Yew Again

For my final post of the semester, I would like to briefly review Jessy Fijak's post from April 6 available here.

I want to very respectfully disagree with the conclusion of this post. Jessy asserts that, "I think he is suggesting that humans and nature are not separate entities. Rather, that they are united and should work together."

In my opinion the message is the exact opposite, that humans and nature are in fact very separate, disparate objects. However I do agree that there is and should be a working and complimentary relationship between both man and nature as represented by the tree and traveler. And I think the Yew tree is meant to symbolize and demonstrate just that.

In researching the Yew Tree to better understand the text I came across an interesting text which discusses the historic understanding and meaning of Yew Trees, especially in older times. But most important from this text to me was the notion that there is this two-way relationship.

It is not so much that they are separate entities, but rather, they compliment each other. On the one hand, humans seek shelter and wisdom - both of which seem to be provided by the Yew; at the same time, the Yew needs humans to avoid the loneliness of being an immobile tree. So rather than viewing these two as one in the same, we should look at both man and nature as separate entities that have a mutually beneficial relationship.

Imagination

In reading Kubla Khan the first thing that came to mind was my favorite band: The Beatles. This entire poem seems like Coleridge's personal magical mystery tour.

Further research indicates that this poem's author claims that it was written in an opium-induced stupor. Well that certainly explains some of the imagery that Coleridge conjures up in these lines.

I want to focus on the imaginative aspects of this poem. From the beginning, Coleridge describes this glorious place of wonder and beauty, using especially descriptive language to do so ("gardens bright with sinuous rills", "enfolding sunny spots of greenery"). This rich, evocative language helps the reader to try and visualize the types of things that were going on in the mind of Coleridge while his mind wandered off into another world. To be frank, though, I had a hard time really visualizing what he was describing.

That other aspect I want to discuss briefly is this "pleasure dome." While the majority of the descriptive language is in reference to natural components of nature such as rivers or trees, the pleasure dome receives similar adoration. It is interesting that the author chose to juxtapose the traditional "nature" with what is ostensibly a human artifice but still treat them as one in the same. It is as though the profound meaning of this drug-induced dream is that while human creation may clash at first with the true nature, over time they can become one in the same.

Only Nature Can Save Us

In my blog this week I want to discuss the religious underpinnings of Coleridge's "Frost at Midnight."

From the very beginning we have a religious references where the frost, "performs its secret ministry." Although the Oxford English Dictionary could not offer much more than, "a house under the rule of a minister," the more I think about it the more it fits. The minister, of course, is God, and the house is this romanticized nature that Coleridge discusses, yearning for his child to experience it. Although it is not an outrageous idea to see God in everything, especially nature, it seems that is the overall goal of the author in composing this poem. In this case, the frost is something that serves God as natural "clergy."

In another sense, frost can be seen as the breathe of God and the voice of the Owl the voice. As the text states, "himself in all, and all things in himself." And taking this one step further, just as God breathes into and is embedded throughout nature, so too does he breathe into humans, and is therefore embedded in us. That is, at least, part of the message that Coleridge is trying to convey: that there is a Godliness in everything. As such, we must treat nature with a certain admiration and respect.

Really, this is a strong basis for environmentalists who want to preserve nature as is.

Yew Tree

The picture on the right is of an old Yew tree that has had many many years to grow. In my first reading of the Lines Left Upon A Seat in a Yew-Tree I had a difficult time understanding how the Yew tree fit into the narrative of the poem. After a Google search yielded the photo to the right, I took a new perspective to the poem and the role of that tree.

The message that Wordsworth trying to convey in these lines is somewhat cryptic. It is very clear, however, that a major separation occurs in line 8, if the large dash that begins the line was not obvious enough. The first eight lines of the poem describe this Yew Tree and its positive influence on a person, namely, that it: "lull[s] the mind." The subsequent fifty-two lines, on the other hand, discuss how our main character actually responds to the tree and natural surroundings. The overriding message Wordsworth makes is that while the tree (and nature's) beauty should relax this traveler and help him to clear his mind, it fails to do so. Why? Because he is a man of "lofty views and morbid pleasures" and therefore he cannot see the true, raw beauty the tree exhibits.

