Analysis of the poem "Down, Wanton, Down!" by Robert Graves (1895-1985)
... when defined by the English Gold Dictionary, can be interpreted as something unjustifiable or a person who lacks restraint in sexual behavior; but because most people don’t know what a “wanton” is they may overlook the word and proceed on with the poem. They will also consider whatever the “wanton” is that it’s definitely trying to be kept “down.” We then begin with the first four lines of the poem. Notice that it doesn’t waste any time ordering the “wanton” to be “down” (Graves 1). It would seem that this action of the wanton rising is of no embracement to the wanton because it appears to have “no shame” (1). This action apparently happens before love can even be established because it is happening only “at the whisper of Love’s name” (2). Or this action simply happens automatically (presto) at the sudden glimpse of beauty in the third line. The wanton, which by now if you know the definition of a wanton, with its “angry head and stand at gaze,” you begin to get the impression this poem is about the penis (4). The next four lines metaphorically describe sexual intercourse or masturbation in relation to the penis and they confirm the poems true subject. The penis is as if it is a “bombard-captain” who has “sworn to reach”, it has taken an oath to have an erection (5). “The ravelin and effect a breach” refers to whatever the penis is penetrating after the erection has started; we will leave this to the imagination (6). And what ever object the penis is penetrating it is “indifferent” or aloof to or “why”, as described in the seventh line. After all this action has happened, after all this work, the “poor bombard-captain” dies “in the breach” in line eight, as if there is an irony that this captain is always doomed no matter how hard he tries. If you can’t see the metaphor behind this poem at this point maybe you’re sexually blind or maybe you’re just not a pervert. The poem enters a more philosophical standpoint, in lines nine through twelve, when it discusses the topic of love and, by this, reaches out to the reader beyond the discussion of an erection. “Love” and “Beauty” are both capitalized in this poem as if to symbolize real people. Although “Love” is “blind”, due to the idea that it is unconditional without subject to race, religion, and/or gender, unlike the penis (or bombard-captain) it knows what is “man and what mere beast” (9-10). “Man” and “beast”, as was mentioned before in relation to an object, is up to the imagination to decide (10). Lines eleven and twelve suggest that “Beauty” deserves more than what an erection has to offer, she needs “more delicacy from her squires” (12). Lines nine and ten relate to the next two lines (because the definition of love is established) in that they suggest that love should accompany beauty or beauty should just have more respect than what it receives from an erection. In lines thirteen through sixteen the poem seems to be speaking to the wanton or to the reader, most likely to men preferably under the age of twenty-five. In the thirteenth line the wanton or reader is challenged by being named “witless”, or not using intelligence, while at the same time boasting of an action. In line fourteen an erection is once again mentioned, as the action, through the words “staunchness” (relating to liquid stopping to flow) and “post.” At this point it may be safe to say this section of the poem is speaking to young men. In lines fifteen and sixteen the poem then asks the wanton or reader just who...