William Butler Yeats

For my final blog post, I have decided to focus on William Butler Yeats' poem Leda and the Swan. In this poem, Yeats is retelling a story from Greek mythology, the rape of Leda by the god, Zeus, who comes in the form of a swan. The poem describes this act with exceptional vivid language, as it begins rather abruptly:

"A sudden blow: the great wings beating still

Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed

By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,

He holds her helpless breast upon his breast"(1125).

This poem is interesting in that, swans are usually conveyed to represent calm and happy features. In this situation, the swan represents the exact opposite. Perhaps, Zeus came to Leda in the form of a swan to fool her to believe he was harmless, when his intentions were quite hostile. Leda is portrayed as helpless under the great wings of the "dark" swan. The swan has complete control over the incredibly frightened girl. The sensory impact of the poem lies in Yeat's language as he uses ideal descriptions to contrast Leda's weakness and helplessness ("staggering", "helpless", "caressed", "terrified") with the powerful action of the massive swan ("beating", "shudder", "mastered", "burning"). The following stanza contains two rhetorical questions:

"How can those terrified vague fingers push

The feathered glory from her loosening thighs?

And how can body, laid in that white rush,

But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?"(1125).

Yeats uncovers that although this is such a bizarre phenomenon of Leda's rape by a swan, Leda is most obviously helpless because she is a mortal being raped by what is really an immortal, the ruler of all gods - Zeus. Of course she will be helpless in such a situation. The next stanza outlines the consequences of this act, which was the impregnation of Leda to bear Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Helen of Troy eventually brought about the Trojan War: "The broken wall, the burning roof and tower and Agamemnon dead"(1126). This was the ultimate consequence of the rape. This war's lasting impact was the end of the mythological era and the birth of modern history. In the final stanza, Yeats seeks to explore Leda's thoughts on the situation as he writes:

"Being so caught up,

So mastered by the brute blood of the air,

Did she put on his knowledge with his power

Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?"(1126).

Yeats' seems astounded by the idea that Leda was simply a pawn in the plan Zeus had planned so perfectly. She had no idea of her ultimate significance in the course of history, or that she would be the one to ultimately birth the modern world as a result of this horrific experience. At the time of the raping, she was so incredibly "caught up" in the horror of the situation that her place in history could have seemed other-worldly. The act done to her would eventually lead to other horrible acts like the fall of Troy and the murder of a king. Leda was so unaware of his, a feature which Yeats seems to deeply implore as he vividly connects his readers with the shocking situation and its extensive consequences.  

World War I: Wilfred Owens

Like Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen's war poetry was shockingly realistic as it shamelessly uncovered the horrors associated with World War I. Owen's personal experiences on the frontline of battle must have definitely influenced the tone and content of his poetry. In his Anthem for Doomed Youth, Owen successfully portrays his theme of the horror of war as he writes in a very sorrowful, bitter tone. This poem writes of the innocent lives taken by the war, and laments their unnecessary deaths. 

From the moment the poem begins, the soldiers are described as "cattle" as they are slaughtered unrelentingly in the battlefield (1100). Each line in the first stanza of the poem tries to dehumanize the soldiers by stripping them of any significance or individuality, allowing the reader to feel remorse for their lives as they read into the harsh reality of the soldiers situation. 

"Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons (1100)."

These lines convey that only the guns can be heard, and "only" the guns are accounted for in the midst of this battle. This is because the guns, the weapons of killing, are responsible for the deaths of many. The guns are described as holding a "monstrous anger"- giving this weaponry human-like emotions and characteristics. Perhaps, Owen does this to further protect the soldiers' innocence, outlining that although the soldier may hold and fire this machinery, they cannot be held responsible for the inherent deadly power associated with such weapons. These guns are so powerful and clamorous that they even cover the sounds of prayer. The soldiers lose more hope and significance, as the guns not only take away their power and individuality, but they also silence their prayers. Owen goes on to speak of the improper burial given to the fallen soldiers. When they die, they are given:

" The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

And bugles calling for them from sad shires (1101)."

Owen compares the situation around the soldiers death with a funeral proceeding. He compares the noises of battle to "choirs" and "bugles," but his disgusted tone shines through when he writes these noises to be "demented" and "wailing." Owen shows such abhorrence for this unethical treatment because even though these soldiers are dying for their country, showing unimaginable courage and patriotism, they are treated as if the are useless, and their deaths absurd, undeserving of a proper burial. For nothing even mourns their loss other than the sounds of "wailing shells" coming from the weapons that killed them. However, as Owen speaks of the memory of the soldiers, he conveys a little more hope in the situation:

"What candles may be held to speed them all?

Nor in the hands of boys, but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes.

The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds (1101)."

Although in the midst of battle, the soldier is given no recognition or significance, his loved ones with the memory of him, shall mourn his death. The funeral of these soldiers do not occur in the battlefield but instead within the grieving of their loved ones. I really loved this last stanza because it showed that although the war is terrorizing and horrific for the soldiers, they can be laid to rest as they are mourned by all of those that have memory of them. They are honored in the tears of their survivors. The poem begins with the soldier's death as insignificant and forgotten, as if one more causality is just impersonal and anonymous. Owen concludes conveying the significance of the individual fallen soldier, each with a family and loved ones whose weeping mourns the loss of their soldier in the most significant way. In this way, the soldier's situation may seem hopeless in the midst of battle, but their courage and sacrifice provide hope for the entire nation they protect by fighting, and for this reason they cannot be forgotten.  

Right now, I am in Washington D.C. and last night I walked along the Vietnam War memorial where there is a wall where over 50,000 names of fallen soldiers are listed. This poem with that experience allowed to to realize that although I may never be able to comprehend the horrors of war, I am capable of joining many others in appreciating the soldiers who have fought for our country with unimaginable courage. To these soldiers I believe we have a solemn obligation to show honor for their bravery and ultimate sacrifice.

 

World War I: Siegfried Sassoon

Siegfried Sassoon's poem, Glory of Women, was very displeasing to me. Sassoon uses extensive irony to show his bitter and hateful attitude towards the role of the young, working, British women of this time period. This irony begins with the very title of the poem: "Glory of Women," when in no way does this poem seek to glorify women at all. The form of the writing is also rather ironic, for it is written in the form of a sonnet, whose content is usually doting and happy, rather than hating and bitter. The poem outlines the ways in which women show admiration for the soldiers, but Sassoon believes their love to be highly conditional, as it does not apply for the defeated soldiers. Ultimately, he believes these women to be fickle hypocrites who have no business in fancying the tales, wounds, and medals associated with war because they are truly misguided in their definition of heroism. Sassoon begins by writing: 

"You love us when we're heroes, home on leave,

Or wounded in a mentionable place

You worship decorations; you believe

That chivalry redeems the war's disgrace"(1099). 

Sassoon attempts to capture the feelings of every soldier as he uses the pronoun, "we" to show his realization of these women's motives is not just his own, but is the shared notion of many soldiers. The women only love the soldiers for their supposed heroism when the soldiers return from war, wounded from a battle. The women "worship" the the medals the soldiers receive, but only because a decorated soldier is like a trophy himself, one to be flaunted about the town by the woman deemed his sweetheart. The women believe the heroism and "chivalry" of these soldiers to validate the the stigma associated with war; but they are all the while ignorant of the true horrors a soldier endures while at war. 

Sassoon mocks the women's attempt to contribute when he writes sarcastically, "You make us shells. You listen with delight,/ You crown our distant ardours as we fight"(1099). These women, while believing war to be romantic, hoping to be of some help with their insignificant shell-making and worthless encouragement. While actually, the women unknowingly only helping in allowing for more death and blood-shed with their shell-making. Sassoon then condemns the women when he writes:

"You can't believe that British troops 'retire'

When hell's last horror breaks them, and they run,

Trampling the terrible corpses --- blind with blood"(1099).

Sassoon is amazed by the audacity these women have to be unable to find understanding for soldiers who wish to "retire," when the women are completely unaware of the horrific scene Sassoon paints of a battle scene: bloody, filled with corpses, and even hell-like. The women are so far removed from the concept of war that this scene would seem rather like an frightening animation than appalling actuality. The women question a soldiers retirement from war simply because their knowledge of war is so terribly underdeveloped, thus had they been aware of what a soldier really went through, they would probably encourage them to quit. 

