Mediocrity in Love Rejected

Thomas Carew's Mediocrity in Love Rejected

Thomas Carew's "Mediocrity in Love Rejected" stands as a quintessential example of Cavalier poetry from the early 17th century, revealing both the intellectual preoccupations and emotional sensibilities of its era. In this concise yet philosophically rich poem, Carew constructs a compelling argument against moderation in matters of love, preferring instead the intense experiences of either passionate devotion or complete rejection. Through a meticulous examination of Carew's rhetorical strategies, classical allusions, and emotional appeals, this analysis will demonstrate how the poem functions as both a personal plea and a broader commentary on the human condition. By rejecting the Aristotelian virtue of the middle path, Carew challenges conventional wisdom and presents an alternative philosophy of emotional experience that privileges intensity over comfort, passion over stability, and certainty over ambiguity.

Historical and Literary Context

Thomas Carew (1595-1640) wrote during a period of significant political and cultural tension in England. As a member of the "Cavalier" poets who were associated with the court of Charles I, Carew's work reflects the sophisticated, sometimes hedonistic sensibilities of courtly culture in the decades preceding the English Civil War. The Cavalier aesthetic typically emphasized grace, wit, and a carpe diem philosophy that stood in contrast to the more austere Puritan sensibilities gaining prominence during this period.

"Mediocrity in Love Rejected" emerges from this context, but also engages with a much older philosophical tradition. The poem's central conceit—a rejection of moderation or the "golden mean"—directly challenges Aristotelian ethics, which had been integrated into Christian theology during the medieval period and remained influential in Renaissance thought. Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics famously argued that virtue lies in the mean between extremes, a principle that was widely accepted in educated circles of Carew's time.

Carew's rejection of this principle specifically in the realm of love places him in conversation with both classical philosophy and the courtly love tradition. The poem also shows the influence of Petrarchan conventions while simultaneously subverting them through its embrace of extremes rather than the sustained suffering typical of Petrarchan lovers. This intellectual complexity belies the poem's apparent simplicity and reveals Carew as a poet engaged with the major philosophical currents of his age.

Structure and Form Analysis

"Mediocrity in Love Rejected" consists of fourteen lines arranged in two sestets (six-line stanzas) followed by a concluding couplet. This structure creates a sense of logical development, with the final couplet serving as both conclusion and echo of the opening line—a circular structure that reinforces the poem's central argument.

The poem employs a varied rhyme scheme (ABABCC DEDEFF GG) that gives the work a sense of formal coherence while allowing for rhythmic variety. The predominant iambic tetrameter provides a brisk, determined pace appropriate to the speaker's emotional intensity, while occasional metrical variations highlight key ideas and prevent monotony.

Structurally, the poem follows a rhetorical pattern reminiscent of classical argumentation. The first stanza establishes the thesis—a rejection of moderation in love. The second stanza elaborates this position through illustrative analogies, and the concluding couplet forcefully restates the initial position, creating a sense of resolution and finality. This rhetorical structure reflects Carew's classical education and underscores the poem's function as persuasive discourse rather than mere emotional expression.

Rhetorical Analysis and the Rejection of Moderation

From its opening line—"Give me more Love, or more Disdain"—the poem establishes its central antithesis between love and hatred, with both positioned as preferable to a middle state. The imperative "Give me" immediately establishes the poem as a direct address, possibly to a lover who has been neither fully committed nor completely dismissive. This command recurs throughout the poem, creating a rhythmic insistence that reinforces the speaker's emotional urgency.

The poem's second line introduces a geographical metaphor: "The Torrid, or the Frozen zone." These extremes of climate represent the emotional extremes the speaker desires. By contrast, "The Temperate affords me none" (line 4) dismisses moderation as providing no satisfaction or "ease." This geographical conceit draws on Renaissance understandings of climate zones while simultaneously mapping physical environments onto emotional states, creating a correspondence between external conditions and internal experience.

