On his Mistress, the Queen of Bohemia

Sir Henry Wotton's On his Mistress, the Queen of Bohemia

Introduction

Sir Henry Wotton's masterful lyric "On his Mistress, the Queen of Bohemia" stands as one of the finest examples of courtly praise poetry from the early 17th century, employing a sophisticated series of natural analogies to elevate its subject, Elizabeth Stuart, to nearly divine status. Through careful rhetorical construction and layered imagery, Wotton crafts not merely a conventional praise poem but a complex meditation on hierarchy, divine right, and the relationship between natural and political order. This analysis will examine how Wotton's careful construction creates a poem that transcends simple flattery to become a nuanced political and philosophical statement.

Structure and Form

The poem's structure is remarkably precise, consisting of four five-line stanzas that follow a consistent rhyme scheme (AABBA). This quintain form, while not unique to Wotton, is deployed with particular effectiveness here, as each stanza builds to its culminating question. The first three stanzas follow identical patterns, establishing lesser beauties only to diminish them through comparison, while the final stanza inverts this pattern to elevate its subject—a structural choice that reinforces the poem's thematic concerns.

The regular iambic tetrameter, broken only in the final line of each stanza (which shifts to trimeter), creates a rhythmic momentum that drives toward each stanza's concluding question. This metrical variation serves both to emphasize these crucial lines and to create a sense of closure within each unit, while simultaneously propelling the reader forward to the next comparison.

Natural Imagery and Hierarchical Order

Wotton's imagery progresses through three carefully chosen natural hierarchies before reaching its human subject. The first stanza addresses the stars ("meaner beauties of the night"), establishing a celestial hierarchy topped by the moon. The second turns to birdsong, with common birds subordinate to the nightingale (Philomel). The third considers flowers, with violets yielding to the rose. This progression is not random but carefully calculated, moving from the heavens to earth, from distant to immediate, from eternal to ephemeral.

The phrase "meaner beauties of the night" is particularly rich in its implications. "Meaner" carries both its modern sense of inferior and its older meaning of common or ordinary, while "beauties" acknowledges the stars' appeal while simultaneously diminishing it. The description of stars as "common people of the skies" makes explicit the poem's parallel between natural and social hierarchy, a central concern of Renaissance political philosophy.

Classical and Literary Allusions

Wotton's classical education shines through in his sophisticated deployment of literary allusions. The reference to Philomel invokes not only the nightingale but the entire Ovidian narrative of Philomela, with its themes of transformation and transcendent voice. This adds layers of meaning to the comparison with "curious chanters," whose "weak accents" suggest both artistic and political weakness.

The progression of flowers, from violets to rose, draws on a rich tradition of flower symbolism in both classical and Christian contexts. The violet's association with humility and the rose's with both love and sovereignty create a complex web of meanings that supports both the poem's surface praise and its deeper political implications.

Political and Social Commentary

While ostensibly a praise poem, "On his Mistress" contains subtle but significant political commentary. Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James I of England, had become Queen of Bohemia through her marriage to Frederick V. The poem's composition likely dates to around 1619, when Frederick and Elizabeth accepted the crown of Bohemia—a decision that would lead to political catastrophe and exile.

The phrase "by virtue first, then choice, a Queen" is particularly loaded in this context. It suggests both Elizabeth's innate nobility ("virtue first") and the elective nature of the Bohemian monarchy ("then choice"), while the ordering implies the primacy of natural over political right—a crucial distinction in contemporary debates about monarchy and legitimacy.

Rhetorical Strategy

The poem's rhetorical strategy is masterful in its manipulation of the question form. The first three stanzas pose questions that diminish their subjects, while the final stanza's question, though similarly structured, functions differently, demanding acknowledgment of Elizabeth's superiority. This shift is emphasized by the move from "what are you" to "tell me if she were not designed."

The term "designed" in the final stanza is crucial, suggesting both aesthetic and divine purpose. It links the poem's natural imagery to its political claims, implying that Elizabeth's queenship is not merely a matter of human choice but of divine ordination.

Metaphysical Elements

While not typically classified as a metaphysical poem, "On his Mistress" shares certain characteristics with that school. The central conceit—the systematic comparison of lesser beauties to a supreme beauty—is developed with the kind of logical rigor associated with Donne and his followers. The poem's movement from physical to spiritual beauty, and its suggestion that true nobility manifests in both "form and beauty of her mind," reflects metaphysical concerns with the relationship between physical and spiritual reality.

Conclusion

Wotton's poem achieves its effects through a careful integration of form, imagery, and idea. While it functions effectively as a praise poem, its greater significance lies in how it uses its ostensible purpose to explore broader questions about hierarchy, legitimacy, and the relationship between natural and political order. The poem's sophistication lies not merely in its graceful execution of conventional praise tropes, but in how it transforms those conventions into a complex meditation on power, beauty, and divine purpose.

The final stanza's culminating question, far from being merely rhetorical, encapsulates the poem's central concerns with design, both divine and artistic. In declaring Elizabeth "th' eclipse and glory of her kind," Wotton creates a paradox worthy of the metaphysicals: she both obscures and illuminates, suggesting that true sovereignty, like divine truth, might be both revealing and concealing. This sophisticated resolution elevates the poem beyond mere flattery to become a significant meditation on the nature of sovereignty and beauty.