Sir Thomas Wyatt - I Find No Peace

Hi everyone,


Update: interesting analysis of the poem.

I'd no idea that this was the man who apparently brought sonnets into English literature!  Romantics everywhere owe this man a respectful tip of the hat.

I found this article on a British website that offers some good thoughts in the paragraph right before they present the poem.  Have a look.

Gradesaver did a pretty good job with their analysis, and were particularly helpful with influencing factors in Wyatt's life.

As always, read Mr. Sir's analysis, yet from the stance of knowing Wyatt's influences and his deteriorated marriage, I'd mostly take Mr. Sir's observations as 'alternative interpretations'.  Some good stuff there.

That should be enough to get you going.

Enjoy.


- T. Marcus

On our course book...

Hi everyone,


Just a few highlights I thought would be useful from scanning the most recently assigned pages.


Bottom of page 25-
Remember that where the stresses come from are largely a matter of OPINION, not FACT.

Page 27 Comment-
Read to get the idea of how stressed syllables can produce certain effects, dependent on the content being discussed.

Page 29, Free Verse-
Although Free Verse style has no regularity in either rhyme or syllables-per-line, look at what DOES give it its shape!

Page 31, Pace-
Consider what the pace is for the poems we've done so far.


Hope that helps.


- T. Marcus

Elizabeth Thomas - The Forsaken Wife

Hi everyone,


The final line is potentially in reference to contemporary politics.  I found an undergraduate informal essay that outlined some interesting thoughts, including an explanation of the legal & political setting Thomas wrote in.  I will have gone over quite a bit in class, but this is still worth a look as it is the vital framework through which the reader views the author's outrage and sense of injustice.

Information on Thomas's background is generally a quick read, but here's a pretty good link.

For analysis purposes, use the regularities to highlight the anomalies.  Consider the unusual effects of the caesuras and the possible intentions of the half-rhymes, the 9 syllable lines (and the one 7 syllable line), and the concrete indents that begin stanzas 2 and 3.

Additionally, what is the reason for repeating particular words within a stanza?  What happens when the words are used in different stanzas?


- T. Marcus

Christina Rossetti - I Dream of You, to Wake

Hi everyone,


So there's this page that investigates the plot progression of Monna Innominata.  Also, Mr. Sir has a page on the entire work.  I Dream of You is Sonnet 3 in the sequence, and the article also mentions some of the contemporary values and responses.  Worth scanning, if nothing else.

I also found the entire sonnet sequence, which could yield some interesting notes; but remember that if you analyse this poem you need to work with the provided text.  All research should inform our observations on the text rather than being "separate from" or even "in addition to" it.

Do have a look at GradeSaver: take note of Rossetti's style, its influences, and her general themes and preoccupations.  It would also be useful to consider how all this weighs up against the literary and social values of the Victorian age.  (This link was especially in-depth, though quite dense.)

I found an extensive article detailing Rossetti's biography.  This may provide some insights on either the poem's origin or Rossetti's writings in the Victorian age, but remember there seems to be some debate as to whether the inspiration for this poem has anything at all to do with the author's personal experience in love.  If you feel you can make an observation relevant to the analysis and focused on the text, go for it.


- T. Marcus

Mary Monck - Verses Written on Her Death-bed at Bath

Hi everyone,

This is that article that questions whether or not the author had indeed written these verses 'at Bath' or if it was simply a logical assumption.  Indeed, the writer of this page questions whether Mary Monck was the poem's author at all, and for some very compelling reasons!  To begin with, remember that this poem is not a part of Marinda, nor is its style congruous with any other poem in that collection.

Look into it, but we really need to consider the following:

• If Mary Molesworth Monck wrote the poem then how is the tone of the poem affected, considering her failed marriage and her father's clearly negative view of female authorship?  (Verses could have been written at an earlier point in Monck's marriage, but still.)
• If someone else wrote the poem, how does that alter our interpretation of its tone?
• And regardless of authorship, what societal values and literary genre does the poem seem to embrace?

I would balance the cultural values of Monck's father against the narrator's choice to ignore the issue of social propriety in favour of simultaneously communicating joy of love and transcendence of sorrow.

I found another link describing Marinda's contents and origin with reasonable concision, despite the bulk of it quoting Monck's father.  Don't bother quoting it yourselves; focus on discerning the apparent worldview of men towards female authorship in the beginning of the 18th century.

