Felicia Hemans provides a stark contrast to Dorothy Wordsworth, the other female writer we have studied in the Romantic era. While Dorothy never planned for any of her work to be published, Hemans wanted her work to be visible to others in order to draw personal fame, which is evident in some of her writings.
In “The Homes of England”, Hemans provides a very traditional view of the female role during this time period. She celebrates this domestic role as she describes the different levels of classes. In the first stanza, she focuses on the homes of aristocracy and the second stanza describes a slightly poorer set of homes. Hemans shows that a woman's purpose does not necessarily change through social classes. Even though these homes may not be like those of the aristocracy, the “woman’s voice flows forth in song” still. The third stanza celebrates the holy homes of England, such as churches.
Solemn, yet sweet, the church-bell's chime/ Floats through their woods at morn;/
All other sounds, in that still time,/ Of breeze and leaf are born.
Finally, the fourth stanza describes the peasant homes. Women in all classes of life still share the same domestic role, which Hemans is celebrating in this poem. She shows great love for England. I feel like she sets all levels of homes as equal because they are the starting points for English people to grow and love their country. Hemans says that English people can learn about patriotism, starting at home. These homes are supposed to be the foundations for English lives.
Where first the child’s glad spirit loves/ Its country and its God!
Hemans provides a very Romantic feel to this work as she describes each set of houses with its surrounding elements of nature. I felt like her descriptions help the reader see the English landscape, which helps to see these important houses she is describing. She gives a vivid picture of the land, making the houses sound enchanting, such as when describing the cottages:
They are smiling o'er the silvery brooks,/ And round the hamlet-fanes./ Thro' glowing
orchards forth they peep,/ Each from its nook of leaves,/ And fearless there the lowly
sleep,/ As the bird beneath their eaves.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
John Keats
John Keats is considered a second generation Romantic because he is more radical than Blake, Wordsworth, and Coleridge. Like Blake, Keats had no formal education. He became dissatisfied with sonnets and turned to writing odes. I was especially drawn to “Ode to a Grecian Urn”. This poem has a very Romantic feel, as he finds great imagination in an old, Grecian style urn.
In the poem, Keats ponders the two sides of immortality through the three scenes on the urn. The first scene can be found in stanza 2. He sees a piper playing a tune and says that the piper will play this tune forever because he is frozen in time. Keats also says in lines 11-12, “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter;” so he tells him to play on. Keats believes that the piper has obtained permanence and immortality. I think he sees this as a positive because the piper's unheard tune will never fade and will remain sweet forever.
In stanza 3, Keats describes the scene on the urn of two young lovers. The male is chasing a female and is about to kiss her. Here is seems that Keats is saying that this scene is frozen in the best part of love, the chase. The boy will never catch his love. However, Keats shows this as a positive of immortality because the maiden will always be there, her beauty will never fade, and he will always be chasing her, which is the fun part. In line 28, Keats portrays what humans feel of love but says that the lover on the urn will never have to experience this. He doesn't have to feel what humans feel in the real world.
In stanza 4, we see a funeral type procession for a town sacrifice. Everyone from the town has left to go to the sea and the streets are silent. Keats ponders that the town will remain desolate and no one can ever return. This can be seen as a negative of immortality. This town will never be full, the streets never walked on. Because this scene is frozen on the urn, the immortality achieved is not necessarily ideal for Keats. He uses these three scenes to view the two sides of immortality and the contrast that makes life go. By providing these three different scenes I think it is easier for the reader understand the controversy Keats is experiencing by putting himself "in the urn".
In stanza 5, Keats takes himself out of the urn and returns to the physical world. It is here that he actually looks at the urn for what it is. His description of the urn is not as beautiful as it was when he was engrossed in the three scenes. He sees it as cold, lifeless, and not real in a worldly sense. In lines 49-50 Keats provides two controversial lines:
Beauty is truth, truth is beauty,- that is all/ Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
Here Keats tries to find the answer to immortality. Is it better to live forever? Also, Keats lets the reader interpret these last two lines. If the urn is saying this to the reader, then this is all the reader needs to know. If the urn only says line 49 and the speaker says line 50, then that’s all the urn needs to know but is not a favorable answer for us as humans. I tend to agree with the first rationale that this is all we, as readers, need to know. The urn tells us that we can’t find these kinds of answers in the real world. The only answers come from what we see and experience, which is all we need to know in this world.
