Carloine Norton 1808-1877

Caroline Norton, a nineteenth century English writer, was trapped in a disastrous marriage to a brutal man. Her husband , who in my view was a womanizer, denied her access to their three sons. He also tried to seize her earnings, which she had earned as a writer, because the wife and all that she had was the property of the husband. How could a man seek to deny a woman access to the child that she bares is totally ridiculous. If the mother was abusing the child that would be another story but this was not the position in Caroline Norton's case. As a man, I cannot image how frustrated and angry she was, which prompted her to write "A Letter to the Queen." In other words she was appealing to the highest authority of her time calling for the reformation of these marriage laws.

From the very beginning of the letter there are so many negative words, such as "no" and "cannot", that describes the woman relationship in a marriage. In England, and I am sure it was being practiced somewhere else during the Victorian era, it seems as if a woman had "No legal existence" (page 565). To me, this legal system that was set up to protect its citizens (male and female) was bias towards the men. In that men or husbands were treated superior as compared to women or wives. The speaker said, "the legal fiction holds her to be one with her husband, even though she may never see or hear of him" (page 565) suggesting that once a woman is married she becomes the wife of that man even if the man is not present in the home or is living some adulterous life. There was nothing that could be done by the woman because she was inferior.

The speaker, in her letter, continued with several cannot or may not by the "English wife". On page 565, the letter states "An English wife cannot make a will" suggesting that no matter what the wife possessed in her lifetime, she had no say as to who she would like to passed on those possessions to. "An English wife cannot legally claim her own earnings" (page 565). To me this statement is ridiculous. There are several women who have worked hard, rising early to get the children off to school, then going to work and cannot enjoy the reward of her hard labor. This, her hard earned salary is her "husband's." I am sure this would have never worked in today's society where the wife worked and the husband decides how the money is spent. Several women would rebel, as I am sure they did during Caroline's time, but the difference is that in our society there is recourse made available by law in which women could pursue.

The letter then continued on the same negative note about what the wife cannot do. "An English wife may not leave her husband house", and to me this is slavery. Even though some women might agree to this, I am sure many wives were retaliating and this would be classified as slavery since they were held against their will. I cannot comprehend in today's society a wife not allowed to leave the home and being treated as a slave. Just image the several murders that would be taking place due to the wife being held against her wish. Oh..this is the Victorian era where the wife is the property of the husband and if you have "a property" whether it is your wife or anything else, where ever you have placed her or it as in the case of anything else, that is where she/it must remain until being relocated. I might seem to be a little sarcastic but to me this is exactly how I feel that a wife is being treated in the Victorian era. I am not married, and when I do, I want my wife to feel as if she is not a property just as how I am not a property to her. It goes both ways, we are equal. The speaker then continued to explain how unfair the divorce proceedings were during her time, the laws was in favor of the husband. She states that, "If her husband take proceedings for a divorce, she is not, in the first instance allowed to defend herself. She has no means of proving the falsehood of his allegations," (page 565) suggesting that she has no say in the matter. The woman could never divorce the man even if she wanted to due to his adulterous life or abusive ways. This, in my mind is insane because several women were in abusive marriages and they couldnot do anything about it.

The author then went on to explain that, "Such, however, is the law: and if anything could add to the ridicule, confusion, and injustice of its provision, it would be the fact, that though it is the law for the rich, it is not for the poor" (page 566), suggesting that the laws at that time were biased towards the classes. The upper class was treated differently from that of the poorer class in that the poorer class cannot do legally, that which is done legally in the upper class even though it is the same law. The rich man was allowed to divorce his wife in order to fulfil his passions, which was allowed in England, but "the poor need not expect to obtain" (page 567) suggesting that this was not allowed for the poorer class. The author brought up this point to prove that just as how the same laws in England were interpreted differently for the classes, so it is with the laws of marriage. In that a woman has no legal existence in a marriage, she is the property of the man and the husband can do whatever he pleases since he is protected by the law.

Caroline Norton was not alive when the Married Women's Property Act of 1882 was passed but I am glad she wrote "A letter to the Queen." We have really come a long way, in that a woman, a wife or a mother has an equal right as a man, husband or a father in our society, although some might disagree with this statement. However, as the Bible states, "He that has found a good wife has found a good thing."

Virginia Woolf 1882-1941

Virginia Woolf story, "The Lady in the Looking - Glass: A reflection", tells of a woman, who calls herself Isabella Tyson, whose character is examined both from outside and in. The title and subtitle of the story indicate that the story is a means of examining a lady by her reflection in a looking glass and normally one does not use a looking glass to examine others. One uses a looking glass to examine self. So one might wonder if this lady, Isabella Tyson, in the story is Virginia Woolf herself.

"People should not leave looking-glasses hanging in their rooms any more than they should leave open cheque books or letters confessing some hideous crime." (page 1224) I believe the opening line is suggesting that if you do not want others to know your business you should never leave your business in plain view as indicated by mirror hanging in your house. If for some reason you do and they scandalize you, it would be similar to leaving your cheque book out for others to have access to it so that they are able to see your account balance or even steal a check leaf or two in order to withdraw money from your account.

The author then continues to describe the scene of story as seen through the eyes of the mirror by contrasting the interior of the house with the exterior. "The quiet old country room with its rugs and stone chimney pieces, its sunken book-cases and red and gold lacquer cabinets was full of such nocturnal creatures....but outside, the looking- glass reflected the hall table, the sunflowers, the garden path so accurately and so fixedly that they seemed held their in their reality unescapably "(page 1225). I am getting a sense of busyness in the house but the author had said earlier that "the house was empty." So why were there so many activities happening in the house; whereas outside was so still and serene. Was the author making reference to some hidden secrets inside this house? One can only speculate.

As the author continues to describe the mistress of the house, as seen through the eyes of the looking-glass, we were told that she was a rich spinster that had furnished the house all by herself, as stated in these words "She was a spinster; that was rich; that she had bought this house and collected with her own hands....the rugs, the chairs, the cabinets which now lived their nocturnal life before one's eyes" (page 1225). Why are the words nocturnal being used several times in this story? Were there some secret things or activities happening at nights inside this house? One can only wonder but as the story continues, the author tells her readers as seen through the mirror that the furniture and accessories in the house knew more about the mistress of the house than those that had visited the house. Several examples are given to validate this statement, including, "Isabella would come in, and take them, one by one, very slowly, and open them, and read them carefully word by word, and then with a profound sigh of comprehension, as if she had seen to the bottom of everything, she would tear the envelopes to little bits and tie the letters together and lock the cabinet drawer in her determination to conceal what she did not wish to be known" (page 1226). Who was writing these letters to her? Several thoughts flood through my mind. Were these love letters or were they letters related to a business undertaking? I am assuming the former because why would she lock the cabinet drawer? Was she trying to be careful so that those letters did not get into the wrong hands. We might want to criticize Isabella but this is so typical of us all. We all do have a locked drawer which contains our past or something in our lives that we wish to conceal from others. If only the mirror in our rooms could talk, others would be shocked at what we had done.

Oh, I wish the story had told us some more intricate details of what had occurred in the house as seen by the looking glass. However, Virginia Woolf did a brilliant job of describing Isabella's private life as seen by the looking glass in "The Lady in the Looking -Glass: A Reflection."

