Song: Love Armed – Aphra Behn

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Notes de leçon

The Poem and Its Context

'Song: Love Armed' is by Aphra Behn, a Restoration poet and dramatist.
The poem is taken from Behn's 1676 revenge play×Abdelazer; or, the Moor's Revenge×, and the song plays as the play opens.
It belongs to the Songs of Ourselves Volume 1 anthology, studied for Paper 1, Section A (Poetry).
In the exam you answer one question from a choice of two on your studied cluster; the full poem is printed on the paper.
Behn was called 'The English Sappho', a comparison to the Greek poet Sappho.
Behn wrote at a time when female dramatists and poets were few, and the Restoration encouraged freedom from earlier Puritanism.

What the Poem Is About

The poem subverts traditional ideals of romantic love, presenting love as a destructive force.
Love is represented as a warrior who gloats over the 'bleeding hearts' he has conquered.
The speaker describes love as a surreal ('strange') tyrant who enjoys bringing pain.
The poem contrasts the ignored lover with the loved one: only the speaker's heart is harmed, while the loved one's heart is the 'victor' and remains 'free'.
By giving love so much attention, the speaker suggests humans create a 'God' of the concept, implying love holds too much power over people.
The ending implies love places all humans into an imaginary war in which there is only one winner.

Form

The poem is written as a song, with two regular stanzas of eight lines each.
It follows a disciplined rhythm of alternating rhyming lines: ABABCDCD in the first stanza and EFEFGFGF in the second.
The regular, sing-song rhythm elevates traditional themes of romantic love.
The 16 lines are written in iambic tetrameter, giving a steady beat, with small variations throughout.
The simple form, with variations, subverts the traditional 'Cupid' version of love.

Structure

The poem is structured as two stanzas following a generally steady, slow-paced rhythm.
Iambic tetrameter, with most lines ending in punctuated pauses, creates a solemn tone.
The slow, steady voice conveys the repressed agony and powerlessness caused by unrequited love.
Some lines alter the rhythm — for example, the first line uses a trochee — and this subverts traditional ideals of romantic love with a cynical tone.
The conclusive ending, beginning 'Thus', resolves the poem by showing love as an armed deity and the speaker as the only one hurt.

Language and Imagery

Behn uses an extended metaphor alluding to a classical, god-like figure, portraying love as a cold-hearted conqueror.
The verb 'sat' portrays Love as on a throne, looking upon his victories.
Victims of love are represented as 'bleeding hearts' — a play on the phrase connoting sentimentality — and the verb 'flowed' describes many victims.
Emotive language such as 'fresh pains', 'tears' and 'poor heart' presents the speaker as a victim of unrequited love, showing physical and emotional pain.
Anaphora alternates between 'From me' and 'From thee', highlighting the stark contrast between those who love and those who are loved.
The line 'he took' is followed by the repeated pronoun 'his', as if Love owns even the speaker's 'languishments and fears'.
Plurals such as 'fears' suggest multiple conquests.
The poem subverts the typical allusion to Cupid: the child who shoots arrows of love appears here as a warrior.

Key Themes: Unrequited Love

Behn wrote during the Restoration period, when literature began to explore realism and satire.
The poem satirises love as a greedy, god-like tyrant — a more cynical and realistic portrayal of unrequited love than contemporary poems of perfect love.
Unrequited love was a common theme in poetry at the time, exploring complex relationships such as those in the court of King Charles II.
In Behn's poetry the speaker is almost always a female expressing extreme emotions in response to romantic and sexual relationships.
In this poem the speaker repeatedly refers to the loved one as 'he', suggesting the speaker is female.
The poem presents unrequited love as one-sided and imbalanced, a battle in which only one is hurt.

Key Themes: Classical and Traditional Love

The poem makes an allusion to a mythological Roman 'God' or 'Deity' who controls humans as if in a game ('sport'), a common theme of seventeenth-century literature.
Military language such as 'armed' and 'victor' works alongside abstract nouns that have been capitalised, typical of classical literature.
The poem employs sophisticated rhythm and rhyme in a disciplined structure that mimics classical poetry.
Behn challenges traditional ideas of romance through a hyperbolic allusion that draws attention to the destructive side of love.
The personification of love as a powerful and cruel god of war is continued throughout the poem.