The speaker further clarifies this position in line 5: "Either extreme, of Love, or Hate, / Is sweeter than a calme estate." The comparative "sweeter" introduces the poem's evaluative framework, suggesting that emotional intensity possesses an inherent value or pleasure lacking in moderation. The term "calme estate" carries political and social connotations as well, potentially alluding to the stable but potentially stagnant middle-class existence that contrasts with the more volatile but exciting courtly life with which Carew was associated.

Classical Allusions and Mythological Framework

The second stanza introduces the poem's most striking classical reference: "Like Danae in that golden showre / I swim in pleasure" (lines 8-9). This allusion to the Greek myth of Danae—who was impregnated by Zeus in the form of golden rain—serves multiple purposes. First, it establishes a mythological framework that elevates the speaker's personal emotional state to a more universal significance. Second, it introduces sensual and erotic dimensions to the abstract concept of love mentioned in the first stanza. The verb "swim" suggests complete immersion in pleasure, reinforcing the poem's preference for total emotional engagement.

The subsequent lines shift to the alternative extreme: "if it prove / Disdain, that Torrent will devour / My vulture-hopes" (lines 9-11). The imagery here becomes darker and more violent, with disdain figured as a destructive flood and the speaker's desires as "vulture-hopes." This phrase merits particular attention, as it potentially alludes to the myth of Prometheus, whose liver was eternally devoured by a vulture as punishment for stealing fire from the gods. If so, the "vulture-hopes" represent painful, ongoing desires that the speaker would prefer to have destroyed rather than perpetually renewed in an intermediate state of neither fulfillment nor rejection.

The stanza concludes with a paradoxical statement: "and he's possest / Of Heaven, that's but from Hell releast" (lines 11-12). This formulation draws on Christian theology while subverting it, suggesting that mere relief from suffering (being "from Hell releast") constitutes a form of heaven. This religious imagery elevates the speaker's emotional plight to spiritual dimensions, presenting the quest for emotional clarity as analogous to the soul's journey from damnation to salvation.

Psychological Complexity and the Fear of Uncertainty

Beyond its formal elegance and classical references, "Mediocrity in Love Rejected" offers a sophisticated psychological portrait. The speaker's insistence on extremes reveals an underlying anxiety about uncertainty and ambiguity. By demanding either complete love or total rejection, the speaker seeks to eliminate the psychological torment of hope mixed with doubt, of partial affection that might never become complete.

This psychological dimension adds complexity to what might otherwise seem a merely rhetorical exercise. The poem's emotional force derives from a recognizable human experience: the frustration of indeterminate relationships and the desire for emotional clarity, even at the cost of pain. By rejecting the middle path, the speaker rejects not just moderation as a philosophical principle but the psychological burden of sustaining conflicted emotions.

The language of storms and torrents throughout the poem reinforces this psychological reading. The tumult of intense emotion—whether positive or negative—offers a form of clarity that the speaker finds preferable to the confused state of moderation. In this sense, the poem presents emotional extremes as forms of psychological relief, ways of resolving the tension of uncertainty even at the cost of potential suffering.

Metaphorical Language and Emotional States

Carew deploys a series of interconnected metaphors that map emotional states onto physical phenomena. The geographical metaphor of climate zones in the first stanza gives way to meteorological imagery in the second: "Give me a storme" (line 7). This request for tempestuous conditions contrasts with the "calme estate" rejected earlier, reinforcing the poem's preference for intensity over tranquility.

The metaphor shifts again with the Danae reference, where love becomes a "golden showre" in which the speaker "swim[s] in pleasure." This liquid imagery continues with disdain figured as a "Torrent" that "will devour" the speaker's hopes. These flowing, dynamic images contrast with the static quality implied by moderation, suggesting that emotional extremes offer movement and transformation while the middle path represents stagnation.

The final metaphorical framework introduces vertical orientation, with heaven positioned above hell, and release from the latter constituting achievement of the former. This spatial arrangement reinforces the poem's preference for distinct states over intermediate positions and adds a moral or spiritual dimension to what began as a secular emotional appeal.

Paradox and the Resolution of Contradictions

One of the poem's most striking features is its embrace of paradox. The speaker claims that both love and hate bring "equall ease unto my paine" (line 3)—a seeming contradiction resolved through the understanding that both extremes provide relief from uncertainty. Similarly, the formulation "he's possest / Of Heaven, that's but from Hell releast" presents a paradoxical definition of heaven as simply the absence of hell, collapsing the traditional distinction between these spiritual states.