I see the tree as almost a God-like figure. Whereas most people probably use this natural giant as a way to take cover from a scorching sun, it has a different impact on our main character. Instead of covering up the traveler, it in fact exposes him. The tree is able to dig past the facades and superficialites this character's lives has been marked by and cuts directly to the core. That gentleman saw his Judgment Day under the shade of that omnipotent tree. Taking it one step further, I believe that Wordsworth is trying to show that God is omnipresent in any and everything, and we must appreciate every facet of the natural world, for to not to do so could lull your mind - and not in a good way.

Green Billows

In Mary Robinson's The Haunted Beach, "green billows" are mentioned in eight of the nine stanzas of the poem. But what are these green billows and what can the reader learn from them?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a billow in a number of ways including, "a great swelling of the sea often caused by wind." The picture to the left is likely the image the author is trying to convey in her text.

These green billows are described in four different ways, where the green billows:

1) made
2) stray'd
3) play'd
4) play

I want to focus on the fact that the first three words are in past tense, referring to events/actions of the past, whereas the fourth word is in the present tense. These words alone give us a skeletal map of the time-series of the poem. While the majority of this piece of poetry dwells on past events and occurrences, the last paragraphs switch to present tense. Upon first reading, at least for me, I did not so much pick up on this transition in reference of time. So, broadly speaking, these green billows can be said to represent time in the poem; although things occur in the past, they also occur in the present, which itself become the past. The green billows are a never-ending natural clock.

ABBA CDDC EFEFGG

First of all, this is not to be confused with Swedish pop band ABBA, I am referring to the structure of Charlotte Smith's Sonnet III To A Nightengale.

Although it does fit the Shakespearean sonnet form in that it is a fourteen line composition, it does have a number of areas where it diverges from that norm. First and foremost, this poem does not follow iambic pentameter perfectly - it has a number of lines that are more or less than ten syllables. I think this is an intentional move by Ms. Smith to distinguish her writings from other contemporary Sonnets.

What struck me as even more interesting as far as being a "renegade" in her writing, I will now discuss the title of this post. I am certain you know that I am referring to the rhyme scheme of this Sonnet. Although the traditional three quatrain and rhyming couplet is in place, the schemes are somewhat inverted in the sense that it would usually be ABAB but the author instead flips the third and fourth lines.

I see these minor acts of defiance as attempts to differ from the norm. Given that the author of this poem is female in a highly male-dominated field and time, this attempt to appeal to the read from a different angle is appealing and intriguing. Good work, Ms. Smith.

Sonnet On Seeing Miss Helen Maria Williams Weep At A Tale Of Distress

In this sonnet, which was Wordsworth's first published poem, he uses tears a representation of emotion, which is an important consideration in analyzing what he is trying to convey. From the onset, there is allusion to religious ideas and themes, specifically relating to Jesus. The subject of the poem, Helen Maria Williams, in my interpretation is supposed to be Jesus. While reading this poem, it conjured up images of Jesus up on that actual Crucifix. Whether it was the "purple tide flowing" which represented the blood of Jesus likely coming down from his forehead or the "closing eye" which represents his fleeting life, make no mistake this story is not coincidentally similar to that of Jesus. It is in fact a metaphorical representation of this story about a woman that Wordsworth had not even met yet!

As far as the tear is concerned, Maria seems to be weeping out of despair, which in turn brings tears, as a response to seeing the pain and misfortune of others. This seems somewhat analogous and reminiscent of the story of Jesus, as far as taking serious pain in the misdoings of others. An awesome commercial demonstrates this. Just as the childhood notion of rain being "God crying" Helen Maria Williams' tears are tantamount to "Jesus suffering."