The final lines of the poem juxtapose the British women with a German mother:

"O German mother dreaming by the fire,

While you are knitting socks to send your son

His face is trodden deeper in the mud"(1099). 

Sassoon attempts to compare these women to show that British women are in the factories making the shells that murder the German soldiers, the sons of the German mothers Sassoon speaks of. The final and most powerful irony of the poem lies here: the ability of one woman to ultimately be responsible for another woman's grief, who unlike the other women would prefer her soldier to return without decorations, wounds, or even tales, but her soldier is left "trodden deeper in the mud." 

The reality of war is often harsh and ill-understood for those who have no first-hand experience. Unfortunately, Sassoon is also harsh and a little unfair to the women of Britain during World War I. First, these women cannot to completely to blame for their futile knowledge of war. Exactly how were they expected to gain a more sufficient knowledge? Although some women may have found value in the wrong aspects of a soldier, at least they appreciated the underlying cause of the soldier's action, to protect their nation and stand united against the enemy. Second, when Sassoon successfully juxtaposes the British women and the German mother, it is as if he removes everything between the two, such that the British woman is the only agent that led to the event causing the German mother's despair. Unfortunately, this was far from the case. The British woman neither commanded the rifles to be fired, nor did she fire the rifle. Just as Sassoon claimed the women to be so far removed from the concepts of war, they are too equally removed in this case. Overall, I believed Sassoon's poem to be thought-provoking and debatable. However, I found it to be truly interesting that in the midst of war, a time when a nations unity is most crucial, Sassoon whines about all British women, claiming they are ignorant and destructive; thus, Sassoon is guilty of the very offenses he is ascribing to women, for he is being destructive with maintaining Britain's unity and is ignorant of the positive aspects the women could have been contributing. 

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy's poem, The Convergence of the Twain, was an interesting alternative perspective the happenings associated with the loss of the Titanic. Hardy depicts the the growth and fate of both the ship and the iceberg, which collided as if it were their destiny. 

The first half of the poem conveys the state of the Titanic, now under the sea. Each description of the submerged ship juxtaposes the ways in which the ship was a waste of time, money, and labor. Where there were once "salamandrine fires" in the furnaces of the ship, there are now "cold currents thrid"(1076). The heat and life that once filled the ship have since been replaced with cold and death. Hardy also writes of the former magnificence of the ship when he references the "opulent mirrors" that are now as useless as sea worms: "grotesque, slimed, dumb, indifferent"(1076). Even the jewels once on board the ship are now on the ocean's floor, "ly[ing] lightless, all their sparkles bleared and black and blind"(1076). It was interesting to me how Hardy uses many vivid adjectives and descriptive alliteration to reference the loss of all the material possessions associated with the ship; but never once does he write of the human lives that were lost. I believe Hardy does this to reveal what the ship truly represented - vanity. The ship was once filled with many luxurious treasures highlighting the vain for which it was created. Now these vanities mean nothing as they are submerged far under the sea, a concept that Hardy mocks in the poem. The vanity of the Titanic cause it to fall far from humanity and become nothing more than a memory and a lesson for those who survived it.

The Titanic was a representation of the wealth and power associated with industrialization. It was created as a symbol for the power of Britain's technology in that time. Hardy writing only of the material items associated with the ship highlights his disdain for the British nation concentrating on so-called progress for pride, wealth, and vanity rather than the suffering and demise of the people. If the Titanic had been built only to navigate the ocean instead of proving Britain's power in the Age of Industrialization, then perhaps it would have not been so fatal to those who bought into its magnificence.

The poem then turns to speak of the the actual cause of the tragedy. Hardy uses the technique of enjambment, to show both the combination of the ship and the iceberg but also their literal collision. As Hardy speaks of the ship's "sinister mate" destined to collide with the Titanic due the the planning of "Immanent Will" or the "Spinner of the Years"(1076-1077). These phrases imply that the tragedy was by no means a coincidence, but rather the Titanic's demise had been planned since its initiation. The eighth stanza is by far the most ominous description of the ships deadly fate, while the ninth begins to describe the collision:

"And as the smart ship grew

In stature, grace, and hue,

In shadowy silent distance grew the Iceberg too.

Alien they seemed to be:

No mortal eye could see

The intimate welding of their later history"(1076-1077).

The first stanza implies that these two enormous forces were built simultaneously. One was built by the power of man, while one was built by the greater power of nature. The next stanza emphasizes an apparent inevitability of the two to meet. Their connection seemed to be like a wedding or even a sexual union of some sort, it was made to be "intimate" because they were truly created for the purpose of combining with one another. Hardy seems to truly convey that no matter the height of human progress that has been obtained, man is always subject to the whim of nature, which has no feeling or care for our fate. Our technology will never be able to surmount the great pillars of nature, like the ocean. For these reasons, man should always remain humble and grounded to prevent disaster. We can be assured that although the Titanic was once full of pride and vanity transversing the mighty ocean, she has most definitely been humbled since the humiliation of crashing and falling to the depths of the ocean, she had tried to conquer.  

Gerard Manely Hopkins

Of Gerard Hopkins' poems, I found Spring and Fall to be very interesting and enjoyable. This poem begins with the speaker questioning a young child, Margaret, who is unhappy because the leaves are falling. The speaker says, "Margaret, are you grieving/ Over Goldengrove unleaving?"(776). Margaret's grieving outlines her innocence. She realizes that as the leaves are falling, they are dying, and therefore, she feels remorse for them. Only the innocence and naivety of a child could experience anxiety over the fate of a simple leaf as if it were of "the things of man"(776). The older speaker tells Margaret:

"Ah! as your heart grows older

It will come to such sights colder

By and by, nor spare a sigh

Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie"(776).

As one grows older, they come to realize that all things come to an end. Everything will eventually die. Age will alter the innocent response conveyed by Margaret. Later in her life, Margaret will witness forests carpeted with dead leaves and such a scene will not evoke any sympathy from her. These leaves can represent man. Just as leaves fall from the tree and die, people will also inevitably fall from existence and die. It is interesting that Gerard chose to title his poem Spring and Fall, rather than using the British term "autumn." I believe he does this so that he may link autumn decay with the biblical fall of man from grace. Gerard also juxtaposes this "fall" with the spring-like child nature, one associated with freshness, innocence, and young emotion. Because Margaret is so young, she feels a bond with nature that allows her connect to it in an intimate way giving her feelings of remorse when she sees it decay. This youthful communion with nature reminds me of William Wordsworth's poem, Tintern Abbey, where he writes of his former communion with nature. Wordsworth's child perspective allowed him to become completely immersed in nature, such that in was his "all in all"(204). 

As the poem continues, the speaker uncovers the true reason why Margaret weeps. Even as she grows older, she will continue to cry over the same things, but now while she is still young, she cannot fully understand why she experiences this remorse. The speaker claims:

"Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed

What heart heard of, ghost guessed

It is the blight man was born for,

It is Margaret you mourn for"(776). 

Margaret's heart knew why she was weeping, but her mind and mouth were yet too innocent to understand. The final lines reveal to Margaret the reason for her sadness. The origin of her remorse will be the same as that of her childish grief because, "sorrow's springs are the same"(776). Upon adulthood, Margaret will be conscious of the reason behind her grief- she is truly mourning her own mortality. For just as the leaves have an end, Margaret's heart knows that she too will have an end. This must have been such a dreadful and scary conclusion for a child to encounter, a conclusion that Hopkin's must have remembered experiencing for himself. Margaret represents a stage that every person must reach in comprehending mortality and loss. These stages are just like the passing of seasons. In the spring, the children like new leaves are naive and innocent and as fall approaches each child now aware and more adult-like falls from the tree of life, like a leaf falls among the infinite number of other leaves that had fallen before him. 