In the poem, Keats ponders the two sides of immortality through the three scenes on the urn. The first scene can be found in stanza 2. He sees a piper playing a tune and says that the piper will play this tune forever because he is frozen in time. Keats also says in lines 11-12, “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter;” so he tells him to play on. Keats believes that the piper has obtained permanence and immortality. I think he sees this as a positive because the piper's unheard tune will never fade and will remain sweet forever.
In stanza 3, Keats describes the scene on the urn of two young lovers. The male is chasing a female and is about to kiss her. Here is seems that Keats is saying that this scene is frozen in the best part of love, the chase. The boy will never catch his love. However, Keats shows this as a positive of immortality because the maiden will always be there, her beauty will never fade, and he will always be chasing her, which is the fun part. In line 28, Keats portrays what humans feel of love but says that the lover on the urn will never have to experience this. He doesn't have to feel what humans feel in the real world.
In stanza 4, we see a funeral type procession for a town sacrifice. Everyone from the town has left to go to the sea and the streets are silent. Keats ponders that the town will remain desolate and no one can ever return. This can be seen as a negative of immortality. This town will never be full, the streets never walked on. Because this scene is frozen on the urn, the immortality achieved is not necessarily ideal for Keats. He uses these three scenes to view the two sides of immortality and the contrast that makes life go. By providing these three different scenes I think it is easier for the reader understand the controversy Keats is experiencing by putting himself "in the urn".
In stanza 5, Keats takes himself out of the urn and returns to the physical world. It is here that he actually looks at the urn for what it is. His description of the urn is not as beautiful as it was when he was engrossed in the three scenes. He sees it as cold, lifeless, and not real in a worldly sense. In lines 49-50 Keats provides two controversial lines:
Beauty is truth, truth is beauty,- that is all/ Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
Here Keats tries to find the answer to immortality. Is it better to live forever? Also, Keats lets the reader interpret these last two lines. If the urn is saying this to the reader, then this is all the reader needs to know. If the urn only says line 49 and the speaker says line 50, then that’s all the urn needs to know but is not a favorable answer for us as humans. I tend to agree with the first rationale that this is all we, as readers, need to know. The urn tells us that we can’t find these kinds of answers in the real world. The only answers come from what we see and experience, which is all we need to know in this world.
Percy Shelley
I found Shelley's writings to be much more radical than previous authors we have read. As confirmed from the podcast, Shelley was very critical of the political world and looked to change it. I thought he was a little difficult to read, as he proposes difficult and thought-provoking questions. It seems to be his way of working out his own inner thoughts while posing them to his readers as well.
In Mount Blanc, Shelley provides a vivid depiction of the mountain and the surrounding area. His descriptions are so intricate and carefully worded. I was especially drawn to the following lines because of their intense detail:
Fast cloud-shadows and sunbeams: awful scene,/ Where Power in likeness of the Arve comes down/ From the ice gulphs that gird his secret throne,/ Bursting thro' these dark mountains like the flame/ Of lightning through the tempest;- thou dost lie,-
Here, I think Shelley provides a dark scene, possibly a mysterious part of nature. Further along in the poem, Shelley seems to provide a supernatural feel to Mount Blanc:
Seeking among the shadows that pass by,/ Ghosts of all things that are, some shade of thee,/ Some phantom, some faint image; till the breast/ From which they fled recalls them, thou art there!/ Some say that gleams of a remoter world/ Visit the soul in sleep,- that death is slumber,/ And that its shapes the busy thoughts outnumber/ Of those who wake and live.
In stanza 5, Shelley discusses the mountain further and says “Mount Blanc yet gleams on high:- the power is there,/ The still and solemn power, of many sights,/ And many sounds, and much of life and death./ In the calm darkness of the moonless nights,/ In the lone glare of the day, the snows descend/ Upon that Mountain; none beholds them there,/ Nor when the flakes burn in the sinking sun,” To me, it seems as though Shelley is saying that nature is ever-present and its “power” is there and will not cease. Specifically when he says "the still and solemn power", it appears as though no matter what, the mountain will always possess this superiority.
I thought some of these passages were difficult to understand because of Shelley’s intense attention to detail. However, he uses great imagery when describing the mountain. When reading this poem, I felt as though I could see the features Shelley was describing. A few of my favorite lines from “Mount Blanc” are as follows:
Meet in the vale and one majestic River,/ The breadth and blood of distant lands, for ever/ Rolls its loud waters to the ocean waves,/ Breathes its swift vapours to the circling air.
I can almost see the river and its surrounding lands. I really liked this description because I felt as though Shelley was trying to paint a vivid picture for the reader.
