Delight in the Details

"I see a wild civility;/ Do more bewitch me than when art/ Is too precise in every part."

"Delight in Disorder" is a poem that focuses on the little things. The speaker is basically describing an outfit that he particularly likes. Since a petticoat is described in the poem, we can assume that the outfit is on a woman. The reason this poem is so effective in describing how the outfit looks and the way it makes the speaker feel is in the details and the pattern they follow.

The details are arranged in order from head to toe. The little parts of the outfit the speaker describes start with a scarf thrown about the shoulder. Next, he describes a scrap of lace at the waist. Then the speaker describes a "neglected cuff" on the sleeve. The petticoat is described as "tempestuous". Then a undone shoestring catches the speaker's eye. These details are arranged from the top to the bottom, and each are described with delight in the "wantoness" and disorder that the uncivil details create.