A Visit to Newgate

The idea that struck me as most horrifying in Dickens’ “A Visit to Newgate” is the physical, moral, and mental decay of the innocent in society. In a time where millions worked in menial jobs in order to buy scraps of bread, hunger and desperation were the norm. All of the factories and coal mines developed to ease the lives of the wealthy promoted cheap labor and long hours for the poor. In addition to malnutrition, many young children developed rickets because they had no exposure to sunlight in the working world. The fact that these children turned to thievery and violence in order to assuage their hunger and pay the rent cannot be surprising.

And yet, society punished these children alongside the worst of offenders. In addition, the children who were left free were perhaps less lucky than those incarcerated. For example, Dickens writes,

In one corner of this singular-looking den, was a yellow, haggard, decrepit old woman, in a tattered gown that had once been black, and the remains of an old straw bonnet, with faded ribbon of the same hue, in earnest conversation with a young girl—a prisoner, of course—of about two-and-twenty. It is impossible to imagine a more poverty-stricken object, or a creature so borne down in soul and body, by excess of misery and destitution, as the old woman. The girl was a good-looking, robust female, with a profusion of hair streaming about in the wind— for she had no bonnet on—and a man’s silk pocket-handkerchief loosely thrown over a most ample pair of shoulders. The old woman was talking in that low, stifled tone of voice which tells so forcibly of mental anguish; and every now and then burst into an irrepressible sharp, abrupt cry of grief, the most distressing sound that ears can hear. The girl was perfectly unmoved. Hardened beyond all hope of redemption, she listened doggedly to her mother’s entreaties, whatever they were. (page 3)

This passage seems to suggest the girl in Newgate is in better condition than her mother. Physically, she is fed daily, gets adequate rest, and lives free of industrialized labor. Emotionally, she is hardened by her experiences—we do not know whether it is her time in jail or her life before prison that changed her. Her mother, however, is physically and emotionally falling apart. She continues to feel the strain of dealing with her role in society. The image of this woman is echoed in a young girl who visits her mother in prison. Dickens describes her lack of emotion in a manner similar to that of the girl already in prison.

The girl was thinly clad, and shaking with the cold. Some ordinary word of recognition passed between her and her mother when she appeared at the grating, but neither hope, condolence, regret, nor affection was expressed on either side. The mother whispered her instructions, and the girl received them with her pinched-up, half-starved features twisted into an expression of careful cunning. (page 4)

This child not only shows evidence of emotional damage, but she suffers physically as well. Whether this girl will become like the old woman or the girl in prison is unclear. What is obvious is that in the industrial society Dickens describes, ending up in prison is not the worst fate a child can suffer. If anything, this work ought to make readers question whether or not they want to live in a society where prison may be the best option for a child. Would you be comfortable knowing your child’s best option would be a life in prison?

Ozymandias

Knowing Shelley and the other second generation poets were influenced by events such as the Battle of Waterloo, I think it is interesting to look at Ozymandias as if it were a political commentary. After Waterloo, European citizens returned to being ruled predominately by kings and the church. Ideas of liberty and revolution were less accepted, and the monarchy was in chaos led by a crazed king and an extravagant prince regent.

Ozymandias is thought to be the pharaoh Moses challenged in the Bible. Much like Moses challenged the power and legitimacy of Ozymandias, the traveler’s story challenges the power of the pharaoh’s statue. Shelley writes, “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone / Stand in the desert. . . . Near them on the sand, / Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, / whose frown, / And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, / Tell that its sculptor well those passions read / Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things” (lines 1-7). The traveler’s words lack reverence for the dead king but heap respect on the sculptor’s skill. It is interesting that in the time of Ozymandias, the pharaoh’s temperament was highly visible to those around him. His sneering character and personality flaws were prominent in his day and are how he is remembered in ours. The suggestion that Ozymandias’ personality flaws “yet survive” could also be a commentary on the personalities of the monarchs in Shelley’s day. Oddly, while the poem shows the legacy Ozymandias’ personality left across history, the poem also seems to suggest this legacy may end. The traveler seems to suggest the statue is in a transitional phase—much as the European governments were in Shelley’s day.

For the traveler, all that remains of the power of Ozymandias is two legs, part of a face, and a pedestal reading “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” (lines 10-11). In the days in which Ozymandias lived, his monuments and buildings would have symbolized his power and command over his people. People may have felt despair at the realization they would never equal his power. Now, seeing all of that power broken down and erased by nature and time, the word despair has entirely different connotations. As if the pharaoh’s current state were not bad enough, the traveler suggests Ozymandias’ downfall is not yet complete. He notes, “Round the decay / Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare, / The lone and level sands stretch far away” (lines 12-15). Around the fallen statue, the sands are level. The sands are not roughly covering the pharaoh’s legacy. They have smoothed over the rest of his once great empire. This image subtly suggests changes will continue. Eventually, Ozymandias will not even be a blot on the horizon. Time will have erased him from sight and the last remnants of his power will be gone.

