Poetry is difficult to understand, and poems are said to be up to the interpretation of the person that is reading/analyzing the poem. This week in our class we have been discussing how an author will use rhythm and mete in order to emphasize what he means in the poem. As we read over both of the poems that have been assigned, “Delight in Disorder” by Robert Herrick and “Still to be Neat” by Ben Johnson, we cans see that both of these authors have used rhythm and meter in order to convey their messages.
In the Herrick’s poem, “Delight in Disorder” we can see that most of the poem can be said to be iambic tetrameter. Although we can find this meter through most parts of the poem there are parts if the poem that free themselves from this rhythm such as line 4, “Into a fine distraction”, I would consider this line to be dactylic then spondaic. The parts of this poem where he breaks form the usual iambic iambic rhythm allows the reader to connect the poem back to the title, the fact that poem isn’t completely orderly and the fact that the title sys that there is “Delight in Order” help us see what the poet is trying to tell us. The disorder that comes with these lines free us from the structure and give us something else to focus on, the freedom can give the read some delight in from the poem. The name can be said about the way that Jonson has included rhythm “Still to Be Neat,” but in this case I believe that the neatness of the poem is being forced upon the reader.
Both of these poems have good use of rhythm and meter in order to enhance and better interpret the message/meaning that the author wants to convey with these poems but I prefer Herrick’s take when it comes to interpreting the art. Yes, bit of the poems had an essence of interpreting art and describing how people may view art, buy Jonson began to objectify females and use a misogynistic view in order to try and relate that to art. With the first stanza of the poem describing what he preserves women to be and that they shouldn’t try and impress men with fake glamour, and talking as if everything women do is for the male gaze, it just doesn’t st right with me. Then going on to say that art does this as well and that this is like adultery as it is a deception of what they really are, as I see it this poem just didn’t really interpret art in a correct and well fitting way. So for the message of the poem I prefer “Delight in Disorder” not only did it use rhythm and meter in a way where it had lines and words work with the rhythmrythymto futher exentuate the poem and the meaning but it also completely objectify a whole gender.
Guadalupe Lemus
Introduction to Poetry 