ROMANTIC POEMS

1.THE GARDEN-ANDREW MARVELL(1621-1678)

Introduction to the poet:

                       Andrew Marvell was a British politician who also belongs to the metaphysical school of poets;but he was not known,like Donne,as a poet during his lifetime.Marvell also belongs to a later age when classical type of poetry had begun to be written,but he wrote romantic poems of personal experience and feelings.He was well read in the classical languages and literature(of Latin and Greek).Marvell was a strange type of man and poet who was not regarded as a major poet until the twentieth century.He was a politician but he wrote poetry supporting pastoral life,loneliness and spirituality; he was a strictly religious person but he wrote love poems like “To His Coy Mistress”;he mixed up the unconventional metaphysical poetry with classical conventions;and he is also at the same time one of the earliest ‘romantic’ poets in one sense.He wrote the poem “The Garden” while he was staying in a senior politician’s residence that had a beautiful garden.The poem is partly metaphysical,partly classical and partly romantic.

Introduction to the poem:

                    “The Garden” is a unique poem which is romantic in its subject and expression,metaphysical in its ideas and word-game,and classical in its form and music.It is romantic because it is about the nature in subject and theme,and it is the expression of the poet’s personal and emotional feelings about life in the nature(and society).Its style is metaphysical because it uses the conceit,forceful argument,allusions(references)from sources like the Bible,myths and metaphysical philosophies.And it is a classical poem in its form because the stanzas,rhythm,rhyme and word-choice is like in classical poetry(carefully perfected form,and a language different from the ordinary).The theme is that the garden(which is the symbol of life-in-nature) is the perfect place for physical,mental and spiritual comfort and satisfaction,unlike the society where pleasure is false and temporary.The poet has finally found the nature and realized its value;he claims that the nature is the only true place for complete luxury.

Explanation of the poem:

Stanza 1:(Gist:Men are foolish to enjoy social ambitions instead of living in the nature’s luxury).People,in social life,are foolishly happy when they get the garland made of a few leaves of palm tree(for successful soldiers),oak tree(for aged politicians) or the bay tree(for great poets).And they think(see) that their endless(incessant) labours are rewarded(crowned) with the leaves of a single tree.But the shadow of trees here in this garden is criticizing(upbraid) the labours(toil) of those men who only get garlands of leaves for their lifelong  hard work(such tradition is common in the western societies).The poet says that in the garden all the flowers and all the trees together make a complete ‘garland’ of relaxation(repose).*Note:The use of classical type of language(wording) and sentence structure,as in the line:”And their incessant labours see/Crowned from some single herb or tree”.In simple,modern English,it means:”And(they) see(that) their incessant/unending labours crowned/rewarded with some single plant/herb or tree”.The omitting of subject ‘they’ and connector ‘that’, and the transfer of verb ‘see’ to the end of the sentence are common in classical poetry which is difficult because of complicated sentence structure as well as ‘special’ poetic words.

Stanza 2:(Gist:At last,I’ve found the peace and innocent way of life in the nature).He personifies quietness/peace and innocence as two beautiful(fair) sisters and talks to them.He says that he has found them in the nature,after having wasted his time in the human society in search of peace and innocent way of life in the busy companies of men.He now feels that their source(plants) is found only in nature,and that the society is too rude(not gentle) in comparision to this sweet loneliness(solitude).

Stanza 3:(Gist:How attractive is nature,and how foolish are those lovers who are mad in love with mere women).The speaker says that he had never seen any fair(white) and young(red) woman as attractive(amorous) as this lovely green nature.He criticizes fond(foolish) lovers whose flame/fire of love is so cruel and thoughtless that they cut the names of their beloveds on the trees.They don’t know and don’t care(heed) how the beauty of these trees is much more than(exceed) the beauty of their beloveds.He speaks to the trees again and tells them that if he injures any tree,he will write their own names(and not any woman’s).

