Student Question
How does the imagery in lines 7-8 contribute to the poem's mood?
Quick answer:
The imagery in lines 7-8 of the poem creates an ambiguous mood by illustrating a love that is both intensely romantic and somewhat obsessive. The speaker compares himself to a rose opening petal by petal in response to his beloved's gaze, which conveys passionate intensity. However, this imagery also suggests an unsettling power dynamic, as it highlights the lover's control over the speaker, contributing to a mood that is both enchanting and slightly disturbing.
In poetry, mood is the overall atmosphere created by various elements in the poem such as setting, tone, and theme. In "somewhere i have never traveled, gladly beyond," the mood generated is somewhat ambiguous, as we are presented with a love that is both deeply romantic and yet at the same time obsessive.
The imagery of petals in the spring in lines 7 and 8 perfectly conveys the intensity of the speaker's love. Although the speaker confesses to being self-enclosed, he nonetheless declares that he will open up like a rose in spring, petal by petal, in response to the slightest look from his beloved.
On the one hand, such imagery generates a mood of passionate intensity. But on the other, it highlights the obsessive quality of the love between the speaker and the object of his affections, and how much power she exerts over him. This is why the mood generated by these lines is ambiguous. It's great that the speaker is in love, but isn't there something slightly disturbing about the enchanting spell his lover appears to have cast over him?
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