Writing About the Poem in the Exam

Examiners say the best responses show a 'sustained personal and evaluative engagement' — aim for a brief introduction, at least three paragraphs and a concise conclusion.
Spend time thinking about the poem overall rather than analysing line by line, and begin by engaging with the key words of the question.
Quoting lines and explaining their meaning is not analysis: instead, explore how the poet makes decisions about language.
Use linguistic terms to explain the effect on the reader, and closely relate your analysis to the question.
Write about patterns of language, tone of voice through rhythm and rhyme, and how endings present ideas.
Historical facts or biographical information about the poet do not add value; 'context' is rewarded when you explore ideas about theme, and points about societal values should be linked to the writer's purpose.
Using the poet's name keeps you thinking of the text as a conscious construct, focusing on how the poet made choices; use connectives to link ideas into a coherent argument.
Divide your time equally: each question is worth 25 marks, so aim for about 45 minutes on each.

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1.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', who is the poet?
Easy
- AAphra Behn
- BKatherine Philips
- CSujata Bhatt
- DWilliam Blake
2.In 'Song: Love Armed', how is Love presented in the opening lines?
Easy
- AAs a cold-hearted conqueror sitting in triumph
- BAs a gentle child playing with flowers
- CAs a wise old man teaching lessons
- DAs a sorrowful prisoner in chains
3.In 'Song: Love Armed', what does the speaker say Love takes from 'me' and from 'thee'?
Medium
- AFrom me sighs and tears, from thee pride and cruelty
- BFrom me bright eyes, from thee desire
- CFrom me the god, from thee the deity
- DFrom me the victor, from thee the free
4.In 'Song: Love Armed', which of the following are presented as things Love takes from the speaker? (Select all that apply)
Medium
- Asighs
- Btears
- Cpride
- Dcruelty
- Elanguishments
5.In 'Song: Love Armed', the speaker's heart is the one that is harmed, while the loved one's heart remains free.
Easy
True or false?
6.In 'Song: Love Armed', what is the effect of the alternating rhyme scheme and iambic tetrameter?
Medium
- AIt creates a regular, sing-song rhythm that elevates traditional themes of romantic love
- BIt creates a chaotic, free-verse feel that mirrors the speaker's confusion
- CIt makes the poem sound like a prose speech
- DIt suggests the poem is a sonnet
7.In 'Song: Love Armed', what does the speaker mean by 'Thus thou and I the God have armed'?
Medium
- ATogether they have created and empowered Love as a deity
- BThey have fought against Love and defeated it
- CThey have armed themselves with weapons against each other
- DThey have prayed to a god for help
8.Which themes are central to Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed'? (Select all that apply)
Medium
- AUnrequited love
- BClassical, traditional ideas of love
- CThe beauty of nature
- DThe power of oral tradition
- EThe cruelty of love

