Final Paper - Neoclassical, Romantic, Victorian, and Room Synthesis

Synthesis Essay

Wei Mei

Ms. Wilson

English IV - Brit Lit B

28 May 2013

Frederick Douglass once said “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” Power has always been manipulated by humanity as a vehicle to achieving fulfillment which in turn has caused the construction and the annihilation of countless civilizations. Yet, no power is more potent than the one given to the common man: power that manipulates and feeds off the weakness of others, harnessing their frailty to manifest itself. In Room by Emma Donoghue, A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift, “The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake, and “De Profundis” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the authors utilize the corruption and cruelty of the time period as well as the pains of those subject to such harsh treatments, in order to change the state of their oppression by those in power. To tackle the problems presented to society, these authors unpackaged the problem at its source: corruption.

Corrupt morals of individuals in power lead to unethical practices. Corruption being “guilty of dishonest practices, as bribery; lacking integrity; crooked: a corrupt judge.” (Dictionary.com) has caused prosperity and rise to power for the vile while destruction of the sincere. Corruption is a form of power that is fed through the weakness of others, those with power manipulates the weakness of others to attain gratification. In Room when Ma was asked by a TV reporter if “[y]our experiences have given you, ah, enormous empathy with the suffering children of the world.” Ma replies by saying “[n]ot just children . . . [p]eople . . . locked up in all sorts of ways” (Donoghue 77). Being a first hand victim of corruption, Ma explains the experience of being a prey to those in power, which in this case is Old Nick. While Room has a narrow view on corruption, Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal explores a much broader view by examining the corruption of social classes. Swift describes the peasant class Irish mothers as “[t]hese mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling, to beg sustenance for their helpless infants“ (Swift 5-8). Swift is pointing out how the individuals with power won’t contribute to making the society more habitable, instead they just ignore the poor and strive to gain even more power. The broad view of corruption of a society in A Modest Proposal is narrowed to a more personal view in “The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake as he tells the tale of a chimney sweeper through the lenses of a child. The child says, “They clothed me in the clothes of death, / And taught me to sing the notes of woe.” (Blake 7-8). By “clothes of death” the child is conveying to the reader how the clothing covered in soot is marked by death due to how harmful soot is to the human. The “notes of woe” is most likely the constant coughing that these children develop due to being exposed to soot for so long indicating weakened health. Blake attempts to bring to the attention of the public how these foster children are exploited and forced into involuntary servitude under the greed and corruption of their guardians just so they could become meager assets. These immoral and unethical practices are overlooked as those who are paying for the service wants a cheap way to clean their chimney while those who are exploiting the children obviously don’t care for the well being of the children as long as they are making a profit. In Elizabeth Browning’s “De Profundis”, Browning juxtaposes the mind of an individual to those in power while the body, a captive, as those that are lacking in power. “By anguish which made pale the sun, / I hear Him charge his saints that none / Among his creatures anywhere / Blaspheme against Him with despair, / However darkly days go on” (Browning 91-95). Browning is held captive to her own mind as she is drowning herself in the grief of her brother’s death. By believing that she was the cause of her brother’s death, Browning refuses to let go of her feelings of grief and thus limits her own ability to reach her full potential. Seen through the perspective that Browning is juxtaposing her mind as the corrupted captor that is in power while her body as the individual without power, one can understand how the corrupted individuals with power in society are trying to keep those that are without power in society from ever gaining power in order to exert total control and domination of those that are below them.

To allow the readers to better understand corruption, the author provide context of each time period in order to articulate their reasoning. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift blames the failure of the Irish nation on the British crown by crying how the Irish children will “fight for the Pretender” (Swift 10) once they reach adulthood and by alluding to James Francis Stuart as “the Pretender”. By attacking the lack of nationalism of the Irish people, Swift tries to rally up the patriotism of the Irish through becoming less dependent on the English. Due to the hearth taxes in 17th century Britain, the lower classes in Britain would burn coal instead of wood to elude the fees as burning wood in the fireplace would make it a hearth. William Blake is inspired to write “The Chimney Sweeper” in order to voice his discontent at the immoral and unethical practices that these foster children were forced to partake in. Blake writes of the actions of the chimney sweepers, “your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.” (Blake 5) to bring to the public the hazardous living conditions of these children. To establish a connection between the reader and her piece, Elizabeth Barrett Browning utilizes religion by alluding to the crucification of Jesus with “crown of sovran thorns” (Browning XVIII). Using biblical references in England, a predominantly Christian country, Browning gains the attention and interest of the reader.

