In William Wordsworth’s poem “With ships the sea was sprinkled far and nigh,” the reader is presented with a first-person account. This account is composed of the speaker watching the ocean from the shore, and commenting on the ships that he can see, both docked and roaming the seas. Then after a survey of the scenery, the speaker finds a “goodly vessel” that he prefers over all the rest. Although he had no connection to the ship, nor the ship any connection to him, he still “pursued her with a lover’s look” and pondered the direction of it’s next turn.
The first structural feature that stands out to me when reading this poem is the diction; specifically, the connection, or metaphor, drawn by the speaker regarding his favorite ship and a woman. When he focuses in on one particular ship that tickles is fancy, we begin to get descriptions such as “lustily along the bay she strode,” “of apparel high,” and “I pursued her with a lover’s look.” These phrases could easily be translated into a poem about a man’s love for his lover. This could perhaps be done because Wordsworth wanted the reader to see that a “thing” such as a ship could also be an object of our love and affection. But I think the real reason is revealed with this line: “This ship was naught to me, nor I to her.” Yet this did not douse his desire for lusting after her or pursuing her. In this manner, ships are a way to convey a man’s desire for a woman he has never met. The woman just floats by while the speaker can only watch and question “When will she turn, and whither?”
The second feature that makes this poem important is the very distinct volta at line 9. The octet is spent describing different ships that are in sight, and then begins to describe the ship that most peaks his interest. This octet can even be broken down into the first quatrain, which examines his overall appreciation for ships, then the second quatrain, which focuses on his admiration for one “goodly vessel.” Then in line 9, it is revealed that the speaker has had no connection or contact with this vessel that he so admires. Interestingly, though, this volta seems to only last for one line, because in line 10 he continues on with his infatuation: “Yet I pursued her with a lover’s look.” I think the best way to understand this feature is by applying the interpretation of the ship as a woman. Even though the woman that he is in love with does not know he exists, it does not make it any easier to forget her, or to quit admiring her from afar. In fact, when he tries it doesn’t last very long, just like the one-line volta.
The last structural feature comes in the last two lines. Since this is a Petrarchan Sonnet, it does not have a rhyming couplet at the end, but there is a connection between the last two lines that does not have to do with rhyming. This connection is the syllabic length of the line. The entire poem up to line 13 is written in iambic pentameter. But when we hit line 13, we receive a 6th stressed syllable, and this applies to line 14 as well. These lines are extended because of the importance of the messages being conveyed. Lines 13 and 14 seem to tell us that the ship is beyond him in importance or just by nature. He questions the direction of his favorite ship, then tells us that “where she comes the winds must stir.” This means that the ship doesn’t need him to carry on. It can move on and will still be able to function properly. Then in line 14, we get confirmation that her journey must continue past where the speaker may interact. This sense of continuation is captured by the extended syllabic lines.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
"On the Rapid Expansion of the Suburbs"
In John Thelwall’s critique of urban sprawl “On the Rapid Extension of the Suburbs,” a sense of conflict between nature and man’s construction is conveyed through the somewhat rebellious use of antiquated style, an unconventional rhyme scheme, and the juxtaposition of light and dark images.
While the poem itself addresses a subject that was at the time of its writing a current issue, Thelwall chose to express his disgust at accelerated residential development in a sonnet, an old-fashioned form, and one that traditionally focused on the subjects of love as well as the divine. This presents a statement of defiance for the modern engine of man’s encroachment on ancient nature. He reinforces this contrast with allusions to classical mythology, deifying aspects of nature while adding to the archaic tone in his mentions of nymphs, Phoebus, and Dian.
Although the form and style of the poem represent a stand against the suburban development, the rhyme scheme reveals another side of the conflict. The scheme is very unconventional, with the octet seeming in a way to impose on the sestet through the use of the “A” end sound in the first and last lines of the sestet as well as throughout the octet. This blurs the line between the octet and sestet, and illustrates through the rhyme scheme how in real life the towns and buildings are creeping into nature’s territory, disregarding any previous boundaries. This begins to erode any hope that may have been infused in Thelwall’s initial defiant choice of a classically romantic and old-fashioned poetic form.
This hope further dwindles toward the end of the sonnet when a series of conflicting light and dark images are used to portray the two-faced nature of the construction and development, which ultimately ends in the darkness of man’s conquest of the natural environment. Nature is associated in the poem with softer light, with shade and with the celestial bodies, whereas the buildings are associated with harsher extremes of light and dark. At first, words like “flaunting beam,” “shadeless,” and “glaring” are used to describe the façades of the buildings, mocking their outward display of light. Then, an image is presented of a pure stream that used to run under the sun and moon but has been trapped by the urban development in a dark gutter and made to serve the opulence of society by sweeping “the waste of luxury away,” thus showing urban progress’s true face.
