Renouncement by Alice Meynell

Summary of the poem:

The poem “Renouncement” by Alice Meynell portrays the emotional turmoil of repressing

affection for someone while being profoundly impacted by their presence. The speaker makes

the conscious decision to not think about their beloved during happy, beautiful, or creative

moments. The beloved is still just out of reach, a dazzling and seductive presence that the

speaker refuses to acknowledge during the day despite this resolve. However, the speaker's

subconscious gives in to love when sleep dissolves the limitations of self-control and willpower.

They are reunited with their beloved in dreams, signifying the strength and unavoidability of

their emotional bond in spite of their attempts to avoid it.

Significant poetic devices and their significance (e.g. metaphors, symbols, rhyme scheme,

form, imagery, repetition, etc.):

1. Anaphora: The repetition of “I” at the beginning of the first two lines, “I must not think of

thee; and, tired yet strong, / I shun the love that lurks in all delight—”, highlights the speaker's

agency and personal suffering during the renouncing act. It underscores the speaker's need to

actively and consciously fight against love. The pronoun “I” emphasizes how alone and heavy

this choice is as it is a struggle that only the speaker can fight alone. Meynell reinforces the

speaker's knowledge of their role in this internal conflict through this anaphora. Additionally, the

anaphora of “and in the” in lines 3 and 4, “...and in the blue heaven's height, / And in the dearest
passage of a song.” produces a rhythmic buildup, implying that the speaker finds music and the

sky's inherent beauty to be constant reminders of their love. This supports the notion that love is

pervasive and may be found in both the internal, emotional world and the outside world. Finally,

the repetition of “when” in lines 9 and 10, “...when sleep comes to close each difficult day, /

When night gives pause to the long watch I keep,” creates a rhythmic parallel between the two

lines that connects the speaker's brief relief from her problems with the inevitable nature of sleep.

The cyclical nature of their emotional struggle is reflected in this structure: they resist throughout

the day, but their subconscious takes over at night. Furthermore, the repeating “when” creates a

sense of anticipation that culminates in the speaker's admission in the next lines that their longing

consumes their dreams. The comfort and inevitable power of love overcoming their self-control

are both conveyed by this device.

2. Simile: In line 12, the simile “Must doff my will as raiment laid away” depicts the speaker's

conflict between subconsciously giving in to forbidden love and exercising conscious control. By

comparing their willpower to a garment that must be taken off at the end of the day, the image

implies that resisting love is a laborious, intentional act that cannot be maintained permanently.

Furthermore, it highlights the fragility and loss of defenses that accompany sleep causing the act

of “laying away” to communicate a sense of ritual and inevitability. Clothing, which is frequently

used as a protective symbol, is a metaphor for the speaker's self-control, which is subtly

abandoned to reveal their deepest desires. As the speaker's willpower wavers while they sleep

and their dreams allow them to give in to their feelings, this imagery captures the unavoidable

force of longing.

3. Alliteration: The alliteration in “Heaven's height” in line 3 and “thoughts that throng / this

breast, the thought of thee” in lines 5 and 6 highlights important emotional and thematic
components while enhancing the poem's lyrical appeal. The aspirated “h” sound is repeated in

“Heaven's height,” reflecting a breathy, almost reverent tone that emphasizes the speaker's desire

that reaches to the celestial, unreachable realms, signifying the depth and purity of their love. By

equating the beloved with the heavens, this alliteration expresses the breadth and spirituality of

their emotions. Likewise, the rhythm produced by the repeated “th” sounds in “thoughts that

throng / this breast, the thought of thee” reflects the frantic and chaotic nature of intense

emotions. The speaker's internal battle as thoughts of the beloved continue to invade their head

despite their conscious efforts to suppress them is reflected in the repeated repetition. The gentle

yet repeated “th” sounds highlight the unavoidable nature of their love and the chaos it causes,

evoking a feeling of intense need. Collectively, these alliterative moments enhance the poem's

emotional impact by highlighting the agony and beauty of unmet longing.

4. Repetition: In the poem's last line, “I run, I run” is repeated, expressing an unrestrained and

urgent discharge of the speaker's repressed feelings. The speaker of the poem exercises

self-control throughout, purposefully avoiding thoughts of their beloved during the day.