I was quite surprised at how religiously inspired this poem was in its entirety, a pretty risky move for someone's first public publishing. A strong showing of Wordsworth's intestinal fortitude.

Time

There is an interesting relationship between the past, present and future in the of Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey. Wordsworth begins this poem by taking great lengths to describe the length of time between his last visit to this location and the one in which he was presently writing about. I believe the point of this is to make a clear delineation of time.

In recalling previous memories while in the same area five years prior, Wordsworth remarks that these past experiences served as a crutch to help get him through life. Although it had been a considerable period of time since his last visit, the present observations are no different than the past memories he recalled in his mind. According to Wordsworth the "forms of beauty" helped him get through tough, lonely times. Specifically Wordsworth affirms that it brought him tranquil restoration: that is the past brought him help and emotion in the present. Here we see the past bringing happiness and contentment to the present.

Later in the poem Wordsworth shows another dimension of the time component when he states, " Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts that in this moment there is life and food for future years." Earlier he recognized that the past served as a crutch in the present (now the past); here Wordsworth demonstrates that what is present now will become past in the future and will again serve as a means to reflect and gain strength from. It is a never-ending, self-powering cycle - but for Wordsworth a good one. Overall, Wordsworth's revisiting of this location provides a good forum for exploring the meaning and application of time.

Nature Lover's Manifesto

Although only eight quatrains in length, The Tables Turned is jam packed with a major philosophical and intellectual argument, presented in a thoughtfully stylistic manner.

William Wordsworth is trying to communicate a very audacious and contentious argument in these lines. Namely, he argues that books as a "wisdom transferring" object are overrated and real truth and wisdom lies in nature itself. Although certainly neither the first to make this assertion nor the most recent, Wordsworth hits on a profound vulnerability in the construction of facts and wisdom and the paradigm we generally understand them in.

To Wordsworth, true wisdom does not come from written texts of past geniuses in books, but rather, the metaphorical book of nature. Moreover, the wisdom we find in nature not only matches that of books, but far exceeds and supersedes it. For example, a "vernal wood," Wordsworth argues, "may teach you more of man...than the sages can." This is a preeminent example of Wordsworth's appeal to the natural world and a testament of his adoration and respect for the natural processes and world.

This poem is equally stylistic as it is philosophical. Slow and calculated pronunciation of the syllables is reminiscent of a somewhat fast-paced heartbeat. Perhaps this is symbolic of both the living aspect of nature as a "living sage" as well as a representation of Wordsworth's heart beating as he wrote this inspired piece of poetry. Either way, Wordworth's clear admiration for nature extends far beyond the aesthetic beauty, and he truly finds it to be a source of intellect and wisdom.

We Are (going to be in jail for more than) Seven (years)

OK, this is going to be a more ris(ky)que post. (This will be the last parenthetical.) Wordsworth's We Are Seven has been among the shortest and certainly most interesting readings thus far. I will focus on the third stanza in particular.

The old man narrating the story has a very interesting description of the eight year old girl with whom he later converses with. I believe their interaction was significantly more than simple conversing.

He describes her as having a "rustic, woodland air" and as "wildly clad." These words are commonly used to describe things in nature, in their bare state. Perhaps she is dressed in very revealing clothing. Maybe she's entirely naked for that matter. Either way, I believe Wordsworth is suggesting this man is a practicing or aspiring pedophile. I will not go as far as to say that he is married to this young girl. However there seems to be a subtle implication that their relationship is more than "just friends."

Not convinced? Let's take a look at the next line. The wild, unbounded beauty that the old man mentioned makes him "glad." I believe the implication here is that it makes him glad, sexually. Though this word is not necessarily used to mean this, it seems strange that a man would be so happy about the looks of a young girl. Preposterous? Maybe. But a 69-line poem probably has 69 different interpretations, and I doubt I am the first to suggest this.

