I found it interesting that T.S. Eliot was actually born in America, but was so influenced by British and French poets. I was very drawn to his poem "The Waste Land", but it seems so intense that I don't know if I even can begin to discuss magnitude of this poem. However, I found "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" a little more direct.
Contrary to the title, we find that this is not a love song at all. This poem shows man's modern dilemma. Prufrock is a man who feels alienated and lost in modern society. No one listens to him. He is insecure, self-conscious, and scared of the world around him. We can see Prufrock's pessimism when he describes the landscape around him:
"When the evening is spread out against the sky/ Like a patient etherised upon a table;/ Let us go, through the certain half-deserted streets,/ The muttering retreats/ Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels/ And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells/ Streets that follow like a tedious argument"
A few lines down Prufrock describes a "yellow fog" that covers the town. I think this is Eliot's way of saying the world is tainted. He describes the fog as being everywhere, showing this feeling of discontempt regarding the modern world. Eliot uses Prufrock to describe a modern man in the modern world. We see this man as indecisive, nervous, self-conscious, and completely lacking any self-esteem. I think this shows a certain disconnect from the world because it is too much for the man and he does not know how to assimilate. The following lines illustrate this point:
"To wonder, "Do I dare?" and, "Do I dare?"/ With a bald spot in the middle of my hair-/ (They will say: "How his hair is growing thin!")/ My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,/ My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin-/ (They will say: "But how his arms and legs are thin!")"
Prufrock is scared to approach women or even walk by them because they might talk about his bald spot. Though he is completely bundled up, they might notice his thin arms and legs. Prufrock is trapped. No matter what he does, he feels as though he cannot connect to this modern world.
Eliot takes us through more lines of Prufrock's insecurity. He finally says:
"And would it have been worth it all, after all/ Would it have been worth while"
Prufrock goes back and forth wondering if he should try to become what the modern world accepts. However, he tells us in lines 108-110 that it would not be worth it because his woman would probably say wonderful things to him and then say "That is not what I meant, at all".
I think Eliot is trying to further show disconnect here. He is saying that we are missing a connection with the modern world. We don't understand each other like we should.
In the conclusion of this poem, we see that Prufrock still has no assurance. He says that he could never be Prince Hamlet, just an attendant. We still see his insecurities:
"Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?/ I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach./ I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each./ I do not think that they will sing to me."
It seems that "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is showing how parts of humanity are drowning. We are losing connection and becoming less in touch with reality. I think Eliot uses all of Prufrock's insecurities and idiosyncrasies to show us how not to feel alienated from the modern world.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
William Butler Yeats
I must admit that I had trouble with Yeats. The way in which he writes sometimes throws me because I think I know what is going on, when in fact Yeats may be referring to something quite different. Such was the case when I read "The Second Coming". At first glance it looks as though Yeats is discussing the second coming of Christ. Further investigation reveals that he is talking about a different epic.
Yeats uses gyre images in this poem that resemble a tornado. Events start from a single point and then spiral out. Some events can start from the same point as another event. This is how Yeats sees history evolving. He writes about the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.
In the first stanza, we see the falcon spinning out of control:
"The falcon cannot hear the falconer;/ Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;/ Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world"
I think Yeats is trying to depict the present age. Things are currently falling apart and anarchy is spreading over the world. Things are disintegrating and madness and chaos take over as this Christian era comes to an end.
Surely, Yeats believes there is presently a second coming, but he does not think it is Christ's second coming, though he provides many Christian images when he describes a new era, "a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi", and an image approaching Bethlehem to be born.
However, this is how Yeats describes the body approaching Bethlehem:
"A shape with lion body and the head of a man,/ A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,/ Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it"...
"The darkness drops again; but now I know/ That twenty centuries of stony sleep/ Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,/ And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,/ Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"
Here we see an image of a beast, which I don't think signifies Christ. It seems as though the rough beast Yeats is describing is the birth of this new era, which may not necessarily be pleasant. This may be the opposite of the past Christian era as society is experiencing a turn into another century. I get the feeling from Yeats that he does not think this will necessarily be a grand time period. Using the image of the gyre, Yeats seems to think that all the bad characteristics that were present at the end of the last era will reemerge at the end of the next era too.
I read this poem several times and am still not sure I know exactly to what Yeats refers. His symbols seem so indirect to me. While I can understand the big picture, I am afraid I may be missing some the finer points Yeats is trying to make.
Yeats uses gyre images in this poem that resemble a tornado. Events start from a single point and then spiral out. Some events can start from the same point as another event. This is how Yeats sees history evolving. He writes about the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.
In the first stanza, we see the falcon spinning out of control:
"The falcon cannot hear the falconer;/ Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;/ Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world"
I think Yeats is trying to depict the present age. Things are currently falling apart and anarchy is spreading over the world. Things are disintegrating and madness and chaos take over as this Christian era comes to an end.
Surely, Yeats believes there is presently a second coming, but he does not think it is Christ's second coming, though he provides many Christian images when he describes a new era, "a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi", and an image approaching Bethlehem to be born.
However, this is how Yeats describes the body approaching Bethlehem:
"A shape with lion body and the head of a man,/ A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,/ Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it"...
