The Spell Is Broke, the Charm Is Flown!
The Spell Is Broke, the Charm Is Flown! - meaning Summary
Illusion of Fleeting Joy
Byron contrasts temporary exhilaration with underlying suffering. The poem argues that moments of delirious pleasure mask deeper pain; people often smile when they should grieve. Brief clear hours bring recognition of life’s harsh realities, revealing that moral action requires enduring hardship. The closing image equates righteous behavior with martyrdom, suggesting true wisdom involves sustained sacrifice rather than fleeting consolations.
Read Complete AnalysesThe spell is broke; the charm is flown! Thus is it with life’s fitful fever: We madly smile when we should groan: Delirium is our best deceiver. Each lucid interval of thought Recalls the woes of Nature’s charter; And he that acts as wise men ought, But lives, as saints have died, a martyr.
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