The Illiterate

In “Rhetorical Contract in the Lyric Poem,” Linda Gregerson suggests, “the dark girl—may also be a delicate allusion to Shakespeare’s dark lady, and thus a coded key to the primary passion—the homoerotic passion” (See: Further Reading & Resources). Shakespeare’s sonnets were collected and published in 1609. Of the 154 sonnets, 126 were addressed to a “Fair Youth,” in which true love is embodied as a beautiful young man. Twenty-six others were addressed to “The Dark Lady,” in which destructive lust is embodied by a lover with dark hair (See: Further Reading & Resources). Critics have speculated whether these figures were real people in Shakespeare’s life or just symbolic entities to explain Shakespeare’s feelings. If the latter is the case and Meredith is using his “dark girl” (Line 11), the reference appears in two lights. Meredith’s “dark girl” (Line 11) could be someone who formerly only lusted for the recipient of the letter—as the Dark Lady does—but now “want[s] him for [a] beloved” (Line 11). This shift is only portrayed as a possibility that could be revealed by the opening of the letter. For the speaker, this line may symbolize that they might rather commit to a relationship with a woman than engage in one with a man. Alternatively, it may prove that what the speaker feels for the addressee might change once their feelings are revealed, in which case the “dark girl” is replaced by the addressee, who may be the beautiful young man of the speaker’s dreams, the fair youth whose “goodness” (Line 1) is touched.