"The darkness drops again; but now I know/ That twenty centuries of stony sleep/ Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,/ And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,/ Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"
Here we see an image of a beast, which I don't think signifies Christ. It seems as though the rough beast Yeats is describing is the birth of this new era, which may not necessarily be pleasant. This may be the opposite of the past Christian era as society is experiencing a turn into another century. I get the feeling from Yeats that he does not think this will necessarily be a grand time period. Using the image of the gyre, Yeats seems to think that all the bad characteristics that were present at the end of the last era will reemerge at the end of the next era too.
I read this poem several times and am still not sure I know exactly to what Yeats refers. His symbols seem so indirect to me. While I can understand the big picture, I am afraid I may be missing some the finer points Yeats is trying to make.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Thomas Hardy
As we see in the introductory material on Thomas Hardy, his poems usually are set in a rural landscape where he embodies his moments of vision and puts them into words. "The Darkling Thrush" is no different. This short poem is full of nature images and symbolic meaning. It portrays Hardy's feelings about current society and hope for the future.
The entire poem seems to be Hardy's response to the 20th century. He wrote this during a time period when the world was shaken by such ideas as evolution, Darwinism, and religious uncertainty. In the first stanza Hardy provides a very grim, dark image of the landscape, which symbolizes how the beginning of the century looks to him.
"When Frost was spectre-gray,/ And Winter's dregs made desolate/ The tangled bine-stems scored the sky/ Like strings of broken lyres"
This dreary picture he paints shows no hope for the time that lays ahead of present society. Nature's beauty is gone and has been replaced by these disturbing images. There is nothing positive at this point.
The second stanza grows even darker. Hardy describes the land as though corpses are rising out of a crypt. The land is yielding no life: "The ancient pulse of germ and birth/ Was shrunken hard and dry". This description differs greatly from the ones we have read from the Romantic writers. Hardy provides a bleak image in which he parallels death and nature.
However, in the third stanza, we experience a turn or change. The narrator hears the sound of a bird. I think this is when Hardy introduces a positive aspect of this new era. Though it is bleak right now, something positive has landed in this post-Victorian, modern world.
In the last stanza, the narrator does not understand why this bird is singing.
"So little cause for carolings/ Of such ecstatic sound/ Was written of terrestrial things/ Afar or nigh around"
He sees no reason for such joy in such a troubled world. It seems as though this bird has hope for this desolate age, whereas man is lacking this sense of security. I think this is Hardy's way of showing the reader that there may be hope for the world, even if it is not apparent at the moment. Nature still brings hope, which can rectify the current situation. This idea is found in the concluding lines.
"His happy good-night air/ Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew/ And I was unaware."
Hardy's poem is quite depressing as he describes such a bleak outlook for the new era. However, there is one aspect of hope that we see in this bird. I have trouble believing that Hardy actually feels optimistic. Though he says there is a hope that he is not aware of, I am not convinced that he believes things will get better.
The entire poem seems to be Hardy's response to the 20th century. He wrote this during a time period when the world was shaken by such ideas as evolution, Darwinism, and religious uncertainty. In the first stanza Hardy provides a very grim, dark image of the landscape, which symbolizes how the beginning of the century looks to him.
"When Frost was spectre-gray,/ And Winter's dregs made desolate/ The tangled bine-stems scored the sky/ Like strings of broken lyres"
This dreary picture he paints shows no hope for the time that lays ahead of present society. Nature's beauty is gone and has been replaced by these disturbing images. There is nothing positive at this point.
The second stanza grows even darker. Hardy describes the land as though corpses are rising out of a crypt. The land is yielding no life: "The ancient pulse of germ and birth/ Was shrunken hard and dry". This description differs greatly from the ones we have read from the Romantic writers. Hardy provides a bleak image in which he parallels death and nature.
However, in the third stanza, we experience a turn or change. The narrator hears the sound of a bird. I think this is when Hardy introduces a positive aspect of this new era. Though it is bleak right now, something positive has landed in this post-Victorian, modern world.
In the last stanza, the narrator does not understand why this bird is singing.
"So little cause for carolings/ Of such ecstatic sound/ Was written of terrestrial things/ Afar or nigh around"
He sees no reason for such joy in such a troubled world. It seems as though this bird has hope for this desolate age, whereas man is lacking this sense of security. I think this is Hardy's way of showing the reader that there may be hope for the world, even if it is not apparent at the moment. Nature still brings hope, which can rectify the current situation. This idea is found in the concluding lines.
"His happy good-night air/ Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew/ And I was unaware."
Hardy's poem is quite depressing as he describes such a bleak outlook for the new era. However, there is one aspect of hope that we see in this bird. I have trouble believing that Hardy actually feels optimistic. Though he says there is a hope that he is not aware of, I am not convinced that he believes things will get better.
Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins writes with such appreciation and vitality. Through his works I can feel his passion and devotion. As a Jesuit priest, Hopkins was very devoted to God, which is evident in his writings. It is said that he wrote solely for God and even burned some of his work because he felt as though it wasn't praising God enough.
I was particularly drawn to "God's Grandeur" because of it's unusual rhythm. At first glance, his meter looks almost messed up or thrown together. However, after further observation it seems as though Hopkins planned this unconventional meter. I think this is one thing that sets him apart from some of his Victorian counterparts.
