I was really impressed with the biography of Heman's life...what an extraordinary woman! She was brilliant at such a young age. I cannot image learning four languages and being such a great writer at an early age--I'm not a great writer, not famous at least, even now and I am ten years older than Heman was when her first works were published. After reading her life story and her poems, I think it is safe to say that her mother and negative experience with her father and husband equally influenced her work. She definitely used her voice to show her admiration for women and their ability to positively influence the lives of children.
I really liked reading "The Homes of England" because Hemans so successful celebrates the ability of woman to be extraordinary across the board. By titling the poem with the word "homes" and then continuing this pattern throughout each stanza, she emphasizes the power of domestic life in England. Each stanza pays tribute to a different type of woman. For example, in the second stanza she recognizes the "...merry Homes of England" (412). She further explains the value of women in this stanza by giving examples of the many ways in which women teach their children: "There woman's voice flows forth in song,/Or childhood's tale is told,/Or lips move tunefully along/Some glorious page of old" (412). In this passage, the various roles of women in the home become obvious; it is the mother in the home, not the father, that sings, tells stories, and reads to the children. This is something Heman learned through her own personal experience. Though her father left when she was a child, her mother supported her and taught her to be a success.
Heman continues this poem by describing the "blessed," "cottage," and "free,fair Homes in England!" (412). In each stanza, all types of women are recognized. Though their places in life may be very different, a mother is still a mother. She sums up her point in the final stanza of the poem:
"The free, fair Homes of England!
Long, long, in hut and hall,
May hearts of native proof be rear'd
To guard each hallowed wall!
And green for ever be the groves,
And bright the flowery sod,
Where first the child's glad spirit loves
Its country and its God!" (412)
I think every aspect of this final stanza is beautiful and exemplifies one of Heman's strongest values: she believed that women were the necessary unit for all children. If children had great mother's, no matter how their fathers did or did not influence them, they would be good people. When Heman describes the "green...groves" and "flowery sod," she is using an analogy. She means to convey that children will be healthy and fruitful in life if nurtured by their mothers. They will bring joy to God and to the world if their mothers love them and help them learn and grow in any way that they can.
I really appreciate what Heman was trying to convey in this poem because I think a great deal of it is very true. My mother had and continues to have a huge impact on my life and I know that I owe part of my success to her. I disagree with Heman slightly because I do think that a father can be good and can positively influence his children as well. Such is the case for me. While my mother nurtured and loved me and helped me learn, my father equally contributed to my growth and success. While I think Heman was very jaded (not that I can blame her), I also think having and opinion and being a strong and talented writer and mother makes her very admirable.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
John Keats
Keats is probably my favorite author so far. I enjoyed reading his work, specifically "Ode to a Nightingale." I would like to share in detail what I though Keats was trying to convey in this poem.
First, in "Ode to a Nightingale," Keats explores the relationship that exists between the speaker (also a poet) and the nightingale. I think it is important to recognize that the speaker opens the poem by expressing that his "...heart aches..." (438). Perhaps this poem would not hold the same meaning if the reader was not aware of the emotion that the speaker feels. In the first stanza, the speaker also relates that "...a drowsy numbness pains/My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk" (438). Right away, the reader learns that the speaker feels almost intoxicate, leading one to think that the speaker has a foggy frame of mind. In the first stanza, the speaker also acknowledges the nightingale and believes that he has a strong connection with the bird: "But being too happy in thine happiness,--/That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees" (438). I was led to believe that maybe the speaker feels this connection with the bird because he feels somewhat inebriated. What makes that idea interesting is the way that the speaker seems to long for real intoxication in the second stanza. He makes it very clear that he wants something alcoholic to drink: "O, for a draught of vintage...That I might drink, and leave the world unseen..." (438). Oftentimes people consider alcohol as escape from reality of sorts, and it seems that the speaker becomes very human in this longing. The speaker previously revealed that he is hurting (for reasons unknown) and that is a logical reason for a person to want to drink. What makes his longing interesting is the way he once again connects with the nightingale. He not only wants to drink wine, he wants to join the company of the nightingale "...And with thee fade away into the forest dim" (438). Why does the speaker want to drink and fly with the nightingale into the night? At this point, it again seems that the speaker is looking for some form of escape from reality and feels he can achieve this goal through alcohol and in flight with the nightingale.
The speaker continues to convey his desire to escape the world in the third stanza; however, he also claims that this kind of escape is one that the nightingale knows nothing about: "Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget/What thou among the leaves hast never known" (438). The speaker acknowledges that leaving the world with the nightingale will provide an escape, but that he does not expect the bird to understand or sympathize with how he is feeling. He knows that it is impossible for the nightingale to comprehend his overwhelming feeling of sadness because birds are unable to experience human emotion. Not only does the speaker recognize that the bird is unable to feel human hurt, he also tells the nightingale that he cannot understand aging and death: "Here, where men sit and hear each other groan;/Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs,/where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies" (438-439). While the reader might have previously been unaware of the hurt that the speaker feels, it becomes somewhat clearer at this point in the poem. It seems that the speaker loathes morality and has not come to terms with the fact that all living things in this words are fleeting. It is important once again to recognize that the speaker feels that the nightingale is unable to relate; this also shows that the speaker feels the nightingale is set apart from mankind. As a bird, he is not forced to deal with the knowledge of death that man experiences.
The speaker continues in the fourth stanza by relating that he wants to literally join the nightingale in flight: "Away! Away! for I will fly to thee..." (439). Despite the fact that flying with the nightingale will not erase his human mind, the speaker still longs to join the bird in the sky. At this point, the speaker also reveals that he no longer wants to rely on the inhibitions that come with alcohol; he wants to use poetry to help him escape: "Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards,/But on the viewless wings of Poesy" (439). I love the way that the speaker compares poetry with flight by describing writing poetry as having wings. In this way, writing poetry is a form of release for the speaker and perhaps a more logical way to forget his aching heart. To end the forth stanza, the speaker focuses on images of darkness which continue into the fifth stanza: "...there is no light...I cannot see what flowers are at my feet...But, in embalmed darkness, guess..." (439). The speaker is imagining flying with the nightingale, yet on his journey he is unable to see what is around him. With darkness compromising his sight, the speaker is forced to rely on the song of the nightingale (and his poetry) to carry him on his way. I think this aspect of the poem is very interesting. I have long pondered why Keats wrote the poem this way. My best guess as to why the speaker loses his sight is so that he is forced to focus on his poetry and creativity to guide him. The loss of sight, especially after living most of your life being able to see, would be very difficult. For example, my aunt lost the ability to hear when she was 20 years old. She often tells me know how much her other senses have been strengthened. Perhaps the same would be true for the speaker. If her were unable to see, he would have to rely on other senses.
As the speaker continues in the sixth stanza, he speaks once more to the nightingale and tells him about his personal dealings with death. The speaker reveals that death is often appealing to him: "Darkling I listen; and, for many a time/I have been half in love with the easeful Death..." (439). Just like the speaker originally sought alcohol to escape the troubles of the world around him, he is now admitting that at times he looks for a permanent solution to his heart ache. It seems that the speaker would rather die than face the passage of time, aging, and death which he cannot control. He furthers this revelation when he expresses that "...Now more than ever seems it rich to die, to cease upon the midnight with no pain, while thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad/In such an ecstasy" (439). The speaker seems to believe that now more than ever would be a great time to die. He is so impressed by the beauty of the song that the nightingale sings that he thinks it would be better to perish now and leave the world behind than to continue living his life. This plea for death becomes even more interesting in the sixth stanza when the speaker compares his unavoidable fate with the immorality of the nightingale: "Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!...The voice I hear this passing night was heard/In ancient days by emperor and clown..." (439-440). The speaker further separates himself from the bird by telling him that his life is immortal. While the speaker spends the entire length of the poem thus far lamenting his inevitable death, he believes that the nightingale was, is, and always will be. One would expect the speaker to express feelings of jealousy and resentment toward the nightingale, but the speaker does neither. He only explains the immorality of the bird in sharp contrast to his own destiny.
