This is a four-stanza poem in which Masefield promotes positive attitudes in life. Masefield extols the virtues of living a happy life and explains how to go about this. This entails laughing and spending time with friends, whilst also appreciating the world around us. While there are some religious allusions in the poem, it is not an altogether religious text.
This poem is reasonably straightforward, but the reader can gain some extra understanding of the references by understanding the role that wine plays in the poem. Wine can be seen as a representation of God's blood, as a reference to the Eucharist and its role in religious ceremonies. However, it can also be seen as something that represents a sense of joy and worldly pleasures that people can experience in a more simple manner. It manages to unite theological ideas with something that is more of an everyday experience.
Laugh and be Merry John MasefieldLaugh and be merry, remember, better the world with a song, Better the world with a blow in the teeth of a wrong. Laugh, for the time is brief, a thread the length of a span. Laugh and be proud to belong to the old proud pageant of man.Laugh and be merry: remember, in olden time. God made Heaven and Earth for joy He took in a rhyme, Made them, and filled them full with the strong red wine of His mirth The splendid joy of the stars: the joy of the earth.So we must laugh and drink from the deep blue cup of the sky, Join the jubilant song of the great stars sweeping by, Laugh, and battle, and work, and drink of the wine outpoured In the dear green earth, the sign of the joy of the Lord.Laugh and be merry together, like brothers akin, Guesting awhile in the rooms of a beautiful inn, Glad till the dancing stops, and the lilt of the music ends. Laugh till the game is played; and be you merry, my friends.
Summary
‘Laugh and be Merry’ is a poem that sets out its didactic aims right from the title. The speaker urges the reader to “Laugh and be merry,” explaining how this can be achieved through appreciating one’s friends and the world around them.
While the poem starts with positivity, which remains the case for most of the four stanzas, the speaker also suggests fighting against “wrongs”. However, the speaker quickly returns to their positive outlook, telling the reader to be proud and make the most of the time that they have on Earth, appreciating the span of their life.
The speaker demonstrates an appreciation for the world around them. They look back at the past, particularly concerning the long, storied history of humankind, as they bring in ideas of creation as described in the Holy Bible. They believe that this is a way to appreciate the world around them. The speaker continues to look at the universe around them with something that seems as though it is approaching a sense of wonder.
At the end of the poem, the speaker returns from this view of the universe as something to inspire wonder. They highlight ideas of unity among men. The speaker does not think that it is enough to simply laugh and be merry in isolation; instead, they think that men should celebrate life together to heighten this sense of joy.
Expert Commentary
Insights by Giles Towler
BA (Hons) in History and English Literature from Manchester University
Structure and Form
This is a four-stanza poem. The stanzas are all equal in length and feature the same rhyming pattern. Each stanza is a quatrain – or, four lines long – and has an AABB rhyming pattern. There is no consistent meter that runs throughout the poem, and the rhyme scheme helps to add some rhythm to the poem. This traditional scheme paradoxically supports the poem’s exuberant message, suggesting that joy itself has an ancient, ordained structure.
The most common meter in the poem is an anapestic hexameter, creating a galloping, dance-like rhythm that embodies the merry spirit he advocates. However, this meter is not used throughout the entire poem. This meter helps to give the poem a rising rhythm to it, which matches the upbeat mood of the subject matter. The meter of the poem remains quite loose throughout, without strict rules, but the consistent stanza length and rhyming pattern help to give the poem more structure.
Literary Devices
‘Laugh and be Merry’ is a poem that is filled with literary devices, used to help the speaker express their advice about how people should live their lives. These include repetition, personification, alliteration, allusion, metaphors, and similes. Each of these devices helps the speaker describe their worldview:
- Repetition: The most obvious example of repetition is the word “laugh”. It is repeated throughout the poem, occurring at least once in every stanza. Often, the word is repeated along with the rest of the poem’s title. “Laugh and be merry” is repeated at the start of three of the four stanzas, forming a refrain. The word “joy” is also repeated throughout the poem. These repetitions help to set the tone. The reader is reminded of the title, which also serves as the didactic lesson of the poem.
- Personification: The speaker also uses personification to express joy and joyful emotions. “The splendid joy of the stars: the joy of the earth” personifies the stars and the Earth, implying that both the Earth and the heavens above are filled with joy, which is characterised as a universal emotion. The stars are also described as having a “jubilant song,” further emphasizing their happy personification.
- Alliteration: “Join the jubilant song of the great stars sweeping by” has repeated “j” and sibilant “s” sounds. These add a sense of rhythm to this poem, which urges readers to sing. Other examples in the poem, such as “the old proud pageant of man”, add a further sense of rhythm to a poem that does not have a fixed meter.
- Allusions: There are religious tones throughout the poem, and the speaker uses allusions to express their religious faith. The “olden time” alludes to the Biblical story of creation, looking at when God made the world. The story itself isn’t explained, but it serves as a reference to the way that the speaker sees joy as something that has been a part of the world since its creation.
