peaker has on whether love itself can reveal an individuals inner most soul. Since the word love is capitalized, it refers to the absolutely perfect and supreme form of love. He questions if even this form of love falls short of revealing a persons true identity: But we, my love!-doth a like spell benumb/ Our hearts, our voices? Must we too be dumb? The speaker assumes that people in general are alienated not only from others but from themselves. Thus, any opportunity he and his loved one would get to experience their true identities would result in great happiness. This idea is shown in Ah, well for us, if even we,/ Even for a moment, can get free/ Our heart, and have our lips unchained. In stanza four the speaker believes Fate gave man a chance of obeying his genuine self, even in his own ignorance. This possibility promotes the practice of finding ones true self (Jump 37). In stanzas five and six, Arnold focuses on two images: the river of life and the buried self (Allott 287). In The Buried Life, the river is subterranean since the speaker reflects: Bade through the deep recesses of our breast/ The unregarded river of our life/ Pursue with indiscernible flow its way. This image is continued in And many a man in his own breast then delves,/ But deep enough, alas! None ever mines. Man cannot dig deeply enough in his soul to reach the buried self or stream. Nevertheless, the speaker is optimistic that he can find the buried self for There rises an unspeakable desire/ After the knowledge of our buried life;/ A thirst to spend our fire and restless force/ In tracking out our true, original course. The speaker is motivated to find his genuine self by an unknown desire that burns deep within him. Previously, he has tried to be so many different things that he even forgot to...
