Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Renouncement" by Alice Meynell ((1847-1922)) is a sonnet that explores the speaker's struggle to resist thoughts of a loved one. It was published in 1891 as part of the collection "Preludes". Alice Meynell (1847-1922) was an English poet, essayist, and critic associated with the Victorian and early modernist periods.

"Renouncement" is a poem about the difficult choice between the pleasures of the present moment and the promise of eternal life. The speaker begins by describing the beauty and joy of the world around her, but ultimately decides that these fleeting pleasures are not worth clinging to. Instead, she chooses to let go of earthly desires and focus on the spiritual path to heaven. The poem reflects Meynell's deep Catholic faith and her belief in the importance of spiritual purity and detachment from material things.

The poem is structured into two quatrains and a sestet, with the rhyme scheme abba abba cdc dcd. The first quatrain introduces the speaker's dilemma and the second quatrain highlights her resolve to stay away from her beloved. The sestet, however, shows the speaker's failure to maintain her resolve as she succumbs to her desire in her dreams.

The opening line, "I must not think of thee," is repeated twice in the poem, emphasizing the speaker's determination to renounce her beloved. The phrase "tired yet strong" in the first line sets up a paradox, suggesting that while the speaker is fatigued from resisting her feelings, she remains steadfast in her resolve. The phrase "the love of thee" in the second line points to the power of the speaker's desire, which she describes as "lurks in all delight." The third line continues this idea, suggesting that thoughts of the beloved are always present, even in the most innocent places, such as "the blue heaven's height" and "the dearest passage of a song."

The second quatrain shows the speaker's resolve to resist the temptation of her beloved. The repetition of the phrase "never come in sight" in the third line reinforces her determination to keep her distance. The phrase "stop short of thee the whole day long" in the fourth line underscores the effort that the speaker has to put into maintaining her renunciation.

However, in the sestet, the speaker reveals her true feelings. The phrase "when sleep comes to close each difficult day" suggests that the speaker is exhausted from her struggle to resist her feelings. The line "I run, I run, I am gathered to thy heart" in the final three lines of the poem shows that the speaker's resolve has weakened as she succumbs to her desire in her dreams.

Overall, "Renouncement" is a poem that explores the tension between desire and willpower, highlighting the difficulty of suppressing one's emotions. The poem suggests that while one may be able to resist their feelings during the day, dreams reveal the true nature of one's desires.

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