Author Question: Why does the speaker describe his art as sullen? What will be an ideal ... (Read 17 times)

codyclark · **on:** Jul 20, 2018

Why does the speaker describe his art as sullen?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What plays on words do you find in craft (line 1), trade (line 8), and charms (line 8)?

What will be an ideal response?

kxciann · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 20, 2018

Answer to Question 1

In contemporary usage, the word means sulky, ill-humored; taken in that sense, it might connect the poetspeaker with the raging moon and the lovers with all their griefs in their arms. But the derivation of the word, as given in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (2009), offers another angle of interpretation: Middle English solein, from Anglo-Norman solein, alone, from sol, single, from Latin solus, by oneself alone.

Answer to Question 2

Craft can denote both artistry (craftsmanship) and guile (craftiness). Trade suggests both a swap or exchange and ones line of work. Charms brings to mind both trinkets and magical spells. All of these meanings have some relevance in the context of the poem.