Weeks 7-9: Romantic Revival
1. How is the Romantic notion of the Sublime reflected in the texts under consideration in this Romanticism reader? Discuss one or two examples from Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience.
2. How do Blake and Rousseau's ideas align and differ (themes to consider are slavery, religion and education)?
2. How do Blake and Rousseau's ideas align and differ (themes to consider are slavery, religion and education)?
3. See what you can find out anything about what really happened at the Villa Diodati that fateful summer in 1816...
4. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
5. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
7. How does Frankenstein a) reference the Bible, b) foreshadow the Death of God and c) juggle genres as well as narrative points of view in its storytelling?
4. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
5. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
7. How does Frankenstein a) reference the Bible, b) foreshadow the Death of God and c) juggle genres as well as narrative points of view in its storytelling?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2:
ReplyDeleteBlake and Rousseau are both successful 18th century authors who used their texts to utter a political view. Feminism, human rights and education are amongst the themes they discuss. I will look into their thoughts on religion. Note that when I'm referring to Rousseau's works, I am using an extract of The Social Contract found though Bartleby - Great books online (http://www.bartleby.com/168/408.html, retrieved 9.05.18), as the chapter in question is not found in our Critical Reader.
Through Blake's "The song of innocence" and "The song of experience" we get a glimpse of Blake's opinions of society. In the latter, in the poem Holy Thursday, Blake criticizes the hypocrisy of institutionalized religion. "Is this a holy thing to see, / In a rich and fruitful land, / Babes reduced to misery" (Line 1-3). He wonders how there can be such poverty in Great Britain, maybe the richest country in the world at the time. Also in "The Chimney Sweeper," the church is criticized. "They clothed me in the clothes of death […] And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King / Who make up a heaven of our misery" (Line 7, 11 &12). Blake looks at the double moral of people who claim to be good Christians, while simultaneously ignoring all the misery surrounding them.
Also Rousseau discusses religion, as we find in the last chapter of "The Social Contract". He starts with defining two different kinds of religion: "the religion of man, and that of the citizen" (paragraph 5). He then proceeds with a thorough explanation on the positive and negative sides of both of them. And while he has some good points on the positive side ("Every one would do his duty; the people would be law-abiding, the rulers just and temperate" (24)), he stops at nothing in his criticism. "Being founded on lies and error, it deceives men, makes them credulous and superstitious […] bloodthirsty and intolerant" (19).
In addition to being skeptical towards religion in general, Rousseau focuses a little extra on Christianity. He points out how a society consisting only of good Christians would be a bad one, as "the country of the Christian is not of this world, […]it matters little to him whether things go well or ill here on earth" (25). For the same reason Christians would make bad soldiers, not having true patriotism nor a strong will to live. Their focus is on their next life.
Blake is not impressed by the Church's ability to take care of this world either. In The Garden of Love, he describes how a church had been built in a lovely garden. Once filled with flowers, it was now a graveyard. "I went to the Garden of Love […] / and tomb-stones where flowers should be." (Line 1 and 8). In addition to directly showing how the building of the Church harmed the surrounding nature, it also has a symbolic meaning. Originally a place of innocence and "my joys & desires" (line 10), it is now filled with restrictions "and Priests in black gowns" (line 9)
It is clear that both Blake and Rousseau are skeptical towards institutionalized religion However, they have chosen different angels. Through his poems, Blake shows the backside of the society. Poverty and the destinies of the chimney sweepers are some concrete examples. Rousseau is talking on a way more general basis. He examines the basic flaws of a hypothetical Christian society. While Rousseau tells us how a Christian society might go wrong, Blake describes how it already has failed.
Sources:
Rousseau, J.J.R. (1913) The social Contract of Principles of Political Right. Book IV, Chapter VIII. Retrieved from http://www.bartleby.com/168/408.html , 9.05.18
Selections from William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, 1794; boxed commentaries from Blake, W. (1972; 1794). Songs of Innocence and Experience with an introduction and commentary by Sir Geoffrey Keynes, London: Oxford.
2. How do Blake and Rousseau's ideas align and differ (themes to consider are slavery, religion and education)?
ReplyDeleteAnswer
Religion: "Pipping sons of pleasant glee. On a cloud I saw a child… Pipe a song about a lamb". Blake uses the vision of a child in his poetry, where the child is on a cloud guided by the innocent spirit of poetry. The innocent spirit of poetry could transcend to the realm of spiritualism or religion. The lamb and child are also symbols of religion in the person of Jesus.