In the last stanza of the poem, the speaker seems to return to reality. The speaker was previously preoccupied and lost in the life of the nightingale, but now using the word forlorn is "...like a bell/To toll me back from thee to my sole self!" (440). As the reader, I expected the speaker to at last realize that the idea of flying with the nightingale and forgetting all of his worries is far from reality; to my dismay, the speaker is actually now unsure of what has just happened at all. He wonders "...Was it a vision, or a waking dream?/Fled is that music:--Do I wake or sleep?" (440). The speaker admits at the end of the poem that he is unsure if his experience with the nightingale is even real. He is unaware if it was a vision or a dream, if he was awake or asleep. This aspect of the poem leads me to believe that the speaker's telling of the nightingale was an avenue of release for him personally. In his life he feels constant heart ache and is unhappy with the concept of death. He longs for the immorality of the nightingale's song, but is forced to face the reality of his own existence; he too will someday pass away. It also seems that the speaker in this poem learns that while he cannot fly with a bird in the sky at night, he can use poetry to express his innermost thoughts. He can be as creative as he wants to be with a poetic voice. While writing poetry is not necessarily a real escape from reality, it is a temporary way to release some of his anxiety and fear about death.
After reading this poem, I was left wondering how much Keats and the speaker in this poem have in common. The voice, or speaker, in poetry is often confused with the author, but the author and the speaker are oftentimes very different people. Additionally, I think as with any form of writing, an author is able to voice his own feelings or opinions without being directly accountable. I think Keats was able to demonstrate his love for poetry, and creative writing as it may be, through the voice of the speaker in "Ode to a Nightingale." The speaker in this poem had a heavy heart, but he found an escape from reality in poetry. Keats had a difficult life (losing both of his parents) and I think it probably had a huge effect on his life; perhaps writing poetry helped him escape from his own reality, much like the speaker in the poem.
First, in "Ode to a Nightingale," Keats explores the relationship that exists between the speaker (also a poet) and the nightingale. I think it is important to recognize that the speaker opens the poem by expressing that his "...heart aches..." (438). Perhaps this poem would not hold the same meaning if the reader was not aware of the emotion that the speaker feels. In the first stanza, the speaker also relates that "...a drowsy numbness pains/My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk" (438). Right away, the reader learns that the speaker feels almost intoxicate, leading one to think that the speaker has a foggy frame of mind. In the first stanza, the speaker also acknowledges the nightingale and believes that he has a strong connection with the bird: "But being too happy in thine happiness,--/That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees" (438). I was led to believe that maybe the speaker feels this connection with the bird because he feels somewhat inebriated. What makes that idea interesting is the way that the speaker seems to long for real intoxication in the second stanza. He makes it very clear that he wants something alcoholic to drink: "O, for a draught of vintage...That I might drink, and leave the world unseen..." (438). Oftentimes people consider alcohol as escape from reality of sorts, and it seems that the speaker becomes very human in this longing. The speaker previously revealed that he is hurting (for reasons unknown) and that is a logical reason for a person to want to drink. What makes his longing interesting is the way he once again connects with the nightingale. He not only wants to drink wine, he wants to join the company of the nightingale "...And with thee fade away into the forest dim" (438). Why does the speaker want to drink and fly with the nightingale into the night? At this point, it again seems that the speaker is looking for some form of escape from reality and feels he can achieve this goal through alcohol and in flight with the nightingale.
The speaker continues to convey his desire to escape the world in the third stanza; however, he also claims that this kind of escape is one that the nightingale knows nothing about: "Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget/What thou among the leaves hast never known" (438). The speaker acknowledges that leaving the world with the nightingale will provide an escape, but that he does not expect the bird to understand or sympathize with how he is feeling. He knows that it is impossible for the nightingale to comprehend his overwhelming feeling of sadness because birds are unable to experience human emotion. Not only does the speaker recognize that the bird is unable to feel human hurt, he also tells the nightingale that he cannot understand aging and death: "Here, where men sit and hear each other groan;/Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs,/where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies" (438-439). While the reader might have previously been unaware of the hurt that the speaker feels, it becomes somewhat clearer at this point in the poem. It seems that the speaker loathes morality and has not come to terms with the fact that all living things in this words are fleeting. It is important once again to recognize that the speaker feels that the nightingale is unable to relate; this also shows that the speaker feels the nightingale is set apart from mankind. As a bird, he is not forced to deal with the knowledge of death that man experiences.
The speaker continues in the fourth stanza by relating that he wants to literally join the nightingale in flight: "Away! Away! for I will fly to thee..." (439). Despite the fact that flying with the nightingale will not erase his human mind, the speaker still longs to join the bird in the sky. At this point, the speaker also reveals that he no longer wants to rely on the inhibitions that come with alcohol; he wants to use poetry to help him escape: "Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards,/But on the viewless wings of Poesy" (439). I love the way that the speaker compares poetry with flight by describing writing poetry as having wings. In this way, writing poetry is a form of release for the speaker and perhaps a more logical way to forget his aching heart. To end the forth stanza, the speaker focuses on images of darkness which continue into the fifth stanza: "...there is no light...I cannot see what flowers are at my feet...But, in embalmed darkness, guess..." (439). The speaker is imagining flying with the nightingale, yet on his journey he is unable to see what is around him. With darkness compromising his sight, the speaker is forced to rely on the song of the nightingale (and his poetry) to carry him on his way. I think this aspect of the poem is very interesting. I have long pondered why Keats wrote the poem this way. My best guess as to why the speaker loses his sight is so that he is forced to focus on his poetry and creativity to guide him. The loss of sight, especially after living most of your life being able to see, would be very difficult. For example, my aunt lost the ability to hear when she was 20 years old. She often tells me know how much her other senses have been strengthened. Perhaps the same would be true for the speaker. If her were unable to see, he would have to rely on other senses.
As the speaker continues in the sixth stanza, he speaks once more to the nightingale and tells him about his personal dealings with death. The speaker reveals that death is often appealing to him: "Darkling I listen; and, for many a time/I have been half in love with the easeful Death..." (439). Just like the speaker originally sought alcohol to escape the troubles of the world around him, he is now admitting that at times he looks for a permanent solution to his heart ache. It seems that the speaker would rather die than face the passage of time, aging, and death which he cannot control. He furthers this revelation when he expresses that "...Now more than ever seems it rich to die, to cease upon the midnight with no pain, while thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad/In such an ecstasy" (439). The speaker seems to believe that now more than ever would be a great time to die. He is so impressed by the beauty of the song that the nightingale sings that he thinks it would be better to perish now and leave the world behind than to continue living his life. This plea for death becomes even more interesting in the sixth stanza when the speaker compares his unavoidable fate with the immorality of the nightingale: "Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!...The voice I hear this passing night was heard/In ancient days by emperor and clown..." (439-440). The speaker further separates himself from the bird by telling him that his life is immortal. While the speaker spends the entire length of the poem thus far lamenting his inevitable death, he believes that the nightingale was, is, and always will be. One would expect the speaker to express feelings of jealousy and resentment toward the nightingale, but the speaker does neither. He only explains the immorality of the bird in sharp contrast to his own destiny.
In the last stanza of the poem, the speaker seems to return to reality. The speaker was previously preoccupied and lost in the life of the nightingale, but now using the word forlorn is "...like a bell/To toll me back from thee to my sole self!" (440). As the reader, I expected the speaker to at last realize that the idea of flying with the nightingale and forgetting all of his worries is far from reality; to my dismay, the speaker is actually now unsure of what has just happened at all. He wonders "...Was it a vision, or a waking dream?/Fled is that music:--Do I wake or sleep?" (440). The speaker admits at the end of the poem that he is unsure if his experience with the nightingale is even real. He is unaware if it was a vision or a dream, if he was awake or asleep. This aspect of the poem leads me to believe that the speaker's telling of the nightingale was an avenue of release for him personally. In his life he feels constant heart ache and is unhappy with the concept of death. He longs for the immorality of the nightingale's song, but is forced to face the reality of his own existence; he too will someday pass away. It also seems that the speaker in this poem learns that while he cannot fly with a bird in the sky at night, he can use poetry to express his innermost thoughts. He can be as creative as he wants to be with a poetic voice. While writing poetry is not necessarily a real escape from reality, it is a temporary way to release some of his anxiety and fear about death.
After reading this poem, I was left wondering how much Keats and the speaker in this poem have in common. The voice, or speaker, in poetry is often confused with the author, but the author and the speaker are oftentimes very different people. Additionally, I think as with any form of writing, an author is able to voice his own feelings or opinions without being directly accountable. I think Keats was able to demonstrate his love for poetry, and creative writing as it may be, through the voice of the speaker in "Ode to a Nightingale." The speaker in this poem had a heavy heart, but he found an escape from reality in poetry. Keats had a difficult life (losing both of his parents) and I think it probably had a huge effect on his life; perhaps writing poetry helped him escape from his own reality, much like the speaker in the poem.
