Poem: Delight in Disorder
— by Robert Herrick

A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness;
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction;
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthrals the crimson stomacher;
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribands to flow confusedly;
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat;
A careless shoe-string, in whose tie
I see a wild civility:
Do more bewitch me, than when art
Is too precise in every part.

সারমর্মঃ

কবি প্রথমেই তার প্রেয়সীর পোষাকের এলোমেলো অবস্থা তুলে ধরেছেন আর বলেছেন এটা তাকে আকর্ষন করে আর তার মাঝে কামুকতা জাগিয়ে তোলে। তার প্রেমিকার সাধারনত্ব তুলে ধরেছেন। তার প্রেমিকার জামার ফিতা গুলোও তার কাছে খুব ভাল লাগে, রিবনের নড়া চড়া তার মনে ডেউ তোলে। কবির প্রেয়সীর জামার ময়লা আস্তিন, জুতোর ফিতা তার মনে সুর মূর্ছনা আনে। প্রত্যেক প্রেমিকই তার প্রেমিকাকে হৃদয়ের মনিকোঠায় স্থান দেয়। প্রেয়সীর চলা ফিরা, কথাবার্তা, হাসি কান্না সবই তার কাছে আকর্ষণীয় লাগে। তার শরীর, মন ও পোষাকের ছোট ছোট ত্রুটি বিচ্যুতিও তার কাছে ভাল লাগে, এসব তার অন্তরের কামুকতার বাড়িয়ে দেয়। প্রেয়সীর পোষাকের সকল ত্রুটি তাই প্রেমিক দেখেন মুগ্ধ দৃষ্টিতে। যদিও এই এলোমেলো অবস্থা কিছুটা বন্যতার দিকেই ইঙ্গিত করে কিন্তু কবি এর মাঝেই নম্রতা ও সভ্যতার ছাপ খুজে পান।

মূল বিষয়ঃ

এই কবিতার মূল বিষয়টি হচ্ছে সৌন্দর্য তখনই সবচেয়ে আকর্ষনীয় হয় যখন এটা আগোছালো ও বিশৃঙ্খল অবস্থায় থাকে। তিনি তার প্রেয়সীর পোষাকের বর্ণনা দেন আর এর মাধ্যমে তার কথার স্বপক্ষে যুক্তি দেখান। এছাড়া মানুষের ত্রুটি বিচ্যুতিও মানুষের প্রতি আকর্ষন বাড়ায়। যেমন ফিলাডেলফিয়ার ঘন্টাটি ভাঙ্গা ছিল তাই প্রতি বছর এটি দেখতে ভ্রমনকারীরা সেখানে আসে।

Origin:

Delight in Disorder is a 14th-line stanza lyric poem. It is published in the book called Hesperides.

Summary

The poet is a passionate lover. He finds delight in disorder in the clothes of his beloved. He describes different articles of clothing of his beloved. He starts with a lawn that is carelessly put on her shoulders. Though it is carelessly put on her shoulders, it is a source of immense delight for the poet. A lace is waywardly put on a deep red stomacher. The lace is erring, which increases the beauty of the stomacher. Her cuff is neglectful because she has not given proper care or attention to her cuff which allows her ribbons to flow confusedly. Her petticoat is described as tempestuous which signifies her unrestrained personality. Her shoestring is carelessly tied. In the tie of the shoestring, he sees wild civility which suggests that her discipline in clothes is out of control as a result of her being passionate. The beloved bewitches the poet more in a disorderly dress than in an orderly dress.

Central Theme:

Beauty is a disorderly thing is the central theme of the poem. In the poem, the poet portrays his beloved in an unusual way. He finds delight in disorder in the dress of his beloved. The disorder in her dress is sweet to him. The beloved does not follow the formal norms of dressing which signifies her carefree spirit. It represents the freedom of her soul. Her disorder in the clothes presents her as an exceptional personality for which the poet finds delight in her disorderliness. Besides, a disorder in her clothes kindles wantonness. Her disorderliness makes her seductive and captivating. It arouses the passion for love. As the poet is a passionate lover, he loves his beloved to be seductive and captivating.

Figures of speech

The poet has used a good number of figures of speech in this poem. In the poem, the poet has used several metaphors, in which an indirect comparison is made between two unlike things. In the poem, a sweet disorder is indirectly compared to setting fires to something. The “lace” is compared to a human being that makes errors. The lace enthralling the stomacher is compared to captivating the heart of others. Similarly, “a winning wave”, “a tempestuous petticoat”, and careless shoestring are all metaphors. We also find oxymorons in the phrases “sweet disorder” and “wild civility”, where two contradictory words are placed side by side for raising a striking effect. Thus, the poet very skilfully uses figures of speech in the poem.

Attitude of the poet:

The poet has a very positive attitude to the so-called careless beauty. The beloved is careless about her way of wearing clothes. She puts her lawn carelessly on her shoulders. Her lace is waywardly put on a deep red stomacher. She does not give proper attention to her cuff which allows her ribbons to flow confusedly. Her petticoat is tempestuous which signifies her unrestrained personality. Her shoestring is carelessly tied. There is no discipline in the ways of her clothing. So, his attitude is positive.

The poet, indeed, praises what he sees as “perfection lying in so-called imperfection”. Perfection although perfect is not always perfect. The odd flaw can add an extra layer of perfection that perfection alone can never attain. Sometimes the greatest fault in an artist can be the making of the artist, the too-long nose, the careless bewitching, and enchantment. Thus, the poet makes a very positive remark about so-called wild and careless beauty.

Tone:

The tone of the poem is light and playful. In the poem, the poet finds beauty in imperfection. The lawn of his beloved is carelessly put on her shoulders. A lace is waywardly put on a deep red stomacher. She does not give proper attention to her cuff which allows her ribbons to flow confusedly. Her petticoat is tempestuous which suggests her unrestrained personality. Her shoestring is carelessly tied. There is no discipline in the way of her beloved wearing clothes. But the poet finds delight in the waywardness of her clothing. So, the tone of the poem is light and playful.

Generic form:

It is a lyric poem. The primary element of a lyric poem is impulsiveness stirred by a certain incident, and in the poem, we find that the poet is impelled at the sight of his beloved in the disorderly dress. There is a profound emotion in a lyric poem and in the poem, the poet expresses his profound emotion by describing his beloved’s disorderly dress. The poet expresses his personal feeling and thought. The basic unity in theme, tone, and treatment is maintained in the poem. In the poem, we also find both harsh and pleasing sounds in the use of alliteraion, consonance, and dissonance. Thus, the poem is a lyric poem.

Rhyme Scheme:

The poem consists of seven couplets and the poem uses a rhyme scheme of couplets, like this:

AABBCCDDEE

Why does the poet find delight in his beloved’s carelessly tied shoestring?

The poet finds delight in disorder in the clothes of his beloved. He finds his beloved’s shoestring carelessly tied. In the carelessly tied shoestring, he sees wild civility. here “wild” means out of control or passionate and “civility” indicates order or discipline in her dress. It means that the order or discipline in her clothes is out of control, which also suggests her passionate nature. So the poet finds pleasure in her passionate nature. She appears more attractive and captivating to the poet when she dresses disorderly. So, the poet finds delight in his beloved’s carelessly tied shoestring.