- Metaphors: Wine is used at times in this poem as a metaphor for joy, with “The strong red wine of his mirth” serving as a metaphor for joy and life. The red colouration can be seen as a representation of lifeblood, poured into the world. A “thread” is used as a metaphor for the span of a person’s life. It is shown as a short measurement, highlighting the brief nature of a person’s life. Similarly, a simile is used when the poet tells people to be “like brothers,” unifying all of mankind in their experience of life.
Themes
Joyfulness is the main theme of this poem. The idea of being filled with joy not only occurs in the title of the poem, but it is repeated throughout the poem. The speaker wishes to emphasize their call to be filled with joy, repeating it again and again. They give their opinion on why people should be filled with joy, and also how they think that this can be achieved. The speaker focuses on ideas of connections with others, as well as spiritual fulfillment and seeing the transient nature of life not as a reason for sorrow but as a call to be “merry”.
There are also religious themes in the poem: the speaker alludes to Christian ideals and speaks about how joy was infused into the world at the time of its creation. As a result of this, he sees a connection to God through joy, as though feeling this emotion is a way to praise God and gain a sense of spiritual contentment.
Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
Stanza One
Laugh and be merry, remember, better the world with a song,
Better the world with a blow in the teeth of a wrong.
Laugh, for the time is brief, a thread the length of a span.
Laugh and be proud to belong to the old proud pageant of man.
The poem sets the tone by repeating the title, which will feature as a recurring refrain at the beginning of three stanzas. It serves as a didactic imperative, advising the reader to embrace joy throughout life.
The use of the word “remember” in parentheses creates an increased emphasis on the importance of laughing and being joyful. This is not a selfish call to be happy for oneself, however. Instead, the poet urges the reader to use this sense of joy to improve the world as a whole, as they are encouraged to “better the world with a song”. This song symbolizes an outward sense of happiness which can be shared with others. If the song is a symbol of joy, then singing it spreads that joy to others.
The next line starts with anaphora, using the same opening phrase as the previous clause: “better the world with a”. As such, the speaker contrasts two markedly different ways they believe the world can be bettered through the acts of an individual. In the first line, they called for compassion; here they are, instead, encouraging the reader to actively oppose and punish wrongdoing. This is framed by an act of violence, as a “blow in the teeth” is an allusion to hitting someone in the face. As this is aimed at the mouth, this can be interpreted as a symbol of opposition to one’s words. However, this can be seen as a metaphorical act of opposition rather than actual violence.
Anaphora is employed again, as three lines within this quatrain begin with the word “Laugh”. The poet encourages the reader to laugh because their time on Earth is short and they should make the most of it.
The use of a thread as a metaphor for life shows its short length and also how delicate it can be: as such, the speaker believes that it should be appreciated. They see joy and laughter as a good way to show appreciation.
The final line uses the repetition of the word “proud”. The speaker wants to emphasize the idea of taking pride in living life. He believes that each person should be proud to be a part of the human race.
Plosive alliteration is used to describe the “proud pageant of man”, which lends to a sense of distinction. Through the word “belong”, the speaker creates a sense of unity within the human race. Life is a shared experience – one which should be brimming with joy. The imagery of pageantry reinforces this sense of unity and enjoyment, as pageants are often a source of entertainment. By referring to it as an “old” pageant, the speaker demonstrates an appreciation for their place in history.
Stanza Two
Laugh and be merry: remember, in olden time.
God made Heaven and Earth for joy He took in a rhyme,
Made them, and filled them full with the strong red wine of his mirth
The splendid joy of the stars: the joy of the earth.
The second stanza repeats the refrain, accompanied by the parenthesised clause of “remember”. However, the difference in punctuation separates the imperative “remember” from the refrain. Instead, the reader is urged to retain the information which follows, rather than what precedes. The speaker urges them to cast their mind back – to look into the past and remember it. This links with the pride in humanity and their history, as expressed by the speaker in the previous stanza.
Here, however, the reader is brought as far back into man’s history as possible, as the speaker describes the Biblical story of creation. This marks the first allusion to religion within the poem, as the speaker highlights God’s intentions when creating the Earth. It was made for “joy” – this harbours two potential meanings, as while it literally refers to the Earth as a realm in which one should experience joy, it can also be interpreted as humankind being an expression of God’s joy.
The metaphor that God “took in a rhyme” suggests that the universe can be seen as an artistic demonstration of His joy, as though it were a poem itself. His joy “Made them” and then subsequently filled them with His joy.
The “red wine” can be seen as an allusion to the Eucharist in Christianity, representing the blood of Christ. However, it can also be seen as the lifeblood that God filled the Earth with, which is suggested to be composed of his joy and amusement through the word “mirth”. The pleasure associated with this is reinforced by the symbol of “wine”, which creates joy through its inebriating effects. This suggests that life on Earth is filled with God’s joy, reflecting the happiness He expressed in giving life.
Personification is used in the final line, as the stars and the Earth also feel “joy”. God’s joy has spread throughout the universe, seeping into the fabric of existence itself. This serves as an explanation for why people should be filled with joy as well.