These elements ultimately portray a conflict between nature’s beauty and man’s will, a force that may be defied but which is in fact inexorable. The initial display of rebellion achieved by the poem’s form and style is subtly countered by the rhyme scheme and defeated by the triumph of false light and the darkness that closes the sonnet. This progression provides parallel symbolism for the real-life subject the Thelwall is addressing through the sonnet.
While the poem itself addresses a subject that was at the time of its writing a current issue, Thelwall chose to express his disgust at accelerated residential development in a sonnet, an old-fashioned form, and one that traditionally focused on the subjects of love as well as the divine. This presents a statement of defiance for the modern engine of man’s encroachment on ancient nature. He reinforces this contrast with allusions to classical mythology, deifying aspects of nature while adding to the archaic tone in his mentions of nymphs, Phoebus, and Dian.
Although the form and style of the poem represent a stand against the suburban development, the rhyme scheme reveals another side of the conflict. The scheme is very unconventional, with the octet seeming in a way to impose on the sestet through the use of the “A” end sound in the first and last lines of the sestet as well as throughout the octet. This blurs the line between the octet and sestet, and illustrates through the rhyme scheme how in real life the towns and buildings are creeping into nature’s territory, disregarding any previous boundaries. This begins to erode any hope that may have been infused in Thelwall’s initial defiant choice of a classically romantic and old-fashioned poetic form.
This hope further dwindles toward the end of the sonnet when a series of conflicting light and dark images are used to portray the two-faced nature of the construction and development, which ultimately ends in the darkness of man’s conquest of the natural environment. Nature is associated in the poem with softer light, with shade and with the celestial bodies, whereas the buildings are associated with harsher extremes of light and dark. At first, words like “flaunting beam,” “shadeless,” and “glaring” are used to describe the façades of the buildings, mocking their outward display of light. Then, an image is presented of a pure stream that used to run under the sun and moon but has been trapped by the urban development in a dark gutter and made to serve the opulence of society by sweeping “the waste of luxury away,” thus showing urban progress’s true face.
These elements ultimately portray a conflict between nature’s beauty and man’s will, a force that may be defied but which is in fact inexorable. The initial display of rebellion achieved by the poem’s form and style is subtly countered by the rhyme scheme and defeated by the triumph of false light and the darkness that closes the sonnet. This progression provides parallel symbolism for the real-life subject the Thelwall is addressing through the sonnet.
Suburbia!
Analysis by Sarah Phillips
Through our class study of sonnets I’ve learned that Sonnet sequence isn't about plot, it’s about investigating the subtle psychology of love. In his 1822 sonnet “On the Rapid Extension of the Suburbs,” John Thelwall does just that, only he speaks of his love for nature and the crushing impact that the rise of suburbia is having on the beauty and mythical, almost magical qualities of Mother Nature. Although the 18th century was virtually void of sonnets, Thelwall snuck this one in, so to speak, at the beginning of the century, still in the mindset of the 17th century. It was at the end of the 17th century that Milton revamped sonnets and said “hey! We can write them about anything!” Although the topic of love for nature lost does fall a bit outside the lines of traditional earlier sonnets, this isn’t the only aspect of this poem that does the same thing. The rhyme scheme of this particular poem is ABAB BCAC ADE EDA. This is misleading because at first the reader believes that it is going to be a Spenserian but because it doesn’t end in a couplet it switches to more of a Petrarchan sonnet. I think that this switch is a way of signaling the volta between lines 8 and 9 in which the poem Switches from speaking of the nature that used to be to the "domes of tasteless opulence" that is the suburbs. Conceit is evident in this poem as the old beautiful, mystical natural state of things in the first half of the poem is being contrasted to the over-opulent new houses and construction in the second half.
Wordsworth’s “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1803.”
I chose to write my poem on “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1803.” This poem is about the author, presumably Wordsworth, admiring the beauty of a new morning on the Westminster Bridge in London, England. This poem is a Petrarchan sonnet, and therefore follows the rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA CDE CDE. It is broken into an octet and a sestet. Wordsworth succeeds in squeezing every drop of emotion out of his word choices and through the structural form he builds piece by piece in his poem. Wordsworth primarily goes about emphasizing his feelings toward this picturesque event by implementing formal features such as personification, imagery, and through diction.
One thing the reader of the poem can’t help but notice is the amazing use of personification. Within these 14 lines, Wordsworth describes England as a city that “now doth like a garment wear,” the sun as “beautifully steep(ing)…in his first splendor,” and a river that “glideth at his own sweet will”, just to name a few examples. I particularly like the last example, because it evokes such a range of thoughts about what the author wanted us to imagine from this phrase. After my initial thought of the river literally flowing in a calm and peaceful manner, I also pictured classes letting out on campus and a mass of students beginning to walking on the brick paths of the quad, almost in a slow, undisturbed manner like the river.