In my perspectives, I can see Blake's prose writing in his poetry contains powerful imagery and themes such as slavery, education and religion. These themes are present in the "Songs of Innocence & Experience".
"And by came an Angel who had a bright key, And he open'd the coffin & set them all free". Blake refers to spirituality and religion when he refers to angels opening up the coffin and setting Tom free from his unhappy circumstances.
"Father, father, where are you going O do not walk so fast". The child represents the human spirit seeking the conventional God, which relates to spiritualism and religion.
Slavery: Slavery is present in Blake's poetry especially the small boys for sweeping the chimneys, the white boy being blackened. Evidently, there was strong practices of using children, girls and boys both swept chimneys in 1775 (Phillips, 1950). However, Jonas Hanway an English traveller and philanthropist realised the absurdity of children being involved in chimney sweeping and believed children should be treated with kindness and not subjected to such cruelty (Phillips, 1950). Children chimney sweeping in the 16-17th century could be classified as slavery and is reflected in Blake's poetry.
Rousseau's slavery: "No one has a right to kill an enemy except when he cannot make him a slave, and the right to enslave him cannot therefore be derived from the right to kill him". The right of slavery is null and void, not only as being illegitimate, but also because it is absurd and meaningless.
Both poets are against the idea of slavery, as it is depicted in their poetry and literature. Blake describes slavery indirectly through children sweeping chimneys. However, Rousseau blatantly says " the right to slavery is null and void. Blake lived in poverty which maybe the reason why he wrote much of his poem on poor education and slavery. Blake's work on Songs of innocence presents the ideal of moral awakening which had social consequences in Westminster as the consequences of experience (Gardner, 2013). Blake was against social oppression which umbrellas the themes of slavery, poor education and religion.
Although Rousseau and Blake share similarities with slavery, they do not with religion or spirituality. Blake embedded his poetry on religion and spirituality, but Rousseau's work in 'Social Contract" criticises religion. Rousseau heavily focuses on the family structure and law "the most ancient of all societies, and the only one that is natural, is the family". Assuming Rousseau is referring to man is the only natural being dismantling the idea of a higher entity and religion.
References:
Gardner, S. (2013). Blake's 'Innocence' and 'Experience' retraced. London: Bloomsbury.
Phillips, G. L. (1950). The Abolition of Climbing Boys. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 9(4), 445-462. doi:10.1111/j.1536-7150.1950.tb01557.x
Question 3
ReplyDeleteSee what you can find out anything about what really happened at the Villa Diodati that fateful summer in 1816...
The events in Villa Diodati in 1816 are legendary. It lead to the creation of two bestsellers, and an inspiration to countless other stories. Key words in this writing process are bad weather, a German book and boredom.
Mary Shelly (still named Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin) and her husband to be Percy Shelly spent the summer of 1816 in Geneva. With them was also Claire Clairmont, Mary’s stepsister. Mary was the daughter of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, both relatively successful writers and philosophers. Percy Shelly was a poet, and currently married to someone else.
The weather this summer was a particularly bad one. In April 1815, there was a volcanic eruption in Indonesia at Mount Tamboro. The ashes covered our view of the sun, leading to a drop in temperature and more rain. This lead the group to spend more time inside, usually also in the company of their neighbor Lord Byron, a famous poet, and his physician Dr. John Polidori.
Their evenings were usually filled with conversations in the bad weather. That was until one night they found Fantasmagoriana, a book containing a French translation of a couple of German horror stories. The stories clearly left a mark on Mary. “I have not seen these stories since then; but their incidents are as fresh in my mind as if I had read them yesterday.”*
This book inspired Lord Byron to start the legendary challenge: for each of them to write a ghost story. They all chose a different approach. Byron immediately started writing on a vampire story. It was later published in the end of Mazeppa, but never became a success. Percy Shelly looked back at his early life for inspiration. Polidori “had some terrible idea about a skull‐headed lady.”* Although this text never turned into anything great, the challenge ignited a spark in his mind. Later the same year, he began writing on a different story. It was published in 1819 under the name The Vampyre, and became an international bestseller.
Mary, however, could not think of a story. She wanted something extraordinary, “one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart.”* But the inspiration was not present, and every morning she had to disappoint the others, as she still had not come up with a story. That was until one night where she had a vivid nightmare. The evening before, Lord Byron and Shelly had discussed “the nature of the principle of life,”* galvanism and the possibility of creating life. Mary’s subconscious followed this path, and provided her with a dream. “I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together.” She wathced the creature come to life, how the artist fled in fear hoping the creature would die, and how he later woke up with the creature standing next to his bed. Mary woke up in terror, but with an idea for the ghost story. Later the same day she began to write.
Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein turned into a highly successful book and marked the start of an era with horror and science fiction. Polidori’s book had a great influence on later text as well, being the inspiration of many vampire stories to come.
Sources:
*Shelley, Mary. (1985; 1818). Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, London: Penguin
Buzwell, G (2014) Mary Shelly, Frankenstein and the Villa Diodati. British Library. Retrieved from: https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/mary-shelley-frankenstein-and-the-villa-diodati (14.05.18)
Jackson, K (2017): The haunted summer of 1816. The prospect. Retrieved from https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/arts-and-books/sumer-1816-frankenstein-shelley-byron-villa-diodati (14.04.18)
Question 7
ReplyDeleteHow does Frankenstein a) reference the Bible, b) foreshadow the Death of God and c) juggle genres as well as narrative points of view in its storytelling?
Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein has been read, loved and analyzed since it came out. Influencing stories for years to come, it must also have gotten it’s inspiration from somewhere. Several critics have noted the connection to the Bible.
The characters in the book are clearly Christians living in a Christian society. A priest is present during the trial of Justine. In his explanation to Frankenstein, the monster is referring the Bible at several points. “I began to think of Paradise […] the beautiful creatures there […] showing me love and affection. […] But it was all a dream” (page 61). Frankenstein shows a similar pessimism on one of his last days: “All my ideas and hopes have come to nothing, and like the great angel who thought he would be God, and who was thrown from Heaven, I, too am now chained down in a never-ending hell.” (page 109)
The creation story is a key story in the Bible, telling us how God created all life. God is the creator, whereas the humans only have the capacity of imitation. However, in this book, technology has come so far as to create life. Frankenstein is a creation story where humans are the creators. “I am your creature. You gave me life. You are my God” (page 45).
In a way, Mary was parodying the biblical creation in her story. The monster is made in the image of men, as we are made in the image of God. The famous “And there was light” from Genesis 1.1, is reflected in the monsters recollection of his creation: “At first I remember seeing a very strong light” (page 48). The male monster was the first creation, and as Adam, he wanted a partner. “In this world, every man has a wife and each beast has a mate […] Why must I be alone?” (page 80). Genesis 2.18 states “It is not good that the man should be alone,” and the monsters loneliness and frustration truly leads to horrible incidents.
The book can also be interpreted as a foreshadowing of the Death of God. Frankenstein is written in a time where science was advancing and threatened the belief in God. Darwin published his Theory of Evolution in 1859. We gained a better understanding of the human mind and subconscious through Freud’s psychoanalysis. Frankenstein is a part of this movement. Here, men and science have taken the role of the creator, a position typically reserved for God.
Throughout her entire story, Mary Shelly is switching between different points of view and genres. The book starts out as informal letters, written by Robert Walton for his sister Margaret. Walton explains his decision to go to the North Pole, and how they met Frankenstein on the way. Then, the narrative changes to Frankenstein’s point of view, as he tells Walton about the creation of the monster. Walton writes it all down, even including some of Frankenstein’s letters in his own. However, the writing style is now more of an oral story telling than a letter.
About half way thought the book, there are a couple of chapters where the monster tells his story. We now have the monster telling Frankenstein a story, who retells it to Walton, who again is writing to his sister. It is easy to forget that we read Frankenstein’s story though Walton’s letters. Occasionally Shelley gives us a reminder through sentences like “I must pause here. It requires all my strength to tell the rest of this story.” (page 85) at the end of chapter 8.
Frankenstein remains to this day an interesting piece of literature. Shelly has managed to create a fascinating story using a variety of techniques. Frankenstein fits well with the (lack of) religious thoughts at the time, while simultaneously finding inspiration in the Bible.
Sources
Shelly, Mary (2007) Frankenstein. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press.
Hi good uses of examples from quotes from the Bible, and perhaps some ideas from our lectures's power points? I did like that too. Good use of online journal article source about Frankenstein from Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. Also good short and clear analysis about the book about the character of Frankenstein with the comparison of the bible.
Delete7. How does Frankenstein a) reference the Bible, b) foreshadow the Death of God and c) juggle genres as well as narrative points of view in its storytelling?
ReplyDeletea) According to Mary Shelley referring to Frankenstein, the Bible does not completely symbolize the image, but it ends once you start looking for it. There are four important ideas about this:
Firstly, this monster is compared to Judaism, Adam, the first person in the Christian tradition. However, he is also compared to Satan. (Shelley, n.d.)
