Since There’s no Help, Come Let Us Kiss and Part By Michael Drayton

 

Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part

By Michael Drayton

Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part.

Nay, I have done, you get no more of me;

And I am glad, yea glad with all my heart,

That thus so cleanly I myself can free.

Shake hands for ever, cancel all our vows,

And when we meet at any time again,

Be it not seen in either of our brows

That we one jot of former love retain.

Now at the last gasp of Love’s latest breath,

When, his pulse failing, Passion speechless lies;

When Faith is kneeling by his bed of death,

And Innocence is closing up his eyes—

Now, if thou wouldst, when all have given him over,

From death to life thou might’st him yet recover!

 

Michael Drayton – 1563 - 1631

Michael Drayton was born in 1563 and was contemporary of Shakespeare. Almost nothing is known about his early life, he might have studied at the Oxford University. He has written great number of poems including a long verse, travelogue and England. His first book is ‘The Harmony of Church’ filled with spiritual poem. 

Introduction of the poem:

The sonnet ‘Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part’ (1594) was the best known poem by Drayton. In the Elizabethan sonnet from it first appeared as number 61 in Drayton’s 64-sonnet sequence titles ‘Ideas Mirror’. Drayton’s poetry is not read much now. That is with the notable exception of this one sonnet, beginning ‘Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part’, which is well-known. Poem contains heavy figurative language (figures of speech).

Analysis:

The first line of the poem clarifying the situation as the poet is in a relationship that no longer proves satisfying, and he wishes that both lovers might separate with a minimum of pain. As the poem starts with the line,

‘Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part’

Which clearly represents that poet has lost his all hopes to live with his lady and the time has come to get separated. This is the first argument in the sonnet where the poet is taking a hard decision of his life, where he has to leave his beloved. The separation is painful but it can be healed by the kiss which they will have before parting, as it has ended on mutual decision and on a happy note.

In next line poet confesses that he is done now, and he is glad with this separation. He is also telling the beloved that she will not get more of him, and he will not try to meet his beloved. Poet says that he is happy with all his hear and he repeated this again,

‘And I am glad, yea glad with all my heart,’

    In the next line poet made a statement that he will be free after the relationship ends. He is glad that he will be cleanly free from every promise and bondage of love and relationship. Before leaving, poet approaches to his girl to shake hands, as per poet by shaking hands they should cancel all the vows they have taken when they were together. ‘Shake hands’ seems too practical and by shaking hands poet wants to make an agreement that they will cancel their future plans and love promises.

   Poet by shaking hands cancel all the vows and further told his beloved to not express love if they meet in future. Poet clearly says that it may happen that they meet somewhere coincidently, and at that time beloved have to behave as there was not any love relationship between the poet and her. As he says,

                                       ‘Be it not seen in either of our brows’ 

   Poet explains that if would have any expression on her face after noticing the poet, people would come to know about their past love relation, and their former love relationship will get revealed.

    By saying,

‘Now at the last gasp of Love’s latest breath,’

    Poet makes clear that the relationship of their love is not at the edge, and getting more and more near to death. Poet expresses the situation by saying that the pulse is fainting, passion is out of control, faith has lost its value and there is innocence.

    In the last couplet poem takes turn as all sonnets do, poet says that these things can change and they can be together again if the lover wished. The mood of poet got changed from imperative (‘Shake hands’, ‘Cancel’, ‘be it not’) to the subjunctive (‘thou wouldst’, ‘thou might’st’) Poet put a hope that if the beloves wishes then she can recover this love relationship from the death bed. Only she has the power over life and death, and poet hopes that she will exercise it.

     Figures of speech:

The format of sonnet is of Elizabethan format, the sonnet’s first 12 lines, in iambic pentameter, and elaborate upon the problem or topic, while the final couplet acts as a summary or final epigram.

Drayton has used personification by the dying scene of passion and faith,

When, his pulse failing, Passion speechless lies;

When Faith is kneeling by his bed of death,

 Poet also used personification by giving eyes to innocence. Allegorically, this is the image of dying love between two lovers.

The use of dash (-) creates a pause and suspense on the side of readers.

Rhyming scheme:

The rhyme scheme of the Sonnet is,

a, b, a, b, - First quatrain

c, d, c, d, - Second quatrain

e, f, e, f, - third quatrain

g, g. – concluding couplet

Conclusion:

The poem can be considered as the break up poem in which poet is disappointed with the love relationship he is having and tries to get rid of it without much pain and continuously tells his beloved that they should get part. He makes various statements as he will be free and happy after the separation but at the end he wants a hope from his beloved to get this relationship alive again. The poem clearly represents the confused and frustrated feeling of a lover’s mind and what beloved thinks, that is not portrayed in the poem.

                                       

Source: Wikipedia, poetry foundation and google images