Meaning & Analysis
Instead of passively sighing for a lover, one should actively send for him. His arrival is certain unless he has been prevented by a fatal circumstance, such as being executed by hanging.
Insights
Action over Passivity
The proverb champions proactive problem-solving over passive despair. 'Sighing' symbolizes unproductive lamentation, while 'sending' represents taking direct, decisive action to achieve a desired outcome.
Pragmatism over Romance
It injects a dose of blunt pragmatism into emotional matters. The proverb dismisses romanticized longing and instead advocates for a straightforward, practical approach to relationships and challenges.
Hyperbolic Assurance
The extreme condition 'if he be unhanged' serves as a hyperbolic statement of certainty and commitment. It metaphorically suggests that only the most absolute, insurmountable obstacle could prevent the desired outcome.
Historical Reality of Execution
The casual reference to hanging reflects a historical period when public execution was a common and visceral reality. This grounds the proverb in a specific social context where such a fate was a conceivable, if extreme, impediment to a rendezvous.
Psychological Shift to Action
This proverb serves as a psychological intervention against lovesickness or passive melancholy. It urges a shift from an internal state of despair ('sighing') to external, decisive action ('sending'), promoting agency over helplessness.
Female Agency in Courtship
The annotation specifying the proverb is for a 'young Maid' highlights a counter-narrative to the trope of the passive female in courtship. It champions female agency and practicality in romantic pursuits, advising directness over demure pining.
Stoicism and Dark Humor
The phrase 'if he be unhanged' employs a stark, dark humor to offer reassurance. This gallows humor makes the advice more memorable and reflects a cultural stoicism toward the harsh realities of life and death.
Rhetorical Devices
Antithesis
The core advice is structured around the direct contrast between 'sigh' (inaction) and 'send' (action), creating a powerful and memorable opposition.
Hyperbole
The condition 'if he be unhanged' is an extreme exaggeration used to underscore the certainty of the person's arrival, making the assurance more forceful and vivid.
Dark Humor
The casual and morbid reference to execution injects a darkly comedic tone, which makes the proverb more striking and memorable than a simple statement of reassurance.
Alliteration
The alliterative 's' in 'sigh' and 'send' creates a rhythmic and catchy phrase, enhancing its memorability as a piece of folk wisdom.
Transcription
Quotations
Never sigh but send.
Do no[t] sigh for him, but send for him; if he be unhang'd he'll come.
Come, miss, never sigh, but send for him. If he be hanged he'll come hopping; and if he be drowned he'll come dropping.
Annotations
- Spoken when a young Maid sighs, alleging that it is for a Sweetheart.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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