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Although Shelley is one of many Romantic writers that we have been given the opportunity to study, I think his work is quite different from the others. While much of his work incorporates aspects of nature, he seems to show his affection and appreciation for nature in a much different way than other Romantic poets and writers. While I enjoyed reading most of his work, I found "Ozymandias" perplexing; I thought dissecting this work would be a challenge.
First, I did a bit of research on Ozymandias, the person. Ozymandis is another name for Ramesses the Great or Ramesses II. As the footnote explains, Ozymandias was "...thought to be the pharaoh of Exodus whom Moses challenged" (399). This Biblical reference to Ramesses II from the Bible should prepare the reader to expect eventual failure from this once great man. In the Bible, Ramesses was a great king in his own right but was eventually defeated by God and Moses and his kingdom was shattered. Therefore, the prior knowledge that I had about the story of Moses and Ramesses led me to assume that this poem would describe a similar story. My assumption was only partially correct. The poem did include important details from the rise and fall of Ozymandias, but the focus of the poem was not on whom defeated Ozymandias; rather, it focused on the short-comings of the former king. In this poem, Shelley relates that life will continue and no matter how great or powerful a person might be, their time will pass and they will be forgotten.
Shelley begins by explaining that the speaker is telling a story that he heard from a traveller: "I met a traveller from an antique land..." (399). I do not think that Shelley chose to tell this story from a second-hand point of view by accident. I have thought about it for a while, but I cannot seem to figure out why he needed the story to be an indirect account with the statue. Perhaps he designed the poem this way to further convey the idea that this once great and powerful king had been forgotten; it was up to the traveller who visited the "antique land" to tell the story to the speaker. Because the speaker does not see the statue directly, it seems to take away even more of the power that once drove Ramesses to his eventual death. Shelley continues his poem by describing what the traveller actually saw on his journey: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone...a shattered visage lies..." (399). The traveller explains that he found only parts of Ozymandias' body...the legs and the head. I found it interesting that the traveller found only part of the remains of the statue of Ozymandias. Was the statue originally made like this? I think not. I do, however think the image of a separated body and head create a disturbing picture in the mind of the reader. It shows the amount of destruction that took place in order to destroy this statue because it must have been difficult to dismember. This further defends Shelley's theme that destruction is inevitable.
Next I would like to discuss the importance of the statue's head laying in the sand and the expression on the face of the statue. The traveller explains that the face was partially covered in sand and frowning: "...Near them on the sand,/Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,/And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command..." (399). The description that the traveller reveals to the speaker once again is very dark; the statue seems angry and calloused. Ozymandias does not appear to have been a generous and happy man, but rather a prideful and mighty ruler. It is also interesting that the traveller realizes that "...its sculptor well those passions read..." because it shows the sculptors ability to capture the heart of Ozymandias in his facial expression. This is also significant because the sculptor was probably part of Ozymandias' working civilization and directly dealt with the wrath that this king poured out on his people. Shelley further emphasizes the relationship between the sculptor and Ozymandias when he mentions, "The hand that mocked them, and the hart that fed..." them (399). This line of the poem seems to convey that the sculptor probably did not know exactly how to feel about Ozymandias. On one had he felt belittled by Ozymandias and on the other, he recognizes that there must have been something within Ozymandias' heart that led him to feed his people. If I were the sculpture, I might have interpreted his actions a little differently. Often finding it difficult to trust other people's intentions due to bad experiences in my own life, I think that Ozymandias may have fed his people so they were able to continue serving him. If they worked for him and had no money for food, they would die; death of the common people was unfavorable for Ozymandias because he is selfish. The grim and self-serving expression on the statue's face reveals more about Ozymandias than it first appears. The traveller thinks the sculptor saw the good side of Ozymandias, but I tend to see things from a different perspective.
The next part of the poem that is very significant is the engraving on the pedestal that the traveller found on his journey. The statue says, "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:/Look on my works, ye Mighty , and despair!" (399). The engraving further proves the zealous pride of Ozymandias. Not only does his facial expression reveal his lofty opinion of himself, but the engraving further clarifies his inherent love for himself. He is obviously very prideful and believes that he is the end all, be all. What is ironic about Ozymandias' view of himself is that the speaker and the reader are learning about him for the first time through a statue that has long been destroyed and forgotten. It becomes clear that Shelley is trying to convince the reader that power is fleeting; nothing in this world lasts forever, no matter how awesome you are at any given point in your life. Man is unable to defeat death. I love the way he conveys this theme or idea through the ruins of an old statue.
Finally, Shelley ends the poem with a very somber tone. The traveller leaves the statue and thus ends his tale of Ozymandias: "Round the decay/Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare,/The lone and level sands stretch far away" (399). The traveller tells the speaker that he left the statue to rest alone, with nothing surrounding it but the sand far and wide. It seems as if seeing this statue inspired something within the traveller, or at least he was inspired enough to pass his findings along to the speaker. Again, I think Shelley ends the poem this way to make sure his purpose of the poem is clear. He wants everyone that reads this poem to understand that loving yourself more than others and having an attitude of pride will eventually lead to destruction. If you leave this world a hero, a saint, or a peasant, you still leave this world. He makes this point by showing the demise of the great king Ozymandias, despite the strength of his nation and pride in his success.
Reading this poem makes me wonder if Shelley felt like anyone in his life was too prideful. It is true that writers oftentimes uses lessons or experiences in their own lives to find material to use in their work. Therefore, I am led to think that there must have been someone in his life that help their head just a little too high. Did Shelley think that he was too prideful himself?
First, I did a bit of research on Ozymandias, the person. Ozymandis is another name for Ramesses the Great or Ramesses II. As the footnote explains, Ozymandias was "...thought to be the pharaoh of Exodus whom Moses challenged" (399). This Biblical reference to Ramesses II from the Bible should prepare the reader to expect eventual failure from this once great man. In the Bible, Ramesses was a great king in his own right but was eventually defeated by God and Moses and his kingdom was shattered. Therefore, the prior knowledge that I had about the story of Moses and Ramesses led me to assume that this poem would describe a similar story. My assumption was only partially correct. The poem did include important details from the rise and fall of Ozymandias, but the focus of the poem was not on whom defeated Ozymandias; rather, it focused on the short-comings of the former king. In this poem, Shelley relates that life will continue and no matter how great or powerful a person might be, their time will pass and they will be forgotten.
Shelley begins by explaining that the speaker is telling a story that he heard from a traveller: "I met a traveller from an antique land..." (399). I do not think that Shelley chose to tell this story from a second-hand point of view by accident. I have thought about it for a while, but I cannot seem to figure out why he needed the story to be an indirect account with the statue. Perhaps he designed the poem this way to further convey the idea that this once great and powerful king had been forgotten; it was up to the traveller who visited the "antique land" to tell the story to the speaker. Because the speaker does not see the statue directly, it seems to take away even more of the power that once drove Ramesses to his eventual death. Shelley continues his poem by describing what the traveller actually saw on his journey: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone...a shattered visage lies..." (399). The traveller explains that he found only parts of Ozymandias' body...the legs and the head. I found it interesting that the traveller found only part of the remains of the statue of Ozymandias. Was the statue originally made like this? I think not. I do, however think the image of a separated body and head create a disturbing picture in the mind of the reader. It shows the amount of destruction that took place in order to destroy this statue because it must have been difficult to dismember. This further defends Shelley's theme that destruction is inevitable.
Next I would like to discuss the importance of the statue's head laying in the sand and the expression on the face of the statue. The traveller explains that the face was partially covered in sand and frowning: "...Near them on the sand,/Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,/And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command..." (399). The description that the traveller reveals to the speaker once again is very dark; the statue seems angry and calloused. Ozymandias does not appear to have been a generous and happy man, but rather a prideful and mighty ruler. It is also interesting that the traveller realizes that "...its sculptor well those passions read..." because it shows the sculptors ability to capture the heart of Ozymandias in his facial expression. This is also significant because the sculptor was probably part of Ozymandias' working civilization and directly dealt with the wrath that this king poured out on his people. Shelley further emphasizes the relationship between the sculptor and Ozymandias when he mentions, "The hand that mocked them, and the hart that fed..." them (399). This line of the poem seems to convey that the sculptor probably did not know exactly how to feel about Ozymandias. On one had he felt belittled by Ozymandias and on the other, he recognizes that there must have been something within Ozymandias' heart that led him to feed his people. If I were the sculpture, I might have interpreted his actions a little differently. Often finding it difficult to trust other people's intentions due to bad experiences in my own life, I think that Ozymandias may have fed his people so they were able to continue serving him. If they worked for him and had no money for food, they would die; death of the common people was unfavorable for Ozymandias because he is selfish. The grim and self-serving expression on the statue's face reveals more about Ozymandias than it first appears. The traveller thinks the sculptor saw the good side of Ozymandias, but I tend to see things from a different perspective.