Plus de questions

9.In 'Song: Love Armed', which line uses a trochee instead of iambic rhythm, subverting traditional ideals of romantic love?
Medium
- A'Love in Fantastic Triumph sat'
- B'Whilst bleeding hearts around him flowed'
- C'For whom fresh pains he did create'
- D'And strange tyrannic power he showed'
10.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', which of the following are presented as things Love takes from the loved one ('thee')? (Select all that apply)
Medium
- Apride
- Bcruelty
- Csighs
- Devery killing dart
- Elanguishments
11.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', which statements about the poem's form are accurate? (Select all that apply)
Medium
- AIt is written in iambic tetrameter, giving a steady beat.
- BIt is written as a song, with two regular eight-line stanzas.
- CIt uses a consistent alternating rhyme scheme.
- DIt is written in free verse with no fixed rhythm.
- EIt is a sonnet of fourteen lines.
12.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', which of the following are true of the classical allusion in the poem? (Select all that apply)
Hard
- ALove is personified as a powerful and cruel god of war.
- BThe poem alludes to the Roman figure of love, Cupid.
- CThe allusion challenges traditional ideas of romance.
- DThe allusion presents love as gentle and playful.
- EThe god is presented as weak and defeated.
13.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', match each quotation to the idea it conveys.
Medium
- 'Love in fantastic triumph sat'
- 'bleeding hearts around him flowed'
- 'fresh pains he did create'
- 'my poor heart alone is harmed'
- Love is enthroned as a conqueror
- Love's many victims are wounded
- Love takes pleasure in causing suffering
- Unrequited love hurts only the speaker
14.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', match each quotation to the poetic method Behn uses in it.
Hard
- 'Love in fantastic triumph sat'
- 'From me he took his sighs and tears, / From thee his pride and cruelty'
- 'bleeding hearts'
- 'set him up a deity'
- Trochee that disrupts the iambic rhythm
- Anaphora alternating 'From me' and 'From thee'
- Play on a familiar phrase about sentimentality
- Military and religious language of worship
15.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', place the following moments from the poem in the order in which they appear.
Medium
- Love sits in triumph while bleeding hearts flow around him
- The speaker contrasts the loved one's 'bright eyes' with their own desire
- Love takes pride and cruelty from the loved one, and sighs and fears from the speaker
- The speaker concludes that only their own heart is harmed
16.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', order these stages of the speaker's argument about love.
Medium
- Love is presented as a triumphant conqueror
- Unrequited love is shown to be one-sided and imbalanced
- Love is shown to take from both the speaker and the loved one
- The speaker and loved one have together created a 'deity' of love
17.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the loved one is described as the 'victor' whose heart remains 'free'.
Easy
True or false?
18.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', Behn presents love as a gentle and sentimental force that brings only happiness.
Medium
True or false?
19.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the poem is taken from a play and was originally written to be sung.
Medium
True or false?
20.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the speaker describes love as a warrior. According to the poem, who is harmed by the 'God' of love?
Easy
- AOnly the speaker's heart is harmed, while the loved one's heart remains free
- BBoth the speaker and the loved one are equally wounded
- COnly the loved one is harmed, while the speaker remains free
- DNeither is harmed; love is presented as harmless
21.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', what does the loved one ('thee') contribute to the arming of the God of love?
Medium
- APride and cruelty, and every killing dart
- BSighs and tears, and languishments and fears
- CDesire enough to undo the amorous world
- DBright eyes that hurl fire
22.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', how does the speaker describe the loved one's heart at the end of the poem?
Medium
- AAs the 'victor' that is 'free'
- BAs 'bleeding' and wounded
- CAs 'languishing' and full of fear
- DAs 'tyrannic' and cruel
23.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', which of the following are presented as things Love takes from the speaker ('me')? (Select all that apply)
Medium
- ASighs and tears
- BLanguishments and fears
- CPride and cruelty
- DKilling darts
- EBright eyes
24.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the speaker presents love as a gentle and sentimental force that brings only happiness.
Easy
True or false?
25.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the speaker suggests that by giving love so much attention, humans create a 'God' or 'deity' of the concept of love.
Easy
True or false?
26.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', how does the speaker describe Love's power in the lines 'For whom fresh pains he did create, / And strange tyrannic power he showed'?
Medium
- AAs a strange tyrant who creates fresh pains
- BAs a gentle god who brings comfort
- CAs a playful child who shoots arrows
- DAs a victim of unrequited love
27.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', which line uses a trochee instead of iambic rhythm, subverting traditional ideals of romantic love?
Medium
- ALove in fantastic triumph sat
- BWhilst bleeding hearts around him flowed
- CFor whom fresh pains he did create
- DAnd strange tyrannic power he showed
28.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the opening line is 'Love in fantastic triumph sat'. What is the effect of the verb 'sat' in this line?
Medium
- AIt portrays Love as enthroned, looking down upon his victories like a conqueror.
- BIt suggests Love is weak and exhausted by the suffering he has caused.
- CIt implies Love is hiding from the speaker and avoiding responsibility.
- DIt shows Love is seated beside the speaker as an equal companion.
29.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the speaker says Love took 'his fire' from the loved one's 'bright eyes', which 'round about in sport he hurled'. What does the word 'sport' suggest about the way Love uses this fire?
Medium
- ALove treats the suffering of others as a careless game or amusement.
- BLove uses the loved one's eyes to heal the wounds of those who suffer.
- CLove hurls fire in order to protect the speaker from heartbreak.
- DLove's fire is a serious weapon used only in moments of great danger.
30.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the speaker says Love took 'desire' from their own eyes, 'Enough to undo the amorous world'. What does 'undo' most likely mean here?
Medium
- AUnsettle or ruin the world of love.
- BFasten or tie together the world of love.
- CReveal or explain the world of love.
- DForget or ignore the world of love.
31.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the speaker describes Love as a 'strange tyrannic power'. Which feature of Behn's language most strongly creates this impression?
Medium
- AThe emotive language 'fresh pains' and 'tyrannic power', which presents Love as gloating and sadistic.
