Chapter 7

Song: To Celia


► Very Short Type Questions & Answers:

1. What does the speaker ask Celia to drink with?

Ans: The speaker asks Celia to drink with her eyes.

2. What gift does the speaker send to Celia?

Ans: The speaker sends a rosy wreath.

3. According to the speaker, how does the wreath smell after being returned?

Ans: It smells of Celia, not of itself.

4. Who is the author of the poem 'To Celia'?

Ans: Ben Jonson.

5. What does the act of drinking symbolize in the poem?

Ans: It symbolizes deep love and spiritual connection.

6. What does the wreath symbolize in the poem?

Ans: It symbolizes the speaker's love and devotion.

7. What is the rhyme scheme of 'To Celia'?

Ans: The rhyme scheme is ABAB.

8. What poetic device is used in 'Since when it grows, and smells, I swear'?

Ans: Personification.

9. What emotion dominates the poem?

Ans: Love and admiration.

10. What type of poem is 'To Celia'?

Ans: It is a lyric poem.

► Short Type Questions & Answers:

1. Discuss the theme of love and devotion in 'To Celia'. How does the poet portray the speaker's feelings for Celia?

Ans: In To Celia', the theme of love and devotion is central. The poet Ben Jonson portrays the speaker's feelings for Celia as deeply spiritual and transcendent, surpassing physical attraction. The speaker expresses that Celia's love is more powerful and satisfying than material pleasures like wine. This is evident in the opening lines:

"Drink to me only with thine eyes,

 And I will pledge with mine"

Here, the speaker suggests that a simple glance from Celia is enough to satisfy him, elevating her love above earthly desires. He does not seek physical indulgence but rather a deeper, emotional connection symbolized by their exchange of gazes.

In the second part of the poem, the speaker offers a rosy wreath 'To Celia', symbolizing his devotion. When Celia breathes on the wreath and returns it, the speaker feels that the wreath is now infused with her essence. This act demonstrates that the speaker sees Celia's affection as something that transforms everything it touches.

Overall, Jonson portrays love as an idealized, pure force in 'To Celia'. The speaker's devotion 'To Celia' is not based on physical attraction but on an emotional bond that transcends the material world. This reflection of idealized love elevates the poem to a celebration of true, selfless affection.

2. How does Ben Jonson use sensory imagery in 'To Celia'? Provide examples from the poem to support your answer.

Ans: Ben Jonson skillfully uses sensory imagery in 'To Celia' to evoke emotions and create a vivid, immersive experience for the reader. The poem appeals to sight, taste, and smell, which enhances the emotional depth of the speaker's devotion and highlights the connection between him and Celia.

(i) Sight (Visual Imagery): The line "I sent thee late a rosy wreath", uses the imagery of a "rosy wreath" to invoke sight, suggesting beauty, color, and a gift that's visually pleasing. The wreath, often associated with love and admiration, provides a visual connection between the speaker and Celia.

(ii) Taste (Taste Imagery): The idea of 'wine' and 'drinking' also invokes the sense of taste. By offering the exchange of gazes instead of drinking wine, the speaker elevates love to a more profound, emotional experience, making wine (a symbol of physical indulgence) secondary to the intimacy of the connection with Celia. This imagery suggests that the speaker finds more satisfaction in Celia's love than in earthly pleasures.

(iii) Smell (Olfactory Imagery): In the second stanza, the speaker describes how the wreath 'grows, and smells' after Celia breathes on it. The wreath's transformation from a simple object into something infused with her essence is brought to life through smell. The phrase 'Not of itself, but thee' conveys that Celia's breath has given the wreath a new, personal significance, as if her presence has imbued it with meaning beyond its original form.

Through these examples of sensory imagery, Jonson elevates the speaker's feelings for Celia, making them more tangible and emphasizing the depth of the emotional connection between them.

3. What does the speaker mean by the lines-"Since when it grows, and smells, I swear, Not of itself, but thee."?

Ans: In these lines, "Since when it grows, and smells, I swear, /Not of itself, but thee", the speaker reflects on how Celia's presence has transformed the wreath he gave her. Initially, the wreath is a simple, lifeless object, but after Celia breathes on it, the speaker believes that it now carries her essence. The wreath "grows" and "smells" not because of its natural qualities, but because Celia has imparted something of herself onto it-her breath and her spirit. The fragrance and growth are symbolic of the power of her affection, which has breathed life into what was once just an object.

This metaphor shows how the speaker sees Celia's influence as transformative, extending beyond physical objects to his own emotions. It highlights the deep connection the speaker feels 'To Celia', elevating her love to something that transcends the material world and infuses even the simplest things with meaning.

► Long Type Questions & Answers:

1. Analyze the use of imagery and symbolism in 'To Celia'. How do elements like drinking with the eyes, Jove's nectar, and the rosy wreath contribute to the poem's meaning?

Ans: In 'To Celia', Ben Jonson uses vivid imagery and symbolism to deepen the meaning of the poem, emphasizing the spiritual and idealized nature of the speaker's love. The elements of 'drinking with the eyes', 'Jove's nectar', and the 'rosy wreath' each contribute to the poem's portrayal of love as an emotional, transcendent experience rather than a physical one.

