Explore "O World, Why Do You Wish to Persecute Me?" by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
She complains of her adverse fortune, suggests her aversion to vice, and justifies her diversion with the Muses
O World, why do you wish to persecute me?
How do I offend you, when I intend / only to fix beauty in my intellect, / and never my intellect fix on beauty?
I do not set store by treasures or riches; / and therefore it always brings me more joy / only to fix riches in my intellect, / and never my intellect fix on riches.
I do not set store by a lovely face that, / vanquished, is civil plunder of the ages, / and perfidious wealth has never pleased me, / for I deem it best, as one of my truths, / to deplete the vanities of this life / and never this life to deplete in vanities.