In Mount Blanc, Shelley provides a vivid depiction of the mountain and the surrounding area. His descriptions are so intricate and carefully worded. I was especially drawn to the following lines because of their intense detail:
Fast cloud-shadows and sunbeams: awful scene,/ Where Power in likeness of the Arve comes down/ From the ice gulphs that gird his secret throne,/ Bursting thro' these dark mountains like the flame/ Of lightning through the tempest;- thou dost lie,-
Here, I think Shelley provides a dark scene, possibly a mysterious part of nature. Further along in the poem, Shelley seems to provide a supernatural feel to Mount Blanc:
Seeking among the shadows that pass by,/ Ghosts of all things that are, some shade of thee,/ Some phantom, some faint image; till the breast/ From which they fled recalls them, thou art there!/ Some say that gleams of a remoter world/ Visit the soul in sleep,- that death is slumber,/ And that its shapes the busy thoughts outnumber/ Of those who wake and live.
In stanza 5, Shelley discusses the mountain further and says “Mount Blanc yet gleams on high:- the power is there,/ The still and solemn power, of many sights,/ And many sounds, and much of life and death./ In the calm darkness of the moonless nights,/ In the lone glare of the day, the snows descend/ Upon that Mountain; none beholds them there,/ Nor when the flakes burn in the sinking sun,” To me, it seems as though Shelley is saying that nature is ever-present and its “power” is there and will not cease. Specifically when he says "the still and solemn power", it appears as though no matter what, the mountain will always possess this superiority.
I thought some of these passages were difficult to understand because of Shelley’s intense attention to detail. However, he uses great imagery when describing the mountain. When reading this poem, I felt as though I could see the features Shelley was describing. A few of my favorite lines from “Mount Blanc” are as follows:
Meet in the vale and one majestic River,/ The breadth and blood of distant lands, for ever/ Rolls its loud waters to the ocean waves,/ Breathes its swift vapours to the circling air.
I can almost see the river and its surrounding lands. I really liked this description because I felt as though Shelley was trying to paint a vivid picture for the reader.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
I found Coleridge to be slightly easier to read than some of the previous authors. His rhythmic patterns made the readings much more enjoyable. I also liked how he uses small ideas to encompass larger ideas, such as in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner".
As mentioned in the podcast, I feel that the reader is supposed to be compelled to read the story, much like the wedding guest is compelled to hear the story. On p.327 the wedding guest says that "He can not choose but hear." The guest has other things to do but is compelled to listen to the rest of the story. I, as a reader, felt the same way. Coleridge uses a rhythmic effect in his writings that makes you want to keep reading. It makes the story flow, and you can't help but be drawn to the mariner's tale.
Coleridge adds some supernatural elements to this poem. He mentions earthly spirits that are not necessarily angels. On p. 340 the mariner goes to the hermit to tell him the story as well. He feels a certain cleansing by telling the hermit, similar to the cleansing he receives from telling the wedding guest. This is supposed to somehow get him over the trials he faced, such as killing the albatross, the spirits coming, and his men dying.
Lastly, Anna Barbauld states that Coleridge's poem lacks moral because it is purely imaginative. She sees it like a ghost story or just something that is fun to read because it has a certain hypnotic effect but no moral. Coleridge argues that if there is a fault to his poem, it's that there is too much moral. I have to side with Coleridge here. He does provide a wild tale, but he also provides an important moral at the end. He says that we should be kind to all God's creation, including nature. I think he uses the tale of the mariner to help accentuate this moral. He provides a greater purpose for the story than just entertainment.
As mentioned in the podcast, I feel that the reader is supposed to be compelled to read the story, much like the wedding guest is compelled to hear the story. On p.327 the wedding guest says that "He can not choose but hear." The guest has other things to do but is compelled to listen to the rest of the story. I, as a reader, felt the same way. Coleridge uses a rhythmic effect in his writings that makes you want to keep reading. It makes the story flow, and you can't help but be drawn to the mariner's tale.
Coleridge adds some supernatural elements to this poem. He mentions earthly spirits that are not necessarily angels. On p. 340 the mariner goes to the hermit to tell him the story as well. He feels a certain cleansing by telling the hermit, similar to the cleansing he receives from telling the wedding guest. This is supposed to somehow get him over the trials he faced, such as killing the albatross, the spirits coming, and his men dying.