The next part of the poem that is very significant is the engraving on the pedestal that the traveller found on his journey. The statue says, "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:/Look on my works, ye Mighty , and despair!" (399). The engraving further proves the zealous pride of Ozymandias. Not only does his facial expression reveal his lofty opinion of himself, but the engraving further clarifies his inherent love for himself. He is obviously very prideful and believes that he is the end all, be all. What is ironic about Ozymandias' view of himself is that the speaker and the reader are learning about him for the first time through a statue that has long been destroyed and forgotten. It becomes clear that Shelley is trying to convince the reader that power is fleeting; nothing in this world lasts forever, no matter how awesome you are at any given point in your life. Man is unable to defeat death. I love the way he conveys this theme or idea through the ruins of an old statue.
Finally, Shelley ends the poem with a very somber tone. The traveller leaves the statue and thus ends his tale of Ozymandias: "Round the decay/Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare,/The lone and level sands stretch far away" (399). The traveller tells the speaker that he left the statue to rest alone, with nothing surrounding it but the sand far and wide. It seems as if seeing this statue inspired something within the traveller, or at least he was inspired enough to pass his findings along to the speaker. Again, I think Shelley ends the poem this way to make sure his purpose of the poem is clear. He wants everyone that reads this poem to understand that loving yourself more than others and having an attitude of pride will eventually lead to destruction. If you leave this world a hero, a saint, or a peasant, you still leave this world. He makes this point by showing the demise of the great king Ozymandias, despite the strength of his nation and pride in his success.
Reading this poem makes me wonder if Shelley felt like anyone in his life was too prideful. It is true that writers oftentimes uses lessons or experiences in their own lives to find material to use in their work. Therefore, I am led to think that there must have been someone in his life that help their head just a little too high. Did Shelley think that he was too prideful himself?
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Coleridge is certainly a challenging author. I generally did not like many of Coleridge's works. I found myself reading and re-reading and still feeling like I did not have a good handle on what he was trying to convey to the reader. While I thought Coleridge's poems were hard to read, I decided to focus on one specific poem, "Frost at Midnight." I am sure there are aspects of this poem that I have overlooked, but there are a few aspects of the poem I want to explore further.
The first concept I want to discuss from this poem concerns the transition from the first to second stanza of the poem. The transition seems abrupt and I am not sure why the Coleridge allows the speaker to switch subjects so quickly. The speaker starts out by describing his surroundings and the silence that fills his home: "'Tis calm indeed! so calm, that it disturbs/And vexes meditation with its strange/And extreme stillness" (344). The speaker seems disturbed by the silence that surrounds him and desperately yearns for something to break the silence. The speaker then continues by focusing on the fire within his home and the way it also burns silently. He notices that a piece of ash is the only thing moving and the "sole unquiet thing" (344). The speaker finds comfort in this floating piece of ask and ponders if "...its motion in this hush of nature/Gives it dim sympathies with me who live,/Making it a companionable form..." (344). At this point, the speaker seems to find comfort in the movement and resulting noise of the ash. His mind seems to also be wondering from one possibility to the other about the affects of the ash on his present surroundings. Then, the speaker abruptly begins the second stanza discussing his memory of school as a child: "How oft, at school, with most believing mind,/Presageful, have I gazed upon the bars,/To watch that fluttering stranger!" (344). Why did Coleridge write the poem this way? One idea is that the speaker, while lost in thought, is reminded of "fluttering strangers" while looking upon the fluttering ash. As he sits alone at home, his mind is left to move from one subject to another without any real reason. Another idea for why the speaker may switch from one subject to another upon starting the second stanza is that he had a fire pit at his old school house. Although the speaker does not specifically reference a fire in the school house building, I am guessing that they may have had one in the school house to keep the children warm during the winter months. A third option for the abrupt transition is based on the idea of daydreaming. The speaker in the first poem is overwhelmed by the silence of his home and nature and his mind seems to be somewhere else. Perhaps his daydreaming in his present life reminded him of the way he used to daydream while at school.
While I am not sure exactly what Coleridge was thinking as he wrote this poem, I do think it is important to discuss the possibilities of this transition in order to understand the poem further. I know it was not an accidental transition, but I think the abrupt way in which it is incorporated in the poem should be noted. I have decided that it could be any of the above reasons, or a combination of them all; however, I think the most significant reason for this transition in thought is one I have yet to discuss. During this time that the speaker remembers his past, I think it is important to look at what the speaker was daydreaming at that time:
"...and the old church-tower,
Whose bells, the poor man's only music, rang
From morn to evening, all the hot fair-day
So sweetly, that they stirred and haunted me
With a wild pleasure, falling on mine ear
Most like articulate sounds of things to come!" (344)
I think in many ways it seems that the speaker alludes to this time passed because of the joy that he felt due to the sounds that he was thinking about. He is currently sitting in utter silence and thinking back to a time when noise brought him joy may be a way for him to find peace and pleasure now. Perhaps the speaker wants to sleep in the fist stanza (though we do not know for sure because he does not say) and dreaming of times past will help him sleep as it did before: "So gazed I, till the soothing things I dreamt/Lulled me to sleep..." (344). Thinking about the way he used to lure himself to sleep by dreaming of melodic sounds will perhaps help him find sleep in the silence he is currently experiencing.
Another idea I would like to explore further is the connection that Coleridge seems to make between the speaker and his child by contrasting their experiences with nature. The speaker thinks on his own past with nature and it seems to be a relatively negative experience as he states that he "...saw naught lovely but the sky and stars" (345). The speaker does not have fond memories of growing up in an area that taught you to appreciate nature because he "...was reared/In the great city, pent 'mid cloisters dim" (345). Based on this description, it is clear that the speaker was born and raised in the city life--including all the noise and sounds that makes cities seem alive and moving at all times. Living in a more rural area would not have allowed the speaker to experience such constant chaos, which is perhaps why the silence he experiences makes him long for sound of some sort. On the contrary, the speaker seems to yearn for his child to experience and love nature; he wants his baby to appreciate the beauty and silence within the realm of the country life which is something he is currently unable to do. The speaker reveals his dream for his child when he says, "But thou, my babe! shalt wander like a breeze/By lakes and sandy shores..." (345). The speaker longs for his child to be a part of something greater in nature than he was able to experience in the city. I think the idea of always wanting something better for your children is applicable in this poem and still today. While I am not a parent just yet, I know I have heard my parents say time and time again that they want more for me and my siblings than they had as children. I think the speaker's love and compassion for his child is very evident in this longing and it makes the poem very sweet and meaningful to many.
The first concept I want to discuss from this poem concerns the transition from the first to second stanza of the poem. The transition seems abrupt and I am not sure why the Coleridge allows the speaker to switch subjects so quickly. The speaker starts out by describing his surroundings and the silence that fills his home: "'Tis calm indeed! so calm, that it disturbs/And vexes meditation with its strange/And extreme stillness" (344). The speaker seems disturbed by the silence that surrounds him and desperately yearns for something to break the silence. The speaker then continues by focusing on the fire within his home and the way it also burns silently. He notices that a piece of ash is the only thing moving and the "sole unquiet thing" (344). The speaker finds comfort in this floating piece of ask and ponders if "...its motion in this hush of nature/Gives it dim sympathies with me who live,/Making it a companionable form..." (344). At this point, the speaker seems to find comfort in the movement and resulting noise of the ash. His mind seems to also be wondering from one possibility to the other about the affects of the ash on his present surroundings. Then, the speaker abruptly begins the second stanza discussing his memory of school as a child: "How oft, at school, with most believing mind,/Presageful, have I gazed upon the bars,/To watch that fluttering stranger!" (344). Why did Coleridge write the poem this way? One idea is that the speaker, while lost in thought, is reminded of "fluttering strangers" while looking upon the fluttering ash. As he sits alone at home, his mind is left to move from one subject to another without any real reason. Another idea for why the speaker may switch from one subject to another upon starting the second stanza is that he had a fire pit at his old school house. Although the speaker does not specifically reference a fire in the school house building, I am guessing that they may have had one in the school house to keep the children warm during the winter months. A third option for the abrupt transition is based on the idea of daydreaming. The speaker in the first poem is overwhelmed by the silence of his home and nature and his mind seems to be somewhere else. Perhaps his daydreaming in his present life reminded him of the way he used to daydream while at school.