  

John Stuart Mill

The views of John Stuart Mill concerning the roles of women completely juxtapose the views of Sarah Ellis. Mill promoted sexual equality, among his many other radical views like the right to divorce, universal suffrage, free speech, and promotional representation. He did not believe that a women's duties were strictly confined to domestic affairs and a women's purpose was only to keep their husbands content, as did Ellis. Mills revokes this inferiority in Chapter 1 of The Subjection of Women when he writes:

"- the legal subordination of one sex to the other - is wrong in itself, and now one of the chief hindrances to human improvement; and that ought to be replaced by a principle of perfect equality, admitting no power or privilege on the one side, nor disability on the other"(521). 

In reading this quotation, the reader can clearly witness what Mill believes in: sexual equality. He states that no gender is greater than another. Women should not be inferior to men, just as men should not be subordinate to women. If these views of subordination are adopted (with either gender considered inferior), it only cripples the ability of society to continue towards human improvement. 

Mill also writes, " the opinion in favour of the present system, which entirely subordinates the weaker sex to the stronger, rests upon theory only"(521). Basically, there is no significant evidence that proves one gender should be inferior to another. This idea was created by the belief of society, a belief that was constructed without examining that such a convention would be advantageous. Mill reiterates this as he writes, "the adoption of this system of inequality never was the result of deliberation, or forethought, or any social ideas, or any notion whatever of what conduced to the benefit of humanity or the good order of society"(522). Mills continues in a well developed argument against theories, uncovering that many have been proven to be false. He argues that slave owners of the Southern United States also held their "theories" to be absolute, but was not this concept similar to the one concerning sexual equality? He questions his reader, "Did they not call heaven and earth to witness that the domination of the white man over the black is natural?"(522). By this point in history, slavery had been outlawed and was considered highly unacceptable in society. Mills points out that society was formerly wrong when they believed black men to be inferior to white men, subjecting the black men to white man's rule. Just as society was wrong in this belief, they are equally wrong in presuming that women are unequal and subordinate to men. Yet, Mills concludes that the reasoning behind these feelings is the association among individuals in sharing one another's conclusions. He writes, "A stupid person's notions and feelings may confidently be inferred from those which prevail in the circle by which the person is surrounded"(524). It is always easier for people to ascribe to the conclusions that are most popular, and least refuted. For an individual, this is like taking the easy way out- they do not have to explore their personal feelings, or be educated in what they believe to be right or wrong, nor do they have to experience disagreement when their personal beliefs are contested. If someone were to ever disagree with their shared conclusions, they would not lose anything in being proven false, for their personal belief was never grounded in such an idea. This simple road is taken by so many that soon everyone ascribes to an idea that they may or may not truly believe. So if one tried to take the road least traveled by ascribing to a different theory, he would face overwhelming opposition that could easily cause him to turn away from his conclusions from fear alone. 

Unfortunately, many women writing in this era were overlooked. And the men who may have seen the injustice in gender inequality, were, for reasons described by Mills, unable to confess their beliefs. The men who did opt to write and fight for women's rights were written of as too radical an were looked down upon, as John Mills was. Fortunately enough people reached their personal conclusions regarding this injustice and voiced them. Therefore, we can thank writers and reformers like Mill who took a risk in fighting for what he believed was right.

  

Victorian Ladies and Gentlemen: Sarah Stickney Ellis

While reading the section on Victorian Ladies and Gentlemen, I gained immense insight into the lifestyle of women in the Victorian era. Women's duties were strictly domestic; they were in charge of all affairs related to the home and of the family, while the men attended the business world, and were expected to financially provide for their home. These roles seemed unvarying and absolute. Tennyson captures the boundaries of these gender implications in his poem, The Princess:

"Man for the field and women for the hearth:

Man for the sword and needle for the she:

Man with the head and woman with the heart:

Man to command and woman to obey

All else confusion"(555).

In the Victorian era, a woman seeking a career or a man raising his children would have seemed outrageous. During this time, the wife was never the "bread-winner," nor was her husband "Mr. Mom." Such absolute definitions were placed on these now versatile roles, a jurisdiction that would seem quite odd to our modern day society. I would be infuriated knowing that my future had already been defined for me, and there was nothing I could do to escape it. A Victorian woman "could not work outside the home; they could not vote; they had no legal rights, even over their own children; they could not attend university or enter the professions"(556). All women were treated as convicts, with rules and regulations criticizing their every move. The had only one objective, one purpose: to tend to their children and keep their husbands content. Even these roles, the duties of the home, seemed to be unappreciated yet expected. (I wonder what Felicia Hemans would have written towards the lack of importance deemed upon these women and their duties?)   

Sarah Stickney Ellis wrote to encourage women to accept this social confinement and find contentment in the happiness of their superior male companions: their husbands, brothers, and sons. Ellis also discouraged women to seek education, for she found this did not benefit the women's domestic affairs and was therefore, unnecessary. 

In her writing, The Women of England: Their Social Duties and Domestic Habits, Ellis outlines the multiple reasons why women should seek only to perform household duties, and to focus only on domestic affairs and the importance of women confined to this realm. Ellis writes, "the influence of women in counteracting the growing evils of society is about to be needed more than ever" (558). She then questions, "Will an increase of intellectual attainments, or higher style of accomplishments, effect this purpose?"(558). Ellis argues that since women seeking education will not help them to fight "growing evils," then they should not, in any way attempt to gain intellect through academic conquests. The only focus a woman should have, at this time, is combating the calamitous happenings in society. Engagement in "superficial reading" will not be able to aid the women in assisting men, so they should not do it. 

I strongly disagree with Ellis on these points. When ever has knowledge of any kind and all kinds not assisted in one's ability to understand the world around them? If women are only taught to cook, clean, and watch over their children, what profound "influence" might they have over the "growing evils of society"? Ellis is encouraging women to focus on battling evil, when she discourages them to gain the tools appropriate to do so. I wonder if Ellis is aware of this, so she is simply building the self-esteem of these inferior women to think that they are important and have "influence," when they are actually being distracted from the injustice that defines their lives. Logically speaking, it would truly benefit society if women were able to break out of their confinement to the home. In this way, the knowledge of men could be coupled with the newly-gained knowledge of women. If female intellect had been ignored as it was in the Victorian era, we would have also ignored the discoveries of Rosalind Franklin, who made instrumental contributions to the understanding of DNA, or Caroline Herschel, who is attributed to discovering the planet Uranus. To think that these women, and many more who have helped to define many successes of discovery and ingenuity, could have been discouraged by society to seek education, is but a disgusting idea in my mind. The ignorance of this period, regarding the intellect of women, is shown by Ellis's writing, a woman who could have also made greater contributions to history, rather than attempting to stifle greatness in others.    

Robert Browning

Porphyria's Lover by Robert Browning was extremely bothersome and insane depiction of a love story. The unlikely madness displayed by Browning left me confused, angered, and a bit disturbed at the poem's conclusion. 

The poem begins with a simple depiction of a raging storm outside while a man sits in the comfort of his cozy cottage. The storm is described as: 

"The sullen wind was soon awake,

It tore the elm-tops down for spite, 

And did its worst to vex the lake"(662). 

The Romantic depictions of nature in these lines set the tone for the remainder of the poem. The evil characteristics of this storm seemed to foreshadow the evils that were to occur. Like the wind, the sullen man was immediately awakened to become injurious and annihilative towards his lover. And he seems to commit these evil deeds for spite alone. Upon Porphyria's arrival, the speaker seemed to be comforted as she "made all the cottage warm"(663). She seemed to enter with such a strong, influential presence that everything around her lover had lightened. After Porphyria had made her entrance, the speaker claimed, "and, last, she sat down my [his] side" (662). In this quotation, the word "last" became highlighted for me, as if stating this word not only represented her lover's waiting desire for her closeness, but also because it noted one of the last things this poor girl would do. Also, I wonder if this was the reason the speaker became so immediately maddened, because Porphyria took note of him "last." This idea is evidenced as the speaker writes on: 

"... she sat down by my side 

And called me. When no voice replied,

She put her arm about her waist"(662).

He seems angered by being last, when he desires to be first. This is why when she calls for him, he does not reply. She senses his anger and then tries to console him and attempts to seduce him, as if flaunting her power over him sexually. He does not believe that she truly loves him, and he fears the power she may have over him. But, she truly does love him:

"Murmuring how she loved me---she

Too weak, for all her heart's endeavor,

To set its struggling passion free,

From pride, and vainer tries dissever

And give herself to me forever"(663). 

