Essay: Close analysis of Sir Edward Dyer\'s \" My Mind Is A Kingdom To Me PDF

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Close analysis of Sir Edward Dyer’s ‘My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is’ Dyer’s poem ‘My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is’ explores the importance of being your own voice of authority and reason. The metaphor of the mind as a kingdom alludes to the idea that we must serve ourselves and should not dwell on what our lives lack. Instead we must focus on our own minds and govern our own kingdoms. Dyer’s use of regular rhyme and metre achieves a sense of certainty and togetherness. Throughout the poem, the rhyme scheme is consistently

whilst the metre is

iambic tetrameter which makes for a very controlled reading. This could reflect the narrator’s soundness of mind; he has used rhyme and metre to place emphasis on the importance of listening to your own voice. This sense of conviction that is also implied in the line ‘yet still my mind forbids to crave’ could allude to the discipline that is required in order to maintain this sense of self-assurance. The idea that the materialism of ‘princely pomp’ and ‘wealthy store’ is not something that we should strive to achieve is also examined. Instead of being a ‘thrall’ to these meaningless notions, we must understand that it is the ‘mind that doth serve for all.’ This further alludes to Dyer’s message that we create our own happiness internally by appreciating what we already have. The narrator refers to himself as a ‘king’ which plays on the idea of the mind as a kingdom, and we must serve and live for ourselves instead of adhering to the pressures of being materialistically wealthy. Furthermore, in referring to himself as a king, he suggests that even the common man is capable of enormous riches in the sense of being happy and at peace. The use of oxymoron underpins the concept that luxuries do not equate to happiness. Oxymoronic phrases such ‘poor’ and ‘much’ as well as ‘rich and ‘little’ emphasise through contrast the philosophy that richness and happiness is not measured by what you have but it is

the mind set in which you view your life. The phrase ‘they pine, I live’ implies that in constantly wanting more, you will forget to live and your mind will never be at peace. The simple but powerful phrase ‘I live’ conveys the idea that being content in your mind will allow you to live a more fulfilled life. The final stanza of Dyer’s poem contains internal rhyme in the phrase ‘My wealth is health.’ This strongly implies that wealth is not measured in terms of ‘lust’ or ‘treasure’ but it is our health and arguably, our state of mind that determines our quality of life. There is also a sense of acceptance that death is inevitable: ‘thus will I die’ and this once again points to a soundness of mind. The narrator’s acknowledgement that life is finite contributes to his attitude that in life we must be happy with what we have; you cannot live or ‘maintain a quiet mind’ if you believe further greatness will satisfy you....