Here is a small introduction to Monck.  Short read and helps solidify the views we've already discussed.

- T. Marcus

Sir Walter Scott - Soldier, Rest!

Hi everyone,

This one has a very interesting background.  I covered the bones of it in class, but this site gives the exhaustive version.

Of particular interest are these paragraphs, found early on that page-

"The plot [of the poem] runs roughly as follows (Spoilers follow): 

The Highland Scots, led by Sir Roderick Dhu (exiled for committing a brazen murder in the King’s court) are at odds with the Lowland Scots, who are loyal to King James, who nominally rules Scotland. Douglas, who was formerly of the king’s court, has quarreled as a result of vicious rumors, and has fled to the highlands with his daughter Ellen and his minstrel, Allan Bane. 

As the poem opens, a lowland hunter, calling himself James Fitz-James, becomes lost in the highlands while chasing an elusive stag. His horse dies of exhaustion by the shores of a lake. He blows his horn, but instead of his countrymen, he is found by a highland maiden, who rows across from an island. By the common courtesy of the time, he is given a bed for the night, and sent on his way, even though he is known to be on the other side of the conflict. The maid is, of course, Ellen, and Fitz-James is smitten."

(eNotes does a slightly more thorough summary of the entire poem.)

Pay attention to the concrete structure, rhythm and scansion.  Lots of contrasting tones to consider: intention of narrator voice vs imagery and content of individual stanzas.

To give you further inspiration when developing and revising your notes, I highly recommend you check out this student analysis.

A google search of "walter scott soldier rest" will also give screeds of further links for your perusal.

Enjoy.


- T. Marcus

Emily Brontë - Last Lines

Hi everyone,


This poem is also often called by its first line, "No Coward Soul Is Mine", and was part of a collection of poems by all three Brontë sisters, which they published... and sold 2 copies.  That is not a typo.  Two.

This seems to be Emily's contributions to the collection, with a foreword by her sister Charlotte Brontë.

However it is called, I've quite enjoyed it.  Clearly a traditionalist, Brontë has been very thoughtful with imbuing meaning into the structure.  This adds great depth to the poem's content.

Mostly iambic, so note the discrepancies!  Where are they and what is the essential meaning / suggestion?

Here's a nice little analysis with brief background on the author herself.  Very useful.  Still, the comment on the meter should read "trimeter/pentameter".

This page has a few interesting insights into some of the themes and techniques.  This analysis takes a more well-rounded approach, and goes stanza-by-stanza through most of the poem; good stuff.

eNotes has a treatment more on Brontë's works overall, yet our poem is singled out a few times and the general commentary is valuable.

Look at all the above links; I'm going to ask you what you got out of each one.  :)  Mwah.

Enjoy,


- T. Marcus

Robert Louis Stevenson - Requiem

Hi everyone,

UPDATE regarding his health: (quote from Wikipedia)
Contemporary views were that he had tuberculosis, but more recent views are that it was bronchiectasis or even sarcoidosis.

The point is, he had poor health throughout his life.

For anyone still confused on exactly what defines an 'epitaphic fiction':

"Dr. Johnson understood that words on headstones provide cover stories. Acts of make-believe inscribed in stone may be as banal as an incorrect—or fudged—year of birth; the phrase “In Loving Memory” must be a fiction much of the time. On the other hand, great writers have composed words for headstones, real and imaginary, that offer us complex fictions in which we may dwell, as if in compensation for loss. For such writers, good grief is infused with imagination."

In 'Robert Louis Stevenson: The Critical Heritage' the author tells us that a poet by the name of Robert Herrick is likely to have been the inspiration for Stevenson's Underwoods anthology, but this claim is solely based on the similarities of style between Herrick and Stevenson.  In the opening page of Stevenson's anthology, he admits Underwoods as a title is 'stolen' from Ben Jonson.  It turns out Herrick was heavily influenced by Jonson, so commenting on this in an essay would likely end in a hair-splitting debate.  Interesting to know, but I think Cambridge will be more interested in what is symbolised by Stevenson's use of the stolen title: that "Stevenson is suggesting that his poems too are a varied collection and less important than his prose works, yet at the same time he is presenting himself, like Jonson, as an all-round literary writer."

