Take Down Your Mirrors: Virginia Woolf

Woolf was a very powerful female writer. She felt like an outsider because of the expectation of women. Women were not supposed to be formally educated, so she was in a realm of educated men. She was full of wisdom despite the limitations of her experience and education. Early on, Woolf discovered that "voyaging out had become a matter of voyaging within." (1222) This statement is true on many different levels. First off, this statement just drips of modernism. Secondly, my fiction teacher always used to say that writing about what you know is usually the best way to go. The genuine, natural writing style is easier for people to relate to and allows for more ambiguity.
Reading Woolf's biography gives insight to the inspiration for much of her work. Her mother died when she was only thirteen and caused her to have a mental breakdown. I am not sure if I would have a mental breakdown, but I would certainly be emotionally crushed if my mother passed away. She also dealt with the loss of her father and a brother as well. Thus, loss of loved ones was near and dear to Virginia's heart. The other issue that she wrestled with in her writing frequently was feeling no sense of belonging and trapped within a stereotypical expectation of women.
Her marriage was formed of two people that felt out of place. The devotion that they had to each other was romantic and ideal. He helped her find her place in the literary world. The thing that most saddened me was her death. She killed herself so her husband would not have to deal with another mental breakdown. Was she not concerned that she might be the cause of his mental breakdown or further digression into isolation? In my opinion, her suicide was a selfish escape, masked by her thinking she was doing him a favor.
The Lady in the Looking-Glass: A Reflection is perfect example of modernism. Beautiful descriptions of a room open the story. A woman named Isabella is seen in the reflection of the mirror. The majority of the poem is the narrator trying to figure out Isabella. She appears perfect in the muted view of the mirror. The narrator seems to have been observing her for sometime, hopefully as a friend and not a stalker. The tone suggests a sense of innocent curiosity about the mysterious girl. The lights of the room are constantly changing and the narrator cannot seem to define the rhythm of the room. In the same sense, he sees Isabella as an undefinable presence. The narrator sees only her outward appearance, but knows that there must be more to this woman: "The comparison showed how very little, after all these years, one knew about her; for it is impossible that any woman of flesh and blood of fifty-five or sixty should be really a wreath or a tendril." (1224) This statement applies to not only Isabella but also to Virginia. She is more than just an aesthetically pleasing object like society viewed her. Women were often treated as objects and that's one reason that Virginia felt out of place. The narrator seems to credit Isabella with similar death. He speaks of letters that are stored in her like metaphorical locked cabinets or drawers. No one can see her inner workings, but he still senses their presence and longs to encounter them. Isabella's exterior is described as well-kept and adorned. Her interior still remains the most desired to discover. He defined her as: "she was one of those reticent people whose minds hold their thoughts enmeshed in clouds of silence--she was filled with thoughts." (1227) Her mind is imagined to have the same fluid-like quality of the light in her room. The curiosity of the narrator is increasingly heightened as he attempts to "get into her head".
In the end, she is naked physically and metaphorically in front of the mirror. She does not see any light or depth within herself. When she gazes into the mirror, all she sees is emptiness.
I think this poem is very easy to relate to. Image is an important issue to women even today. We may have more liberties and freedoms, but we are still enslaved by an expectation of how women should be. Women are still treated like aesthetic objects, hence why there are so many plastic surgery options and diet pills. Mirrors are still dangerous for women. Image distortion is a common suffering for women. Emptiness is still reflected back through mirrors. However, I have a very cool, curvy mirror from IKEA, so I will probably keep mine anyways.

Ambiguity of Shaw

Ambiguity is more than just a style for Shaw, it is essential to his very person. He was "one of the most celebrated and controversial writers of the twentieth century." (1002) Shaw did not want to advocate simple solutions to social problems or a definitive morality. Ambiguity is the vital theme to modernist work. Modernism encourages one to translate "right" and "wrong" according to self, and not by over-arching meta narratives. Shaw encouraged self-education, seeking out the "truth" outside of established realms. He thought that school was designed "to keep little devils locked up where they cannot drive their mothers mad." (1002) Shockingly, I believe Shaw has a point. For one, I am an education major and have encountered some children that I pity their mothers. Secondly, I find that school often confines students learning to standards and no creative or personal thought is encouraged. Students get trapped into fill in the blank book work instead of seeking out wisdom and knowledge through individualized thought. I do not think education should be written off like Shaw seems to think, but I think more balance needs to ensue.
A distinguishing factor of Shaw's work is that "there are no outright villains, and no pure heroes or heroines." (1003) Shaw despised ruthless capitalism, but his capitalist characters were still like able and intelligent in other realms. This balance allows the reader to decide their perception of each character. The author does not try to sway the reader to like or dislike any particular character.
Pygmalion presents characters that are endearing at moments and infuriating at others. Most would expect the socially high classes to behave with manners and courtesy befitting them, but this play opens with characters that are lacking. One pities Freddy as he is showered with complaints from the mother and her daughter. In his attempts to be courteous to them, he bumps into a rather disheveled character. The flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, is hardly appealing on the outside. She is a street urchin with terrible speech patterns and a manipulative whine. At moments, I find myself annoyed with her badgering every person to try to get ahead. When I recall the desperation of her situation, my heart softens and realizes that she was probably raised with this mentality. Children are often products of environment. She may try to get money out of the mother, but she is grateful. The mother may have complained, but she was still generous. The daughter, Clara, lacks a whole lot of redeeming value in my opinion. She seems high maintenance and irritable. My favorite character has to be Higgins. He is brutally honest, sarcastic, and nosy, but he does care about the improvement of Eliza's state. He felt certain that he could turn her from a draggletailed guttersnipe to a duchess. (1019). Shaw does an excellent job representing the characters in an undecided manner. Sometimes ambiguity is the answer.

