Sir John Suckling was an English, Cavalier poet who was born in Twickenham, Middlesex, on February 10, 1609. His mother died in 1613, when he was four years of age. His father, descendant of a prominent Norfolk family, was appointed Comptroller of James I’s household in 1622. Suckling matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1623, but left without taking a degree in 1626. Suckling inherited extensive estates after his father’s death in 1627. At the age of eighteen, he pursued a military and ambassadorial career in the Low Countries, and was knighted as a result in 1630. He returned to the English court in 1632 where through his wealth and charm he was known as an “elegant and popular gallant and gamester, credited with having invented the game of cribbage.” (MacLean 252) In 1637 Suckling wrote the prose work Account of Religion by Reason. His play, Aglaura, was published in 1638 and performed twice for Charles I. The play had two different endings, one tragic and one happy. Critics did not favor it, but it introduced some wonderful lyrics, such as “Why so pale and wan, fond lover?” (Crofts 51) That same year, Suckling’s comedy The Goblins was published.
“It was much influenced by Shakespeare’s The Tempest and it is generally thought to be Suckling’s best.” (Andromeda Interactive Ltd.) In 1639, Suckling recruited and equipped cavalry to help the King in Scotland. “He was ridiculed by London wits for the troops’ elaborate uniforms (scarlet coats and plumed hats) but was well-esteemed by the King.” (Andromeda Interactive Ltd.) In 1640, Suckling sat in Parliament for Bramber and took part in an unsuccessful action against the Scots. Suckling was involved in a royalist plan in 1641 to make use of the army on behalf of Charles I. When Parliament ordered him to account for the movements he made, Suckling fled through Dieppe to Paris. A few months later, he is said to have committed suicide by taking poison.
The Essay on Sir John Sucklings best poems “Song”
... has a light tone, which emphasizes a cavalier’s beliefs. Suckling bases his poem on the mysteries of love, and ... and tone of artificiality, a tone often expressed by Suckling. “Then Farewell Care, And Farewell Woe.” This recurring theme ... found in Sir John Suckling’s “Song.” Through the poem Suckling tells another fellow about the fickleness of courtly love” ...
Most of Suckling’s work first appeared in Fragmenta Aurea of 1646. As Thomas Crofts writes: “Suckling’s verse, of course, smacks of the court: it is witty, decorous, sometimes naughty; all requisites for the courtier poet. But these qualities alone would not have sufficed to “perpetuate his memory.” It should be remembered that the court swarmed with now-forgotten versifiers. Suckling has his own voice, a deft conversational ease mixed at times with a certain hauteur or swagger, which qualities were not incompatible with his high birth and military occupation?. Though his oeuvre is comparatively small, Suckling is an exemplary lyric poet, as well as one of the most vivid personalities of his age.” (Crofts 51)
As was mentioned in many of the biographies that were written about him, Suckling was an exemplary writer and poet. The two pieces of his work that I want to focus on in this paper are Sonnet I and Sonnet II. My purpose is to analyze the piece and explain how it relates to events in his life, or just how it relates to his personality and the type of person that he is.
Sonnet I is a piece that focuses on Suckling himself, like most of his work does. It is about Suckling and the fact that he is no longer drawn to a certain woman the way he used to be drawn to her. There was a time, though, where he was infatuated with her. In this piece, he ponders the stages of life, mainly the sexual stages of human life. 6 The red and white works now no more on me, 7 Than if it could not charm, or I not see. 10 Am still the selfsame flesh and blood, 13 Oh, some kind of power unriddle where it lies, 14 Whether my heart be faulty, or her eyes. 15 She every day her man does kill, 17 Neither her power, then, nor my will 20 Sure beauty’s empires, like to greater states, 21 Have certain periods set, and hidden fates.” (Crofts 52-53) Lines 1 and 2 of the piece pose a question to someone. It could be to any reader, or to a certain person, I’m not exactly sure. The question being asked is if the reader notices that Suckling is disregarding the “piece of beauty” (or woman)? When he puts the word “now” in line 1, he is helping us understand that he hasn’t always disregarded the woman, this is a new thing.
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H2>Introduction Humankind has always been aware of the existence of beauty. As our species has grown intellectually and socially, the standards that constitute beauty have changed to suit our culture. Females, in particular, are given more focus than males when it comes to appearance (Jackson, 1992). For instance, cosmetics cater almost exclusively to women and while they are considered a ...
Lines 3 through 7 explain that there was a time when Suckling vowed himself to the woman and was in love with her, but as he says in “the fate of faces,” beauty in a sense fades and is not the most important thing anymore. A relationship is not a strong relationship if it relies solely on beauty to keep it alive. The “red and white” that he talks about refers to what once was thought to be a “perfect” complexion. We could think of this as a form of makeup that is put on the face in order to enhance beauty. The makeup does not work for him anymore, and her and her beauty aren’t of such importance to him anymore. Lines 8 through 12 talk about the fact that Suckling still has desires and is still the same person, that is apt to melt from the desires he has for her. The desires he has, though, are not as often and not as strong as they used to be. All humans have desires, it is a natural thing. Lines 13 and 14 make known the fact that Suckling is confused by his weakening desires for the woman. He is not sure if his heart is working right. He has no explanation for how he is feeling. Lines 15 through 19 talk about the power that the woman has over men.
