Poetry · Chapter
After Reading King Lear explained
Reflecting on King Lear's profound suffering and the betrayal he endures, the poem explores how nature and the elements understand his sorrow better than those who dwell in sheltered obscurity.
What happens
Reflecting on King Lear's profound suffering and the betrayal he endures, the poem explores how nature and the elements understand his sorrow better than those who dwell in sheltered obscurity. It meditates on the vast heritage of Lear's sorrow, which is universal and passed down wherever children exist.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Resilience
The poem delves into Lear's immense suffering and his resilience in seeking solace in the storm.
Nature and Mortality
Nature (the Whirlwind, Forest, Night) is portrayed as understanding Lear's sorrow, contrasting with human ignorance.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The speaker reflects on King Lear's suffering and the universal nature of his sorrow.
Key passages
“Is ’t strange that in the cycle of his woes, Which shakes his cloud-embosomed peak of years And shatters the very fountain of his tears, He seeks the friendly path of winds and snows?”
Is it surprising that amid his endless sorrows, which shake his aged self and break his ability to weep, he turns to the comfort of the storm?
The speaker questions why Lear would seek solace in nature's harshness, given his overwhelming grief.
“Father and King! in sooth, they know thee well— The Whirlwind and the Forest and the Night; But we who in the obscure shelters dwell Know better of thy sorrow than thy might.”
Truly, the whirlwind, forest, and night understand you, Father and King; but we who live in hidden shelters know more of your sorrow than your strength.
The poem contrasts nature's intimate knowledge of Lear's pain with humanity's limited understanding, focusing on his suffering rather than his power.