William Butler Yeats 1865-1939

William Butler Yeats in his poem, "The Wild Swans at Coole" tells of the reflection of the speaker on his thoughts and sense of growth since he has been to this spot nineteen years before. The poem starts off with the speaker telling his readers that it was a very nice, clear dry autumn night and while he took a stroll near the pond or lake he counted fifty nine swans. Did the speaker incorrectly count the swans or did fate as they would have called it came to one of the swan. Based on what I have been told swans always travel in pairs. To convey to his readers that it was such a beautiful sight, the speaker states that the water was very still so that the sky reflected from it as stated in the words, "The water mirrors a still sky" (page 1118).

"The nineteenth autumn has come upon me
Since I first made my count;
I saw, before I had well finished,
All suddenly mount
And scatter wheeling in great broken rings
Upon their clamorous wings." (page 1118, lines 7-12)

After counting the swans the speaker then continued to tell us that the first time he attempted to count them was nineteen years ago. He could not tell us how many they were at that time because before he was finished counting they flapped their wings and flew away. As the speaker continued to look upon those "brilliant creatures" his heart became sore from realizing all this time had past between his last visit and he feels he has changed, although the swans remained unchanged as stated in these words "unwearied still."

The speaker then continued to state that "Lover by lover, they paddle in the cold companionable streams or climb the air; their hearts have not grown old" (lines 19-22) to stress the point that even at looking at the swans closer they have not changed. This reminds me of two lovers that are in love and though the years come and go, to them it seems as if it is just yesterday. Then the speaker must have started to compare his life with these swans. Here were these swans "lover by lover" and he had loved a woman who he will never have as a lover. He also thought about himself how he had grown so much older but the swans, with their love for each other, stayed young forever. The manner in which the speaker is caught up in the gentle pain of personal memory contrasts sharply with the beautiful, warm swans which appear unchanged. How has this happened he must have wondered?

The speaker then continued in the last stanza as he imagined what the future holds for these swans. In these words, "Among what rushes will they build, by what lake's edge or pool delight men's eyes when I awake some day to find they have flown away" (lines 27-30), the speaker wondered if he will be able to come back sometime and find the swans still there or will they be gone to another lake to build their nest and produce more swans. The poem did not answer these questions but it is apparent that the speaker is thinking about the future and what lies ahead in his journey. Not seeing those swans, for the author is similar to dying. Will he be alive or not to see these lovely swans again. I assume that he is thinking that he might not be alive because if after nineteen years have past and the swans are still there, why wouldn't they be there in the future years? Life's uncertainties brings several questions to mind which most people are afraid of, and Yeats is no exception to this rule.

Robert Browning 1812-1889

"Porphyria worshipped me; surprise made my heart swell, and still it grew while I debated what to do" (page 663). After reading Elizabeth's poems, I could not wait to read what Robert Browning had to write. However, his style of writing is so different from hers in that Elizabeth's writings surrounds the theme of true everlasting love, pure love. Whereas his work, though brilliantly done had several twist to it, which kept my eyes glued to the pages wanting to see what would happen next. This was the case in "Porphyria's Lover". Just reading the line mentioned at the beginning of this blog, which was taken from "Porphyria's Lover", one would get the impression that this was going to be the best love story ever. However, this monologue was one of twisted love, murder and madness and the mental state of the speaker is quite disturbing.

The speaker starts off the poem by creating the backdrop for the scene. Here the storm rages showing nature at its worst. Ripping the branches from the trees and overflowing the lake as stated in these words, "The rain set early in to-night, the sullen wind was soon awake, it tore the elm-tops down for spite and did its worst to vex the lake (page 662, lines 1-4). Then the speaker continues with the words, "When glided in Porphyria; straight she shut the cold out..made the cheerless grate blaze up, and all the cottage warm (lines 6-8). I was a little upset after reading these lines because here was this man sitting in this cold cottage with his lover out in the storm all unconcerned. She had to come home to start the fire in order for the cottage to be warm, while he was just sitting there. How inconsiderate of him.

"At last, she sat down by my side and called me. When no voice replied, she put my arm about her waist, and made her smooth white shoulder bare....her yellow hair (Lines 14-20). It seems as he was very upset with her because the speaker used the words, "at last". Was he upset because she did not acknowledge him first after coming into the cottage or was there some lingering problems. The latter I assume. However, unaware of what was the problem, the speaker's lover embraces the speaker, offering him her bare shoulder. He tells us that he did not speak to her because he is upset. She then further tries to console him by telling him how she loved him in these words, "Murmuring how she loved me...to set its struggling passion free...and give herself to me forever (page 663, lines 21-25) and although he cannot believe it, she does care for him.

He then realized that Porphyria wants to be with him, but he is not sure if he can trust her. So he tries to convince himself if he can really trust her by looking in her eyes as stated in these lines, "Be sure I looked up at her eyes, happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshipped me; surprise made my heart swell, and still it grew while I debated what to do" (lines 31-35). Then the speaker realized that she really loved him but he had already made up his mind of what he was going to do. Even though at that moment he had second thoughts and several things ran through his mind, "does she really loves me ", "Is this love forever" he still decided to kill her. What a heartless person this speaker was, even when he was convinced that she loved him he still carried out his plans.

Then the speaker continued with these words, "That moment she was mine..in one long yellow string I wound three times her little throat around, and strangled her (lines 36-41). Here the speaker carried out his plans and killed her and as if he was trying to validate what he had done, he stated that "No pain felt she, I am quite sure she felt no pain." Finally, even though he knew that she was dead, he started making a mockery of the dead corps. We are given this image of a man sitting with Porphyria's dead body against his all night long with her head on his shoulder and her eyes open. In my opinion, I think this man was sick and further more he had the audacity of saying in the final line of the poem, "And yet God has not said a word." It was as if he was implying that God was pleased with what he had done.

I am sorry I got a little carried away at the end but I was a little upset. I must admit, Robert Browning was a brilliant poet. He did a brilliant job in this piece, "Porphyria's Lover". Even though I was a bit upset with what the speaker had done, all in all it was just poetry.

Thomas Hardy 1840-1928

Thomas Hardy was one of the most compelling voices in modern poetry, and yet one of the great Victorian. He was always reminiscing about the past, as I am sure he had a lot to think about having lived to be eighty eight years old, and comparing it to his present life. One of the poems that I really enjoyed from reading his list of poems was, "Logs on the Hearth" A memory of a sister. I have one sister who is still alive, which was not the case with Hardy when he wrote this poem, but we are miles apart from each other and oh how I missed seeing her in person. Reading this poem reminds me of our childhood days and the wonderful times we had together growing up in the country. So much about that, let me get back to Hardy's poem.

The poem "Logs on the Hearth" begins with the words, "The fire advances along the log of the tree we felled," (page 1078, lines 1-2) suggesting that the time of year must have been winter because of the logs that were burning in the fireplace. It is hard to tell from these lines if the speaker regrets having to burn those logs or should they have allowed the tree to just stay there and rot. However, one thing is certain it was a bitter sweet experience. On one hand the speaker was enjoying the warmth that the burning logs provided but on the other hand it brought back memories.