Beauty of Nature: Hopkins

The genuineness of Hopkins appeals to me. His writings reflect his struggles with keeping his faith. Similar to many Victorian authors, he looks to nature to see God at work. What better way to observe the creator than through His creation!
Nature is merely a thread of the majesty of God and that never ceases to amaze me. I really like to spend time with God outside enjoying His creation. The elaborate design of nature gives me a glimpse of His greatness in a more tangible sense.
Sadly, Hopkins struggled with feeling like his communication with God was like sending a dead letter: one-sided and lacking hope. I believe that Satan likes to use that lie against us. According to the Bible, we are informed that God hears us when we pray and He cares. "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer." (1 Peter 3:12a)
Hopkins descriptions of nature are beautiful and sincere. One of my favorites was Pied Beauty. This poem thanks God for the originality of creation. He thanks God for uniqueness, whether it be in the form of dappling, freckles, or finches' wings. One could translate be thankful for dappled things or freckles as being thankful for things that are not always seen as beautiful or a blessing. Many girls put cover up over freckles, because they see them as an imperfection. A dappled lamb would be considered less valuable. Hopkins sees the beauty in the differences that are portrayed in nature. I think this appeals to me because I am freckled literally and metaphorically. The concept of all people having to fit into cookie cutter expectations kills me. I thank the LORD for uniqueness too.
Spring and Fall expresses that troubles will come in a gentle way. I imagine a parent sitting with a child and explaining that suffering is a natural phase of life and not to become alarmed. Considering Hopkins' pursuit of faith, I am sure he read this passage at one point, but I wonder if this Biblical passage inspired this poem:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
I think I could have been good friends with Hopkins. His struggles are so honestly presented. He is transparent with his readers and so his readers can sense the depth of his emotion. The last poem I want to bring up is Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord. Hopkins' work was never as successful or well-accepted as he desired and he cried out Jeremiah 12:1 to God. He did not understand why sinners were prospering and he was struggling. In the end of the poem, he declares "send my roots rain" (778). This struggle is easy to relate to. Sometimes God's purposes are not obvious to us and we feel weary of waiting. Hopkins' struggle is an example of what most Christians battle with.

Living on the Wilde Side

Oscar Wilde is very different from other authors we have read recently. He received many mixed reviews because he was controversial, outrageous, and unafraid of the spotlight. Browning was virtually anonymous with his play writing; but Wilde liked to write them and then play the lead if possible. He lived an extravagant lifestyle and could easily be described as vain about that and himself. His work, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a decent picture of himself. The story presents a character that cares about his eternal beauty that corrupting his soul seems an affordable price. Hints of homosexuality were noticeable in the story as well. Both vanity and homosexuality are relevant to Wilde.

Wilde liked the "shock factor". He was not opposed to writing about subjects that might be societally unacceptable, such as homosexuality, perverse love, etc. This affinity for the inappropriate led many of his works to banishment. His controversial behavior was his demise. Homosexuality was a crime at this point in time and it landed Wilde in prison.

Before his imprisonment, he wrote my favorite Wildian work, The Importance of Being Earnest". The message of the play, according to Oscar was "...That we should treat all trivial things very seriously, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality." (830) This obsession with triviality is what makes this play hilarious and witty. All the characters are fixate on "paying scrupulous attention to surfaces is an act of the deepest sincerity." (847) The trivial things are certainly obsessed over. Each of the characters have their notions of how things should happen and what behaviors are acceptable. These standards are held to without question. Act one opens with the butler, Lane saying how married couples did not buy fine champagne. Algernon proceeds to ramble about his views on the demoralization of marriage, how the working class should set the example for the upper class, and his cousin's love life. No one within the story seems concerned about offending each other with their opinions. I find this similar to Wilde's life. He certainly acted with disregard to public opinion. In the story, Algernon and Jack fight over the definition of romance. Algy thinks "the very essence of romance is uncertainty. If I ever get married, I'll certainly try to forget that fact." (849) Jack believes in the beauty of marriage and thinks people like Algy are the reason that the divorce court is so busy. (Side note---I wonder if that could still be the reason for the high divorce rate. People get bored?) During this serious conversation, Algy keeps on bringing up the importance of having cucumber sandwiches for his aunt. I cannot think of something much more trivial than a cucumber sandwich.