Drinking with the Eyes (Visual Imagery): The line "Drink to me only with thine eyes, / And I will pledge with mine", uses visual imagery to symbolize the exchange of affection. Instead of a literal drink, the speaker desires a connection through Celia's gaze. This imagery highlights how love, for the speaker, is communicated through emotional intimacy rather than physical indulgence. It suggests that the speaker values Celia's attention and affection more than material pleasures like wine, and their bond is strengthened by non-verbal, emotional gestures.

Jove's Nectar (Symbolism): The reference to "Jove's nectar" draws on classical mythology, where nectar is the drink of the gods, symbolizing immortality and divine pleasure. The speaker claims that even if offered Jove's nectar, he would not trade it for Celia's love. This comparison symbolizes how the speaker views Celia's love as more precious and fulfilling than anything that could be offered by the gods, elevating it to a divine, transcendent level. It reinforces the idea that love is a spiritual need that transcends physical or material desires.

The Rosy Wreath (Symbolism): The rosy wreath the speaker gives Celia is a symbol of his love and devotion. When Celia breathes on it and returns it to him, the wreath takes on a new significance, as the speaker swears that it now "smells not of itself, but thee". The wreath's transformation symbolizes how Celia's affection has infused it with new meaning, turning a simple object into something sacred and imbued with her essence. This illustrates how love can elevate the mundane and transform it into something beautiful and meaningful. 

Together, these symbols create a rich tapestry of imagery that highlights the spiritual, non-physical aspects of the speaker's love. The poem suggests that true love, for the speaker, is not about physical pleasure or material gain, but about emotional and spiritual connection. The use of drinking, divine nectar, and a transforming wreath all contribute to the poem's depiction of love as a profound, idealized force.

2. Critically analyze the structure and literary devices used in 'To Celia'. Discuss the poem's rhyme scheme, metaphors, personification, and any other poetic techniques that enhance its beauty.

Ans: Ben Jonson's To Celia' is a beautifully structured lyric poem that employs various literary devices to enhance its emotional depth and meaning. The poem consists of two stanzas of eight lines each, and it uses a consistent rhyme scheme, metaphors, personification, and other poetic techniques to convey the speaker's idealized and spiritual love for Celia.

(i) Rhyme Scheme and Structure: The poem follows an ABAB CDCD rhyme scheme, which is typical of many lyric poems. This consistent rhyme scheme gives the poem a harmonious and melodious quality, which complements the emotional and reverent tone of the speaker's love. The regularity of the rhyme scheme reflects the orderliness and purity of the speaker's feelings, enhancing the poem's theme of idealized love.

(ii) Metaphor: Metaphors are used extensively throughout the poem, contributing to its deep emotional resonance. 'Drink to me only with thine eyes, / And I will pledge with mine'-here the metaphor of 'drinking' through the eyes is a symbolic way of saying that the speaker does not want a physical drink but an exchange of love through a glance. This elevates the love to a spiritual level, where emotional communication is preferred over physical pleasure.

'The thirst that from the soul doth rise / Doth ask a drink divine

-here, the metaphor of thirst represents the speaker's deep yearning and emotional need for Celia's love. The 'drink divine' refers to the speaker's belief that only Celia's love can satisfy this inner craving, emphasizing the spiritual nature of his longing.

(iii) Personification: Personification is also present, as Jonson imbues inanimate objects with human characteristics, further deepening the emotional significance of the poem. The wreath is personified when it 'grows and smells' after Celia breathes on it.

The wreath, an inanimate object, seems to respond to Celia's presence, symbolizing how love can breathe life into the mundane and transform it into something extraordinary. This personification suggests that love is an active, transformative force.

(iv) Allusion (Classical Reference): Jonson makes an allusion to Jove's nectar, which comes from classical mythology. Jove, the king of the gods, is said to drink nectar, which grants immortality and divine pleasure. By comparing Celia's love to this mythical drink, the speaker elevates her love to a divine and eternal level, implying that it is more valuable and satisfying than any earthly or even divine pleasure.

(v) Repetition: The repetition of certain phrases, such as 'drink to me' and 'thee', emphasizes the centrality of the speaker's affection for Celia and highlights the purity and consistency of his devotion. The refrain-like repetition creates a rhythmic flow, reinforcing the emotional depth of the speaker's feelings.

(vi) Tone and Diction: The tone of the poem is elevated, reverent, and idealistic. Jonson's diction, especially words like 'divine', 'nectar', and 'pledge', enhances the spiritual nature of the love the speaker feels. The diction helps elevate the emotion from a mere romantic longing to a profound, almost sacred devotion.

(vii) Imagery: The poem's imagery is rich and sensory, especially in the references to 'eyes', 'drink', and 'wreath'. These images evoke sight, taste, and smell, all of which contribute to creating a vivid emotional experience for the reader. The sensory appeal makes the speaker's love feel tangible, elevating it beyond abstract feelings to something more concrete and real.

The structure and literary devices in 'To Celia' enhance the poem's beauty and contribute to its theme of idealized, spiritual love. The use of metaphor, personification, classical allusions, and sensory imagery enriches the emotional depth of the poem, transforming it into a timeless expression of love that transcends the physical and approaches the divine. The poem's rhyme scheme and structure contribute to its sense of harmony and balance, mirroring the speaker's desire for an emotionally and spiritually fulfilling connection with Celia.