As stated in these words, "Which bloomed and bore stripped apples by the peck till its last hour of bearing knelled. The fork that first my hand would reach and then my foot in climbing upward inch by inch, lies now sawn, sapless, darkened with soot" (page 1078, lines 3-8) brought back memories of when the tree was alive and the many basketful loads of apples that they had picked from the apple tree. It also brought back childhood memories of the wonderful times and sometimes painful memories, even though the speaker did not mentioned the painful memories, that the speaker had with his sister from climbing the apple tree. I remember the time when I fell from a mango tree trying to beat my sister to the first ripe mango on the tree. It was not an enjoyable experience because we were told by our parents not to climb the tree and as a result I was scold even after my ordeal. Words such as "the fork that my hand would reach", "then my foot" tells of the various stages that the speaker had seen this tree in his lifetime. First, he was just able to touch the limbs with his hands and as time progresses, he was able to climb the tree with his sister.

The speaker then continues the poem with the same pattern of focusing on the present and contrasting it with the past in the words, "Where the bark chars is where, one year, it was pruned, and bled-Then overgrew the wound. But now, at last, its growing all have stagnated" (page 1079, lines 9-12). In describing the tree and the various experiences, I think the speaker was so peaceful in explaining the present but was very graphic with his words in describing the past. Using words such as "wound" and "bled" to describe the sap running from the tree when its dead branches were removed in order for new growth. To me it was as if the speaker was describing a persons bleeding wound. However, the speaker continues with the words,

"My fellow-climber rises dim
From her chilly grave-
Just she was, her foot near mine on the bending limb,
Laughing, her young brown hand awave." (page 1079, lines 13-16)

In the above mentioned lines, it seems as if the speaker was once again thinking of the past when he was happy playing with his sister but now she is dead as suggested by the words "chilly grave." While this poem is depressing because Hardy is grieving over his sisters loss, it is also very touching because you can truly see how much Hardy cared for his sister. I am getting the impression that the speaker wished that his sister was still around so that they could reminiscence on their childhood days but this will never happen since she is dead. Also, from these words, "Laughing, her young brown hand awave" gives the impression of the sister calling the speaker home. Was it that the speaker, who was now old was about to die and the sister was telling him of his death?

I had mixed emotions when I read "Logs on the Hearth" because it had brought back so many wonderful memories of my childhood.

T.S. Eliot 1888-1965

The "Journey of the Magi" narrative is based upon the tradition of the three wise men who journeyed to Bethlehem to worship the infant Christ. Rather than giving the traditional biblical story that most of us are used to hearing, the author did a brilliant job and turned the story into poetry. However, the story was told from the viewpoint of one of the wise men who talks about the difficulties that they faced along the journey and the outcome of their trip and how their lives were changed.

"A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter." (page 1215, lines 1-5)

The poem started off on a frustrated and depressing note as the speaker, who was one of the wise men, describes the journey. He stated that it was a long arduous journey against all the elements that winter brought with it and to say that it was cold would be an understatement because it was the "dead" of winter. This is so different from the biblical version, which does not seem to mention anything bad or difficult about the journey that the wise men made. The speaker then continues with the words, "And the camels galled, sore footed, refactory, lying down in the melting snow" (page 1215) to emphasized that they had a lot going against them to make their traveling terrible. To make matters worse, the only form of transportation "the camels" were tired and smelly which made it very difficult for him to continue on his way. It seems as if there were no comfort for these wise men. Someone having read this poem might admit that this is the way it seems as if it is with life in general, when one problem starts expect to have several other problems.

Then as the speaker continues the journey, doubts and regrets were at the forefront of his mind as he remembers the past as stated in these word, "There were times we regretted the summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, and the silken girls bringing sherbet" (page 1215, lines 8-10). Those memories of the past compared to what they are experiencing now makes them regret ever having those memories or even starting this trip. I am sure the speaker had second thoughts about going back. The speaker then continues to tell of other complications of the journey, such as "night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters, and the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly.....with the voices singing in our ears, saying that this was all folly" (page 1215, lines 13-19). Just at the time when they needed some encouragement, they were told by those around them that there was no need for this journey, voices that tempt them to cease their foolish journey. Oh how sad it is when we are faced with life's problems and there is no one around to encourage us or if people are around they condemn us trying to blame us for the problems that is happening in our life's. I cannot image how discouraged these wise men were , but they still continue on their journey.

Then when it seems as if all hope is lost, the men reached their "temperate valley", which I am assuming is Bethlehem. Then the tone of the poem changes to a positive note, to one of hope. Even the weather changes for the better as stated in these words, "Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation, with running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness and three trees on the low sky" (page 1215, lines 22-24). These lines, I am assuming meant the newness, relief or rebirth of entering into Bethlehem and then I was a bit lost when I read the other seven lines. I am not sure how "a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel" or "six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver" fits into the poem. Then I remember from Sunday School the Crucifixion story and how Judas had betrayed Jesus for twenty pieces of silver, so I am not sure if the speaker was making reference to the child upcoming death. The speaker then continued by stating, "And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory" (page 1216, lines 30-31). From these lines it seems as if the speaker was disappointed at the condition of the place where they had found the child but for me this was exactly where Jesus was born. The Christ child was born in a manager, at the lowest of places, a stable where the animals were kept, so that no matter how poor we are we can accept Him as Lord and King. I was a little disappointed that nothing of significance was said about the baby in the manager or about his parents.

The speaker then continued in the last stanza with these words, “This: were we led all that way for Birth or Death? There was Birth, certainly, .....hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death" (page 1216, lines 35-39) In these lines it seems as if the speaker is confessing that he does not fully comprehend the significance of the event. It seems as if he was confused and admits a kind of reluctance to believe that anything of significant did occur from the trip because the speaker said, “I had seen birth and death, but had thought they were different” (lines 37-38). It seems as if the birth that they had traveled so far to witness was more like an end than a beginning. So the speaker stated, “We returned to our places, these Kingdoms, but no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, with an alien people clutching their gods. I should be glad of another death” (page 1216, lines 40-43) suggesting that the wise men went back to their homes but they did not blend in with the old ways or pleasures of the old life. They have being changed by seeing this child and will not fall back in their old sinful ways as these people who worshiped their idols. I was a little confused when I read the last sentence because I was not sure if the speaker meant dieing to his old ways and looking to this new birth because of the child, Christ Jesus. So I am going to interpret it to mean that as a Christian, having accepted Jesus we have died to this old man, the sinful ways, even though not perfect, and we have a new birth, a change.

Gerard Manley Hopkins 1844-1889

"God's Grandeur", a masterpiece of Gerard Manley Hopkins is a sonnet in which he tells of God's magnificent presence in nature. I was immediately drawn to the writings of this author because of how he connects his work with God and incorporated God in his work. He was a man who struggled to maintain religious faith, as we all do, his respect for conventional verse forms , and his quest to find proof of God's work in nature all mark him as quintessentially Victorian. Of all his sonnets that I have read, I was very impressed with "God's Grandeur."

"The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shinning from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?" (page 774, lines 1-4)

The author begins with the metaphor of God's grandeur as an electric force as indicated by the word "charged." It was a world through which God's presence runs like an electric current becoming visible and occasionally flashes out in ways that are brilliant as the effect of shaken "shook foil" giving off broad glares. The author then spoke about God's presence as the "ooze of oil crushed." Here was an image of oil being pressed out , representing another kind of richness where build-up pressure eventually results in overflow. The poet then continues by saying, giving all these proofs of God's presence in the world, why do men fail to heed God's divine authority, "his rod." This reminds me of today's society. There are so many things showing proof of God's existence, the very reason we are alive and breathing at this moment, yet people in our society still insist that there is no God.