Stanza 4:(Gist:All men,and even Gods turn to the nature when they are tired of love with women).When we ‘social’ men have finished the heat of love(passion),we make the nature the best place to take shelter(in old age).Even the Gods who chased the beautiful girls(mortals),according to Greek myths,used to end their race by changing the girls into trees.For example,God Apollo tried to get a beautiful girl named Daphne and because he could not,he changed her into a laurel tree,so that he could be a permanent lover of the laurel(the laurel is a symbol of poetic creativity and God Apollo is also the God of creativity).Similarly,God Pan also changed Syrinx into the reed.

Stanza 5:(Gist:This life in nature is physically luxurious).This life that I live in the nature is a wonderful thing!Ripe apples fall around my head as I lie on the ground.The juicy(luscious) grapes(clusters of vine) press their wine-like juice in my mouth.The nectarine(a fruit) and the peach come up to my hands.And if I walk,I stumble on(step over) melons,I am entangled by flowers,and I fall on grass.

Stanza 6:(Gist:Moreover,it is mentally satisfying;I enjoy the world of my mind).By the way,it is more from mental pleasure than from physical that I enjoy this life in the nature.My mind goes inward into its own world(of ideas) and I enjoy the worlds created by the mind,which are even more beautiful than the physical world outside.The mind reflects the physical world;poet create their own romantic worlds;and according to Plato’s philosophy,the human mind contains the image or copy of everything in the outside world.In the simple sense,the poet is saying that he is also enjoying the poetic and mental worlds of ideas that he can create by living in the nature.He says that the mind is an ocean where each kind of thing in the outside world finds a similar thing(resemblance) in it.Yet the mind is creative,and it creates other beautiful things and worlds exceeding/transcending the things outside.The worlds of ideas(in poetry) defeat(annihilate) the physical world;so the poet can enjoy not only green forests and gardens,but also ‘green thoughts’ in the ‘green shade’ of the garden.*Note:This twisting and forcing of odd  philosophies is a feature of metaphysical poetry.And the strange and unconventional wording in ‘green thoughts’ and ‘green shade’ is also a common feature of metaphysical poetry.

Stanza 7:(Gist:And it is also a spiritual pleasure that I have in this nature).The speaker says that when he is resting under a fruit tree or near a fountain of water,his soul is leaving the cover(vest) of his body aside and playing(glide) among the branches(boughs) of trees.He feels that his soul is preparing to take the long flight to eternity(that is,to die and go to heaven);he says that his soul is a bird rubbing(whet) its shining and colourful wings.(The image of the soul as a bird is taken from the Bible).

Stanza 8:(Gist:Adam must have been happy like this,before Eve spoilt his paradise).The speaker thinks that this must be the kind of perfect state of Garden of Eden(paradise) in which the first man lived after God left him.According to him,Adam was happy only so long as he was alone(without a mate/friend).He needed no help because the place was so pure and sweet.But it was too much for a simple man(mortal) to get two heavens-one Eden, and the other,loneliness(solitary).That means God created Eve and took back the double paradise.*Note:This is also a typical metaphysical trick of manipulating an idea:The Bible doesn’t say things like this!

Stanza 9:(Gist:So,there can be no question of real pleasure without the nature).How well God,the skillful gardener,made this special world of the nature/garden!In this separate world of the nature,even the sun seems to have its own fragrant(sweet-smelling) course(zodiac).And in this world,the laborious bee calculates(computes) its own time;there is a different sense of timing in the luxurious world of the nature.Therefore,we cannot think(reckon) of truly pleasant time(wholesome hours) without(but with) the herbs and flowers,or the nature.

2.I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD-WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

Introduction to the poet:

                           William Wordsworth(1770-1850) is known for his poems related to the nature,childhood,poetic creation and the role of nature in the creation of poetry.Wordsworth started the Romantic Revolution(or Revival) in English poetry(along with his friend Coleridge) with “The Lyrical Ballads” in 1798.He advocated for a new kind of poetry which should be the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings…..recollected in tranquility”,or peaceful mind.It means that poetry must be written spontaneously,not under the restrictions of rules of music(rhythm and rhyme),expression(diction and language) and word game.Romantic poetry is about ‘anything’ that the poet personally felt or experienced deeply.Strong and true emotions are the material of poetry.But,that does not mean that anyone can simply write poetry “in the heat of firsthand emotions or impressions”.It should be “emotions recollected in tranquility”.The present poem is a best example of what that definition and theory of poetry means.