Lastly, Anna Barbauld states that Coleridge's poem lacks moral because it is purely imaginative. She sees it like a ghost story or just something that is fun to read because it has a certain hypnotic effect but no moral. Coleridge argues that if there is a fault to his poem, it's that there is too much moral. I have to side with Coleridge here. He does provide a wild tale, but he also provides an important moral at the end. He says that we should be kind to all God's creation, including nature. I think he uses the tale of the mariner to help accentuate this moral. He provides a greater purpose for the story than just entertainment.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Dorothy Wordsworth
Dorothy Wordsworth may have been hidden in the shadow of her older brother William. Though she did not wish to be a published author, she definitely had great unseen talent as a writer. Through her journals and poems, we can gain a greater sense of her relationship with William. From the podcast, I learned that she only wrote to make William happy, and this is evident from her writings. She recorded many events of the two of them together. These can also help to provide insight to some of William’s works as well.
In her poetry and journals, Dorothy Wordsworth shows great compassion. On page 295, she gives money to a young woman who begs at her door. The woman has three children and has just recently buried her husband. Dorothy shows care and concern for those less fortunate than herself.
In “Thoughts on My Sick-bed”, we are exposed to some of Dorothy’s feelings of nature and her physical ailments. Being no stranger to a debilitating illness, she portrays her feelings of missing out on the wonders of spring as her sickness has forced her to remain indoors. Her passion is evident when describes what she is missing outside:
The violet betrayed by its noiseless breath,/ The daffodil dancing in the breeze,/
The caroling thrush, on his naked perch,/ Towering above the budding trees. (293)
No! then I never felt a bliss/ That might with that compare/ Which, piercing to my
couch of rest,/ Came on the vernal air. (293)
These sentiments are also expressed in “When Shall I Tread Your Garden Path?” However, I feel like Dorothy Wordsworth shows her true Romantic nature when she says that a memory of nature will suffice if she cannot be outdoors. I think this parallels William Wordsworth’s thoughts that a memory of nature can make him feel better. Dorothy writes:
No need of motion, or of strength,/ Or even the breathing air:/ I thought of
Nature’s loveliest scenes;/ And with Memory I was there.
In her poetry and journals, Dorothy Wordsworth shows great compassion. On page 295, she gives money to a young woman who begs at her door. The woman has three children and has just recently buried her husband. Dorothy shows care and concern for those less fortunate than herself.
In “Thoughts on My Sick-bed”, we are exposed to some of Dorothy’s feelings of nature and her physical ailments. Being no stranger to a debilitating illness, she portrays her feelings of missing out on the wonders of spring as her sickness has forced her to remain indoors. Her passion is evident when describes what she is missing outside:
The violet betrayed by its noiseless breath,/ The daffodil dancing in the breeze,/
The caroling thrush, on his naked perch,/ Towering above the budding trees. (293)
No! then I never felt a bliss/ That might with that compare/ Which, piercing to my
couch of rest,/ Came on the vernal air. (293)
These sentiments are also expressed in “When Shall I Tread Your Garden Path?” However, I feel like Dorothy Wordsworth shows her true Romantic nature when she says that a memory of nature will suffice if she cannot be outdoors. I think this parallels William Wordsworth’s thoughts that a memory of nature can make him feel better. Dorothy writes:
No need of motion, or of strength,/ Or even the breathing air:/ I thought of
Nature’s loveliest scenes;/ And with Memory I was there.
William Wordsworth
I found William Wordsworth’s language easier to read than that of Blake. He used simplistic verse and tried to relate to everyday ideas. I do, however, recognize that sometimes his words surpass the simple ideas that are seen on the surface. Wordsworth is very in tune with nature and he uses the nature around him to inspire him. Though I am sometimes lost in his writings, I do feel like I can envision where he is and what is surrounding him. He provides a wonderful sense of imagery. Some of the descriptions I liked the most come from “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey”:
These waters, rolling form their mountain- springs
With a sweet inland murmur. –Once again
Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, (202)
Among the woods and copses lost themselves
Nor, with their green and simple hue, disturb
The wild green landscape. Once again I see
These hedge-rows, hardly hedge-rows, little lines
Of supportive wood run wild; these pastoral farms…(202-203)
I was also drawn to Wordsworth’s poem, “We Are Seven”. This, perhaps, is another example of how Wordsworth uses simplicity to convey mature issues. In the poem, he describes how a child feels and deals with death. He describes how an eight year old girl still plays with her brother and sister who are buried in the church yard near her house. She tells the narrator that even though two of her siblings are gone, they are still seven. “How many are you then,” said I,/ “If they two are in Heaven?”/ The little Maiden did reply,/ “O Master! we are seven.” (201). This may be Wordsworth’s idea of portraying deep denial of death. He may be trying to show the reader that though the child is not necessarily denying her sibling’s deaths, as we age we sometimes revert to feelings such as these to qualify our own attempt to escape reality.