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod." (page 775, lines 5-8)

In these lines the author then describes the state of human life and human labor in his time and what was expected in the future. Humans have neglected God which translates into our neglect of nature and the environment with "trade", suggesting building industries and our work, "toils." This reminds me of all the natural beauty and landscape being ruined when we clear the land to build our factories and industries. The author then uses the words "nor can foot feel, being shod," to suggest that the very shoes that we wear is an indication of our disconnection with nature.

"And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And through the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs-
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings." (page 775, lines 9-14)

In the lines mentioned above, the author tells us that in spite of all that we have done, nature does not cease from offering up its grandeur. This renewal can be seen in the way morning always awaits after the night. "Spring" testifies of the continual renewing power of God's creation bringing new birth and newness of life. This reminds me of the creation story in which God made everything new from nothing. The author then finishes the sonnet telling us that this constant regeneration is the Holy Ghost, God, who guards the potential of this world just like a mother hen who broods over her chickens.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806-1861

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was an inspiration to female writers and was the most celebrated woman of the Victorian era. She was raised in a wealthy family and the eldest of eleven children. Her poetry started at an early age and when she became ill after the death of her brother it was her poetry that sustained her spirit. While courting Robert Browning and as their relationship developed, she wrote a series of the most beautiful love poems that I have ever read. It was as if she was about to die, as stated in these words, "Guess now who holds thee?-Death, I said" (page 530, line 13 in Sonnet 1), until Robert came along as stated in the words, "But, there, the silver answer rang, - Not Death, but Love" (page 530, line 13 in Sonnet 1) and rescued her from death with his love.

In Sonnet 21, from "Sonnets from the Portuguese", the author wrote,

"Say over again, and yet once over again,
That thou doest love me. Though the word repeated
Should seem "a cuckoo-song" as thou does treat it,
Remember, never to the hill or plain. Valley and wood, without her cuckoo-strain
Comes the fresh Spring in all her green completed." (page 530, lines 1-6)

The main theme in these lines is, can you say I love you too many times or can there be too many I love you. From this sonnet the author is saying no there cannot be too many I love you. These words she compared to that of the cuckoo-song; cuckoo, cuckoo cuckoo.... The cuckoo song is one of repetition and to some after a time it might be very annoying; whereas to others it is the most beautiful song. Notes are so sweet and perfect, simple top-note and soft fall (cuc..koo) reminding people of how someone stole their heart and for this author I think the latter was the case. The author then gives us an imagery of what it is like when Spring is approaching. Here she mentioned the cuckoo, one of the first bird that appears with Spring after the dreary winter months. The trees are once again green, the air is filled with the aroma of flowers all signifying new birth. This was not only happening in nature but this new birth, this vigour and energy was also happening in her life having met Robert. In her words, "Beloved, I, amid the darkness greeted, by a doubtful spirit-voice, in that doubt's pain cry "Speak once more- thou lovest! Who can fear" (page 530-531), conveying this sense of security and contentment by just hearing the words "I love you". The author is saying, to her it is okay to be repetitive. It was these words that brought her out of bed, out of her illness and save her from her family especially her father who was against her loving Robert.

"Too many stars, though each in heaven shall roll,
Too many flowers , though each shall crown the year?
Say thou dost love me, love me, love me-toll
The silver iterance- only minding, Dear,
To love me also in silence with thy soul." (page 531, lines 10-14)

In these lines the author compares the many I love yous to the too many stars and too many flowers. The stars though they are many, each has its purpose in the sky and the flowers though they be many, every year are a welcoming sight, so it is with the many I love yous. You can't have too many I love you . However, the author mentioned in these words "Only minding, Dear to love me also in silence with thy soul" to suggest that the person who is saying the I love yous should be careful about not just saying those words but they should come from the very fiber of their being. These I love yous must come from the soul, which is the most important part of a person's existence. In other words the author is saying you should mean what you say.

I really, really enjoyed this sonnet, Sonnet 21 from "Sonnets from the Portuguese." It shows the power of love and how wonderful it is to the hearer when the words "I love you" is repeated. Especially when it is not done mechanically but from the heart and soul, the very fiber of your existence. Even when words cannot be uttered there is such confidence knowing that I love you is being said internally.

John Stuart Mill 1806-1873

John Stuart Mill is perhaps the most influential and yet the most criticized of all Victorian authors for his role in advocating sexual equality, the right to divorce, universal suffrage, free speech, and proportional representation. Mill's expressed, "that true poetry expresses the passionate, solitary meditations of the author, it is not so much heard as overheard" (page 514), and this was evident in his writing of the "The Subjection of Women". It argues that women have been victims of history, unjustly denied access to their own potential, prevented by the unquestioned habits of mankind from flourishing as fully human beings. He wrote,

"That the principle which regulates the existing social relations between the two sexes-the legal subordination of one sex to the other-is wrong in itself, and now one of the chief hindrances to human improvement; and that it ought to be replaced by a principle of perfect equality, admitting no power or privilege on the one side, nor disability on the other"(page 521)

In the lines mentioned above, the author is calling for the equality of the sexes. He mentioned that the only way for humans to improve is to not think that one sex is superior as compared to the other. However, this was in opposition to the status quo of his time. Society at that time thought men were superior to women. The author was honest in giving his opinion and made sure that it was heard. He never really forced it upon others, instead he wrote the facts as he saw them and why he thought it was unjust.

"There was a time when division of mankind into two classes, a small one of masters and a numerous one of slaves, appeared, even to the most cultivated minds, to be natural, and only natural, condition of human race" (page 522) In order to bring across his point to his readers that the custom of his time, which they all thought to be natural, wherein men were thought to be superior to women, he made mention of days of slavery. As he compared what was happening in the society to that of slavery he mentioned that those of the upper class, masters, in order to justify their passions and legitimate their personal interest thought it was natural to divide mankind into either slaves or us, the masters. Even though slavery was suppose to be abolished, when women were treated as inferior and subjected to the rules of men is not that slavery?

"But, it will be said, the rule of men over women differs from all these others in not being a rule of force: it is accepted voluntarily; women make no complaint, and are consenting parties to it. In the first place, a great number of women do not accept it. Ever since there have been women able to make their sentiments known by their writings (the only mode of publicity which society permits to them), an increasing number of them have recorded protests against their present social condition: and recently many thousands of them, headed by the most eminent women known to the public, have petitioned Parliament for their admission to the Parliamentary Suffrage" (page 523). In these lines the author uses two opposing point of view to show that whenever there is inequality, eventually the oppresed will rebel. He writes that those who wants to validate the point that men are superior to women may state that women accept this role of inferiority voluntarily without complaint. However, in order to bring his point across that there should be equality among the sexes, the author states that some women voiced their opposition to this inequality through whatever means were available to them and eventually rose to prominent position to fight for this equality between the sexes.

Mill's may or may not see this equality between the sexes being fully accomplished during his time but he was very influential in voicing his opinions on the need for equality, especially in work, "The subjection of Women". He really sought to change the way women were treated in the society of his day. He was the first member of Parliament to advocate women's suffrage and his petition was presented in the House of Commons by Mills himself. In my opinion, I think he was a great writer. I enjoyed his work and wondered if some of his opinions was influenced by his relationship with Harriet Taylor.

