The Book of Jade · Chapter
Sonnet: When I Contemplate How My State Is Low explained
The speaker reflects on their lowly state and pride, contemplating death as an end to sorrow.
What happens
The speaker reflects on their lowly state and pride, contemplating death as an end to sorrow. They compare their fortune to the great figures of the past, including Baudelaire, who suffered yet found peace in death. The poem concludes with an exhortation to the soul not to be disconsolate, remembering its former exalted state.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the dramatic climax because the speaker reaches the absolute nadir of despair—identifying himself as l…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Ennui and Existential Dread
The speaker's contemplation of their low state and desire for death reflects deep existential weariness.
- Death and Decay
Death is presented as a release from suffering, and the poem dwells on the sorrow and grief of life.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“When I contemplate how my state is low, And how my pride that had the earth for throne In this dark city sitteth all alone, My heart is fain for death to end its woe;”
When I think about how low I have fallen, and how my former pride, which once felt like it ruled the world, now sits alone in this dark city, my heart longs for death to end its suffering.
The speaker expresses a desire for death as an escape from their current degraded state.
“Yet did he not bow down his mournful head Until Peace found him in his glory dead.”
He did not give in to despair until he found peace in death, still in his glory.
Baudelaire is held up as an example of enduring suffering without submission, finding peace only in death.
“Forget not thou thy far-exalted state.”
Do not forget your former high and noble condition.
The poem ends with a reminder to the soul of its original exalted nature, offering a note of hope.