The speaker hears that his lover desires to surrender all and confess her undying love for him, but he remains apprehensive to her compelling confession. He acknowledges that he may be swayed by her seduction so he was to:

"Be sure I looked up at her eyes

Happy and proud; at least I knew

Porphyria worshipped me; surprise"(663).

The speaker regains the power from his lover when he realizes that she does indeed love him to the point that she is obsessed with him. This realization makes him incredibly content in knowing that the battles raging within his mind fearing the validation of her love would cease. However, he may have feared that such feelings of doubt and despair could somehow continue, for how could he be completely sure that her love was real or that it would endure forever? I assume he proceeds with such a horrific action of murdering her to prevent any further pain and to freeze the feelings he had temporarily gained thus establishing their permanence while he had the chance, while he was in control, and while she belonged to only him. As he murders her he proclaims: 

"... and all her hair 

In one long yellow string I wound

Three times her little throat around,

And strangled her. No pain felt she;

I am quite sure she felt no pain"(663).

Even as the speaker is murdering his lover, he tries to validate his actions by claiming that she felt no pain. He repeats this to himself, almost as if to convince himself that it is true. His proceeding actions, made me seriously question his sanity. He opened her eyelids and "laughed the blue eyes without a stain" as she "blushed bright beneath [his] burning kiss"(663). It is as if the speaker believes she is still alive and real, but in a way where she is subservient to him, as he believes it should be and as he truly desired to make it. She no longer has power over him. He then propped her head upon his shoulder reversing the roles they had displayed earlier, so that he could experience or mimic that part of the relationship that he had stolen from her when he killed her. Such an experience was important enough to kill for, implying the incredible desire he must have had for obtaining such control in their relationship. They both remained still so he could soak up entirely the moment he had longed for and in the final lines of the poem he says:

"And thus we sit together now,

And all night long we have not stirred,

And yet God has not said a word"(663).

The speaker has finally attained the comfort which he has so passionately sought after, such that he desires to remain frozen in his stance fully enjoying the moment. The reader can still feel his apprehension concerning his insane act as he continues to validate the murder because God has yet to punish him. The man chose instead of risking his heart for his lover, afraid that she would not reciprocate, he would create a false sense of happiness for himself, convincing himself that her dead body was still real and able to give love, a feature now governed only by him.  

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a series of love poems to Robert Browning, which I consider to be her best work. These sonnets were collectively called the Sonnets from the Portuguese. It seems quite clear to the reader that these sonnets were not intended to be published, for they captured Elizabeth's uncensored, undying love written solely for the eyes of Robert.

Sonnet 21 of these love writings conveys Elizabeth's pure love in a very emotional, yet somewhat depressing way. The poem begins with Elizabeth begging to Robert:

"Say over again, and yet once over again,

That thou dost love me"(530).

Through the entire sonnet, Elizabeth continues to plead with Robert, that he may confess his love to her over and over again. She seeks to attain the reassurance that his love for her is as great as her love for him. She writes that his words of reassurance should seem like a "cuckoo-song," just as her pleading for them sounds throughout the poem. He continues to disregard her plea, but she continues to prompt him:

"Remember, never to the hill or plain,

Valley and wood, without her cuckoo-strain

Comes the fresh Spring in all her green completed" (530).

She is communicating that although such a "cuckoo-song" will sometimes seem insistent and unimportant, the spring will never go anywhere without the sound of her "cuckoo-strain," and therefore, the validation of his love should be no less consistent. Elizabeth reveals her apprehension of Robert's feelings the the following lines:

"Beloved, I, amid the darkness greeted 

By doubtful spirit-voice, in that doubt's pain

Cry, "Speak once more---thou lovest!"(530-531).

Elizabeth writes of her doubt concerning Robert's love for her. She begs for reassurance - to know that she has no reason to doubt him, no reason to feel in the dark in their relationship, and no reason to continue crying out for more affirmation. She needs more than his words to attain this; although he confesses his love again and again, these words alone do not restore her confidence in him for she still experiences "doubt's pain." She begins to question whether he may ever be able to declare his love enough times to ease her pain. She equilibrates this notion with the stars and of flowers stating:

"Who can fear 

Too many stars, though each in heaven shall roll,

Too many flowers, though each shall crown the year?"(631).

There can never be too many of a good thing. Just as there cannot be too many flowers or stars, Robert cannot proclaim his love too many times to Elizabeth. She finally declares, with the repetition for which she personally desires, "Say thou dost love me, love me, love me..."(631). Elizabeth deeply wishes only to be coveted like she covets Robert, and only to receive the affirmation of this in the same way which she is passionately affirming her love to him. The final statement defines her true feeling:

"Dear,

To love me also in silence with thy soul" (631).

This line of the sonnet seems to slip out the end of the writing, as if it is meant to be read in a whisper, a secret confession to which Elizabeth herself does not yet want to fully commit to. It is as if while writing this poem, she came to this disheartening conclusion as she poured her doubts onto paper. Elizabeth now knows that Robert can proclaim his love an infinite number of times, but she will not feel it, because he does not yet truly mean it. Until Robert feels his love in "silence" without the interference of her pleading, will Elizabeth be able to feel this love, become confident in it, and do away with her constant pain of doubting her relationship.   

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

In the 8th Grade, I was required to memorize The Charge of the Light Brigade, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. I thought it would only be appropriate to analyze this poem, which I can still quote parts of today. 

This poem really uncovers the essence of a soldier's character. It tells the story of a brigade of 600 soldiers of the British forces in the Crimean War who are ordered to charge forward towards the Russian forces: an absurd order given by their commander. The courage of these men was highlighted as they charged forward, aware of the mistake, neither discouraged or distressed. This feature alone was very powerful to me. For these soldiers, while galloping towards their death, neither disobeyed their commander nor feared their fate. Rather, they continued to charge forward, honored to die for their country.

A unique feature of this poem is the form which Tennyson uses. As I read the poem, I felt a steady beat associated with each stanza. This beat felt almost like a galloping rhythm, making the reader feel connected with the brigade as they galloped closer and closer towards their death. This repetitive method also reminds the reader of repetitive orders constantly being yelled at the soldiers in the midst of battle - further equilibrating the reader with a sense of urgency and expectancy associated with the life of a soldier. 

The poem begins stating, "Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward" (615). This opening phrase conveys a strong, united action of the collected 600 men. Tennyson never speaks of the soldiers individually, but emphasizes their unity as one powerful force: "the six hundred" and later "all that was left of them" (615). Then the soldiers were given their orders:

"'Forward, the Light Brigade!'

Was there a man dismay'd?

Not tho' the soldier knew

Some one had blunder'd:

Their's not to make reply

Their's not to reason why,

Their's but to do and die:

Into the Valley of Death

Rode the six hundred" (615).

As soon after the soldiers were given their orders, the speaker questions whether any of them were surprised by these commands. Tennyson quickly answers the proposed question, emphasizing that each soldier was fully aware of their commanders' fatal mistake. Although aware, not one soldier showed any fear or distress, but continued galloping towards the enemy. The next lines (13-15) validated the soldier's unselfish behavior. Upon reading these very powerful lines, I imagined a boot camp scene in which every soldier was repeating the words aloud in unison, with passion and fervor, knowing that these words which would come to define them, would also allow them to become fearless in the face of death and content in knowing they would die for their country. Their only duty was to obey orders and follow their commander, never to "make reply" never to "reason why" only "to do and die"(615). In these words lie the nature of a soldier, charging forward without hesitation, galloping courageously into the "Valley of Death"(615).

In the third stanza, Tennyson makes use of anaphora: repeating the same word at the beginning of several consecutive lines: "Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them" (615). This method creates a strong sense of unrelenting assault; at each line the reader's eyes meet the word "cannon," just as a soldier dodges a flying shell at every turn. Even in this overwhelming scene, the brigade rode "boldly" into the "jaws of death" and the "mouth of hell"(615). This hopeless scene of death makes the reader wonder if any of the brigade will surrender and spare their life, yet the six hundred continue to charge on.