From the first stanza, we can see that Hopkins seeks God in all earth and nature. He sees God as this great being who controls everything. This seems to bring him great comfort and assurance. I also get a feeling of great gratitude from just how Hopkins describes how the world is "charged" God's greatness in the following lines:
"The world is charged with the grandeur of God/ It will flame our, like shining from shook foil;/ It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
In the next two stanzas, Hopkins generations go on, people go on with their work, they work hard, they experience hardships, yet nature still remains. He describes people as jaded and "bleared, smeared with toil". Here, I think Hopkins is showing us that no matter how ugly the world may get, God and his grand nature will always be there. Nature is never spent. Though we will always have to experience physically hardships that life brings, there is a freshness deep down that can be renewed because of God and his creation:
"Because the Holy Ghost over the bent/ World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings."
This poem really gave me a great feeling. Because Hopkins writes with such passion and vigor, I feel like I can understand how he feels as he experiences what he calls "God's Grandeur". While with several of the Romantic authors I was able to visualize the nature of which they wrote, with Hopkins I feel as though I can sense more than just images.
I was particularly drawn to "God's Grandeur" because of it's unusual rhythm. At first glance, his meter looks almost messed up or thrown together. However, after further observation it seems as though Hopkins planned this unconventional meter. I think this is one thing that sets him apart from some of his Victorian counterparts.
From the first stanza, we can see that Hopkins seeks God in all earth and nature. He sees God as this great being who controls everything. This seems to bring him great comfort and assurance. I also get a feeling of great gratitude from just how Hopkins describes how the world is "charged" God's greatness in the following lines:
"The world is charged with the grandeur of God/ It will flame our, like shining from shook foil;/ It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
In the next two stanzas, Hopkins generations go on, people go on with their work, they work hard, they experience hardships, yet nature still remains. He describes people as jaded and "bleared, smeared with toil". Here, I think Hopkins is showing us that no matter how ugly the world may get, God and his grand nature will always be there. Nature is never spent. Though we will always have to experience physically hardships that life brings, there is a freshness deep down that can be renewed because of God and his creation:
"Because the Holy Ghost over the bent/ World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings."
This poem really gave me a great feeling. Because Hopkins writes with such passion and vigor, I feel like I can understand how he feels as he experiences what he calls "God's Grandeur". While with several of the Romantic authors I was able to visualize the nature of which they wrote, with Hopkins I feel as though I can sense more than just images.
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde is one of the few authors we have studied that I remember reading in high school. In 12th grade we read "The Importance of Being Earnest". Even then, Wilde intrigued me with this story of twists and turns. However, after reading his selections this time, I was drawn to "Preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray".
In this passage we find a very familiar phrase: "art for art's sake". This is something I have heard before, but it never had much meaning. After reading Wilde's preface, it has taken new meaning. He seems to be saying that art should be used solely for appreciation. We should not try to extract morals, lessons, or social functions from artistry. We should take it for what it is. I think the following lines help to justify this thought:
"All art is at once surface and symbol./ Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril./ Those who read the symbol do so at their peril."
However, Wilde is not saying that we should not form opinions about art. The artist creates a work of art, and that's it. Viewers help define what this art is by expressing what they think. So, in this case, the viewer or critic is not secondary. Without the critic there is no artist. Wilde alludes to the fact that art is completely objective. We are all allowed to have our own feelings and interpretations regarding a work of art:
"It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors./ Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital."
Though he thinks people should form their own opinions regarding a work of art, Wilde does offer this warning to spectators:
"Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault./ Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope."
I think Wilde is saying that those who find ugly meanings are missing the point. These are the people who are trying to create morals instead of just taking the art for what it is. Wilde says these people are at fault. However, those who find beautiful meanings have hope. They are not necessarily completely correct, but they are on the right track.
I found this to be an interesting passage. I never thought of the viewer's role as so important. Most times it seems that the artist has a purpose and that is what you are trying to uncover. I like Wilde's notion that viewers also help define the art and are not just secondary sources.
In this passage we find a very familiar phrase: "art for art's sake". This is something I have heard before, but it never had much meaning. After reading Wilde's preface, it has taken new meaning. He seems to be saying that art should be used solely for appreciation. We should not try to extract morals, lessons, or social functions from artistry. We should take it for what it is. I think the following lines help to justify this thought:
"All art is at once surface and symbol./ Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril./ Those who read the symbol do so at their peril."
However, Wilde is not saying that we should not form opinions about art. The artist creates a work of art, and that's it. Viewers help define what this art is by expressing what they think. So, in this case, the viewer or critic is not secondary. Without the critic there is no artist. Wilde alludes to the fact that art is completely objective. We are all allowed to have our own feelings and interpretations regarding a work of art:
"It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors./ Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital."
Though he thinks people should form their own opinions regarding a work of art, Wilde does offer this warning to spectators:
"Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault./ Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope."
I think Wilde is saying that those who find ugly meanings are missing the point. These are the people who are trying to create morals instead of just taking the art for what it is. Wilde says these people are at fault. However, those who find beautiful meanings have hope. They are not necessarily completely correct, but they are on the right track.
I found this to be an interesting passage. I never thought of the viewer's role as so important. Most times it seems that the artist has a purpose and that is what you are trying to uncover. I like Wilde's notion that viewers also help define the art and are not just secondary sources.
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill seems very radical to me. He was not afraid to go against social norms while expressing his own opinions. I found his writings to be very different from some of the other authors we have read because he is so direct and outspoken.