For your interest, here's a brief history of the poem's origin.

Look up and balance together the various meanings of the word 'requiem'.  I think all are applicable, especially considering the lyric feel of the poem and the poet's history of writing lyrical verse.

Focus on the largely monotone diction, and make an exhaustive exploration of structure.  This should include rhyming pattern, repetition, physical layout, and contrast.

Contrast is listed with the above due to the structural aspects it encompasses, but don't limit it to that. Explore the final two lines as well as comparing the 4th and 8th lines. Compare emotions and actions, meaning and use of repeating words, occupations, settings and sounds.

Have fun.  :)


- T. Marcus

William Bell Scott - Death

Hi everyone,


This is probably the most unique poet I've come across, more remarkable for the fact that he wasn't very good at the consistently flowing and beautiful language forms we normally associate with the word 'poetry.'

'Death' was part of Scott's "Poems: 1854" anthology.  Twenty eight years later, he published "Poems: 1875" which largely included the same material, edited to one degree or another.  'Death' does not appear in this second publication.

Except it does.  Scott has taken the original poem and made it part of a much larger narrative ballad he titled 'The Dance of Death', though here it is altered in various ways.  This version of the poem was originally released in a brochure called 'The Edinburgh University Souvenir,' which I leave to you to research for any potentially useful facts.
(You will not be expected to know the altered version.  Still, being able to comment on its existence may be a good thing.)

I found a 1951 doctorate thesis on the life and works of this poet.  I can make it available if you're that interested, but below are what I think are the main points.

Regarding the changes in the poet's style from the 1854 to the 1875 publications:

• "One might summarize by saying that the basis of the later work was present in the earlier and that the advance was one of technique rather than inspiration."

Finally, these two quotes seemed the most applicable for our concerns:

• "Scott's most positive virtue was his originality"
• "The distinction Rossetti makes is valuable: Scott is interesting because he offers his personal meditation on some of the current problems of the nine-teenth century..."  (Obviously life and death would have been high on that list.)

Focus on his originality.  His use of repetition is powerful if not necessarily purposeful.  You should discuss the effects of his continuous enjambments and caesuras, despite the fact that he may not have put much planning into using them.  Good opportunity to weigh up effectiveness of poet technique.

In fact, considering his nearly accidental use of standardised poetry techniques, think about why Scott bothered persisting with the rhyming couplets at the end of each stanza!

Definitely talk about scansion in terms of rhythm and the rising and falling metre variations; overwhelmingly iambic, yet several single lines that are mostly dactylic / trochic or possibly contain spondee.

Above all, know the speaker voice and the subject he is speaking to.  The first word, "I", places the narrator voice as a personification of Death, which leaves "thee" [archaic singular form of 'you'] as the specified "man" in the poem.

Using all you now know, be ready to answer this:

Explain, based on this poem, the poet's view of Death's character.
(Hint: Start by looking at the feeling / concept being communicated by each individual stanza)


- T. Marcus

John Donne - This is My Play's Last Scene

Hi everyone,


Ahh, 16th century poetry.  Much more familiar territory for me.

There are links off to the side for different types of sonnets, if you need a refresher.

The poem itself is one of 19 found in a collection called The Holy Sonnets.  Check out the 'Themes' section in that link.  Pretty hefty paragraph, but lots to look at in terms of Donne's commonly explored themes.

Enjoy.


- T. Marcus

Imtiaz Dharker - These are the Times We Live in

Hi everyone,


This one is remarkably straight forward, given the previous poems we've looked into.

By now you will have noted that modern poetry tends to shun rhyming or rhythmic structures.  By necessity we find imagery becomes more heavily relied upon, yet meaning is also often communicated by shape and size of stanza.

Mr. Sir has this one pretty much down, so other than our class notes I recommend you have a look at his page.

A final observation has to do with the anthology this poem is placed in, as Cambridge will expect us to have at least working knowledge of authors' concerns and commonly explored themes.

The poem was published in Dharker's "The Terrorist at My Table" in 2006 (one site says 2007). Poetry archive says, when discussing an overview of the author's works, 'The subjective nature of perspective and openness of interpretation are also at the crux of a fourth book, The terrorist at my table (2006), which revels in blurring the public and personal. 'The right word' is perhaps the most successful of these: describing the same scene in repeatedly differing terms, an anonymous man is seen as a terrorist, freedom fighter, guerrilla warrior and martyr, before being cast as "a boy who looks like your son".'