While I am not sure exactly what Coleridge was thinking as he wrote this poem, I do think it is important to discuss the possibilities of this transition in order to understand the poem further. I know it was not an accidental transition, but I think the abrupt way in which it is incorporated in the poem should be noted. I have decided that it could be any of the above reasons, or a combination of them all; however, I think the most significant reason for this transition in thought is one I have yet to discuss. During this time that the speaker remembers his past, I think it is important to look at what the speaker was daydreaming at that time:
"...and the old church-tower,
Whose bells, the poor man's only music, rang
From morn to evening, all the hot fair-day
So sweetly, that they stirred and haunted me
With a wild pleasure, falling on mine ear
Most like articulate sounds of things to come!" (344)
I think in many ways it seems that the speaker alludes to this time passed because of the joy that he felt due to the sounds that he was thinking about. He is currently sitting in utter silence and thinking back to a time when noise brought him joy may be a way for him to find peace and pleasure now. Perhaps the speaker wants to sleep in the fist stanza (though we do not know for sure because he does not say) and dreaming of times past will help him sleep as it did before: "So gazed I, till the soothing things I dreamt/Lulled me to sleep..." (344). Thinking about the way he used to lure himself to sleep by dreaming of melodic sounds will perhaps help him find sleep in the silence he is currently experiencing.
Another idea I would like to explore further is the connection that Coleridge seems to make between the speaker and his child by contrasting their experiences with nature. The speaker thinks on his own past with nature and it seems to be a relatively negative experience as he states that he "...saw naught lovely but the sky and stars" (345). The speaker does not have fond memories of growing up in an area that taught you to appreciate nature because he "...was reared/In the great city, pent 'mid cloisters dim" (345). Based on this description, it is clear that the speaker was born and raised in the city life--including all the noise and sounds that makes cities seem alive and moving at all times. Living in a more rural area would not have allowed the speaker to experience such constant chaos, which is perhaps why the silence he experiences makes him long for sound of some sort. On the contrary, the speaker seems to yearn for his child to experience and love nature; he wants his baby to appreciate the beauty and silence within the realm of the country life which is something he is currently unable to do. The speaker reveals his dream for his child when he says, "But thou, my babe! shalt wander like a breeze/By lakes and sandy shores..." (345). The speaker longs for his child to be a part of something greater in nature than he was able to experience in the city. I think the idea of always wanting something better for your children is applicable in this poem and still today. While I am not a parent just yet, I know I have heard my parents say time and time again that they want more for me and my siblings than they had as children. I think the speaker's love and compassion for his child is very evident in this longing and it makes the poem very sweet and meaningful to many.
Dorothy Wordsworth
I very much enjoyed reading the poetry and journal entries written by Dorothy Wordsworth. As the introduction to the author mentions, her writing is not meant to be fancy with hidden meaning. It also states that she in no way intended for her work to be published. In fact the vulnerability that she shows in her writing make her works easier to understand and very enjoyable. In addition, I found Dorothy Wordsworth's journal entries are very interesting and intriguing. Her journal entries are especially personal and convey her every thought and feelings. Her writing style also allows the reader to really see what Wordsworth say in the world around her. Because her style of writing is so personal, it allows the reader to really get to know Dorothy as a person--the way she felt and the way she appreciated nature and the world around her. This aspect of her writing is something you do not see very often. I think the fact that her journal entries were written for her personal pleasure make them very unique.
I have already mentioned that Dorothy Wordsworth became very human through writing. One way she creates such a strong connection with the reader is through her compassion for those who are less-fortunate. The fact that she even mentions them in her writing proves her sympathy for these people. While at Rydale, Wordsworth spots "...a woman of the village, stout & well dressed, begged a halfpenny--she had never she said done it before, but these hard times..." (295). While Wordsworth does not mention helping this woman, she clearly felt for her time of hardship because she writes about her encounter. Additionally, she mentions a child begging at her home: "A little girl from Coniston came to beg. She had lain out all night--her step-mother had turned her out of doors" (295). Wordsworth writes about the poor girl in her entry from May 18, 1800. She writes only a few sentences in this entry and yet still, the poor girl was one of the few things mentioned in this journal entry. She cares enough to mention the poor girl in her writing, even when she only has time to write a few lines. I got the impression from these documentations that Dorothy Wordsworth had a soft heart and would be willing to help those in need if she were able to do so. Another thought to consider is that perhaps she did help both the woman in Rydale and the small child at her door; she perhaps did not feel the need to mention her good service in her writing.
Wordsworth again shows her compassion in other references to the poor. There were at least a few times she was able to assist the person in need. For example, she met a woman on the way to Rays. The woman told Wordsworth that "...her husband had left her..." and Wordsworth "...was moved and gave her a shilling..." (297). While Wordsworth was not forced to help this woman, she took the time to hear about her misfortune and lovingly gave her money. The fact that she was "moved" by the woman's story conveys her giving spirit. The reader must also keep in mind that she did not write this in her journal with the intention of other people reading about her good works. One final example is the touching story Wordsworth shares about her encounter at the gingerbread store, Matthew Newtons. While Dorothy and William Wordsworth came to the store to buy the ingredients to make gingerbread, the store owner was "...so grateful when I paid them for it (the gingerbread) that I could not find it in my hear tot tell them were going to make Gingerbread ourselves" (298). Although Wordsworth did not intend on buying fresh gingerbread, she revered the gratitude of the store owner more than she cared about her own plans of baking gingerbread. I found this story particularly touching. It made me ask myself if I would have done the same thing in her situation. It also made me ponder the ways in which our society today is much different than that of the past. It is inspiring to read about the gracious heart of another human being, whether anyone ever knew what kind thing she did or not. She did it out the goodness of her heart and that makes her very a very admirable human.
Another reason I found Wordsworth's journal entries so enjoyable is the way she describes her encounters with nature. Much like her brother, she is obviously inspired by the beauty within the natural world. However, she writes much differently than in brother in other ways; her descriptions, while beautiful, are written in plain imagery terms that make it very easy for the reader to actually imagine. I found while reading a variety of sections of her journal entries, that I had a great visual image of what it would have been like to see what Wordsworth was actually seeing. When Wordsworth told William and John goodbye, she is walking along, she describes "a beautiful yellow, palish yellow flower, that looked thick round & double, and smelt very sweet..." (294). As I read this passage, I was actually picturing this beautiful yellow flower that Wordsworth spotted along a path. While imagery of this depth may seem meaningless at times, I think it actually creates a very strong connection between Wordsworth and the reader because you are able to leave your world behind and become a part of her world for a while. The extremely detailed images that she uses in her journal entries provide an escape from reality, which again shows her strength as a writer. What is even more interesting as that she was not trying to compel anyone...she simply loved nature and enjoyed paying attention to the details in the world around her and thus commenting on it in her journals. Another powerful image that Wordsworth shares is one of sky at the pier with her brother: "The sea was gloomy for there was a blackness over all the sky except when it was overspread with lightning which often revealed to us a distant vessel" (298). Although Wordsworth is describing a completely different scene than that of the flower, I can again imagine standing on that same pier looking out at the sea and the stormy sky. These kind of descriptions are far more powerful than they may seem on the surface and I really enjoyed being able to truly imagine what Wordsworth was experiencing in nature. I think being able to effortlessly imagine the beauty of nature without seeing a picture shows me that Wordsworth was a great writer.
I have already mentioned that Dorothy Wordsworth became very human through writing. One way she creates such a strong connection with the reader is through her compassion for those who are less-fortunate. The fact that she even mentions them in her writing proves her sympathy for these people. While at Rydale, Wordsworth spots "...a woman of the village, stout & well dressed, begged a halfpenny--she had never she said done it before, but these hard times..." (295). While Wordsworth does not mention helping this woman, she clearly felt for her time of hardship because she writes about her encounter. Additionally, she mentions a child begging at her home: "A little girl from Coniston came to beg. She had lain out all night--her step-mother had turned her out of doors" (295). Wordsworth writes about the poor girl in her entry from May 18, 1800. She writes only a few sentences in this entry and yet still, the poor girl was one of the few things mentioned in this journal entry. She cares enough to mention the poor girl in her writing, even when she only has time to write a few lines. I got the impression from these documentations that Dorothy Wordsworth had a soft heart and would be willing to help those in need if she were able to do so. Another thought to consider is that perhaps she did help both the woman in Rydale and the small child at her door; she perhaps did not feel the need to mention her good service in her writing.
