Morgan Thompson

I unhurriedly picked myself up from the big, white chair, which sat in Jefferson Square, outside of Combs. My body fought my mind begging me not to leave behind closed doors the 70 degree, slightly windy, flawless day. I took my back row seat in Professor Foss’s BRL class and stared out the window with jealous eyes- I was the note taker, I had to be there. Professor Foss welcomed the class enthusiastically. Although, we did not have class outside due to fear of birds singing too loudly, flying Frisbees, loud voice, and sirens, he did offer us an alternative- early release. He opened the class as he always does with things we may need to know and answering any questions we may have. Envy filled the room as Foss explained that those who take notes the week before spring break will be given two weeks, instead of one, to write their class summaries. On a lighter note, in my case especially (since I can’t seem to get above a 3 or 4), there was no reward quiz assigned for that day.

Mary Darby Robinson began as the topic of conversation. Foss skimmed pages 317-318, describing her as, “amazing, one of those hard to believe they are true biographies.” All of Robinson’s poems “relentlessly portray the sufferings of the poor, the disenfranchised, the orphaned or abandoned, the mad, and the female, while vividly cataloguing the unpunished vices of the wealthy and the powerful.” Furthermore, we talked about her in comparison to Wordsworth and Cooldridge and how she reinvigorated sonnet poetry.

We began our discussion with large group, focusing on the role of society and political economy in the poems which we read. Concentrating on “Deborah’s Parrot” we compared the style with that of Hannah More’s. Deborah, Debby, Miss or Mistress Brown (which ever name you prefer) was identified by the speaker with money, who involves herself in habits considered immoral or degrading during the society which this poem is associated. When comparing “Deborah’s Parrot” to other Robinson and More poems, which we read, it is apparent that the speaker can be described as an “outsider inside the outside group” like some sort of sub-category or one that is under-represented. Furthermore, we were asked to compare it to Robinson’s “The Old Beggar” and pick out important differences. The class agreed that Deborah, for the most part, had it coming (you read what you sew); while, the beggar’s fate was unexpectedly crossed upon him. Through further analysis, the class felt that the parrot was used when it benefited Debby- otherwise, the parrot was disregarded. That being said, the parrot is a good representation of people in a society, and how some are treated depending on class when looking at the poem with socio-political spin. Miss Brown was a victim of the society which she lived- fate was determined from the start.

After our large group discussion, we were broken into four even groups. We were, then, assigned two poems, and asked to record main ideas, thoughts, and questions the small group conjured as a whole. Foss liked to call this small group activity the “fire drill” or (for all the Jeopardy fans out there) the “lightning round.” Foss gave each group two poems to compare and analyze. Ten minutes was given at the start of each counter-clockwise rotation to record what the group came up with which allowed for a multi-vocal response for each pair. The pieces of paper became a form of conversation between groups. Although, new groups agreed on some points made by the previous groups- new ideas sprang from old thoughts and disagreements made for interesting debate. As ideas were shared, interpretations of the textual material and character analysis deepened.

My small group began with the comparison of “A London Summer Morning” and “January 1795.” While both deal with the city, we were asked to concentrate to any differences the two may have, determine if the city held a high/low or good/bad swathe and how effective the speakers views were when taking into consideration the socio-political economy. “A London Summer Morning” focused mostly on the setting, it seemed like a love letter to city, using blissful wording and imagery. We felt that Robinson used this poem to express her experiences as an artist. “A London Summer Morning” enveloped a high/good outlook in opposition to a number of Robinson’s other poems. On the other hand, we felt that “January 1795” was a juxposition between the rich and poor. “January 1795” was more of a journey to fame and recognition that focused mainly of people rather than setting. For example, lines 33-36:

Poets, painters, and musicians; Lawyers, doctors, politicians: Pamphlets, newspapers, and odes, Seeking fame by different roads.

The poem reflected a low/bad outlook of the city and in some ways had ironic tendencies, for example, referring to “Loftly mansions, warm and spacious;” in the middle of numerous descriptions concerning the poor conditions. In conclusion, we felt that, although, “January 1795” was organized in a more rigid fashion, both poems were written as a list. Both were, also, very descriptive (sort of a “slice of life”) but there was no story to really unfold. Lastly, the titles both gave insight into the voice which the speaker read. January is cold and somewhat miserable, while a summer morning is attractive and welcoming.

After the first ten minutes expired we passed our ideas to the next group and began comparing the two poems “The Poor, Singing Dame” and “Wint’ry Day.” “The Poor, Singing Dame” exposed a glimpse of life in its story. The dame died of a broken heart. We saw an opposition between nature and the old castle- like the old castle; man and manmade things can die and decay, as opposed to nature which will not fall apart. Conversely, “Win’try Day” was more of a conceptual poem rather than a glimpse of life. Reality isn’t found in a rich man’s house, as one would think. Both poems revolve around misery and death like stated in Robinson’s biography. “The Poor, Singing Dame” offered more to connect with than “Win’try Day,” everything was terrible; therefore, there was more cause and effect shown- “Win’try Day” basically focused on one thing: poverty being a terrible.

After another rotation, we compared the poems “All Alone” and “Old Beggar.” As a group, we really didn’t see much of a difference between the two. In both poems love is taken by someone else and they have both allowed that to happen by choice. Nothing is their fault other than not moving forward from loss. The alienation in both experiences is self-inflicted, both based on an unhealthy obsession. They share a theme of settling for loneliness and reflected Robinson’s perspective on relationships. As Foss states, “she was never even a bridesmaid, only a mistress.”

Finally, we were asked to compare “Alien Boy” and “The Haunted Beach.” We found it a struggle to completely grasp the main concept of “The Haunted Beach” because we noticed that the theme(s) were ambiguous compared to the other poems we had previously analyzed. The themes themselves seemed to resemble a wave, they were always moving and scattered about. While discussing “Alien Boy” we presented ourselves with a few questions we were unable to completely answer. We were trying to figure out if it was nurture which made the boy insane, or simply misfortune intervening. Also, we found a commonality with the reversal of roles between the stereotypical rich and poor. The rich were not necessarily the “bad guys,” vices were definitely seen in the money-hungry poor. The lifestyles of each were chosen specifically by that person, for example, in “The Haunted Beach” the fisherman was murdered for money, and the nobleman in “Alien Boy” chose to live the life of poverty.

After the short groups finished, we then came together as a whole and quickly discussed what we felt were the overall themes or underlying messages the poems held. Everyone agreed on the impossibility of escaping the way things work. With the exception of “A London Summer Morning” all the poems held a very heavy weight, the universe reflected bad karma, therefore, loneliness was inevitable. Robinson’s characters were tempted with something that just simply took over, that being misfortune. Today’s reading and in class exercises allowed the class as a whole to more thoroughly understand how the socio-political outlook played a role in lives during this time.

Word Count: 1408