SO WELL GO NO MORE AROVING

By Lord Byron

CONTEXT
Born January 1788 Was notorious for his late-night activities

Just turned 29
Lord Byron was living in Venice when he wrote it, after the carnival It was part of a letter he wrote to a

friend

FIRST STANZA
So, we'll go no more a-roving So late into the night, Though the heart be still as loving And the moon be still as bright.

FIRST STANZA
So, we'll go no more a-roving So late into the night, So we wont party anymore

Long and slow o sounds moaning effect

Though the heart be still as loving And the moon be still as bright. Tough they will change, everything else will stay the same and go on without them

The moon is his sun the night is not for sleeping

SECOND STANZA
For the sword outwears its sheath, And the soul wears out the breast

And the heart must pause to breathe, And love itself have rest

SECOND STANZA
For the sword outwears its sheath, Comparing his soul to a sword shows his fighting and wild spirit and the fact that he wanted to live live to the full. Soft sounds show his weariness and fragility And the soul wears out the breast

Both are metaphors for the fact that the body tires, but the soul is eternal
The second metaphor reinforces and empathises on the first one, making it even more clear..

SECOND STANZA
And the heart must pause to breathe, Consequence of the previous lines Impossible And love itself have rest He wants to take a break

THIRD STANZA
Though the night was made for loving, And the day returns too soon, Yet we'll go no more a-roving By the light of the moon.

THIRD STANZA
Though the night was made for loving, Not for sleeping he is worn out Temptation And the day returns too soon, He prefers night to day

THIRD STANZA
Yet we'll go no more a-roving repetition of the first line Brings the poem to an end, it is the main idea By the light of the moon. Reference to the moon again Symbol for temptation

SO WELL GO NO MORE AROVING

In the last stanza he finally accepts that he cannot continue his life by the light of the moon, that his body cannot continue at the

pace he wants it to.

Throughout the poem opposites used, such as night/bright, a-roving(not settling)/love (settling down) - conveys he is still not completely convinced about his decision.

SO WELL GO NO MORE AROVING

Hearts longing Moons inconsistency Reality of ones mortality Age conquering the passion of youth