The poem's final paradox lies in its presentation of disdain as potentially desirable. While the speaker expresses preference for love ("crown my joyes"), the alternative of rejection ("cure my pain") is presented as an acceptable outcome. This willingness to embrace potential suffering, provided it brings clarity, represents a sophisticated emotional stance that transcends simple hedonism.

These paradoxes reflect the complex psychological terrain the poem navigates. By embracing contradictions and finding equivalence between seemingly opposed states, Carew suggests that emotional life defies simple categorization and that conventional wisdom about moderation fails to account for the complex realities of human desire.

The Concluding Couplet and Circular Structure

The poem concludes with a couplet that echoes its opening line: "Then crown my joyes, or cure my pain; / Give me more Love, or more Disdain." This repetition creates a circular structure that reinforces the poem's argument while suggesting the ongoing nature of emotional experience. The subtle difference between the opening line and its echo—the addition of "Then crown my joyes, or cure my pain"—presents the alternatives in more concrete terms, strengthening the concluding appeal.

The verbs "crown" and "cure" introduce new metaphorical frameworks in the poem's final moments. The former suggests royal elevation, positioning love as a form of ennoblement, while the latter presents rejection as a medical intervention, a painful but necessary treatment for an unhealthy condition. These contrasting metaphors reinforce the poem's central claim that both extremes offer forms of satisfaction unavailable in the middle ground.

Carew's Place in Poetic Tradition

"Mediocrity in Love Rejected" exemplifies several characteristic features of Cavalier poetry while simultaneously transcending the limitations sometimes associated with this school. Like other Cavalier works, the poem displays wit, elegance, and classical learning applied to matters of love and pleasure. However, its philosophical depth and psychological complexity distinguish it from more superficial courtly verses.

The poem also engages with multiple poetic traditions. Its direct address and emotional appeals echo Petrarchan conventions, while its logical structure and classical references reflect Renaissance humanism. The embrace of paradox and emotional complexity anticipates the Metaphysical poets, though without their characteristic extended conceits and religious preoccupations.

Carew's distinctive achievement in this poem lies in his ability to harmonize these diverse influences while maintaining a clear and compelling argument. The philosophical rejection of moderation is presented not as abstract theory but as lived emotional experience, making the poem both intellectually stimulating and psychologically authentic.

Emotional Impact and Universal Appeal

Despite its specific historical context and classical references, "Mediocrity in Love Rejected" retains its emotional power for modern readers because it addresses a universal aspect of human experience: the desire for emotional clarity and the frustration of ambiguous relationships. The poem's central argument—that certainty, even painful certainty, is preferable to perpetual doubt—resonates across cultural and temporal boundaries.

The poem's emotional appeal is enhanced by its formal qualities. The direct, imperative opening—"Give me"—immediately engages the reader in the speaker's emotional state. The varied but controlled meter creates a sense of urgency without descending into chaos, mirroring the poem's preference for intense but defined emotional states over confused moderation.

Conclusion

Thomas Carew's "Mediocrity in Love Rejected" achieves remarkable depth and complexity within its compact form. By challenging the classical virtue of moderation, Carew offers an alternative philosophical stance that privileges emotional clarity over comfort and intensity over stability. The poem's sophisticated rhetorical structure, classical allusions, and psychological insights elevate it beyond a mere expression of personal preference to a thoughtful exploration of how humans navigate desire, uncertainty, and emotional connection.

Through its rejection of the middle path in love, the poem ultimately affirms the value of decisive emotional states and clear boundaries in human relationships. In an age increasingly characterized by complexity and ambiguity, Carew's call for clarity—even at the cost of potential pain—offers a perspective that remains both provocative and compelling. Whether readers ultimately agree with the speaker's preference for extremes over moderation, the poem's articulation of this position provides a valuable counterpoint to conventional wisdom and invites ongoing reflection on how we understand and experience love, rejection, and the complex emotional terrain between them.