In essence, the poem can be categorized into four groups. The first group, line one through four, illustrate, through the use of alliteration, every negative thing the speaker associates desire with, showing his contempt for the feeling. The second group, lines five through eight, explain all the wrongdoings desire has bestowed upon the speaker, showing the reasoning behind such a strong hatred. Through the heavy use of repetition and alliteration, lines nine through twelve, are able to further elaborate on those wrongdoings, eventually revealing that through the struggle to overcome the fleeting feeling, the speaker has actually learned a valuable lesson from desire. The evil feeling the speaker once loathed ironically helped them realize their true desire. Despite the fact that desire sought to ruin them, made them aspire vain things, and kindled their “smoky fire,” the speaker through this was able to finally understand the truth of desire and how it is unattainable and, if attained, only provides brief satisfaction (Hardy 9-11). In the final group, lines thirteen and fourteen, Sidney does not rely on repetition or alliteration, which may reflect the speaker’s new state of mind, clear of all complex feelings and now able to think clearly without a cloud of desire hiding from them want they truly want. These
In essence, the poem can be categorized into four groups. The first group, line one through four, illustrate, through the use of alliteration, every negative thing the speaker associates desire with, showing his contempt for the feeling. The second group, lines five through eight, explain all the wrongdoings desire has bestowed upon the speaker, showing the reasoning behind such a strong hatred. Through the heavy use of repetition and alliteration, lines nine through twelve, are able to further elaborate on those wrongdoings, eventually revealing that through the struggle to overcome the fleeting feeling, the speaker has actually learned a valuable lesson from desire. The evil feeling the speaker once loathed ironically helped them realize their true desire. Despite the fact that desire sought to ruin them, made them aspire vain things, and kindled their “smoky fire,” the speaker through this was able to finally understand the truth of desire and how it is unattainable and, if attained, only provides brief satisfaction (Hardy 9-11). In the final group, lines thirteen and fourteen, Sidney does not rely on repetition or alliteration, which may reflect the speaker’s new state of mind, clear of all complex feelings and now able to think clearly without a cloud of desire hiding from them want they truly want. These