In "Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion" from chapter two, Mill encourages different opinions from the population. He particularly addresses the beauty of opinions and discourages silence of the people, which can be seen in the following line:
"But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race;"
He says that different opinions may lead you to truth. However, even if truth is not revealed, then light is still shed on a different point of view. I believe Mill is encouraging us to listen to those around us, if for nothing more, than to be enlightened even if the truth is not always revealed.
On p. 516 Mill makes a strong argument for discourse among people as well. He says that this is how we will learn how to dissect opinions and determine infallibilities.
"There must be discussion, to show how experience is to be interpreted. Wrong opinions and practices gradually yield to fact and argument;"
I think he is saying that if we combine experience with this discourse and commentary, then we can help determine true meaning and even develop new ideas. We need to be able to see all modes of how a situation can be viewed in order to gain wisdom.
Mill's summation of this excerpt was particularly interesting. First, he says that people need to speak up and not go along with ideas accepted by the masses. Second, even if expressed opinions are wrong, they can contain partial truths. Third, we should not censor people's thoughts because we need them for societal growth.
I really liked this first point because I think we, all too often, follow the crowd, so to speak. Sometimes we do hear opinions that are different from what we are used to and we simply ignore them because they differ from societal norms. We really need to take heed to these different view points so that we keep growing and changing and do not fall stagnant. I think this is one of the biggest points Mill is trying to drive home. I appreciate his ability to address these issues.
In "Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion" from chapter two, Mill encourages different opinions from the population. He particularly addresses the beauty of opinions and discourages silence of the people, which can be seen in the following line:
"But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race;"
He says that different opinions may lead you to truth. However, even if truth is not revealed, then light is still shed on a different point of view. I believe Mill is encouraging us to listen to those around us, if for nothing more, than to be enlightened even if the truth is not always revealed.
On p. 516 Mill makes a strong argument for discourse among people as well. He says that this is how we will learn how to dissect opinions and determine infallibilities.
"There must be discussion, to show how experience is to be interpreted. Wrong opinions and practices gradually yield to fact and argument;"
I think he is saying that if we combine experience with this discourse and commentary, then we can help determine true meaning and even develop new ideas. We need to be able to see all modes of how a situation can be viewed in order to gain wisdom.
Mill's summation of this excerpt was particularly interesting. First, he says that people need to speak up and not go along with ideas accepted by the masses. Second, even if expressed opinions are wrong, they can contain partial truths. Third, we should not censor people's thoughts because we need them for societal growth.
I really liked this first point because I think we, all too often, follow the crowd, so to speak. Sometimes we do hear opinions that are different from what we are used to and we simply ignore them because they differ from societal norms. We really need to take heed to these different view points so that we keep growing and changing and do not fall stagnant. I think this is one of the biggest points Mill is trying to drive home. I appreciate his ability to address these issues.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Robert Browning
I was interested to read the poetry of a husband and wife pair. It seems as though there could have been great competition between the two Brownings. However, I feel that both of them found their own niche.
Though Robert Browning wrote mostly about the past, "Porphyria's Lover" was written in the present. In this poem, Browning describes two lovers. It begins with the entrance of Porphyria into a cottage, while outside it continues storming. It seems, at first, that the narrator is troubled. He doesn't know where Porphria has been and, perhaps, doubts her loyalty to him. These feelings can be seen in the following lines:
And, last, she sat down by my side/ And called me. When no voice replied,/ She put my arm
about her waist,/ And made her smooth white shoulder bare,/ And all her yellow hair
displaced,/ And, stooping, made my cheek lie there...
However, throughout lines 20-34 we can see Porphyria embracing her lover and his feelings change. He looks into her eyes and believes that her love is true and that Porphyria is his:
Porphyria worshipped me; surprise/ Made my heart swell, and still it grew
The narrator then realizes that the only way to keep this blissful permanence is to strangle Porphyria:
In one yellow string I wound/ Three times her little throat around,/ And strangled her./ No
pain felt she;
I think this is the narrator's way of freezing time. He realizes that he does love Porphyria and she obviously worships him, and he wants to perserve this very moment. She is a beautiful woman and as time goes on she may not always be faithful or may not always love him.
The narrator then proceeds to lie next to Porphyria all night long and says that they do not stir and that "God has not said a word!" I feel as though he is embracing this "frozen time" by absorbing Porphyria's love. I also think he is qualifying his actions when he says that God has not condemned him for killing his lover and that she felt no pain.
This notion of freezing bliss strongly parallels Keats's "Grecian Urn". On the old urn a scene appears of two young lovers frozen in time. They are frozen in the best part of love: the chase. The two will never have to experience the trials of worldly love. This is the feeling the narrator in "Porphyria's Lover" wants to capture. He wants to capture the wonderful feelings he gets from Porphyria. He wants to always be able to experience the love he feels the night he strangles his beautiful lover.
Though Robert Browning wrote mostly about the past, "Porphyria's Lover" was written in the present. In this poem, Browning describes two lovers. It begins with the entrance of Porphyria into a cottage, while outside it continues storming. It seems, at first, that the narrator is troubled. He doesn't know where Porphria has been and, perhaps, doubts her loyalty to him. These feelings can be seen in the following lines:
And, last, she sat down by my side/ And called me. When no voice replied,/ She put my arm
about her waist,/ And made her smooth white shoulder bare,/ And all her yellow hair
displaced,/ And, stooping, made my cheek lie there...
