Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind

As I was reading 2.7 of Shakespeare's As You Like It, I was struck by Amiens' song that starts at about line 175. For some reason, the words of his song sounded familiar. Then I realized that I had sung those exact words my freshman year of high school, in a piece called "Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind".

Amiens sings:

Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art no seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
Hey-ho, sing hey-ho, unto the green holly.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving, mere folly.
Then hey-ho, the holly;
This life is most jolly.
Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
That dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot.
Though thou the waters warp
Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remembered not.
Hey-ho, sing hey-ho, unto the green holly.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving, mere folly.
Then hey-ho, the holly;
This life is most jolly. (2.7.174-193)

A performance of this song by the 2005 Northwest Missouri State University Tower Choir can be found here. I really enjoyed listening to this performance. Surprisingly, even though I sang this song in 2005 as well, I can remember the words-one of my favorite things about Shakespeare.

Shakespeare wrote his plays and sonnets so long ago, and yet people quote his phrases all of the time, to the point where some phrases have become cliches. I wonder if Shakespeare knew his writing would be a success. Shapiro, in his writing, seems to suggest that Shakespeare, while well known in his time, did not have the same celebrity status that readers today place on him. On page 240, Shapiro writes "Shakespeare played vastly different roles in London and in Stratford. In his hometown he was sought out not for his plays or poems but for loans for buisness deals:" (Shaprio 240). While this quotation does not mean that Shakespeare had no followers, it does seem to indicate that unlike modern celebrities, Shakespeare wouldn't have battled with paparazzi following his every move.

But let's get back to the text that Shakespeare is so famous for. Amiens sings the aforementioned song on Duke Senior' request. Bu wht does this song mean? The text seems to suggest that the winter wind is more grateful than man. In my opinion, the text, which compares bitter weather to man throughout, indicates that men can be colder than winter weather. How can they be colder? Amiens' song hints that men can be cold by being ungrateful or rude, and something about faking or "feigning" friendships (2.7.181). But as to how this relates to the comedy I am still trying to figure out. Could this song be a warning for other men? How can Amiens sing about men who are colder than winter weather, and still end both verses with "this life is most jolly" (2.7.183)? Is Amiens' being sarcastic when he sings these lines? I think so, but I am not sure.

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas, please feel free to comment. And I hope you enjoyed the song.