Morgan Thompson's Canonball

“Ode to Beauty” An ode is typically a written praise of, or dedication to someone or something which captures the poet’s interest. Mary Darby Robinson’s “Ode to Beauty” is written in remembrance of her life, dedicated to those who share a commonality and for those of who believe “neither religion nor nature [can] comfort the suffering.” The works of Mary Robinson “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 powerful” (318). As a Gothic writer, Robinson’s poems are more often than not characterized by a grotesque, mysterious setting, in an atmosphere of degeneration and decay. Although, this style of writing often blurs the boundaries between the rational and the irrational, it is clear that Robinson took a rational approach when writing “Ode to Beauty”. “Ode to Beauty” is driven forward by the fusion of the abandoned, the female, the wealthy and the powerful- all of which held a role in the sociopolitical economy of the Romantic Era. Written in third-person, Robinson, expresses how her life has shaped her poetic world into one which moral rightness does not prevail, merit has no recognition, and love does not endure.

Robinson’s father left the family after becoming financially ruined, leaving only her mother to raise her. Pressured into marriage at fifteen Mary had a child, and found herself in debtor’s prison alongside her husband after only two short years. Being well-educated Mary began to writing to support herself, her daughter and her husband. After her first publication as a writer, Mary made her acting debut as Juliet, in search of a higher income. Being so successful on stage allowed her to eventually pay off her husband’s debt despite his unfaithfulness. Only a short year later she caught the eye of the young Prince of Wales and agreed to become his mistress for a large sum of money. The affair ended shortly leaving Mary, once again, in debt. Ostracized from the society by the ensuing scandal, Mary separated her husband, put her stage career on hold, and fled to Paris where she resided for the following six months. Col. Tarleton stole her heart while in Paris, blinded by a sort of happiness once again opened her arms back up to stage. After experiencing a badly handled miscarriage, Robinson was paralyzed from her waist down for six months. The love affair ended when Tarleton left her, as did the Prince of Wales. Although, she continued both writing and acting, she was never as popular has she once had been prior to her first affair. Robinson’s perverse and warped past was the driving force of her bitter words and fantastic poetry.

“Ode to Beauty” is a short poetic version of her long, tired life. It tells the story of mistaken love, fame and its effect, and acceptance.

The first stanza of “Ode to Beauty” (lines 1-16) is expressing what she felt when experiencing giving birth to her first daughter. Lines 1-13 read:

EXULTING BEAUTY,–phantom of an hour, Whose magic spells enchain the heart, Ah ! what avails thy fascinating pow'r, Thy thrilling smile, thy witching art ? Thy lip, where balmy nectar glows; Thy cheek, where round the damask rose A thousand nameless Graces move, Thy mildly speaking azure eyes, Thy golden hair, where cunning Love In many a mazy ringlet lies ? Soon as thy radiant form is seen, Thy native blush, thy timid mien, Thy hour is past ! thy charms are vain !

Robinson uses the first stanza to express her feelings during and after the birth of her child. She speaks of her heart being overtaken by some sort of magic spell and tries to explain what promotes that fascinating power which she feels is a product of love. She uses objects like the damask rose to depict the beauty her daughter holds. She uses the phrase a “thousand nameless Graces” which commonly represents a blessing, endowment, or elegance when used under the influence of love and religion. In line 9 she talks of “cunning Love” which opens the readers mind to the falsehood of this “phantom.” Lines 11-13 describe the attitude of her husband towards this new life they have created. Although, Robinson speaks of only an hour, I feel that she is describing their entire relationship within those sixty minutes. The emergence of a new life left her husband vain. The last 3 lines of the stanza read:

ILL-NATURE haunts thee with her sallow train, Mean JEALOUSY deceives thy list'ning ear, And SLANDER stains thy cheek with many a bitter tear.

Robinson uses words like ill-nature, jealousy, and slander to describe the time following the new birth of her daughter and her failing marriage. Her husband’s affair with two different women only confirmed her belief that love is no such thing.

The second stanza describes her growth as both a writer and an actress. Her role as Juliet led to instant acclaim. Phrases like “April’s meekest child,” “myrtle blossoms undefiled,” “spotless mind” and “sparkling health, and frolic mirth” allows readers to see her growth and restoration of health.

In the third and fourth stanzas, readers start to see the underlying effects of the socio-political economy of this time period. Robinson uses lines 29-50 to illustrate the different constraints which apply to men and women during the Romantic Era. Lines 29-40 read:

Lur'd by the babbling tongue of FAME, Too soon, insidious FLATT'RY came; Flush'd VANITY her footsteps led, To charm thee from thy blest repose, While Fashion twin'd about thy head A wreath of wounding woes; See Dissipation smoothly glide, Cold Apathy, and puny Pride, Capricious Fortune, dull, and blind, O'er splendid Folly throws her veil, While Envy's meagre tribe assail Thy gentle form, and spotless mind.

When referring to the “babbling tongue of FAME/ too soon, insidious FLATT’RY came;/ flush’d VANITY her footsteps led;” Robinson is describing the offer made by the Prince of Wales, after seeing her perform the role of Perdita. For 20,000 pounds she agreed to be his mistress.”Wounding woes” describes the number of problems she faced after making such a decision. When speaking of splendid Folly she is explaining her mere foolishness to do such a thing. After only a year the Prince deserted her, leaving her in debt, and ostracized from society. With her stage career on hold, she separated from her husband and fled to Paris. It was in Paris that she met Col. Tarleton to whom she addressed her most passionate poems. The fourth stanza is dedicated to this time in her life. A badly handled miscarriage left her paralyzed from the waist down for six months of their 17 year relationship, they remained lovers until Tarleton, too, deserted her. Lines 43-46 describe the loss she experienced due to the miscarriage:

On thy wan cheek, the young rose dies, Thy lip's deep tint expires; Dark Melancholy chills thy mind; Thy silent tear reveals thy woe

Moreover, lines 49-50 serve as proof which only strengthened her already firm outlook on love:

Thy thoughtless heart is doom'd to find An unrelenting foe

Readers can see the emergence of socio-political constraints when comparing the acceptance of her husband having multiple mistresses, to the societal banishment of Robinson when doing the same thing; hence, her strong belief that moral justice does not triumph.

In the fifth and final stanza, I believe that Robinson is accepting that love and what is right does not exist, she is, therefore, describing its death. In the first few lines she describes love as something young and refreshing, something which embodies numerous elements. Lines 56-57 which read: “Beneath an aged oak’s wide spreading shade,/ where no rude winds, or beating storms invade” are describing her beginning to put it rest. Furthermore, describing it as lonely, which “no more it scatters perfumes round” as it did in the first stanza. Lines 61-64 read:

For ah ! the beauteous bud, too soon, Scorch'd by the burning eye of day; Shrinks from the sultry glare of noon, Droops its enamell'd brow, and blushing, dies away.

Mary Robinson’s “Ode to Beauty” is a poem which illustrates the relationships between the abandoned, the female, the wealthy and the powerful- all of which serve key roles in shaping the Romantic Era. Furthermore, the title, “Ode to Beauty” is somewhat tragically ironic. Robinson’s actions ultimately led to consequences that were both tragic and contrary to her anticipated desires and intentions. In conclusion, Robinson’s “Ode to Beauty” thoroughly establishes a position among the canonized writers for the British Romantic Era through its definitive representation of the socio-political economy of its time period.