HomeWHENWhen In Disgrace With Fortune And Men's Eyes Meaning

When In Disgrace With Fortune And Men’s Eyes Meaning

The third quatrain contains a poetic shift, where the speaker realizes he has at least one aspect of life to be thankful for: his beloved. This realization marks a shift in tone from despairing to grateful. Although the sense of appreciation isn’t necessarily romantic, it is a source of great joy for the speaker. The poetic voice expresses his newfound gratitude and hope as his state is compared to “the lark at break of day arising” (line 11). The lark, a traditional symbol of hope, freely soars into the sky as the speaker’s mental and emotional state improve and are freed from the cage of despair and loneliness.

The word “Yet” in line 9 signals that shift in mood from feelings of isolation and despair to a sense of hope. The visual image of the lark, a wild bird, symbolizes the poetic voice’s improved disposition. As the bird rises freely into the morning sky, there is a renewed promise that life can be, and will be, better. Supported by ideas of “sweet love” that enhances life and “wealth” in line 13, the shift in mood shows the speaker has found a source of happiness in his beloved and is ready to move away from despair and self-pity.

Sonnet 29, A sunrise, StudySmarterThe speaker feels like a bird flying at sunrise, which expresses feelings of hope. Pexels.

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The final couplet gives the reader a new perspective of the poetic voice, just as he gains a new perspective on life. He is now a renewed being who is grateful for his state in life because of his beloved and the love they share. The speaker acknowledges that he is so happy with his place in life, and that he “scorns to change his state with kings” (line 14) because he has thoughts of his beloved. The speaker has moved from a state of internal loathing to a state of awareness that some things are more important than wealth and status. Through the unified structure and end rhyme in the heroic couplet, this ending serves to further unify his feelings of hope and gratitude, as well as emphasize the speaker’s awareness that his “wealth” (line 13) is more bountiful than that of royalty.

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