Triumph of time By A.C. Swinburne

1. Triumph of time By A.C. Swinburne

2. Before our lives divide for ever, While time is with us and hands are free, (Time, swift to fasten and swift to sever Hand from hand, as we stand by the sea) I will say no word that a man might say Whose whole life's love goes down in a day; For this could never have been; and never, Though the gods and the years relent, shall be. Is it worth a tear, is it worth an hour, To think of things that are well outworn? Of fruitless husk and fugitive flower, The dream foregone and the deed forborne? Though joy be done with and grief be vain, Time shall not sever us wholly in twain; Earth is not spoilt for a single shower; But the rain has ruined the ungrown corn. It will grow not again, this fruit of my heart, Smitten with sunbeams, ruined with rain. The singing seasons divide and depart, Winter and summer depart in twain. It will grow not again, it is ruined at root, The bloodlike blossom, the dull red fruit; Though the heart yet sickens, the lips yet smart, With sullen savour of poisonous pain. Triumph of time

3. I have given no man of my fruit to eat; I trod the grapes, I have drunken the wine. Had you eaten and drunken and found it sweet, This wild new growth of the corn and vine, This wine and bread without lees or leaven, We had grown as gods, as the gods in heaven, Souls fair to look upon, goodly to greet, One splendid spirit, your soul and mine. In the change of years, in the coil of things, In the clamour and rumour of life to be, We, drinking love at the furthest springs, Covered with love as a covering tree, We had grown as gods, as the gods above, Filled from the heart to the lips with love, Held fast in his hands, clothed warm with his wings, O love, my love, had you loved but me! We had stood as the sure stars stand, and moved As the moon moves, loving the world; and seen Grief collapse as a thing disproved, Death consume as a thing unclean. Twain halves of a perfect heart, made fast Soul to soul while the years fell past; Had you loved me once, as you have not loved; Had the chance been with us that has not been.

4. History of A.C. Swinburne Algernon Charles Swineburne (London, April 5, 1837 - London, April 10, 1909) Oldest of 6 children Born into a wealthy Northumbrian family Was born in London but lived most of his childhood in the Isle of the white, this is where he developed his love of the sea. Was educated at Eton where he first started writing poetry, then went to Balliol College in Oxford and was expelled (temporarily) but he did not complete a degree. Was an alcoholic and was cared by a good friend called Theodore Watts-Dunton, who helped him through his hard times. Use of Rhyme, meter and vocabulary were one of his specialties in poetry. Swineburne wrote poetry which had sexual themes, this shocked many poets of this time and he has received a lot of critism on his works. Has a lot of references of nature in his poems.

5. Themes

6. Rejected love In this poem, Swinburne has a lot of references about love, the poem shows a lot of heartbreak and loss of a love one. “It will grow not again, this fruit of my heart,” .... “It will not grow again, it is ruined at the root” This tells us that the love and feelings he felt will never be able to be grow again and it is ruined at the root (His foundations of love have crumbled and cannot be resurrected) “I have given no man of my fruit to eat;I trod the grapes, I have drunken the wine. Had you eaten and drunken and found it sweet,” This extract shows how much work and effort he put into the relationship Grapes in would symbolize wealth as it is usually fed to rich people who have heaps of power, Swinburne has given no man his fruit to eat, But he has given them up especially for his love to eat. He trod the grapes to make the wine (this shows his dedication and labour) to make the wine in which he drank and shared with his loved one.

7. “O love, my love, had you loved but me!” Tells us about his unrequited love (his love was not returned) “Twain halves of a perfect heart, made fast Soul to soul while the years fell past;Had you loved me once, as you have not loved; Had the chance been with us that has not been.” This extract tells us where the relationship has come to an end and Swinburne tells us of his “Twain halves of a perfect heart, made fast”- His heart was broken in two really easily. “Had you loved me once, as you have not loved;”- Also shows his unrequited love from his lover

8. The effects of time “Whose whole life's love goes down in a day” Tells us during the time he spent with his lover the day felt short and as if time did not feel significant when he was with her. “Its worth a tear, its worth an hour” “With sullen savour of poisonous pain” When he parted paths with his lover he would shed tears that would linger of pain and sadness for her and every tear shed felt like another hour used up in grieving over his loss.

9. Language Features

10. Repetition “We had grown as gods, as the gods in heaven” He places himself on the same level as god “We had grown as gods, as the gods above” The word God is not capitalized this shows us that he does not believe and is not religious. I think this repetition tells us that God plays a role in his life but he is not significant when he is with her. “Though joy be done with and grief be vain, Time shall not sever us wholly in twain.” “Winter and summer depart in twain.” “Twain halves of a perfect heart, made fast” Twain is used with opposites, such as joy and grief, or winter and summer, this incompatibility gives me a sense that this relationship that he has in is also incompatible

11. Rhyme Scheme The poem follows a structured rhyme scheme of: A Before our lives divide for ever,B While time is with us and hands are free,A (Time, swift to fasten and swift to severB Hand from hand, as we stand by the sea)C I will say no word that a man might sayC Whose whole life's love goes down in a day;A For this could never have been; and never,B Though the gods and the years relent, shall be. For the whole poem