Out of all the characters, Algernon is probably the most absurd, but yet surprisingly, my favorite. He seems to think he knows everything, but somehow does not come off as an arrogant jerk. Algy thinks he is quite the lady's man and has women figured out. He cautions Jack about Gwendolen because "...girls never marry the men they flirt with. Girls don't think it right." (850). Jack tries to refute it, but Algy replies that this was a "great truth" and it would account for the excessive number of unmarried men around the world. He has never married but has many ideas about it. Algy finds it inappropriate for wives to flirt with their husbands. What's wrong with a couple still finding each other exciting and romancing? According to Algernon, the cure for all the marital issues is to acquire a Bunbury. His Bunbury is a sickly old man that he uses as an excuse if he wants to escape from the present company for a time. He tells Jack that getting a "Bunbury" is necessary for any married man. Jack seems appalled by the idea that he might need to escape Gwendolyn, but yet he is Earnest in town and Jack in the country. He justifies this deception by saying that he needs to adhere to a moral standard while in the country that he wants freedom from in town. Jack calls Earnest, his young scoundrel brother when speaking to his household in the country. Each character easily calls into question the morality and motives of others' inconsistencies, but never notices their own absurdity. Humanity in general has a tendency to view oneself as more logical and righteous than reality would note. Maybe this is because we cannot agree on an ultimate truth. Algy makes an interesting point about truth: "The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility." (852) Basically, our concept of "truth" is hardly universal. Many of the recent authors have wrestled with the concept of truth and morality, such as Browning, Tennyson, and obviously, Wilde.
The characters all present their own agendas and standpoints; so why should the author not do the same? Wilde slips in subtle hints of his own opinions and struggles. Much of Wilde's work was censored because of content, so what better way to justify his writings than through the mouth of Algernon: "Oh! It is absurd to have a hard-and-fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't. More than half of modern culture depends on what shouldn't be read." (850) To a point, I agree with Algernon's statement. I believe Wilde had many good writings that were not given a chance, but I think there should be some legislation. For example, movie ratings are a good plan, I believe. Young, impressionable minds should be protected and eased into maturity when ready.
I could ramble on about the ridiculousness of the characters for ages. Lady Bracknell blaming a person for bad health or losing both parents. Cecily and Gwendolyn's obsession over the name Earnest or having a good story for their journal. Most importantly, the trivial things are obsessed over and that's where the appeal of this play in lies. I love this play! :)

Short Bit about Social Pressure then on to TENNYSON!

Understanding the social pressures of this time period is vital to our understanding of it's literature. Basically, birthright and class were the defining points of the time. A person's social life also determined their freedom to speech, education, and financial resources.
Upon reading this perspectives article, I gained more respect for authors like John Stuart Mill and Thomas Carlyle. They stepped out of the confines of society bravely to stand up for what they believed to be right.

Tennyson is a great example of resilience. Under the parylizing effects of discouragement, many young men would have given up. His grandfather told him that he would never find success with his writing. I hope the grandfather lived long enough to see himself proved wrong. Tennyson was named Poet Laureate. I think Alfie's powerful writing stems from his honesty. He struggles with living in a materialistic society and trying to understand and live by Biblical truth. He pondered if a Christian society was even possible. Alfred is honest about his doubts and struggles, thus, his works are relateable. He somehow was a rebel and a conformist at the same time. I think he was rebellious in subtle ways, and not in the blatent, controversial fashion of previous authors. Ambiguity clouded most of his works, providing a shield of protection around him. I hope that the ambiguity is not an indicator of his own state. Living and dying with no sense of truth or self is really quite disheartening. Some of his works indicate a "let's just wait and see" mentality. The Kraken is beautifully depicted, but left with ambiguity. The descriptions are very vividly portrayed as if the narrator is looking at the beast. In the end, the poem says "Until the latter fire..." (586), we remain unsure of it's existence. This may be a stretch but I wondered if the sea beast is supposed to symbolize the devil. In the end times, the devil is supposed to come into the spotlight, which would fit with "he shall rise". Also "on the surface die" coincides with God's final victory over him in the final days.
Mariana drips of disappointed expectations and hopes. The main idea of the poem seems to be life without love is not worth it. She talks about nature with a dreary tone. Without love, her world is dim and everything appears in a negative light. In the second to last stanza, she talks about the beauty of a dreamy house, but she still wishes she was dead. The narrator seems to have given up on life. She is probably clinically depressed, but this was before the days of Zoloft. Again, I am typing out my musings and they may be completely unconnected. Tennyson struggled with feeling sure of Biblical truth, could the he in this poem be read as God? The world around was dark and chaotic and the narrator wondered where God was. Could the narrator be a metaphorical Tennyson? This connection might be a stretch. Feel free to find the weakness of this comparison.

The Strange Twists and Turns of Robert Browning

If I had to sum up Browning, I would say expect the unexpected. If you think you have predicted the outcome of one of his poems, do not be too sure. It is kind of like the poem equivalent to "Saw". No one can truly claim that they predicted the ending on that movie. Another connection is the level of violence at times. His work, Porphyria's Lover, is very surprisingly gruesome. The poem begins with the tones of a beautiful romance. I found myself slipping into "chick-flick" mode, ready to be swept away in an enrapturing tale. Enraptured, I was, but not in the way I expected. Browning somehow creates a rhythm and movement in his writing that carries the reader without a chance of boredom. My engagement with his poem surprised me since I usually do not like poetry. The ending of the poem is appalling, but yet memorable because of it's unexpected nature. My only concern with a writing style based upon shock factor is that it does not allow for simplicity or predictability when so desired. The commonplace things are also beautiful in their time and place.

Browning's explanation for writing about "bad" things was quite convincing and logical however. According to Browning, "...all of nature, even human nature, bespeaks some part of an unknowable absolute. Thus everything becomes material for poetry, the dirty, deformed, and despicable no less than the beautiful, pure, and radiantly good." (662)
The way that he portrays the "bad" people, we are reminded of the humanity of each one. Often, we villainize a person to the point of dehumanization. We see them as only the despicable act and not a person that did one despicable act. The narrator in Porphyria's Lover does speak tenderly about her and her features. One can almost believe that he cares about her. The poem is unsettling because you know that you should loathe the murdering lover, but somehow, sensitivity for him still remains.
I have similar inconsistencies of feeling while reading My Last Duchess. At one moment, I am despising the man for the way he despises his lady's loyalty and his musing about a second marriage. The way in which he describes his lady inspires one to believe that he does love her. However, the poem suggests that he will murder the girl which I find disheartening.
Browning's villains remind me of the man from the movie, "Dead Man Walking". I was required to see this movie for First Year Seminar. Prior to seeing the movie, I was for capital punishment. After seeing the movie, my standpoint was less solid. It is easy to hold a perspective until a person and scenario is represented before you. In the past, I just assumed that all the people that might receive capital punishment were merely murderers. I will admit to dehumanizing them in that sense. The character in this movie was guilty of a terrible rape and double-murder. In the end, when justice is served, I found myself feeling unsettled. His crime was heinous and thus, part of me wanted him to be killed. On the other hand, he showed remorse and a change of heart.
Similarly, I think that Browning likes to take our minds and hearts and put them in an egg scrambler. His works force the reader to question all preconceived notions. My feelings about Browning are consistent with my feelings about his works: intriguing in an unsettling sense. If you are looking for a feel-good read, look elsewhere, like Shaw perhaps.

