“On Monsieur'S Departure” Analysis
The poem titled “On Monsieur's Departure” is a seventeenth century poem written by Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I also known as Elizabeth the "Virgin Queen” ascended the throne in November of fifteen-fifty-eight, after the death of her half-sister Mary I. During her reign, Elizabeth showed her talents as a diplomat, managing a number of suitors and potential royal matches, but she never married. Although, Elizabeth was once in an engagement with the French King Henry III, she was unable to marry him as there was great opposition from her english subjects in relation to marrying a catholic foreigner. “On Monsieur's Departure”expresses Queen Elizabeth I division in her public and personal life. Although Elizabeth faces conflicted feelings, and turmoil that she is unable to marry King Henry III, the man she loves, she has to conceal her personal feelings and make decisions that are best for her citizens as she has an obligation to rule her country. “On Monsieur’s Departure” through the use of metaphors and paradoxes provides an insight into the Queen’s inner turmoil, of being emotionally divided between presenting an external persona that fits the demands and needs of her subjects, all the while internally mourning the loss of her lover, and being unable to express her grief.
One of the most crucials trait related to the theme is the use of paradoxes in the language, the speaker uses contradictory statements to demonstrate her emotional division. The first stanza of the poem begins with the speaker using the paradox “I grieve and dare not show my discontent”. Through the use of the paradox the speaker introduces her emotional division between two contradicting emotions; her need to mourn the loss of her love, and her need to keep the grief concealed due to her duty as queen. In the following line a paradox is once again used to express the speakers inner turmoil. In line two the speaker immediately interrupts her statement “I love” with a self-contradiction: “and yet forced to hate. ” The speaker cannot completely finish her thought, she wants to be able to love entirely and selflessly, yet she notes that she must immediately stop herself because she knows that she cannot fulfil their desire of love, due to her first priority of protecting England, so she must hide her feelings under a facade of hate from her subjects who would be opposed to her marrying a Catholic Frenchman. In addition to line two, paradoxes are used in lines four, and six to express the internal and external conflict the speaker faces. The speaker states “I seem stark mute but inwardly do prate/Since from myself another self I turned”. The speaker is once again demonstrates that she must remain outwardly mute about her emotional turmoil to her subjects, but is internally convulsing with concerns and grief for her love. There is a contrast in relation to the words “myself” and “another self. ” Due to the continuous theme of emotional division throughout the poem, it seems that the “myself” is the version of the speakers identity that is the powerful ruler who suppresses her romantic feelings. The “other” self seems to be the wistful romantic who is suffering over the loss of her lover. In addition to paradoxes the use of metaphorical language is also used to highlight the speakers strife between being a ruler who must put her country above herself, and being a human being who yearns to express her love and grief.
A vital element that adds to the development of the theme is the use of metaphorical language, comparisons between two things are used to express the division of emotions in the speaker. A metaphor that describes the conflicting emotions within the speaker is used in line five, when the speaker states “I am, and not; I freeze and yet am burned”. This Metaphor highlights the speakers turmoil of not being able act on the emotions she feels. “Freezing” and “burning” refer to the speakers composure. The speaker is “freezing” when she is in the role of queen as she cannot act on her desire for love. “Burning” represents the desire of love that the speaker feels. The speaker is stating that even though she wants to “freeze” and keep a composure that satisfies the needs of her subjects, she is unable to because the “burning” desire for love is overpowering the facade she is trying to maintain, thus creating emotional turmoil within the speaker, as she has to act differently to what she feels. Another metaphor that express the speaker's turmoil is used in line fourteen the speaker states, “For I am soft and made of melting snow”. “Melting snow” serves as a metaphor for the reputation that the speaker has built as sovereign. The speaker’s reputation is made of “snow” which will melt under the heat of her mourning the love that she has lost.
This metaphor emphasizes the danger love and passion pose to her. The internal part of the speaker wants to grieve her lost love, but she knows that she cannot outwardly express it as it will damage her reputation as queen. Additionally another metaphor is used to express the speakers confling feelings in the last line of the poem, the speaker states “Or die and so forget what love ere meant. ” The death that the speaker desires is not a physical death, but a metaphorical death for the part of herself that loves and grieves for the man that has left her. The speaker wants this part of herself to die so that she will no longer have to have this emotional turmoil, and division within herself. She will finally be able put her country before her desire to love, without feeling any conflicting emotions internally, if this part of herself dies. The use of metaphorical language is used to highlight the speakers strife between being a ruler who must put her country above herself, and being a human being who yearns to express her love and grief. Through the use of paradoxes and metaphors, “On Monsieur’s Departure” provides an insight into the speakers inner turmoil, and emotional division of presenting an external persona that fits the demands and needs of her subjects, while internally mourning the loss of her lover, and being unable to express her grief.
