I hit on something I believe when I wrote that I meant to be a Poet and a Poem. It may be that this is the desire of all reading women, as opposed to reading men, who wish to be poets and heroes, but might see the inditing of poetry in our peaceful age, as a sufficiently heroic act. No one wishes a man to be a Poem. That young girl in her muslin was a poem; cousin Ned wrote an execrable sonnet about the chaste sweetness of her face and the intuitive goodness shining in her walk. But now I think -- it might have been better, might it not, to have held on to the desire to be a Poet?
The quote reflects the author's contemplation on the aspirations of women compared to those of men in the realm of poetry. The speaker suggests that while men aspire to be poets or heroic figures, women may find greater fulfillment in embodying poetry itself. This distinction highlights a perceived gender difference in how literary aspirations manifest, particularly in a tranquil era when creating poetry is regarded as a noble act.
Furthermore, the speaker reminisces about an instance where a young girl, embodying the essence of poetry, was idealized through the lens of a sonnet written by a male cousin. This portrayal prompts the speaker to reflect critically on their own desires and whether it may have been more fulfilling to maintain the aspiration of becoming a Poet, rather than merely portraying the poetic essence. It serves as a profound meditation on identity and expression in literary contexts.