Lastly, I found the poems about Lucy to be a strange connection between nature and death or ending of natural beauty. While Lucy may be Wordsworth describing the moon, he makes note to the end of Lucy several times:
Into a Lover’s head-/ “O mercy!” to myself I cried,/ “If Lucy should be dead!”
(214)
She liv’d unknown, and few could know/ When Lucy ceas’d to be;/ But she is in her
Grave, and Oh!/ The difference to me! (214)
In all three poems Wordsworth seems to be enamored with death. He describes these intense feelings of nature and then portrays their demise. It seems that Lucy could be a metaphor for what is fleeting in life, or fleeting in nature.
These waters, rolling form their mountain- springs
With a sweet inland murmur. –Once again
Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, (202)
Among the woods and copses lost themselves
Nor, with their green and simple hue, disturb
The wild green landscape. Once again I see
These hedge-rows, hardly hedge-rows, little lines
Of supportive wood run wild; these pastoral farms…(202-203)
I was also drawn to Wordsworth’s poem, “We Are Seven”. This, perhaps, is another example of how Wordsworth uses simplicity to convey mature issues. In the poem, he describes how a child feels and deals with death. He describes how an eight year old girl still plays with her brother and sister who are buried in the church yard near her house. She tells the narrator that even though two of her siblings are gone, they are still seven. “How many are you then,” said I,/ “If they two are in Heaven?”/ The little Maiden did reply,/ “O Master! we are seven.” (201). This may be Wordsworth’s idea of portraying deep denial of death. He may be trying to show the reader that though the child is not necessarily denying her sibling’s deaths, as we age we sometimes revert to feelings such as these to qualify our own attempt to escape reality.
Lastly, I found the poems about Lucy to be a strange connection between nature and death or ending of natural beauty. While Lucy may be Wordsworth describing the moon, he makes note to the end of Lucy several times:
Into a Lover’s head-/ “O mercy!” to myself I cried,/ “If Lucy should be dead!”
(214)
She liv’d unknown, and few could know/ When Lucy ceas’d to be;/ But she is in her
Grave, and Oh!/ The difference to me! (214)
In all three poems Wordsworth seems to be enamored with death. He describes these intense feelings of nature and then portrays their demise. It seems that Lucy could be a metaphor for what is fleeting in life, or fleeting in nature.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
William Blake
I had trouble trying to disect Blake's poems. As warned, he is much more complex than he seems. The lighthearted poems about the lamb and playing in the green hills prove to entail much more than appears on the surface. I was easily fooled by this at first. His deep philosophical ideas and irony can be misconstrued or overlooked. Blake seems very connected to Christianity and is able to envoke very different responses to his writings. He seems to take obvious subjects and go beneath the surface. This was a challenge for me as I sometimes struggle looking past superficial aspects of writings.
Blake's Songs of Innocence appear to portray certainty and comfort, while the Songs of Experience appear to portray anguish, uncertainty, and doubt. I was intrigued that Blake included some of his poems in both sections of his writings. For example, The Chimney Sweeper can be viewed in two different ways. In the Songs of Innocence, Blake depicts the dream of little Tom Dacre who dreams of an angel that opens the coffins and sets free those plagued from the complications of chimney sweeping. Tom wakes from his dream and
"...was happy & warm
So if all do their duty they need not fear harm" (81).
It is to be assumed that these feelings of freedom and joy will be experienced after death.
In contrast, The Chimney Sweeper in Songs of Experience portrays a different picture. It shows unhappiness and bitterness because the child blames his parents for selling him into a life plagued with hardship and disease. He worries that because he does not complain that his parents do not know of his physical infirmities (89). I like how Blake took the same subject and depicted two different sides of the situation.
One of Blake's greatest contrasts is between the Tyger and the Lamb. When he discusses the Lamb, a picture of peacefulness is painted. To evoke this feeling, Blake uses words such as tender and mild (79). Blake asks the Lamb if he knows who made him. He reassures the Lamb and offers wisdom. When discussing the Tyger, Blake paints a dark picture opposite from the Lamb (88-89). Blake uses these two animals to compare two views of God. "The Lamb" shows the Lamb and a child as an image of God. God is seen here as a kind and loving God (79). On the other hand, in "The Tyger", God is seen as dangerous and wrathful (88-89). It is here that Blake poses the question, did the same God create both the tyger and the lamb? This evokes controversial feelings. Can God be both compassionate and frightening? I like that Blake does not offer a straightforward answer. This is a difficult subject that, perhaps, does not have one correct answer.
