Ulysses
•Alfred, Lord Tennyson•”as though to breathe were life”•”To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield;” better to burn out than fade away; the yolo of the elderly•Ulysses doesn’t want to be a homebody, passes those duties off to his son•yearns for adventure, knowledge
The Lady of Shalott
•Alfred, Lord Tennyson•Mirror helps her to see her work, and what is out in the real world•Shadows in mirror suggest something is theresinging caused her to turn around•Commentary on life of the artist•Aristotle’s law of forms: all art is thrice removed •Mirror: artistic vision, perception
The Princess
•Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Tears, Idle Tears
•Alfred, Lord Tennyson•Portrait
The Splendor Falls
•Alfred, Lord Tennyson•”our echoes roll from soul to soul:” we will continue to affect people after we die•similar to Meditation 17
My Last Duchess
•Robert Browning•Dramatic monologue: one voice speaking•Duke of Ferrara•enjambment•any old thing made her happy/joyful (I say good on her!)•”I gave commands” (Line 45): he had her killed•He has to own/control that spot of joy, put it on a pedestal, frame on the wall•Dowry: I’m willing to pay to own this guy’s daughter and her happiness
Home-Thoughts, From Abroad
•Robert Browning•April, not in England•Birds and plants•Ode to unlocking: watching as everything comes back to life
Love Among the Ruins
•Robert Browning•Nostalgic•Similar to Ozymandias; different conclusions•Ozymandias portrait of one individual’s power past vs. a civilization•look at everything! but it doesn’t matter because love is more important•aren’t we all living amongst the ruins?
Prospice
•Robert Browning•Describes fearing death•Decides to face it head-on•Wants to be reunited with a dead lover
To Marguerite — Continued
•Matthew Arnold•Directly opposite of Meditation 17, a response?•God has separated us•All living inside our own heads but feel weird doing it, want to connect with others•Shift from Romantic perspective
Self-Dependence
•Matthew Arnold•great imagery•about finding yourself, through god•ignorance, self-absorption is bliss•if you want to be like them you should live like them — independently•who finds himself, loses his misery
Dover Beach
•Matthew Arnold•the speaker is kind of bossing the audience around•patronizing•the sea of faith gone, the world has no love, joy, all that good stuff•all you need is love•similar to love among the ruins
The Dover Bitch
•Anthony Hecht•she just wanted to get it on, Arnold’s girl was bored with him because he was all sorrowful and stuff
The Darkling Thrush
•Thomas Hardy•Hope is the Thing With the Feathers by Emily Dickinson•hope in darkness
The Man He Killed
•Thomas Hardy•Comment on war•I shot him dead because — hesitation
Are You Digging on My Grave?
•Thomas Hardy•Who is not digging: loved one, dearest kin, enemy•Dog is digging, simply to bury a bone•Realism
Tommy
•Rudyard Kipling•Soldiers mistreated when there’s not war, but are heros when there is
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
•The Lady of Shalott•Tears, Idle Tears•The Splendor Falls•Crossing the Bar•Ulysses•Named Baron by Queen Victoria•Integrity/responsibility: basic goodness of mankind•Widely admired•Ed set up by dad: Trinity College•Friend died: grief inspo
Robert Browning
•My Last Duchess•Home-Thoughts, From Abroad•Love Among the Ruins•Prospice•Home Ed•Took a long time to get famous•Lived in Italy•Wife died•Known for Dramatic Monologues
Rudyard Kipling
•Tommy•Born in India (to English parents)•Foster home in England•Indian journalist/poet/wrote stories: celebrity
Thomas Hardy
•The Darkling Thrush•The Man He Killed•Are you Digging on My Grave?•Passive pessimist•World indifferent/uncaring about individual lives•Novelist at first•Buried at Westminister Abbey; heart in Dorset•Bridge between Victorian Age and the Modernist Movement
Matthew Arnold
•To Marguerite — Cont.•Self-Dependence•Dover Beach•Theme: isolation & alienation from each other and nature •pessimist•Oxford (aristocrat mask)•Inspector of Schools•Lit should inspire & encourage good