As the charge continued, "all the world wonder'd"(615). Here, Tennyson does not address how the world wondered of the fate of the soldiers, but rather the reasoning behind their continuation of the charge headed towards their demise. The reader is part of the world - unaware of the soldier's mindset and the feelings of the soldiers causing them to continue in battle. Tennyson does not wish for the reader to understand these reasonings of the soldier, for only the soldier understands the motives that allow him to welcome his own death. Approaching the end of the poem, the soldiers struck the enemy with "sabres bare" and broke through the enemy line, destroying their Russian and Cossack opponents(615). But as they rode back they were "not the six hundred"(615). Until this stanza, every stanza has ended with "rode the six hundred," but now the debilitating effects of war can be witnessed as many life's of the 600 soldiers have been compromised.

The lines of the cannons in the third stanza are repeated in the sixth, reminding the reader of the war behind as what was left of the soldiers come through the "jaws of Death" and the "mouth of Hell"(616). The continued assault takes its toll on the remaining survivors as "horse and hero fell"(616). The final stanza speaks to the reader, encouraging that they may honor those who risked their lives: "Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred!"(616). For Tennyson, war, although sometimes compromising and foolish, is always necessary and just. Even though the improper command was made, the soldiers should still be honored for their relentless bravery and courage so strongly celebrated in this poem. The poem glorifies war because even when it can be inefficient and depleting, the courage of the soldier shown as he protects his country can be infinitely honored and respected.

Charles Dickens

Although the era of the Industrial Revolution was filled with excitement and curiosity of many new commodities, some saw this era of change as disruptive and traumatizing. As a result of industrialization, many people experienced disorientation as everything around them began to change. Charles Dickens dramatizes some of these pessimistic feelings in The Coming of the Railway from Dombey and Son. In this passage, Dickens describes the "vast demolition of neighborhoods and upheaval of the landscape" associated with the moving in of railways(495). 

The passage begins by equilibrating the moving in of the railway with the aftermath of an earthquake: 

"The first shock of a great earthquake had, just at that period, rent the whole neighborhood to its centre. Traces of its course were visible on every side. Houses were knocked down; streets broken through and stopped; deep pits and trenches dug in the ground; enormous heaps of earth and clay thrown up; buildings that were undermined and shaking" (496).

In this quotation it is clear that the construction of these railroads is destroying the community and as a result, society is in turmoil. The railway has torn through the community, as would a natural disaster- damaging everything in it's path. This event was unwanted, unexpected and the people seemed to be incredibly unprepared. All that was once familiar to the people is gone, such that, they feel they have lost the identity of their community, which has since gained an "incompleteness" about it (496). As a result, the people responded with "fiery eruptions" while some "lent... confusion to the scene"(496). 

Dickens also makes a very interesting comparison to the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel when he writes, "Babel towers of chimneys, wanting half their height"(496). In the book of Genesis, the people of Babel attempt to build a tower tall enough to reach the heavens, but because the tower was built not to honor God but to glorify man in the name of "progress," God divided the people by language barriers and scattered them throughout the earth. Dickens relates this to the arrival of the railway, also built for the glory of man and towards greater "civilization and progress," but it also ends in "dire disorder" and "confusion" of the people(496). 

I believe these descriptions to be a little too pessimistic and dramatic. The comparisons with the earthquake and the Tower of Babel allow for a well-developed illustration, but it disregards the positive aspects associated with industrialization such as the convenience and novelty of new methods of transportation. Dickens makes it seem that the people of this community were completely taken aback, while "progress" destroyed all they knew while they stood helpless and angered as the railway continued through. Perhaps if the people of this community had responded with less anger and more of an open mind, there would have been less confusion and chaos and more of an innovative spirit. Such a spirit could be used by the people to utilize the railway in the most beneficial manner and to revitalize the community, as opposed to tear it down.  

Dickens goes on to write, "the yet unfinished and unopened Railroad was in progress; and, from the very core of all this dire disorder, trailed smoothly away, upon its mighty course of civilisation and improvement"(496). This quotation allows the reader to witness Dickens' sarcasm as he references 'civilization and improvement' towards which the railroad travels although it leaves a community overturned in it's wake. Here it seems as if the railroad's purpose is only to pummel through for some unknown purpose. Again, if society could have looked into the purpose and productivity of this technology, the apprehension and fear associated with this new era could have been lightened and eventually taken advantage of. Even after the railroad had come in, the people were hesitant to take this advantage. One of the taverns of the community "had taken for its sign The Railway Arms" and was therefore deemed a "rash enterprise"(496). Even those who did try to accept change were considered too daring or irrational, although they were the few who were actually looking at the situation in the most beneficial manner. 

The "mighty" railroad is conveyed as some unexpected force, unwelcome and unappreciated regardless of the progressive attributes it had to offer. In this community described by Dickens, change was harshly rejected, and as a result, the people were angry and confused. Change is inevitable and sometimes undesirable, but in order to make the best of the situation, society must accept change so that they may eventually thrive from it. 

 

Thomas Carlyle

Although I enjoyed the switch to prose, I did not enjoy the switch to pessimism associated with the works of Thomas Carlyle. Carlyle was described as a particularly "cranky character" who was known for his "eccentric works of... social criticism" (475). Of Carlyle's writings, I particularly enjoyed The Irish Window from his Gospel of Mammonism. This passage seems very hopeless and sad, yet it is still full of the satire that Carlyle is known for. 

The passage tells the unfortunate tale of a very poor widow who, with her children goes to seek help from charitable establishments. These charitable establishments deny the widow any help even as she pleads with them. She then becomes drastically ill with typhus fever, dies, and consequently infects seventeen others who eventually die as well. Unfortunately, it required the widow's death and the death of others for the people to realize that she was their equal and worthy of their help.

During this time, the Irish people were treated particularly poorly as clearly communicated by Carlyle's passage. As an entire race of individuals, they were considered to be less-human or unequal and were therefore treated very poorly. Carlyle never names the widow, nor does he assign any particular characteristics to her. By keeping her identity anonymous and referring to her only as the "poor Irish widow," Carlyle successfully makes her a representative for a much larger group. He therefore highlights not only the one immoral act shown in this story, but uncovers many inhumane practices happening in society. This anonymous theme also stands for the charities and city, which were referenced as simply the "Charitable Establishments" of that "City" (480). Again, Carlyle does this not to point fingers at one particular offender, but to cast blame on society in general, and prompt a change. 

When the widow dies, the Physician (also not assigned a specific name) declares, "Would it not have been economy to help this poor widow? She took typhus-fever and killed seventeen of you!- Very curious" (480). Here Carlyle uses the physician to point out not only the ignorance and stupidity of the situation, but to also unveil the immorality and injustice done to this woman. He conveys that every individual should be treated at least as human, for in that way at least, they are undeniably equal. It is our responsibility as humans to take note of this and help one another. For as seen in this case, selfishness can lead to the demise of more people, which could otherwise be easily avoided just by helping those in need. As the women is begging for some kind of outreach she exclaims, "I am your sister, bone of your bone; one God made us: ye must help me!"(481). In this quotation, Carlyle brings to his reader's attention, that regardless of race or social class, we are all considered equal in God and in humanity; this means of establishing equality is alone the most important, therefore, every human should be treated as such - equal. 

A very interesting aspect of this passage is Carlyle's use of the word "impossible." He first uses this word when the people responded to the widow's cry for help, "No, impossible; thou art no sister of ours"(481). Yet, the widow was forced to prove her "sisterhood" and humanity when she infected them with the virus they would die from. Carlyle then begins to mock this use of "impossible" by repeating it multiple times throughout the remainder of the passage, exposing the existence of "Supply-and-demand" and "Laissez-faire" and others things that were once "universally declared to be 'impossible'"(481). Carlyle goes on to speak of these people's "parchments", "padlocks", and "money-safes"- the only things of value to them as they say "you have no business with them. Depart! It is impossible!"(481). He even states that until these selfish, immortal people obtain a soul, certainly "all things are 'impossible'"(481). Carlyle's most profound statement lies in the last sentence as he writes, "Seventeen of you lying dead will not deny such proof that she was flesh of your flesh; and perhaps some of the living may lay it to heart"(481). In the end of what was a dreadfully somber passage, Carlyle allows the reader to experience alittle hope for the situation. Maybe, of those left alive in this tragedy, will be able to disregard the superficial distinctions placed between classes and races to see that in body and spirit everyone is equal and deserves, at the very least, to be treated as such.