Introduction to the poem:

                        “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” is a typical romantic poem in which the poet ‘recollects his powerful feelings of a past experience in a mood of tranquility(peace of mind)’.That day the poet had been roaming on the sea-shore when he suddenly encountered an endless line of yellow daffodil flowers blossoming.In that moment,he was almost thoughtless because of excitement.Now,he is in his home and is writing a poem.According to Wordsworth,poetry is written when the poet’s mind becomes active due to some past memory and the imaginative supports creativity.The first three stanzas narrate the event of the poet’s roaming aimlessly on the sea-shore.In the last stanza,he reveals that he is now sitting alone and writing the poem.The memories of his excitement when he saw the daffodils on the sea-shore excite his mind again.When he remembers it,his imagination becomes active and the memories start changing into poetic expression.The mind becomes so active and the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings that he re-experiences and recollect into poetry in this new mood of tranquility.

Critical Commentary:

                      I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud is a romantic poem that satisfies Wordsworth’s definition of poetry as “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings….(that is) recollected in tranquality”.In the first three stanzas,the speaker narrates and describes his experience of wandering lonely as a cloud among ‘ten thousand’ daffodils along the bay during the day.In the second part or the last stanza.he “recollects” or remembers and re-experiences the emotion as he expresses it in poetic lines.This poem is also typically romantic in its subject matter,language and expression.

                        The speaker is sitting alone in his couch at home and it is probably a favourable evening time.He says that when he lies in “vacant or pensive(thoughtful) mood”,the past experience like that of daffodils “flash upon that inward eye” or the imagination.This is the advantage of solitude(loneliness):he can dance with the daffodils of memory and past experience and express it in meditation of a kind.This is exactly how Wordsworth defines poetry.The poem can therefore be used to explain or illustrate the definition of poetry,especially of Romantic poetry as given by Wordsworth.

                      In the first part,which the speaker narrates as he is meditating in his couch,he tells how he enjoyed wandering,gazing at daffodils and becoming happy and excited in their “jocund company”.But he did not realize what a wealth of experience,emotion,impression and sweet memory they had given to his mind.He had unknowingly gained feelings and emotion for creating poetry,and a lasting experience.He had suddenly encountered a ‘crowd’ or ‘host’ of ‘sprightly’ daffodils,dancing and ‘twinkling’ like stars.He had also seen the shining sea waves dancing similarly;but the daffodils were doing much better in their dance and happiness.A poet,he says,could not help becoming happy in such a company.

                         Now as he sits alone,the memory of the day-time experience brings its real image to his mind.And when this happens,his heart is filled with pleasure.It is as if his heart begins to dance with the daffodils of imagination in his mind’s eye.This is also the poetic moment,the tranquil moment favourable for recollecting and expressing powerful emotions.

                         The poem is,like a typical Romantic poem,about the nature and the speaker also has an emotional attachment and attitude towards it.He regards the nature and its memory highly.This is why critics call Wordsworth “a high priest of nature”.Another important romantic element is the spontaneous expression of personal emotion in simple and ordinary language:this was the revolution brought about by the Romantic Movement.Similarly,the absence of the conventional ‘poetic’ vocabularly,the impulse of freedom and pleasure,and an almost free-verse like rhythm are other features of Romantic poetry.

                      Other features are found in the word-game, too.Daffodils are animated as dancing and further personified as ‘sprightly’ or as being ‘in glee’.There are similes as in the title itself and in ‘stara’ which are compared with the flowers.There are metaphors like ‘inward eye’ and the ‘heart’.In short,this allegory of the process of poetic creation is also interesting at its face value for the realistic details and experience.

