by Thomas Campion Biography Englands Thomas Campion was a 16th and 17th century physician writer and composer known for his innovative ideas on form Born on February 12 1567 in London ID: 300892
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "Man of Life Upright" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
Man of Life Upright
by
Thomas CampionSlide2
Biography
England's Thomas Campion was a 16th and 17th century physician, writer and composer known for his innovative ideas on form
.
Born
on February 12, 1567, in London,
Thomas
Campion attended school for law though later worked as a doctor.
He
was also a prolific poet/lyricist and
songwriter, as seen in works like the
Book of
Ayeres
and
Light
Conceits of Lovers
. Campion offered theories on poetic form that called for less reliance on rhyming and was an innovator in his use of language. He died in England on March 1, 1620
.
He never married nor had children; rather, he lived a “life upright.”
"Thomas Campion."
Bio
. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 24 Jan. 2015.Slide3
The man of life upright, Whose guiltless heart is free,From all dishonest deeds
Or thought of vanity.The man whose silent days In harmless joys are spent,
Whom hopes cannot delude
Nor sorrow discontent:
That man needs neither towers
Nor
armour for defence,Nor secret vaults to fly From thunder’s violence.He only can behold With unaffrighted eyesThe horrors of the deep And terrors of the skies.Thus scorning all the cares That fate or fortune brings,He makes the heaven his book, His wisdom heavenly things;Good thoughts his only friends, His wealth a well-spent age, The earth his sober inn And quiet pilgrimage.
The Man of Life UprightThomas Campion (1567-1620) Slide4
Content
An upright man is a good, pure man who leads a disciplined life free from sin. He is also confident in God and therefore courageous. He is aware that worldly goods are temporary, so he studies religious books and nature to refine his wisdom and his honesty. Ultimately, he believes that only his good deeds will aide him when he begins his journey into eternity.
As you read consider whether “the upright man” is both perfect and happy.Slide5
Structure
The poem contains six stanzas, each with four short lines. In each stanza, the second line rhymes with the fourth.
The poem is controlled and organized, much like the life of an “upright man.”
The rhythm is regular and almost all pauses fall at the end of the lines.
The poem’s content is similar to a sermon in that examples of a virtuous life are shared followed by the reward in the after life.Slide6
The man of life upright, Whose guiltless heart is free,
From all dishonest deeds Or thought of vanity.
Stanza is one sentence that introduces the topic.
Inverted syntax places emphasis on “upright” to stress the moral righteousness of this “man.”
Note that an “upright” man must be free from “all” dishonesty and “all” vanity in order to be guiltless. Is this too perfect?
“Guiltless heart” is also personified to stress the heart as an image of the soul.Slide7
The man whose silent days In harmless joys are spent,
Whom hopes cannot delude Nor sorrow discontent:
The “man” who is pure lives in silence and experiences only “harmless joys.” Thus, life for this man is either one of quiet joy or sterile.
If “hopes cannot delude,” does an upright man have no hope because he spends his life as a humble man or an aesthetic? Also, does he feel no “sorrow” because he’s emotionless or is he self-reliant?
Another way to perceive this is that the noble man does not live beyond his means and is therefore not betrayed by hopes and sorrows.Slide8
The “towers” and “
armour” allude to royalty and power that both create a life of stress and conflict. The military metaphor infers that life is a battle for a dishonest man. Thus, the righteous man has nothing to fear on earth.
That man needs neither towers
Nor
armour for defence,Nor secret vaults to fly From thunder’s violence.“Thunder;s
violence” morphs into God’s wrath as symbolized by “thunder.” Again, the “upright man” has nothing to fear.
Repetition of “nor” stresses the need to be free from these desires
.Slide9
Negative diction continues with “horrors” and “terrors.” Just like “thunder’s violence,” the diction highlights the consequences of an impure life.
He only can behold
With
unaffrighted
eyes
The
horrors of the deep And terrors of the skies.The “horrors of the deep” serve as an allusion to hell.
The sky’s “terrors” refer to the end of the world, the final rapture when only those who are “upright” will be saved.
The synecdoche (“eyes”) function as a “window to the soul.”Slide10
Thus scorning all the cares
That
fate or fortune brings,
He makes the heaven his book,
His
wisdom heavenly things;
The man who follows the rules of God leads the “upright” man to heaven. Thus, “his book” is an allusion to the Bible, a symbol of purity and goodness.An “upright” man can “scorn” the cares of the world as he is invulnerable to troubles.
Diction changes from negative ideas to ideas of “heaven,” which might encourage a man to change his behavior for a more positive outcome.
After the warnings, the sermon begins.Slide11
The repetition of “his” forces focus on the man’s independence and solidarity.
Good thoughts his only friends
,
His
wealth a well-spent age
,
The earth his sober inn And quiet pilgrimage.
Note that the previously negative diction continues in a positive vein with the mention of “wealth a well-spent age.”
Stanzas five and six comprise one sentence to highlight the change to positive images.
The lack of verbs accentuates the rhythmic flow of the final stanza thereby altering the syntax.Slide12
Works Cited
https://intergiscs.wordpress
. com
/2011/12/20/the-man-of-life-upright-by-thomas-campion-summary
/
http://www.guesspapers.net/1712/the-man-of-life-upright/
http://www.cieliterature.com/2014/04/04/the-man-of-life-upright/http://subjects-notes.blogspot. com/2013/02/the-man-of-life-upright-summary-as-well.html#. VMP0eXDF_2Y