What is the tone of the second stanza in the poem "Drink to me...?"

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

I would say that the tone of this second stanza is one of disappointment and longing.

In this stanza, the speaker has sent his love a wreath of flowers.  He hopes that it will stay on her and remain beautiful there.  He is sending it as a token of love and of praise for her beauty.  But she does not even hardly pay any attention to it and sends it right back.

Now, the speaker feels sad and he wishes things were different.  When he smells the flowers, he smells her more.  This symbolizes how much he is longing for her -- he feels her presence in the roses that she rejected and sent back to him.

See eNotes Ad-Free

Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial Team