I'm not sure when A.E. Housman wrote this poem, however, even at twenty I can
identify. This poem gives light to the risk of love by accentuating the pain of losing in
love.
The opening line, "When I was one and twenty" may be taken literally that he
was twenty one, but for reader's sake it may be better just for this to represent a young
age. An age where one is quick to give his heart away. An age where the normal college
guy doesn't give much thought to his choices or decisions. The second line, "I heard a
wise man say" sets up the rest of the poem. From this point on the man in the poem just
repeats the advice the "wise man" gave him. It is also important because it is at such an
age that most people are given advice by some adult figure that will stick with us for the
rest of our lives.
POETRY SOCIETY POSTCARD
English: Alexander Blok's poem 'Noch, ulica, fonar...
English: English classical scholar and poet ."Give crowns and pounds and guineas But not your heart away;". This can also
be put: You can always make more money, but you only have one heart. I can't
remember the money I've spent on dates, but I cannot forget the one time I gave my heart
away. I wish I would have just spent more money on that girl...I think she would have
appreciated that a lot more.
"Give pearls away and rubies But keep your fancy free." I couldn't help but
conjuring the image of a seventies pimp when thinking of this line. The movie stereotype
was always buying things for his girls, but that never meant that he loved them. In all
seriousness, this line holds the key to dating and liking it. Anyone who falls for every
girl he...