John Stuart Mill = Genius

I am astounded that I have never encountered Mill before. In the short section I read about him, I quickly came to admire him. He was definitely a radical because he advocated: "sexual equality, the right to divorce, universal suffrage, free speech, and proportional representation." (513) In the times of heightened equality that we live in, it can be difficult for us to begin to comprehend why this is so radical. The Victorian Era was coming into a place of change thanks to people like Mill, but there were still very defined realms for the genders. The women were to remain in the "private sphere", tending their homes and family. Men were expected to cross between both spheres, spending more time in the "public sphere". These spheres were supposed to remain separate so the security of the home would not be comprimised.
Mill was different from the beginning. His parents were strong advocates of education and thus, he was home-schooled in everything from psychology to political economy. To solidify what he learned, he was forced to tutor his eight siblings. I felt a connection to Mill at this point, because I was home-schooled my entire life. My parents were not severe like Mill's, but I am used to the strong commitment to education. Education is a constant process and I believe that both Mill's and my parents understand that.
Being a radical was not a problem with Mill. He wrote politicals pieces at a very young age. Not to mention, he was arrested at age seventeen for distributing birth control. The question that came to mind when I read about his arrest: did his eight siblings drive him to that point?
He advocated constantly for the individuals' right. His piece, On Liberty, was the framework of his defense for the individual. In a society that was run based upon status and class, the lower class, such as factory workers, were pretty much devoid of voice and rights. Mill says, "If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind." (515) Democracy seems to be the goal of Mill, in a world that is still dominated by those with appropriate birthrights. He knows that he is being radical and that what he says his hard to come to terms with.
The people as a whole were losing their faith, but were too scared of change or revelation to explore a new opinion. The society was against the concept of change because of the fear of instability that comes with any new discovery. At the time, most were content to live on blissfully ignorant and that is why people like Mill were declared "radical".
Mill brought up some excellent points in regards to suppression of opinions. He said that if opinions were silenced, the possibility of it being filled with truth is denied. If one refuses to acknowledge the opinion, then we are assuming ourselves to be without fault. Assuming in any cases is not a good plan. I am very glad that the society did not keep on assuming that they knew basically all there was to know. Our world would be a vastly different place, affecting everything from individual liberties to technology as a whole. Mill also finds listening to every opinion important because each one may contain some degree of truth that may help with the understanding of truth in general. Debate is important to the discovery of truth as well because opinions contradicting can expose the truth. Individuals deserve the right to grow and explore their beliefs and opinions; thus, according to Mill, personal exploration should never be dissuaded.
In the Victorian Era, social standing and appearance dictated the lives of most people. People were reaching for the trends like teenagers in American Eagle, because exterior was such a focal point. Individuality was being silenced and uniformity encouraged. I completely agree with Mill's statement: "No one's idea of excellence in conduct is that people should do absolutely nothing but copy one another." (517) Since class was often pre-determined by birth, people were expected to follow their class' standards without any question. I can almost picture Mill waving his arms and screaming at an army of drones in fancy dresses and polished shoes.
The expected uniformity makes me think of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. In his story, all the social classes were given standards to adhere to and prescribed drugs to keep them from questioning their contentment in their "place". Mill argues that our humanity is taken from us when we blindly accept a societal expectation in place of our own reasoning.
I want to close this blog on a brilliant quote to mill around in your mind:
"A person whose desires and impulses are his own--are the expression of his own nature, as it has been developed and modified by his own culture--is said to have a character. One whose desires and impulses are not his own, has no character, no more than a steam engine has a character." (518)

"Better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." -Herman Melville

Looking with Child-like Wonder: Fanny Kemble

Fanny was the first woman to ride on a steam engine train. Her account of this first trip is honest and contains child-like simplicity. The visual descriptions are only the beginning, her emotions are the truly captivating part. She writes this in the form of a letter. Fanny is child-like in her analysis of the train. She has never encountered a train before; thus, she compares it to the closest thing she does know: a horse. Somehow, she expects this "little fire-horse"'s qualities to be similar to her previous form of transportation, such as the need for hydration and calling her wheels "feet". Later, she expresses the desire to pat the head of the "snorting little animal". The mental picture I form of someone trying to pat a train is pretty amusing. Kemble expressed with glee: "I felt as if no fairy tale was ever half so wonderful as what I saw" (491). Can you imagine what Kemble would think about some of our modern day inventions? I think all of us can relate to Kemble to a certain extent. Personally, I love new experiences and get really excited about them in the same idealistic way as Fanny. The day I got a George Foreman Grill I thought it was quite possibly one of the coolest things I had encountered in the realm of the kitchen. I think it's important to stay in touch with our child-like sense of wonder.

Carlyle: Hero to the Working Class!

