A Room with a View is a novel written by E.M. Forster and published in 1908. The novel tells the story of a well brought up girl, Lucy Honeychurch, and her falling in love with a similarly young but endlessly more eccentic boy named George Emerson. George and his father, Mr Emerson, represent a new generation of thinkers distinctly different to Lucy and the rigid Edwardian society that restrains her. Goerge's persistent claim that he "shall want to live" and the confusion this evokes in Lucy is just one of many examples of how George's enlightened outlook on life is greatly contrasted to the strict Victorian culture which is criticised by Forster in the novel.
Despite Forster presenting Lucy as thouroughly naive and frustratingly conventional in the face of love, there are hints to a more interesting character which has merely been supressed by the society in which she has been brought up. For example, Lucy enjoys playing the piano and appears to be adept at doing so, causing the amiable Mr Beebe to comment that "if Miss Honeychurch ever takes to live, as she plays, it would be very exciting- both for us- and for her." Furthermore it is often after playing Beethoven that Lucy's emotions are most heightened; Mr Beebe once remarks that "naturally one would be- stirred up..." The metaphor of music as a form of escape continues to the extent that after Lucy and George witness a man being killed in the Piazzo Signoria, Lucy feels she has "crossed some spiritual boundary" and the roar of the river Arno is described as an "unexpected melody to her ears." The use of the word "melody" suggests that Lucy's enlightenment to the snobbery of the Edwardian society that surrounds her will have it's groundings in music.
Although I have not explored the novel in great detail (and may edit this piece after further study) I have established the that in Lucy and George, Forster has created two lovers who have to overcome greatly prejudiced societies in order to be together. This idea is recurrent in history (Romeo and Juliet springs to mind, as does Pride and Prejudice) and the concept of love overcoming great obstacles represents an aspect of courtly love which has been popularly employed by writers both past and present.
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
The Miller's Tale- Geoffrey Chaucer
The Miller’s Tale is a satirical story written by Geoffrey Chaucer as part of his Canterbury Tales in the 14th century. In the two extracts we have looked at from this tale Chaucer describes the courtship of a woman named Alisoun by two very different men. In the first, Alisoun is wooed by a young man named Nicholas who is extremely vulgar, and is described by Chaucer as being subtle and cunning. But his attempt at courtship in this passage is neither of the two because he grabs her by the queynte (female genitalia) and says “For deerne love of thee, lemman (sweetheart), I spill.” The use of the word spill is a sexual innuendo and this is common throughout Nicholas’ short but effective courting of Alisoun.
On the contrary, the second man, Absolon, is depicted as being proper and pompous. Absolon “kembd his hair” and “cheweth greyn and lychorys (sweet smelling things)” so that he smells and looks sweet for Alisoun. Although Absolon is far more gentlemanly and apparently charming in his attempt at winning Alisoun he is unsuccessful unlike Nicholas, and by doing this Chaucer is mocking the divine, courtly love that other writers of his period were obsessed by. Chaucer’s hero (Nicholas) is unconventional, humorous, and in this way Chaucer in inverting the norm and being different and exciting.
One obvious difference in the men and the courtship they embark on is that Nicholas uses far fewer words in his wooing of Alisoun. The blocks of dialogue in both texts stand out and it is for reason I believe Chaucer is presenting the use of fewer words by Nicholas as vital to his success. Furthermore, the use of rhyming couplets by Chaucer effectively lets the narrative role of the tongue and sound natural, adding greatly to the comic effect of the text.
The way in which the apparently less educated man successfully woos the women is similar to A Room with a View by E.M. Forster. In this novel Forster presents an amiable woman who falls in love with an uneducated man named George Emerson. Lucy ends up leaving her upper class, book loving husband because of her desire to be with another man. Similarly to the extract from The Miller’s Tale, both men are upfront in their attempts as wooing the woman and both involve physical touch. This exemplifies the way both authors present Eros, physical love, triumphing over more spiritual, divine love. This is interesting because divine love has always been seen as more powerful and ambitious whereas Eros is more animalistic; however in both texts Eros is represented as true, instinctive love.
