Robert Herrick - Marlington Local Schools

Robert Herrick n In the seventeenth century, words some7mes had meanings, connota7ons, and pronuncia7ons different from those they have today. n  The word “distrac7on” is pronounced with four syllables (thus fiDng the rhythmic scheme more accurately). n  “Wantonness” may be defined in this context in two ways: playfulness and extravagance. n  It should not be construed as lewdness or cruelty, two poten7al denota7ons that the context denies because the speaker is praising the kind of dress that aIracts and delights, not that seduces and betrays. n Herrick refers to the following items of clothing: n  lawn = a shawl n  stomacher = the center front sec7on of the waist or underwaist of a garment, oKen decorated or jeweled n  as well as lace, cuff, pe1coat, and shoestrings n To recognize the careful paIern of Herrick’s poem and his significant departures—or “distrac7ons”—from it, do the following: n Review meter on page 839 n Review rhyme, especially approximate rhyme on page 821 n Scan the poem. n Mark its rhyme scheme. n What slight varia7ons do you see in the meter and the rhyme scheme? n  Why are these here? n  Ironic? n  What does the speaker like in a woman’s dress? Why? n  What is implied by the “disorder” the speaker likes, and why is it “sweet”? n  Why is the distrac7on “fine”? n  What is the effect of personifying “erring lace,” “ribbons [that] flow confusedly,” tempestuous peDcoat,” and “careless shoestring”? n  Look at the poem’s closing line. Consider further the reference to “art” when it is “too precise.” n  How does this line create a commentary on the rela7onship between nature and art? n  Consider Herrick’s opinion of such precision, look again at the slight varia7ons in the meter and rhyme scheme. n 
n 
How is Herrick ensuring that his own art is not “too precise”? How does Herrick’s planned imprecision create a paradox? n Robert Herrick was strongly influenced by the work of Ben Jonson, whose poem “Clerimont’s Song” contrasts charmingly with “Delight in Disorder.” n Write a short essay comparing these two poems, with par7cular aIen7on to dic7on and connota7on.