- BThe use of the word 'bright' to describe the loved one's eyes.
- CThe repetition of the pronoun 'his' to show that Love owns everything he takes.
- DThe use of the word 'Thus' to begin the final stanza.
32.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', which of the following are effects of Behn's use of iambic tetrameter? (Select all that apply)
Medium
- AIt gives the poem a steady beat.
- BIt slows the speaker's voice, creating a melodramatic effect.
- CIt creates a solemn tone through the slow, steady pace.
- DIt makes the poem sound chaotic and irregular throughout.
- EIt removes all sense of rhythm from the poem.
33.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', which of the following are true of the poem's form? (Select all that apply)
Medium
- AIt is written as a song.
- BIt has two regular stanzas, each of eight lines.
- CIt follows a disciplined rhythm of alternating rhyming lines.
- DIt is written in free verse with no rhyme scheme.
- EIt has three stanzas of six lines each.
34.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', which of the following are true of the poem's structure? (Select all that apply)
Hard
- AIt is structured as two stanzas that generally follow a steady, slow-paced rhythm.
- BMost lines end with punctuated pauses, which creates a solemn tone.
- CThe first line uses a trochee instead of an iamb, subverting traditional ideals of romantic love.
- DThe poem is structured as a single unbroken stanza.
- EThe poem's rhythm is completely irregular and unpredictable throughout.
35.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the poem uses a consistent alternating rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD in the first stanza and EFEFGFGF in the second.
Easy
True or false?
36.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the poem presents love as a gentle and sentimental force that brings only happiness.
Easy
True or false?
37.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the speaker says 'Thus thou and I the God have armed, / And set him up a deity'. What does this suggest about the speaker's view of love?
Hard
- ABy giving love so much attention, humans create a 'God' of the concept, giving it too much power.
- BLove is a real god who exists independently of human attention.
- CThe speaker and the loved one have defeated the God of love together.
- DThe speaker believes love should be worshipped as a sacred deity.
38.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', the speaker says 'But my poor heart alone is harmed, / Whilst thine the victor is, and free.' What does the word 'victor' emphasise about the loved one?
Medium
- AThe loved one has won the battle of love and remains unharmed and free.
- BThe loved one has been defeated and is suffering greatly.
- CThe loved one is a prisoner of love and cannot escape.
- DThe loved one is indifferent to the speaker's suffering.
39.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', which of the following are true of the poem's use of imagery related to injury? (Select all that apply)
Hard
- AEmotive language like 'fresh pains', 'tears', and 'poor heart' describes how the speaker has been harmed.
- BThe speaker is presented as a victim of unrequited love through personal, intimate expression of physical and emotional pain.
- CThe imagery of injury suggests that love is a gentle and healing force.
- DThe poem uses military language such as 'armed' and 'victor' to reinforce the idea of love as a battle.
- EThe imagery of injury is used only to describe the loved one's suffering.
40.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', which of the following are true of the poem's use of classical allusion? (Select all that apply)
Medium
- AIt alludes to Cupid, the Roman god of love, but presents him as a warrior rather than a child.
- BIt uses military language such as 'armed' and 'victor' alongside capitalised abstract nouns.
- CIt suggests that love controls humans as if in a game ('sport').
- DIt alludes to the Christian God as the true source of love.
- EIt presents love as a gentle and playful child who brings only joy.
41.In 'Song: Love Armed', what is the name of the classical figure of love that Behn subverts?
Medium
42.Complete the description of the poem's form in 'Song: Love Armed'.
Easy
The poem has two stanzas of ____ lines each, written in iambic ____.
43.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', complete the description of what Love takes from each person.
Medium
From me he took his sighs and ____, and from thee his pride and ____.
44.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', what term describes the poetic technique of giving human qualities to the abstract idea of Love?
Medium
45.Complete the description of the poem's form in Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed'.
Easy
The poem is written as a ____, so it has two regular stanzas, each of eight lines, and follows a disciplined rhythm of alternating rhyming lines.
46.Complete the description of what Love takes from each person in Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed'.
Easy
From me he took his sighs and ____, / From thee his pride and ____;
47.Complete this description of the form of Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed'.
Medium
The poem is written as a ____, so it has two regular stanzas, each of ____ lines, and follows a disciplined rhythm of alternating rhyming lines.
48.Complete this description of the two stanzas of Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed'.
Medium
In the first stanza the poem uses the rhyme scheme ____, and in the second stanza it changes to ____.
49.Complete this description of how the poem alternates between the speaker and the loved one in Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed'.
Medium
The stark contrast between those that love and those that are loved continues in anaphora alternating between 'From ____' and 'From ____'.
50.Complete this description of the classical allusion in Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed'.
Medium
The poem subverts a typical allusion of the Roman figure of love ____, the son of Venus and Mars, who appears here not as a child but as a ____.
51.Complete this description of the poem's language in Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed'.
Medium
Behn's extended metaphor makes use of a classical allusion to present the idea of love as a powerful and ____ warrior who takes pleasure in causing ____.
52.Complete this description of the imagery of injury in Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed'.
Medium
The poem employs imagery related to injury: emotive language like 'fresh pains', 'tears', and 'poor ____' describes how the speaker has been ____.
53.Explain how Behn presents love as a destructive force in 'Song: Love Armed'.
Hard
54.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', explain how Behn presents love as a destructive force.
Hard
55.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', how does Behn use form and structure to present her ideas about love?
Hard
56.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', explain how Behn uses language to present love as a destructive force.
Hard
57.In Aphra Behn's 'Song: Love Armed', how does Behn present love as both a powerful and a destructive force? Support your answer with close reference to the poem.
Challenge