The personification of this poem goes hand in hand with the imagery used by Wordsworth. Wordsworth gives life to nature and the city through words such as “splendor”, “glideth”, “mighty heart”, and “glittering.” As I read and re-read through this poem, I found myself starting the beginning of this passage with a blank canvas, like that used in painting, and after every line, I was able to add another visual element to it. The houses that “seem asleep” residing next to the river, and the “beauty of the morning” unfolding in the background as the “sun…beautifully steep(ed)” over “valley, rock, and hill” in “the smokeless air.” Another interesting use of imagery exists in line 3, stating that the city was “a sight so touching in its majesty.” Wordsworth has taken a common area of the city and has shaped this place, seemingly of no real importance at any other time of the day in England, into a regal landscape fit for king.
Wordsworth’s diction truly makes the reader feels as if they have been transported directly to England to view the setting he has described. One good example to help point this fact out can be seen in line 2, which says “Dull would he be of soul who could pass by.” Wordsworth could have used a wide range of other words to describe an indifferent soul, but he chose dull, which perfectly fits the emotion he wanted to evoke from the reader, one of a person who couldn’t appreciate the rich landscape of the English morning and perceive its overwhelming greatness. Another well-crafted choice of diction that I like is that which describes the river. He used the word “glideth” to represent the motion of the water. He could have used many other words to fit into this phrase, but Wordsworth used his discretion to pick a word that would evoke a particular visual scene and emotion in the reader.
One thing the reader of the poem can’t help but notice is the amazing use of personification. Within these 14 lines, Wordsworth describes England as a city that “now doth like a garment wear,” the sun as “beautifully steep(ing)…in his first splendor,” and a river that “glideth at his own sweet will”, just to name a few examples. I particularly like the last example, because it evokes such a range of thoughts about what the author wanted us to imagine from this phrase. After my initial thought of the river literally flowing in a calm and peaceful manner, I also pictured classes letting out on campus and a mass of students beginning to walking on the brick paths of the quad, almost in a slow, undisturbed manner like the river.
The personification of this poem goes hand in hand with the imagery used by Wordsworth. Wordsworth gives life to nature and the city through words such as “splendor”, “glideth”, “mighty heart”, and “glittering.” As I read and re-read through this poem, I found myself starting the beginning of this passage with a blank canvas, like that used in painting, and after every line, I was able to add another visual element to it. The houses that “seem asleep” residing next to the river, and the “beauty of the morning” unfolding in the background as the “sun…beautifully steep(ed)” over “valley, rock, and hill” in “the smokeless air.” Another interesting use of imagery exists in line 3, stating that the city was “a sight so touching in its majesty.” Wordsworth has taken a common area of the city and has shaped this place, seemingly of no real importance at any other time of the day in England, into a regal landscape fit for king.
Wordsworth’s diction truly makes the reader feels as if they have been transported directly to England to view the setting he has described. One good example to help point this fact out can be seen in line 2, which says “Dull would he be of soul who could pass by.” Wordsworth could have used a wide range of other words to describe an indifferent soul, but he chose dull, which perfectly fits the emotion he wanted to evoke from the reader, one of a person who couldn’t appreciate the rich landscape of the English morning and perceive its overwhelming greatness. Another well-crafted choice of diction that I like is that which describes the river. He used the word “glideth” to represent the motion of the water. He could have used many other words to fit into this phrase, but Wordsworth used his discretion to pick a word that would evoke a particular visual scene and emotion in the reader.
Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, Sept 30, 1803
This poem describes the earth’s sunrise and sunset from a bridge. At the start of the poem Woodworth begins the day. He says that the earth is dull without the sun. Although the sun is not directly mentioned, it is inferred later in the poem. As the sun rises he makes a correlation with birth. Since the sunrise is the beginning of the day this inference is accurate and helps the reader to understand the poem. In the fifth line the morning is described as bare. This is similar to birth because we are born naked. Later, the morning the sun opens up the sight of “Ships, towers, domes, theaters and temples”. The poet describes these landmarks as “garments the city wears”. The “birth” of the sun allows these things to be seen.
The volta is inserted into the poem after the eighth line. At this point the sunset is introduced and the day winds down with a sestet. Woodworth uses declining adjectives such as valley and steep in order to aid reader in visualizing this scene. He also describes the sunset as tranquil event. This indicates that as the sunsets thing settle down and eventually rest. The poet seems to be in awe of the night’s ability lay everything to rest. He proclaims, “Dear God! The very houses seem asleep”. Ultimately a contrast in made between day and night. Woodworth illustrates this with comparing the day to birth and beginnings and the night to death. This comparison is made between night and death in the final line of the poem. “And all that mighty heart is lying still!” The heart lying still is a heart that doesn’t beat, hence the comparison to death.