Thomas Carlyle is worthy of admiration. He was an advocate for the improvement of the conditions of the working class. The way that England distributed its' resources so poorly broke the heart of Carlyle. He was unafraid of peoples' reactions to the vital radical changes that he proposed. The intro sums up his reputation perfectly: "Carlyle's reputation rests on his vigorous denunciation of a materialist society and his rousing calls for social reform." (477) Carlyle used his pamphlets to incite changes. He spoke honestly about the horrific nature of the conditions. The pamphlet that stood out to me the most was Midas. He wrote it during the 40's, the people were having problems with class and poverty. His target audience were the "higher class" members that were blind to the suffering of the poor. The "rich" will be burdened when informed of the truth and many wanted to live on ignorantly blissful.
The most gruesome and sad situation that Carlyle calls to attention is the parents' acts of mercy to their children. Immigrant parents were being tried for the murders of their children and brutally harassed for the actions. To the average person, parents murdering their children is grotesque and I believe their actions should be punished; however, Carlyle brings him the motives of the parents. These parents saw themselves as being merciful and protective of their children. The children were ill-cared for and cried for food all day long without relief. The parents did not want their kids to suffer and they did not see circumstances improving. I do not believe that this would give me the ability to kill my children, but people are often victims of their circumstances, both the children and their parents.
Carlyle was attempting to shake up a materialistic world. Are there any Carlyles of the present time? We may be in desperate need of one.

Beauty from Pain: Percy Bysshe Shelley

Shelley was not afraid of being himself, regardless of controversy. He seemed to often be counter-cultural. My sense of him was that the people of his time had to choose whether to love or hate him, apathy towards him was unlikely. One of his first writings was The Necessity of Atheism, that pretty much summarizes him: gutsy and radical. He seems to live in his own idealistic version of reality. No matter how reproachable his behavior, he still managed to act without much hindrance. His first affair of the heart involved a sixteen year old girl named Harriet that he convinced to elope with him. Within a few years, they had a child and the sparks of the relationship had worn off; thus, Shelley moved onto Mary Wollstonecroft. Elopement with her happened shortly there after. In spite of his affair, he and Harriet still had a second child. His boldness shocked me when he asked Harriet if she wanted to join their group as a platonic sister. How can you ask your pretty much ex-wife to be like a sister to you? Percy paid alimony to Harriet but that was about the extent of his involvement with her. Mary miscarried her first child and suffered extreme depression after this. Using Byron's method, Percy coped by starting a new love interest. This whole swap was just outrageous. Percy experimented with Mary's stepsister Claire and Mary tried out one of Percy's college friends. Why on earth they thought this would repair things I do not know? Death and depression seemed to continue to follow this family. Mary's sister committed suicide. Also Harriet, whom was depressed by the rejection of Shelley, drowned herself. Call them optimists, but the Shelleys found the silver lining, because of Harriet's death, Mary and Percy could make their relationship official. I was astounded at the callousness of their actions. Percy's only heartache in the whole situation was that Harriet's children were not given to him. Fathers usually received custody but he lost the privilege. He wrote it off as that he was: "...an idealist persecuted by social and political injustice and despised by the world unable to appreciate his 'beautiful idealisms of moral excellence.'" (392) My only question is what moral excellence?
Percy suffered the losses of all but one child. Mary remained in depression and I could not really blame her. Still operating under Byron's method, Percy just started another love affair. In the end, Percy died in a shipwreck with his mistress's husband. That poor girl must have suffered!
My favorite work by Percy was To a Sky-Lark. It contains beautiful imagery of nature and the process of life. The ending stanzas stood out to me the most. "Our sincerest laughter with some pain is fraught; our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought." (404) I believe Shelley is on target with this assessment. Blues and music by Kelly Clarkson would never have made it without the themes of pain and suffering. Our hearts are sensitive to pain and thus, the songs that epitomize our feelings are the dearest to our souls.
The other line worth mentioning says: "If we were things born not to shed a tear, I know not how thy joy we ever should come near." (404) Beauty comes from pain. We truly cannot appreciate things unless we have lost them. Joy is beyond happiness, it is not defined by situation, thus, we do not know if we can have ever-present joy until trial comes. Percy experienced much pain and trial in his life, as we observed in his biography. I believe some of his pain was self-induced, but the loss of his children is devastating and beyond his control. One can assume that the one child that Percy and Mary watched enter adulthood was loved with more gratitude because of the loss of the other children. Children's value can be overlooked, but because of their sufferings, they truly valued their child. I think this attitude is admirable. Although I have many negative feelings towards Percy, I can certainly commend his attitude in regards to suffering.

Lord Byron: a man of many talents and women...

