Sir John Suckling, a noted Cavalier poet, wrote "Why so pale and wan fond lover?" for his 1637 play Aglaura. In this poem, a speaker counsels his heartbroken friend to stop moping around over an unrequited love. If the friend's beloved had no time for him when he was cheerful and lively, the speaker says, why on earth would she change her mind now that the friend is "pale," "dull," and generally a drag? Disappointed love, this poem suggests, is best taken in stride: act too lovelorn and you'll only embarrass yourself.
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The Full Text of “Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?”
1Why so pale and wan fond lover?
2Prithee why so pale?
3Will, when looking well can't move her,
4Looking ill prevail?
5Prithee why so pale?
6Why so dull and mute young sinner?
7Prithee why so mute?
8Will, when speaking well can’t win her,
9Saying nothing do't?
10Prithee why so mute?
11Quit, quit for shame, this will not move,
12This cannot take her;
13If of herself she will not love,
14Nothing can make her;
15The devil take her.
The Full Text of “Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?”
1Why so pale and wan fond lover?
2Prithee why so pale?
3Will, when looking well can't move her,
4Looking ill prevail?
5Prithee why so pale?
6Why so dull and mute young sinner?
7Prithee why so mute?
8Will, when speaking well can’t win her,
9Saying nothing do't?
10Prithee why so mute?
11Quit, quit for shame, this will not move,
12This cannot take her;
13If of herself she will not love,
14Nothing can make her;
15The devil take her.
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“Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?” Summary
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“Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?” Themes
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The Pain and Folly of Love
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?”
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Lines 1-5
Why so pale and wan fond lover?
Prithee why so pale?
Will, when looking well can't move her,
Looking ill prevail?
Prithee why so pale? -
Lines 6-10
Why so dull and mute young sinner?
Prithee why so mute?
Will, when speaking well can’t win her,
Saying nothing do't?
Prithee why so mute? -
Lines 11-15
Quit, quit for shame, this will not move,
This cannot take her;
If of herself she will not love,
Nothing can make her;
The devil take her.
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“Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Rhetorical Question
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Parallelism
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Idiom
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Alliteration
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“Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Wan
- Fond
- Prithee
- Prevail
- Young sinner
- Do't
- If of herself she will not love
- The devil take her
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?” Speaker
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“Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?”
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More “Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?” Resources
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External Resources
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Suckling the Card Sharp — Learn about Suckling's other claim to fame: he invented the game of cribbage, and then cheated at it!
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A Portrait of Suckling — Admire a portrait of Sir John Suckling (looking every inch the romantic Cavalier lover himself).
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A Brief Biography — Learn more about Sir John Suckling at the Poetry Foundation's website.
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The Poem Aloud — Listen to a crisp, funny reading of the poem.
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The Cavaliers — Learn more about the Cavalier poets, the group of Royalist writers of which Suckling was a part.
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