Sonnet: when I Contemplate how my State is Low
The poem explores themes of despair, pride, and the inevitability of suffering. The speaker reflects on their lowly state, contrasting it with a past where pride reigned supreme. This introspection leads to a desire for death as a release from emotional pain. The speaker acknowledges the shared fate of great figures who also experienced sorrow, emphasizing that even those who achieved greatness, like Baudelaire, faced anguish during their lives. Despite the acknowledgment of suffering, the poem offers a glimmer of hope. The speaker encourages the soul to remember its exalted state, suggesting that even in moments of despair, there is a connection to a higher existence. The juxtaposition of pain and the memory of a once-great state serves to highlight the complexity of human experience, where sorrow coexists with the potential for transcendence. Ultimately, the work conveys a message of resilience, urging the soul to rise above its current suffering by recalling its former glory.
By David Park Barnitz · First published 1825 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Philosophical · 173 words
First lines
When I contemplate how my state is low, And how my pride that had the earth for throne In this dark city sitteth all alone, My heart is fain for death to end its woe;
Then when I think how all the great below Had only sorrow and grief through all their days, I, that with these shall some time stand in place, My fortune like their bitter fortune know.
Among whom also holy Baudelaire, Though unto him the loftiest lot was given To hear the blessed muses sing in heaven, Past his few days in anguish and despair;
Yet did he not bow down his mournful head Until Peace found him in his glory dead.
What this Textopian page supports
Sonnet: when I Contemplate how my State is Low is listed on Textopian as a poem by David Park Barnitz, dated 1825 CE.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: David Park Barnitz
- Date: 1825 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romanticism, Philosophical, Literary, Tragedy
- Length: 173 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured as a sonnet, showcasing poetic form and language.
- Romanticism — Themes of introspection, emotion, and the human condition align with Romantic ideals.
- Philosophical — Explores existential themes of despair, fate, and the nature of suffering.
- Literary — Engages with literary references and allusions, particularly to Baudelaire.
Tags
Poem · Sonnet · Literary Work · English Literature · 17th Century · Meditative · Philosophical · Existential · Melancholic · Contemplative · Self-Reflection · Inner Turmoil