Delight in Disorder Analysis

1. By: Robert Herrick
A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction;
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthralls the crimson stomacher;
A cuff neglected, and thereby
Ribbons to flow confusedly;
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat;
A careless shoestring, in whose tie
I see a wild civility;
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.

2. Narrator comments on the clothing of a
woman. He highlights the particular
garments, noting their imperfections, yet
still admiring the pieces and the woman
herself. At the end of the poem, the
narrator reveals that he prefers these
imperfections over a “precise art”
What does the poem
mean?

3. Beauty can be found amidst the flaws
of both humanity and art.

Imperfections are more alluring and
powerful than the illusion of perfection.
Herrick’s Message

4. Poetic Techniques

Reflect the Theme
•Diction : adjectives of imperfection
•Inconsistent Rhyme Scheme
•Clothing Imagery parallels art

5. A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction;
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthralls the crimson stomacher;
A cuff neglected, and thereby
Ribbons to flow confusedly;
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat;
A careless shoestring, in whose tie
I see a wild civility;
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.
Irregular rhyme scheme
highlights the disorder and
suggests the imperfections
within art.

6. A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction;
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthralls the crimson stomacher;
A cuff neglected, and thereby
Ribbons to flow confusedly;
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat;
A careless shoestring, in whose tie
I see a wild civility;
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.
Herrick uses diction to
enhance the feeling of
disorder.
Jumbled
phrase =
disorder

7. A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction;
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthralls the crimson stomacher;
A cuff neglected, and thereby
Ribbons to flow confusedly;
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat;
A careless shoestring, in whose tie
I see a wild civility;
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.
Clothing
imagery
Clothing, as art,
is more appealing
when it is not
perfect..
Highlights the
importance of
unique self-
expression.

8. A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction;
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthralls the crimson stomacher;
A cuff neglected, and thereby
Ribbons to flow confusedly;
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat;
A careless shoestring, in whose tie
I see a wild civility;
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.
Personificatio
n
Oxymoron
“Wild Civility”
is better than
precise art

9. Delight in Disorder:
•The clothing imagery conveys the quality of disorder
and enhances the idea that flawed art can be
beautiful.
•Poetic techniques reflect the message that there is
beauty in imperfection.
•Insights into the complex realm of humanity and
art. Engages the reader to feel the new knowledge
of the author.
Great Poetry!