Moreover, in Woodworth’s Composed Upon Westminister Bridge, Sept. 31, 1803, he used a very different approach in the rhyme scheme. He begins the poem with an ABBA, ABBA format. Following this, Woodworth inserts a sestet that follows the CDCDCD rhyme scheme. This is different than the usually sestet that contains a CDECDE rhyme scheme. In my opinion the poet chooses to change the traditional CDE rhyme scheme in order to maintain a tranquil tone. This tranquil tone also correlates with sunset that the poet vividly describes to close the poem.
The volta is inserted into the poem after the eighth line. At this point the sunset is introduced and the day winds down with a sestet. Woodworth uses declining adjectives such as valley and steep in order to aid reader in visualizing this scene. He also describes the sunset as tranquil event. This indicates that as the sunsets thing settle down and eventually rest. The poet seems to be in awe of the night’s ability lay everything to rest. He proclaims, “Dear God! The very houses seem asleep”. Ultimately a contrast in made between day and night. Woodworth illustrates this with comparing the day to birth and beginnings and the night to death. This comparison is made between night and death in the final line of the poem. “And all that mighty heart is lying still!” The heart lying still is a heart that doesn’t beat, hence the comparison to death.
Moreover, in Woodworth’s Composed Upon Westminister Bridge, Sept. 31, 1803, he used a very different approach in the rhyme scheme. He begins the poem with an ABBA, ABBA format. Following this, Woodworth inserts a sestet that follows the CDCDCD rhyme scheme. This is different than the usually sestet that contains a CDECDE rhyme scheme. In my opinion the poet chooses to change the traditional CDE rhyme scheme in order to maintain a tranquil tone. This tranquil tone also correlates with sunset that the poet vividly describes to close the poem.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Discussion Questions for Southey's Sonnets on the Slave Trade
1. Which part of the slave’s life does the poem represent?
2. Describe the poem structurally. What type of sonnet is it? How does the poem change on either side of the volta and end the concluding couplet (if it has one)?
3. What is the poem’s most significant formal feature? How does this feature affect your interpretation of the poem?
4. What kind of argument does the poem present against slavery? What is your reaction to that argument as a reader?
2. Describe the poem structurally. What type of sonnet is it? How does the poem change on either side of the volta and end the concluding couplet (if it has one)?
3. What is the poem’s most significant formal feature? How does this feature affect your interpretation of the poem?
4. What kind of argument does the poem present against slavery? What is your reaction to that argument as a reader?
Poems on the Slave Trade - IV (Post by Chris Kotecki)
In the fourth sonnet of Robert Southey’s “Poems on the Slave Trade,” Southey depicts a much more emotional side of the slave. This particular sonnet, which takes on a rhyme scheme of ABBA CDDC EFEFEF, is much more personal than the others, as it describes the emotional toll that slavery has on a person and his or her loved ones. The poem is filled with strong, emotional words that evoke feelings of misery and depression. The words that Southey uses to describe the emotional suffering of the slave and his loved one are so deep that they seem to become physical, wearing their bodies down.
The poem begins by discussing the “mercenary tyrants” who are now asleep. As soon as they are asleep, the “wretched slave” wakes up to weep. The poem describes how the slave never once complained or showed any sort of despair “through the toil and anguish of the day.” He stayed strong throughout the day, most likely because he knew that showing signs of weakness during the day would not help him in any sort of way.
Yet once night came, he weeps, thinking of the woman he loves, as she “weeps for him who will return no more.” In a way, this shows his compassion and unselfishness, yet also his anguish. At a time when he needs rest more than anything, he finds that he cannot sleep, and instead is crying through the night. Yet he does not cry for himself and the physical pain that he has suffered throughout the day. Instead, he thinks about how the woman he loves has been left alone, knowing that she will never see him again.
The most intriguing aspect of Southey’s sonnet is the form that it takes. Each poem in his “Poems on the Slave Trade” has a different tone, rhyme scheme, and style, yet the fourth sonnet seems to differ the most. While the other poems are filled with more anger and pain, this poem is more emotional in the fact that it describes a relationship that has been broken up forever due to slavery. In order to further convey this message, Southey uses a of the Petrarchen sonnet. In the first two quatrains, Southey discusses he anguish that the slave has been holding in all day, and is finally able to let out at night. Initially, one assumes that he weeps for himself. He is in physical and emotional pain. Yet, at the end of the second quatrain is the volta, and the poem takes a different turn. Here, the reader realizes that the slave is actually weeping for his lover that he left alone.
A sonnet that is written in the Petrarchen form typically describes some sort of unattainable love, which is why Southey uses this style to write the poem. What could make love more unattainable than when the man is captured and forced into slavery? The slave is essentially helpless in this particular situation, and has come to terms with the fact that he will never see his lover again. Still though, it is his lover’s despair that he worries most about.
