In a state of indecision the speaker begins the poem, “In this strange labyrinth how shall I turn, / Ways are on all sides while the way I miss: / If to the right hand, there, in love I burn” (Wroth, lines 1-3). Here, she uses “strange labyrinth” as a metaphor for her life to represent the doubt she feels, for in a maze, one can never know which direction is the right way to go. Yet, she mentions “the right hand” first, as if it is the way she is most tempted to pursue. Also, her use of the word, “burn” highlights her hesitation, for it has two very different connotations. She could either be referring to being in intense, stinging, pain or experiencing lust. Taking this route presents the biggest risk to the speaker. Although the speaker is full of doubt, love ultimately captivates her, as with Elizabeth, love leads her to Darcy, regardless of the extent to which she avoids it. The speaker in Wroth’s sonnet also expresses feeling shame from society. The reader can see that the speaker considers returning into societal boundaries when she says, “Let me turn back, shame cries I ought return” (Wroth, line 6). Wroth personifies “shame” to highlight the fact that whichever way the speaker goes in the labyrinth, or her life, she is
In a state of indecision the speaker begins the poem, “In this strange labyrinth how shall I turn, / Ways are on all sides while the way I miss: / If to the right hand, there, in love I burn” (Wroth, lines 1-3). Here, she uses “strange labyrinth” as a metaphor for her life to represent the doubt she feels, for in a maze, one can never know which direction is the right way to go. Yet, she mentions “the right hand” first, as if it is the way she is most tempted to pursue. Also, her use of the word, “burn” highlights her hesitation, for it has two very different connotations. She could either be referring to being in intense, stinging, pain or experiencing lust. Taking this route presents the biggest risk to the speaker. Although the speaker is full of doubt, love ultimately captivates her, as with Elizabeth, love leads her to Darcy, regardless of the extent to which she avoids it. The speaker in Wroth’s sonnet also expresses feeling shame from society. The reader can see that the speaker considers returning into societal boundaries when she says, “Let me turn back, shame cries I ought return” (Wroth, line 6). Wroth personifies “shame” to highlight the fact that whichever way the speaker goes in the labyrinth, or her life, she is