Secondly, he wanted to eat berries with Mrs. Monster in the wilderness, just like Adam and Eve in Eden.
Lastly, he read and get confused about the lost paradise.
But don't say it in our words. Here is the monster, who is talking about reading Paradise Lost:
Like Adam, I obviously have no connection with any other existing people; but his state is completely different from the myth. He came out of God's hands and was a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, protected by the special care of His Creator; he could talk to and gain knowledge with high-level natural creatures, but I was miserable, helpless, and lonely. Many times, I think that Satan is a symbol of my condition, because often like him, when I see the joy of my protectors, the bitterness of my heart rises in my heart. (Shelley, n.d.)
What makes us confused? These complex Christian allusions keep us away from thinking that we can package our analysis with a neat little package. And the coolest thing is that form, which is a complex text, not letting us analyse any content neatly, it matches the content of Shelley's little talk about how we shouldn't put people and monsters into boxes. It is quite pretty. (Shelley, n.d.)
Reference:
Shelley, (n.d.). Frankenstein: The Bible. Retrieved from https://www.shmoop.com/frankenstein/bible-symbol.html
b) b) foreshadow the Death of God
Frankenstein was one of the most primitive and disturbing works that took place during those Diodati villas, as well as the general British Romantic Movement.
Represents the historic moment in which the faith of God was replaced by the trust (and fear) of the power of science.
God said that we shall create people in our image and let them take charge of the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the herds of cattle, and the various creeping things throughout the earth. Something creeping on the ground. (Genesis, 1.10 - Men and women created them. Genesis, January 26)
c) juggle genres as well as narrative points of view in its storytelling
Frankenstein genre is all about Gothic fiction, tragedy, and science fiction about such:
(1) Gothic novels. Dark and stormy nights? An examination. Horrible monster? An examination. Try to inspire the lofty feelings of terror and awe? Check and check. It sounds beautiful to us.
(2) Tragedy. Everyone is dead in the end. Oh, you want to get more technology? OK: Frankenstein showed us a great or a very good guy who was taken away by his own pride or arrogance. It is definitely a tragedy.
(3) Science fiction. This is where it becomes interesting: Frankenstein is often considered the first work of science fiction. The key is that science is not just about decorating windows: the whole content of a novel is to explore important questions about what it means, where "it" can be loosely translated as "science, destiny, free will, nature, and humanity.” You know, the easy thing is this. (Shelley, n.d.)
Reference:
Shelley, (n.d.). Frankenstein: Analysis: Genre. Retrieved from https://www.shmoop.com/frankenstein/genre.html
It's a good answer. you are mentioned about Frankenstein. I also research about that. but you are more exactly research that. And you are good examples. That's why its a really understand easily. Thanks!
Delete2. How do Blake and Rousseau's ideas align and differ (themes to consider are slavery, religion and education)?
ReplyDeleteBlake has prefigured the Romantic Movement in some ways, although his influence in his own time was limited.
Rousseau was a French and Swiss thinker. His ideas contributed to revolutionary ideals, feminism, and ultimately socialism.
Rousseau, who was studied by Blake, believed that one of the principles that excites humanity is to see the resentment of fellow humanity suffering and death.
Some of Blake's poems reflect the human suffering and the reactions of the people involved in their lives. It can be said that by writing poetry about these suffering people, Blake himself was motivated by other human sufferings and followed Rousseau’s beliefs. Especially in ‘The Little Black Boy’, ‘The Chimney Sweeper’, and ‘Infant Sorrow’, Blake discusses the idea of pain and death, and we can draw conclusions from his work about the human motives in Rousseau's works.
Rousseau believes that human suffering and death are the main issues that motivate others to act, and Blake clearly agrees with this point of view, as indicated by the problems expressed in his poems. Although some of the characters in the collection are obviously not driven by the pain of others, this is where Blake puts his point of view. He encourages his readers to motivate him by seeing the suffering of neglected humans. Blake himself proved Rousseau’s theory by writing poems that created a broader understanding of social issues and revealed the suffering of children and other humans who are often suppressed. (Rousseau & Blake's Poems, 2010)
Reference:
Rousseau & Blake's Poems, (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/document/29021007/Rousseau-Blake-s-Poems
You are good mention Blake and Rousseau's. Before i don't know about that.
DeleteBut you are good examples and explained. Thanks!
You are reference also good.
