Don Juan
192
“ They tell me ‘tis decided: you depart.
‘Tis wise, ‘tis well, but not the less a pain.
I have no further claim on your young heart;
Mine was the victim and would be again.
To love too much has been the only art
I used.I write in haste, and if a stain
Be on this sheet , ‘ tis not what it appears;
My eyeballs burn and throb, but have no tears.
193
“ I loved, I love you, for that love have lost
state, station,heavem, mankind’s my own steem,
and yet cannot regret what it hath cost,
so dear is still the memory of that dream.
Yet if I name my guilt, ‘tis not to boast;
None can deem harshlier of me than I deem.
I trace this scrawl because I cannot rest.
I’ve nothing to reproach or to request.
194
“ Man’s love is of his life a thing apart,
‘Tis woman’s whole existence.man may range
the court, camp, church, the vessel, and the mart;
Sword, gown, gain, glory offer in exchange
Pride, fame,ambition to fill up his heart
A few there are whom these cannot estrange.
Man has all these resources, we but one,
To mourn alone the love which has undone.
195
“ You will proceed in beauty and in pride,
Beloved and loving many. All is o’er
For me on earth, except some years to hide
My shame and sorrow deep in my heart’s core.
These I could bear, but cannot cast aside
The passion which still rends it as before.
And so farewell –forgive me, love me-no,
That word is idle now, but let it go.
DON JUAN: TOMO I
Author: Lord Byron
Title of work: Don Juan
Subtitle: Canto I
Year of publication: 1994
Place of publication: Madrid
ANALYSIS
The subject of those stanzas treats about the despair written by a woman in love to Don Juan in a letter.
In respect to the theme, we find just one main idea. Along those four extracts, the idea is repeated: despair, sadness, resignation and love about all. In the first stanza, the woman understands the end of their relationship and, although the situation is dramatic, she does not apologize for that, moreover she feels anger but no regret: ( line 4) “Mine was the victim and would be again” or ( line 8) “my eyeballs burn and throb, but have no tears”.
In the second stanza she still clinging to her past love story ( in the Romanticism, the past is always better) and she is prepared to live of memories, because they help her after her lost love. Also she talks about her reputation and her dignity, two issues very prized in the Romanticism, lost because of her affair ( line 1& 2) “ For that love have lost / state, station, heaven mankind’s, my own esteem/ and yet cannot regret….”
This third stanza starts referring to men love ( Don Juan ) as a fleeting love and as a something banal. Meanwhile, a women love is eternal. ( line 1& 2) “Man’s love is of his life a thing apart/ ‘ tis woman’s whole existence.” Then, the stanza takes love topic up again, telling that the honor is easier to win for a man than for a woman.
In this last stanza, she feels conscious about she will be forgotten by Don Juan, and he will love other women and will be love by them. Although , she can bear all this, but no his absence.
In respect to the viewpoint, Byron uses this letter for praising one of the most favorite theme of romantic authors: an impossible love. Those stanzas do not show the protagonist’s voice but a woman’s voice. In my opinion, could be the author’s voice because Byron had a platonic love with a woman older than he too (Don Juan, tomo I, ed. Cátedra, page 28), so he shows a sort of feelings in front of an impossible love.
Moreover, this letter emphasizes the legend of Don Juan, who was the object of desire for women.
Another resemblance with the author, is the exile or the trip around Europe ( Italy or France) ( a fact quoted by Dr. Forés).
Those extracts are written in the first person singular, because is a Julia’s personal letter. We find lots of examples: ( stanza 192, line 1) “ They tell me ‘tis decided”, ( line 3) “I have no further claim on your young heart”, ( line 4) “ Mine was the victim and would be again” ( line 8) “ My eyeballs burn and throb, but have no tears”
This poem is not ambiguous in meaning at all, Byron uses an accessible vocabulary, so this poem is very straightforward because it results very plain. Moreover, the theme is a well-known for us: an impossible love, so we can understand better the poet’s feelings and interpret them.
Referring to the tone and mood, we will say it is a tragic poem, about a woman who has lost her honour, her fame, her freedom, just for loving an inappropriated man. The author tries to show her feelings through phrases full of despair : “ You depart/ ‘tis wise, tis well, but no the less a pain”, “My eyeballs burn and throb, but have no tears” ( stanza 193) “ for that love have lost state, station, heaven, mankind’s, my own esteem”.
The structure of those stanzas is repeated in the whole masterpiece: each stanza has eight lines, two pairs of rhymes (a/b/a/b/a/b) and the two last lines in a different rhyme ( c/c). For example: depart/pain/heart/again/art/stain appears/tears. That kind of rhyme is called “rhymed couplet”.
PERSONAL RESPONSE
Those extracts show the typical issues of Romanticism perfectly: very sensitive characters, attractive personalities, unwised manners and passionate feelings. That is the typical love story with a dramatic end: both lovers are separated. This theme is very accessible for us, because we can see this situation in the real life constantly ( less tragic, of course) and on TV too. So, it is a little bit repetitive plot, unless the loving part of Don Juan.
SOURCES