“Still to Be Neat” is a poem by Ben Jonson that criticizes the excessive use of cosmetics and artificial beauty12. Here’s an analysis of the poem:

• Structure: The poem is composed of two stanzas of six lines each1. It uses rhyming couplets, a common feature of Jonson’s works3.
• Theme: The poem explores the theme of natural beauty versus artificial adornment12. The speaker expresses his preference for a woman who is simple and natural, rather than one who is always neatly dressed, powdered, and perfumed12.
• Imagery and Diction: Jonson uses vivid imagery and diction to describe the woman’s elaborate routine of dressing and applying cosmetics2. Words like “neat”, “dressed”, “powdered”, and “perfumed” describe the cosmetic artifices employed by a woman in high society to make herself beautiful1.
• Conceit: The poem employs a conceit, or extended metaphor, comparing the woman’s artificial beauty to her virtue1. The speaker suggests that just as her beauty is not natural but a result of cunning and conceit, so too might her virtue be artificial1.
• Interpretation: The speaker prefers a woman whose beauty is simple and unaffected1. He finds more attraction in “sweet neglect” and “loosely flowing robes” than in all the "adulteries of art"1.

In summary, “Still to Be Neat” is a critique of the societal norms of beauty during Jonson’s time, expressing a preference for natural beauty and simplicity over artificial adornment12.