Her beauty gives her the power to control men in a sense, and have them desire her. He finds the power a mystery and doesn’t understand why men’s wills weaken because of a woman’s beauty. He understands, though, that his will has and will be weakened because of a woman. Lines 20 and 21 talk about the fact that beauty, like other things in life, has certain periods of effectiveness and growth that are set. Beauty has a fate and most of the time, the fate for beauty is to age and fade. Internal beauty is the beauty that stays longer and is the more important one, for it is true and cannot be enhanced with makeup. Sonnet I can honestly relate to many peoples’ lives. Suckling is just writing about his own experience of falling slowly out of infatuation with a woman. Her beauty no longer appeals to him as strongly as it used to and he wants to know why. It is a mystery to him. In the biographies written about him, words like “charming,” “elegant,” “popular,” and “handsome,” have been used, so I’m sure that Suckling had many lovers and many relationships. He was well known and definitely well respected. Knowing of him, I can understand why he may write a piece like this. Many humans don’t understand the feelings they feel and why they feel them. There is a pattern of nature, in which all things grow and die, and attraction is included in that pattern.
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Both Virginia Woolf, in a speech addressing a graduating all women class, and Naomi Wolf, in her text The Beauty Myth, contemplate feminism from an economic viewpoint. While Woolf believes women need money and a room of their own to have economic independence, Wolf gives credence to the fact that the beauty industry is hindering the independence of women. Through male pomposity, the conventional ...
Sonnet II is a continuation of the subject matter from Sonnet I. It still deals with Suckling’s confusion about his feelings for a woman whose beauty he used to adore, and the fact that those feelings are fading.
1 ” Of thee (kind boy) I ask no red and white, 4 Black eyes, or little know-not-whats, in faces; 5 Make me but mad enough, give me good store 8 ‘Tis love in love that makes the sport. 9 There’s no such thing as that we beauty call, 12 Lik’d certain colours mingled so and so, 13 That doth not tie me now from choosing new: 17 ‘Tis not the meat, but ’tis the appetite 20 More than another, that a pheasant is; 21 What in our watches, that in us is found; 24 No matter by what hand or trick.” (Crofts 53) In lines 1 through 5 of this piece, Suckling is stating that he is not asking for “red and white,” being the “perfect” completion and temperament of a woman. Red and white do not “delight” him. He does not need any graces or little games in a relationship. He basically wants a wholesome relationship that is not based on anything shallow or made up. Beauty is no longer the most important thing to him.
In lines 6 through 8, Suckling is explaining that he will date a woman because he loves her, not because of what she looks like. When you are in love, and feel pure love, that is what is important. It is not important how beautiful the woman is, your feelings for her are what is important.
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Typically when beauty pageants come to mind we think of beautiful women in beautiful gowns who win scholarship money for school, participate in community service, achieve the goals that are related to their platform and role models that we hope the young women of our society aspire to be. In reality, behind the scenes there is much more than what appears to the eye. Many can argue that they play a ...
In lines 9 and 10, Suckling is talking about how he feels about beauty. He feels that there is no such thing as real beauty, for beauty is deceitful. Beauty can trick our minds.
In lines 11 through 16, Suckling is talking about how in the past he has chosen women who were beautiful as partners, but now he has learned from his experiences. Now he may take a fancy to “black and blue,” which are quite different from “red and white.” If red and white are supposed to be the “perfect” combination, then black and blue are definitely not perfect. He doesn’t care, though, if the woman is not beautiful, because as the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” The only thing that matters is that he thinks she’s beautiful. He could care less if everyone else thinks she is ugly. He is looking more for the inner beauty of the woman. In lines 17 through 21, Suckling is using an analogy to explain what makes beauty important to most, by comparing it to food. He is basically saying that lust makes the beauty of the person, just as hunger makes the beauty of the food we are about to eat. After you have a relationship with the person, or after you’ve eaten the food, they don’t seem as special as before you acquired them. You notice flaws about them that you didn’t notice before. You are so caught up in feelings, that you don’t look for what is truly important. Love is truly important.
In lines 22 through 24, Suckling sums up his idea that we are all tricked at one time or another in our lives by beauty. Beauty is the tricker in this sonnet, it deceives all of us. Sonnet II can again relate to most people’s lives. We all have our own experiences with being deceived by beauty. Sometimes our wish to be deceived is as strong as our desire for beauty. Suckling shared with us a very important lesson that he learned in his life. After many relationships in his past, he has learned that inner beauty and love are way more important than outer beauty. Outer beauty can fade, but inner beauty and love are real. He is expressing how he feels regardless of what other people think of his thoughts. He is also expressing this during a time when beauty mattered a whole lot to many. It has not been recognized until recently by many that beauty isn’t always so important, so he was going out on a limb and taking a chance on how others would react to this piece. John Suckling definitely “had his own voice,” as Thomas Crofts stated, and he made sure that it was heard.
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