Desire In Thou Blind Man's Mark

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Pages: 2

“Thou Blind Man’s Mark” is a poem written by Sir Philip Sidney which explores the harsh, unforgiving realities of desire as seen through the eyes of the speaker in the poem. The “mangled mind” tries to find the good in desire, but fails; ultimately yearning for the knowledge of how to “kill desire’. By using harsh diction, repetition, and irony, Sidney conveys the speaker’s complex and bitter attitude towards desire.

Sidney’s negative diction choice plays a strong role in developing the speaker’s complex and bitter attitude towards desire. He describes desire as being “never wrought”, “worthless ware”, and “scum”. Sidney also claims that desire causes a “mangled mind”, just as the idea of desire is so complex, if not mangled. His diction