I was drawn to one part of Blake's poem "Proverbs of Hell":
"The tygers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction
Expect poison fromt he standing water.
You never know what is enough unless you know what is
more than enough" (99).
I was particularly intrigued by the last line. I am not sure if I know exactly what Blake is trying to convey here, but I think it may tie to the experience theme he so often displays. He definitely portrays a wisdom theme in this poem.
I found William Blake to be very deep and thought provoking. However, it was difficult to get past surface ideas. I think this is what Blake wants his readers to do though. He seems to want to evoke more philosophical thinking.
Blake's Songs of Innocence appear to portray certainty and comfort, while the Songs of Experience appear to portray anguish, uncertainty, and doubt. I was intrigued that Blake included some of his poems in both sections of his writings. For example, The Chimney Sweeper can be viewed in two different ways. In the Songs of Innocence, Blake depicts the dream of little Tom Dacre who dreams of an angel that opens the coffins and sets free those plagued from the complications of chimney sweeping. Tom wakes from his dream and
"...was happy & warm
So if all do their duty they need not fear harm" (81).
It is to be assumed that these feelings of freedom and joy will be experienced after death.
In contrast, The Chimney Sweeper in Songs of Experience portrays a different picture. It shows unhappiness and bitterness because the child blames his parents for selling him into a life plagued with hardship and disease. He worries that because he does not complain that his parents do not know of his physical infirmities (89). I like how Blake took the same subject and depicted two different sides of the situation.
One of Blake's greatest contrasts is between the Tyger and the Lamb. When he discusses the Lamb, a picture of peacefulness is painted. To evoke this feeling, Blake uses words such as tender and mild (79). Blake asks the Lamb if he knows who made him. He reassures the Lamb and offers wisdom. When discussing the Tyger, Blake paints a dark picture opposite from the Lamb (88-89). Blake uses these two animals to compare two views of God. "The Lamb" shows the Lamb and a child as an image of God. God is seen here as a kind and loving God (79). On the other hand, in "The Tyger", God is seen as dangerous and wrathful (88-89). It is here that Blake poses the question, did the same God create both the tyger and the lamb? This evokes controversial feelings. Can God be both compassionate and frightening? I like that Blake does not offer a straightforward answer. This is a difficult subject that, perhaps, does not have one correct answer.
I was drawn to one part of Blake's poem "Proverbs of Hell":
"The tygers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction
Expect poison fromt he standing water.
You never know what is enough unless you know what is
more than enough" (99).
I was particularly intrigued by the last line. I am not sure if I know exactly what Blake is trying to convey here, but I think it may tie to the experience theme he so often displays. He definitely portrays a wisdom theme in this poem.
I found William Blake to be very deep and thought provoking. However, it was difficult to get past surface ideas. I think this is what Blake wants his readers to do though. He seems to want to evoke more philosophical thinking.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Romanticism and The French Revolution
When I first looked at the online handout for the word "romantic" I was surprised by the multitude of definitions I found. I knew the word could be characterized in many ways, but I did not know there would be this many. While the word romantic usually invokes a sense of intense feeling and love, I realize there is a literary definition that is more practical. The Romantic Age seemed to be an era of passion, change, imagination, and idealism. It also seems that it was a time of fear and doubt as new changes were encountered. I was very interested to see how the meaning of the word has developed throughout a period of nearly two hundred years. However, most of the definitions are very similar. One last observation deals with the term "ideal". I did not realize that romanticism also encompassed an ideal or fictitious state, with no fact foundations. This idea excites me and I am eager to read more excerpts from this era.
I must admit that I can be easily confused when reading British literature. However, I found the podcasts very helpful in clearing up questions I had from the readings. First, I thought that Helen Maria Williams was very passionate about the French Revolution. She wrote with such reverence for change. Her description of the procession in Paris was quite captivating as she described the placement of people and structures as well as the joy experienced by the people. "Old men were seen kneeling in the streets blessing God that they had lived to witness that happy moment" (38). Williams shows great excitement for the change that is to come, and she sees that some things are necessary for this to happen, such as the death of Louis XVI. She conveys her sorrow, while at the same time condoning the act of necessity. I especially liked her description of Louis XIV while on the scaffold. His poise may seem shocking, but Williams explains that he merely has both religious faith and hope in his people (42-44). There is a sense of serenity from this passage as opposed to concern that is expressed by one of the other excerpts in this assignment. Williams states that the French Revolution is indeed necessary because ancient systems could not be maintained. Though she may have some anxieties about the change, she is ready to embrace it for the sake of the security of the country (42-43). Helen Williams sees that the future of France may be uncertain, but that principles will remain to aid in the cause (46).
