Helen Maria William's Poetry - Book Report/Review Example

Carefully read the poem 'To Dr. Moore CAREFULLY READ THE POEM 'TO DR.MOORE, IN ANSWER A POETICAL EPISTLE WRITTEN BY HIM IN WALES' BY HELEN MARIA WILLIAMS GRACE SARKAR Order No. 349258 02 January 2010 CAREFULLY READ THE POEM 'TO DR.MOORE, IN ANSWER A POETICAL EPISTLE WRITTEN BY HIM IN WALES' BY HELEN MARIA WILLIAMS Introduction The poem is a poignant as well as painful recollection of the French Revolution in the closing decade of the 18th century. The poet has written the poem in the backdrop of the poetical epistle by Dr. Moore published in A Journal During a Residence in France (1793-4). (Helen Maria Williams). The poet has made good use of figures of speech and poetic effects to bring home the needs for the revolution along with expressions of sadness the revolution has caused. The brutality of the causes of the revolution is matched with the malevolence of the results of the revolution. The strokes of the poet's pen spare none. The poet makes common cause with Dr Moore. There may have been some differences but it is papered over with respect and recognition. The poet expresses satisfaction at having gained ground lost prior to the revolution. History does not encourage short sighted gains of ill-gotten wealth. The poet is content to consign the rights and wrongs of the revolution to history while dwelling on the achievements of the revolution. Substance of the poem The lyrical charm of the poem is interspersed with the difficult accounts of the French Revolution. Lines such as "While in long exile far from you I roam, To soothe my heart with images of home" "Thy happy peasant, now no more-a slave, Forbade to taste one good that nature gave - Views with the anguish of indignant pain, The bounteous harvest spread for him in vain" express the scars of the revolution. But there is also the joy of liberty and the hard gained freedom to retain the fruits of one's labor. "Oppression's cruel hand shall dare no more, To seize with iron grip his scanty store, And from his famished infants wring those spoils, The hard-earned produce of his useful toils; For now on Gallia's plains the peasant knows, Those equal rights impartial heaven bestows." (Helen Maria Williams). The poem vividly portrays the picture of brotherhood and fellowship along with the beauty of the climes. Feelings of tender relationships and an atmosphere of belonging are projected with the glory of liberty. Liberty is compounded with bountiful harvest and self-respect gained from righteous labor. The poem sheds light on the joy of liberty and the transforming effects of liberty from the evils of bondage. That the French Revolution had salutary effects on the population is not lost on the poet. "Nor may obtrusive reason boldly scan, Far less reform, the rude, mishapen plan The winding labyrinths, the hostile towers, Whence danger threatens, and where horror lowers; The jealous drawbridge, and the moat profound, The lonely dungeon in the caverned ground; The sullen dome above those central caves, Where lives one despot and a host of slaves" (Helen Maria Williams). The poem, however, disproves of the extremely violence unleashed during the revolution and closes with, "When shall I hasten with the 'joy of tears' That joy whose keen sensation swells to pain, And strives to utter what it feels, in vain." (Helen Maria Williams). The overall effect, however, is positive and lauds the outcome with unconcealed joyfulness. That the feudal lords got what they deserved is expressed in plain words. "Must feudal governments for ever last, Those Gothic piles, the works of ages past" Nonetheless, the poet has deliberately kept away from the bloody events of the revolution. In this respect the poem is one big euphemism (Helen Maria Williams). Also, the poet has consciously upheld the defining role of liberty. She champions the cause of liberty without any reservation. "Auspicious Liberty! in vain thy foes, Deride thy ardour, and thy force oppose." (Helen Maria Williams). The grandeur of the French locales is not lost on the poet in spite of the gruesome events of the revolution. The picturesque landscapes are provide with the lines, "A purple harvest on the sunny fields; Where, bending with their luscious weight, recline, The loaded branches of the clustering vine; There, on the Loire's sweet banks, a joyful band, Culled the rich produce of the fruitful land." (Helen Maria Williams). The poet tries to express from a personal standpoint the beauty of the country before the revolution, the horrors of the revolution, and the retrieval of the lost liberty post-revolution. The proud French race is expressed in no uncertain terms in the opening and succeeding stanzas. The placid picture does not pretend to remain that way in changed circumstances brought about the feudal lords. But one can almost see the poet cringe at the outcome of these circumstances. Nonetheless, it is accepted fact that peculiar circumstances give rise to peculiar solutions. Metaphors and personifications abound in the poem. "Cultured meadows" and "frowning on the flood below, The rough Welsh mountain lifts its craggy brow; Where nature throws aside her softer charms, And with sublimer views the bosom warms." (Helen Maria Williams). These are few samples of the entire gamut of metaphors and personifications in the poem let