Page 31 - 100 Best Loved Poems - Teaching Unit

“To Celia”
by Ben Jonson, page 11

Vocabulary
nectar – juice, potion

1. What allusion exists in the first stanza of this poem?

Jonson alludes to the mythological god Jove.

2. Explain the ironies present in the first stanza of the poem.

There is irony in the speaker’s requests for Celia to drink with her eyes and to kiss cups.
There is also irony present in his statement that he will pledge with his eyes, since most
pledge with words.

3. According to the speaker, why did he send the woman a wreath of roses?

The speaker sent her a wreath not in her honor, but in hopes that in her presence it would
never wither and stay beautiful forever.

4. What is Celia’s response to the speaker’s gift in the second octet?

Celia does not accept the wreath, but rather sends it back untouched.

5. How, according to the speaker, has the wreath changed?

After the wreath was sent back to him, the speaker believes the wreath now smells like the
woman he loves.

6. What is the tone of the poem?

Answers may vary. Example: The tone is overly romantic. The speaker is trying to win
Celia, but she does not want to be won. His final exclamation is one of unintended humor
for the reader, who sees the hopelessness in the speaker’s actions.

T-13