However, throughout lines 20-34 we can see Porphyria embracing her lover and his feelings change. He looks into her eyes and believes that her love is true and that Porphyria is his:
Porphyria worshipped me; surprise/ Made my heart swell, and still it grew
The narrator then realizes that the only way to keep this blissful permanence is to strangle Porphyria:
In one yellow string I wound/ Three times her little throat around,/ And strangled her./ No
pain felt she;
I think this is the narrator's way of freezing time. He realizes that he does love Porphyria and she obviously worships him, and he wants to perserve this very moment. She is a beautiful woman and as time goes on she may not always be faithful or may not always love him.
The narrator then proceeds to lie next to Porphyria all night long and says that they do not stir and that "God has not said a word!" I feel as though he is embracing this "frozen time" by absorbing Porphyria's love. I also think he is qualifying his actions when he says that God has not condemned him for killing his lover and that she felt no pain.
This notion of freezing bliss strongly parallels Keats's "Grecian Urn". On the old urn a scene appears of two young lovers frozen in time. They are frozen in the best part of love: the chase. The two will never have to experience the trials of worldly love. This is the feeling the narrator in "Porphyria's Lover" wants to capture. He wants to capture the wonderful feelings he gets from Porphyria. He wants to always be able to experience the love he feels the night he strangles his beautiful lover.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
I found Elizabeth Barrett Browning to be a strong contrast to some of the other female authors we have read. Wealthy and well-educated, she provides a different perspective of the modern age. Though I found some of her writings simplistic, I believe her works are inspiring.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning calls poets to write about contemporary issues, which is what she does in the 43rd piece of Sonnets from the Portuguese. This is one of the most quoted pieces in literature. She writes to express her feelings to her husband, Robert Browning. The first two lines were instantly familiar to me:
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways./ I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
I think Barrett Browning is trying to show the extremities of her love and provide an introduction to the list of reasons to follow. When she says "depth and breadth and height" it seems as though she has an intangible connection with Robert that may not always be apparent.
In line 5, Barrett Browning says:
I love thee to the level of everyday's
I think this further shows her intense feelings as she says that she loves him like the things she experiences everyday. Even the mundane and usual things are still important.
Lines 10-11 read:
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith./ I love thee with a love I seemed to lose/ With my lost saints,
Here Barrett Browning describes her faith in her love of Robert. She compares it to the faith she had in her childhood; children have blind, unfailing faith and doubt very little. As she grows old, she won't lose this passion. She can always love like a child. The last part of this quote implies that she may have lost her faith in other worldly things, but she will not lose her faith in the love of her husband. Her love may even be better after death.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning calls poets to write about contemporary issues, which is what she does in the 43rd piece of Sonnets from the Portuguese. This is one of the most quoted pieces in literature. She writes to express her feelings to her husband, Robert Browning. The first two lines were instantly familiar to me:
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways./ I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
I think Barrett Browning is trying to show the extremities of her love and provide an introduction to the list of reasons to follow. When she says "depth and breadth and height" it seems as though she has an intangible connection with Robert that may not always be apparent.
In line 5, Barrett Browning says:
I love thee to the level of everyday's
I think this further shows her intense feelings as she says that she loves him like the things she experiences everyday. Even the mundane and usual things are still important.
Lines 10-11 read:
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith./ I love thee with a love I seemed to lose/ With my lost saints,
Here Barrett Browning describes her faith in her love of Robert. She compares it to the faith she had in her childhood; children have blind, unfailing faith and doubt very little. As she grows old, she won't lose this passion. She can always love like a child. The last part of this quote implies that she may have lost her faith in other worldly things, but she will not lose her faith in the love of her husband. Her love may even be better after death.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Tennyson
Alfred, Lord Tennyson writes with such pain and passion that was brought on by a troubled family and the death of his dear friend Hallam. His depression and anxiety helped shape some of his great works that we are reading today.
In “Ulysses”, Tennyson provides the account of Homer’s Ulysses returning after the fall of Troy. I can see a difference in this piece, since it is considered a dramatic monologue. The speaker is not necessarily Tennyson, which I appreciate. I liked that I could see it from my own perspective and I did not feel that Tennyson was trying to shape my perceptions of Ulysses and the situation surrounding him. From this piece, I can see Tennyson’s despair and search for something more. Ulysses returns to make things right at home but is still anxious to see the world and is still on a quest for knowledge, which is seen in the following lines:
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,/ To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!
I picture a man who has been hardened by battle but believes in the sanctity of what he left behind. I get the impression that he wandered all of those years to process the devastation he had seen. When he decides to return, it is with a vengeance for the people to whom he had entrusted his wife. The situation surrounding Ulysses is similar to that of Tennyson. This was written shortly after the death of Tennyson’s good friend, Hallam. I feel that he wrote this to in search of more knowledge and direction for his own life, which is what Ulysses seeks. Ulysses seeks adventure and wants to see the world. Tennyson was shattered by the loss of his mentor and subsequently experiences personal struggle.
The final line of the poem seems to sum up the theme of the poem and character “Ulysses”:
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
We can hypothesize that Ulysses’ character is a representative of how to push through the really hard times and never give in because you have experienced adverse circumstances. Although it took Ulysses years to return home and restore things as they should be, he made it a priority before he left in search of his ultimate happiness.