The poem begins by discussing the “mercenary tyrants” who are now asleep. As soon as they are asleep, the “wretched slave” wakes up to weep. The poem describes how the slave never once complained or showed any sort of despair “through the toil and anguish of the day.” He stayed strong throughout the day, most likely because he knew that showing signs of weakness during the day would not help him in any sort of way.
Yet once night came, he weeps, thinking of the woman he loves, as she “weeps for him who will return no more.” In a way, this shows his compassion and unselfishness, yet also his anguish. At a time when he needs rest more than anything, he finds that he cannot sleep, and instead is crying through the night. Yet he does not cry for himself and the physical pain that he has suffered throughout the day. Instead, he thinks about how the woman he loves has been left alone, knowing that she will never see him again.
The most intriguing aspect of Southey’s sonnet is the form that it takes. Each poem in his “Poems on the Slave Trade” has a different tone, rhyme scheme, and style, yet the fourth sonnet seems to differ the most. While the other poems are filled with more anger and pain, this poem is more emotional in the fact that it describes a relationship that has been broken up forever due to slavery. In order to further convey this message, Southey uses a of the Petrarchen sonnet. In the first two quatrains, Southey discusses he anguish that the slave has been holding in all day, and is finally able to let out at night. Initially, one assumes that he weeps for himself. He is in physical and emotional pain. Yet, at the end of the second quatrain is the volta, and the poem takes a different turn. Here, the reader realizes that the slave is actually weeping for his lover that he left alone.
A sonnet that is written in the Petrarchen form typically describes some sort of unattainable love, which is why Southey uses this style to write the poem. What could make love more unattainable than when the man is captured and forced into slavery? The slave is essentially helpless in this particular situation, and has come to terms with the fact that he will never see his lover again. Still though, it is his lover’s despair that he worries most about.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Poems on the Slave Trade- II (Robert Southey)
In the second part of Robert Southey’s “Poems on the Slave Trade”, he is describing the journey back on the slave ships. It is obvious by the first line that the slave is not happy and is fighting to prevent what is coming. However, it seems as if he is fighting for no reason—as if his words fall on deaf ears. While he is struggling to keep his freedom, it is doing him no good because there is no one there to help. Line 4 makes this seem as just another day by stating “The heavens all-favoring smile, the breeze is fair;” portraying the image that there is nothing special or unique about this day. Rather, he is just another slave and another slave ship in the British slave trade.
The sonnet continues on and the slave seems to have quieted down. While still enraged, he seems to be observing what is going on around him. Continuing from the fourth line, the crew seems quiet comfortable with this routine. Instead of being cautious or having feelings of guilt, it appears as if the crew is laughing and joking and carrying on as if nothing were happening. It is now that the slave realizes that there is no real point in crying or fighting. He has just become another part of the slave trade and nothing will change that. It still seems though, as if he is trying to hold out hope and is reaching out for his homeland. Lines 7 and 8 appear to be the slave asking himself why he is still trying to look out at the sea— home is only getting further and further away.
It seems as if the slave begins to fight an inner battle with himself, saying to “Go pine in want and anguish and despair” but that there will be no mercy from anyone. But he changes his mood, hoping that justice will prevail and carry this all way like the wind. It is by the “god of justice” that there will be “liberty and death the slave”, meaning that slavery will die and the emancipation of slaves will be granted.
Throughout the entire sonnet, Southey keeps a strong voice for the speaker. There is never a time when it seems as if the slave is torn down and vulnerable, rather he seems charged with emotion and anger towards what is happening to him. The sonnet carries a ‘ABBA CDDC EFEF GG’ rhyme scheme, but it is only the first eight lines that the rhymes really seem to stand out. The last six lines, while still rhyming, give the feeling that the slave has cooled down a little and is not as hostel as before. The emphasis on each word is not as strong in the last six lines, but it turns to the actual words that carrying the weight instead of the rhythm. By describing the “want and anguish and despair”, the reader is really being to see within the slave to the true feelings. This almost gives the feeling that the initial shock has worn off and he is finally internalizing the situation that is being flooded with all these new and unusual emotions. However, he is able to end it with a bit of hope and the feeling that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Emanuela Kucik on Robert Southey's "Poems on the Slave Trade: VI"
Robert Southey "Poems on the Slave Trade"
Installment VI
In the sixth and final installment of his “Poems on the Slave Trade,” Robert Southey depicts the uncanny calm felt by a slave crucified by whites and left to be eaten alive. The sonnet begins with the declaration “high in the air exposed the slave is hung / To all the birds of Heaven, their living food,” thus revealing that the slave has been crucified. Since this poem follows the fifth installment of this sequence, in which the slave murders his master, we assume that crucifixion is the slave’s consequent punishment. However, although one would expect the slave to feel indignation at this punishment which is crueler even than the master he murdered, the slave does not emit a sound in protest. As Southey gives us a glimpse into the slave’s mind, we see that the condemned man realizes that he is going to Heaven to meet God. Furthermore, the slave believes that when he stands before God he will reveal the earthly atrocities of these whites who have condemned him so that they will end up much worse than him, for they will not be condemned before mere man, but condemned and damned before God.
