BY JEAN FROISSART by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Editor's note

The speaker confronts Love as if it were a person right in front of them, asking pointedly about its intentions. The repetition of "Love" at the beginning carries a sense of urgency, bordering on desperation. The next line highlights the central issue: love lacks reliability and certainty. The speaker isn't angry at this point; they are simply confused and feeling somewhat vulnerable.

Editor's note

This stanza adds to the confusion. The speaker isn't just saying love is unpredictable—they openly admit they don't understand it at all, neither its nature nor its actions. The refrain comes back here, and the repetition feels less like a rhetorical device and more like someone truly stuck, asking the same question because they still haven't found an answer.

Editor's note

Now the speaker looks outward, inviting those who have truly found happiness in love to reveal their secret. The question "shall I be mute" indicates the speaker is pondering whether to continue sharing their feelings or if remaining silent would be wiser. "Vows with prayers" suggests a spiritual tone—here, love is seen as something almost sacred, or at least something that requires a ritualistic approach.

Editor's note

The closing lines revisit the refrain one last time, but with a significant twist: "fixed" changes to "permanent." This slight adjustment makes the complaint seem more definitive — it's not just that love is unstable at the moment, but that it lacks anything enduring by its very nature. The poem concludes without resolution, and that's precisely the intention.