In this strange labyrinth how shall I turn?
-- Speaker (Line 1)

Importance: This first line introduces the reader to the world of the poem. It is full of information about the poem's story and central character. It explains to readers that the speaker is facing a series of complex decisions, and the use of a question mark to end the sentence suggests her feeling of overwhelming confusion. By using the word "labyrinth," meanwhile, the quote makes reference to the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, which is thematically important throughout the poem (1).

Ways are on all sides while the way I miss
-- Speaker (Line 2)

Importance: This quote presents how it feels to be caught in the midst of a series of impossible choices. The speaker is conscious of the fact that she is surrounded by different options, or "ways" (2). However, she has the sense that there is only one right choice, "the way" that could bring her...