3. See what you can find out anything about what really happened at the Villa Diodati that fateful summer in 1816...
ReplyDeleteAccording to Polidori and Bishop, (2014), "Villa Diodati is a residence on the shores of Lake Geneva, and many writers such as Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley and John Polidori were in summer dorms in 1816 It is famous for rented villas. " (Polidori, J. and Bishop, F. (2014).)
They had a hard time in the villa as the weather changed due to "Volcano Tambora".
In addition, through the "Benjamin Franklin and his electrical experiments", the writers of the villa-in-vision dark science or dark power.
Sir Byron created a competition or challenge for his guests. The mission was to identify the person who could make the most horrific story and it happened on the evening of June 16. Among the guests was Mary Shelley, a nightmare inspired by her stories.
The year 1816 was the coldest summer in Europe, and it continued to rain in Switzerland. This forced the group to spend all their time indoors in finding ways to entertain themselves. In the evening of the night of June 17, Byron read Samuel T. Coleridge aloud to the poet Christabel. At that point Percy realized that Mary was a nightmare for this story. He plunged into a room that had undoubtedly influenced the idea of Mary in the story she was trying to develop. It is worth noting that she kept a great deal of silence during the night.
Dr. Frankenstein, who created a man from a dead body part. The intense excitement and compass he faces when he sees the creation of his creatures also makes him angry.
The bizarre summer of 1816, two symbolic stories were recorded: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Vampyre by John Polidori. Both stories have had a significant impact on popular culture and have been conducted to form today's gothic and horror genre.
( Reference)
Polidori, J. and Bishop, F. (2014). The Vampyre' and Other Writings. New York: Carcanet.
Good use of both in-direct quoting and direct quoting from different sources from other journal articles online. Good analysis by using your own opinions and paraphrasing from other people's ideas about the question to write your own answer and most of them does indeed making a good sense, I think it's a bit better than your last week's or it seems similar being doing good mate! Good luck for your final week semester's post!
Delete5. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
ReplyDeleteAccording to Thompson, (2010)" In 1816 Maria, Percy, Byron, and John Pollyori went to Villa Diodati, the outside was too cold and stormy, it created a terrifying mode, they competed to write a horror story, Mary Shelley had a dream, which was a nightmare, a story about a scientist who was making a monster and struggling with the creation of the scientist.”
(Thompson, T. (2010).
"Dracula" is one of the most famous vampire novels of all time. It was first unveiled to the frightened public in 1897, the year when Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and Sigmund Freud began research on psychoanalysis. The famous novel by Bram Stoker was not only inspired by sensuous nightmares, but inspired by the vampire's literary tradition that began 75 years ago at Villa Diodati, at the foot of Lake Geneva. In the stormy summer of 1816, two great horror stories Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and of course Sir Byron, were born. In the evening of June after Mary told her story, Sir Lord Byron has started a story about an ancient nobility called "Davelle". It was a story about a family who traveled to Turkey with a young person. He died in the graveyard after promising to come back from the dead one month later. And from there the story was subtly over. But it was revived three years later by Dr. John William Polidori, a young doctor at Byron. Who rewrote the painting anonymously without permission under the tile "The Vampyre: A Tale".
"The Vampire." This story has had a strong impact on many TV series and movies. Sometimes movies like "Vampire Diary", "True Blood", and animated movie "Dark Shadow". Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' has produced several film adaptations and back stories about book. Perhaps this Story will be loved forever.
(Reference)
- Thompson, T. (2010). Vampires. Fitzroy, Vic.: Black Dog Books.
"The Vampire" has a very good genre of thriller and high fantasy, "The Vampire Diaries" is a recent popular American drama series, which is quite similar to Buffy the vampire slayer. All are good to compare with Frankenstein especially if you were comparing it with Buffy the vampire slayer, because one particular story was shown a character which was very similar to "the birth of Frankenstein", even its behaviour and scariness actions and personal attitudes, the monster was called Adam.
DeleteHow does Frankenstein a) reference the Bible, b) foreshadow the Death of God and c) juggle genres as well as narrative points of view in its storytelling?
ReplyDeleteAnswer:
Shelley's ideas and imagination were fostered and nurtured: "It was beneath the tress of the grounds belonging to our house, on the bleak sides of the woodless mountains near, that my true compositions, the airy flights of my imagination, were born and fostered" (Shelley, 1985).
