Shakespeare freely alternates between verse and prose in his plays, using both masterfully. He uses a variety of verse forms: thudding, dignified blank verse for intense moments; rhymed couplets for choric, bawdy, or moralistic effects; and beautiful songs to evoke romance, satire, lyricism, all contributing to the exposition of themes and the revelation of character.
'Blow, blow…' is one of the songs in the Romantic Comedy, As You Like it. It is sung by a member of a group of noblemen, led by a Duke whose kingdom has been usurped by his wicked brother. They are living in exile in a thick forest, with the bitter knowledge that ingratitude from loved ones gives pain sharper than the harshest winter.
The
setting of the Forest of Ardenne is completely in contrast to the ducal court,
highlighting and celebrating romantic concepts of freedom, ease, and affability
this group enjoys and cherishes. It takes us to the golden, pastoral times of
yore, times of communal equality and simplicity depicted by another song in the
play,
Under the greenwood tree
Who'd love to live with me?
Here shall he see no enemy
But winter and rough weather....,
It
is sung by one of the noblemen, who is not a professional musician,
representing the spontaneous joy these men experience, untainted by greed and
hypocrisy nor flattery or fear.
However,
all is not joyful. The pain caused by deception, betrayal, and abandonment is
still biting, as shown through 'Blow, blow....'
As
Stoll says, 'Shakespeare's comedies are medleys, both light and serious in
tone.
The
playwright presents the human condition through simple, precise, yet powerful
language and imagery from nature, establishing a harsh, bleak setting in the
opening. The piercing cold winter wind is indeed the most biting of Nature's
elements.
The
very title, Song, strikes us as it is invoking the Winter Wind, not addressing
Cupid or the beloved. We see a cynical man, challenging the elements, defying
faithless friends and luxuries, yet articulating the will to live life to the
full.
Repetition,
especially the refrain, has been used to great effect: repetition of the
negative 'not so'; of harsh nouns: winter, ingratitude, tooth, sting; of
synonyms: 'unkind, keen, bite, sharp'; effectively emphasizes the negativity of
'man's ingratitude: the elements are NOT as rude and warping as compared to
humans.
The
use of alliteration and assonance further enhances the theme of ingratitude,
pretense, and betrayal by creating a pleasant contrast: 'Blow, blow...freeze,
freeze' with their association with bleak winter, are overshadowed by the
jolly, festive, 'Heigh-ho...green holly'. The evergreen holly is a happy symbol
depicting the fullness, joy, and continuity of life.
Thus,
this song about human folly evokes positive feelings, despite the irony and
sarcasm: A life close to Nature is hard but better than living with faithless,
unloving humans.
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