Chaucer’s humour and the description of Nicholas grabbing Alisoun by the queynte is shocking to a 21st century audience and therefore must have been groundbreaking in the 14th century when it was written. Other novelists of the time portrayed true love as non-physical like Chaucer does in A Knights Tale. However in The Miller’s Tale the opposite is true.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice was written by Jane Austen and originally published in 1813. However the first manuscript of the novel was written by Austen more than ten years previously and called First Impressions. The novel focusses on the love of two people, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, and how they manage to build a bridge across the class divide they inevitably face and break down one anothers pride and prejudice. Darcy is a wealthy upper class man whereas Elizabeth is the second eldest of five sisters in a middle class family, both growing up in a rigid Victorian society.
The aspect of courtly love between Darzy and Elizabeth is central to the novel. Courtly love often refers to love that has to overcome many obstacles, and the strictly drawn class divide in Pride and Prejudice is perhaps the biggest interference in love. In this way, Pride and Prejudice is similar to the greatest love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet, because two young lovers have to battle against the odds of family prejudice. Another aspect of courtly love commonly explored is that of love at first sight, and Austen inverts this cliché because Darcy and Elizabeth originally dispise eachother. However, the original name of the novel, First Impressions, demonstrates that Austen had this factor of courtly love in mind when writing her novel.
Pride and Prejudice is a novel "defined by dialogue" and is generally free of elaborate metaphors and description. This is where Austen's novel differs from other literature I have read around my course of Love through the Ages, nost notably Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Whereas Tess was written solely around two lovers, exploring their emotion through the use of detailed and charismatic imagery of nature by Hardy, Pride and Prejudice has the benefit of other characters interpretation of events. For example, the view of Elizabeth's aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Gardiner, on Mr Darcy is considered as particularly valuable to Elizabeth and is therefore also treasured by the reader. Also the views of Elizabeth's sister Jane are highly credible and the two eldest Benner daughters often confide in eachother.
I thought that Austen's classic was highly enjoyable and through Elizabeth and Darcy she has created two timeless heroes. The courtly love exemplified by the two lovers is ideal to compare to other forms of less romantic love.
The aspect of courtly love between Darzy and Elizabeth is central to the novel. Courtly love often refers to love that has to overcome many obstacles, and the strictly drawn class divide in Pride and Prejudice is perhaps the biggest interference in love. In this way, Pride and Prejudice is similar to the greatest love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet, because two young lovers have to battle against the odds of family prejudice. Another aspect of courtly love commonly explored is that of love at first sight, and Austen inverts this cliché because Darcy and Elizabeth originally dispise eachother. However, the original name of the novel, First Impressions, demonstrates that Austen had this factor of courtly love in mind when writing her novel.
Pride and Prejudice is a novel "defined by dialogue" and is generally free of elaborate metaphors and description. This is where Austen's novel differs from other literature I have read around my course of Love through the Ages, nost notably Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Whereas Tess was written solely around two lovers, exploring their emotion through the use of detailed and charismatic imagery of nature by Hardy, Pride and Prejudice has the benefit of other characters interpretation of events. For example, the view of Elizabeth's aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Gardiner, on Mr Darcy is considered as particularly valuable to Elizabeth and is therefore also treasured by the reader. Also the views of Elizabeth's sister Jane are highly credible and the two eldest Benner daughters often confide in eachother.
I thought that Austen's classic was highly enjoyable and through Elizabeth and Darcy she has created two timeless heroes. The courtly love exemplified by the two lovers is ideal to compare to other forms of less romantic love.
Friday, 9 December 2011
John Donne- Negative Love
I never stoop'd so low, as they
Which on an eye, cheek, lip, can prey ;
Seldom to them which soar no higher
Than virtue, or the mind to admire.
For sense and understanding may
Know what gives fuel to their fire ;
My love, though silly, is more brave ;
For may I miss, whene'er I crave,
If I know yet what I would have.
If that be simply perfectest,
Which can by no way be express'd
But negatives, my love is so.
To all, which all love, I say no.
If any who deciphers best,
What we know not—ourselves—can know,
Let him teach me that nothing. This
As yet my ease and comfort is,
Though I speed not, I cannot miss.
