ENG264 3W1- Ross Tripi

“Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley

MISSINGNO. — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:10:25 +0000

“Ozymandias” seems to have an epic tone to it. The traveller that the narrator talks to describes an archaic scene, shattered ruins probably in Egypt. There, the traveller finds a statue of once Pharaoh Ramses II, also known as Ozymandias.

“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck… (Shelley 399)

The statue of Ozymandias asks those who look upon it to survey all the works that he has created in his lifetime, but by then all the monuments had eroded. The poem seems to say that the sum total of all human actions is null.

Ramses II’s purported himself as one who had eternal power, however his alleged works have been eroded by nature itself. Man is a part of nature, and as such is subject to it. The same with time; man is subject to the test of time. As is shown by the statue of Ozymandias, nothing lasts.

“She Walks in Beauty” -George Gordon, Lord Byron

MISSINGNO. — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:12:32 +0000

This work is the archetypical poem of adoration. Every line of the poem is an accolade laid upon an unnamed woman by the speaker.

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that’s best of dark and bright;

Meet in her aspect and her eyes;

Thus mellow’d to that tender light

Which heaven to gaudy day denies. (Byron 358)

The speaker depicts both the woman’s mannerisms as well as her appearance. Saying that she walks in beauty implies that merely the way that she moves is admirable to the speaker. ”All that’s best of dark and bright; meet in her aspect and her eyes” is a reference to her physical beauty.

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent!

The speaker expresses admiration for the woman beyond what is visible. He says he is in love with her mind and intentions. It is my personal belief that this is the most rational and lasting of romances; when the attraction goes beyond the physical to the reverence of the other’s thoughts and ideals, the relationship is meaningful.

“Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

MISSINGNO. — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:03:39 +0000

The poem is a narrative of the once Mongol emperor of China’s theoretical construction of what is called the Pleasure Dome.

The shadow of the dome of pleasure

Floated midway on the waves;

Where was heard the mingled measure

From the fountain and the caves. (Coleridge 343)

The poem is very descriptive of the dome, despite it having never existed. The device seems to have been constructed as a way to strike fear into Khan’s enemies. I cannot interpret a reason behind the poem aside from the desire of Coleridge to write a narrative.

Apparently, this poem helped to revive historical interest in the empire of Kubla Khan, who used to rule over one fifth of the populated world. It also was transposed into lyrical form as the song “Xanadu” by the rock band Rush. The lyrics, like the poem, are very ethereal. They are meant to invoke sensual imagery, it would seem. In the case of the song, the instrumentation gives a sense of one being in an environment untainted by the hands of man.

For he on honey-dew hath fed,

And drank the milk of Paradise.

“When Shall I Tread Your Garden Path?” -Dorothy Wordsworth

MISSINGNO. — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 01:51:41 +0000

This poem was written at the tail end of Dorothy’s prolonged illness. An obvious lament of her condition, she explicitly desires to be able to move freely once again.

A prisoner on my pillowed couch

Five years in feebleness I’ve lain,

Oh! shall I e’er with vigorous step

Travel the hills again? (Wordsworth 294)

It is odd that she addressed the poem to John Carter, her brother’s assistant. The subtext has little information about Carter, and Dorothy’s works were not published during her life so she didn’t send them to be published.

It is possible that her words are specifically directed towards Carter, such as:

When shall I tread your garden path?

Or climb your sheltering hill?

There could have been some relationship between the two beyond the working relationship Carter had established with Dorothy’s brother, otherwise she wouldn’t specifically refer to Carter’s garden or hill.

“Lines Written in Early Spring” -William Wordsworth

MISSINGNO. — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:13:16 +0000

“Lines Written in Early Spring” is a poem about the human condition. The narrator of the poem reminisces about surrounding himself with nature, causing him to consider “what man has made of man”. He also considers the creatures around him, acting as if they had no concerns of any kind; he claims their actions are playful. He said there was pleasure to be found in his surroundings, though it is not clear if there is pleasure for him to find or for the animals around him.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,

To catch the breezy air;

And I must think, do all I can,

That there was pleasure there.

(Wordsworth 202)

The narrator fails to say what “man has made of man”, either explicitly or implicitly; it can be inferred that it is the opposite of whatever the animals around him are doing. If the creatures around him are content and happily frolicking, man apparently has made himself unable to enjoy such pleasures.

Wordsworth seems to come from the perspective that society has corrupted man. Also, Wordsworth explicitly says that there is pleasure in nature. These two ideas are archetypical Romantic ideals.

“All Religions Are One” by William Blake

MISSINGNO. — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 01:44:59 +0000

Blake seems to be making an argument for the theory that religion is a social construct as opposed to something that was passed down by a deity. He argues that every person possess Poetic Genius, and that their genius is determined by their outward form. Because all of man’s outward forms are alike, Blake argues that their Poetic Genius are all of the same substance. He argues in a way that makes it look like he believes that all religions are merely interpretations of the same thing.

Blake does not seem to be endorsing relativism so much as he is saying that various religions are just different perspectives on the same thing. While relativism would say that religion is moot and they are all merely stories designed to encourage good morals, Blake proposes something similar yet different in that all religions are of the same substance and are not necessarily moot.

Introduction

MISSINGNO. — Sun, 22 May 2011 19:10:15 +0000

In keeping with the instructions laid out in the syllabus, allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Ross Tripi.

I am taking this online course for a few reasons. I’m taking this course because it is required for CLA students. I am taking this specific course because I have some experience with romantic literature. I am taking it online because I want to make use of my summer hours so that I might be able to take more classes during the regular school year that deal with my majors, Computer Science and Information Science and Technology.

My expectations for the class are that I might end up with an appreciation for romantic literature, though I’m not holding my breath. My anxieties for the class are that all my preconceived notions about romantic literature are correct and that I will not appreciate much of it, sans the work of Oscar Wilde.

Here’s to hoping all goes well for all of us.