In order to get the aforementioned message across, Southey uses the formal feature of switching perspectives in the poem, thus allowing us to truly understand what is occurring. In the first seven lines of the sonnet, the perspective is from the point of view of a third party, the point of view of an observer. This perspective allows us to see objectively what is happening. Through this perspective, we realize that a slave is being crucified and literally eaten alive; yet he is not complaining. However, in these first seven lines we do not yet know why the slave is not complaining and his calm seems entirely abnormal and even frustrating. At this point, we almost want the slave to cry out against his foes, to lash out in his own defense. However, we only see the scene from the point of view of the outsider and the outsider does not have access to the slave’s inner thoughts. Thus, Southey leaves us yearning to know why a slave who went from exacting vengeance on his master is now taking such an unjust punishment “groan[ing] not.”
However, Southey uses the last line of the octet and the entire sestet to give us a glimpse into the slave’s mind. When reading these last seven lines, I realized that they could also be seen as the opinion of the observer about why the slave is not protesting, or simply what the observer believes, or wants to believe, will happen after the slave dies. However, I read these lines as inside access to the slave’s mind. Yet, in order to do read these lines as such, I had to realize that Southey was employing yet another formal tactic for although these lines show the point of view of the slave, they are told from the perspective of a third party. I believe that writing the slave’s thoughts in the voice of what we assume is a white man reflects Southey’s intention to show that slaves did not have a voice, because the whites did not allow it. Thus, the slave’s inner thoughts can only be voiced through an apparent third party.
That said, these last seven lines show that the slave is not protesting because he knows that “beyond the grave / There is another world.” Through this shift in perspective, Southey allows us the gratification of seeing not only why the slave is not protesting, but that he believes he will be able to exact vengeance once he gets to Heaven, thus leading us to believe this as well. By ending the sonnet with the lines “that there the slave / Before the Eternal, “thunder-tongued shall plead /Against the deep damnation of your deed,” Southey makes the last line of the poem, and of the entire sequence, a condemnation of the white slave owners and the others who allowed such injustices as slavery and crucifixion to occur. Without this perspective shift, we would see the slave as so worn out that he just gives in to his own death. However, Southey uses this shift to show us that the slave was one step ahead of the whites, for he believed in a world after the world in which they reigned.
Installment VI
In the sixth and final installment of his “Poems on the Slave Trade,” Robert Southey depicts the uncanny calm felt by a slave crucified by whites and left to be eaten alive. The sonnet begins with the declaration “high in the air exposed the slave is hung / To all the birds of Heaven, their living food,” thus revealing that the slave has been crucified. Since this poem follows the fifth installment of this sequence, in which the slave murders his master, we assume that crucifixion is the slave’s consequent punishment. However, although one would expect the slave to feel indignation at this punishment which is crueler even than the master he murdered, the slave does not emit a sound in protest. As Southey gives us a glimpse into the slave’s mind, we see that the condemned man realizes that he is going to Heaven to meet God. Furthermore, the slave believes that when he stands before God he will reveal the earthly atrocities of these whites who have condemned him so that they will end up much worse than him, for they will not be condemned before mere man, but condemned and damned before God.
In order to get the aforementioned message across, Southey uses the formal feature of switching perspectives in the poem, thus allowing us to truly understand what is occurring. In the first seven lines of the sonnet, the perspective is from the point of view of a third party, the point of view of an observer. This perspective allows us to see objectively what is happening. Through this perspective, we realize that a slave is being crucified and literally eaten alive; yet he is not complaining. However, in these first seven lines we do not yet know why the slave is not complaining and his calm seems entirely abnormal and even frustrating. At this point, we almost want the slave to cry out against his foes, to lash out in his own defense. However, we only see the scene from the point of view of the outsider and the outsider does not have access to the slave’s inner thoughts. Thus, Southey leaves us yearning to know why a slave who went from exacting vengeance on his master is now taking such an unjust punishment “groan[ing] not.”
However, Southey uses the last line of the octet and the entire sestet to give us a glimpse into the slave’s mind. When reading these last seven lines, I realized that they could also be seen as the opinion of the observer about why the slave is not protesting, or simply what the observer believes, or wants to believe, will happen after the slave dies. However, I read these lines as inside access to the slave’s mind. Yet, in order to do read these lines as such, I had to realize that Southey was employing yet another formal tactic for although these lines show the point of view of the slave, they are told from the perspective of a third party. I believe that writing the slave’s thoughts in the voice of what we assume is a white man reflects Southey’s intention to show that slaves did not have a voice, because the whites did not allow it. Thus, the slave’s inner thoughts can only be voiced through an apparent third party.
