You might be able to tell right away, but the speaker of "So We'll Go No More A-Roving" is no longer satisfied with his "roving." He acts like he's going to stop doing it, but we know better. All that business in the second stanza about things getting worn out tells us that he's no longer into his nightly romp. The reasons for his dissatisfaction aren't entirely clear, but his metaphors suggest that his something to do with getting older and feeling like death is coming. Time to clean up the party pad.
Questions About Dissatisfaction
- How could anybody be dissatisfied living in Venice, Italy, seriously?
- What's an example of something that you're dissatisfied with that you want to stop doing? Do you feel the same way as the speaker does? How so? \
- Is it possible that the speaker really isn't dissatisfied and just needs a break?
- What is the effect of the sword and soul metaphors? Do they confuse or explain anything about the speaker's dissatisfaction?
Chew on This
Try as we might, we're not always able to articulate why we feel dissatisfied. Take the speaker as an example; he never really gets to the heart of the matter.
Dissatisfaction is key to roving. While it may not be the most fun thing ever to experience, we'd never leave home without it (like American Express). It's the force the propels us to explore our world, just like it did for our speaker.