Now let no charitable hope

By Elinor Wylied

Now let no charitable hope i. Now: indicates a shift in attitude from her previous
View- voice convinces poet to abandon hope
that existed before
ii. charitable hope: charity is a temporary means of
bringing someone back on track—this form of hope is a short term plaster that deceives
her from the reality of life – she needs to rip off in order to face the truth.
Confuse my mind with images iii. Confuse: hope has no chance of being
realised
Of eagle and of antelope: iv. Eagle & antelope: signify freedom &
togetherness- eagle is a powerful symbol of freedom- antelope heavily associated with
togetherness/family
I am by nature none of these. V. dissociates herself from notions of
freedom and family person

I was, being human, born alone; vi. second stanza explores further her concept of
isolation - being human & born alone shows her cynicism and mistrust of humans
and their company- born alone suggests her own complexes and inferiority. Both the
concepts show her own dejected state and existence and the wider human condition
which is quite bleak.
I am, being woman, hard beset; vii. Being woman: associates her gender with
graver difficulties- a further subdivision of human race into something more inferior- this
is further supported by the ‘hard beset’- women face many problems- this relates
directly to gender inequality- women in those times were raised to serve men, hence a
problematic life.
I live by squeezing from a stone viii. Live by Squeezing from a stone: a metaphorical
reference where the poet’s the source of poet’s ‘nourishment’ comes from a barren
stone- stone is suggestive of a rough, hard structure, consisting of no sustenance.
Hence the suggestion that she receives bare minimum love and freedom from her dead
stone of a life.
What little nourishment I get.

In masks outrageous and austere (strict/ severe in manner) ix. Outrageous and
austere:
The years go by in single file; suggestive of moments moving in a procession- one
after another-also an image of life dragging- making the misery more pronounced.
outrageous and austere suggests how every moment in her life had been a misery , and
how she had to disguise her agony, hence the word ‘mask’.
But none has merited my fear, x. But: a strong connective that demonstrates a
sudden twist – suggests a contrary situation xi. Merited my fear: suggestive of the fact
that she has never completely given up to her misery
And none has quite escaped my smile. Xii. A ray of hope: even in her misery, lacking
freedom, and true love, she’s been able to find some joy in the world.

Tone: First two stanzas: complete dejection and dismay- melancholic- change in third
stanza, the mood lifts and hope expressed

Tone: Deep misery and the cold acceptance of reality of fate.