Wordsworth again shows her compassion in other references to the poor. There were at least a few times she was able to assist the person in need. For example, she met a woman on the way to Rays. The woman told Wordsworth that "...her husband had left her..." and Wordsworth "...was moved and gave her a shilling..." (297). While Wordsworth was not forced to help this woman, she took the time to hear about her misfortune and lovingly gave her money. The fact that she was "moved" by the woman's story conveys her giving spirit. The reader must also keep in mind that she did not write this in her journal with the intention of other people reading about her good works. One final example is the touching story Wordsworth shares about her encounter at the gingerbread store, Matthew Newtons. While Dorothy and William Wordsworth came to the store to buy the ingredients to make gingerbread, the store owner was "...so grateful when I paid them for it (the gingerbread) that I could not find it in my hear tot tell them were going to make Gingerbread ourselves" (298). Although Wordsworth did not intend on buying fresh gingerbread, she revered the gratitude of the store owner more than she cared about her own plans of baking gingerbread. I found this story particularly touching. It made me ask myself if I would have done the same thing in her situation. It also made me ponder the ways in which our society today is much different than that of the past. It is inspiring to read about the gracious heart of another human being, whether anyone ever knew what kind thing she did or not. She did it out the goodness of her heart and that makes her very a very admirable human.
Another reason I found Wordsworth's journal entries so enjoyable is the way she describes her encounters with nature. Much like her brother, she is obviously inspired by the beauty within the natural world. However, she writes much differently than in brother in other ways; her descriptions, while beautiful, are written in plain imagery terms that make it very easy for the reader to actually imagine. I found while reading a variety of sections of her journal entries, that I had a great visual image of what it would have been like to see what Wordsworth was actually seeing. When Wordsworth told William and John goodbye, she is walking along, she describes "a beautiful yellow, palish yellow flower, that looked thick round & double, and smelt very sweet..." (294). As I read this passage, I was actually picturing this beautiful yellow flower that Wordsworth spotted along a path. While imagery of this depth may seem meaningless at times, I think it actually creates a very strong connection between Wordsworth and the reader because you are able to leave your world behind and become a part of her world for a while. The extremely detailed images that she uses in her journal entries provide an escape from reality, which again shows her strength as a writer. What is even more interesting as that she was not trying to compel anyone...she simply loved nature and enjoyed paying attention to the details in the world around her and thus commenting on it in her journals. Another powerful image that Wordsworth shares is one of sky at the pier with her brother: "The sea was gloomy for there was a blackness over all the sky except when it was overspread with lightning which often revealed to us a distant vessel" (298). Although Wordsworth is describing a completely different scene than that of the flower, I can again imagine standing on that same pier looking out at the sea and the stormy sky. These kind of descriptions are far more powerful than they may seem on the surface and I really enjoyed being able to truly imagine what Wordsworth was experiencing in nature. I think being able to effortlessly imagine the beauty of nature without seeing a picture shows me that Wordsworth was a great writer.
William Wordsworth
Wordsworth is yet another challenging poet, but I personally found his poetry very enjoyable. In reading the history of William Wordsworth, it became evident that he felt a strong connection with nature and often used nature imagery throughout his poems to evince certain themes or ideas. Upon discovering that Wordsworth adored many aspects of nature, I decided to read carefully through his poems noting the specific roles that nature played throughout various works. Nature was a predominant theme in much of Wordsworth's poetry, though I found it most vivid and useful in "The World is too Much with Us," "Lines in Early Spring," and "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud."
In "The World is too Much with Us," Wordsworth uses nature to show the reader how far man has fallen from appreciating natural beauty. The speaker in the poem seems to be somewhat angry and uses this passionate emotion to teach the reader about his growing concern. The speaker begins by trying to convey that people are spending far too much time and money on material possessions: "Getting and spending, we lay waster our powers" (234). Not only does the speaker condemn materialism, but he draws a dramatic comparison with nature to further solidify his point: "Little we see in nature that is ours" (234). He seems to be frustrated that people no longer look to nature to fulfill their desires; rather, people focus on the material possessions. He says that "We have given our hearts away..." (234). To further establish his point, the speaker describes the beauty in nature that people often overlook. People take this beauty for granted and refuse to acknowledge the role God intended nature to play. The speaker seems to believe that God created the beauty in nature to bless humans, which is why the speaker is so upset that man ignores the power of nature around them: "The sea.../The Winds.../For this, for everything, we are out of tune" (234). The speaker believes that humans have completely lost touch with nature. For this reason, he is very disappointed and enraged by the behavior of those around him and their lack of respect for the God-given gift of beauty in nature. The speaker is in fact so discouraged by the world around him, that he would "...rather be/A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn" (234). The speaker conveys his anger even further by wishing he were living in a time of Pagan Gods. He believe that at the very least, if he were alive during the time of Pagans, that the people in the world around him would have respect for nature and the beauty that lies within the simplicity of nature. Wordsworth uses the voice of the speaker to establish his personal views and frustration. While this poem carries a very aggressive and negative tone, Wordsworth creatively uses the dramatic tone of the speaker in the poem to further establish his true feelings about the world in which he was living. While Wordsworth loved the simplicity and beauty of nature, he seems to doubt that most others feel the same way. In this poem, Wordsworth shows his heightened respect for nature and his disappointment in the behavior and contrary beliefs of most people living in his time.
In the poem "Lines of Early Spring," Wordsworth again pays tribute to the value of nature, but in a slightly different way than he does in "The World is too Much with Us." While Wordsworth uses the voice of the speaker in "The Words is too Much with Us" to demonstrate anger with the world, the tone in "Lines of Early Spring" conveys a sense of disappointment. Wordsworth seems to show once again that there is a huge disconnect between man and nature; he also thinks that this should not be the case and that is why the tone of this poem is melancholy and somber. The speaker reflects on the way nature makes him feel, but is then discouraged: "In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts/Bring sad thoughts to the mind" (201). The speaker knows that being in nature should make him happy and ease his mind, yet he also recognizes that man nor himself no longer have the same connection with nature that they once did. For this reason, he feels sad and withdrawn. The speaker then makes reference to bond that man and nature should have together: "To her fair works did nature link/The human soul that through me ran" (201). The speaker notes that at one point in time, his soul was linked directly to nature. He continues to denote the difference in the present time with that of the past when he says, "...it griev'd my heart to think/What man has made of man" (201). At this point, the speaker recognizes that he is directly or perhaps indirectly responsible for the break between man and nature. He seems to think that the unjust actions and evil ways of man have caused the human race to be set apart from the beauty of nature. While the speaker seems to realize the beauty of nature, he cannot truly appreciate the value it holds because he is so impure in contrast that of nature. The speaker continues to describe "...every flower...the birds...the budding twigs..." (201-202), yet he still seems sad. He knows he can look around and find beauty in all aspects of nature, but continues to doubt his own ability to live freely. He is bound by the burden of his own sin and for that reason, feels unable to be one with nature again:
"If I these thoughts may not prevent,
If such be of my creed the plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?" (202)
At this point, it seems as if the speaker has given up hope and fears that he will forevermore be saddened by the ways of man. The speaker also seems to relate that being in nature is more harmful than good; if he is forced to look at all the beautiful things in nature that function without causing harm, he cannot help but remember the world and the evil nature of mankind. Wordsworth once again shows in this poem how much he appreciates the beauty of the natural world around him. While he does not write with an angry tone in this poem, his point it much the same of that in "The World is too Much with Us." He wants the world to hear his voice and know that the characteristics and serenity in nature can bring out the best in people--that if everyone were able to separate themselves from selfishness and material things, they would find peace and happiness in the simple things in life.
The last poem that I want to discuss is "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud." This poem continues Wordsworth's them of the celebration of nature, but does so in a very happily. This poem's tone is much different than the poems above; it is light and happy. Wordsworth begins by comparing the speaker to a cloud--he is instantly a part of the natural world. As a cloud, he "...floats on high o'er vales and hills" and in doing so, spots a field of daffodils (282). Wordsworth furthers his positive images of nature and man in this poem by giving the daffodils life-like characteristics. In the poem, the daffodils are "Fluttering and dancing in the breeze...Tossing their heads in sprightly dance" (282). All of the images Wordsworth creates in first through third stanzas of the poem are fun and inspire a feeling of happiness and joy within the reader. The powerful imagery that Wordsworth uses to describe nature help create strong images of the daffodils and their infinite beauty--not just to the speaker in the poem, but also to the reader. Wordsworth further establishes his theme of the celebration of nature by showing the connection that is made between the speaker and nature even after he leaves the scene in the field:
"For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant of in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye...
then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils." (283)
The speaker allows the dancing daffodils to engage him in the time to come after this first encounter in the field. His mind often wonders back to that special day and all the joy that he felt in that moment again fill his heart with happiness. Because of the positive affect nature has on the speaker, Wordsworth uses yet another method to incorporate his love of nature in his poetry. I believe that nature made Wordsworth as happy as the speaker in the poem oftentimes in this life, and thus he wrote "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" to create that same feeling of joy within the reader.