Based on the history and the political events of Shelley’s day, this poem seems to suggest that all of the power and flaws of the monarchies will one day be erased. To me, the poem suggests the view that although progress and public perspectives remain mixed at the time the poem is written, the future will embrace the views of liberty and equality among men. The days of kings and pharaohs are ending, and the traveler brings a message of defeat for the kings and hope for Europe’s future.

Byron's "Apostrophe to the Ocean"

In the section entitled “Apostrophe to the Ocean” on page 364, Byron does his best to explain the overwhelming power and justice of the ocean. While he acknowledges his inability to fully describe these characteristics, he also proclaims the truth of his statements. He writes, “ . . . I steal / From all I may be, or have been before, / To mingle with the Universe, and feel / What I can ne’er express, yet can not all conceal” (lines 1599-1602). He describes leaving behind his previous self—somewhat like shedding a skin—and looking with honesty at the truth of things or the things which cannot be concealed. He writes of facts that cannot be hidden either through intentional disguises or through a lack of appropriate words.

Byron appears to be rejecting the falseness of men, the claims of human dominance, and the façade of civilization. Byron looks at the works of men that were designed to conquer lesser things and sees failure and pretence. He writes, “Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain; / Man marks the earth with ruin—his control / Stops with the shore” (lines 1604-1606). Byron acknowledges activities of humans such as deforestation and mining to create cities do indeed change the shape and workings of the earth, but he notes that nothing man has built can yet conquer the sea. The ships men build traverse the ocean “in vain”. Ships can cross the sea but not change it. The moment ships pass, the ocean wipes away all traces of their passage. Even more interesting is the fact that men build ships around the demands of the sea. Humans bow to the demands of the ocean when designing the shape of the hull or the on board equipment. The ocean gives no quarter—its demands and characteristics are omnipotent even as humanity changes forms around it. For example, “in all time, / Calm or convulsed—in breeze, or gale, or storm, / Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime / Dark-heaving;--boundless, endless, and sublime— / The image of Eternity—the throne / Of the Invisible; even from out thy slime / The monsters of the deep are made; each zone / Obeys thee” (lines 1640-1647). In these descriptions, the form and appearance of the ocean may change with the weather, but the ocean always wins out over creatures formed from the deep. This segment could be read as if Byron references the birth of man from evolutionary changes in the ocean; in which case, we would be the monsters “[marking] the earth with ruin”. Or, Byron could simply refer to all the animals and plants subject to the raging seas and icy temperatures. Regardless, the ocean controls everything around it.

Byron further comments on the ocean’s supremacy by stating, “upon thy watery plain / The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain / A shadow of man’s revenge, save his own, / When for a moment, like a drop of rain, / He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan, / Without a grave, unknell’d, uncoffin’d, and unknown” (lines 1606-1611). Usually, the grave marker, coffin, and bells would all represent celebration, reverence, and respect for a life well lived or for a man/woman well loved or well respected. Here, the sunken ships as well as their captains receive none of these common observances. And yet, this lack seems to complete Byron’s observations in a just manner. Byron begins this section detailing the lack of respect and reverence humanity shows for the earth. The earth and its creatures suffer endless abuses at the hands of humanity. It seems only fitting that humanity experiences the same in the embrace of the ocean. Ultimately, Byron shows not only the ocean’s infinite power over man but also the ocean’s ability to enact justice for the abuses nature suffers.

Dorothy Wordsworth

Unlike Coleridge’s “Dejection: An Ode”, Dorothy Wordsworth’s “Thoughts on My Sick-bed” presents a positive message for those experiencing illness. Instead of chronicling her illness and resulting depression, Wordsworth’s message is one of hope even in bad times. Wordsworth’s poem also offers a method for escaping the gloom that can arise when confined to a bed.

Wordsworth’s poem begins by describing an inner light that remains even after illness has ravaged her body. She writes, “Ah! Say not so—the hidden life / Couchant within this feeble frame / Hath been enriched by kindred gifts, / That, undesired, unsought-for, came” (lines 4-7). For her, even laying in a feeble state, she perceives gifts and positive events in her life. She writes of occasions “when loving Friends an offering brought” (line 33) or “when spring-time in rock, field, or bower / was but a fountain of earthly hope” (line 27). It is not always clear whether these events are still occurring or are merely memories, but the narrator’s viewpoint remains mostly positive. In the last four lines, Wordsworth offers up her secret; “No need of motion, or of strength, / Or even the breathing air: / --I thought of Nature’s loveliest scenes; / And with memory I was there” (line 49-52). For her, memories of better times seem to sustain her.