The repetition of “joy” in this line shows that there is joy in all places: there is no distinction between the heavenly stars and the Earth.
Stanza Three
So we must laugh and drink from the deep blue cup of the sky,
Join the jubilant song of the great stars sweeping by,
Laugh, and battle, and work, and drink of the wine outpoured
In the dear green earth, the sign of the joy of the Lord.
By deviating from the established refrain and beginning this stanza with “So”, the speaker signals they are coming to a conclusion in their didactic argument. The speaker and the reader are united with the rest of humanity through the pronoun “we”. As such, an intimate connection is formed between the speaker and the reader, creating a sense of a shared experience in life.
Contributing to the previous stanza’s wine symbolism, this stanza refers to the sky as a “deep blue cup”. This metaphor continues with the speaker telling the reader to drink from this cup; it is a symbol of enjoyment and appreciation. Feeling this sense of appreciation in God’s work, the speaker suggests, helps the reader to appreciate his “mirth,” or his sense of joy.
The poet uses alliteration in the next line, as they urge the reader to “Join the jubilant song”. This creates a sense of rhythm, which is complemented by the subsequent sibilance of “stars sweeping”. This creates a sense of movement, making the reader feel that the stars are rushing by. The idea of the stars having a “jubilant song” furthers their personification, imbued with happiness and triumph.
This sense of triumph could be linked to the “proud” feelings that humanity should have: in the same way their history should be celebrated, the long legacy of the stars should be honoured as well. By calling this celebration a song, the speaker makes it sound as though it is a part of God’s joyous rhyme. This makes all things sound connected to God.
The call to laugh is, once again, repeated; however, it is juxtaposed with battling. While these two things may seem to be at odds with one another, they are performed with the same aim: creating a life that is joyous.
The speaker also urges the reader to work, allowing them to be an active part of the joyous world around them, from which they should “drink of the wine outpoured / In the dear green earth”. This enjambed line is another allusion to God’s blood being poured into the world. Appreciating the world around one’s self is another way to feel the joy of God’s creation.
Stanza Four
Laugh and be merry together, like brothers akin,
Guesting awhile in the rooms of a beautiful inn,
Glad till the dancing stops, and the lilt of the music ends.
Laugh till the game is played; and be you merry, my friends.
“Laugh and be merry” is repeated once again, further highlighting the theme of the poem. However, here it is given an extra emphasis. Rather than simply laughing and being merry, the reader is urged to do it with others. This highlights a sense of unity among people. The speaker uses a simile to compare people to brothers, showing their closeness and promoting the idea of them being one family.
The speaker starts to use metaphors to describe man’s place in the world. Now, the speaker depicts the world as an inn: these are traditionally places where people come to be together and socialize. As such, they are seen as places of happiness – this underlines the idea of joy in unity, as stated at the start of the stanza. People are urged to come together there as guests: the idea of them being guests could be seen as a further reference to the short time people have on Earth. They are guests in this place of happiness, where they can come together, and this is something that should be celebrated.
The people should be happy to be there and grateful for the length of time that they have. The music ending is symbolic of one’s time reaching its end, as they enter the realm of death. The speaker believes that people should enjoy the time that they have on Earth, despite knowing that it will one day come to an end. It also connects to the depiction of God bringing joy into the world through the form of poetry or rhyme. If it is seen as a song – then this is when it ends.
In the final line, the anaphora of “Laugh” is repeated for the final time. This serves as a conclusion, as the poet has finished making their case. People should laugh “till the game is played.” This shows that life is something to be enjoyed and to be actively participated in. The speaker concludes by telling people to “be merry,” the final repetition underscoring the poem’s didactic argument. The sense of unity in joy is furthered through the collective, intimate address of “my friends.”
FAQs
The speaker suggests improving the world with both a “song” and a “blow”, which might seem like two incompatible actions. However, the speaker contrasts these two things to show that there are different ways in which one can appreciate the world. Singing shows an expression of joy and appreciation, while striking someone shows an act of aggression, standing up to those who behave in a negative way toward others. This suggests a sense of unity that becomes emphasized throughout the poem.
Nature is depicted as a sign of divine joy. God’s creation is reflected in the natural world. The speaker believes that God created the world with a sense of joy. Therefore, the poet believes that this divine joy can be seen in the world around people. By appreciating nature, the reader gains a closer association to this divine joy.
There are a number of religious references throughout the poem. It is not a solely religious poem, but the poet uses God’s joy in creation as a way to highlight a reason for finding joy in the world. The poet explains their reasons for believing that there is joy in the world as a result of God’s creation.
Although the poem focuses on joy, there are also other moods to the poem. There is a sense of seriousness to the idea of life being something that is brief. The poet sees the shortness of life as a reason to celebrate, rather than to be sad. There is also a sense of reverence to the poem as the poet discusses joy as a form of religious appreciation.
Toward the end of the poem, the poet focuses on the idea of people finding joy together. The poet believes that this communal joy heightens the joy that they can experience in the world. There is a sense of people being together in the experience of life, symbolized by the inn that the poet mentions, and this should be enjoyed together.