That said, these last seven lines show that the slave is not protesting because he knows that “beyond the grave / There is another world.” Through this shift in perspective, Southey allows us the gratification of seeing not only why the slave is not protesting, but that he believes he will be able to exact vengeance once he gets to Heaven, thus leading us to believe this as well. By ending the sonnet with the lines “that there the slave / Before the Eternal, “thunder-tongued shall plead /Against the deep damnation of your deed,” Southey makes the last line of the poem, and of the entire sequence, a condemnation of the white slave owners and the others who allowed such injustices as slavery and crucifixion to occur. Without this perspective shift, we would see the slave as so worn out that he just gives in to his own death. However, Southey uses this shift to show us that the slave was one step ahead of the whites, for he believed in a world after the world in which they reigned.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Martha Hanson's "How proudly Man usurps the power to reign", blogpost by Jacinda Evans
In Martha Hanson’s sonnet “How proudly Man usurps the power to reign”, she dwells on the topic of the dominance of men in the society. The sonnet has a rhyme scheme of ABBA CDDC AEEA FF. Although the rhyme scheme is extremely tricky, it is characterized as an Italian sonnet because of the end couplet. The rhyme scheme contributes to the poem a rhythm that helps the poem flow. The scheme is slightly hard to read because many words sound alike but don’t have the same endings, which makes it harder to see which words are actually meant to rhyme. But as the reader, if one reads the poem ALOUD it helps, and kind of determines what words are meant to rhyme. Hanson also includes capitalizations of certain words that she deems need to be focusing on for example the words Woman, Man, Female, Heaven. These words stand out in the reading and need to be emphasized based on their meaning in this poem. The word Woman is strong in this poem; it is used to stand for something positive although it seems to be looked down upon. Man on the other hand is a negative word in the poem.
In this sonnet, Hanson begins talking about how men tend to take advantage of a little power and how it was recognized all throughout the world. She lists these areas such as the “cold regions of the Northern Zone” and the area where the “South extend to its boundless main”. She then picks up with the fact that within all this vast area there is not a kingdom that endorses women to be boasted and treated as less than what they are, after they have claimed their freedom, and developed fearless souls. The following seven lines seem like a declarative statement.
Which Heaven impartial, gave all human kind,
Which soul too proud, to bear the servile chain,
Or to usurping Man, submissive bow,
Though poorest of the names, record can show,
Ages unborn, with wonder, shall proclaim
The pride of one unyielding Female thine,
Dear native England! And the name be mine.
In these seven lines Hanson acknowledges the fact that although God made male and female equal in His eyes, and to be the bearer of the same chain as a slave, or to even bow down submissively to a man, regardless of social status or age is not in her character. The last two lines is her saying that she is the woman that refuses to yield to the commands of a man.
In this sonnet, Hanson begins talking about how men tend to take advantage of a little power and how it was recognized all throughout the world. She lists these areas such as the “cold regions of the Northern Zone” and the area where the “South extend to its boundless main”. She then picks up with the fact that within all this vast area there is not a kingdom that endorses women to be boasted and treated as less than what they are, after they have claimed their freedom, and developed fearless souls. The following seven lines seem like a declarative statement.
Which Heaven impartial, gave all human kind,
Which soul too proud, to bear the servile chain,
Or to usurping Man, submissive bow,
Though poorest of the names, record can show,
Ages unborn, with wonder, shall proclaim
The pride of one unyielding Female thine,
Dear native England! And the name be mine.
In these seven lines Hanson acknowledges the fact that although God made male and female equal in His eyes, and to be the bearer of the same chain as a slave, or to even bow down submissively to a man, regardless of social status or age is not in her character. The last two lines is her saying that she is the woman that refuses to yield to the commands of a man.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “No. IV. La Fayette”
The Sonnet itself follows the song of a bird, ostensibly hailing the new dawn of freedom. The bird’s song is heard from far off in the morning, and the caged bird that hears it in a distant land joins its song. Even without relation to the singing bird, the caged bird rejoices in the freedom of his fellow fowl. The speaker then addresses La Fayette, praising him for waking his own country from is “long wintry night,” supposedly of captivity, into a new day of freedom. The couplet relishes the new day as “slavery’s spectres shriek, and vanish from the ray!” So it appears that injustice has been eradicated with this new day of freedom, heralded by the distant bird.