Thomas Carlyle 1795-1881

I really enjoyed reading Thomas Carlyle work, especially "Know Thy Work" from Labor. The reason I enjoyed it was due to the deep connection that I had while I was reading his work. He had learned from an early age the value of hard work because of his devout, strict and self-disciplined parents. However, in this blog I will concentrate on two of Thomas Carlyle's writings, "Know Your Work" to emphasized the importance of "Work" and "The Irish Widow" from Gospel of Mammonism.

The author starts off his writing of "Know Thy Work" with these words, "For there is a perennial nobleness, and even sacredness, in Work. Were he never so benighted, forgetful of his calling, there is always hope in a man that actually and earnestly works: in Idleness alone is there perpetual despair" (page 481), to bring across the benefits and rewards of work. Using works such as "perennial nobleness" and "sacredness" to convey to his readers the positive attributes of work as compared to the negative aspects of idleness in such words as "alone" and "perpetual despair". The idea of work as a precious necessity, a must is presented several times and in much detail throughout his writings. He writes, "....the real desire to get Work done will itself lead one more and more to truth, to Nature's appointments and regulations, which are truth," (page 481) to convey his point that work is necessary, because it requires action and will force that person to seek truth and structure in life. The author found significant value in labor, because labor offers purpose and regulation to a person as stated in his words "and endless significance lies in Work; a man perfects himself by working"(page 481). Also, in these words the author's argument for work's value to a person was based on the idea that work offers a purpose to one's life that defines them as an individual.

"Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness. He has a work, a life-purpose; he found it, and will follow it" (page 482). Here the author represents his thought of work's benefit to a person, because it offers a definition and meaning for an individuals existence, for which there is no greater value. The word "Blessed" is used to convey a sense of happiness. This reminds me of the Beatitudes in the bible when Jesus called those that have obeyed the will of God "Blessed". Also, when a person does what he or she really loves and is good at it, that person will put all their energy in their work, thus making them happy.

Another writing of Thomas Carlyle that was of interest to me was, "The Irish Widow" from Gospel of Mammonism. While reading this passage I felt such sympathy and to an extent anger at the way this widow was treated by the "Powers that be or the Government Institutions" that were established to protect and help these people. Here, the author said:-

"A poor Irish Widow, her husband having died in one of the Lanes of Edinburgh, went forth with her three children, bare of all resource, to solicit help from Charitable Establishments of that City. At this Charitable Establishment and then at that she was refused; referred from one to the other, helped by none" (page 480)

In the above passage, the author spoke of the social ills the lower class of society were experiencing. In our own experiences, several times we are referred to different organizations when dealing with institutions that are "suppose" to help. This passage is in contrast to "Know Thy Work" because here was a widow enable to work due to the death of her husband and furthermore she had three children, was refused help from these institutions until having exhausted them all, died. What had happened to the children after her death? It was not told but I am assuming they also died because the widow death was due to typus-fever. A very contagous disease. In her desperate cry for help, the Irish widow states that, "Behold I am sinking, bare of help: ye must help me! I am your sister, bone of your bone; one God made us: ye must help me" (page 481). However, once again she was denied the help as stated in these words, "They answered, No impossible; thou art no sister of ours" (page 481). She had to prove by death that she was their sister, "But she proves her sisterhood; her typhus-fever kills them: they actually were her brothers, though denying it! Had human creature ever to go lower for a proof" (page 481), and not only her death was used as prove but seventeen others persons died as a result of the fever. Many will say that this incidence had happened several hundred years ago and this would never happen in today's society. How many times is the poor refused medical attention because of the lack of financial resources?

I must admit that these were two of Thomas Carlyle best work which I really liked because I totally agree with his thoughts on "Know Thy work' and I could draw from our present society what he spoke about in "The Irish Widow."

Thomas Babington Macaulay 1800-1859

Thomas Babington Macaulay was another writer, similar to Fanney Kemble, who welcomed the change that the Industrial era brought. He was very optimistic and believed that despite the high human cost due of rapid industrialization, things are getting better and better. In "A Review of Southey's Colloquies" The Natural Progress of Society, the author saw this new world as evidence of social progress. As long as the government stays out of its way, as indicated in the words "The natural progress of society" (page 491), the society will advance.

The words "History is full of the signs of this natural progress of society. We see in almost every part of the annals of mankind how the industry of individuals, struggling up against wars, taxes, famines, conflagrations, mischievous prohibitions, and more mischievous protections, creates faster than governments can squander, and repairs whatever invaders can destroy" (pages 491-492), shows that the writer has a positive view of the new world despite the many odds that these capitalist are encountering at the hands of the government. The writer argues that even though oppositions were present, whether it is through individuals who did not like the change or government regulations and taxes, the society was growing at a faster rate than all these oppositions. "In spite of the grossest corruption and the wildest profusion on the part of rulers" (page 492), in these words the writers wanted to stress his point that the government should not interfere in the progress of the society. However, in my opinion, I was a little disappointed with the writer because nothing was said about the rich who were taking advantage of the poor in advancing their own agendas, considering all the injustices that were going on at that time.

Even though the writer did not live to the early twentieth century he was prophetically prophesying in these words "In the year 1930 a population of fifty millions, better fed, clad, and lodged than the English of our time......, that machines constructed on principles yet undiscovered will be in every house...., that there will be no highways but railroads, no traveling but by steam......many people would think us insane" (page 492), which became a reality. Therefore, validating his point of a bright future. "Hence it is that, though in every age everybody knows that up to his own time progressive improvement has been taken place, nobody seems to reckon on any improvement during the next generation" (page 493), suggesting that even though there have been several advancements in their time, there are still much more coming in the future. This is so true in today's society, we may say that we have seen it all as it pertains to improvement, whether it is the Internet, medicine or other technological improvements but there are so many advancement and improvements that will be done in the future.

"It is not by the intermeddling of Mr. Southey's idol, the omniscient and omniscient State, but by the prudence and energy of the people.......and it is the same prudence and the same energy that we now look with comfort and good hope"(page 493). In the preceding words the writer is once again condemning the government from interfering in the affairs of society because the government has done more harm than good. Instead, the writer is suggesting that it is the people and through capitalism that the society had advanced, will advance and not through the government. The writer then further backs up his point by using these words, "Our rulers will best promote the improvement of the nation by strictly confining themselves to their own legitimate duties, by leaving capital to find its most lucrative course, commodities their fair price.......and by observing strict economy in every department of the State. Let the Government do this: the People will assuredly do the rest" (page 493)

I am going to disagree with the author a little because in today's society I do not think that this approach of the government staying out of society's way will work. We are living in a global economy and government intervention is necessary, such as the case with tariffs and quotas, in order to protect domestic industries and our society on a whole.

Industrialism- Fanny Kemble 1809-1893

Industrialism, was a time of great change. There were great advances in technology, changes in science and transportation. People saw themselves living in a new world. A change that some writers, such as Charles Dickens, were not thrilled about as was evident in their works. However, others welcomed this change and one such writer was Fanny Kemble.