John Donne’s poem, written in the early 17th century, is a comment on the inferiority of physical love when compared to spiritual, metaphysical love. In the opening of the poem Donne writes that “I never stoop’d so low, as they/which on an eye, cheek, lip, can prey”. Donne is stating that he was never satisfied by the physical attractions in a woman. Plato defined this physical love as Eros and the entire poem is about the pursuit of a more Divine love- appreciating female beauty not because of sexual desire but because it is a close imitation of the Gods.
A popular theory when attempting to define God’s attributes was designed originally by Saint Thomas Aquinas, and called via negativa. Via negativa attempts to define God by saying what he is not, rather than what he is, and I think Donne had this theory in mind when writing ‘Negative Love’. Via negativa is speaking about God using only negative terms to emphasise the difference between God and humanity. For example, God is not finite; he does not have material qualities, and is therefore infinite. Donne says in his poem that if his love is one “which can by no way be express’d/ But negatives, my love is so” and I think this is a direct link to the indescribable God who is beyond human understanding that the via negativa attempts to define because he can be described by no way but negatives.
Donne understood that searching for Divine love was completely different to actually finding it, because no one can ever reach the Divine love and therefore fully understand God. However pursuit of this unreachable love is necessary for intellectual fulfillment because once you know it is there, you cannot want anything else, because it is so extraordinary. Therefore Donne says that “My love, although silly, is more brave” because compared to Eros love, which is easy to find, it is “silly” to search for something more spiritual, but also more “brave” because you learn so much more on the way.
I think the poem ends of a negative note, because Donne admits that he can never reach the Divine love he shrives so hard for, and therefore will in the end be dissatisfied. Donne says that “If any who deciphers best, /What we know not, ourselves, can know”- in other words if any one understands this negative love- “Let him teach me that nothing; This/ As yet my ease and comfort is,”- then this is at yet his only comfort. The irony is that his only comfort is not a comfort at all because no one, apart from the Divine Himself, will ever “decipher best” the love he is searching her. However, as he says in the last line: “Though I will speed not, I cannot miss” and I interpreted this as him saying he will not slow down or stop his search, because he cannot accept missing the aim of devotion, the Divine love he wants so badly, and the claim “I cannot miss” is a desperate cry. Therefore Donne has been gripped by Divine obsession, and pursuit of the Perfect, which he will forever search for in vain, making the ending very sinister indeed.
Which on an eye, cheek, lip, can prey ;
Seldom to them which soar no higher
Than virtue, or the mind to admire.
For sense and understanding may
Know what gives fuel to their fire ;
My love, though silly, is more brave ;
For may I miss, whene'er I crave,
If I know yet what I would have.
If that be simply perfectest,
Which can by no way be express'd
But negatives, my love is so.
To all, which all love, I say no.
If any who deciphers best,
What we know not—ourselves—can know,
Let him teach me that nothing. This
As yet my ease and comfort is,
Though I speed not, I cannot miss.
John Donne’s poem, written in the early 17th century, is a comment on the inferiority of physical love when compared to spiritual, metaphysical love. In the opening of the poem Donne writes that “I never stoop’d so low, as they/which on an eye, cheek, lip, can prey”. Donne is stating that he was never satisfied by the physical attractions in a woman. Plato defined this physical love as Eros and the entire poem is about the pursuit of a more Divine love- appreciating female beauty not because of sexual desire but because it is a close imitation of the Gods.
A popular theory when attempting to define God’s attributes was designed originally by Saint Thomas Aquinas, and called via negativa. Via negativa attempts to define God by saying what he is not, rather than what he is, and I think Donne had this theory in mind when writing ‘Negative Love’. Via negativa is speaking about God using only negative terms to emphasise the difference between God and humanity. For example, God is not finite; he does not have material qualities, and is therefore infinite. Donne says in his poem that if his love is one “which can by no way be express’d/ But negatives, my love is so” and I think this is a direct link to the indescribable God who is beyond human understanding that the via negativa attempts to define because he can be described by no way but negatives.
