Lyrical Ballads - Mary Shellys Frankenstein - Essay Example

?Full Lyrical Ballads Lyrical Ballads came to be born in the existential years of Wordsworth and Coleridge who became friends, with a common denominator of a Romantic’s view of writing in simple words, picturing the common lives of people (Christ, David, Lewaski, Lipking, Logan, Lynch, Maus, Noggle, Ramazani, Robson, Simpson, Stallworthy & Stillinger 1498). Going over their works though and that of their contemporaries, the modern reader finds difficulty in understanding the meanings of the authors’ words. This is because of the representations used in the literary pieces which are all common in other works whether made during the Romantic Period, later or earlier. These representations are probably the secret ingredients of writers to their works that usually hold their readers’ attention, and getting their praises in the end. As for Wordsworth and Coleridge, they were initially stoned with many negative comments from reviewers like Francis Jeffrey which resulted to readers refraining from embracing their works (enotes.com). However, with the rise of other reviewers who appreciated the simplicity of the two Romantics’ works, the dice was rolled for the authors’ favors and marked their names in history, where even today, the representations of their works are rediscovered time and again. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein (Literature.org) is a lyrical ballad with representations of the unseen world and nature, of gods and humans. During the times of early discoveries of what we enjoy now like electricity, unseen powers greatly influenced the imaginations of men that this theme is scattered in many of their literary works. Frankenstein’s creation of a monster resulted from the understanding of the works of the gods who keep the equilibrium of the universe and things in it. The creator intended to make a man like himself through his study of Chemistry, one that he would be proud of, intended for the good of mankind. To his disappointment, he made alive a creature he eventually feared and despised; a demonstration of what the supreme can do to frustrate the illusions of man for fame, glory and power. Frankenstein, destroying his she monster before even taking the breath of life brings to him a realization that he can not play god again. He may have been able to create a man, but it was to his misfortune and not according to what he expected things to be. This realization may have not been explicitly mentioned but the representation rings through the story where Frankenstein’s fears for what the monster could do, with a helper who could be able to reproduce their kinds amongst humankind. It could also have been to Frankenstein, a submission and acceptance that he is not at all powerful as the gods who are able to look after their creations and limit their fantasies as they did to him and his creation, a monster instead of an adorable man. Looking at the story more closely and its implications to the modern world, Frankenstein obviously would represent men or scientists in particular and the monster are the bad effects of their discoveries and creations. For instance, men created bombs, missiles and guns. Like the monster of Frankenstein, these creations take millions of lives around the world not only the bad guys but more often than not, the innocent become the victims. The creators of which are not spared from the pain of such a great misery as seen in the life of Frankenstein whose loved ones were not spared, making him suffer all the more, blaming himself for such a misfortune. Men can not undo what they have done, they can not bring the time of ignorance about such destructive creations as Frankenstein was not able to destroy his monster. However, it could be implied in the story that such insanity can either be reinforced or put to a stop. Frankenstein, creating a she monster would strengthen the male counter part and eventually take more lives than he is able to do alone, likewise, scientists creating more and stronger kinds of bombs will physically do the same. Giving up on such pursuance though, could put a stop to its insanities as suggested by the sacrifice of Frankenstein of his ideas that he could make better the grief he caused by creating a she monster to gratify the first one. Among all creations, Shelly chose the making of a man by a man. Why not choose an animal, as most scientists experiment on them? This might as well show us the glory scientists clamor for in their discoveries, disregarding the dangers of which. The war, we might say, is between science and natural law but in retrospect, it is between the gods or God, and man where in the end man must submit to the laws of a creator more powerful than man. These representations in the story extract fear and hatred from the reader, what more should its effects be when one looks around to see the evident truths science has brought mankind. In addition, the monster can be a representation of Satan or the devil as folklore and literature usually represent him to be in the form of a serpent, goat, dog, and other beasts that represent evil (Brown & Rosenberg 585). Moreover, Satan was represented through extreme, dramatic evil during medieval times. On the other hand, John Milton portrayed Satan as a ‘torture’, with loss of happiness and lasting pain (Brown & Rosenberg 585-586) which is in parallel to the feelings of Frankenstein because of his creation. Thus, it can be said that the ultimate battle after all, is between good and evil, the gods or God versus Satan. On the other hand, representations or figurative languages such as similes and metaphors are used in lyrical ballads to attract the readers’ attention. Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Christ et al. 1615-1632), mentions ‘glittering eye’ to catch the fancy of the reader; painting a character with great enthusiasm. From such a character with glittering eyes would come something excellent that should cause such exuberance, taking the mind of the reader to think for what it could be, thus causes him/her to discover what it is by continuing to read on. Heightening the readers’ emotions through figurative language is basically an author’s aim to hold their attention and interest. ‘The death-fires danced at night’ describes the electricity on a ship’s mast believed in superstition as an omen for danger, ‘danced’ showing the effect of wind to the mast (Christ et al. 1619). The next line describes the water like a witch’s oil because of its mixed colors of green, blue and white but this, as is referenced on a footnote that the ‘death-fires’ is the continued emission of light resulting from the decomposition of organic matter in the sea (Christ et al. 1619), the different colors of the sea referred to as the witch’s oil could be a part of the gas surrounding the sea at such a time. This metaphor and simile are sure to make readers wonder and think about what is spoken about by the author. Clues to such could sometimes spring up when one reads on and much more, the picture becomes clearer when literary works are read again and again. ‘With broad and burning face’ would sure amaze the reader to know that the reference is not towards a man, but to an approaching ship or so it seemed (Christ et al. 1620) that the mariner and his crew have seen from afar and were not able to recognize its figure because it was in between the sun and the mariner’s ship, making it difficult for them to see clearly. When it came nearer, the ship was clearer in view and probably has red sails or the burning color would be the effect of the sun on the sails. These representations may also seem to be puzzles for readers to solve and all the more makes the reading experience interesting. Does the sea rot? In part 4 of the “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, the author refers to the sea as rotting, though the sea does not rot. In fact, science proves that salt is a form of preservative, the sea being salty, can not rot rather would help preserve whatever is put in it. Being in the open sea, though, showing no life than those of his sleeping comrades on the deck implies death and thus implies rottenness. This could also imply hopelessness to someone who has been in the sea for a long time that homesickness, cold and misery sink in one’s soul, making him see no bright futures but a hopeless end to his endeavor. In addition, it also implies the sick feeling the mariner holds as his crew seem to face their doom, after his impulsive killing of the albatross that flew over their ship, believed to guide them in the wide sea to a safe land (Christ et al. 1618). The line, ‘The dead men gave a groan’ (Christ et al. 1624) will surely make the reader ask how a lifeless person would groan. Figuratively, this speaks of the sailors who were not physically dead but rather dead in hope of getting into safe land. Their groaning was a sign of their refusal to rot, having breathed in hope at the sight of a distant land, the crew are inspired and get the ship going (Christ et al. 1624). Being described as dead many times over in the poem, the sailors groaning show life, excitement, hope; that their corpses are imagined to refuse to rot or taking the imagery out, their hopes refuse to disappear. Wordsworth, a contemporary of Coleridge, in “Tintern Abbey” uses common figurative languages that reach to the common readers, which at first became controversial, not underpinning the classical literary styles (Christ et al. 1497-1498, Rosenberg 802). According to the author, the use of incidents and situations from common life and though, with the use of a language used by men, can make it so interestingly presented (Christ et al. 1497) by touching the emotions, getting the readers to be in a state of excitement, enough to make one compelled to read, save the nudging. Truly, the emotion is one of the most powerful tools a writer could rouse for him to make his readers captivated and allow them to relate with the characters. Every man has emotions, great or small, white or black, reach or pauper, educated or not, and to reach to a wider reading public, an author should have the audacity to reach to this common denominator amongst all peoples. However, emotions should be roused in an artistic way as a poet should employ and not just as ordinarily as a mother speaks to her child. There must be some kind of language used to let the readers have a well written, educated manner of poetry, and from this, the writer composes his work from his heart and not just his mind. As Wordsworth said, all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings (Christ et al. 1498). The same author enumerates the purposes of his poems and on top of his list is the illustration of the manner man’s feelings and ideas are associated in a state of excitement (Christ et al. 1498). The presentation of stories whether in prose or poetry of an author, follows a