However, in sleep, this discipline vanishes, and the repetition of “I run” mimics the speaker's

emotional freedom and their strong desire to see their beloved in their dreams. The doubling of

the phrase intensifies the sense of longing and emotional passion, underscoring the irresistible

draw towards the beloved once the barriers of conscious effort are removed. The speaker's

internal turmoil is also reflected during the day, they resist, but in the realm of dreams, they

surrender completely. The poem's main tension, the conflict between duty and desire, self-denial

and longing, and the ultimate ability of love to transcend conscious control, is captured in this

repetition.
5. Personification: The personification of “the thought of thee waits hidden yet bright” in line 6

imbues the speaker's emotions with a sense of vitality and agency, portraying the thought of the

beloved as an active, almost sentient presence. The word “waits” implies that the thought is

persistent but patient, poised to emerge in spite of the speaker's deliberate attempts to repress it.

The speaker illustrates the paradoxical nature of their desire by characterizing it as “hidden yet

bright,” signifying the enduring power of their love while remaining buried beneath the surface

of their everyday existence. By highlighting the speaker's attempt to control their emotions, this

personification heightens the poem's emotional power. The thought takes on a life of its own,

underscoring how love endures and flourishes despite conscious constraint. The speaker's

internal struggle is reflected in this tension between illumination and concealment since, despite

their best efforts to deny it, love is an essential and unavoidable aspect of who they are.

Identify the speaker of the poem: The speaker of the poem is a first person narrator deeply in

love with a person they cannot be with and is making a conscious effort to suppress their

feelings. Despite their determination to avoid thoughts of this person, their unconscious desire

intensifies, revealing the depth of their longing. While the poem provides no explicit

biographical details about the speaker's identity, the emotions expressed align with Alice

Meynell's personal experience of unrequited love for a Roman Catholic priest. The speaker’s

struggle mirrors this dynamic, as they grapple with the impossibility of their love while their true

feelings persist, especially in moments of vulnerability.

Identify the speaker’s attitude(s) toward the subject of the poem: The speaker's attitude on

the poem's subject is a complex blend of self-control, desire, and inevitable fate. On the one
hand, by purposefully avoiding allowing those feelings to surface, the speaker exhibits a tone of

strong self-discipline, working to repress thoughts of the person they love. This demonstrates a

self-denial mindset and resilience to uphold an unwritten moral or personal code. However, the

speaker admits that their actual feelings reappear in dreams and unconscious release moments,

which creates an unmistakable tone of intense longing and vulnerability. In the end, the speaker's

demeanor suggests an internal struggle between the unwavering passion of the heart and the

resolution of the mind.

Paired poems (identify three poems from the anthology and describe why they would pair

well with this poem) Two points of comparison.

1. The Lost Woman…: The poem, “The Lost Woman…” by Patricia Beer is a reflective poem

that illustrates how a mother's passing has impacted a child's life through the influence she leaves

behind. Similar to the poem, “Renouncement” they share themes of loss, longing, emotional

conflict, and idealization of an absent figure. For instance, in “The Lost Woman…”, the sudden

loss of the mother noted in line 2, “My mother went with no more warning / Than a bright voice

and a bad pain.”, initiates a lingering absence that shapes the speaker’s emotional world.

Likewise, in “Renouncement”, lines 5 and 6, “Oh, just beyond the sweetest thoughts that throng /

This breast, the thought of thee waits hidden yet bright.”, conveys the speaker’s constant, though

suppressed, longing for someone they cannot have. Additionally, in “The Lost Woman…”, the

theme of emotional turmoil can be observed in lines 31 and 32, “But my lost woman evermore

snaps / From somewhere else: ‘You did not love me.”, as the speaker struggles with guilt and

unresolved feelings toward the mother, whose imagined voice accuses them of neglect or
ingratitude. Similarly, in “Renouncement”, this theme can be seen in lines 9 and 10, “But when

sleep comes to close each difficult day, / When night gives pause to the long watch I keep…”, as

the speaker fights against their desires by day, but at night, those emotions resurface

uncontrollably. Finally, in “The Lost Woman…”, the theme of idealizing an absent figure can be

seen in lines 8 through 11, “The ivy-mother turned into a tree / That still hops away like a

rainbow down / The avenue as I approach.”, since he mother becomes an almost mythic figure, a

creation of the speaker’s imagination, elevated beyond her real self. In like manner, in