Perhaps Wordsworth is making a mockery of a bar scene, where a stereotypical man is lured in a by a beautiful women, and he asks her a question to which he gets an earful and then some. Perhaps Wordsworth is making an inside joke to his friend James Tobin, as the sub-notes in the poem suggest. The bottom line, is that there is a very striking suggestion of pedophilic thoughts - if not actions - in the beginning of this poem.

Old Mossy Bridge

The Nightingale opens with a description of the setting. In particular, the speaker describes an "old mossy Bridge" (line 4). These three words will be the focus of my post this week.

Oxford English Dictionary offers a number of definitions for the word bridge. Generally, the purpose of a bridge is to fill a gap between two location that are otherwise difficult to travel between. And while this bridge probably served that function at one point, in describing it as old and mossy, Wordsworth conveys to the reader that this may no longer is the case. Instead, nature has taken its toll on this edifice. The author is trying to communicate to the reader that even that which does not live can still age. It is a really profound thought and an excellent personification.

One major part of the text is a diatribe by the speaker regarding other poet's understanding of the singing of nightingales. The speaker is especially frustrated by the fact that poets describe the "melancholy" of their song instead of simply enjoying the music of nature. I believe the bridge also functions as a metaphorical bridge for other poets, bridging the gap between their mindset and that of the speaker. And just as the man-made bridge can have human characteristics, so too can the other "misguided" poets escape their unnatural descriptions of the nightingale's song and join the speaker on the other side of the bridge, where the nightingales perform daily.

Colerdige - An LSAT Teacher In Disguse?

I recently studied logical fallacies in preparation for the LSAT. One common logical fallacy is the mistake that just because two events occur together or in relation, that therefore one in fact caused the other. Logicians assert that correlation does not imply causation.

In The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere ("The Rime") I believe this faulty logic is used in a number of scenarios with regard to the Albatross (OK fine, not that one). After the Mariner admits to killing the bird with his cross-bow, the other sailors are angry believing that this is the reason they no longer are enjoying the wind they had while the albatross was alive. They attribute this correlation of events to mean that the Albatross in fact was the cause of the wind. After only a short period, though, the fog that had surrounded the ship vanishes and the sailors are elated, attributing the fog's dissipation to be caused by the death of albatross. Once again, the sailors create false relationship.

But why? Although the Albatross is undoubtedly a major symbol throughout the story, the logical fallacies it causes throughout the poem gives the reader insight into human nature. I believe Coleridge is trying to take a swipe at the human predilection to create self-fulfilling and self-serving prophecies, as the sailors do with the Albatross. They want someone or something to blame for their plight. They take independent events and try to establish a cause-and-effect relationship to give them a reason for their (mis)fortunes. Really, The Rime is one big observation of human nature, with the example above being one of many.

Lines Written In Early Spring (But Read In Mid-Winter)

Lines Written In Early Spring is a six quatrains replete with earnest and eloquent observations of nature. The author, William Wordsworth , composes beautiful descriptions of a number of natural phenomena and how it makes him feel as he observes them in early spring.

The fourth quatrain of this poem especially struck me where he states:

" The birds around me hopp'd and play'd:
Their thoughts I cannot measure,
But the least motion which they made,
It seem'd a thrill of pleasure"

In this stanza Wordsworth observes birds playing around and it leads him to reach an understanding of human boundaries. Although humans often see themselves as superior to animals (especially on an intellectual level), the author's inability to understand the bird's thoughts and behavior troubles him and demonstrates an example of the limitations of human understanding. Who knows what those birds were even thinking? Although humans may be smarter than animals, we cannot necessarily understand them, especially in their own context.

This uncertainty leads Wordsworth to the conclusion that, based on their "hopping and playing," that they were happy and enjoying life. Nonetheless, however, this stanza exposes a profound vulnerability we humans have and although we can boast our accomplishments, there are still many things in life - and in nature - we simply cannot comprehend. For Wordsworth, it saddens him. For Evan, it humbles me.