Friendship’s Mystery by Katherine Philips

 Friendship’s Mystery
Come, my Lucasia, since we see
That Miracles Mens faith do move,
By wonder and by prodigy
To the dull angry world let’s prove
There’s a Religion in our Love.
For though we were design’d t’ agree,
That Fate no liberty destroyes,                                    
But our Election is as free.                                          
As Angels, who with greedy choice
Are yet determin’d to their joyes.
Our hearts are doubled by the loss,
Here Mixture is Addition grown ;
We both diffuse, and both ingross :
And we whose minds are so much one,
Never, yet ever are alone.
We court our own Captivity
Than Thrones more great and innocent :
‘Twere banishment to be set free,
Since we wear fetters whose intent
Not Bondage is, but Ornament.
Divided joyes are tedious found,                      
And griefs united easier grow :                        
We are our selves but by rebound,
And all our Titles shuffled so,
Both Princes, and both Subjects too.
Our Hearts are mutual Victims laid,
While they (such power in Friendship lies)
Are Altars, Priests, and Off’rings made :
And each which thus kindly dies,
Grows deathless by the Sacrifice.

 Katherine Philips


Commentary:
As I read the title of the poem, "friendship's mystery" sounded like an analysis of what friendship is really about. Some people do not take friendships seriously because they feel they do not need any friends. On the other hand, some people take friendships seriously and view their friends as part of their family.
In analyzing Friendship's Mystery, Katherine Philips used a variety of figurative language to transmit her main point or idea, which was to express her friendship towards Lucasia.
First of all, Katherine Philips used a simile in her poem. Katherine says, " But our election is as free as angels. By this phrase, Katherine expresses that they have the option or the say-so to choose their friendship. Elections in this country are democratic, which means everyone can vote who they want without any pressure. Angels are also free. They have wings and go where ever they want. Here, Katherine says that angels and elections are alike in that they are both free.
Next, Katherine uses imagery in her poem to further give details to her main idea. In one example, Kahtherine says, " To the dull, angry world let's prove..." Here, in this phrase, Katherine is giving further details to the word world. She is expressing that the world is full of bad sentiments by saying the world is angry. She says it is dull, which means that the world is boring. This two words give the reader the ability to create a picture in their mind of what the author is talking about.
Also, she says, " And each heart which thus kindly dies." In this phrase she adds detail to the way that the heart dies. In summary, she says that the heart is ready to die and does not view dying as a bad thing. Some people, when they reach a certain age, they know they are going to die soon and they are ready for the time to come.