CARLOS MANUEL MARTINHO LAJARIN POESÍA
DE LOS SIGLOS XIX Y XX
GRUPO
– A
In this
paper I´m going to analise the poem : “To George Sand: A recognition”
by the poet
Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It was written in 1844 and it´s included in
POEMS OF
1844: SONNETS. Apart from this analysis, I´m going to place the poem in
the context
of the Victorian Age. And see how this time influenced the author in her
poem and
how the society of this time is represented in her work.
My first impresion reading the poem “
To George Sand: A recognition”, was that
the poem
was a little difficult to read, because it includes some difficult words. But
with a
previous reading we can understand what the poem is about. And also the title
gives us a
clue to know what is the theme of this poem.
The poem “ To George Sand: A
recognition” only has one stanza with 14 lines.
There is a
change of rhyme in line 9. From the first line to line 8 we have the rhyme:
a-b-b-a.
But from line 9 to the end of the poem the rhyme changes to a-b-a-b-a-b. This
poem is a
companion with “To George Sand: A Desire”.
In this poem there are two main
themes: the admiration of Elizabeth Barrett
Browning to
George Sand, and the paper of women in the victorian age.
In the first line of the poem when
the author says: “ True genius, but true
woman!” Elisabeth
is showing her admiration to George Sand, not only as a writer but
also as a
woman. Elisabeth admired George Sand, she was her idol. “Elizabeth Barrett
considered
George Sand a “brilliant monstrous woman” and considered her not only a
genius but the
only woman she knew of “who was not inferior to men” (Thomson 215).
She could
relate to George Sand in many ways, both being warm and emotional and
radical and
moderately feminist at the same time (208)."
(http://courses.wcupa.edu/fletcher/britlitweb/ldinataleb.htm)
In lines 2
and 3 when Elizabeth talks about the “ manly scorn” “ the gauds” and
“armlets”,
she is talking about the opression of the women at that time and the
treatment
of men. And probably when the author talks about the “armlets” she is
refering to
the explottation in work at this time. “Victorian women provided a vast
reservoir
of labour, necessary for an expanding though immature economy whose
fluctuations
demanded additional workers at one time, fewer at another.” http://www.victorianweb.org/history/work/burnett2.html
In the next line, line number 4
the poet says “ By weaker women in captivity?. The author is making reference
to the idea of that time that the women were weaker than man and that the women
must be submitted to men. “Earlier on in the century, women were considered the
weaker, more innocent sex. She had little to no sexual appetite, often
capturing all the sympathy and none of the blame over indiscretions. Men
represented the fallen, sinful, and lustful creatures, wrongfully taking
advantage of the fragility of women.” http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/sextheory.html
In the next three lines, line 6 to
8, Elizabeth is referring again to the opression and suffering of the women at
that time. When in line 9 he says: “Disproving thy man´s name”. The author is
making reference to the fact that George Sand is a pseudonym of
Amandine-Aurore- Lucile Dupin (http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/gsand.htm).
Amandine changes her name in order to write poetry and this is a point of
admiration for Elizabeth Browning.
To lines 10 to 12, when the author talks
about “ poet-fire” “the large flame” “ heart”, she is referring to the strength
of George Sand for doing what she did, and also making reference to the power
of women. The power to express herself and to write, the passion of women. And
that is a matter of recognition for Elizabeth Browning.
In the last two lines the poet is
making reference to the desire of women to express feelings, not to be opressed
by men, and to feel free to write. That´s one of the main reasons why Elizabeth
Browning admired George Sand, because in a certain way she did it.
CONCLUSION: “ To George Sand: A recognition” expresses
perfectly the admiration of Elisabeth Barret Browning feels for George Sand. The author admires the
work of Sand. And also in this poem Elizabeth talks about the situation of the
women in the Victorian age.
Bibliography:
George P. Landow; www.victorianweb.org ; Last modified 13 September
2003
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/work/burnett2.html
http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/sextheory.html
Kuusankosken KaupunJinkirjasto; http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/ ; Findland
1999
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/gsand.htm
West Chester University;
http://courses.wcupa.edu ; WCU Courses Server
http://courses.wcupa.edu/fletcher/britlitweb/ldinataleb.htm