Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Imperfection

At first, after reading Delight and Disorder by Robert Herrick, I couldn't find any meaning in the poem beyond the obvious.  The narrator talks about different ways that clothing can be worn carelessly or imperfectly.  However, lines like "A careless shoestring, in whose tie I see a wild civility (lines 11,12)", pointing out that the speaker likes such imperfections.  In fact, he (or she) says so outright in the last two lines, saying that extreme precision or perfections is not bewitching.  Initially, this superficial analysis was all I could come up with.  It seemed too simple.  Eventually, I thought that the poem could possibly be a way of saying that nobody is perfect.  Completely perfect appearance is fake and unnatural.  By saying that he likes people who show imperfection, the narrator is saying that he appreciates people who are real and down-to-earth.  Imperfection is not something to be ashamed of.  According to the poem, it is normal and something that is desirable and even attractive.

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