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Question

Difficulty: HardTone, Voice, and Speaker Persona

Read the following passage from John Donne's "The Triple Fool" (1633):

I am two fools, I know,
For loving, and for saying so
In whining poetry;
But where's that wise man, that would not be I,
If she would not grieve?
Then as th' earth's inward narrow crooked lanes
Do purge sea water's fretful salt away,
I thought, if I could draw my pains
Through rhyme's vexation, I should them allay.
Grief brought to numbers cannot be so fierce,
For he tames it, that fetters it in verse.

Which of the following best describes the shift in the speaker's tone over the course of the passage?

  1. A
    unyielding despair as the speaker concludes that neither romantic pursuit nor artistic expression can alleviate his grief
  2. B
    biographical regret as the author laments a real-life decision to prioritize academic study over romantic relationships
  3. dismissive self-reproach to a reasoned assertion of art's therapeutic powerAnswer
  4. D
    impassive philosophical contemplation that maintains an emotionally distant perspective throughout the lines
  5. E
    impassioned romantic praise that employs geological metaphors for the sole purpose of flattering the beloved

Answer

The transition from dismissive self-reproach to a reasoned assertion of art's therapeutic power
The correct answer accurately captures the progression of the speaker's attitude. The poem opens with self-derisive irony, where the speaker mocks his own decision to write 'whining poetry.' By the second half, the tone shifts as the speaker develops a complex metaphysical conceit (comparing the purging of salt from sea water to the purging of pain through rhyme). He concludes with the assertion that imposing poetic form ('numbers' and 'verse') manages and diminishes his emotional suffering.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the opening lines (1-3)
The speaker opens with self-directed irony, calling himself 'two fools' for loving and for expressing it in 'whining poetry.' This establishes a tone of dismissive self-reproach.
To identify the initial attitude of the speaker toward his own emotional expression.
2
Analyze the transition in lines 4-5
The speaker begins to defend his behavior, suggesting that any wise man would do the same if it could prevent his beloved's grief, marking a shift toward rationalization.
To locate the turning point where the speaker begins to reframe his perspective.
3
Analyze the final conceit in lines 6-11
The speaker introduces a metaphysical conceit comparing rhyming ('rhyme's vexation') to the earth filtering sea water. He concludes that structuring grief in poetic meter ('numbers') 'tames' and 'fetters' the pain, asserting art's therapeutic power.
To determine the speaker's final attitude and the resolution of the tonal shift.

Key Concept

Identifying speaker persona and analyzing tonal shifts in poetry through the interpretation of metaphysical conceits
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Topics

Tone, Voice, and Speaker Persona

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