What are the key preoccupations of the Romantic poet and how are these evinced in Keats letters and poems, and in Shelley s Skylark

Transcription

1 What are the key preoccupations of the Romantic poet and how are these evinced in Keats letters and poems, and in Shelley s Skylark One of the main preoccupations of the Romantic poet is that of a longing for freedom from the trials and tribulations of everyday life. This desire to escape the monotonous routine of human existence and to be free of the shackles of society is apparent throughout Keats letters and poems as well as in Shelley s To a Skylark. In Keats letters his perception of life as an existence trapped in two chambers, the thoughtless chamber and the Chamber of Maiden Thought, shows that he views life s potential as limited and restricted. The fact that this view of life as an almost prison-like existence makes it into his letter to a friend highlights how heavily it must have weighed upon his mind. Also, in Keats Ode to a Nightingale and Shelley s To a Skylark both poets are mesmerized, and to an extent intoxicated, by the sublime nature of their respective birds. Keats writes of the Nightingale as being too happy in thine happiness and describes it as a light-winged Dryad of the trees as well as an immortal bird which Singest of summer. Meanwhile Shelley addresses the Skylark with Hail to thee, blithe spirit! and describes it as That from heaven or near it. He also writes of its flight as Like an unbodied joy whose race has just begun and its call as shrill delight. These words illustrate the fact that both poets are entranced by their favoured bird s untamed beauty and perceived divinity. They are transfixed with envious eyes upon the ability of the birds to do as they please without fear or trepidation. To them the birds epitomise their dreams of escape from the constraints of everyday living. The birds are the very embodiment of a future the two poets yearn for; a future with complete freedom from all duties, struggles and responsibilities, a future whereby they too can be as free as the birds. To bring themselves closer to this future they desire they turn to poetry. The poems they both write are their means of escape from everyday life. Their poetry allows them to immerse themselves in the possibility and potential which fascinates them, while it also provides them with an opportunity to express the extent of their envy and admiration for the birds that they marvel before and adore.

2 Another key preoccupation of the Romantic poet is that of a sense of loneliness and isolation, combined with a great focus on the importance of death. The poets themselves are clearly detached from mainstream society and this is something which is clear in their literature. However, something which is also apparent in Keats letters and poems as well as Shelley s To a Skylark is that the poets have a fear of this isolation that so often acts as their inspiration. They seem to be frightened by the concept of growing old and to worry that ageing will bring with it loneliness. Although they often thrive on their separate existence, both Keats and Shelley fear that as they enter their twilight years they will be abandoned by their admirers, forgotten by their critics and as a result fade into obscurity. This fear of becoming a relic of the past, as well as both poets lack of forward looking optimism, is visible in the writings of the two men men. Keats paints a miserable picture of elderly life when, in an Ode to a Nightingale, he describes The weariness, the fever and the fret. where men sit and hear each other groan; Where Palsy shakes a few, sad, last grey hairs, Where youth grows pale, and spectre thin, and dies; Where but to think is to be full of sorrow. This absence of hope is matched by the words of Shelley, in To a Skylark, when he exclaims that We look before and after, And pine for what is not: Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thoughts. These words of forlorn hope illustrate the fact that the two poets both share the same perception of human life being empty and futile. This sentiment is echoed in Keats correspondence with his friend John Hamilton Reynolds. Keats writes of when an individual has been in The Chamber of Maiden Thought, a room which represents later life, for a period of time, one develops a feeling of all hope and righteousness being forsaken. He describes the process by which humans experience misery and heartbreak, pain, sickness and oppression and how as a result our lives becomes gradually darken d. This concept, that as life progresses humans come to see the world s capacity for evil and wickedness, as well as the faults and failings of our fellow man, more clearly, creates a strong sense of each individual s life being nothing more than a sad chapter in a tragic tale. These words, and the concepts that they give rise to, create a strong sense of depression and despair, something which is an underlying theme in the writings of Keats and Shelley as well as those of a great many other Romantics.

