Cyrano De Bergerac And O Were I Desire

George Sand once said, “There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” Many people struggle to find the love of their life, and once they find it, they end out feeling much happier. Edmond Rostand’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” and Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “O Were I Loved as I Desire to be” both tell how love takes a lot of effort, but it is always worth the hard work, but they tell the reader about this in different ways. Edmond Rostand uses symbolism and stage directions, and Alfred Lord Tennyson uses imagery and personification to lead the reader to the theme.

Both works have a theme telling how love takes a lot of work, but it is always worth it in the end. A fitting example of this would be from Cyrano’s conversation with Christian. Christian told Cyrano that he wanted his wit, and Cyrano said “Borrow it, then! Your beautiful young manhood-lend me that, and we two will make one hero of romance”(Rostand, 99). This line from “Cyrano de Bergerac” clearly shows that love isn’t always obtainable without help, because Christian gains Roxane’s love by using Cyrano’s poetic style. Two lines from “O’ Were I loved as I Desire to be” also contributes to the theme very well. These lines say, “Apart upon a mountain,

through the surge of some deluge from a thousand hills”(Tennyson, lines 11 and 12). These lines show that no distance or obstacle can stop love in its path.
“Cyrano de Bergerac” leads the reader to the theme in a different way than a poem. The play uses symbolism and stage directions to state their message. One of the most significant examples of symbolism is Cyrano’s outstanding nose. A lot of people in “Cyrano de Bergerac” would make fun of Cyrano’s nose behind his back. Ragueneau, one of Cyrano’s friends, says “Such a nose! My lords, there is no nose such as that nose.” This line from Ragueneau shows that if you might have an “unfavorable” trait, you still can achieve love as long as you keep trying. Another way that the playwright leads the reader to the theme is through the stage directions in the balcony scene. Christian tries to recite the words that Cyrano whispers to him from under the balcony, but Christian keeps stuttering. Cyrano says that it is much too difficult for him to say this, so Cyrano pulls Christian back and begins to speak “In a low tone, imitating Christian”(Rostand 123). The stage directions given in this scene shows how willing Cyrano is to help Christian gain Roxane’s love. It states that friends will always help others when trying to achieve love.
“O’ Were I Loved as I Desire to be” brings the reader to its message by using imagery and personification instead of symbolism and stage directions used by the play.

He says, “Flung leagues of roaring foam into the gorge below us, as far as eye could see”(Tennyson, lines 13 and 14). These last lines of the poem show the potential danger that can come up if the speaker tries to reach the one he loves. It represents how love can conquer any obstacle. The poet also uses personification by saying that “Clear love would pierce and cleave, if thou wert mine”(Tennyson, line 6). Personification is used in this poem to show how powerful true love can be. Both stories expertly show how difficult it can be to achieve love, but how powerful it is once

obtained.
Both works use different methods to reach the same theme. “Cyrano de Bergerac” uses symbolism and stage directions, and “O’ Were I Loved as I Desire to be” uses imagery and personification to state their theme. Both of these works of literature show love is always obtainable as long as you try.