path where the emotions and attention of readers course through. This would take the means of incorporating not just the common incidents in life as mentioned earlier, but also includes common emotions for the reader to be able to put himself/herself in the story, lest he/she not understand it at all. This point can most probably be backed up by the belief of Wordsworth that writers do not need to use gross and violent incidents or characters to rouse the emotions of the readers rather the human mind can be excited with simple poetry. As William Hazlitt said of Wordsworth’s Lyrical Ballads that the effect was like to him the turning up of fresh soil or the first welcome breath of spring (Christ et al. 1945) as it had an effect that was much new to him compared to literary pieces of earlier writers. Readers can also find comfort in being able to relate with the fears, resistance, love, hatred, and other emotions the characters in the story, feel. There is a connection that is drawn between the author and the reader through the words used to convey and draw emotions as Wordsworth points in his second purpose to poetry that the feeling developed gives importance to the action and situation and not vice versa (Christ et al. 1499). With this, the author refers us to the “Childless Father” (Wordsworth) to make clear his remarks and indeed, reading through the poem, one’s sympathy is roused towards the father whose son died, not to mention left all alone as a widower, too. Another poem the author recommends to test how action and situation stir emotions is “Poor Susan” which talks about a girl who is an outcast, looking at his father’s house, doubtingly considering what would be her lot if she went back to him. Tintern Abbey exposes Wordsworth’s stages of growth where from the 66th to the 85th line of his poem he mentions all three stages. ‘I came among these hills; when like a roe I bounded o’er the mountains’, is a line that would explain the young, vibrant Wordsworth, full of life and activity. As the roe is an animal that could run a distance in a little while, it is used by Wordsworth to represent youthfulness and activity. Then comes the second stage of life when, ‘more like a man flying from something he dreads, than one who sought the things he loved’, shows someone evolved into a man through his experiences. Such experiences then make him more of cautious, pretty much fearful of what might the consequences of his actions would be. Perhaps, even afraid of loving, and pursuing love knowing through experience that something that would make a person glad can equally, fatally make him feel bad. Thirdly, ‘the time is past, and all its aching joys are now no more’, show the stage of the author’s life when he resigns from the life which brings his share of joy and sorrow (Christ et al. 1493). The resigned life of an old man or the near death experience of someone who feels and remembers no more what he has lived in his early years. In describing a poet, Wordsworth gives us the profound truth that he is a man speaking to a man but not in the ordinary way, on the contrary in a more animated way, lively and enthusiastic to share what he knows (Christ et al. 1502). Articulate and sensible, the poet should become so as not to bore his readers as the traditional storyteller ought to render his prose to let his listeners ‘see’ what he is talking about. In a way, it is the poet’s manner to communicate himself to the reader making that which goes around come around. A man speaking to a man would want to have his listener’s attention and empathize or even sympathize with him as much as he wants to be in the shoes of others by sharing his skills and talents by putting his thoughts and feelings into words. In conclusion, the words of Wordsworth may well wrap up all that have been said, when it comes to representations discussed and those which were not even mentioned, considered to be literary pieces, that ‘literature could keep humans essentially human’. This is basically true as humans compared to animals act mostly on emotions rather than instincts. When a person reads about a poor man in misery, he would in effect feel sad for him. Likewise, when the character of a story falls in love, prospers and is jubilant, the reader feels the same feelings as the character. Although this may not always be the case in all stories because prose and poetry as Wordsworth emphasized, are based on mundane incidents which portray the naked truth that even good people can be mistreated as bad people can be exalted. However, the point here is that emotions drawn through the written pages make human beings be what they are, able to feel and justify their feelings, being human. References Brown, Mary Ellen and Bruce A. Rosenberg. Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1998. Print. Christ, Carol T. et al. The Norton Anthology: English Literature (8th Edition). Castle House 75/76 Wells Street, London: W.W. Norton and Company LTD, 2006. Print. Rosenberg, Donna. World Literature: An Anthology of Great Short Stories, Drama and Poetry. Illinois, USA: NTC Publishing Group, 1992. Print. Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Literature.org. n.d. Web. January 6, 2011. . Wordsworth, William. The Childless Father. Readbookonline.com. n.d. Web. January 6, 2011. . Wordsworth, William. Poor Susan. Readbookonline.com. n.d. Web. January 7, 2011. < http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/3312/> Read More

 

Read More