Fanny Kemble, a popular young actress, was the first woman to ride on the steam locomotive, tells of her experience in "Record of a Girlhood." Fanny Kemble's vivid account of her trip was very interesting to me, and from her letter you could tell that she was very excited about this trip.

"A common sheet of paper is enough for love, but a foolscap extra can alone contain a railroad and my ecstasies" (page 490).From the beginning of the letter you could tell that Kemble was excited and she did not feel as though her words, in this letter, would really do justice in describing her experience. She then proceeded in her letter to describe the steam engine itself, "She (for they make these curious little fire-horses all mares) consisted of a boiler, a stove, a small platform, a bench, and behind the bench a barrel.......she goes upon two wheels, which are her feet, and are moved by bright steel legs called pistons.....safety-valve into the air.." (page 490-491). Calling the steam engine a she signifies something of great beauty. I must admit she was a genius. Someone who was not an engineer by profession giving such details describing the engine must be a genius. She then compared the steam engine to a horse in these words, "The reins, bit, and bridle," "this snorting little animal....was then harnessed to our carriage," (page 491) as she continued to tell of the magical journey that she had. She described the landscape around her, during her trip, in order to bring out that magical experience. Using words such as, "Flying with breath and rhythmical, unvarying pace, between those rocky walls, which are already clothed with moss and ferns and grasses; and when I reflected ....I felt as if no fairy tale was ever half so wonderful as what I saw"(page 491)

She continued her letter by giving her readers an idea of how fast the steam engine was going by using these words, "The engine having received its supply of water....set off at its utmost speed, thirty-five miles an hour, swifter than a bird flies" (page 491). Then she ends her beautiful letter with such confidence and optimism as stated in these words, "You cannot conceive what that sensation of cutting the air was; the motion is as smooth as possible, too....When I close my eyes this sensation of flying was quite delightful, and strange beyond description;....this brave little she-dragon of ours flew on" (page 491). She had such security that nothing would ever go wrong with "She", the steam engine. Was this the case?.......I am afraid not.

Charles Dickens 1812-1870

Industrialism was a time described as the most fundamental transformation of human life in the history of the world. A change, most people were not ready for. One aspect of industrialism that was rejected at first was the moving in of the railways. People saw it as disrupting their community as evident in Charles Dickens work, Dombey and Son." Also, in his novel, "Hard Times," Dickens portrays industrial Manchester as "Coketown" because of the coal residue that blackened the city. Both these pieces portrays the point of moving out of the old and moving into the new.

In "Dombey and Son," I liked the way the author gives you a visual picture of what was happening by the coming in of the railway. Even though this was not an earthquake, but as described on page 296, "The first shock of a great earthquake had.........houses were knocked down, streets broken through and stopped; deep pits and trenches....buildings that were undermined and shaking, propped by great beams of wood" it seems as if the entire place was in turmoil to accommodate the building of the railways. These lines brought back childhood memories when the government was building a highway to connect two major cities. We had to relocate from where my family had lived for decades and those houses which the government were not able to relocate were knocked down all in the name of progress. The government wanted to build a highway and once you were in the proposed path you had to move. It was sad, stressful and depressing. The author continued by stating that the, "Chaos of carts, overthrown and jumbled together, lay topsy-turvy at the bottom of a steep unnatural hill" (page 496) to show how the carts were laid among the piles of dirt. It was as if piles of dirt were everywhere creating as the author had described it "unnatural hill." It is amazing how the author brings the reader to the scene. In these lines, "Everywhere were bridges that led nowhere....Babel towers of chimneys, wanting half their height; temporary wooden houses and enclosures.....giants forms of cranes, and tripods straddling above nothing," gives you the feeling as if you were standing there looking at the massive railway construction among the torn down house, the mounds of dirt, and the chaos that was everywhere. The author paints a sad picture of what was happening in the words, "If the miserable waste ground lying near it could have laughed, it would have laughed it to scorn, like many of the miserable neighbors" (page 497). However, despite the sadness and the mess the builders of the tavern and eating shops were going to prosper regardless of what was happening around them.

In, "Hard Times," Dickens used similar effect of visuals to give us an idea of what was happening. He provided lots of details that gave you a true sense of what was really going on in this city. "It was a town of red brick, or brick that would have been red if the smoke and ashes had allowed it; but, as matters stood it was a town of unnatural red and black like the painted face of a savage" (page 497). In these lines the author calls the town an unnatural place, that was awash in industrial pollution. The bricks were no longer red but black caused by air pollution by these factories. The author described the place as the appearance as like a "savage," which clearly shows his feelings. He was not happy with what was happening to this city due to the pollution. The author went on to state that, "It was a town of machinery and tall chimneys, out of which interminable serpents of smoke trailed themselves for ever and ever....It had a black canal in it, and the river ran purple with ill-smelling dye" to point out that pollution was everywhere, including the rivers.

The factory hands work long hours in oppressive conditions, who lived monotonous lives as stated in these lines, "Who all went in and out at the same hours, with the same sound...to do the same work....to whom every day was the same as yesterday and tomorrow, and every year the counterpart of the last and the next." I really liked this line that the author had used, "Coketown did not come out of its own furnaces, in all respects like gold that had stood the fire" (page 498) to seal his point that the town had changed because of industrialism. This was not like gold that is unchanged no matter what you have done to it. Coketown had changed. However, amidst all this pollution, there was a place of exception , New Church; "a stuccoed edifice with a square steeple over the door" (page 497). Also, you had your prosperous individuals just as you did in Dombey and Son. In Hard Times, it mentioned two individuals by the names of Mr. Gradgrind and Mr. Bounderby. On page 498 it emphasized their elite standings, “…they lived upon the best, and bought fresh butter, and insisted on Mocha coffee, and rejected all but prime parts of meat.” These individuals were much like the individuals that built the tavern and eating shops in Dombey and Son. The author was not very fond of these gentlemen. Were they taking advantage of the poor, which was the majority, of Coketown? One can only speculate as to why this was the case.

I really enjoyed both readings. It was not stated in "Dombey and Son" how the people reacted when the railway was completed. However, we will assume that some welcomed it while others were still against it as is the case with every new invention. One thing was evident in these pieces was that the lower class were placed as it were on back burners all in the name of progress. This was the Industrial period and the lower class was able to work factory jobs but they still suffered. The lower class suffered more than the upper class. It seems as if history is repeated itself in many part of the world. The lower class is working for minimal wages while businesses are reaping the rewards.

William Wordsworth 1770-1850

William Wordsworth wrote, "We are Seven" while walking in the grove at Alfoxden. In 1973 while walking to and fro within the area of Goodrich he met a little girl and composed this poem with the last stanza first, starting with the last line, "And said, nay, we are seven" (page 201). The poem is actually about the death of two children as viewed through the eyes of their sister.

The first stanza speaks of the innocence of the child as it relates to the idea of death. Then the next two stanzas introduces the little girl whom Wordsworth met that day. The little girl is described as very simple, natural being; someone for whom Wordsworth feels a kind of empathy. Words such as "rustic", "wildly clad" conveys this simple, natural being giving his poem the credibility that it deserves. Instead of scorning this girl, Wordsworth was glad seeing her the way she was. It must have reminded him of the natural beauty of an untouched forest. The girl's age, "She was eight years old" must have brought back childhood memories because his own mother died when he was just turning eight years old.

