My Star
All, that I know
Of a certain star
Is, it can throw
(Like the angled spar)
Now a dart of red,
Now a dart of blue
Till my friends have said
They would fain see, too,
My star that dartles the red and the blue!
Then it stops like a bird; like a flower, hangs furled:
They must solace themselves with the Saturn above it.
What matter to me if their star is a world?
Mine has opened its soul to me; therefore I love it.
In this poem, Browning portrays himself looking up, squinting at a distant star that fascinates, enchants, and inspires him... But this is more than a mere star; it's a symbol for something that gives his life some light and some truth. But what could it be?
Browning's star throws out darts of "red" and "blue," fiery and icy, warlike and serene, passionate and sad. Like the "angled spar," referring to a crystal glittering in the sun, it's hard-edged and yet possesses a translucent beauty. The tone is sweet and child-like, but the imagery of throwing and darting suggests a certain vigor, compounded by the repetition of "now." "Look, look!" he seems to say. Close our eyes and we might see.
Browning wants to share his secret with others, and they claim they would "fain see it too," meaning they would do so gladly. But then it winks out. It "stops," like a bird, as if plummeting down from the sky to hit the ground with an ungainly thump. The image of the flower has more pathos, as its petals hang limp, its glory over. What appeared so heavenly and untouchable now appears as frail as breath. Its light only burns in the essential privacy of the mind.
"They," or Browning's friends, cannot see his vision, and "must solace themselves" with the "Saturn" above his star. Saturn is symbolic of the coldly factual. This is the world devoid of the transcendent, or indeed the fun—a reality we take refuge in, but no immediate pleasure.
Does Browning go back to looking at his star or does it remain dark? Perhaps it re-emerges as bright as ever once his companions have gone, and he stands in quiet nocturnal solitude, but if it dies it's only to be reborn inside him. Certainly, it is through his poetry that we hear the star's celestial music today.
The poem's short, monosyllabic, opening lines have a charming reticence, but like a flower, the poem grows and grows until it fills the page, stretching from left to right. It's as if Browning's understanding widens moment by moment, ending on a note of illumination and love.
In a way, Browning's poem is a variation on two well-known, well-worn, but ever-wise pieces of advice. Firstly to "Follow your star," meaning to pursue your vocation no matter what. Secondly, to avoid gaining the world at the expense of losing one's soul. Browning wraps up his message in a simple rhyme, yet one that retains a mystical shimmer.
It's impossible to know exactly what the star meant for Browning. Some have conjectured he is referring to wife, muse, and fellow poet Elizabeth. But because its significance remains open, we can and should bring our own experiences to bear on it. This is his star, but what or who is ours?
Robert Browning (1812-1889) was an English poet and playwright.
Christopher Nield is a poet living in London. His e-mail is christophernield@hotmail.com.
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