One question that arises from the poem is if Ulysses is indeed a hero or if he is merely being selfish by wanting to explore the world. Personally, I see Ulysses as heroic. He takes care of his affairs at home and then leaves on his quest for knowledge. He follows his aspirations and does not give up. Life is not just existence. A person is judged by his accomplishments, which is what I think Tennyson is trying to show readers. This was a time in Tennyson’s life where he needed new direction and I think he uses Ulysses to justify a new search for knowledge and guidance.
In “Ulysses”, Tennyson provides the account of Homer’s Ulysses returning after the fall of Troy. I can see a difference in this piece, since it is considered a dramatic monologue. The speaker is not necessarily Tennyson, which I appreciate. I liked that I could see it from my own perspective and I did not feel that Tennyson was trying to shape my perceptions of Ulysses and the situation surrounding him. From this piece, I can see Tennyson’s despair and search for something more. Ulysses returns to make things right at home but is still anxious to see the world and is still on a quest for knowledge, which is seen in the following lines:
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,/ To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!
I picture a man who has been hardened by battle but believes in the sanctity of what he left behind. I get the impression that he wandered all of those years to process the devastation he had seen. When he decides to return, it is with a vengeance for the people to whom he had entrusted his wife. The situation surrounding Ulysses is similar to that of Tennyson. This was written shortly after the death of Tennyson’s good friend, Hallam. I feel that he wrote this to in search of more knowledge and direction for his own life, which is what Ulysses seeks. Ulysses seeks adventure and wants to see the world. Tennyson was shattered by the loss of his mentor and subsequently experiences personal struggle.
The final line of the poem seems to sum up the theme of the poem and character “Ulysses”:
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
We can hypothesize that Ulysses’ character is a representative of how to push through the really hard times and never give in because you have experienced adverse circumstances. Although it took Ulysses years to return home and restore things as they should be, he made it a priority before he left in search of his ultimate happiness.
One question that arises from the poem is if Ulysses is indeed a hero or if he is merely being selfish by wanting to explore the world. Personally, I see Ulysses as heroic. He takes care of his affairs at home and then leaves on his quest for knowledge. He follows his aspirations and does not give up. Life is not just existence. A person is judged by his accomplishments, which is what I think Tennyson is trying to show readers. This was a time in Tennyson’s life where he needed new direction and I think he uses Ulysses to justify a new search for knowledge and guidance.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Charles Dickens
I have not read much Dickens, so I do not have anything to compare "A Visit to Newgate" to except Great Expectations, which is quite different. I didn't really know what to expect from his writings. However, I was very engaged by this account to a prison.
Dickens provides a very personal account of his visit to Newgate. He chooses not to provide statistical information that can be recorded by other committees. I think he is trying to give a plain account that will hopefully raise awareness of the situation and result in social change.
He describes the layout of the prison and the prisoners, which I had mixed emotions about. Some of the prisoners he describes, I actually felt sorry for because of their situation. Others I did not really sympathize with as much. This particular passage caught my attention because the old woman seems so helpless and you have to wonder what she did to merit imprisonment.
In one corner of this singular-looking den, was a yellow, haggard, decrepit, old woman, in a tattered gown that had once been black, and the remains of an old straw bonnet, with faded ribbon of the same hue, in earnest conversation with a young girl- a prisoner, of course-of about two-and-twenty. It is impossible to imagine a more poverty-stricken object, or a creature so borne down in soul and body, by excess of misery and destitution, as the old woman.
Though Dickens is describing prisoners, I still felt sorry for the women prisoners, though I probably shouldn't because their is obviously some reason to warrant their time in prison. When Dickens says that "it is impossible to imagine a more poverty-stricken object", I felt like it was necessary to feel sympathy for this woman, and that it was not necessarily a bad thing. I also felt sympathy for the young boys imprisoned:
There were fourteen of them in all, some with shoes, some without; some in pinafores without jackets, others in jackets without pinafores, and one in scarce anything at all. -
We never looked upon a more disagreeable sight, because we never saw fourteen such hopeless creatures of neglect, before.
This passage caught me as well because it seems as though the only fault of these young prisoners was pick-pocketing. While stealing is definitely a punishable crime, I think Dickens is trying to show that the present condition of society is partly responsible for their actions. These children do not really have a choice but to steal to eat and even to live.
Lastly, I was particularly drawn to Dickens's description of the prisoner awaiting execution the following day. Dickens sees that the prisoner's fears of death have now caused certain emotions, equating them to "almost to madness". Helplessness and hopelessness have set in and the finality of death is upon him. The prisoner finally falls asleep after listening to the clock chime, counting his hours until death. He dreams of walking with his wife in a pleasant field with a bright sky above them. However, this time the woman looks as though she did a long time ago before her husband mistreated her. The dream quickly changes to a courtroom scene where he receives a guilty verdict and subsequently tries to escape. He awakens cold and wretched. With the gray light of a new day protruding into the cell, his hours lessen.
In the passage described above, I can definitely see how the conditions of the prison could evoke feelings of madness. It would be tough to be in a cell all alone awaiting the day you ascend the scaffold that will ultimately end your life. Dickens sends a very strong message to his readers concerning the situation at Newgate that results from present society. I think this would have been a very effective piece of literature during his time.