The poem then continues with the interaction between Wordsworth and the little cottage girl. It seems as if this little girl is very smart and is a fast thinker because when asked, "How many may you be?" she replied, "Seven in all." The author continued by using the words, "Wondering looked at me" suggesting that the little girl might be saying can't you see for yourself that there are seven of us, why do you asked how many may you be. The little girl replies as if her siblings have been and are always there. The little girl assures him that there is still life in her dead siblings.

I am not sure if William Wordsworth believes in life after death, but he gives the girl's perspective of the subject using the line "Their graves are green, they may be seen" (line 37, page 200). The little girl’s reply assures the reader that her siblings, even though dead, are still alive. The last stanza reaffirm the little girl's point that her brother and sister are not died because their spirits are in heaven.

"But they are dead; those two are dead!
Their spirits are in heaven!"
'Twas throwing words away; for still
The little Maid would have her will,
And said, "Nay,we are seven!

The girl’s belief that her siblings still play a part in her life, and are perhaps themselves alive, strongly reinforces the supernatural by emphasizing the possibility of physical life after death. This, I strongly believes in. There is life after death. Death is not the end.

Lord Byron 1788-1824

I really enjoyed reading Byron's poem, "She walks in beauty." While reading this poem I was also mesmerized by the imagery that this poet used to describe this beautiful woman. He uses images of light and darkness or black and white interacting together to describe the wide spectrum of elements in this beautiful woman's personality and looks.

"She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;"

If line one is read by itself, the reader would be getting only a dark image of this woman. However, the line continues telling us it was like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies suggesting this woman's beauty was like the stars in the sky on a cloudless night. The speaker continues by stating, "And all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes,'' (line3, page 358) giving us a perfect contrast of dark, suggesting black and bright suggesting white. This woman has the perfect combination of black and white, which in itself is perfect.

In the second stanza, the author continues to explain this woman's perfection. Using the words "One shade the more, one ray the less, had half impair'd the nameless grace" (lines 7 and 8). In his eyes if she was any way different, she would not be beautiful. In the words, "Where thoughts serenely sweet express how pure, how dear their dwelling-place," suggest that this woman is not only physically beautiful but inwardly she is stunning. Her inward radiance is expressed outwardly.

In the third stanza, Lord Byron continues to be mesmerized in the woman's beauty. First he describes her physical beauty using words such as "soft," "calm," "eloquent" to describe her cheek and brow. Then, the author validate this outer beauty by telling us where it came from, using phrases such as, "days in goodness spent," "mind at peace," and "heart whose love is innocent" suggesting that inwardly she is also beautiful.

This poem, "She walks in beauty," was undoubtedly beautiful and the title so fitting. It describes a beautiful woman. This woman as seen through the eyes of the author had true beauty that the author has never seen before. She is not only beautiful physically or outwardly, but this beauty started inwardly. One can only image, will the author still be obsessed with her beauty when she is old and her physical appearance shows the signs of aging or will she be always beautiful regardless of her age.

Percy Bysshe Shelley 1792-1822

Percy Bysshe Shelley "Ozymandias" is a sonnet that he wrote in a sonnet writing contest. "Ozymandias"is the Greek name for Ramses II, the man thought to be the pharaoh of Exodus whom Moses challenged. In this poem Shelley tells of the rise, peak and fall of this king. The king who thought that his name would live on forever had such pride, self-confidence or aggrogance, which results in fatal retribution.

The sonnet started off by telling the story that was heard from a traveller who was from "an antique land." In this poem instead of a great and lasting king that pharoah of Exodus expected to be, he is nothing but merely a ruined king heard from a traveller. Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the dessert.....Near them on the sand, half sunk, a shattered visage lies" (lines 2-4, page 399). The words used to describe the statue is very important in this poem. Words such as "vast and trunkless" gives the impression that this figure was very hugh and powerful. Now the trunkless legs of stone stand in the dessert, tells of the ruin state of this large image. Half sunk tells of Ozymandias deminishing status in the present world.

Words such as, "whose frown, and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command" (line 5, page 399) tells of the king cold yet strong and commanding nature. This was experienced by the sculptor because the sonnet mentioned that its sculpture well those passions read. "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed" (line 8) refferred to the way Ozymandias treated the people. He was harsh and very cold insisting that the people worked hard to build up his kindom. All the people got for their hard work was some food in order for them to be healthy to keep on working.

"And on the pedestal, these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

These verses suggest that the king seemed to have a great amount of pride in his work. He compared himself to the King of Kings which echoes ironically against the subsequent application of this title to Christ. He believed that all rival kings would look at his great work and despair. However, the sonnet ends on a depressive note similar to John Keets poem, "When I have fears". Today, nothing is left of his name and works, just as there is nothing really left of the statue as stated in these words, “Nothing beside remains” (line 12). All that is left around the statue is, "The lone and level sands strech far away."

Ozymandias was a mighty and powerful king who thought that his kingdom would last forever; however the sonnet tells us that nothing last forever. Today, looking on the staute once a massive and powerful object that was placed on a pedestal is now in decay. An object they thought will be of lasting fame is in decay and all that seems to last is the dessert in which its ruin lies.

John Keats 1795-1821

John Keats was another young poet who greatly shaped the world of poetry with his sonnets and ode-writings. He was the son of a working class family. Keats was not able to get a formal education, yet he was classified as a brilliant writer. Of all the pieces that are in our text, I enjoyed reading the Sonnet "When I have fears" and I would like to share with you what I thought Keats was trying to bring across to his readers.

Keats was at a difficult time in his life when he wrote, "When I have fears." The theme of this piece is to convey to his readers, his fears and how they fit in the overall picture of life. Keats was in his early twenties and his health was worsening and this must have caused him to have fears. Fears that he would not be able to accomplished all that he desires and the fear that he might not be able to marry the girl of her dreams. This is so typical of the human nature. We all have fears not knowing what the future holds for us. It is how we deal with our fears which is very important.

In the verses, "When I have fears that I may cease to be, before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain....full-ripened grain" expresses Keats fears that he may die before he is able to write and communicate all his ideas and get them down on paper. By writing his ideas down would reflect permanence which will be available to his readers for years to come and Keats feared that he may not be able to do this.

When he states that, "When I behold upon the night's starred face, ....and think that I may never live to trace their shadows with the magic hand of chance" tells of his fears that he may not live to see what the future holds for him. Here Keats expanded on the first four verses, making reference to stars which symbolizes foretelling of the future.

Keats continues his Sonnet by stating that, "And when I feel, fair creature of an hour, that I shall never look upon thee more, never have relish in the fairy power of unreflected love" conveys his fear of not being able to experienced love with the woman that he loves.

Finally, in these verses "Then on the shore of the wide world I stand alone and think, till love and fame to nothingness do sink," presents a picture of himself standing alone on the shore of the wide world with all personal ambitions, love and concerns erased from his mind by all that he contemplates. Then he realized that all that he feared is trivial compared to what there is out there. This assertion allows him to get a grip on his fears. In applying the last verses to my life, I think Keats was trying to convey that there is nothing to fear not even death because we cannot change what the future holds. As a Christian, I do believe that death is not all there is to life, there is life after death so why fear.

