Love for Poetry - Analysis 4: Delight In Disorder by Robert Herrick

DELIGHT IN DISORDER

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
Enthralls the crimson stomacher;
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribbons 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.

The poet comments on the clothing of a woman and highlights the particular garments, noting their imperfections. Yet, he still admires the pieces and the woman herself. At the end of the poem, the poet reveals that he prefers these imperfections over a “precise art”.

The poet’s message could be deciphered as: beauty can be found amidst the flaws of both humanity and art. Imperfections are more alluring and powerful than the illusion of perfection.

The poem has irregular rhyme scheme, highlights the disorder and suggests imperfection within art.

The poet also uses diction to enhance the feeling of disorder. He also implies that clothing, as art, is more appealing when it is not perfect. This highlights the importance of unique self – expression.

“An erring lace, which here and there enthralls the crimson stomacher” The poet used personification to describe the lace, which is described to wrap around the lady's stomach.

The clothing imagery conveys the quality of disorder and enhances the idea that flawed art can also be beautiful. The poetic techniques reflect the message that there is beauty in imperfection. The whole poem basically implies that we should embrace imperfections like they’re beauty itself.