Dickens provides a very personal account of his visit to Newgate. He chooses not to provide statistical information that can be recorded by other committees. I think he is trying to give a plain account that will hopefully raise awareness of the situation and result in social change.
He describes the layout of the prison and the prisoners, which I had mixed emotions about. Some of the prisoners he describes, I actually felt sorry for because of their situation. Others I did not really sympathize with as much. This particular passage caught my attention because the old woman seems so helpless and you have to wonder what she did to merit imprisonment.
In one corner of this singular-looking den, was a yellow, haggard, decrepit, old woman, in a tattered gown that had once been black, and the remains of an old straw bonnet, with faded ribbon of the same hue, in earnest conversation with a young girl- a prisoner, of course-of about two-and-twenty. It is impossible to imagine a more poverty-stricken object, or a creature so borne down in soul and body, by excess of misery and destitution, as the old woman.
Though Dickens is describing prisoners, I still felt sorry for the women prisoners, though I probably shouldn't because their is obviously some reason to warrant their time in prison. When Dickens says that "it is impossible to imagine a more poverty-stricken object", I felt like it was necessary to feel sympathy for this woman, and that it was not necessarily a bad thing. I also felt sympathy for the young boys imprisoned:
There were fourteen of them in all, some with shoes, some without; some in pinafores without jackets, others in jackets without pinafores, and one in scarce anything at all. -
We never looked upon a more disagreeable sight, because we never saw fourteen such hopeless creatures of neglect, before.
This passage caught me as well because it seems as though the only fault of these young prisoners was pick-pocketing. While stealing is definitely a punishable crime, I think Dickens is trying to show that the present condition of society is partly responsible for their actions. These children do not really have a choice but to steal to eat and even to live.
Lastly, I was particularly drawn to Dickens's description of the prisoner awaiting execution the following day. Dickens sees that the prisoner's fears of death have now caused certain emotions, equating them to "almost to madness". Helplessness and hopelessness have set in and the finality of death is upon him. The prisoner finally falls asleep after listening to the clock chime, counting his hours until death. He dreams of walking with his wife in a pleasant field with a bright sky above them. However, this time the woman looks as though she did a long time ago before her husband mistreated her. The dream quickly changes to a courtroom scene where he receives a guilty verdict and subsequently tries to escape. He awakens cold and wretched. With the gray light of a new day protruding into the cell, his hours lessen.
In the passage described above, I can definitely see how the conditions of the prison could evoke feelings of madness. It would be tough to be in a cell all alone awaiting the day you ascend the scaffold that will ultimately end your life. Dickens sends a very strong message to his readers concerning the situation at Newgate that results from present society. I think this would have been a very effective piece of literature during his time.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a man who envisioned great change for his country. He speaks to the "captains of industry" telling them to focus on making the country better instead of constantly striving to increase their wealth. He sees them as responsible for the growing unemployment and urges them not to abandon their country. Carlyle wrote with such passion for change that I felt compelled by his words and ideas for social change. I liked how he didn't just express his ideas to readers in general but specifically targeted these "captains of industry".
On page 479, Carlye describes a newspaper article where the mother and father poison their three children to avoid a burial fee.
In the British land, a human Mother and Father, of white skin and professing the Christian religion, had done this thing; they, with their Irishmen and necessity and savagery, had been driven to do it.
A human Mother and Father had said to themselves, What shall we do to escape starvation?
Carlyle blames society for the actions of the couple. He believes that the world pushes people to behave in this way. Industrialism has taken over and is subsequently bringing down society. While the country, as a whole, may be experiencing an increase in wealth, people individually are suffering. While we still see cases such as these in our newspapers, I was still shocked that parents would take their children's lives in order to have a few more shillings for food.
In Past and Present, Carlyle depicts where the wealth of England falls:
We have more riches than any Nation ever had before;
we have less good of them than any Nation ever had before.
Our successful industry is hitherto unsuccessful; a strange
success, if we stop here! In the midst of plethoric plenty, the
people perish; with gold walls, and full barns, no man feels
himself safe or satisfied. Workers, Master Workers, Unworkers,
all men, come to a pause; stand fixed, and cannot farther.
Carlyle says that the country cannot continue to increase their wealth if it is at the cost of society as a whole. This will not cause England to be successful in the long run. They will eventually meet their demise. Sooner than later, the people affected by this growing industrialism will have to change the way society functions. These seem like very strong words to me. I think it puts a a burden on the common people, but this will be necessary for advancement throughout the country.
On page 479, Carlye describes a newspaper article where the mother and father poison their three children to avoid a burial fee.
In the British land, a human Mother and Father, of white skin and professing the Christian religion, had done this thing; they, with their Irishmen and necessity and savagery, had been driven to do it.
A human Mother and Father had said to themselves, What shall we do to escape starvation?
Carlyle blames society for the actions of the couple. He believes that the world pushes people to behave in this way. Industrialism has taken over and is subsequently bringing down society. While the country, as a whole, may be experiencing an increase in wealth, people individually are suffering. While we still see cases such as these in our newspapers, I was still shocked that parents would take their children's lives in order to have a few more shillings for food.
In Past and Present, Carlyle depicts where the wealth of England falls:
We have more riches than any Nation ever had before;
we have less good of them than any Nation ever had before.