Reading the biography about Byron is vital to comprehending his stories. Byron inherited a title from his great uncle and all the financial benefits that accompanied it. He put it to good use by going to college and living extravagantly. Despite his "party boy" lifestyle, Byron thought that he had not changed much since his humble beginnings. He experimented with many different aspects of the social spheres, such as sailing and sitting in the House of Lords. Byron dabbled with many different styles of writing as well. The introduction stated that "Byron embodied contradictions more than he resolved them." (357) This assessment is actually quite accurate from what I have observed. His feelings on copyrights are a good example. He said that nobles should not be writing for money, so he gave his copyrights away like popsicles on a hot summer day.
Byron's love life is the most surprising and relevant issue to the understanding of his writings. While he was at college, he met his half-sister, Augusta, and had secret relationship with her that resulted in a child. Since the society as a whole presumed it was his child, he did the best thing he could think of to quiet the public critique: he proposed to another woman. No surprise, this marriage ended within a year, shortly after the birth of their first child. Byron's solution for all problems seemed to be to pick up a new love interest. After separating with his wife, he continued an affair with Claire, Mary Shelley's step-sister. This whole situation becomes more ridiculous when the reader finds out about Shelley's affair with Claire. Thus far, Byron has two illegitimate children. His love life does not end there. He moves on to a married woman named Teresa. By this time, Byron has gained a reputation as a "player" of some sort and the society was not particularly supportive of his lifestyle. If I had to apply an adjective to Byron, it would be impulsive. He seems to have the mentality of an immature young man that acts without any consideration of consequence. This carelessness also implies an uncertainty of self.
I know this opening section about his biography may have been a little bit long, but I still consider it incredibly important. That being said, on to Byron's writings!
My favorite work would have to be She walks in beauty. Footnotes usually aid me and I am grateful for them. In this case, I wish I did not have it. The note reveals that this poem was constructed about his cousin's wife. The twisted, animal-like sexuality of Byron is being displayed again. If I overlook his attraction to his cousin's wife, I see the beauty of his words. He talks about true beauty being natural and innocent. I myself am an old-fashioned girl that values these qualities and that is probably why the message of this poem is appealing to me. Considering his frequent rotation of women, I would have expected him to be a completely focused on the exterior alone. In this poem, he proves that he finds beauty in more than just a woman's appearance, but also in her thoughts and goodness. This more balanced view of beauty is refreshing to me.
In most areas, Byron seems to act without much remorse for his bad choices, but the end of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage seems to have a masked admittance of responsibility. The last stanza says, "the child of love,--though born in bitterness and nurtured in convulsion...Fain would I waft such blessing upon thee, as, with a sigh, I deem thou might'st have been to me!" (362) One can easily connect this to one of his illegitimate daughters that he was not able to invest in personally.
Don Juan is probably one of the most-well known works by Byron. He bravely includes aspects of his personal life and also attacks on social, sexual, and religious inconsistencies. This radical approach was not smiled upon by society as a whole. Since people tended to associate qualities of characters to their author, Byron made Don Juan a more innocent character. He made him the seduced, instead of the seducer. I believe it was his attempt to downplay his bad reputation if possible. My favorite aspect of Don Juan is the style in which Byron scribes it. The message is communicated in a more conversational manner. He narrates using "I", which seems to be highlighting that his own views are presented. Thus, Byron wants to be associated with his stories and does not all at the same time. One cannot be too surprised by this seeing his tendency towards being inconsistent. However, Byron admits his own inconsistency, but seems to have no problem with it.
Don Juan is presented as an angelic boy that came from a controlling mother and a lackadaisical father. After the death of his father, Don Juan was subject to a strenuous education dictated by his mother. As important as I think education to be, the mother in this story would have driven me to an inch within my sanity. The mother in this story, Donna Inez, is often compared to Byron's wife, Annabella. Clearly, his wife was very smart, but a little arrogant and power seeking. This is an example of how writing can be a great form of expression. Byron can vent about his wife under the guise of fiction. Any friends or family of authors should be careful or they might end up in their next story. The mother-son relationship is explored throughout the story. The mom has a hard time letting her son grow up, which is a typical maternal trait. She tends to limit her son's view by forcing him to see her way. The narrator criticizes Inez for not sending her son into the outside world to gain knowledge. I believe that children need a good foundation of wisdom from their parents, but I agree with Byron that much knowledge is gained by entering the world and gathering various viewpoints. Byron might be hinting that Annabella would not consider any opinion or piece of wisdom outside of herself.

Random Question: "Her cheek all purple with the beam of youth..." (386) Since when is youthfulness a shade of purple? In honor of this youthfulness, my font will be purple for this post.

Comments on Coleridge

I believe that to gain a better understanding of the literature, one should begin reading the introduction biography about the author. In many cases, themes and ideas can be traced if one knows the author's background. My basic assessment of Coleridge from his biography is that he was constantly trying to find his happiness in some new means. In the beginning, he married based upon societal expectation and was quickly discontent. He had an affair with Sara Hutchinson and for a time, seemed happy for a time. But around this same time, he became addicted to an opium. Because of the side effects of the drugs, Coleridge plunged into depression and worthlessness for a time. One would wish that his failed marriage and affair were part of his dejection, but he seemed to see no particular issue with the affair. In The Eolian Harp, he seems to attempt to justify his unfaithfulness: "I praise him, and with faith that inly feels; Who with his saving mercies healed me, a sinful and most miserable man, wildered and dark, and gave me to possess peace, and this cot, and thee, heart-honoured Maid!" (326) He is referring to Sara in this passage. Coleridge seems to think that Sara is a blessing from God that he is justified to possess. The Bible is very clear on adultery and Coleridge was well-versed enough to know this. This seems a prime example of human nature. We pick and choose "right" and "wrong" based upon personal benefit, instead of morality.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is perhaps Coleridge's most prominent of writings. The introduction's theme is basically the limitations of human knowledge, understanding, and experience. As the story continues, the relevance of this opening becomes more apparent. The ancient Mariner is recounting his tale at a wedding, which seemed like an odd setting to me. Usually, wedding conversation is limited to small talk, not epic tales, but that aside, the elaborate story is told. The crew of the Mariner's ship is visited by a special friend, an albatross. At first, the crew takes care of the bird with the utmost charity, but then one day for no obvious reason, the Mariner kills him. All of the crew worried that this murder would place a bad omen upon the ship. The misfortunes came, but in an unexpected way. The Mariner stood upon the deck with the dead bird hanging about his neck, waiting for judgment in a sense. Warning, Rabbit trail ahead: Why did they save the dead bird? Instead of death, the Mariner is given life-in-death, which in my opinion appears much worse. In a lot of cases, death can be viewed as a means of escape or a painless ending. Because of his cruelty, death was too kind of a treatment for him. His entire crew keeled over and he was left floating adrift alone. Despair flooded over him and he wished he was dead. As time continued, he finally started praising the beauty of God's creation and at that moment, the albatross fell into the sea. It was the metaphorical lifting of his burden. The punishment is still fulfilled later as everything is ripped from him. He is left with no crew or ship. His physical life was still spared, but he was dead in spirit. Coleridge uses this story as a moral lesson. The Ancient Mariner tells the wedding guest this story to save the man from ever discrediting God's creation. Love and care of all God's creations is the moral of the story. The power of this story comes from evoked emotions. At one moment, the reader may love the Mariner, and the next, despise him for his senseless act.
As a whole, I am not a Coleridge fan, but I am an animal lover and thus, anyone that is in opposition to animal cruelty wins some of my respect and affection.