While Wordsworth uses a variety of tones in these three poems, his love for nature is evident throughout. I enjoyed reading these poems because each one affected my feelings differently, yet the overall point was clear each time.
In "The World is too Much with Us," Wordsworth uses nature to show the reader how far man has fallen from appreciating natural beauty. The speaker in the poem seems to be somewhat angry and uses this passionate emotion to teach the reader about his growing concern. The speaker begins by trying to convey that people are spending far too much time and money on material possessions: "Getting and spending, we lay waster our powers" (234). Not only does the speaker condemn materialism, but he draws a dramatic comparison with nature to further solidify his point: "Little we see in nature that is ours" (234). He seems to be frustrated that people no longer look to nature to fulfill their desires; rather, people focus on the material possessions. He says that "We have given our hearts away..." (234). To further establish his point, the speaker describes the beauty in nature that people often overlook. People take this beauty for granted and refuse to acknowledge the role God intended nature to play. The speaker seems to believe that God created the beauty in nature to bless humans, which is why the speaker is so upset that man ignores the power of nature around them: "The sea.../The Winds.../For this, for everything, we are out of tune" (234). The speaker believes that humans have completely lost touch with nature. For this reason, he is very disappointed and enraged by the behavior of those around him and their lack of respect for the God-given gift of beauty in nature. The speaker is in fact so discouraged by the world around him, that he would "...rather be/A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn" (234). The speaker conveys his anger even further by wishing he were living in a time of Pagan Gods. He believe that at the very least, if he were alive during the time of Pagans, that the people in the world around him would have respect for nature and the beauty that lies within the simplicity of nature. Wordsworth uses the voice of the speaker to establish his personal views and frustration. While this poem carries a very aggressive and negative tone, Wordsworth creatively uses the dramatic tone of the speaker in the poem to further establish his true feelings about the world in which he was living. While Wordsworth loved the simplicity and beauty of nature, he seems to doubt that most others feel the same way. In this poem, Wordsworth shows his heightened respect for nature and his disappointment in the behavior and contrary beliefs of most people living in his time.
In the poem "Lines of Early Spring," Wordsworth again pays tribute to the value of nature, but in a slightly different way than he does in "The World is too Much with Us." While Wordsworth uses the voice of the speaker in "The Words is too Much with Us" to demonstrate anger with the world, the tone in "Lines of Early Spring" conveys a sense of disappointment. Wordsworth seems to show once again that there is a huge disconnect between man and nature; he also thinks that this should not be the case and that is why the tone of this poem is melancholy and somber. The speaker reflects on the way nature makes him feel, but is then discouraged: "In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts/Bring sad thoughts to the mind" (201). The speaker knows that being in nature should make him happy and ease his mind, yet he also recognizes that man nor himself no longer have the same connection with nature that they once did. For this reason, he feels sad and withdrawn. The speaker then makes reference to bond that man and nature should have together: "To her fair works did nature link/The human soul that through me ran" (201). The speaker notes that at one point in time, his soul was linked directly to nature. He continues to denote the difference in the present time with that of the past when he says, "...it griev'd my heart to think/What man has made of man" (201). At this point, the speaker recognizes that he is directly or perhaps indirectly responsible for the break between man and nature. He seems to think that the unjust actions and evil ways of man have caused the human race to be set apart from the beauty of nature. While the speaker seems to realize the beauty of nature, he cannot truly appreciate the value it holds because he is so impure in contrast that of nature. The speaker continues to describe "...every flower...the birds...the budding twigs..." (201-202), yet he still seems sad. He knows he can look around and find beauty in all aspects of nature, but continues to doubt his own ability to live freely. He is bound by the burden of his own sin and for that reason, feels unable to be one with nature again:
"If I these thoughts may not prevent,
If such be of my creed the plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?" (202)
At this point, it seems as if the speaker has given up hope and fears that he will forevermore be saddened by the ways of man. The speaker also seems to relate that being in nature is more harmful than good; if he is forced to look at all the beautiful things in nature that function without causing harm, he cannot help but remember the world and the evil nature of mankind. Wordsworth once again shows in this poem how much he appreciates the beauty of the natural world around him. While he does not write with an angry tone in this poem, his point it much the same of that in "The World is too Much with Us." He wants the world to hear his voice and know that the characteristics and serenity in nature can bring out the best in people--that if everyone were able to separate themselves from selfishness and material things, they would find peace and happiness in the simple things in life.
The last poem that I want to discuss is "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud." This poem continues Wordsworth's them of the celebration of nature, but does so in a very happily. This poem's tone is much different than the poems above; it is light and happy. Wordsworth begins by comparing the speaker to a cloud--he is instantly a part of the natural world. As a cloud, he "...floats on high o'er vales and hills" and in doing so, spots a field of daffodils (282). Wordsworth furthers his positive images of nature and man in this poem by giving the daffodils life-like characteristics. In the poem, the daffodils are "Fluttering and dancing in the breeze...Tossing their heads in sprightly dance" (282). All of the images Wordsworth creates in first through third stanzas of the poem are fun and inspire a feeling of happiness and joy within the reader. The powerful imagery that Wordsworth uses to describe nature help create strong images of the daffodils and their infinite beauty--not just to the speaker in the poem, but also to the reader. Wordsworth further establishes his theme of the celebration of nature by showing the connection that is made between the speaker and nature even after he leaves the scene in the field:
"For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant of in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye...
then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils." (283)
The speaker allows the dancing daffodils to engage him in the time to come after this first encounter in the field. His mind often wonders back to that special day and all the joy that he felt in that moment again fill his heart with happiness. Because of the positive affect nature has on the speaker, Wordsworth uses yet another method to incorporate his love of nature in his poetry. I believe that nature made Wordsworth as happy as the speaker in the poem oftentimes in this life, and thus he wrote "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" to create that same feeling of joy within the reader.
While Wordsworth uses a variety of tones in these three poems, his love for nature is evident throughout. I enjoyed reading these poems because each one affected my feelings differently, yet the overall point was clear each time.
Monday, May 26, 2008
William Blake
I found most of Blake's poems very interesting, though often difficult to understand; however the difficulty seems to become the best and worst thing about the poetry. I find that that is the case with most poets. It is almost impossible to know exactly what the writer wanted to convey in their work. Therefore, it is up to the reader to find meaning and interpret the work in their own way. For that reason, I'm not sure my views on Blake's work will be similar to what others were thinking as they read.
Though I liked many of Blake's poems, there were a few that I was particularly fond of reading. The first poem I want to mention is "The Fly." While this poem is short and the meaning may seem hidden at first, re-reading this passage made Blake's intentions all the more obvious. In this poem, Blake challenges the reader to literally put themselves in the position of a mere fly. He creates this challenge when he says, "Am not I/A fly life thee?/Or art not thou/A man like me?" (87). Why would Blake make such a silly connection between the human race and a fly? I think that Blake was attempting to prove that all things in life are meant to be the way that they are and that no one person or thing is more significant than anyone or anything else. I think Blake wanted to convey that it is important to constantly view the world from the perspective of others rather than thinking of ourselves. Blake establishes this idea when he describes the fly as going along happily in his life until "...some blind hand/Shall brush my wing" (87). Blake proves that while it is often difficult to remember that the world does not revolve around us, we must try to be more considerate. I think Blake makes his point clearly by using something as seemingly useless as a fly to demonstrate the importance of recognizing how our actions affect others.
I also thought that "Echoing Green" was a beautiful poem. I love the way that Blake connected images of the passage of time in a day to the passage of time in the life cycle. In the first stanza, he begins by describing the early morning hours when he says:
"The Sun does arise,
And make happy the skies.
The merry bells ring
To welcome the Spring." (78-79)
While Blake at first seems to be describing the dawn of the day and the cheer of morning and spring, he is also making reference to new life. He uses images of morning and spring-time to portray the beginning of a person's life; a time when everything is new and fresh.
He continues with the passage of time in the second stanza. It is in this part of the poem that Blake focuses on the nostalgia that the old man feels as the day passes and he thinks upon past times in his own life:
"Sitting under the old oak...
