Go and catch a falling star Analysis
First Stanza
Line 1: Go and catch a falling star,
Explanation: This line is a hyperbolic statement that is meant to be impossible. The speaker is challenging the listener to do something that is physically impossible, in order to prove that something else is impossible.
Line 2: Get with child a mandrake root,
Explanation: The mandrake root is a plant that was once believed to have magical powers. It was thought to be able to bring people back from the dead and to make women pregnant. The speaker is challenging the listener to do something that is both impossible and magical.
Line 3: Tell me where all past years are,
Explanation: Time is something that is constantly moving forward. It is impossible to go back in time, and it is impossible to know where all of the past years have gone. The speaker is challenging the listener to do something that is both impossible and unknowable.
Line 4: Or who cleft the devil’s foot,
Explanation: The devil is a figure from Christian mythology who is said to be the enemy of God. The idea that someone could cleft the devil’s foot is absurd, and the speaker is using this line to further emphasize the absurdity of their challenge.
Line 5: Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Explanation: Mermaids are mythical creatures that are said to have the body of a fish and the head and torso of a human. They are also said to have beautiful voices that can lure sailors to their deaths. The speaker is challenging the listener to do something that is both impossible and dangerous.
Line 6: Or to keep off envy’s stinging,
Explanation: Envy is a negative emotion that is often associated with jealousy and resentment. The speaker is challenging the listener to do something that is both difficult and noble.
Line 7: And find What wind Serves to advance an honest mind.
Explanation: An honest mind is a mind that is free from deceit and trickery. The speaker is challenging the listener to find something that is both rare and valuable.
Second Stanza
Line 1: If thou be’st born to strange sights,
Explanation: This line suggests that the listener is someone who is destined to experience strange and unusual things. The speaker is using this line to set up the next challenge.
Line 2: Things invisible to see,
Explanation: This line refers to things that are beyond the realm of human perception. The speaker is challenging the listener to do something that is both impossible and unknowable.
Line 3: Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Explanation: The speaker is asking the listener to take a long and arduous journey, lasting ten thousand days and nights. This is an impossible task, and the speaker is using it to emphasize the difficulty of finding a true and faithful lover.
Line 4: Till age snow white hairs on thee,
Explanation: The speaker is saying that the listener should continue their journey until they are old and grey. This suggests that finding a true and faithful lover is a lifelong quest.
Line 5: Thou, when thou return’st, wilt tell me,
Explanation: The speaker is saying that the listener should return to them after their long journey and tell them about all the strange things they have seen. This suggests that the speaker is curious about the world, but they are also afraid to leave the safety of their home.
Line 6: All strange wonders that befell thee,
Explanation: The speaker is asking the listener to tell them about all the strange and wonderful things they have seen on their journey. This suggests that the speaker is fascinated by the unknown, but they are also afraid of it.
Line 7: And swear, No where Lives a woman true, and fair.
Explanation: The speaker is asking the listener to swear that they have not found a true and faithful lover anywhere in the world. This suggests that the speaker has given up on the idea of finding love, and they believe that all women are liars and cheats.
Third Stanza
Line 1: If thou find’st one, let me know,
Explanation: The speaker is saying that if the listener is able to find a true and faithful lover, they should let them know. This suggests that the speaker is still hoping to find love, but they are not confident that it is possible.
Line 2: Such a pilgrimage were sweet;
Explanation: The speaker is saying that a journey to find a true and faithful lover would be a sweet and rewarding experience. This suggests that the speaker believes that love is worth the effort, even if it is difficult to find.
Line 3: Yet do not, I would not go,
Explanation: The speaker is saying that they would not go on such a journey themselves, even if they knew that they would find a true and faithful lover. This suggests that the speaker is afraid of love, and they are not willing to risk getting hurt.
Line 4: Though at next door we might meet;
Explanation: The speaker is saying that even if a true and faithful lover lived right next door, they would not go out of their way to meet them. This suggests that the speaker is very resistant to the idea of love.
Line 5: Though she were true, when you met her,
Explanation: The speaker is saying that even if they were to meet a true and faithful lover, they would not believe that she was sincere. This suggests that the speaker has been hurt in the past, and they are now very cynical about love.
Line 6: And last, till you write your letter,
Explanation: The speaker is saying that even if a true and faithful lover remained sincere until they wrote a letter to the speaker, the speaker would not believe that she was still true. This suggests that the speaker is very paranoid and suspicious of others.
Line 7: Yet she Will be False, ere I come, to two, or three.
Explanation: The speaker is saying that even if a true and faithful lover were to remain sincere until the speaker arrived, she would have already been unfaithful to two or three other people. This suggests that the speaker believes that all women are inherently unfaithful.