Industrialism: Fanny Kemble

In her Record of a Girlhood, Fanny Kemble describes her experience as the first woman to ride on a steam engine. Although she clearly struggles to accurately describe her experience with the appropriate verbiage, "the startling newness" of her adventure was certainly portrayed (490). Of those who witnessed the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, Fanny Kemble was one who took a positive approach on what Eric Hobsbawn claimed to be "the most fundamental transformation of human life in the history of the world" (487). Her writings exemplify the optimism associated with the Victorian age along with the enthusiasm and shock of such newness.

In the podcast, Fanny Kemble is described as having "confidence, exuberance, and security" during her exciting adventure on the steam engine. As she attempts to describe the journey to her reader, the most plausible analogy to the train she can conjure is that of a horse. Therefore, for most of the letter, Kemble continues to give the steam engine life-like qualities. As she describes the construction of the "wonderful beast" she equilibrates each feature to that of an anatomical part of a horse (491). I found her comparisons to be quite humorous, as she speaks of the train: "She goes up on two wheels, which are her feet, and are moved by bright steel legs called pistons... steam is applied to the upper extremities (the hip-joints I suppose) of these pistons..." (490). Kemble's association between a living-horse and the steam engine is so strong that she even goes as far to validate the gender of the machine when she claims, "She (for they make these curious little fire-horses all mares)"(490). Kemble even applies life-like needs to the machine when she says, "a barrel containing enough water to prevent her being thirsty"and when she addresses "the coals, which are it's oats" (490). Witnessing something so new and innovative that words to express it's characteristics and features were yet to be created must have been an excitedly frustrating adventure. To associate what is a common, almost outdated machine of travel to a "snorting little animal" would seem absurd to my generation. But I could only dream of the emotion and excitement associated with being one of the first to experience such a technological innovation. 

Kemble's struggle to find words continues as she describes the speed she experiences as the train accelerates. She continues stating phrases like: "You can't imagine how strange..." and "You cannot concieve..."(491).  The feelings accompanied by this foreign contraption were so unfamiliar that Kemble simply stated it was "strange beyond description" (491). She rants and raves of the train's acceleration as she closes her eyes and attains a "sensation of flying" and she even goes on to amount her experience up to a "fairy-tale" as she traveled "swifter than a bird flies"(491). 

To travel in such a way as to feel a speed you have never felt before is an unimaginable experience to me. I would have probably done a much poorer job at describing the journey than Fanny Kemble had done. As much as Kemble's feelings are foreign to her, experiencing such feelings seem even more foreign to me. Her enthusiasm and optimism were quite contagious and enjoyable. 

......I would love to put Fanny Kemble on a plane :)  

John Keats

John Keats arose from the lower-middle class and was able to therefore provide some interesting and valuable information into the lives of what the podcast deems the "have-nots" of society. Although his career (and life) was short-lived, Keats published many pieces important to the Romantic Era. After escaping the prison-like form of sonnets, he began working on ode-writing which is regarded as his "highest achievement" (437). His odes encompassed many diverse subjects most of which are quintessentially Romantic concerns: the beauty of nature, the relationship between imagination and creativity, the transitory steps of human life in time and the relationship between pleasure and pain. One can think of Keats' odes as building on one another, where the conclusions and themes in the earlier odes return in later odes.

Of Keats' famous odes, I've chosen to focus on the Ode on Melancholy. This ode focuses specifically on how one should cope with sadness. This ode definitely has some similarities to his previous odes. Ode on Melancholy features Greek mythology as does Ode on a Grecian Urn, while it also conveys magnificent illustrations of nature like Ode to a Nightingale. 

I could guess that Keats writes this advice possibly because of the troubled times he has endured. In the first stanza, Keats writes of all the things that one should not do as a result of some tragedy. Although the references he uses require outside knowledge to fully comprehend, I found the captions to be quite helpful in getting me through the ode. Keats begins by stating the victim of suffering should not "go to Lethe," which simply means he who is suffering should not forget their pain, nor should they drink poison and "be kiss'd by nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine,"which means the sufferer should not commit suicide and join Proserpine- the mythical queen of the underworld(442).  Keats then lists some objects of death and misery: "beetle/death-moth/downy owl" and claims that the sufferer should not become obsessed with these objects, for such an act could make the soul "drowsy," for the sufferer must be fully aware of his "anguish of the soul"(442). 

In the second stanza, Keats informs the reader of what should be done in place of the things mentioned in the first stanza. He states "when the melancholy fit shall fall," the reader should turn their attention to "a morning rose, or on the rainbow of the salt sand-wave..." or in the "peerless eyes" of their love (442).  Somewhat like the Wordsworths, Keats is attributing nature to having some healing effect in troubled times. However, Keats also attributes love to providing an escape from sorrow. 

In the third stanza, Keats explores the most important concept of this ode: the relationship between pleasure and pain. This relationship can be seen as Keats conveys that Beauty must die and Joy is leaving, "bidding adieu" while Pleasure is "turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips" (pleasure symbolically represented as a flower) (442). These verses follow the notion that mistress of the speaker will eventually grow old and die, but instead of ignoring this fact, he choses to appreciate her more while she is alive. Because her "Beauty must die" he will "feed deep, deep, deep upon her peerless eyes" (442). Keats seems to be implying that the mortal nature of beauty and joy make beauty and joy more amazing. He then states that the shrine of melancholy lies in the "temple of Delight," which also entails that the two emotions are intimately conjoined. 

Felicia Hemans

Felicia Hemans was a poet for whom I can find immense respect. Rather than attempting to equilibrate her works with other male Romantic writers, Hemans wrote in a way that was intensely feminine, as she celebrated the duties associated with women in her time. I believe that the intelligence conveyed in her writings could have prompted other women of the time to join her in the exaltation of a women's nature, rather than being left to feel inferior or insignificant to a man's duties. Her influential writings have also allowed for "reflection of many of the key social, psychological, and emotional concerns for women in her day," which could have otherwise been overshadowed (406). 

Within Heman's works, I particularly enjoyed her illustrations of the "idealism of home" and "the necessity of maternal responsibility"(405). Therefore, I will focus on The Homes of England for this blog. In this poem, Hemans begins by describing "the stately Homes of England," by exclaiming, "how beautiful they stand! Amisdt their tall ancestral trees"(412). These "tall ancestral trees" provide the reader with an awareness for the profound heritage associated with these homes. Hemans later calls attention to the "Cottage Homes of England," as to not exclude any social class from her rejoice (412). In the description of both types of homes, "stately" and "cottage," Hemans calls the attention to every class of people, for in every home within their country lies the future of England, each individual having no more important a role than the next, regardless of social distinctions. This inclusion of all classes in England can also be witnessed when Hemans calls out to all "the free, fair Homes of England! Long, long, in hut and hall"(412). Her clause of "in hut and hall" signifies the equal importance she gives to both classes. 

Hemans goes on to inspire the people of England to have a "merry home" (412). In this home's description, Hemans speaks in a warm and loving mood of a home where a "woman's voice flows forth in song, or a childhood's tale is told" (412). This quotation conveys the importance of a mother's love to nurture the children and to create a merry atmosphere from which the children can grow. Hemans then speaks of the value of having a "blessed home," where God is reverenced and present. She claims, "How softly on their bowers is laid the holy quietness that breathes from Sabbath-hours!"(412). In both of these stanzas, Hemans is not talking to a group of people as she is when she speaks to the "stately" and "cottage" homes. Rather, Hemans is encouraging both the "stately" and "cottage" homes to adopt a certain ideology that holds values like raising children and observing the Sabbath-thus, creating a home that is also both "merry" and "blessed"(412). In every home, lies the future and the heart of England. So, Hemans stresses the importance of strengthening the ideals and practices within the home because this will, in turn, strengthen the ideals and practices of England's future. 

