Verse of Nothing at All

This medieval poem by William IX represents duality in man, with a perspective of a divine creator. The lyric is named I’ll make a verse of nothing at all. The verse itself is a creation of the author, as is the universe for the creator. The first stanza shows duality by the author writing “I’ll make a verse about nothing at all”, saying the verse will have nothing to do about him or youth, and then going on to say he wrote this while laying on the back of the horse (William IX 325). The next stanza talks about him, and not being able to know exactly when he was born. This shows he has talked about what he stated he was not going to talk about. The next is part is written in almost a code, and it gives the impression of a divine creator. The divine creator in a sense of the question one has when believing in a creator god, why do this when this happened? The duality we see in humanity, which would be a reflection of the duality of the creator. The author explains he has a lovely girl, perhaps representing the relationship of god and man, man and women, depending on if the author was misogynistic. He explains that although she is lovely, he has never seen her, and she never does what he wants her to do, and never gives him peace. One could see how god might think of this universe as a pretty girl, he only knows us from afar, and we never seem to bring him peace.The author says the woman, never treats him right, and never treats him wrong, another duality, but that he would pick her over any other lovely girl. In conclusion, the author uses the relationship between god and man, to show the duality of man.

 

Work Cited

William IX. “Verse of Nothing at All” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Volume B. 3^rd Ed. Martin Puchner. New York: Norton 325-326. Print

From Al-Zahra

The medieval lyric From Al-Zahra by Ibn Zaydun is a poem about his love for a women and his city. Zaydun was in love with Wallada, the daughter of the Umayyad ruler of Cordoba. Zaydun fled to Seville after falling out of political disfavor. The poem shows his longing for his lover, and his city. He starts by talking of remembrance of his city, and how coiling water looks like necklaces. “Delicious those days we spent while fate slept”(Zaydun 323) shows his longing for something previous. The use of “spent” shows it has already happened; he uses the word delicious to show how he perceived the times. He could be using this to talk of how he misses his times in his home town, and he could also be talking about Wallada.The city and Wallada are interchangeable, because Wallada is in the city where he can no longer go, making her no longer accessible as well. “Fate slept” shows again the past, and also alludes to his exile, which was at one point of no concern. The use of flowers is another way the author describes his city and his lover, rosebuds representing his lover, water lilies “perfume they gather up” representing the city. The final metaphor used is that of a horse, his love once being free, is now fenced.  In conclusion, the overall experience of the poem has a nice rhyming scheme, and thoroughly explains the author’s feelings.  This poem uses metaphors in his poem to represent Wallada and his city and how he longs to be with both of them.

Work Cited

Ibn Zaydun. “From Al-Zahra” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Volume B. 3^rd Ed. Martin Puchner. New York: Norton 323-324. Print