Ben Jonsons Poem to Penshurst - Literature review Example

25 October 2007 “To Penshurst” and Jonson’s Critique of Social Inequality Introduction Ben Jonson’s poem “To Penshurst” was first published in 1616 and since then has stood as the primary example of what is called Country House Poetry (..). Superficially speaking, the poem is simply meant to praise the palatial dwelling of the aristocrat Robert Sidney: the author not only describes the physical dwelling but imagines that it is the preferred residence of mythological gods. Jonson writes what he believes the aristocratic residents of the house do with their time and expresses his opinion that these privileged people are completely deserving of their lot in life. A close critique of the poem, however, suggests that Jonson may have had different views than those that are assumed of many of his readers. While it might have served him well, as a poet an a man in need of social stability, to praise his apparent social betters, this does not mean that “To Penshurst” was not written from a hidden, disapproving standpoint. Jonson himself was part of a different lifestyle to that of the Sidney’s, and as such he could see that their luxury was based on a fundamental societal structure that was only perpetuated from ownership of such residences as Penshurst. Ben Jonson Jonson, born sometime in 16th century England, grew up in London and claimed himself the “posthumous son of a minister” (Loxley 8), although experts cannot be sure whether or not this is true. Whatever his father had been, Jonson’s mother remarried to a bricklayer who despite the general condition of the London working class at the time was literate and had his stepson educated from an early age. With the second marriage of his mother, Ben Jonson suffered socially because of the loss of aristocratic society with which his clergyman father might have affiliated himself; a bricklayer’s son, although educated, was not expected to keep company with anyone outside this working class ranking and therefore it was with great difficulty that Jonson established himself as an artisan. His success can surely be attributed to an education that was above par: first he attended private school and later a prestigious school in Westminster near Whitehall Palace. Arguably it is the fact that Jonson was educated in the style of a boy from a higher social ranking that not only gave him some perspective of his own place in society but caused him to look at the lifestyles of those he attended school with in a different light. He will have met other boys from wealthier families and whose lot in life would be very different from his own simply because of the established wealth of a family and the prestige of their family names. Jonson will have learned early on about his relevant position to these other boys and their families, and with an eye to keeping himself in view of a life of stability would have gradually understood that it did him well to compliment them and be a friend. This is not to imply merely that Ben Jonson was a 17th century suck-up; the history of the poet simply serves to illustrate the point that it was from a place of initial disadvantage and yet advantageous education that Jonson saw the world. He will have understood early on that his own education was something many other boys in his way of life would never have the chance to achieve, and subsequently he was forced to question why this was so. With the change in Jonson’s fortune due to a simple remarriage by his mother, he could see first hand how the rights of birth worked and possibly used this personal example as a marker to every privileged boy that he met throughout his school days. This could well have been the underlying factor in Jonson’s adult life and in his works; so well-masked in their critique of contemporary English hierarchical society. “To Penshurst” is perhaps the greatest example of Jonson’s life in generalization: it shows just how he needed to act in relation to the aristocracy, and in turn what he achieved by doing so, but it also carries an underlying thread of criticism for a way of life that could not effectively be sustained without the manipulation of an underclass that was impoverished, uneducated and could not properly stand up for itself. The poem is at once both a frivolous piece of adoration and a close look into the split society that was England at the time, depending on how you look at it. “To Penshurst” and Country House Poems Jonson wrote: “Thou art not, PENSHURST, built to envious show, of touch, or marble; nor canst boast a row, of polished pillars, or a roof of gold” (Jonson) as a means to bring the palatial residence down to its functional existence and in doing so placate the aristocratic Sidney family who took residence there. He went on to describe how the house “joy’st in better marks, of soil, of air, of wood, of water…” (ibid.) which are implicated as more precious than the architectural structures mentioned previously. In bringing Penshurst down to the level of a purely functional and yet revered structure, Jonson was attempting to assure the Sidney’s that he, as their social inferior, placed their home in such esteem as he himself was worthy to understand. This type of poetry became fashionable as a means to essentially mollify the aristocracy who liked nothing better than to be told how wonderful they were and how their homes reflected their true characters (Post 276). “To Penshurst” laid the groundwork for a fad that would delight English aristocracy for years, and in doing so he was able to raise himself up to the full height of his societal existence and bask in the company of Lords and Ladies who otherwise would have led lives completely separate from the poet. The secret of Jonson’s work was that he was both writing to entertain and compliment those people who had it in their power to give him a better life and also writing almost blatantly about the inequalities of the social system that were apparent from the mere administration of such a household as Penshurst. He wrote: “And though thy walls be of the country stone, they’re reared with no man’s ruin, no man’s groan; there’s