Saturday, January 9, 2016

In the song "Who is Silvia?" from The Two Gentlemen of Verona, what does "Love doth to her eyes repair/To help him of his blindness/And, being...

In Two Gentlemen of Verona, in the song "Who is Sylvia?" the words "Love doth to her eyes repair, To help him of his blindness; And, being help'd, inhabits there" speak of Sylvia's eyes.


The song first tells the listener that men flock to be with Sylvia: she is "holy, fair and wise."  Heaven has given her grace so she would be greatly admired.


For the line in question, the word "repair" does not necessarily mean "to fix," but in a more archaic association, it may mean that love"goes to her eyes frequently," as one might "repair to the country."


With this in mind, love goes to Sylvia's eyes; "To help him of his blindness" may refer to Cupid, who is often "painted blind."


So Love finds Sylvia's eyes to be helped in his blindness, but finds it so wonderful there, that Love (Cupid) decides that instead of moving on, he will stay there in her eyes, doting on her much the same way as the "swains" (young men) do.

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