Romantics vs Victorians
In my first paper I talked about Samuel Taylor Coleridge and I analyzed one of his poems called The Suicide's Argument . In this second paper I'm going to compare this Romantic poem with another Victorian one called Wages by Lord Alfred Tennyson.
The Romantic period was an artistic and intellectual movement originated in the late 18 th century. Poetry during this movement started giving new emphasis on such emotions as trepidation and horror (emotional effect). It elevated Folk art, nature and customs (use of ancient sources). Romanticism permitted an individual imagination, freedom from classical notions. Romantics dealt with beauty and truth.
The Victorian era is commonly used to refer to the period of Queen Victoria 's rule between 1837 and 1901 (later two thirds of the 19 th century). During this period poetry was interested on classical and also medieval literature of England . Victorians liked the heroic stories, emphasizing virtues , honour, and courtly behaviours.
First poem to compare: by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Romantic period).
THE SUICIDE'S ARGUMENT
E re the birth of my life, if I wished it or no
No question was asked me--it could not be so !
If the life was the question, a thing sent to try
And to live on be Y ES ; what can N O be ? to die.
NATURE'S A NSWER
I s' t returned, as 'twas sent ? Is't no worse for the wear ?
Think first, what you A RE ! Call to mind what you W ERE !
I gave you innocence, I gave you hope,
Gave health, and genius, and an ample scope,
Return you me guilt, lethargy, despair ?
Make out the invent'ry ; inspect, compare !
Then die--if die you dare !
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Second poem to compare: by Lord Alfred Tennyson (Victorian period).
WAGES
Glory of warrior, glory of orator, glory of song,
Paid with a voice flying by to be lost on an endless sea -
Glory of Virtue, to fight, to struggle, to right the wrong -
Nay, but she aimed not at glory, no lover of glory she:
Give her the glory of going on, and still to be.
The wages of sin is death: if the wages of Virtue be dust,
Would she have heart to endure for the life of the worm and the fly?
She desires no isles of the blest, no quiet seats of the just,
To rest in a golden grove, or to bask in a summer sky:
Give her the wages of going on, and not to die.
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Coleridge's poem belongs to the Romantic period and it is based on many of the Romantic characteristics.
The poet introduces its own imagination;
“No question was asked me –It could not be so!
During the whole poem Nature is present. The poem says that nature decides who lives or not , it doesn't names God anywhere;
“NAURES ANSWER”
It talks about the truth of life.
As I've said before, during the Victorian era poems dealt with heroic stories, virtues, honour, courtly behaviours, etc. The poem called Wages, by Tennyson mentions many of these themes.
The poem starts;
“Glory of warrior, glory of orator…”
In another verse the poet also names the virtue;
“Glory of virtue, to fight, to struggle, etc”
Both poems mention the death;
“Then die –if die you dare” Coleridge's poem
“The wages of sin is death”
“Give her the wages of going on, and not to die” Tennyson's poem.
In Coleridge's poem, Nature is the main theme. In Tennyson's poem, Nature is also mentioned but in a more indirect way;
“Paid with a voice flying by to be lost on an endless sea”
“Would she have heart to endure for the life of the worm and the fly?”
Sea, worm and fly are part of the nature, are the nature. This means that some aspects, such as nature and things relate to death still remain from the Romantic period.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bump/E392M/schedule.html
- cfp.english.upenn.edu/archive/Victorian/0140.html
Tania Martínez Alonso