Gibbs Free Energy (Aha! A Chemistry Reference!)

The neatly chaotic form of Robert Herrick's "Delight in Disorder" reflects the speaker's admiration for "wild civility." In this poem, the speaker reveals his attraction to "a sweet disorder," which often creates "a fine distraction" that "more bewitch[es] [him] than when art/ Is too precise in every part." While this belief seems to be paradoxical, the speaker defends the validity of this belief by describing that same disorder in a loving fashion. Instead of speaking of disorder, particularly of a woman's clothing, with disgust, the speaker implies that disorder actually attracts and stimulates him, describing that disorder as "sweet," "tempestuous," and fine" and admitting that it "kindles in clothes a wantonness," "enthralls the crimson stomacher," and bewitches him more than art which "is too precise." Instead of finding fault with chaos, the speaker relishes in and adores it.

That same chaotic beauty is reflected in Herrick's writing style. Herrick writes in continuous form, giving no apparent rhyme or reason in separating sentences into distinct lines. Yet each line follows an iambic meter, giving a pleasing sense of rhythm to the poem. In addition, the poem is divided into couplets, providing an even deeper sense of beauty. However, even in this rhyme scheme, chaos is implied; the rhymes seldom are perfect, instead forming slant rhymes in most instances. This supports the speaker's admiration of chaotic beauty on a subconscious level. In a rather unexpected way, the speaker's initial paradox of chaotic beauty is validated thoroughly.