Notes de révision

## Song: Love Armed – Aphra Behn **Context:** Restoration poet and dramatist; the song comes from her 1676 revenge play *Abdelazer; or, the Moor's Revenge*, which opens with it playing. Behn was called "The English Sappho". **What it's about:** The speaker presents love as a destructive force, personified as a warrior gloating over the "bleeding hearts" he has conquered. Unrequited love is a battle in which only one person is hurt and only one wins. **Key ideas** - **Unrequited love:** one-sided and imbalanced; the ignored lover suffers while the loved one stays "free". - **Love as tyrant:** a "strange" tyrant who enjoys causing "fresh pains"; his "tyrannic power" is sadistic and gloating. - **Subverting tradition:** Behn challenges sentimental ideals of romantic love and the traditional Cupid figure — here Cupid appears as a warrior, not a child with arrows. - **The lovers arm the god:** by giving love so much attention, the speaker and the loved one create a "deity" that rules them. Love is an imaginary war. **Writer's methods** - **Form:** written as a song — two regular eight-line stanzas with alternating rhyme (ABABCDCD, then EFEFGFGF), giving a regular, sing-song rhythm that elevates traditional romantic themes. - **Metre:** iambic tetrameter gives a steady beat; small variations (e.g. a trochee opening the first line) subvert the traditional idea of love. - **Structure:** steady, slow pace with punctuated pauses creates a solemn, unsettling tone, conveying the repressed agony and powerlessness of unrequited love. - **Language:** extended metaphor and classical allusion; personification of Love as a cold-hearted conqueror on a throne; injury imagery ("fresh pains", "tears", "poor heart"); military language ("armed", "victor"); capitalised abstract nouns typical of classical literature; anaphora alternating "From me" / "From thee"; repeated "his" shows Love taking everything, even the speaker's "languishments and fears". **Exam focus** - Answer only on the printed poem; no marks for other anthology poems. - Aim for a brief introduction, at least three paragraphs and a concise conclusion; about 45 minutes on this question. - Engage the key words of the question; analyse *how* Behn creates effects, not just what lines mean. - Link points about society's values to Behn's purpose; use her name to keep focus on deliberate choices. **Key terms:** personification, extended metaphor, classical allusion, iambic tetrameter, trochee, anaphora, subvert, unrequited love, Restoration.