In contrast, Edmund Burke is opposed to the French Revolution, saying that it was the most astonishing thing to happen to the world (47). He is a big proponent of government and tradition and tries to convince the people of England that what is going on in France is wrong and should not be emulated. He supports a family centered government because it is both traditional and natural. Burke states that a government must be symmetrical and structured (49). He does not see the merit in the ideas of the revolutionaries, believing that there is an advantage to doing things in the same manner as our forefathers. He also sees inheritance as natural, where equal rights come from the property one owns. Burke is not in favor of redistributing wealth to benefit a poorer class (50). He believes there should be equal rights for men but all men would not be considered equal. Burke also believes the current steps the French are taking will lead to destruction and in order to improve society, gradual steps must be taken. I think this shows his fear of uncertainty. Gradual change lowers uncertainty and reduces the risks associated with an abrupt upheaval of the government.
Burke's fear is evident in his writings. It seems as though he fears the unknown; he fears change. He is very narrow-minded towards the feelings of French citizens. I have to agree with Mary Wollstonecraft when she doubts his sincerity. It does seem as though he is simply trying to impress readers with his descriptive and inflated syntax. Being a British citizen, Burke cannot fully understand the magnitude or significance of the revolution.
Mary Wollstonecraft also takes a radical view of history in her writings. I appreciated her ability to attack Edmund Burke's imaginative response to the French Revolution. She deliberately points out his "flowery" language, saying "let us...reason together" (57). While Burke visits the history of inheritance and the aristocracy in his writings, Wollstonecraft visits the danger of property in her excerpt. She does not share the ideas Burke suggests when he expresses the equal rights of men to property but not necessarily equal rights of all men.
Thomas Paine continues the attack on Burke, saying that people always have the right to change the government. He states that the government has no right to bond "all posterity for ever" (66). This is in contrast to Burke's idea of inheritance of property and rights. Paine believes that people are free to change aspects of their life that may have been different from their forefathers. Like Williams, he focuses on principles, not people, like Burke does. Paine believes that a fight for governmental change should be for everyone. He discusses how the Republican System embraces an entire nation and how it is a renovation for the country leading to national prosperity and political happiness (70).
I believe I can identify with Paine and Wollstonecraft more than I can Edmund Burke. I think it says something that two notable figures strongly disagreed with the opinions of Burke. I appreciated Paine and Wollstonecraft's ability to express their ideas without trying to use the inflated language that is so characteristic of Burke. I do not agree with the points Burke conveys. He seems to be closed-minded, and I too doubt his sincerity. While I can indentify with his fear of change, I think in cases such as the French Revolution, one would have to be more welcoming of change because of the political issues surrounding the time. I did, however, appreciate the different views of the French Revolution I was exposed to in these readings.
I must admit that I can be easily confused when reading British literature. However, I found the podcasts very helpful in clearing up questions I had from the readings. First, I thought that Helen Maria Williams was very passionate about the French Revolution. She wrote with such reverence for change. Her description of the procession in Paris was quite captivating as she described the placement of people and structures as well as the joy experienced by the people. "Old men were seen kneeling in the streets blessing God that they had lived to witness that happy moment" (38). Williams shows great excitement for the change that is to come, and she sees that some things are necessary for this to happen, such as the death of Louis XVI. She conveys her sorrow, while at the same time condoning the act of necessity. I especially liked her description of Louis XIV while on the scaffold. His poise may seem shocking, but Williams explains that he merely has both religious faith and hope in his people (42-44). There is a sense of serenity from this passage as opposed to concern that is expressed by one of the other excerpts in this assignment. Williams states that the French Revolution is indeed necessary because ancient systems could not be maintained. Though she may have some anxieties about the change, she is ready to embrace it for the sake of the security of the country (42-43). Helen Williams sees that the future of France may be uncertain, but that principles will remain to aid in the cause (46).
