The speaker uses the phrase my year's misdeeds . How does this phrase add to the ambiguity in the poem?
Answers
This phrase is from Robert Browning's poem 'The Patriot'.
The phrase adds a lot of ambiguity to the poem in a number of ways:
1. The word 'misdeeds' does not fit in with the image of a patriot. In fact, it is quite the opposite of what one expects from a hero.
2. The words 'past year' add to the confusion because it was during the past year that the speaker had garnered attention and tremendous public support as a hero. Yet within the same year he is being held accountable for mistakes or wrong doings.
3. There is a lot of ambiguity about what the patriot's deeds and misdeeds have been. It seems rather strange that a patriot's actions are first celebrated and then denounced.
4. 'misdeeds' also hints at misunderstandings, but the reader does not know what either of them are. There is ambiguity about what went wrong for the patriot- was it the misdeeds or misunderstanding?
Answer:
The speaker says that he is being punished for his year's misdeed. But he does not clarify the misdeeds. He says that he being unjustly punished. It appears he don't think he has done any wrong. That is why this phrase "my year's misdeeds" add ambiguity to the poem