My Friend, The Things That Do Attain By Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

 

My Friend, The Things That Do Attain

By Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

MY friend, the things that do attain

The happy life be these, I find:

The riches left, not got with pain;

The fruitful ground; the quiet mind;

 

The equal friend; no grudge; no strife (conflict);

No charge of rule, nor governance (power);

Without disease, the healthy life;

The household of continuance;

 

The mean diet, no dainty fare;

Wisdom joined with simpleness;

The night discharged of all care,

Where wine the wit may not oppress:

 

The faithful wife, without debate;

Such sleeps as may beguile the night;

Content thyself with thine estate,

Neither wish death, nor fear his might.

 

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey: 1517 - 1547

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517-1547) was an English nobleman, politician and a poet. He was one of the founder of English Renaissance poetry. He and his friend Sir Thomas Wyatt were the first English poets to write in the sonnet from that Shakespeare later used, and Surrey was the first English poet to publish blank verse. He also worked as an actor in TV serial.

Introduction of Poetry:

Henry Howard’s poem is actually a translation of one of the Roman poet Martial’s Epigrams. The original poem was written roughly 1500 years before Howard translated it. Howard’s translation shows that the elements of happy life are timeless and universal.

Analysis:

The poem is having a philosophical touch. Everyone needs a happy life, the poem includes elements by which we can live happy life. Poem well explained the concept of living life without any unhealthy circumstances. Poem addressed all the readers by calling them “MY friend”, as if he is giving advice to all the readers that what they should have and what they should do to attain happy life, as he said,

      

            “MY friend, the things that do attain”

The opening stanza of the poem represents some thoughts to gain a happy life by saying that one should have riches which should be obtained without trouble in life. Hard work should be there but the trouble should not. The income one is getting should not be gained by pain, but by the mind which is quite. Here quite represents calm and untroubled.

 

           “The fruitful ground; the quiet mind”

The poet is making clear that he himself has found this steps to get happy life.

In the next stanza, poet starts happy life’s concept by having equal friend. One should have a friend who is not having grudges and strife for each other. The poet starts happiness with the most beautiful relation which is friendship. He used the word ‘equal’ for friends, which is very necessary in friendship. Next poet talks about a peaceful life, which does not include quarrelling. He has referred the condition of country. The political life should be calm and not chaotic. People of the country should not having disease but should have healthy life. All the families should be well established, as poet says,

            “The household of continuance”

In the next stanza, poet talks about good enough diet which can keep man healthy. A healthy life can provide happiness to the life. Further poet admires wisdom which have simplicity rather than smartness. A wise person should have simplicity and follow simpleness. There should not be a drunkenness. If there would be rare drunkenness then that will not be able to overcome the consciousness of people. Less wine will not oppress the wit of man.

                                 Where wine the wit may not oppress

By this steps a person can live happy life.

A man should have a faithful wife who does not argue with her husband. By the list of such things a man can have happy life and sleep peacefully. The calm sleep and happy life will allow us to get fearless towards death, and a life is happy then nobody will wish for death.

Figures of speech:

Poet has used simile in the line,

“Such sleeps as may beguile the night”

Poet has used irony by the words fruitful, grudge, strife and governance.

Rhyming scheme:

The poem contains four stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is a, b, a, b, c, d, c, d.

Conclusion:

Poet has explained that how people can be happy, and has given a good enough list of things on which people can focus and gain a positive attitude and peace in their life. With the help of being disciplined and being mature, we can fight with the adverse circumstances of life and deal with all.

Source: Wikipedia (poet's information) poetry foundation (Poem)