Thread: Susan McLean
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Unread 12-20-2003, 12:47 PM
Terese Coe Terese Coe is offline
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It's startling the difference a small revision like "made stiff" makes in this. It's so much better.

Interesting contrast between her alleged modesty and her spendthrift ways, too: a provocative aspect of this sonnet. (Seeing the painting though, I can't agree she appears modest, even on first glance.) That vanity can be reprehensible, even destructive to oneself and others, is a truth contained in the painting and the sonnet (the painting has more of a sense of humor about it); however the sonnet intimates we all have this vice and, as unattractive as it is, in beautiful people it's much more understandable. (And this thought becomes irritating to me after a moment or two!)

So I enjoy this as well for the discourse it opens on the quality of modesty (and/or vanity).

I've been asking myself why I object to the final line. I understand the speaker is comparing, through her house-mate's opinion, her own vanity with that of the subject, but it seems as if the speaker's own reflection on her vanity (or lack thereof) is missing.

Terese
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