I Grieve and Dare Not My Discontent by Queen Elizabeth I

I Grieve and Dare Not Show my Discontent Queen Elizabeth I

Theme: the inner suffering of the persona’s emotions, unable to express due to the persona’s authorized position in society, thus pretending not to be affected at all.
Key quotes: “Or let me live with some more sweet content,/Or die and so forget what love ere meant”
Biographical reference: Queen Elizabeth I’s marriage not materialized with her “little frog” Francis, Duke of Alencon by the fact that he was French. Thus, had to part despite she announced she would marry him in 1581.

Poetic methods
Commas: the commas in the first stanza suggest the inner state of the persona as the pause “I grieve,…dare not show my discontent”, “I love,…yet am forced” suggest the complete separation of the inner and exterior state, thus such contrast emphasizes the inner suffering, masked by the exterior which the persona “dare not show”
Vocabulary: “stark mute”, “freeze”(metaphorical) suggests her surface, pretending not being affected at all, and the words “prate” and “burned”(paradox) shows a complete opposite is going on “inwardly”. The fact the persona had “turned” from “myself”, could suggest a ‘”switch” of persona’s emotional life, by being complete rational-“another self”. Thus, could be suggesting her emotional turmoil suppressed by rationality as a figurehead. The word “care” (trouble, unhappiness) suggests how intimate her relationship was as she suffers from the reminiscent of “His too familiar care” (“care”, at this moment meaning his carefulness solicitude-his affection)
Simile: “like a shadow” emphasizes the pain of the course of getting over his presence as it “Follows “her, reminding her of his “familiar care”
Metaphor: the “sun” could be referred as the eyes of the public, and thus driving the persona to be more introverted due to the pressure. “melting snow” could suggest her femininity and that she is ultimately a woman too, that she is sentimental, “soft” like all women, thus could be her complaints of being “forced”, limited by what is expected of her from the public.
Couplet: the last couplet suggests she is in the course of weighting between two important options. The word “Or” could possibly be showing her desire of the chance to love again, “or“ to move on, being rational and “forget what love ere meant” for the greater good-her country.