Such such were the joys
When we all girls & boys,
In our youth time were seen,
On the Ecchoing Green." (79)
It seems that Blake uses the image of the old oak tree to create a stronger connection between the old man and the wisdom that he's gained over the course of his life. In the same way, it takes many years for an oak tree to grow. Blake strengthens his imagery with the passage of time as the man remembers when he was a child playing in the green field. The old many hasn't forgotten his youth. He knows that it will not be long before the children he watches will be old as well. Blake establishes a bond between the children and elderly comparing a similar time in their lives.
As Blake closes the poem in the third stanza, he again uses images associated with time of day to link time that passes during the life cycle. He says, "The sun does descend,/And our sports have an end" (79) to show that the day light is passing and evening is approaching. When it starts to get dark outside, children must go home to their families. Blake then connects the passing of time in the day with the passing of time in one's life: "Like birds in their nest,/Are ready for rest" (79). Again, Blake is using the method of comparison to draw a connection between evening time and growing old. Just as a bird goes home to rest, so man will eventually get old and pass away. Blake further solidifies this comparison when he no longer uses the phrase "ecchoing green," but rather says that "and sport no more seen,/On the darkening Green" (79). This language creates a feeling of sadness because the day, and cycle of life have ended. Just as the sun sets, people pass on; the day cannot last forever and neither can man.
The reality of this poem is what made it unique and interesting to me. While this poem begins with a very happy tone and ends with a tone of somber melancholy, the point is very realistic. Birth is something to be celebrated and youth is certainly something to be remembered. At the same time, we cannot stop the aging process and eventually we will all die. The dawn of day passes into the dusk of night and people will change and grow from babies into adulthood and eventually they will die.
I do not think it was Blake's intention to have a negative view on aging and death; in fact, I think he meant just the opposite. Blake seemed to encourage the celebration of life as well as the acceptance of death. I think also that using the word "ecchoing" in the title as well as throughout the poem really ties everything together. The cycle of life is like an echo--it repeats itself over and over again.
Though I liked many of Blake's poems, there were a few that I was particularly fond of reading. The first poem I want to mention is "The Fly." While this poem is short and the meaning may seem hidden at first, re-reading this passage made Blake's intentions all the more obvious. In this poem, Blake challenges the reader to literally put themselves in the position of a mere fly. He creates this challenge when he says, "Am not I/A fly life thee?/Or art not thou/A man like me?" (87). Why would Blake make such a silly connection between the human race and a fly? I think that Blake was attempting to prove that all things in life are meant to be the way that they are and that no one person or thing is more significant than anyone or anything else. I think Blake wanted to convey that it is important to constantly view the world from the perspective of others rather than thinking of ourselves. Blake establishes this idea when he describes the fly as going along happily in his life until "...some blind hand/Shall brush my wing" (87). Blake proves that while it is often difficult to remember that the world does not revolve around us, we must try to be more considerate. I think Blake makes his point clearly by using something as seemingly useless as a fly to demonstrate the importance of recognizing how our actions affect others.
I also thought that "Echoing Green" was a beautiful poem. I love the way that Blake connected images of the passage of time in a day to the passage of time in the life cycle. In the first stanza, he begins by describing the early morning hours when he says:
"The Sun does arise,
And make happy the skies.
The merry bells ring
To welcome the Spring." (78-79)
While Blake at first seems to be describing the dawn of the day and the cheer of morning and spring, he is also making reference to new life. He uses images of morning and spring-time to portray the beginning of a person's life; a time when everything is new and fresh.
He continues with the passage of time in the second stanza. It is in this part of the poem that Blake focuses on the nostalgia that the old man feels as the day passes and he thinks upon past times in his own life:
"Sitting under the old oak...
Such such were the joys
When we all girls & boys,
In our youth time were seen,
On the Ecchoing Green." (79)
It seems that Blake uses the image of the old oak tree to create a stronger connection between the old man and the wisdom that he's gained over the course of his life. In the same way, it takes many years for an oak tree to grow. Blake strengthens his imagery with the passage of time as the man remembers when he was a child playing in the green field. The old many hasn't forgotten his youth. He knows that it will not be long before the children he watches will be old as well. Blake establishes a bond between the children and elderly comparing a similar time in their lives.
As Blake closes the poem in the third stanza, he again uses images associated with time of day to link time that passes during the life cycle. He says, "The sun does descend,/And our sports have an end" (79) to show that the day light is passing and evening is approaching. When it starts to get dark outside, children must go home to their families. Blake then connects the passing of time in the day with the passing of time in one's life: "Like birds in their nest,/Are ready for rest" (79). Again, Blake is using the method of comparison to draw a connection between evening time and growing old. Just as a bird goes home to rest, so man will eventually get old and pass away. Blake further solidifies this comparison when he no longer uses the phrase "ecchoing green," but rather says that "and sport no more seen,/On the darkening Green" (79). This language creates a feeling of sadness because the day, and cycle of life have ended. Just as the sun sets, people pass on; the day cannot last forever and neither can man.
The reality of this poem is what made it unique and interesting to me. While this poem begins with a very happy tone and ends with a tone of somber melancholy, the point is very realistic. Birth is something to be celebrated and youth is certainly something to be remembered. At the same time, we cannot stop the aging process and eventually we will all die. The dawn of day passes into the dusk of night and people will change and grow from babies into adulthood and eventually they will die.
I do not think it was Blake's intention to have a negative view on aging and death; in fact, I think he meant just the opposite. Blake seemed to encourage the celebration of life as well as the acceptance of death. I think also that using the word "ecchoing" in the title as well as throughout the poem really ties everything together. The cycle of life is like an echo--it repeats itself over and over again.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
About Me
Hello, everyone! My name is Karen Davis and when I was a full time student at Mercer, I was part of the business school. Upon leaving Macon, I started working as a Special Education Paraprofessional in Gwinnett County and have been there for almost 2 years. I absolutely love my job! I am planning on going back to school in the Spring of 2009 to start my Master's in Education.
When I'm not working, I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends--we're very close. My boyfriend and I got a black lab for Christmas and he also takes up a good chunk of my spare time. He's now 6 months old, weighs 60 pounds, and has enough energy for about 50 dogs. He keeps me active and on my toes to say the very least! I also enjoy cooking and decorating my new house.
I attended Mercer and lived in Macon from 2002 until 2006; however I did not finish my Bachelor's degree during that time. I was 7 hours short of completing my degree in May of 2006. Since I was only lacking elective hours, my original plan was to transfer in those last few hours from a local community college. That was more complicated than it seemed and for many reasons, I wasn't able to finish my degree previously. For that reason but I am delighted that in August, I will be an official college graduate.
Despite the fact that I am taking advantage of Mercer's summer on line program to finish my degree, the main reason I chose to take this particular class is my love for literature. Being a business student did not always allow me to explore reading, writing, and discussing as much as I would have hoped. Business concepts are typically very black and white and I tend to enjoy being able to develop my own opinions. I also find listening to and often times learning from other interpretations very interesting.
My main concern or anxiety about taking this class is the technology involved! I've never taken an on line course before, so making sure that I complete and submit the assignments correctly is a bit of a potential threat. I don't anticipate that it will really be too much of an issue once I figure out all of the logistics of blackboard. My expectation is that this class will be both educational and enjoyable.
When I'm not working, I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends--we're very close. My boyfriend and I got a black lab for Christmas and he also takes up a good chunk of my spare time. He's now 6 months old, weighs 60 pounds, and has enough energy for about 50 dogs. He keeps me active and on my toes to say the very least! I also enjoy cooking and decorating my new house.
I attended Mercer and lived in Macon from 2002 until 2006; however I did not finish my Bachelor's degree during that time. I was 7 hours short of completing my degree in May of 2006. Since I was only lacking elective hours, my original plan was to transfer in those last few hours from a local community college. That was more complicated than it seemed and for many reasons, I wasn't able to finish my degree previously. For that reason but I am delighted that in August, I will be an official college graduate.
Despite the fact that I am taking advantage of Mercer's summer on line program to finish my degree, the main reason I chose to take this particular class is my love for literature. Being a business student did not always allow me to explore reading, writing, and discussing as much as I would have hoped. Business concepts are typically very black and white and I tend to enjoy being able to develop my own opinions. I also find listening to and often times learning from other interpretations very interesting.
My main concern or anxiety about taking this class is the technology involved! I've never taken an on line course before, so making sure that I complete and submit the assignments correctly is a bit of a potential threat. I don't anticipate that it will really be too much of an issue once I figure out all of the logistics of blackboard. My expectation is that this class will be both educational and enjoyable.
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