Just A Spot of Dot

From the introduction, one quickly finds Dorothy Wordsworth to be humble and unassuming. Her writing was at the urging of her brother, William and she claimed he was the only reason that she did. The other interesting aspect of Wordsworth was her role in the family. She lived with her brother and his wife, Mary Hutchinson. Her nephews and nieces were well-loved and nurtured by their aunt.
Her piece that struck me the most was Address to a Child. All her writings exhibit a sense of sincerity and genuineness. This truthful style makes it easy for the reader to relate and comprehend the emotions that are exhibited. Dorothy's brother had died in a shipwreck and this address was sent to her nephew as a means of comfort. The focal point of this story is wind and its effect. The usage of wind was metaphorical genius. She opens the story with questions about how wind comes and goes. Questions seem an appropriate beginning because her nephew is probably longing for answers as to why his father had died. In the following lines, she discusses how wind affects nearly everything in nature. She portrays the vastness of wind and highlights how even scholars do not understand the purpose or pattern of wind. Even if one goes looking for the answers, wind is beyond comprehension. This metaphor is perfect because the loss of the boy's father is also incomprehensible. I believe she is telling her nephew that there is no explanation as to why his father had to die; just like the wind, human life can come and go without reason. Dorothy is expressing it gently through her symbolism, but essentially, her advice to Johnny is to do his best to move forward and stop chasing after the wind for answers.

William Wordsworth: The Beauty of Simplicity

Wordsworth is a man that has won respect from even those that did not accept his political ideas because of the simple grandeur of his writings.
I found myself smiling as I read, "Simon Lee". This story tells about a wrinkled up, old couple and their daily struggles. William speaks plainly but yet, with surprising eloquence. This couple are happy and satisfied even in the midst of their dire life. Simon and his wife reminded me of my grandparents. My grandfather was a builder all the way up to his death at eighty-three. He might have constructed fewer homes, but he never retired. The weathering of years did not keep him from working and traveling all over the world as well. Elderly people, regardless of their occupation, have achieved the beauty of a long life. A simple life lived well is a thing of beauty.
His writings appear very natural and genuine. The carefully scripted images let the reader's imagination fill in all the blanks. I believe that his works are so widely acclaimed because of their simplicity of subject. He writes about topics that an average person has or will face, such as aging or the death of a loved one, like in We Are Seven. The footnote informed me that William lost his own mother when he was eight and that explains the empathetic way in which he wrote this story. The emotions of the little girl are so genuine that one can speculate that Wordsworth incorporated in his own emotionally straining childhood. Although two of her siblings have died, she refuses to count them absent. One could say that she is coping through denial, but I believe that she is letting the memory and spirit of her siblings live on in her. Wordsworth probably had a similar reaction to the death of his mother.
If one had to sum up Wordsworth in one word: Natural. His style was simple and unforced. The theme of most of his work is being enraptured in nature's glories. I must confess that poetry is not my cup of tea, but I found him enjoyable. It is no wonder that everyone seemed to like him in his day.

Blake: A Little Bit Radical!!