The sonnet’s conceit is the extended metaphor that the bird’s song is freedom. This bird is a long way from the speaker, “as when far off.” The bird represents the success of the American Revolution. Its song is carried across the ocean to the imprisoned bird,
The sonneteer relies heavily on morning imagery, demonstrating the dawn of a new era of freedom. The bird’s song soars “on morning wings,” “matin” means the early part of the day, bird does not bathe in “dewy light,” and the “morning struggles into day.” The sonnet takes place at the literal dawn of a new day. This bird wakes up refreshed at the news of freedom. The “rising radiance” refers to the new sun, and also to the rise of freedom, which brings cheer to all men. While the couplet maintains the sense of struggle between night and day, the darkness will “vanish from the ray,” the sonneteer gives every indication that the day will sin out.
The
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sarabeth Hogshire
“England in 1819”
By Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “England in 1819” is a commentary on the condition of the country at the time. Shelley makes it very clear that England is in shambles. The monarchy has become irresponsible and frivolous, the common people are suffering, the army is taking advantage of people, and religion is gone. Shelley expresses this view through his alteration of the poem’s form, as well as his division of the poem into several parts.
“England in 1819” does not follow the rhyme scheme of any typical form of the sonnet. Shelley’s poem has a unique rhyme scheme of abababcdcdccdd, while a typical petrarchan sonnet is abbaabbacdecde. I think that Shelley intentionally alters the form of the poem to reflect the chaos and disorder that is occurring in England at this time. This poem is just one example of how Shelley’s writing reflects his political views. It expresses how disillusioned he was with everything that was going on in England, and his alteration of the structure of the sonnet reinforces this view.
The rhyme scheme not only serves to reflect the condition of England, but it also breaks up the poem into several contextual parts. The first six lines (ababab) all discuss the rulers of the country and how they are irresponsible and are basically sucking the country dry. The next four lines (cdcdcc) tell about how people are dying, and an army that is supposed to be protecting them is taking advantage of its power, and how laws are being twisted to benefit those in the upper class. The last two lines express Shelley’s hope that one day all of these elements of the country that have gone into hibernation in a sense, will one day rise again to bring the country out of its current downward spiral.
These formal divisions of the poem also help reinforce the emotional curve of the poem. In the first twelve lines of the poem the tone is hopeless and sad. Shelley uses words like “dull,” “leech-like,” “dying,” and “starved.” All of these words indicate feelings of bleakness and despair. In the last two lines of the poem, Shelley changes his tone to one of hope. He uses phrases like “glorious Phantom,” and “illuminate,” which indicate a change in his tone from desolation to hope.
Shelley’s poem “England 1819” is a social commentary on the state of England. Shelley uses formal elements like the rhyme scheme and the emotional curve to reinforce his belief that England is in a slump, to say the least. Towards the end of his poem however, he does express faith in a “glorious Phantom” that will bring England out of its depression. This “glorious Phantom” is the spirit of revolution.
“England in 1819”
By Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “England in 1819” is a commentary on the condition of the country at the time. Shelley makes it very clear that England is in shambles. The monarchy has become irresponsible and frivolous, the common people are suffering, the army is taking advantage of people, and religion is gone. Shelley expresses this view through his alteration of the poem’s form, as well as his division of the poem into several parts.
“England in 1819” does not follow the rhyme scheme of any typical form of the sonnet. Shelley’s poem has a unique rhyme scheme of abababcdcdccdd, while a typical petrarchan sonnet is abbaabbacdecde. I think that Shelley intentionally alters the form of the poem to reflect the chaos and disorder that is occurring in England at this time. This poem is just one example of how Shelley’s writing reflects his political views. It expresses how disillusioned he was with everything that was going on in England, and his alteration of the structure of the sonnet reinforces this view.
The rhyme scheme not only serves to reflect the condition of England, but it also breaks up the poem into several contextual parts. The first six lines (ababab) all discuss the rulers of the country and how they are irresponsible and are basically sucking the country dry. The next four lines (cdcdcc) tell about how people are dying, and an army that is supposed to be protecting them is taking advantage of its power, and how laws are being twisted to benefit those in the upper class. The last two lines express Shelley’s hope that one day all of these elements of the country that have gone into hibernation in a sense, will one day rise again to bring the country out of its current downward spiral.
These formal divisions of the poem also help reinforce the emotional curve of the poem. In the first twelve lines of the poem the tone is hopeless and sad. Shelley uses words like “dull,” “leech-like,” “dying,” and “starved.” All of these words indicate feelings of bleakness and despair. In the last two lines of the poem, Shelley changes his tone to one of hope. He uses phrases like “glorious Phantom,” and “illuminate,” which indicate a change in his tone from desolation to hope.
Shelley’s poem “England 1819” is a social commentary on the state of England. Shelley uses formal elements like the rhyme scheme and the emotional curve to reinforce his belief that England is in a slump, to say the least. Towards the end of his poem however, he does express faith in a “glorious Phantom” that will bring England out of its depression. This “glorious Phantom” is the spirit of revolution.
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