Poem: 'Sigh No More' by William Shakespeare

[dwgm]

In honor of Shakespeare's birthday and death (April 23, both) we have this song from Much Ado About Nothing. I can still hear Emma Thompson reciting this at the beginning of that movie, which we must have seen a couple dozen times, at least. The children were scandalized and fascinated by the scenes shown during the credits, where everyone is joyously stripping off and bathing, and donning fresh clothing for the party later.

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,
Men were deceivers ever;
One foot in sea, and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.
Then sigh not so,
But let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into Hey nonny, nonny.

Sing no more ditties, sing no mo
Of dumps so dull and heavy;
The fraud of men was ever so,
Since summer first was leavy.
Then sigh not so,
But let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into Hey nonny, nonny.


~.~

Comments

[bombazzinedoll.livejournal.com]

Oh, Much Ado About Nothing is my favourite favourite Shakespeare play, surpassing even Hamlet (which is saying quite a lot), and I LOVE the Kenneth Brannagh adaptation to the point where I wore out my VHS and had to go procure a DVD.

One foot in sea, and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.

Probably my favourite line out of the whole piece.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I love those lines, too. I really need a DVD of that movie. Haven't watched it in far too long.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

The play is brilliant, of course, and Kenneth Branagh's movie makes it deliciously accessible.

I hope your Shakespeare Day was happy, too!

[triskellion.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love Emma Thompson's version too. I obsessed over that movie. She and Kennith Branagh had such wonderful chemistry together. Did you ever see "Dead Again" with those two?

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Did you ever see "Dead Again" with those two?

Oh, yes. They were so good! I was really dismayed when I heard they'd split.

[ladymora.livejournal.com]

I love the joyous and carefree way that everyone runs off to take a bath...and the idea of communal bathing (naked, without swim suits) was not one that I had seen before that movie. Now, I'm all about it, and we tub naked with our friends most nights of the week. Nudity in that scene was not something to be shy about (at least with one's own sex) and I really like that philosophy. It was indeed eye-opening for me at the time...and I think was one of my first conscious exposures to naked men in a movie. (Good choice for that first).

There's one shot when one of the women is dressing and is seen from behind while pulling on her skirt and clasping it...I wear skirts just like that now, and I often think of that scene when putting them on.

I also like the shot of the one man who leaps off his horse, swings on a bar, and splashes into the pool of water, still fully clothed.

And oh, that poem. I love it too. And Emma Thompson. And Kenneth. And Keanu. And Dogberry. And...and...I love that WHOLE movie.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I tended to forget how influential movies and books are in conveying attitudes and philosophies, oftentimes moreso than is one's environment. In my next life, I'll be more careful. ;)

*hugs you VERY much*

See you tomorrow!

[teresa-c.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful movie that was! I love so many things about it, and about the play. I love that they cast D. Washington as the prince, with no concern for race. I love that Shakespeare writes Prince John as a villain without bothering to give him a complex background and intricate motives. Not that W.S. couldn't make multi-layered villains, just that he didn't feel he had to. He's a bastard and has rebelled against his brother; we don't need to know any more than that. Why mess up Hero and what's-his-name? Why not. Because I'm the villain, that's why. *g* Loved it.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Yes, all the elements combined to make an enormously entertaining movie. We've watched it way too many times. So glad to have brought back happy memories for you!

[cbtreks.livejournal.com]

I remember taking the bus to see that movie (it came out during six months of carlessness) and being sucked in from the minute I heard that poem. Love that movie. In fact, it's stuck in storage 2000 miles away and I think I'm going to have to replace it this weekend because I want to see it *now*!