Imagery used in the poem:The poem “I Wandered Lonely as a cloud” is based on a visual description of a wild garden of daffodils near a lake.The visual image of the daffodils comes back to the poet’s mind and it arouses a poetic feeling in him.The image of the daffodils symbolizes the mental picture of past experience which is the true source of poetry for Wordsworth.

                   The image of the daffodils and the whole scene is vivid.The poet has visually described himself also a “cloud” that floats above hills.The crowd of daffodil is personified as “dancing” and “in glee”(happy) and “tossing their heads”.The original daffodils were real and concrete flowers.Their image is literal.But the poet has made them perceptual and conceptual.They represented the ‘concept’ of ‘happiness’.And now,as the poet brings the mental picture of the dancing daffodils in his mind,they represent the inspiring influences made by the nature on the poet’s mind.

                  The images in this poem are typical word pictures that create vivid mental pictures in the minds of the reader.They are impressive and memorable.

3.MY LAST DUCHESS-ROBERT BROWNING

Introduction to the poet:

Robert Browning is one of the greatest poets of the Victorian age or nineteenth century(though he was known less as a great poet in his own lifetime,and more as Mrs.Browning’s husband,by many;his wife Elizabeth Barret Browning was much more popular poet,then!).Browning is best known(now) as the writer of unique poems called ‘dramatic monologues’.Dramatic monologues are poems in which a single character talks to someone present before him,and the other character is simply a listener,hence monologue.Most of his dramatic monologues are about the Italian society of the fifteenth and sixteenth century(Renaissance),when the society had a highly developed culture but the upper and ruling class was corrupted,snobbish,egoistic…and even criminal.The ruling class used to claim that it had a great culture,art,literature,behavior,and so on;but the personality and behavior of the individual men was disgusting(very bad).Browning’s dramatic monologues present the characters from the Italian society involved in some kind of one way talk with someone,but the situation and conversation is so carefully designed that it reveals(tells) so many secrets about the real personality of the character,his past actions and present motives(aims).Usually,the so-called heroes of the time(kings,priests,scholars) were very mean villains as seen from their intimate,emotional and confident talk or boasting with someone.In the present poem,there is a duke(smaller than a king) who is talking to a man who has come to propose a daughter of a rich man.The duke is saying that the picture on the wall is of his last duchess(his wife) whom he gave orders to be killed,because he did not like her smiling before other people!But we also see that he is hoping to get dowry from his next wife.We then begin to doubt more and more about whatever he says or boasts about himself.After reading the poem critically we realize that he is a murderer,a hypocrite,a liar,a brag,a philistine,a greedy and mean man who declares to have a name and prestige of nine hundred years but one who has killed one wife for getting dowry from another rich man,a man who has such a negative thinking and evil mind that he thinks that his sixteen-year-old innocent wife gets passionately excited to see the donkey or any man…he is the worst man we see or read about,but in the guise of a great duke!

Introduction to the poem:

                    The duke is getting ready to go downstairs to meet the father of the girl and other men.He is speaking to one of the men who is the agent of the new marriage proposal.While waiting him to get ready,the other man is just looking at paintings on the wall to spend his time.The duke sees this,and he begins to speak to pass time.But he is such a man who cannot help boasting and praising himself.Besides,on this occasion,he is also expressing his philosophy about what a good wife must be like!But he is neither fully conscious nor cares that he is saying that he killed  his wife and also that he is expecting  dowry!The poem is based on a real historical event in Italy.The ruler of the region named Ferrara had married a fourteen year old girl whom he killed after three years and married the daughter of another rich man.Here the poem presents the duke talking to one man who has come to call him for talking about another girl proposed for marriage.