“Renouncement”, lines 3 and 4, “The love of thee—and in the blue heaven's height, / And in the

dearest passage of a song.” portrays the speaker idealizing their love, associating it with beauty

and transcendence. Another point of comparison can be noted in their poetic devices they contain

as they both utilize personification. For example, in line 9 of “The Lost Woman…” the speaker

states “The ivy-mother” personifying her personal concept of her mother as perpetual or harmful

which the speaker then states, “turned into a tree”. This living entity that has the capacity to grow

into something larger suggests that the speaker is beginning to establish a relationship that does

not exist in reality. On the other hand, in line 6 of “Renouncement” the personification of “the

thought of thee waits hidden yet bright” imbues the speaker's emotions with a sense of life,

presenting the thought of the beloved as an active, breathing being. Using the word “waits”

suggests that despite the speaker's conscious efforts to suppress it, the thought is patient but

persistent, ready to surface.

2. The Spring: The poem, “The Spring” by Thomas Carew contrasts the rejuvenation and

warmth of spring with the speaker's unrequited love, as his beloved's heart remains cold and

unyielding despite the season's vitality. Like the poem, “Renouncement” they portray similar

themes in emotional conflict and unattainable love. For example, in “The Spring”, lines 23 and
24, “only she doth carry / June in her eyes, in her heart January”, highlight a striking

contradiction within the beloved's character. “June in her eyes” symbolizes warmth, vitality, and

beauty, reflecting the external allure and charm she exudes. In contrast, “January in her heart”

signifies emotional coldness, detachment, or indifference. This paradox frustrates the speaker, as

her outward appeal draws him in, but her lack of emotional reciprocity leaves him yearning and

unfulfilled. Likewise, in “Renouncement”, lines 1 and 2, “I must not think of thee; and, tired yet

strong, / I shun the love that lurks in all delight”, portray the speaker struggling with suppressing

her love, despite its persistent presence in her thoughts and dreams. Another point of comparison

can be drawn from their poetic devices as they both contain personification. For instance, in lines

1 and 2 of “The Spring”, the speaker personifies the melting snow as “the earth” removing “Her

snow-white robes.” conveys the elegant beauty of winter and suggests the speaker's unfulfilled

yearning in perhaps his beloved taking off her robes. Similarly, line 6 of “Renouncement” the

personification of “the thought of thee waits hidden yet bright” imbues the speaker's emotions

with a sense of life, presenting the thought of the beloved as an active, breathing being. Using the

word “waits” suggests that despite the speaker's conscious efforts to suppress it, the thought is

patient but persistent, ready to surface.

3. The Clod and the Pebble: The poem, “The Clod and the Pebble” by William Blake depicts a

conversation between a clod of clay and a pebble stating their contrasting perspectives on the

nature of love. Similar to the poem, “Renouncement” they share a thematic exploration of love's

dualities and sacrifices. For instance, in “The Clod and the Pebble” the Clod embodies selfless

love as it states in lines 1 and 2 that, “Love seeketh not itself to please, / Nor for itself hath any

care, / But for another gives its ease,” presenting love as a sacrificial and noble act. However, the

Pebble introduces the opposing view of love as selfish and possessive, claiming in line 9 and 10
that, “Love seeketh only self to please, / To bind another to its delight.” Likewise, in line 1 of

“Renouncement” the speaker denies her deep love, saying, “I must not think of thee,”

underscoring selflessness and the emotional toll of choosing duty over personal desire. Both

poems portray the tension between love's selfless and selfish aspects, with “Renouncement”

aligning closely with the Clod's belief of sacrificial love. Another point of comparison can be

observed from their poetic devices as they both utilize alliteration. In stanza 2 of “The Clod and

the Pebble” alliterative phrases such as “So sung” and “metres meet” causes the poem to feel

musical which correlates to how the clod of clay and pebble sing their opposing perspective on

love. This allows the audience to better memorize the poem like a lesson being learned which in

this case is about love. Similarly, in lines 5 and 6 of “Renouncement”, the rhythm produced by

the repeated “th” sounds in “thoughts that throng / this breast, the thought of thee” captures the

hectic and erratic nature of profound feelings. This alliteration reflects the speaker's mental

struggle as thoughts of the beloved persist in invading their mind despite their deliberate efforts

to suppress them.

Memorable lines (include lines that reinforce poetic devices, theme, concepts, etc)

1. “The thought of thee- and in the blue Heaven’s height, / And in the sweetest passage of a

song.”

2. “But when sleep comes to close each difficult day, / When night gives pause to the long watch

I keep,”

3. “Must doff my will as raiment laid away,”