Whether or not the memories explain the difference in Wordsworth and Coleridge’s viewpoints, it seems like Coleridge spends much more time focused on the present—and all the pain and despondency that comes with it. For me, the comparison of these two poems provides an interesting look into two paths that people can take when experiencing long-term illness. The poems also raise the question of whether or not the way you look at memories and the present times influences long-term mental health. Based on the two authors, it seems to me like focusing on the present and the pain of illness can exacerbate health problems, whereas Dorothy’s more positive memory-based outlook seems to maintain her level of health.

Dejection: An Ode

While “Dejection: An Ode” is ostensibly written as a description of thoughts evoked by an approaching storm, the poem also provides an overwhelmingly accurate description of the course and symptoms of depression. According to the book, by the time this poem was written, Coleridge was experiencing depression, and his condition is reflected in the wording and plot of “Dejection”. This ode is aptly named; it provides an in-depth view of the emotions experienced by sufferers of depression.

As a psychological disorder, depression can be most accurately described by a general sense of apathy—toward everything. Foods do not taste as good, activities are less appealing, and emotions are stifled. These feelings are pervasive and lead to people closing themselves away from the world-both physically and mentally. What is interesting about depression is that it is so hard for someone who has not either had it or studied it to understand. Often people who have the disease cannot adequately convey the intense effects depression has physically, mentally, and emotionally. This ode gives a face to the disease and offers a glimpse into the complex feelings and changes that make up “dejection”.

In the first ten lines, Col warns readers of a storm that will overtake the tranquility of the night (lines 2-6). He uses words such as unaroused, sobbing, and moans to describe the coming changes. He goes on to describe “a grief without a pang” and “no relief” (lines 21-23). The emotions Col describes are stark, unrelenting, and unipolar. The night once marked by tranquility gives way to one that leaves the author unaffected. Coleridge writes in lines 38-46, “I see, not feel how beautiful they are! / My genial spirits fail; / And what can these avail / To lift the smothering weight from off my breast? / It were a vain endeavor, / Though I should gaze forever / On that green light that lingers in the west: / I may not hope from outward forms to win / The passion and the life, whose fountains are within.” Here, Coleridge describes the inability to feel the passion of these objects. He can see beauty and knows of the life within the natural forms, but he cannot process and appreciate the sights before him.

Coleridge goes on to describe the changes necessary to reach a point where one completely lacks interest in the outside world. He theorizes that the soul emits a light with “ a sweet and potent voice” (lines 53-58). He calls this light “joy” and uses it to show the progression of his battle with dejection. Coleridge writes, “There was a time when, though my path was rough, / This joy within me dallied with distress, / And all misfortunes were but as the stuff / Whence Fancy made me dreams of happiness: / For hope grew round me, like the twining vine, / And fruits, and foliage, not my own, seemed mine” (lines 76-81). Like an advancing army, the feelings of distress war with joy initially—only to have an innate joy win out. However, many such skirmishes occur and wear down the narrator until all that remains is “Reality’s dark dream”. He writes in lines 82-94, “ But now afflictions bow me down to earth: / Nor care I that they rob me of my mirth, / But oh! Each visitation / Suspends what nature gave me at my birth, . . . / Till that which suits a part infects the whole.” This progression from a life filled with both joys and troubles into a life dominated by grief and afflictions perfectly captures changes one would experience when sliding gradually into depression.

William Wordsworth

Much like his insistence on using language accessible to the common man or woman, Wordsworth consistently writes about common people. Most often, Wordsworth connects his characters with nature. In “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey”, Wordsworth describes the interaction between nature and humanity. For him, nature never disappoints. He writes, “Knowing that Nature never did betray / The heart that loved her . . . she can so inform / The mind that is within us, so impress / With quietness and beauty, and so feed / With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues, / Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men, . . . / Shall e’er prevail against us” (lines124-134). For Wordsworth, if men and women take care of nature and appreciate its gifts, nature cannot fail to protect mankind from disappointment and selfishness.

At the same time, nature helps to reveal the complexity Wordsworth sees in common people. Many of his poems reveal a range of commonly felt emotions under distinctive circumstances and in unusual combinations. On page 206, Wordsworth claims his purpose is to appeal to the common reader in both the language and the experiences described in his poems while also using “a certain colouring of imagination, whereby ordinary things should be presented to the mind in an unusual way”. Wordsworth believes the “essential passions of the heart” are more comprehensible and simpler in the common man due to a commoner’s closeness to nature and removal from societal conventions. Because the poor are focused on survival and raising families on a daily basis, Wordsworth is able to describe emotions that fluctuate and arise independent of many of society’s influences. For example, the roles of the family described in “Michael” are dictated only by what each member is capable of doing, and their emotions are not subject to the fashions of society. The extreme remoteness of the farm removes most of these outside influences and allows for examination of basic emotions.

