Delight in Disorder

"Delight in Disorder" by Robert Herrick

A surprisingly structured poem expressing favor towards disorder is presented here as ironic proof of the speaker's purpose. While the poem follows a pattern, the rhyme and rythm are not perfect, further symbolizing that he admires the structure of the woman accentuated and emphasized by the imperfections surrounding her. The oxymoron "wild civility" (Herrick, 979) further proves that the speaker sees order and disorder working together to present the whole picture of the woman he is watching. There is also a pattern in the way he describes the woman, beginning with her shoulders and ending with shoestrings. He finds delight in her imperfections because they make her seem human to him.