Blog Post #5

             In Sir Philip Sidney’s poem “Thou Blind Man’s Mark”, he describes desire as if it were alive and evil, using repetition, diction, alliteration, and even imagery to portray his hateful attitude toward desire itself.

            Throughout the poem, Sidney uses the repetition of many words to portray a specific negative attitude towards desire.  “Too long, too long, asleep thou hast me brought, who should my mind to higher things prepare.” and “In vain thou madest me to vain things aspire; In vain thou kindlest all they smoky fire.” are both examples of how he uses the repetition of words to convey how he truly feels about desire. He writes “too long” and “In vain”, both written at the beginning of the sentences as if he is trying to emphasize the fact that desire has taken over him and that desire is seemingly controlling his life.

Sidney also uses alliteration of words to convey a darker, more hateful tone towards desire. “Thou web of will, whose end is never wrought; Desire, Desire! I have too dearly bought, With price of mangled mind, thy worthless ware; Too long, Too long, thou hast me brought, why should my mind to higher things prepare.”. These lines make the point that desire is something that Sidney can’t control, that it’s taken over his life and that there comes a price with desire that he pays. It’s seems to mess with his mind and drive him crazy.

 

Diction is a very important part of creating the tone the author has towards desire. “Thou blind man’s mark, thou fool’s self-chosen snare; Fond fancy’s scum, and dregs of scattered thought; band of evils, cradle and causeless care;” uses diction to emphasize the negativity of desire. He describes desire as "dregs of scattered thought," a theme presented throughout the poem that shows how desire harshly seems to take over his thoughts, and his mind, and it seems to be this evilness that is constantly taking over him. He also describes desire as a "fools self-chosen snare", as if desire is something that will control the mind and actions if one lets it take over. The author also uses the phrase “in vain” over and over to convey the hate that the author has towards desire.

Toward the end of the poem, there is irony in the fact that he wants to kill desire itself. “For virtue hath this better lesson taught- within myself to seek only hire, desiring naught but how to kill desire.” shows that there is nothing more that he wants than to “kill” the desire that has taken over him.