Essay Questions

What is Sir Walter Raleigh’s intention of depicting pain and pleasure as conjoined experiences in “No Pleasure without Pain”?

According to the line: “sugared sour must sauce the bitter sweet?, pain and pleasure are inextricable. The poem is logical on the reality of life; one cannot expect to only have pleasurable experiences in his/ her entire life. It is only in utopia that pleasure can be independent of pain. Even in love matters, there is pain; so, being in love is not a guarantee that one will not have bad ordeals that will cause emotional affliction. The structuring of the verses of the poem highlights the interrelationship between pleasure and agony (which are unavoidable encounters in life).

Why does Walter Raleigh commence each stanza with a question in “Now What is Love”?

Evidently, the first line on each of the stanzas has a question that includes the words “what is love”. Accordingly, the initial lines for all the stanzas, are parallel. The answer in each of the stanzas are distinct which means that the portrayal of love cannot be exhausted as it is nebulous. Walter Raleigh’s repetition of the rhetoric question means that the answer outlined in the previous stanza is not a conclusive, ultimate definition of love. Therefore, the love is wide-ranging and idiosyncratic.

What similarities exist between the “What is Life” and “Now What is Love”?

“What is life” comprises a single stanza whereas “Now What is Love” has five stanzas. Nevertheless, the poem “What is Life” is analogous to “Now What Is Love” as it begins with a query that seeks answers on life. “What Is Life” offers a myriad of definitions of life. Similarly, “Now What is Love” offers diverse meaning of love using different symbols and ideas. The variant meanings of life and love in the two poems imply that universal definitions cannot be derived as people face dissimilar outlooks on life and love.