Personification: Presenting an abstract idea (here Love) as a person or god-like figure; Behn makes Love a cold-hearted conqueror on a throne.
Extended metaphor: A metaphor sustained across the poem: love as a warrior who conquers and wounds his victims.
Classical allusion: Reference to classical myth; Behn alludes to the Roman god of love (Cupid), but presents him as a warrior rather than a child with arrows.
Iambic tetrameter: A line of four iambic feet, giving a steady beat; it slows the speaker's voice and creates a melodramatic effect.
Trochee: A metrical foot of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one; its use in the opening line varies the rhythm and subverts traditional romantic ideals.
Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive lines; Behn alternates "From me" and "From thee" to contrast the lovers.
Subvert: To challenge or overturn accepted ideas; Behn subverts traditional sentimental ideals of romantic love and the Cupid figure.
Unrequited love: Love that is not returned; presented as one-sided and imbalanced, a battle in which only one is hurt and only one wins.
Restoration period: The era in which Behn wrote, when literature began to explore realism and satire and when female dramatists and poets were few.

Cartes mémo

Who wrote 'Song: Love Armed'?

Aphra Behn, a Restoration poet and dramatist.

From which play is 'Song: Love Armed' taken, and when was it written?

It is taken from Aphra Behn's 1676 revenge play Abdelazer; or, the Moor's Revenge.

What is the central extended metaphor in 'Song: Love Armed'?

Love is personified as a warrior or tyrant who conquers and wounds his victims.

How does Behn subvert traditional ideals of romantic love?

She presents love as a destructive, cruel force rather than something sentimental or sacred.

What does the phrase 'bleeding hearts' represent in the poem?

It represents the victims of love, wounded by the god of love; it is also a play on the phrase connoting sentimentality.

What is the effect of the verb 'sat' in the opening line?

It portrays Love as on a throne, looking upon his victories like a conqueror.

How does Behn describe unrequited love in lines 3–4?

She describes it as gloating and sadistic, using emotive language such as 'fresh pains' and 'tyrannic power'.

What is the effect of iambic tetrameter in the poem?

It slows the speaker's voice, creating a melodramatic and solemn effect that presents unrequited love negatively.

What contrast is set up in lines 5–8?

The loved one's 'bright eyes' give Love his fire, while the ignored speaker's eyes show only desire that could 'undo' the amorous world.

What does the conjunction 'But' signal in lines 5–8?

It separates two contrasting statements about the emotion seen in the eyes of the loved one and the ignored speaker.

What does the anaphora 'From me' and 'From thee' emphasise?

It highlights the stark contrast between those who love and those who are loved.

How does Behn use the pronoun 'his' in lines 9–12?

The repeated 'his' suggests Love owns everything he takes, including the speaker's own 'languishments and fears'.

How does Behn subvert the traditional figure of Cupid?

Cupid, usually a child who shoots arrows of love, appears here as a warrior who takes pleasure in causing pain.

What is the effect of the poem's conclusion, beginning with 'Thus'?

It implies that by giving love so much attention, humans create a 'God' of the concept, giving love too much power.

What does the ending reveal about unrequited love?

It is a battle in which only one person is hurt and only one is the victor, while the other remains free.

What is the rhyme scheme of the first stanza in 'Song: Love Armed'?

ABABCDCD.

What is the rhyme scheme of the second stanza in 'Song: Love Armed'?

EFEFGFGF.

Why does Behn use a regular, sing-song rhythm?

It elevates traditional themes of romantic love, but the simple form with variations subverts the traditional 'Cupid' version of love.

How does the poem's structure create a solemn tone?

Iambic tetrameter with most lines ending in punctuated pauses creates a slow-paced, steady voice conveying repressed agony.

What is the effect of the trochee in the first line, 'Love in Fantastic Triumph sat'?

It alters the rhythm and subverts traditional ideals of romantic love with a cynical tone.

What imagery is used to present the speaker as a victim of unrequited love?

Imagery related to injury, such as 'fresh pains', 'tears', and 'poor heart', describes how the speaker has been harmed.

How does Behn draw attention to the destructive side of love?

Through an hyperbolic allusion that personifies love as a powerful and cruel god of war, challenging traditional ideas of romance.

What does the title 'Song: Love Armed' suggest?

It suggests love is armed like a warrior, ready to wound and conquer.

In what period did Aphra Behn write, and what did literature begin to explore then?

The Restoration period, when literature began to explore realism and satire.

What does the speaker repeatedly refer to the loved one as, suggesting the speaker is female?

The speaker refers to the loved one as 'he', suggesting the speaker is female.

What is the significance of the military language such as 'armed' and 'victor'?

It works alongside capitalised abstract nouns, typical of classical literature, to present love as a war.

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