"I reject your reality and substitute my own." -Mythbusters

This quote seems to directly apply to Blake. One of my favorite aspects of Blake is his individualism. Many of Blake's society considered him mad because of his strange ideas and concepts. Some specific adjectives that were applied to Blake were: "Rebellious, unconventional, fiercely idealistic..." (74) Welcome, Mr. Blake, to the genre of Romanticism. Although many of the Romantics, probably would not have wanted him in their peer group. Blake is truly admirable because of his quest for knowledge. I do not agree with all of his findings by any stretch, but I do respect him for his individualism and his desire for education. Surprisingly, Blake was not formally educated. He is even more admirable when one considers his meager beginning. Formal schooling seemed to also be an establishment that tried to control him as well, as he expresses in The School-Boy.
One unusual aspect that Blake brings to his writings is the inclusion of illustrations. In addition to being an author, he was an artist. The old cliche, "A picture is worth a thousand words", has more truth than usually given credit for. Clearly, I love literature hence my major but my minor is art because I have a passion for it as well. Art and writing are two forms of self-expression that go together about as well as peanut butter and chocolate. One can get a more clear view of a story when a picture is included. One could argue that this limits one's imagination, but I believe illustrations are merely a launch pad for further imaginative ideas. Perhaps the reader will be inspired by one photo and will form mental images of the rest of the scenes.
Blake's work, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, is the most well known piece and the content makes the popularity understandable. Basically, Blake advocates freedom of imagination over the norms of thought, established morality and authority. Often Blake's story is compared to Milton's Paradise Lost; but the main difference is that Blake does not feel constrained by morality in the least bit, he freely makes the devils look like the life of the party. In All Religions Are One, Blake makes the radical statement that God is defined by the individual. Thus, if an individual decided to designate himself as God, this was acceptable. Any established religion would have instantly rejected him. The Garden of Love implies how Blake feels the church chokes the life out of him.
Blake believed childhood was a time of innocence that should be protected, but often this was corrupted by the corrupt world and its institutions. Essentially, Blake blames the corruption of children on the church, state, and monarchy. He reminds me of the modernists I studied in ENG 265 with Dr Silver. Modernists rejected any sort of meta-narrative or over-arching authority. Blake does not want to be forced to believe anything or act in any particular way, so whatever the source of pressure is, he will be resistant. The Fly is one of his works that embodies modernist principles. The message of the story is that life has no meaning and that it comes and goes like a fly being swatted.
Innocence and experience are two concepts that Blake attempts to reconcile. He believes in the importance of child-like innocence, but he also notices that ignorance can be dangerous and put one at risk of oppression. I think that is why he is worried about the innocent being swayed by the church or the state. Naive people can be led away and deceived without much coercion.
Since Blake defined God however he decided, he viewed Jesus how he wanted to as well. He admired Jesus not as "the enforcer of the Ten Commandments but as a compassionate rebel whose "virtue" is precisely that he acted from impulse and not from rules." (95) His concept of Jesus shows his limited knowledge of the Bible. Jesus has the divine power to do whatever He wishes, but he cannot be untrue to His character. Also Jesus' time on earth was prophesied long ago and thus, there were some "rules" to a certain extent that governed Christ, mainly the will of His father. Blake basically chose the viewpoint that he preferred. This is not an uncommon practice of humans. We all want to translate things in the most beneficial way possible. Even the Deist Founding Fathers of America operated under this idea.
The portrayal of good and evil in his story is definitely the mark of a radical: "Good is the passive that obeys Reason. Evil is the active springing from energy." (96) He was so concerned about corrupting the children, but yet he glamorizes evil doings. One would question who is corrupting who. He also talks about repressing desires being a form of passivity. In many cases, repressing desires has nothing to do with being passive. Often, this constraint is wise and beneficial. He manipulates Biblical truths and makes the love of Christ seem biased. He waters down sin, hell, and the devil. Blake is playing with fire. (Pun can be implied) Jesus is portrayed as a radical, rule-breaker, when in reality, Christ is the fulfillment of the law.
If Blake's goal was to reject all meta-narratives and live in radical individualism, I suppose his life was exactly what he desired. However, I believe that by refusing to believe in any thought beyond your own understanding, you are not being as open-minded and free as you imply. Instead of being caged in by establishments, he was caged in by his self-defined life.

a Paine in Burke's Butt

(These cheesy titles will probably continue, consider yourself warned)

First off, Thomas Paine has been my favorite author thus far. He is direct and to the point, as opposed to Burke, whom coated all his statements with eloquence. Paine's style could be perceived as a little untactful at times, but regardless, I find his blatent honesty refreshing. Like Wollstonecroft, Paine wrote a response to Burke's Perspectives.
Burke was a firm believer in the body politic that lived on after the physical life of the king ended. Basically, the king's laws and ideals were to be immortalized. Paine's viewpoint is precisely the opposite and I am in agreement with him: "It is the living, and not the dead, that are to be accommodated. When man ceases to be, his power and his wants cease with him; and having no longer any participation in the concerns of this world..." (65) Paine flat out says that he does not advocate any particular government, but he is focused on the rights of the living. Great leadership cares about all the subjects below him and thus; someone that values human life and liberty, like Paine, would be an excellent leader. Burke was more concerned with preservation of body politic than the living citizens. I believe this preference is the root of many of Burke's inconsistencies. Paine suggests that the concept of body politic is unnatural. Obviously, all humans will die and Paine argues that Adam was never given the privilege to control beyond the grave. Burke's view is in direct defiance to nature and the original humans, which based upon his principles, should be dictating beyond their mortal lives, since they preempt all others.
Paine's main idea is principles versus people. Burke is obsessed with royalty and the power that should be attached to them. Thomas says: "When in becomes necessary to do a thing, the whole heart and soul should go into the measure, or not attempt it." (66) This statement clearly supports the revolution because the rebels wholeheartedly sought justice. The commitment to the lower class that Burke had was half-hearted at best and one could assume that this disgusted Paine.
My favorite comparison that Paine made was Burke with Don Quixote. I have actually seen the play and thus, the stage show is currently running through my head. This insult is pretty intense, but truthful. Don Quixote creates his own reality where he finds himself more important and everything is run based upon his ludicrous ideals.
Favorite metaphor: "He is not affected by the reality of distress touching his heart, but by the showy resemblance of it striking his imagination. He pities the plumage, but forgets the dying bird." (68-69) Paine credits Burke with a decent heart, but his sympathies are simply misplaced.
In an attempt to help Burke clear up his inconsistencies, Paine tries to rationalize how Burke's theory would work if the first humans' authority had been immortal, but since that had not been so, Burke's views are completely skewed.
Democracy was a preposterous concept in the days of the revolution. Paine was an advocate for equal rights because he believed that they were given by God to every human. His logic was that that each human's existence was determined by God and each child entered the world with the same newness and natural right as the next.
Principles should dictate our lifestyles. If our principles require us to not follow certain people, defiance may indeed be the only course of action.