The Alienated Mistress; A Madrigal. (From An Unfinished Melodrama) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poem, Summary, & Analysis)

 

The Alienated Mistress; A Madrigal. (From An Unfinished Melodrama)

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

(Poem, Summary, & Analysis) 

The Alienated Mistress; A Madrigal. (From An Unfinished Melodrama)

Lady.

If Love be dead (and you aver it!)

Tell me, Bard! where Love lies buried.

 

Poet.

Love lies buried where 'twas born,

Ah, faithless nymph! think it no scorn

If in my fancy I presume

To name thy bosom poor Love's Tomb,

And on that Tomb to read the line,

Here lies a Love that once was mine,

But took a chill, as I divine,

And died at length of a decline.

 

Summary

The poem unfolds as a brief yet poignant exchange between two characters: a Lady and a Poet.​

 

1. The Lady's Inquiry:

The poem opens with the Lady questioning the Poet about the death of Love. She challenges his assertion that Love is dead by asking:​

"If Love be dead (and you aver it!)

Tell me, Bard! where Love lies buried."​

Her inquiry is both rhetorical and accusatory, suggesting skepticism and a desire for explanation regarding the demise of their romantic connection.​

 

2. The Poet's Response:

The Poet replies that Love is buried where it was born, implying that the origin and end of their love reside in the same place. He elaborates by metaphorically identifying the Lady's heart as Love's tomb:​

"Love lies buried where 'twas born,

Ah, faithless nymph! think it no scorn

If in my fancy I presume

To name thy bosom poor Love's Tomb,"​

He continues by imagining an epitaph on this metaphorical tombstone, stating that Love, once his, succumbed to a gradual decline:​

"And on that Tomb to read the line,

Here lies a Love that once was mine,

But took a chill, as I divine,

And died at length of a decline."​

Through this exchange, the Poet attributes the death of their love to the Lady's perceived faithlessness, suggesting that her actions led to Love's gradual demise.​

This madrigal, though brief, encapsulates a narrative of love's birth, deterioration, and death, conveyed through a metaphorical dialogue between the two characters.​

 

Analysis in Detail

Title Analysis:

"The Alienated Mistress; A Madrigal"

 

"Alienated Mistress" immediately suggests emotional or relational estrangement. The woman in question is not merely distant but emotionally disconnected from her lover.

"A Madrigal" refers to a short lyrical poem, often with romantic or pastoral themes, and usually set to music. This gives the poem a lyrical, performative quality.

"(From An Unfinished Melodrama)" hints at theatricality and possibly exaggeration, adding a self-aware or even ironic layer to the emotional exchange between the characters.

 

Structure and Voice:

The poem is structured as a dialogue — a miniature dramatic scene between two characters:

Lady: She opens with a question that is both confrontational and rhetorical.

Poet: Responds with metaphorical and poetic language, full of emotional accusation and imagery.

This duality creates a mini play, echoing the melodramatic nature suggested in the subtitle. The format adds intensity and drama to the short piece, imitating a scene from a larger emotional narrative.

 

Themes and Motifs:

1. Love and Loss

The central theme is the death of love. The Lady's question sets up this theme by confronting the idea of Love’s death. The Poet confirms it with finality and even describes where and how Love died.

"Love lies buried where 'twas born"

This suggests a cyclical nature — love began and ended in the same place — possibly in the Lady’s heart.

 

2. Blame and Betrayal

There’s a clear tone of blame in the Poet’s words. By calling her a “faithless nymph,” he directly accuses the Lady of disloyalty or indifference.

"Ah, faithless nymph! think it no scorn

If in my fancy I presume

To name thy bosom poor Love's Tomb"

This metaphor paints her heart as the grave of Love, implying she killed it through coldness or betrayal.

 

3. Decay vs. Sudden Death

The Poet doesn’t say Love was murdered — he says it declined and eventually died.

"And died at length of a decline."

This could suggest a gradual loss of affection, perhaps due to emotional neglect or disillusionment. The slow death contrasts with more violent images of heartbreak, hinting at resignation rather than shock.

 

Tone and Language:

Tone: The poem moves between bitterness, sorrow, and irony. The Lady’s tone is sarcastic, and the Poet’s tone is mournful but pointed.

Diction: Coleridge uses elevated, poetic language — “nymph,” “tomb,” “decline” — which both romanticizes and dramatizes the situation.

Irony: There’s a layer of irony in how love’s demise is described so poetically. The use of the word “madrigal” — typically associated with harmony and beauty — contrasts with the subject of emotional estrangement.

 

Imagery and Symbolism:

Love as a Living Thing: The metaphor of Love being born, declining, and dying personifies it — it becomes a character with its own arc.

The Tomb: The Lady’s bosom (heart) is the tomb — symbolizing that the love once nourished there has now died and is entombed in coldness or loss.

The Epitaph: The lines the Poet imagines on Love’s tomb serve as a poetic summary of their failed relationship, immortalizing his heartbreak.

 

Contextual Notes (Coleridge’s Style & Period):

Coleridge often explored psychological states, emotional depth, and the tension between idealism and disillusionment.

His Romantic contemporaries frequently used similar metaphors to convey intense personal experiences.

The fact that this is from an “unfinished melodrama” suggests he was experimenting with theatrical or performative forms of poetry — possibly parodying or exaggerating romantic tropes.

 

Conclusion:

The Alienated Mistress; A Madrigal is a short but layered poem in which Coleridge condenses the emotional arc of a failed relationship into a brief, lyrical dialogue. Through metaphor, structure, and tone, he paints a scene of bitter realization and poetic blame. While the Lady’s question is sharp and provocative, the Poet’s reply is emotionally rich, sorrowful, and subtly accusatory, leaving the reader with the image of love that slowly faded and found its grave in the heart where it once bloomed.

 

Paraphrase

Original Lines

Lady.

If Love be dead (and you aver it!)

Tell me, Bard! where Love lies buried.

 

Modern Paraphrase

Lady:

If love is really dead (as you claim it is),

Then tell me, poet—where is it buried?

 

Original Lines

Poet.

Love lies buried where 'twas born,

Ah, faithless nymph! think it no scorn

If in my fancy I presume

To name thy bosom poor Love's Tomb,

 

Modern Paraphrase

Poet:

Love is buried right where it was born—

Oh, unfaithful lady! Don’t take offense

If I imagine, in my own mind,

That your heart is the tomb where Love now rests.

 

Original Lines

And on that Tomb to read the line,

Here lies a Love that once was mine,

But took a chill, as I divine,

And died at length of a decline.

 

Modern Paraphrase

And on that tomb, I can picture the inscription:

“Here lies a love that once belonged to me,

But it caught a chill, or so I believe,

And slowly faded away until it died.”