none that dwell about them wish them down; but all come in, the farmer and the clown” (Jonson). The author makes two clear remarks about the social inequalities inherent in the household: the first is that although Penshurst was undoubtedly a huge and painful feat for those who built it, the laborers nevertheless thought the task worthwhile; the second is that everyone who wishes is welcome to come into the house. One can easily assume that the laborers in charge of the construction of the house were not appeased of their hardships simply because the structure itself was grand enough for aristocracy in the end; one can also assume that the Sidney household was not unlike most other English aristocratic homes in that its members would never admit anyone of particularly low social standing in, regardless of whether they were neighbors and admirers of the home. What’s more, Jonson writes of how those lowly admirers of Penshurst come flocking to the Lord and Lady of the house with gifts: “no one empty-handed, to salute” (ibid.). Jonson goes on to describe how the household and grounds are worthy of the commendations of King James and the Prince, and how upon an unexpected royal visit every item and room in the house was properly dressed as if the house had awaited royal attention since its construction. The author has clearly gone overboard in his attempts to appease the Sidney’s, however instead of viewing this as a failure in his duties as a poet it can be seen as the very reason to believe that Jonson was illustrating some very valid points about English hierarchy and inequality. Jonson’s Criticisms of the Penshurst Household The underlying theme in “To Penshurst” is Jonson’s own observation of English society captivated so perfectly in the Penshurst household. Jonson himself often wrote about social issues such as these however it is the belief of Hugh Jenkins that in the creation of “To Penshurst” the poet actually insinuates that the presence of the male head of household on a daily basis “allows for stable and hospitable relations between all ranks of society, preventing the kind of social disharmony at [the] estate that plagues the negatively defined estates surrounding Penshurst” (Jenkins). It is true that many references are made to Lord Sidney and that coupled with the reference to all members of society being welcomed into the home this inference might be made; however the more likely cause of these two factors is Jonson’s wish to be discreet in his accusations towards the family and all others like theirs. Someone with a history like Ben Jonson could clearly not help but see the differences in how society treated people like him, people beneath him on the social ladder and his supposed social betters like the Sidney family. His profession as a writer required him to gain perspective from his life and the existence of others and to use this in his works. “To Penshurst” is a record of not only how lower class people were treated in comparison to aristocracy, but also to how the latter believed itself to be right, good and just in all its endeavors. The Sidneys are all portrayed as nothing less than deserving of their lot in life; the children are particularly showered with praise at the end of the poem however the author alludes to the fact that their upbringing leaves them ignorant of life outside Penshurst: “Their gentler spirits have sucked innocence” (Jacobs). The placement of this observation at the end of the poem brings the critique full circle: one cannot place blame on an entire class of nobility without making reference to where their behaviors and beliefs came from. The Sidney children were brought up to believe in their superiority, to enjoy every luxury and in raising them in this way the Lord and Lady of the house are perpetuating not only their own existence but that of the under classes. The main objection comes in the references made to the wide array of people coming in and out of Penshurst with seeming admiration of the family within. It is clear by the very composition of the poem that Jonson himself is a formal admirer of the family, however assuming this is done because of a need to gain success in his unconventional trade it can be said that Jonson is actually sympathizing with any socially low-standing people who really do come into Penshurst bearing gifts for their social betters in the hopes that their lives will be made slightly more comfortable. Conclusions Jonson’s societal critique of his contemporary England was done with grace and ambiguity in this poem, and there are really two basic ways in which this work can be interpreted. The first is to take its remarks as wholehearted admiration for the Sidney’s and the Penshurst estate; the second is to assume that given Jonson’s life history and his inability to move past his own rung on the social ladder the author actually viewed the Sidney’s and other contemporary noble families more as spoiled and over-powerful people who simply got lucky at their births. His references can be interpreted as a critique mainly because of the over-zealousness with which he writes about the goodness of the family and their prestige over any other households. Jonson was a skilled writer who rivaled Shakespeare; it is foolish to think that he did not possess the literary capabilities to express admiration without such overindulgence. His hyperbole was a signal to readers, even if they could not see it, that he did not approve of the massive differences between lifestyles of various societal groups in the country. Certainly it may be said that Jonson’s affinity to the Sidney family was perhaps greater than it was to any other aristocratic family with whom he was acquainted; his remarks about social inequality are impossible to miss, however, and “To Penshurst” remains a record of English hierarchy that the author truly regretted. Works Cited Loxley, James. The Complete Critical Guide to Ben Jonson. New York: Routledge, 2001. Post, Jonathan F.S. English Lyric Poetry: The Early Seventeenth Century. London: Routledge, 1999. Jonson, Ben. The Works of Ben Jonson. “To Penshurst”. Boston: Phillips, Samson and Co., 1853. 801-802. Read More