Soeur Louise De La Misericorde

Context

Based on real woman who had an affair with the King, as the mistress. Became nun after rejection

Form

• Similar to soliloquy

• Reflection and internal thought

• Monologue

• Thoughts of speaker revealed

• 3 stanzas ABBAB and final stanza AAAAA

“misericorde”

• Mercy

• Dagger that stopped suffering

• Small wooden ledge (support)

• Room for monks to relax

Ironic as no support, mercy or relaxation

Fire

Shadow of what she once was as the fire slowly put out (youth)

Destruction

Antithesis

2 opposites that highlight eachother

“dust and dying”

Contrast a growing fire suggesting is dead

“Where is the hire for which my life was hired?”

She has/is nothing

“Oh vanity of vanities, desire!”

• Book of Eclesiastes. Book of wisdom

• Vain to think you have found love, desired. Vanity of the vanities = worst, superlative, “King of Kings”

  • Repetition to emphaise to herself

“diskindled fire”

Fire not even lit before burning out

“Bottomless gulf of mire”

Mire = swamp

Criticising her ways when a mistress, no end to her thoughts and guilt

“Fount of tears”

Past tense of unmeasurable amount of tears. Earthly love causes sadness and suffering (Doctrine of Reserve)

“love’s deathbed, trickles, trickles”

Love is a comfort, slowly leaving her heart

“Drop by drop of fire”

Drop = water. Contrast with fire

“dross”

Feels her life has been wasted as a mistress. Wasted being desired and desiring. Worthless life

“Rose of life gone to all prickles”

Focus changes from old life as rose to the prickles at death

“prickles” = crown of thorns. Crucifixion

“garden plot to barren mire”

New life and pleasure to nothingness. Juxtaposition