A midsummer defense against a chill
Three thick wool coats in July turned an ordinary fear of getting cold into a costly precaution. Wool slows the movement of heat away from the body; layered coats also trap air, adding insulation. That can help in cold weather, but in summer it makes it harder for the body to shed heat.
When protection became its own discomfort
The poet’s strategy traded one anticipated discomfort for an immediate one. He was not merely carrying extra clothing: he wore enough insulation to sweat through the heat of midsummer. The contrast is what makes the detail memorable. His attempt to stay safe from a chill made him endure the season’s opposite extreme.