Explanation of the poem:

 Lines 1-5:The word “Ferrara” which looks like the subtitle of the poem is actually the “stage setting” for the dramatic monologue.Ferrara was the capital of one of the famous dukedoms in Renaissance Italy.The word not only denotes the place but also the time of the incident,because ‘Ferrara’ was the name of the city only in those days.As the poem begins we see the duke talking about the picture on the wall,which is the painting of his late wife,painted by the greatest painter of the country.He says that she looks like still alive,without shame or guilt.He adds that he calls that “piece” a wonder.The word ‘piece’ suggests that he regards a wife a commodity counted in pieces;even if he means ‘a piece of art’,he is talking,and boasting,in the words of the artists themselves,as if he were a man with great knowledge and interest in art.He uses the word ‘Fra’(Italian word for ‘brother’) to name the artist Pandolf suggesting that he is familiar and intimate with the great artist.         

Lines 6-15:Then he tells the other man to sit down.He says that people have tried to ask why there is a deep passion and sincere glance on the face of the duchess.They have never understood that emotional kind of face,because he says that he usually keeps the curtain over the painting.According to the duke,the other man is not the first person to wonder about the red spot on the cheek of the duchess’s picture.He even adds that people,and this man,want to ask whether it was the presence of her husband that made her face red,or it was also the presence of other males!But no one had the courage to ask it!This means that he is so great that people don’t have the courage to ask small things.He guesses and claims that they “want to” ask that stupid and evil-minded question about somebody’s wife!Then he tells what that red spot on her face was.Well,red part on the cheek of the duchess’s picture is there because she was shy when the painter was painting it,with her in front.

Lines 15-31:The duke adds that the so-called red spot was the indication of her getting passionately exciting!He calls it a ‘spot of joy’.His evil thinking is that the girl would be ‘aroused’ by the sight of any man.He explains.Perhaps the painter was simply saying that her cloth was covering her hand too much,or that painting must not exactly copy of some of the real details;but she thought that was pleasing talk,and she got excited with the painter!Now the duke goes on to add such other details about the character of his past wife,which are all disgusting and utterly unbelievab easilyle.He says that she had a heart(“how shall I say”) which could be easily pleased or impressed by others,and not only by him!She liked whatever she looked at,”and her looks went everywhere”!Everything was ‘one’ to her.His favour at her chest,or the scene of the setting sun,the broken branch of the cherry,or the white horse she used to ride,were all eually interesting and pleasing to her!She would praise them all.Or at least she would blush at them all.

Lines 31-47:And she thanked men but she thanked in a way which showed him that she regarded his nine-hundred year old name as equal to anybody’s name.His feeling is that she should look only at him,talk only with him,thank only him,be happy only with him and appreciate only him.He then says that he would have not to do this or that,but he didn’t like to bend down before her.He says that he doesn’t have the skill to say such small things,but he adds that even if he had it,he would not stoop before a mere wife.He  also says that she would not follow or understand it easily because she was not able to understand his standard of intelligence.He repeats that she used to smile at everyone.He says that she smiled,no doubt,when he went near her,but she smiled in the same way at anybody.That smiling at  everyone increased,he says,and he “gave commands” to end all the smiles,that is,to murder her!Then all the smiles ended together.He looks at the picture again and says that she is standing there,as if alive.

Lines 47-53:He then tells the other man to stand up.He says that they are going to meet the other men below,or downstairs.Then he tells the agent that the new girl’s father is so rich and generous that he need not mention about dowry:It would not be fit or necessary for him to talk about it!Then he adds that it is actually the beautiful daughter of his master in whom he is interested.He says that she is the real ‘object’(aim) of his interest,but the word ‘object’ again hints at the fact that he regards her an object.By this time it seems that the man is so tired of the disgusting boasting that he tries to go down leaving the duke there.

Lines 53-56:The duke says “no we will go together down”.He stops him to give him another piece of self-appreciation!He tells him to look at one of the statues on the side of the room;that is the statue of himself,made by the famous artist of Innsbruck and in the model of the God of war Neptune training a sea-horse.He adds that, that piece of art is thought a rare one.At every point in this monologue,we see that the duke is exposing his own villainies and vanities,when he is trying to prove himself a great man.