3 Another key preoccupation of the Romantic poet is that of a fascination with nature and its untamed beauty. This sense of awe at the barbaric splendour of nature, which can on the one hand be so very beautiful and attractive but on the other be so dangerous and deadly, is a feeling which runs deep through Keats letters and poems as well as Shelley s To a Skylark. In Keats Ode to a Nightingale he writes of The grass, the thicket, and the fruit tree wild; White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine; Fast-fading violets cover d up in leaves ; before going on to describe the beauty of the meadows, the stream, the hill-side and the valley glades. His admiration for the serene but wild features of nature is illustrated further when he asks the question; Was it a vision, or a waking dream? in relation to the natural wonders he has seen. In To a Skylark, Shelley strikes a similar tone regarding the subject of nature and its beauty. He writes of the green leaves, warm winds, grass, flowers and their divine nature as well as describing the fields, waves, mountains, sky and plain. This theme of unbridled admiration for nature and its features is emphasised further in Keats letter to his brother Thomas. In which he writes of a picturesque landscape he has explored and describes The morning beautiful along with the waterfall, hills, trees, valley and stream. The importance of nature to Keats is illustrated by the very virtue of the fact that his admiration of its raw beauty features in his correspondence with his family. However, along with this love of serene and stable natural environments, there is also an obsession with the darker and wilder side of nature. We see this when Shelley describes a rose embower d in its own green leaves by warm winds deflowered. This image of the flowers being killed by their own wildness is a powerful one which effectively conveys nature s ability to give life and beauty, while also having the power to take it away. In Keats poetry his fascination with raw and unpredictable nature is illustrated by his description of some woods in an Ode to a Nightingale as the forest dim. These few words illustrate Keats interest in the hidden and mysterious aspects of the natural world which although humans cannot hope to comprehend, still arouse fervent passions among Keats, Shelley and their fellow Romantics.

4 The final key preoccupation of the Romantic poet this essay will seek to analyse is that of the importance of the individual. This focus on one s own character is apparent throughout Keats letters and poems, as well as Shelley s To a Skylark, and its importance is conveyed to the reader through continued references to music. This idea that music should be something whereby we allow our sensibilities to take over us while participating in a celebration of our individuality is a clear theme which is at the forefront of both poets literature. In an Ode to a Nightingale Keats makes reference to Some melodious plot and exclaims Still wouldst thou sing. He also writes Fled is that music and Singest of summer in full throated ease. Shelley s To a Skylark continues with references to music but takes it to a greater extent with some ten or so different phrases related to music in some way. Shelley mentions singing, hymns, chant, notes and chorus hymeneal as well touching on the ideas of melody and harmonious madness. The continued references to music from both poets illustrates how important a preoccupation it was for the two men. However, despite its importance, it only really acts as a vessel which the poets utilise in order to communicate their core belief of the significance of the individual. Keats Ode to a Skylark has many first person terms dotted throughout it such as I, which features nine times, and My which is used on four occasions, as well as words such as me, thee and thou. Shelley s use of first person terms in To a Skylark is even greater with we featuring eight times, thy featuring six times while I and thou both feature four times. The words us, our, me, my and thine are also used on different occasions throughout the poem. The prevalent use of this first person speaking style illustrates the fact that both Keats and Shelley set great store in the essentiality of each individual s hopes, fears and desires. The two men clearly feel one s life should be a single great celebration of our individuality and that rather than cowering away because of our differences, we should instead embrace them as an indispensable part of our character. To conclude, the key preoccupations of the Romantic poet are; a longing for freedom and escape from the trials and troubles of everyday life, a sense of fear regarding the idea of growing old and fading into obscurity, a love of nature and its wild untamed elements and a focus on the importance of the

5 individual and their personal qualities. Although these are only four of the many themes of Romanticism, they can be classed as the main four, and each and every one of these ideas and concepts are fully evinced in Keats letters and poems, as well as in Shelley s To a Skylark.