In contrast, Edmund Burke is opposed to the French Revolution, saying that it was the most astonishing thing to happen to the world (47). He is a big proponent of government and tradition and tries to convince the people of England that what is going on in France is wrong and should not be emulated. He supports a family centered government because it is both traditional and natural. Burke states that a government must be symmetrical and structured (49). He does not see the merit in the ideas of the revolutionaries, believing that there is an advantage to doing things in the same manner as our forefathers. He also sees inheritance as natural, where equal rights come from the property one owns. Burke is not in favor of redistributing wealth to benefit a poorer class (50). He believes there should be equal rights for men but all men would not be considered equal. Burke also believes the current steps the French are taking will lead to destruction and in order to improve society, gradual steps must be taken. I think this shows his fear of uncertainty. Gradual change lowers uncertainty and reduces the risks associated with an abrupt upheaval of the government.
Burke's fear is evident in his writings. It seems as though he fears the unknown; he fears change. He is very narrow-minded towards the feelings of French citizens. I have to agree with Mary Wollstonecraft when she doubts his sincerity. It does seem as though he is simply trying to impress readers with his descriptive and inflated syntax. Being a British citizen, Burke cannot fully understand the magnitude or significance of the revolution.
Mary Wollstonecraft also takes a radical view of history in her writings. I appreciated her ability to attack Edmund Burke's imaginative response to the French Revolution. She deliberately points out his "flowery" language, saying "let us...reason together" (57). While Burke visits the history of inheritance and the aristocracy in his writings, Wollstonecraft visits the danger of property in her excerpt. She does not share the ideas Burke suggests when he expresses the equal rights of men to property but not necessarily equal rights of all men.
Thomas Paine continues the attack on Burke, saying that people always have the right to change the government. He states that the government has no right to bond "all posterity for ever" (66). This is in contrast to Burke's idea of inheritance of property and rights. Paine believes that people are free to change aspects of their life that may have been different from their forefathers. Like Williams, he focuses on principles, not people, like Burke does. Paine believes that a fight for governmental change should be for everyone. He discusses how the Republican System embraces an entire nation and how it is a renovation for the country leading to national prosperity and political happiness (70).
I believe I can identify with Paine and Wollstonecraft more than I can Edmund Burke. I think it says something that two notable figures strongly disagreed with the opinions of Burke. I appreciated Paine and Wollstonecraft's ability to express their ideas without trying to use the inflated language that is so characteristic of Burke. I do not agree with the points Burke conveys. He seems to be closed-minded, and I too doubt his sincerity. While I can indentify with his fear of change, I think in cases such as the French Revolution, one would have to be more welcoming of change because of the political issues surrounding the time. I did, however, appreciate the different views of the French Revolution I was exposed to in these readings.
Monday, May 21, 2007
About Me
Hi! My name is Kelly Blount and I am now a senior at Mercer. My major is Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management. I am also on a Pre-Dentistry track and hope to go to dental school in Augusta, GA next year.
On campus, I am a member of the Women's Tennis Team as well as Phi Mu, Phi Eta Sigma, Tift Scholars, and Up 'Til Dawn. When I am not playing tennis I enjoy going to the beach, working out, and watching movies. I recently returned from a trip to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria and have become very interested in traveling. I hope to add this to my list of hobbies sometime in the near future.
I am taking this course to fulfill a general education requirement for my major. However, I chose to take it online because I will not be in Macon for the entire summer. I am excited about taking a class where students don't have to necessarily be in the same room or even the same state to learn and hold discussions.
I am a little apprehensive about taking an online class because I have never taken one before. I will have to be much more aware of assignments and handle time management effectively. One of my biggest concerns is our weekly chats. It seems to me that it might be difficult to talk if 20 students are trying to type and discuss the topics at the exact same time. However, during our orientation I was assured that it wouldn't be mass chaos and that the professor had ways of controlling discussions. Overall, I am excited to take my first college English course.
On campus, I am a member of the Women's Tennis Team as well as Phi Mu, Phi Eta Sigma, Tift Scholars, and Up 'Til Dawn. When I am not playing tennis I enjoy going to the beach, working out, and watching movies. I recently returned from a trip to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria and have become very interested in traveling. I hope to add this to my list of hobbies sometime in the near future.
I am taking this course to fulfill a general education requirement for my major. However, I chose to take it online because I will not be in Macon for the entire summer. I am excited about taking a class where students don't have to necessarily be in the same room or even the same state to learn and hold discussions.
I am a little apprehensive about taking an online class because I have never taken one before. I will have to be much more aware of assignments and handle time management effectively. One of my biggest concerns is our weekly chats. It seems to me that it might be difficult to talk if 20 students are trying to type and discuss the topics at the exact same time. However, during our orientation I was assured that it wouldn't be mass chaos and that the professor had ways of controlling discussions. Overall, I am excited to take my first college English course.
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