Paradox

One of the poem’s key motifs is the use of paradox. Paradox is a literary device in which two directly opposed concepts are used together. This can often reveal a deeper truth that lies under the apparent meanings of the two concepts.

The speaker begins with a series of contradictions that describe her situation. She “grieve[s]” but cannot “show” it (1). She “love[s]” but is “forced to seem to hate” (2). She “do[es[“ but “dare[s] not say [she] ever meant” (3). This is not a true paradox: readers have a sense that her truth is located in the first set of ideas (grief, love, and doing) but that she is forced to pretend otherwise.

However, as the poem continues, the speaker’s true feelings and those she is forced to adopt begin to become confused. She “is” and is “not,” “freeze[s]” and is...