Our successful industry is hitherto unsuccessful; a strange
success, if we stop here! In the midst of plethoric plenty, the
people perish; with gold walls, and full barns, no man feels
himself safe or satisfied. Workers, Master Workers, Unworkers,
all men, come to a pause; stand fixed, and cannot farther.
Carlyle says that the country cannot continue to increase their wealth if it is at the cost of society as a whole. This will not cause England to be successful in the long run. They will eventually meet their demise. Sooner than later, the people affected by this growing industrialism will have to change the way society functions. These seem like very strong words to me. I think it puts a a burden on the common people, but this will be necessary for advancement throughout the country.
Industrialism and the Victorian Age
I am excited to be moving into the Victorian Age in our readings. From what I have read already, I can see differences between the Victorian and Romantic authors. The focus shifts from nature to a changing society resulting from industrialism. While there are still elements of nature in these writings, I feel that the way the landscape is changing at this time affects how the authors wrote.
In Fanny Kemble's writing on pages 490- 491, we find an account of her first trip on a steam engine. It's easy to take transportation for granted presently as it has changed drastically since the 1800s. However, Kemble is enamored by this ride. She describes it as a fairy tale:
You cannot conceive what that sensation of the cutting air was; the motion is as smooth as possible, too. I could either have read or written.
... I felt as no fairy tale was ever half so wonderful as what I saw.
This part was funny to me at first because I do not necessarily think of a train ride as a fairy tale or "as smooth as possible". However, at this time, this was probably a very big step up from a horse and carriage. Kemble describes these changes in society with great excitement and optimism.
An opposing view of the changing society comes from the testimonies of child laborers found on pages 494-495. I was especially drawn to the mineworkers because it is so hard for me to imagine working conditions such as these:
We go at four in the morning, and sometimes at half-past four...We get out after four, sometimes at five, in the evening... I hurry by myself... the sweat runs off me all over sometimes.
Both girls say that they are too tired on Sundays to attend church and "...never heard of Christ at all". This just caught me because children like this say that they have never heard of Christ or his teachings or they never pray yet they do of these things enough to discuss them. Obviously, they have heard traces of Christianity but aren't curious enough or are too overwhelmed from their work to attend church on Sunday. While this is not the most important part of these memoirs, it was just something that struck me while I was reading.
Similarly, the account of the watercress girl in Henry Mayhew's account also endures hardships at a young age. The eight year old has never heard of parks and asks the narrator: "Would they let such as me go there- just to look?" The narrator points out that all her knowledge consists of water-cresses. Elements such as these point out that the girl has lost her innocence at such an early age. She lives a much more mature life, as she goes into the streets early in the morning to collect water-cresses and sell them to help her family. All she knows of counting comes from the money exchange from her sales. Her family does not even have enough money for her to have adequate meals. It is difficult for me to imagine such a young child with great burdens such as these.
I find this an interesting time period because of the different views of the changing society. Both sides have very valid arguments, but there are negatives to either opinion. I see the Victorian Age as an exciting time because of these changes, however, I do realize that working conditions for certain classes and ages of people were less than ideal, which created great controversy. I am interested to learn more about literature during this time period.
In Fanny Kemble's writing on pages 490- 491, we find an account of her first trip on a steam engine. It's easy to take transportation for granted presently as it has changed drastically since the 1800s. However, Kemble is enamored by this ride. She describes it as a fairy tale:
You cannot conceive what that sensation of the cutting air was; the motion is as smooth as possible, too. I could either have read or written.
... I felt as no fairy tale was ever half so wonderful as what I saw.
This part was funny to me at first because I do not necessarily think of a train ride as a fairy tale or "as smooth as possible". However, at this time, this was probably a very big step up from a horse and carriage. Kemble describes these changes in society with great excitement and optimism.
An opposing view of the changing society comes from the testimonies of child laborers found on pages 494-495. I was especially drawn to the mineworkers because it is so hard for me to imagine working conditions such as these:
We go at four in the morning, and sometimes at half-past four...We get out after four, sometimes at five, in the evening... I hurry by myself... the sweat runs off me all over sometimes.
Both girls say that they are too tired on Sundays to attend church and "...never heard of Christ at all". This just caught me because children like this say that they have never heard of Christ or his teachings or they never pray yet they do of these things enough to discuss them. Obviously, they have heard traces of Christianity but aren't curious enough or are too overwhelmed from their work to attend church on Sunday. While this is not the most important part of these memoirs, it was just something that struck me while I was reading.
Similarly, the account of the watercress girl in Henry Mayhew's account also endures hardships at a young age. The eight year old has never heard of parks and asks the narrator: "Would they let such as me go there- just to look?" The narrator points out that all her knowledge consists of water-cresses. Elements such as these point out that the girl has lost her innocence at such an early age. She lives a much more mature life, as she goes into the streets early in the morning to collect water-cresses and sell them to help her family. All she knows of counting comes from the money exchange from her sales. Her family does not even have enough money for her to have adequate meals. It is difficult for me to imagine such a young child with great burdens such as these.
I find this an interesting time period because of the different views of the changing society. Both sides have very valid arguments, but there are negatives to either opinion. I see the Victorian Age as an exciting time because of these changes, however, I do realize that working conditions for certain classes and ages of people were less than ideal, which created great controversy. I am interested to learn more about literature during this time period.
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