It Dropped So Low in My Regard

It Dropped So Low in My Regard - meaning Summary

Self-blame Over Fallen Esteem

The poem describes a sudden fall in the speaker’s regard for someone or something. The incident is imagined as an object dropping and shattering at the "bottom of my Mind," leaving emotional fragments. The speaker blames personal poor judgment more than external fate, regretting that inferior, decorative things ("plated wares") were allowed on a precious surface (the "silver shelf"). The poem reflects on self-reproach for tolerating what cheapened a valued place, and the internal responsibility felt for the resulting loss of esteem.