Felicia Hemans 1793-1835

Felicia Hemans, had a very impressive biography. Under the teaching of her mother, by age fourteen she had learned four languages and quickly developed a talent for writing. Unlike Dorothy Wordsworth, she sought fame for her work and published numerous publications. Lord Bryon, a critic of her's thought it was out of the ordinary for a woman to write poetry criticized her work. He stated, 'I do not despise Mrs. Heman- but if she knit blue stocking instead of wearing them it would be better" (page 404), suggesting that women should not aspire to be writers, this should only be done by men. This, I disagree with.

Also I have noticed in the introduction that she has had some negative experiences with her father and husband, and had to raised five children on her own. These experiences has really influenced her work as shown in her gruesome writing of "The Wife of Asdrubal."

I had mixed emotions while reading, "The Wife of Asdrubal." On one hand I felt Asdrudal's wife rage towards her husband but on the other hand I could not understand understand why she could have killed the children. This does not make sense to me. Sometimes in rage we do terrible things to repay others for what they have done to us, so I guess she felt that she had to repay her husband for the hurt and pain that she was going through. She was determined to take her revenge, she would not back out. This was obvious in the following verses;

"But a wild courage sits triumphant there,
The stormy grandeur of a proud despair;
A daring siprit, in its woes elate,
Mightier than death, untameable by fate......
She seems th' avenging goddess of the scene." (page 407)

Also from these lines, it seems as if she was being heroic in bringing to her husband's attention that she was hurting, because the author uses words as courage, triumphant, proud and daring life spirit to validate this point. In her rage to get even with her husband she killed the children as stated in these lines "Bright in her hand the lifted dagger gleams, swift from her children's hearts the life-blood streams" (page 408) I am not clear if it was her children or not because the poem did not answer that question.

"Are those her infants, that with suppliant cry
Cling round her, shrinking as the flame draws nigh," (page 407)

It is unclear if the children that were killed were Asdrubal wife's children because the poet did not give an answer when the statement was made "Are those her infants." Might be they were not her children but his, and in her rage to take revenge she killed his children. One can only wonder. However, it is clear from the poem that she did perish in the flames as was evident in the last verse.

Dorothy Wordsworth 1771 - 1855

Dorothy Wordsworth, one of five children, was born in the Lake District of England in 1771. After their mother died in 1778, their father felt he was unable to sustain the household, sent the four boys away to school and Dorothy to live with a series of distant relatives. However, as faith would have it , she was united with her brother William, with whom she was closest, and lived with him even after his marriage. Dorothy did not think of herself as a writer and did not aspire to publication. Even when her friends urged her to publish her remarkable work, she would respond by saying, "I should detest the idea of setting myself as an author" (page 290). In humility, as was evidenced in much of her writtings, she insisted that she had written only for family and friends.

Dorothy began her Grasmere journal in May 1800. She told herself that she was writing to give William "pleasure", but her journal was more than pleasure to William. "The Grasmere Journals" gives a wonderful account of her day-to-day life in the Lake District, the long walks through the countryside with the detailed descriptions of nature. She also mentions the displacement of people who were suffering because of the economic distresses of rural England.

"A beautiful yellow, palish yellow flower, that looked thick round & double" (page 294)
"The mountains...look much greener & I think the valley is more green than ever" (page 295)

Words such as "yellow", "palish yellow", "greener" and "green" reminds me of spring with the lush green leaves on trees and the beautiful flowers in all of their glory. Dorothy's keen attention to details and love for nature brings life to her journal entries. "The corn begins to shew itself. The ashes are still bare," reminds me of a farmer who had recently planted his field and the seeds were just beginning to sprout. Whereas, "weltering on the shores" (page 294), "waves roared & brake against the pier" (page 298) capture the sound of the place and "smelt very sweet" (page 294) capture the aroma of the day. "I never saw daffodils so beautiful....some rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow for weariness & the rest tossed & reeled & danced & seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind" (page 296), reminds me of the innocence of youth. A child playing outdoors with no cares or worries in this world calling to her mother to come and play with her.

Besides recording observations of nature, her journal entries provided glimpses of displaced paupers as I would term it, who were passing through. Dorothy, who I am assuming was now part of the middle class family, was very compasonate towards these beggers. Never passing judgement as to why they were in that state but going the extra mile to help those in need. She was especially generous to those who were from her home town as evidenced in these words, "On the Rays we met a woman with 2 little girls, one in her arms the other about 4 years old walking by her side......I was moved and gave her a shilling- I believe 6 more than I ought to have given" (page 297).

The effect of these beggers apprearances and their words contrast the beautiful, abundance and positive aspects of nature that she described in her journal, giving her journal entries a reality of what was happening in her time.

William Blake 1757 - 1827

It was very difficult, for me, reading William Blake's writings because most of the time I was confused about the meaning of what he was trying to convey. I think of Blake as a very complicated author, so thanks to the footnotes and podcast which really helped with understanding some of his writings.

"I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow."

Finally, I came across this poem "The Poison Tree" (pages 92-93) and really loved it. The reason I loved it was that the poem attempt to explain one important aspect of human nature, anger, which I can definitely relate to. Anger is an important area of a person's life, which must be dealt with immediately. As stated in the Bible, "Be angry and sin not." In the first stanza, the speaker is angry and does not want to be angry because he is angry with his friend and so his anger dissipate. However, most of us choose to hold our anger inside, eroding the compassionate, loving and caring nature of all human beings to one of wanting to take revenge.

How does our anger grows is clearly portrayed in the other stanzas of Blake's poem, "A Poison Tree." Noticed that it took about three stanzas to explain how anger grows because it is a process. It does not happen overnight; whereas letting go of your anger happens immediately. Blake uses metaphoric writing style to describe how anger is grown, using terms which are associated with planting a tree or a flowering plant. As we all know, plants need water, sunlight and nutrients to grow. So, when Blake speaks of "waterd it in fears, night & morning with my tears," he speaks of how our anger caused us to remain upset, even to the point of tears. Most of us can relate to this, in that when we are upset we sob and get depressed stating that how could this person have done this to me. When Blake speaks of "I sunned it with smiles and with soft deceitful wiles", in my opinion, I interpret this to mean how we cover up our anger with smiles and pretend that all is well in front of the offender, but when we are not in their presence we planned our revenge.

Then the religious context of the poem was evident in the next two stanzas. "An apple bright...beheld it shine" tells of the event of the biblical story of Adam and Eve, man gives in to the weakness of sin and falls. However, Eve was not Adam's foe so I was a little confused. Based on my interpretation of these two stanzas, I am assuming that the angry person was at a point where the foe was now trapped and he or she could now take the revenge. In life this is not always the case. Most times, the person who is angry is the one who suffers the most. Overall, I think Blake was trying to speak out against anger and not trying to celebrate it.

Welcome

Hello everyone,

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Anthony O. Porter and I am a senior at Mercer University pursuing an undergraduate degree in the BBA program. This is my final semester before receiving my diploma and I am so thrilled to be completing my degree.

An online class was not my first option since I have never done one before, but I am very excited to be apart of this new learning experience. Making sure that my assignments are completed and submitted correctly in a timely manner, while at the same time meeting my deadlines at work will be my greatest challenge; however I am up to the challenge, to take the risk and reap the rewards. Yes, I do work. I am the Accountant at this wonderful Health Care Consulting Company and I love working with such wonderful people. My hope and expectation is that this class will be both educational and enjoyable.