Satire in the poem:

                      Thought the poet never directly mentions any kind of comment on the character of the duke,the poem is basically intended as a satire on the duke and the culture of the upper and ruling class people of Renaissance Italy.He exposes the criminal and corrupted character of the duke not by saying anything himself but by letting him boast too much so that the reality cab be easily inferred from it.

                    The duke tries to prove himself a great man.But he starts claiming his greatness by saying that most people do not dare to talk to him!A great truly man doesn’t ‘inform’ his greatness in just any situation,and especially to someone who is definitely inferior.He boasts about who painted the picture.He explains the picture a if he is in art critic,but we later feel that he is a philistine showing off whatever he knows about painting with someone who is not related to the subject.We begin to doubt him when he starts saying very bad things about of his own,and his dead wife.His logic about her bad character is foolish and completely pretty-minded:no one would doubt when an innocent and girl of fifteen naturally smiles at guests and at beautiful things.If the red spot on her cheek appeared when she saw the donkey,it surely doesn’t mean that it is a signal of excitement!And of course,everyone’s looks go everywhere,when the eyes are open;it is the mind that can be evil.But the duke never talked to his wife about such things,and perhaps never actually confirmed whether his doubts were right.He says that he would not stoop before his wife.The worst thing is that a good man doesn’t talk about the character of his own wife,and never about that of his dead wife,with anyone.Our hatred of the duke crosses all limits when when he says even without hesitating that he “gave commands” to murder her!He killed her because he suspected that she was smiling with anyone because she did not differentiate between a partner,her husband,and any other male.His real character is revealed more and more when he begins to talk about ‘dowry’;he is expecting it and is certain about it.We also see that he is snobbish because he keeps sayin that his actual aim is the new girl herself.And finally,he stops the man for sometime to boast about his own statue.

                    Thus,we find that the poet is satirizing the duke by making him expose his own evil character and history in the process of boasting.He is a murderer of his innocent young wife;he is a snob calling himself a great man;he is philistine showing off his knowledge and interest in art;he is a brag who can’t talk of anything else but himself when he needs to pass time;he is a cynic who doubts his wife’s opening her eyes as looking at other males;he has a crazy idea that his wife must look only at him and always highlight his ‘nine hundred old name’;he thinks that he knows how to speak well,and mentions that by saying the opposite;he has that degraded thinking that to talk about small matters with his own wife would be to stoop.

                   These realities,which we gather after critically reading back the poem,are not only intended to satirize the duke but his culture.It is generally the satire of the high-class culture in which the outer appearance of the community ‘values’ are “great”,but the individual’s real personality is rotten to the core.There is violence and murder in the family,and the so-called ‘great’ people like this duke don’t even mind boasting about murders!The poem attacks that corrupted culture of Renaissance Italy.

Theme of ‘female protest’:          

                     

                         The poem “My Last Duchess” is actually a satire of the male-dominated culture that oppresses women without limits.But at a deeper level it can also be read as a protest of that culture done by the poet in the favour of the woman.He arouses sympathy in the readers towards the dead duchess and everyone who reads the poem feels that strong sense of protest against the injustice against women.

                       

                         In the character of the duke,the poem exposes a culture that dominated and oppressed women.In that sense,the poet is protesting against the injustice and oppression of women in this poem.The poet himself does not speak or even comment;the whole poem is in the voice of the character.Besides,we are supposed not to believe what he says but to critically analyze what he says,to understand what is the reality of the poem’s subtext(hidden story).But,at that deeper or subtextual level,the poem is the satire of male domination of women and a bitter protest and exposure of the tyranny and atrocity.

                      

                         In one sense,the picture on the wall becomes the means of the exposure of the disgustingly unjust treatment of women.The picture makes the duke ‘vomit’ his monstrosity(demonism) with confidence,and in a special sense,it protests against the living murderer.The evil duke is sure that he is right whatever he does,even when he kills someone.There is no law for him,not to talk about humanity.He is even proud of what he has done.And in the process of telling the other person about himself and his past,the poet successfully makes the reader protest against him,though without saying anything himself.