Humanism Essay, Research Paper
Humanitarianism is a construct that has changed since the 16th century. Its original
significance was the belief in the cogency of the human spirit that coincided with
piousness for God. Now, humanitarianism refers to the glory of adult male over God. The
passing of clip has transformed the construct of love, besides. In our present
society, one “ loves ” pizza or one “ loves ” a partner.
Presently, love encompasses a huge bulk of thoughts and strengths. The
sonnets and verse forms of Surrey, Sidney, Spenser, and Wyatt deem love as a consuming
passion. To the 16th century poet, love is a powerful force that creates
wretchedness, but surpasses the hurting to be a worthy enterprise. Love is a personified
superior entity which must be obeyed. In Wyatt & # 8217 ; s The Love That in My Thought
Doth Harbor, love is his “ maestro ” ( 441 ; ln. 12 ) . His maestro controls
his bosom, and enterprises to reign. Even when love cowers from shame the poet
still supports him. In Astrophil and Stella, love & # 8217 ; s edicts must be followed,
since they have such power ( Sidney 460 ; sonnet 2, ln. 4 ) . Love can move such as
contorting one & # 8217 ; s bosom and giving lesions ( Surrey 452 ; ln. 6 ; Sidney 460 ; sonnet 2,
ln. 2 ) . Love possesses one & # 8217 ; s self to bring forth much affliction. Wyatt wrote a
verse form, Farewell Love, to show his disruptive emotions. He desired for love to
go forth him after old ages of enduring at love & # 8217 ; s clemency ( Wyatt 440 ) . In My Lute,
Awake, Wyatt addresses love as an unwellness: “ I am past redress ” ( 442 ; ln.
14 ) . Wyatt besides desires to watch his former love suffer for the hurting she
inflicted on him. Surrey considers love the ground for his uncomfortableness in Alas!
So All Thingss Now Do Keep Their Peace ( 452 ; ln. 11 ) . Sidney enterprises to disregard
love, yet at the same clip “ with a feeling skil
cubic decimeter I paint my snake pit ”
( 460 ; sonnet 2, ln. 13-4 ) . Love & # 8217 ; s trouble produces a type of snake pit and a disease for
those ensnared that can non be ignored. The wretchedness love green goodss can non excel
the benefit of love. Surrey considers love his Godhead and writes “ Yet from my
Godhead shall non my pes remove: Sweet is the decease that taketh terminal by love ”
( 451 ; ln. 13-4 ) . Death is even enjoyable if caused from love. Sidney references
love by authorship, “ I call it congratulations to endure dictatorship ” ( 460 ; ln. 11 ) .
Subsequently in Astrophil and Stella, Sidney says that love & # 8217 ; s consequence caused anguish,
but that “ the cause more Sweet could be ” ( 471 ; sonnet 87, ln. 12-3 ) .
The regulation of love is still worthy of congratulations, irrespective of the affliction.
Harmonizing to Spenser & # 8217 ; s Amoretti, “ love is the lesson which the Lord us
taught ” ( 737 ; sonnet 68, ln. 14 ) . Love would be wishful because God uses
it to learn us. Love distressingly invaded the lives of the poets, but resulted in
an eventual joy, even if the joy was at decease. Love dominated their poesy as it
dominated their lives. Today, our partners may afflict our emotions, but love of
pizza will likely ne’er leave a deep emotional fond regard. Our society has
downgraded love in our life from what was considered the normal experience.
Despite the hermeneutical transmutation applied to the construct of love, the
words of the 19th century poet Tennyson pealing true today as they would hold
in the 16th century: “ & # 8217 ; tis better to hold loved and lost, than to hold
ne’er loved at all ” ( qtd. in Stevenson 1463 ) .
Abrams, M. H. Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th Ed. New York: W.W.
Norton & A ; Company, 1993. Stevenson, Burton, erectile dysfunction. The MacMillan Book of
Proverbs, Maxims, & A ; Celebrated Phrases. New York: MacMillan Co. , 1948.
