And why not death rather than living torment? To die is to be banish'd from myself; And Silvia is myself: banish'd from her Is self from self: a deadly banishment! What light is light, if Silvia be not seen? What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by? Unless it be to think that she is by And feed upon the shadow of perfection Except I be by Silvia in the night, There is no music in the nightingale; Unless I look on Silvia in the day, There is no day for me to look upon; She is my essence, and I leave to be, If I be not by her fair influence Foster'd, illumined, cherish'd, kept alive. I fly not death, to fly his deadly doom: Tarry I here, I but attend on death: But, fly I hence, I fly away from life.
Valentine, Two Gents, 3.1
Two years ago I arrived at IRT for the first time to play Valentine in Two Gents. Speeches like this have always given me trouble… Romeo’s ‘But soft, what light…”, etc. But somehow, with Tim’s guidance, I feel like I really came around to this one. It’s gorgeous. And last night, in a messy arrangement of dreams, I recited it in one. Upon waking, I was surprised to discover I still remember the whole damn thing; a joyful touch to a sad moment.