Pick the key words out of that quote, and then re-read the poem.  You should have quite a lot to go on.

Enjoy,


- T. Marcus

Carol Rumens - The Border Builder

Hi everyone,


Don't bother with rhyming scheme; she doesn't care.  Caesura, repetition, imagery and opposites are your go-to techniques. It could also be worthwhile to google search the author's name together with Philip Larkin; see if any pages come up that investigate their similarities.  You're looking for stylistic or genre similarities.

In researching this poem, I found a student analysis that was pretty okay.  It's pretty short.  Read it, get what you can.  It is not the original inspiration for the poem, yet the struggle discussed is applicable within the poem's context.

Mr. Sir had some interesting theories as to the origins of this poem: a figurative mirror to the fall of the Berlin Wall, or maybe the Twin Towers attack of 9/11.  Although I still think the IRA ceasefire debacle more likely, the Berlin Wall is a possibility and, as Mr. Sir states on his blog, the poem "equally could relate to any other event that has seen a shift in xenophobic focus".  True enough.  And in that sense, the poem has a timeless application.

Mr. Sir guesses The Border Builder was written between 1989-2001, and he's right.  I found an anthology by the poem's author Carol Rumens, called 'Best China Sky' and it includes this poem.  The anthology was published in 1995 and according to the synopsis, "many of these poems were written in Northern Ireland in the year since the ceasefire."  Thus began my investigation.

Below are the links I found most useful in the process of exploring the poem's likely origins:

• News article reporting on the IRA ceasefire from a perspective of looking back 20 years ago.
• Northern Ireland's peace process.

(When looking at that last one, remember: the book was published in 1995; we may safely assume anything from late 1995 to the present is not necessary for our research.)

• BBC article, "On This Day". This is their report on the actual day after the 1994 temporary ceasefire, which you will find referenced in the previous link above.

That is also the order in which I suggest you read those links.  A google search of "northern ireland ceasefire" will bring up these links and many (MANY) more.

Having said all that, the synopsis from 'Best China Sky' goes on to mention Celtic mythology, Russian poetry from the Cold War, and Belfast's "unexpected balancing act" (which I assume is figurative for the political aftermath of the 1994 IRA ceasefire rather than implying a sudden surge in acrobatic ability).  All of which means it's entirely possible that my interpretation is not, after all, the poem's original inspiration.  It could be a 1990's interpretation of Thor's origin story.

(No it couldn't.  Don't write that.)

Feel free to look up the Cold War, though I feel the references to barbed wire and official documents such as birth certificates and passports are pretty strong indicators that we don't have to delve into Celtic mythology.

Have fun.


- T. Marcus

A.L. Hendriks and The Migrant

Hi everyone,

Arthur Lemière Hendriks produced this poem as part of one of his anthologies, To Speak Simply.

I think.  Finding out that much took me around half an hour.

The truth is, if you go looking for information about the man's career, it's not really going to yield much in terms of usefulness towards making sense out of this poem.  Mr. Sir noticed something incredibly simple, and that was Hendrik's actual global movements and the migration waves Jamaica has experienced in the last 50-100 years.

Considering the title of the poem, that suddenly seemed like an obvious research avenue.  Duh.

SO.  Here's a link I found that does a pretty good job of staying focused on summing up the migratory patterns and influences of Jamaica throughout its history from pre-to-post-colonial status, right through to more modern statistics in the 1990's and early 2000's.

And since Wiki is the globally acknowledged source of all reliable truth (not), it is with mixed feelings that I suggest this link.  It gave fantastic background information on the history of political factors that contributed to much of the main metaphor we discussed in class.

It is also interesting to note that the main character described is a female; the first link I gave you in this post has a section titled "The Feminization of Jamaican Migration" which you may or may not find adds further insight into your awareness of the meanings being expressed.  (My first thoughts: Do the females represent a majority or minority?  Whichever it is, what other social groups may we infer might be represented as part of the people waiting in line to migrate?)

Hope this helps.


- T. Marcus

P.S.   Once again, Mr. Sir is your friend.