Shelley has allowed the readers to become a part of the narrative structure and also the narrative structure is revolved around intrinsic monstrosity (Rauch, 1995). "Shelley, more apt to embody ideas and sentiments in the radiance of brilliant imagery, and in the music of the most melodious verse that adorns our language…" Imagery is prevalent in Shelley's novel Frankenstein. "I have mended the language where it was so bald as to interfere with the interest of the narrative; and these changes occur almost exclusively un the beginning of the first volume" (Shelley, 1985).
Foreshadowing gives allusion to some future events…also hints of what is to come, but only gives implicit or partial information (Bae & Young, 2008). "Delighted and surprise, I embraced her, but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue (color) of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother…" This example is taken from chapter 5, when Victor has a dream about Elizabeth but as he kisses her she becomes "lived with the hue of death" This is foreshadowing of future events that Elizabeth will die at their wedding. This is because the kiss and hue of death relates to marriage and wedding.
In chapter 5, Shelley makes contrast to God's creation of Adam to Victor's creation of the monster. "His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath.." From this passage of chapter indicates the reference of bible being incorporated with Victor's vivid depiction of the birth of Frankenstein. There is a contrast between man and Frankenstein because men are created to be 'good', whereas Frankenstein is purely monstrous.
References:
Bae, B.-C., & Young, M. (2008). A Use of Flashback and Foreshadowing for Surprise Arousal in Narrative Using a Plan-Based Approach. In U. Spierling, & N. Szilas, Interactive Storytelling (pp. 156-167). Germany : Springer.
Rauch, A. (1995). The Monstrous Body of Knowledge in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein". Studies in Romanticism, 34(2), 227. doi:10.2307/25601114
Shelley, Mary. (1985; 1818). Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, London: Penguin.
1. How is the Romantic notion of the Sublime reflected in the texts under consideration in this Romanticism reader? Discuss one or two examples from Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience.
ReplyDeleteRomanticism is as movement of literature and art occurred from the late 18th century to 19th century. One of the collection book of poem from Blake called “Holy Thursday” shows the
great exampler of the romantic concepts of beauty. Blake shows his strong beliefs of this cruel reality of his surroundings such as poverty, slavery, religion and education. Holy Thursday was no exception this one showed his criticism on the poverty. This story was based on the 80th century in London, they were known for region of poor people and there was a big difference with the class so there was a big gap between the upper class and lower class. For the high class they were able to get proper education, great food, place to stay and sleep but the lower class didn’t have any. Blake compares between the poor and the rich people how they are differiciated even though they’re both in the land of “rich and fruitful land” and he is criticising that upper class should should ashamed of themselves with the reality of presence, this directly shows in the last part of the poem:
“For where-e’er the sun does shine
And where-e’er the rain does fall
Babe can never be hunger there
Nor Poverty the mind appall” (line 13-16)
From what I believe Blake is sarcastically saying directly to the wealthy ones that wherever you go the sun and rain comes and goes so why not the sunshine to the poor? why does babies has to die of hunger while you eat fully and waste your food? For them it is like a “eternal winter” suffering from cold and hunger until the last minute of their death but the rich does not even care what they’re suffering as long as they’re all well. The poor people cries out to them but they don't listen “Is that trembling cry a song?”.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. How is the Romantic notion of the Sublime reflected in the texts under consideration in this Romanticism reader? Discuss one or two examples from Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience.
ReplyDeleteIn Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, it is filled with feelings about poverty, fear, religions and education. As I know Blake was born in poverty, which make him sensitive with it and describe it so accurately, but look through the song we still can see his faith and strong mind.
"Is that trembling cry a song ? Can it be a song of joy ? And so many children poor ? It is a land of poverty! "
Holy Thursday
"And their sun does never shine. And their fields are bleak & bare. And their ways are fill'd with thorns It is eternal winter there."
I think it is also a criticism about the class, the gap between noble and poor, which shows a big difference between the rich and the poor. The poor children's "sun does never shine, it is eternal winter there". It can tell how hard the poor make a living and how difficult their children live in such an unfair world.
Although Blake's song always reflect something misery, it still express his faith and wishes, that's why he can create these text in romantic. I can see he always make a wish in the songs, like "For where-e'er the sun does shine, And where-e'er the rain does fall: Babe can never hunger there, Nor poverty the mind appall"(Holy Thursday). Or sometimes father(god) and angels would show up in the song, lead people a way, like "He kissed the child & by the hand led And to his mother brought, Who in sorrow pale, thro' the lonely dale Her little boy weeping sought"(The Little Boy found ).
Rather than scolding the unfairness and curse the indifference nobles, Blake pays more attention on writing something feels like a truly song from the poor soul, it's also like dream which express people's mind, they want to be saved.