Like her fellow Romantics, Hemans often references nature in her poems. Throughout The Homes of England, Hemans seems to use nature to unite all of England under a common pride and joy. As Hemans speaks to the "stately" homes she speaks of "the deer across their greensward bound" and "the swan [that] glides past them"(412). Then as she talks to the "cottage" homes, she references the "glowing orchards forth" and "the bird beneath their eaves"(412). Hemans sees nature as a constant force-"green for ever be the groves, and bright the flowery sod"- that will always continue to provide unity and inspiration for England's people (412).      

The final stanza of this poem is, by far, the most powerful. Here Hemans states that the home is one "where first the child's glad spirit loves its country and its God!"(412). Again, she is stressing the importance of the values of the home, from which each child who is to become a part of the future of England learns the most vital lessons - lessons from which he will go on to define himself by, which in turn will be the lessons and values that define his country. In this way, the homes teach the children to have pride for their country, but ultimately it is in the home that lies the pride of England. 

Percy Bysshe Shelley

As a 2nd generation Romantic, Shelley's works certainly have a dark, gloomy feel associated with them. This mood of hopelessness is much different from the uplifting, enjoyable moods associated with the Wordsworths. Of Shelley's works, I have chosen to focus on one of his most famous writings, Ozymandias, which was written in a sonnet contest for a new exhibit of a statue of Ramses II in the British museum.  This poem is unique in both form and content as it, in an atypical sonnet form, explores the ironic limitations of political power and immortality of art forms.

The sonnet begins with the speaker claiming, "I met a traveller from and antique land" (399). This clause sets the story to begin in an interesting way - by framing the poem such that the speaker hears this story from a "traveller" adds another level of disguise between the reader and Ozymandias. The reader hears of the statue from the speaker who heard of the statue from the traveller who actually saw the statue. This tactic further distances the reader from the statue, which is only a representation of Ozymandias and therefore, the reader is even further distanced from the ruler's power. So before the sonnet introduces this ruler, Shelley has positioned his readers to observe the ruler as "antique" and his power obsolete. 

The sonnet describes the statue as "two vast and trunkless legs of stone" and a "half-sunk, shattered visage" lying in the middle of desolate wasteland.  Already, this image conveys that what was once the representation of a powerful, great king is now diminished to ruins in the middle of nowhere. Ozymandias's "half-sunk" face also seems to parallel his sinking legacy in time. 

Shelley then focuses on the statue's profound expression: "whose frown, and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command" (399). In this situation, such a "visage" could only be thought of as passionate at the time, but arrogant in this state - demeanors that the sculptor read very well and personified. The sonnet then further describes the statue: "the hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed," which meant that Ozymandias was a ruler who had contempt for those weaker than him, but although he was cold and commanding, he also found it within his heart to properly care for his people.

On the pedestal of the statue, this phrase appears; "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair" (399). In this declaration, irony comes to exist because around this statue, nothing resides beyond the decay, only "lone and level sands stretch far away" (399). Therefore, the once-great ruler's boast becomes ironically disproved as his proclamation of greatness is itself, shattered and diminished amongst nothing but wasteland. His powerful statement is in turn interpreted to represent the profound insignificance of such political power over the course of time. All that remains is what is to be considered significant: what is left of the statue and the words written on it or a work of art and a group of words. Here Shelley clearly tries to convey that art and language will always outlast short-lived legacies of political power.  

Dorothy Wordsworth

If William Wordsworth was, in fact, the most influential poet of the Romantics, then he is very fortunate that few took note of his sister, Dorothy Wordsworth, at the time. If they had, I think his title could have become compromised, or at least shared. As brother and sister, whose parents died when they were very young, the tightly-knit relationship between these two Romantic writers is understandable. But I have to wonder, who influenced who? Although Dorothy only wrote "to give William pleasure," her writings were described as being "full of brilliantly detailed descriptions of nature," a talent and passion she most certainly shared with her brother (291). The siblings also seemed to share the same conclusions regarding nature. As William drew the connection between nature, the mind, and memory, Dorothy also writes of such connections in Thoughts on My Sick-bed when she states, "I thought of Nature's loveliest scenes; And with Memory I was there" (294). This clause reiterates what William described in Tintern Abbey- how memory of nature provided an escape from loneliness the burdens of the world. 

Of Dorothy Wordsworth's writings, I found the Grasmere Journals to be the most interesting. Some of them were formatted in a stream of conscience style, which I believed to allow an unedited, direct view into the mind of Dorothy as she witnessed certain events or recalled past happenings. Yet, in these journals, her talent to create wonderful imagery can be immensely appreciated.

An example of such magnificent imagery of a certain depiction can be see in her A Vision of the Moon. This journal entry begins with Dorothy stating, "something in the air compelled me to serious thought..." (296). This quotation seems to foreshadow the magnificence of what Wordsworth was about to witness. Like William, Dorothy seemed to have regarded nature with the utmost significance and importance, such that she may have taken any of nature's scenes very seriously because she was fully aware of the effect such a scene could have on her. 

Further along in the journal entry, Dorothy claims, "the moon came out from behind a Mountain Mass of Black clouds-O the utterable darkness of the sky & the Earth below the Moon! & the glorious brightness of the moon itself!" (296). Here, it seems, Dorothy uses the contrast of light and dark to intensify the illumination of the moon itself. The moon, the focus of the entry, is bright against the darkness of the sky and earth "below"- as if to now only highlight the moon, but to also stage it above all of the rest. She then describes this vision of the moon from another angle: "there was a vivid sparkling streak of light at this end of Rydale water but the rest was very dark & Loughrigg fell and Silver How were white & bright as if they were covered with hoar frost" (296). This illustration allows the reader to vividly imagine the reflection of the moon on the Rydale lake, and the peaks of Loughrigg and Silver How. Even this reflection entails that the moon was so incredibly bright, that it reflected upon scenes below it, illuminating even more of nature's depictions-as if the moon can be responsible for uncovering more of nature's hidden beauty.  

Another quotation in this journal entry describes the light of the moon in yet another view along Dorothy's journey: "Once there was no moonlight to be seen but upon the Island house & the promontory of the Island where it stands, 'That needs must be a holy place'"(296). This excerpt illuminates the Island house, as if it has been selected by the moon or nature acting as a higher power such that the selectivity of the moon's shine can deem this place "holy." In this way, Dorothy's intimate connection with nature can be witnessed as well as the reverence to which she gives to such a scene. It is like she is describing the moon as having some sort of omnipotence in this passage, for it is bright like no other, it can uncover more beautiful scenes, and it can even selectively isolate things that should, from that point, be considered with importance in come respect. Wordsworth later claims that this scene alone "made her more than half a poet," entertaining the thought that witnessing nature's power in an instance like this could be deemed as somewhat of a right of passage for a poet.  

After analyzing a writing like that, anyone would have to be able to look at nature in a new way. I can definitely say that I will appreciate one of nature's scene as I pass by next. 

William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth, the most influential of the Romantics, sought to do more than create beautiful poetry. Wordsworth truly desired to be understood by using everyday language to explore the complexity of human experience. By bringing poetry down from the level of complex clauses and useless imagery, he was able to dive deeper into the significant relationships between the mind and nature, and because his language was simple and straightforward, such conclusions could be understood by a wide variety of readers. 

An example of Wordsworth exploring the connection between mind and nature can be seen in his Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey. In this poem, Wordsworth is writing of his return to Tintern Abbey with his sister and of the many effects these natural scenes seem to have on him. The sights of nature allow him to embark into a deep meditation: "I behold these steep and lofty cliffs which on a wild secluded scene impress thoughts of more deep seclusion" (202). As Wordsworth describes this familiar scene depicted in front of him, his imagination runs wild as he attempts to predict the origin of the "wreaths of smoke" he witnesses and whether they arose "of vagrant dwellers in the houseless woods, or of some hermit's cave"(203).

