The cloud may stoop from heaven and take the shape,
With fold to fold, of mountain or of cape;
But O too fond, when have I answer'd thee?
Ask me no more.
Ask me no more: what answer should I give?
I love not hollow cheek or faded eye:
Yet, O my friend, I will not have thee die!
Ask me no more, lest I should bid thee live;
Ask me no more: what answer should I give?
I love not hollow cheek or faded eye:
Yet, O my friend, I will not have thee die!
Ask me no more, lest I should bid thee live;
Ask me no more.
Ask me no more: thy fate and mine are seal'd:
I strove against the stream and all in vain:
Let the great river take me to the main:
No more, dear love, for at a touch I yield;
Ask me no more.
Analysis using TP-CASTT format:
The title of the poem is presented as ask me no more. This title suggests that someone has asked something to the lyric speaker several times, and that this question is, or hard to answer, or that the answer may hurt the feelings of someone.
The first stanza shows impossible and hard things to happen. Subnormal circumstances that may be related to the impossibility of the lyric speaker to answer. Also, we can know now that he already gave an answer, as he asks "when have I answer'd thee?". Now, it can be understood that the receiver of the contestation isn't comfortable with the resolution.
"what answer should I give?" Suggests that he just doesn't know what to say to the questioning. A figurative transcription of the first three verses on the second stanza would offer that "I love not hollow cheek or faded eye" gives us the topic of the question: about love. Now we see a classification of what the author doesn't likes; hollow cheeks and faded eyes. Though, O my friend, I will not have thee die, so, he is saying that this person is not the preference of the lyric speaker, though, he/she would not deception him/herself and would make an effort. Even though we still have no clue of the person asking is a man or a woman, I will consider it a woman to shorten the he/she in the analysis and that the complete title of the poem is "The Princess: Ask me no more"
In the third stanza, we see tears. Now, he gave an answer that leaves the questioner's heart broken. "Thy fate and mine are seal'd: I strove against the stream and all in vain" express the efforts of the lyric speaker to avoid giving an answer. "No more, dear love, for at a touch I yield; Ask me no more." Is the final contestation.
What is being shown here is a love question. Probably a "do you love me?" or "do you want to marry me?" or "do you want to be my boyfriend?", that after a negative contestation, the girl keeps looking for answers that the lyric speaker just can't explain.
The attitude in the poem is related to comprehension, though to a "leave me alone" kind of mood. He wants her to leave him alone, but he still doesn't want her to feel bad, as he "(I) should bid thee live". He keeps this attitude in all the poem; the best form to see it is the form how the poem starts and finish every single stanza with the same phrase, showing that he doesn't change his objective.
"Ask me no more" has more sense now. Is a hard to make prayer, as he is trying to say in a discrete way, "go away, I don't want to see you, leave me alone please". She is placing the lyric speaker into a hard situation, when he has to choose of to benefit himself at the cost of harming somebody, or make good to the other person by harming himself.
Is the poem an entreaty of the lyric speaker to be alone? To get rid of this person that sticks to him obsessively? I think that is the main theme of the poem, and this has been shown through the analysis made above. So, the lyric speaker is dealing with somebody like the known case of the "overly attached girlfriend" (image below). The "how is that you don't love me? You told me the hour yesterday!" or the "I deleted all you contact list from your phone, you only need to talk with me", or the "Who the (another not formal way of saying fornication) is mom? Are you cheating on me?" and the "I read something interesting yesterday, your emails".
This poem is the "please, stop asking for me to love you, I don't".
Ask me no more: thy fate and mine are seal'd:
I strove against the stream and all in vain:
Let the great river take me to the main:
No more, dear love, for at a touch I yield;
Ask me no more.
Analysis using TP-CASTT format:
The title of the poem is presented as ask me no more. This title suggests that someone has asked something to the lyric speaker several times, and that this question is, or hard to answer, or that the answer may hurt the feelings of someone.
The first stanza shows impossible and hard things to happen. Subnormal circumstances that may be related to the impossibility of the lyric speaker to answer. Also, we can know now that he already gave an answer, as he asks "when have I answer'd thee?". Now, it can be understood that the receiver of the contestation isn't comfortable with the resolution.
"what answer should I give?" Suggests that he just doesn't know what to say to the questioning. A figurative transcription of the first three verses on the second stanza would offer that "I love not hollow cheek or faded eye" gives us the topic of the question: about love. Now we see a classification of what the author doesn't likes; hollow cheeks and faded eyes. Though, O my friend, I will not have thee die, so, he is saying that this person is not the preference of the lyric speaker, though, he/she would not deception him/herself and would make an effort. Even though we still have no clue of the person asking is a man or a woman, I will consider it a woman to shorten the he/she in the analysis and that the complete title of the poem is "The Princess: Ask me no more"
In the third stanza, we see tears. Now, he gave an answer that leaves the questioner's heart broken. "Thy fate and mine are seal'd: I strove against the stream and all in vain" express the efforts of the lyric speaker to avoid giving an answer. "No more, dear love, for at a touch I yield; Ask me no more." Is the final contestation.
What is being shown here is a love question. Probably a "do you love me?" or "do you want to marry me?" or "do you want to be my boyfriend?", that after a negative contestation, the girl keeps looking for answers that the lyric speaker just can't explain.
The attitude in the poem is related to comprehension, though to a "leave me alone" kind of mood. He wants her to leave him alone, but he still doesn't want her to feel bad, as he "(I) should bid thee live". He keeps this attitude in all the poem; the best form to see it is the form how the poem starts and finish every single stanza with the same phrase, showing that he doesn't change his objective.
"Ask me no more" has more sense now. Is a hard to make prayer, as he is trying to say in a discrete way, "go away, I don't want to see you, leave me alone please". She is placing the lyric speaker into a hard situation, when he has to choose of to benefit himself at the cost of harming somebody, or make good to the other person by harming himself.
Is the poem an entreaty of the lyric speaker to be alone? To get rid of this person that sticks to him obsessively? I think that is the main theme of the poem, and this has been shown through the analysis made above. So, the lyric speaker is dealing with somebody like the known case of the "overly attached girlfriend" (image below). The "how is that you don't love me? You told me the hour yesterday!" or the "I deleted all you contact list from your phone, you only need to talk with me", or the "Who the (another not formal way of saying fornication) is mom? Are you cheating on me?" and the "I read something interesting yesterday, your emails".
This poem is the "please, stop asking for me to love you, I don't".
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