Donne understood that searching for Divine love was completely different to actually finding it, because no one can ever reach the Divine love and therefore fully understand God. However pursuit of this unreachable love is necessary for intellectual fulfillment because once you know it is there, you cannot want anything else, because it is so extraordinary. Therefore Donne says that “My love, although silly, is more brave” because compared to Eros love, which is easy to find, it is “silly” to search for something more spiritual, but also more “brave” because you learn so much more on the way.
I think the poem ends of a negative note, because Donne admits that he can never reach the Divine love he shrives so hard for, and therefore will in the end be dissatisfied. Donne says that “If any who deciphers best, /What we know not, ourselves, can know”- in other words if any one understands this negative love- “Let him teach me that nothing; This/ As yet my ease and comfort is,”- then this is at yet his only comfort. The irony is that his only comfort is not a comfort at all because no one, apart from the Divine Himself, will ever “decipher best” the love he is searching her. However, as he says in the last line: “Though I will speed not, I cannot miss” and I interpreted this as him saying he will not slow down or stop his search, because he cannot accept missing the aim of devotion, the Divine love he wants so badly, and the claim “I cannot miss” is a desperate cry. Therefore Donne has been gripped by Divine obsession, and pursuit of the Perfect, which he will forever search for in vain, making the ending very sinister indeed.
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Tess of the d’Urbervilles is a tragic novel written by Thomas Hardy and published in the late nineteenth century. The majority of the novel takes place in the West Country, where Hardy grew up, and the protagonist Tess is a virtuous milkmaid from a simple family. The novel starts with Tess' father, John Durbeyfield, discovering he is decsendent from a long line of wealthy landowners named the d'Urbervilles (notice the similarity between the two surnames) who were believed to have died out long ago. The story is about the drama and tradegy that follow this discovery.
The character of Tess Durbeyfield is highly amiable, and throughout the novel she is portrayed as a good person who suffers from bad luck, highlighting one of the themes of the novel; fate. Many of the rural characters in the novel dismiss mishappenings as events of fate, and Tess is the same until she is influenced to consider her beliefs by her love Angel Clare. Tess' change in view may also have been a result of the pain she suffers as a result of preventable misfortune.
Angel Clare is from a privaleged family; his father is a devoted theologian and he is the youngest of two brothers, both of whom attend Cambridge. However Clare decides to abandon the opportunities a wealthy family gives him and instead pursues a life alongside nature as a farmer. In doing so Clare goes against the social norm and consequently meets Tess. Perhaps Hardy is criticising traditional Victorian values- which were highly patriarchal, prejudice and rigid.
One of the things I found most interesing in a novel which intrigued me to the very end was Hardy's use of small, incidental characters and the role they played in foreshadowing the plot structure. For example, immediately following the marriage of Clare and Tess, when they are leaving the dairy where their courtship took place, a crow is heard. Upon this Hardy writes that "two men were standing by the yard gate, holding it open. 'That's bad.' one murmered to the other, not thinking that the words could be heard by the group at the door-wicket." Hearing a crow upon matrimony is an old superstition meaning bad luck, and the two men appear briefly to inform the reader of this.
The language of the novel is undoubtably beautiful, meaningful and deepy philosophical. The most powerful language is used when describing the feeling of divine love between the two young lovers: "Her affection for him was now the breath and life of Tess’s being; it enveloped her as a photosphere, irradiated her into forgetfulness of her past sorrows, keeping back the gloomy spectres that would persist in their attempts to touch her- doubt, fear, moodiness, care, shame." Furthermore Tess is described early on as the "merest stray phenomenon to Angel Clare as yet- a rosy warm apparition which had only just acquired the attribute of persistence in his consciousness." Once grasped, the dialogue and description created by Hardy are highly rewarding, and enrich a novel which makes a great contribution to my course Love through the Ages.
The character of Tess Durbeyfield is highly amiable, and throughout the novel she is portrayed as a good person who suffers from bad luck, highlighting one of the themes of the novel; fate. Many of the rural characters in the novel dismiss mishappenings as events of fate, and Tess is the same until she is influenced to consider her beliefs by her love Angel Clare. Tess' change in view may also have been a result of the pain she suffers as a result of preventable misfortune.