Wordsworth then describes the effect that these scenes have on him when he is away from them. He writes that when he is "in lonely rooms, and mid the din of towns and cities," the nature has brought him "sensations sweet/tranquil restoration/unremembered pleasure" (203). He further credits such memory for allowing him to reach a significant spiritual state where he can become a "living soul" and "see into the life of things" (203). In such a mental state, Wordsworth claims that the weight of the "unintelligible world is lighten'd" (203). He then admits that his belief may be "vain," but he continues to turn to such a release when in a "fretful stir...of the world"(203). In these stanzas, Wordsworth emphasizes that the scenes of nature observed by the mind can become an eternal escape from the world by way of one's memory. Therefore, nature is should not just be admired, but should also be appreciated for the thoughts it provokes in the mind and the imprint it leaves there. In this way, the mind and nature can become intimately and significantly conjoined. 

Wordsworth goes on to explore how his relationship with nature has matured and the consequences that have arose from such a change. As he revives these former memories, the experience feels bittersweet. He reflects on his communion with nature as a child: "when I first came among the hills; when like a roe I bounded o'er the mountains/For nature then...to me was all in all" (204). Wordsworth reflects that in these days nature was his love, but upon reflection of these days he will "nor mourn nor murmur" because the "gifts" he has attained since his childhood have compensated for the intimacy that he lost (204). He has regained something that is "far more deeply infused" for now he can "look on nature" and "hear human music" (204). These quotes mean that now he could now understand the relationship that these coveted scenes had on human life. When he was a child, he enjoyed and loved nature, but as he grew older and lost this communion, he gained the ability to be aware of the effect that these scenes had on him. For these reasons, Wordsworth declared "Therefore am I still a lover of the meadows and the woods, and the mountains..." (204). He ends content with knowing the experiences he had that day would provide him and his sister with wonderful memories to which they could escape. 

Personally, I am thankful that Wordsworth found it important to be readily understood. I found his all of his works to be beautiful and easy to understand. Of the Romantics, Wordsworth and his sister were like a breath of fresh air that I could enjoy and not stress over when analyzing.

 

  

 

William Blake

Of William Blake's writings, I found the "Chimney Sweeper" poems from "The Songs of Innocence" and "The Songs of Experience" to be the most interesting. I will, therefore, attempt to compare and contrast the two:

The first "Chimney Sweeper" poem in Blake's "Songs of Innocence" begins by telling of a young child whose mother had died when he was very young and his father had sold him to work as a chimney sweep. The child was so young that he "could scarcely cry weep weep weep weep." (81) In this quotation, Blake uses somewhat of a play on words in reference to the child's duties: "sweep sweep sweep sweep." Here the child is a symbol of purity and naivety. Blake then writes to describe a young chimney sweep, Tom Dacre, and his dream. Tom was another young child described to have white hair "that curl'd like a lambs back" (81). Both the reference to Tom's white hair and the similarity it had to a lamb were symbols displayed again to represent themes of innocence and purity. Blake often uses the reoccurring theme of black and white or light and dark to reference innocence and experience or purity and sin. Blake's propaganda-like opinions are shown as he discloses the social injustice of innocent children who are forced into a child-labor situations that expose them to the black soot of experience and sin. Within the next stanzas, the tone and flow of the poem becomes more happy and light. Tom Dacre's dream of former young chimney sweeps that had died and were "lock'd up in coffins of black" were taken by an Angel, "set free", and made "white" and child-like again. This Angel told Tom "is he'd be a good boy, he'd have God for his father and never want joy" (81). Here Blake tries to convey that if the children would perform the duties they had been given, they would go to heaven and "go down a green plain leaping laughing they [would] run and wash in a river and shine in the Sun" (81). Also, with God as their father, they would be able to have the relationship like the one with their earthly fathers that was denied to them. Upon having this dream, Tom went about his work "happy and warm" because he knew "if all do their duty they need not fear harm" (81). Tom's reaction to this dream also showed his naivety because he was so easily influenced by this angel's statement in his dream that it allowed to to continue happily in his unjust, cold, and evil situation. 

In "Songs of Experience," the tone is much more ominous and dreary, conveying themes of hopelessness and darkness. Again, the reader witnesses Blake's love of contrast in his first line of the poem "a little black thing among the snow" (89). This quotation highlights the feelings of pain and sin represented by the color black as it contrasts against the white snow. In this poem, the child is still crying for his parents who have "gone up to the church to pray" (89). Blake puts a lot of effort in describing this child's anguished state so that he can engage the reader to feel sorrow and begin to take offense on the child's behalf against whatever is holding the little boy's parents from him: the church. In the second stanza, Blake sets up two contrasting moods. It begins with the happy child, who "smil'd among the winter snow" and then the parents "clothed [the child] in the clothes of death, and taught [the child] to sing the notes of woe" (89). Here the "winter snow" continues to represent purity, while the metaphorical "clothes of death" that the parents have clothed their child in, seem to represent the child's forced exposure to sin. In the third and final stanza Blake places the blame on the church, the state, and the parents: "God & his Priest & King" for the injustice they have imposed on the children (89). He believes the parents to be ignorant of the harm they have caused just because the child is "happy & danc[es] and sing[s]" (89). The parents have fled to the church rather than performing the responsibilities of a child and the government and the church  have created a society where such an injustice is acceptable.

While Blake's first poem is generally happy and hopeful, the second is sad and hopeless. Blake administers his political and social views by blatantly blaming the state and church for injustice, while using obvious contrasts of colors and themes to intensify his claims. 

  

French Revolution: Edmund Burke

The writings of Edmund Burke from his "Reflections on the Revolution in France" seemed somewhat controversial in my opinion. Burke showed his fundamentalist tendencies as he strongly opposed the revolution and was thus a strong supporter of "the monarchy, the aristocracy, the church, and the constitution that guaranteed their power" (47). Burke saw this revolution as a chaotic deviation from the institutions that were inherently best by tradition and inheritance. He firmly believed that a nation was most successful when it followed the guidelines formulated by its forefathers and never strayed from such ideals and practices. Burke often references the policies of England as a standard of what he deems successful.

                  Within Burke's Reflections, a bold reoccurring theme is the importance of inheritance. He believed inheritance to “furnish a sure principle of conservation, and a sure principle of transmission,” for in this way, a nation can “preserve [its] unity” and be most successful. Therefore, Burke implies that the policies and establishments set by a nation’s forefathers become that nation’s inheritance, making it the responsibility of that nation to preserve such invaluable information. As pertaining to governmental authority, Burke states that this also is an inheritable right, such that the crown should be handed down from father to son in an insured, traditional manner. He appeals to the emotion of his readers by relating these concepts of inheritance to those of “family settlements” (49), thus concealing the possible perils of what could exist in a monarchy. Burke even goes on to state on page 49, “a spirit of innovation is generally the result of a selfish temper, and confined views.” In this way, I believe Burke to be wrong. I think over the course of history many more good things have come from such a “spirit of innovation,” in comparison to the good things that have come from such a “unchangeable constancy” that Burke is so strongly campaigning for. (49)

                  Also in Burke’s Reflections he speaks of what he believes to be the “Real Rights of Men” on pages 50 and 51. He begins by stating men “have a right to the fruits of their industry; and to the means of making their industry fruitful” and “whatever each man can separately do, without trespassing upon others, he has a right to do for himself.” (50) In these statements, most everyone could agree. If a man works hard, he should rightfully be able to reap the benefits of his labor, as long as neither of these acts offends another man. However, in the rest of this section, Burke and I begin to have different opinions. He states “as to the share of power, authority, and direction which each individual ought to have in management of the state, that I must deny to be amongst the direct original rights of man in civil society” (51) In this quote, Burke goes back to support his preference of a monarchy as opposed to a democracy. As clearly made evident by Burke in his argument concerning the importance of inheritance, he believes that power and authority is strictly a blood right, and such privileges are far from being considered an “original” right of a common man.

                  Overall, I enjoyed disagreeing with Burke’s old-fashioned ideas J. And clearly, so did Thomas Paine and Mary Wollstonecraft as they went on to strongly disagree with Edmund Burke’s take on the rights of man. I do believe that Burke made convincing arguments that were very interesting and enticing to his readers. I also enjoyed seeing strongly contrasting ideas in general to the happenings of the French Revolution.