The Poetry of "Cosmic Love"
Elle McHugh
English L202
Paper 2 – Analysis
October 15, 2012
The Poetry of “Cosmic Love”
Emerging in the summer of 2009, Florence and the Machine, a British indie-rock band, has a style of a mix between soul and rock. Nonetheless, their sound is best described by their lead singer Florence Welch as, “something overwhelming and all-encompassing that fills you up . . .” That said, their music contains an ethereal intensity with poetic elements that set them apart from other music. Such a song by Florence and the Machine that exemplifies poetic components is “Cosmic Love.” This particular tune tells the story of girl who falls in love with a boy and becomes consumed by it. However, she fears that he may not feel the same, and becomes entirely absorbed by this anxiety. But, later, she comes to the realization that she was mistaken. In order to express this tale, Florence and the Machine employ poetic mechanisms to better explain the plot of this story. Thus, because of form and extended metaphor the song “Cosmic Love” by Florence and the Machine can be equated as a poem. The most evident of these poetic devices that are commissioned is form. “Cosmic Love” is comprised of seven four-line stanzas or quatrains, which alternate between verse and chorus. As described by Kennedy, the use of quatrains, “is the most common stanza form used in the English-language [of] poetry,” (Kennedy, 531). Accordingly, this consistency gives the song a distinct configuration, which greatly aligns it with common arrangements of poetry. Along with its physical appearance, because “Cosmic Love” conveys a story, it has the textual appearance of a ballad. Thus from these two elements, “Cosmic Love” produces a parallel between song and poetry. Another facet of form that appears within this song is repetition. The chorus of “The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out/ You left me in the dark/ No dawn, no day, I’m always in this twilight/ Of the shadow of your heart,”
English L202
Paper 2 – Analysis
October 15, 2012
The Poetry of “Cosmic Love”
Emerging in the summer of 2009, Florence and the Machine, a British indie-rock band, has a style of a mix between soul and rock. Nonetheless, their sound is best described by their lead singer Florence Welch as, “something overwhelming and all-encompassing that fills you up . . .” That said, their music contains an ethereal intensity with poetic elements that set them apart from other music. Such a song by Florence and the Machine that exemplifies poetic components is “Cosmic Love.” This particular tune tells the story of girl who falls in love with a boy and becomes consumed by it. However, she fears that he may not feel the same, and becomes entirely absorbed by this anxiety. But, later, she comes to the realization that she was mistaken. In order to express this tale, Florence and the Machine employ poetic mechanisms to better explain the plot of this story. Thus, because of form and extended metaphor the song “Cosmic Love” by Florence and the Machine can be equated as a poem. The most evident of these poetic devices that are commissioned is form. “Cosmic Love” is comprised of seven four-line stanzas or quatrains, which alternate between verse and chorus. As described by Kennedy, the use of quatrains, “is the most common stanza form used in the English-language [of] poetry,” (Kennedy, 531). Accordingly, this consistency gives the song a distinct configuration, which greatly aligns it with common arrangements of poetry. Along with its physical appearance, because “Cosmic Love” conveys a story, it has the textual appearance of a ballad. Thus from these two elements, “Cosmic Love” produces a parallel between song and poetry. Another facet of form that appears within this song is repetition. The chorus of “The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out/ You left me in the dark/ No dawn, no day, I’m always in this twilight/ Of the shadow of your heart,”
Cited: 1. “Cosmic Love.” Moshi Moshi Entertainment. 2009. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. www.florenceandthemachine.net 2. Kennedy, X.J., and Dana Gioia. "Chapter 17: Closed Form." Backpack Literature. Fourth ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2012. 512-31. Print.