery and lyrical verses, the poem transports us to a world where simple pleasures and the beauty of nature reign supreme. Its themes of joy, nature, music, and community continue to resonate with readers, reminding us to find happiness in life's everyday treasures and to maintain a balance between joy and introspection. L'Allegro stands as a testament to the enduring power of poetry to capture the essence of the human experience across the ages.

L'ALLEGRO

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,

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.

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;

Or whether (as some sager sing)

The frolic wind that breathes the spring,

Zephyr, with Aurora playing,

As he met her once a-Maying,

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, and wanton wiles,

Nods, and becks, and wreathed smiles,

Such as hang on Hebe's cheek,

And love to live in dimple sleek;

Sport that wrinkled Care derides,

And Laughter holding both his sides.

Come, and trip it as ye go

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 unreproved pleasures free;

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;

While the cock with lively din,

Scatters the rear of darkness thin,

And to the stack, or the barn door,

Stoutly struts his dames before;

Oft list'ning how the hounds and horn

Cheerly 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,

Rob'd in flames, and amber light,

The clouds in thousand liveries dight.

While the ploughman near at hand,

Whistles o'er the furrow'd land,

And the milkmaid singeth blithe,

And the mower whets his scythe,

And every shepherd tells his tale

Under the hawthorn in the dale.

Straight mine eye hath caught new pleasures

Whilst the landskip round it measures,

Russet lawns, and fallows gray,

Where the nibbling flocks do stray;

Mountains on whose barren breast

The labouring clouds do often rest;

Meadows trim with daisies pied,

Shallow brooks, and rivers wide.

Towers, and battlements it sees

Bosom'd high in tufted trees,

Where perhaps some beauty lies,

The cynosure of neighbouring eyes.

Hard by, a cottage chimney smokes,

From betwixt two aged oaks,

Where Corydon and Thyrsis met,

Are at their savoury dinner set

Of herbs, and other country messes,

Which the neat-handed Phyllis dresses;

And then in haste her bow'r she leaves,

With Thestylis to bind the sheaves;

Or if the earlier season lead

To the tann'd haycock in the mead.

Sometimes with secure delight

The upland hamlets will invite,

When the merry bells ring round,

And the jocund rebecks 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,

With stories told of many a feat,

How Faery Mab the junkets eat,

She was pinch'd and pull'd she said,

And he by friar's lanthorn 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,

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 matin 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 weeds of peace high triumphs hold,

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 Hymen 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.

Then to the well-trod stage anon,

If Jonson's learned sock be on,

Or sweetest Shakespeare, Fancy's child,

Warble his native wood-notes wild.

And ever against eating cares,

Lap me in soft Lydian airs,

Married to immortal verse,

Such as the meeting soul may pierce

In notes with many a winding bout

Of linked sweetness long drawn out,

With wanton heed, and giddy cunning,

The melting voice through mazes running,

Untwisting all the chains that tie

The hidden soul of harmony;

That Orpheus' self may heave his head

From golden slumber on a bed

Of heap'd Elysian flow'rs, and hear

Such strains as would have won the ear

Of Pluto, to have quite set free

His half-regain'd Eurydice.

These delights if thou canst give,

Mirth, with thee I mean to live.