Angel Clare is from a privaleged family; his father is a devoted theologian and he is the youngest of two brothers, both of whom attend Cambridge. However Clare decides to abandon the opportunities a wealthy family gives him and instead pursues a life alongside nature as a farmer. In doing so Clare goes against the social norm and consequently meets Tess. Perhaps Hardy is criticising traditional Victorian values- which were highly patriarchal, prejudice and rigid.
One of the things I found most interesing in a novel which intrigued me to the very end was Hardy's use of small, incidental characters and the role they played in foreshadowing the plot structure. For example, immediately following the marriage of Clare and Tess, when they are leaving the dairy where their courtship took place, a crow is heard. Upon this Hardy writes that "two men were standing by the yard gate, holding it open. 'That's bad.' one murmered to the other, not thinking that the words could be heard by the group at the door-wicket." Hearing a crow upon matrimony is an old superstition meaning bad luck, and the two men appear briefly to inform the reader of this.
The language of the novel is undoubtably beautiful, meaningful and deepy philosophical. The most powerful language is used when describing the feeling of divine love between the two young lovers: "Her affection for him was now the breath and life of Tess’s being; it enveloped her as a photosphere, irradiated her into forgetfulness of her past sorrows, keeping back the gloomy spectres that would persist in their attempts to touch her- doubt, fear, moodiness, care, shame." Furthermore Tess is described early on as the "merest stray phenomenon to Angel Clare as yet- a rosy warm apparition which had only just acquired the attribute of persistence in his consciousness." Once grasped, the dialogue and description created by Hardy are highly rewarding, and enrich a novel which makes a great contribution to my course Love through the Ages.
Friday, 2 December 2011
Modernism and postmodernism
My college has provided me with an anthology of Love through the Ages, including a reading list, glossary of poetic terms and extracts we may find useful. There are also articles that attempt to define modernism and postmodernism. Modernism is described as an earthquake which brought down many of the traditional structures of literature, art, architecture and music in the late 19th early 20th century. Following the metaphor of the earthquake, many of the structures it toppled have never been rebuilt.
In modernism, literature no longer relied on chronological plots with onniscient narrators. Instead there was a rise in the popularity of fragmented plot lines with interesting narratives; a movement away from traditional realism into the world of the experimental. Similarly, fundamental elements of painting such as realism and perspective were replaced by abstract and conceptual works of art. The movement represented a distintive shift in culture and society, whereas postmodernism is harder to define.
Postmodernism is seen as a phiosophical movement which replaces the objective with the subjective. It postulates that many, if not all, apparent realities are only social constructs and are therefore subject to change. Whereas modernism was seen as having an enlightening influence on culture, postmodernism seems to be more skeptic; it looks back at the past with irony and satire, focussing on novels that debate their own ends and thereby 'de-naturalise' their content. Although I have been introduced to the meaning of these movements I am still unsure of their precise description. This is something I would like to study further in order to coherently write about their influence on Love through the Ages.
In modernism, literature no longer relied on chronological plots with onniscient narrators. Instead there was a rise in the popularity of fragmented plot lines with interesting narratives; a movement away from traditional realism into the world of the experimental. Similarly, fundamental elements of painting such as realism and perspective were replaced by abstract and conceptual works of art. The movement represented a distintive shift in culture and society, whereas postmodernism is harder to define.
Postmodernism is seen as a phiosophical movement which replaces the objective with the subjective. It postulates that many, if not all, apparent realities are only social constructs and are therefore subject to change. Whereas modernism was seen as having an enlightening influence on culture, postmodernism seems to be more skeptic; it looks back at the past with irony and satire, focussing on novels that debate their own ends and thereby 'de-naturalise' their content. Although I have been introduced to the meaning of these movements I am still unsure of their precise description. This is something I would like to study further in order to coherently write about their influence on Love through the Ages.
New course!
Hello, welcome back avid readers! My new course which I shall be reading widely about is Love Through the Ages. I will keep my blog posted with the lasted texts I have read, with my initial thoughts on how form, structure and language shape meaning, as well as comparing it to other texts. This course includes poetry, prose and drama, ranging from the bible to Thomas Hardy, so be prepared!
Adam Rodgers Johns
Twitter @don_darm
Adam Rodgers Johns
Twitter @don_darm
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