loose to express natural beauty and grace. There are also traces of simile, synecdoche and transferred epithets embellishing country scene with different climates. Thus it is that "While, like the mole, they hide their heads in night" "Oppression's cruel hand" and "Nor may obtrusive reason boldly scan, Far less reform, the rude, mishapen plan" (Helen Maria Williams). How does one lead to another The expression is mild but the effect is telling! The poet begins with the age old charm of the region in its bountiful produce and the general population satisfied with the harvest. However, the central theme of the revolution lingers at the start and soon engulfs the reader with its undesirable elements. The winding labyrinths and the hostile towers are just part of the whole story. The gory details are left unsaid. The poem achieves its effect of showing the new environment occurred as a result of the revolution. It lauds the invigorating nature of liberty before and after the revolution. The devastating effect of the events about to unfold in the poem is not lost on the reader. The opening lines in the poem reveal the negative pictures about to emerge amidst scenic backdrop of the fruitful climes. The intermittent scenes of gaiety and gory reflects the contrasting white and black squares in a chess game board. The reason for the revolution is not lost on the discerning reader. The finger of blame squarely point to the feudal lords. The greed of the small albeit authoritarian class has engulfed the entire country in an unwanted episode. The first stanza provides a hint of the state of affairs in general with personal feelings of being left out in a saga the poet clearly wants no part. The second stanza delves deeper into the saga and is more descriptive of the revolution. It touches on the events of the revolution with as much dignity and honesty as it could without spilling all the beans. But the forces of the events are there. They are not felt in the first stanza. They are sorely felt in the second stanza. Nonetheless, one can feel the pain the poet goes through in the concluding lines. The pain is obvious in the second stanza too. But it is expressly mentioned in the concluding lines. The third stanza is clearer about recurrence of such events that gave rise to the revolution. It sounds a grim warning against such events occurring anywhere. The lines between the 30th and 40th lines are explicitly clear about the fate of such occurrences. Towards the end, that is, from the 74th line, the poet becomes personal in her references to Dr. Moore. She holds him in reverence and respect. But she does not deviate from her personal feelings. She gives full vent to her feelings in the entire poem. However, she is reserved in her utterances. She does not tell the events in its gory details. But she makes enough expressions to produce similar effects if the details had been given in its raw form. The beauty of the poem lies in its ability to convey the full meaning without providing the full details. The poem is composed of 96 lines. Of these there are two stanzas comprising 42 lines. The 43rd line shows the futility of authoritarianism. This is central to the message in the entire poem. The poem rings with pro-liberty message. In the labyrinth of social and political upheaval, the case for liberty is given prominence. It is as much as saying that without liberty the alternative is chaos and death. For all the right noises about liberty, the poet still cringes at the results of revolution. The revolution has confused and pained her. Nonetheless, she sees the revolution as a necessity. There was no other way of dealing with the unreasonable circumstances created due to the greed of the few at the helm. At the same time, the poet conveys her dread at the revolution. The magnitude of the events that shaped the revolution is repulsive to her. She reveals enough to show that there was no alternative to the revolution. But the revolution has pained her. The exasperation is clear. If there is any doubt, it is cleared with the four final lines: "When, to that dwelling friendship's tie endears, When shall I hasten with the 'joy of tears' That joy whose keen sensation swells to pain, And strives to utter what it feels, in vain" (Helen Maria Williams). Conclusion The poet prefers the tranquil nature of the country that existed much ahead of the pre-revolution period. The revolution is shown as a momentary aberration. If anything, liberty has emerged stronger after the revolution. Liberty is not shown as something that is responsible for the revolution. There is also nothing to even hint at any alternative to the revolution. The poet has simply responded to another poem by Dr. Moore. She neither attacks nor absolves Dr. Moore. She objectively states historical facts without going into details. But it also expresses sadness at the devastating effects of the revolution. Against the backdrop of the favorable climes, the revolution casts its shadow and momentarily highlights the ill effects of greed and selfish claims of the feudal lords. The poet deftly projects the causes and effects of the revolution and closes the poem on a sober note of helpless disapproval. Source: Helen Maria Williams, To Dr. Moore, in Answer to a Poetical Epistle Written by Him in Wales, 349258_to_dr_moore_in_answer_to_a_poetic_epistle.rtf Read More