COVE

For this close reading, I have selected a related stanza and piece of artwork from my edition. These two elements contribute to the poem’s message about enjoyment and value of the physical world, through its beautiful portrayal of nature, vibrant colors, and depiction of what appears to be a romantic moment between a couple.  

On page 55 of this 1935 edition of the Rubáiyát, one can read a translation of stanza 12 of the poem (see fig. 1), which reads, “A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,//A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and Thou//Beside me singing in the Wilderness—//Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!” (55). This sets the scene of a couple having a picnic and singing songs and poems together. The stanza is paired with an image of the same depiction on page 54 (see fig. 2), where we see a woman playing what appears to be a lute, singing to a man beside her, who holds a book. Beside them is the jug of wine and food. Clearly, these elements are connected, with the artwork depicting what the stanza details. 

 These elements come together to show the very physical nature of the poem, where so much of the emphasis is placed on the pleasures of life, of wine and food and nature. This stanza shows many of the most recurrent themes of the poem, all of which are romanticized and showcased in the artwork. The man in the painting appears to be the narrator, with the “thou” mentioned being a woman depicted in vibrant clothing singing to him. He lays there admiring her and listening to her, clearly taking joy in the beauty of both his partner and her song. However, he is depicted in black with his face partially hidden due to his pose, showing him as a separate entity from the rest of the poem and casting him as the viewer and enjoyer rather than as part of the enjoyment. Additionally, there is an emphasis on the appreciation of food and alcohol, which are other recurrent themes in the poem, all tying to the physical senses, to this acknowledgement and enjoyment of the physical world in contrast to the more metaphysical world of religion which is discussed in much of the rest of this poem. 

 Though much of the focus is on the physical world in this stanza, it does have some religious notes to it. Notably, the use of “Book of Verse” and the decision to include wine and bread in this section both tie to Christianity, as said book could very well be hymns, and wine and bread are recurrent in Christian lore as well. This ties into the comparison of the wilderness to paradise, which likens the scene we see here to one of heaven. This artwork, paired with the description in the stanza, gives the impression that we are meant to be looking at the narrator’s idea of heaven on earth, emphasizing his physical idea of what is important in the world. 

 Together, these two elements showcase the idea of paradise or heaven being the narrator’s current circumstances. We see this beautiful artwork, this woman and her beautiful setting with the man appreciating it, as a depiction of a very earthly heaven with all its pleasures being those of the senses; the taste of good food, the sound of music, and the sight of both nature and someone the narrator cares about and finds beautiful.