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