However, being subject to fewer outside influences does not equate to simple emotions. As a psych major, I think Wordsworth’s attempt at showing the variation and complexity of human emotion is fascinating. Environmental influences, relationships, history, and current circumstances all affect the emotions captured in Wordsworth’s work. Perhaps the best example of this occurs when Wordsworth describes Michael and Isabel preparing to send Luke away. The parents experience what all parents suffer through before sending a child away—hope, fear, sadness, and determination for a better future. These emotions shift throughout the course of the poem. Initially, Michael’s love of the land and desire to give his son a brighter future drive his actions; he declares, “Our Luke shall leave us, Isabel; the land / Shall not go from us, and it shall be free; / He shall possess it” (lines 254-256). Isabel recalls past stories (lines 267-283) and becomes hopeful for her son’s future. Lines 300-311 show the parents’ feelings of confidence and hope warring with their anxiety over losing their son. The emotions experienced by the family mix together, change, and grow stronger throughout the poem, combining to weave a complex web of emotions.

Wordsworth extends this theme in the complex interactions between the passage of time and human emotion. He leaves many of these interactions open-ended; the exact feelings of the narrator are unknown. For example, in “She dwelt among th’ untrodden ways”, Wordsworth notes the death of a person with little influence on the outside world but with great personal importance to the narrator. He says, “She liv’d unkown, and few could know / When Lucy ceas’d to be; / But she is in her Grave, and Oh! / The difference to me!” (lines 9-12). These statements point to both the storytelling elements of small events as well as different human interpretations of them. For a reader, the death may not be important. To the narrator, Lucy’s death would have been deeply felt. In addition, the characters Michael and Simon both experience a loss of stamina over the course of many years. The emotions that occur with aging and death are complex, and Wordsworth shows each character experiencing them differently. For him, a single event has extremely varied effects depending on one’s viewpoint—WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY REALISTIC! All of these perfectly fit Wordsworth’s goal of exploring the range of human emotions in an honest and everyday way.

The French Revolution

After reading through each of the works regarding the French revolution, it is interesting to me that so many of them focus on distribution of property and power over others. Considering these pieces were written in a time when the Christian religions were extremely influential in politics as well as daily life, the articles spend very little time focusing on compassion and concern for others. Occasional references to slavery and the mistreatment of lower classes are completely overshadowed by issues of property and tradition in the main argument of Burke’s writings. However, he preys upon human compassion in his descriptions of the atrocities committed during the revolution (p. 51). He describes the change from light and life among the royal family to a life of darkness and death in prison. Based on this single example, he declares chivalry and the most ancient and revered traditions of Europe have died as a result of the revolution. He does not comment on the death and darkness experienced throughout the rest of France.

Interestingly, the supporters of the revolution exhibit far more consideration for the people of the country. They look at the sacrifice of the royalty as a tragedy but a tragedy incomparable to those suffered daily by the general population. Wollstonecraft writes of Burke, “ your tears are reserved . . . for the downfall of queens, whose rank . . . throws a graceful veil over vices that degrade humanity; whilst the distress of many industrious mothers, whose helpmates have been torn from them, and the hungry cry of helpless babes, were vulgar sorrows that could not move your commiseration, though they might extort an alms” (p.59). For Wollstonecraft, consideration of the poor, the abandoned, and the charity cases overwhelms any consideration of property. She succinctly dismisses Burke’s concerns by stating, “it is only the property of the rich that is secure; the man who lives by the sweat of his brow has no asylum from oppression” (p.59).

Wollstonecraft also dismisses the idea that charity from the rich can improve the plight of the poor. She reasons that equality and relationships built on “respect for justice and humanity” (p.58) are the only way to improve lives. “It is not by squandering alms that the poor can be relieved, or improved—it is the fostering sun of kindness, the wisdom that finds them employments calculated to give them habits of virtue, the meliorates their condition” (Wollstonecraft, p.63). The inequalities she notes among the monarchs and the citizens of France continue unabated around the world. The faces of wealth and poverty have changed, but the nature of it remains the same.

In many countries in Africa today, charity work is aimed at improvements akin to what Burke claims to be of upmost importance—property and correcting who holds the power. And yet work among the citizens of these countries shows that the greatest improvements in communities occur through relationships built by equal people that target job and industry improvements the poor can maintain on their own. For this reason, I think Burke’s argument focuses on the wrong issues. Even after several hundred years, lives are improved through relationships and equality among people—not through rules concerning the distribution of power and property.