In this Strage Labyrinth

In her poem, “In this strange labyrinth,” Wroth compares falling in love to a puzzling maze in which there are two ways out, to run from the perplexing adventure or to give in and be captivated by the intense passion. She does not play it off as an easy feat, but instead shows the true struggles of a woman weighing her options between an easy decision and the hard, right one. She clearly shows her confusion and struggle to accept that she cannot flee from the love her suitor offers.

The author sets the scene by alluding to King Mino’s maze. The speaker does not know whether to seek out the Minotaur, or her love, or to run from it, even though she realizes she must face the beast at some point. The opening line sets the tone for the first half: confused and uncertain. She sees all these different paths in this cold, dark, empty setting that she could take, but doesn’t know which to follow. The word “strange” here does not make it seem like she is scared of the feeling, but it is baffling her (1). Because the poem was written in the early 1600s, it is understandable that she doesn’t know what to think because it was rare that one was gifted with truly falling in love. The meter starts in iambic pentameter but fluctuates throughout the sonnet to show the deep vacillation the persona is experiencing. The second line shows the first irregular meter. “While the way I miss” is anapestic and spoken rapidly, accurately allowing a peek into the persona’s head and seeing her anxiety about the choice she must make. Now she is at a fork in the maze. If she continues on she would accept the love for all its good and bad, but to turn around would be to run away. To the right is her suitor, whom she must face headlong and receive the love he offers. She thinks this love will “burn” her, or mark her (3). The speaker knows that you cannot come out of an experience with love without some change or alteration to the emotion of a person, but she is unsure if this is the safe path for her heart and emotions. If she goes forward, she would be to rush headlong into the inferno, where the “danger is” (4). Danger here not only means she will expose her heart to potential harm, but she will also be at the mercy of her lover and his wishes.