Of all the people to fall prey to corruption, women and children are the most common for women have been seen as the more emotional and physically weaker of the sexes since the dawn of humanity whilst children are obviously both physically and mentally weaker than adults. Voltaire once said “with great power comes great responsibility”, those who are in power but not responsible of their actions may end up becoming corrupt and eventually lead themselves into a cruel view towards the world. In Emma Donoghue’s Room Jack and Ma are under the power of Old Nick who deprives them of contact from the rest of the world. Being in total control, Jack and Ma are forced to listen to his every whim else they would face physical abuse along with mental torture. When Jack and Ma are discovered attempting to escape, Old Nick lashed out at Ma and bestows fear in her by threatening Jack’s safety in order to ensure that there will be no more plots to escape. Jonathan Swift conveys to the reader how cruel abortion is through the usage of, “[t]here is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children . . .” (Swift 41-44). Swift emphasizes his point of view that those in power are cruel by allowing abortions. He satirically mocks abortion by insinuating that eating the children would be better than to abort them. William Blake demonstrates the cruelty of the guardians of the foster children in “The Chimney Sweeper” by describing their sleeping quarters as, “locked up in coffins of black.” (Blake 12). Blake shows how the children are waiting to die by referring to their rooms as “coffins”. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “De Profundis”, Browning employs personification to make nature a cruel entity. “This Nature, though the snows be down, / Thinks kindly of the bird of June: / This little red hip on the tree / Is ripe for such. What is for me, / Whose days so winterly go on?” (Browning IX). Browning explains how nature, Spring in her case, has control over her emotions creating sadness and grief.

Corruption and cruelty can be expressed through many mediums and may be the embodiments of various entities. In Room by Emma Donoghue, A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift, “The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake, and “De Profundis” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the authors articulate how corruption of the society and individual of the given time period can transform into cruelty. The construction and annihilation of many a civilizations occurred due to the manipulation of this dangerous force.

Victorian Period Essay - De Profundis

Wei Mei

Ms. Wilson

English IV B

15 May 2013

Perseverantiam

  The period of Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901) is known as the Victorian Era. Not only was this period renowned for its peace and prosperity, this period also began a cultural movement in the form of literature. The writers of the Victorian period wrote mostly idealizing hard work, perseverance, love, and luck or wrote for a moral purpose. In Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “De Profundis”, Browning employs repetition, allusion, and an anti-materialistic view in order to express the different waves of emotions that she is experiencing in her life.

  One of the firsts things that the reader notices while reading “De Profundis” is its heavy use of repetition. In every stanza of the poem, Browning uses a variant of the phrase “[a]nd yet my days go on, go on.” (Browning I) to express her solitude and to insinuate the harsh life filled with recurring events that she endures. Browning uses repetition inside of the line that is repeated throughout the poem in order to emphasize the message of her perseverance through all her toil and misery. A variant of the repetition, “[w]hile the tear drops, my days go on” (Browning IV), suggests that the author is filled with grief and sorrow. Another variant of the repetition, “[w]hose desolate days go on.” (Browning VII) displays Browning’s lack of joy and solitude. Another variant of yet the same quote, “[m]y vacant days go on, go on” demonstrates the a lack of emotions and hope by most referring to the emptiness of the heart and soul. Many scholars believe that the reason for Browning’s pessimistic views is due to the recent death of her brother “Bro” drowning in Torquay Bay recently prior to the inception of this poem. Browning is filled with grief due to her postulation that she is the cause of her brother’s death as the reason they were visiting Torquay Bay was to help Browning improve her poor health.

Browning utilized allusion to emphasize the message sent along with inducing a deeper meaning for the reader towards the idea being alluded to.  While most of the variants of the repeated line are in a pessimistic tone, a more optimistic one would be “I praise Thee while my days go on.” (Browning XXII) alluding and praying to God. Browning praises God for giving her the will to endure the challenges that she faces. She also alludes to Jesus by referring to the “crown of sovran thorns” (Browning XVIII). Before the crucifixion of Jesus, it is written in the Bible that Roman soldiers tortured him and put on his head a crown made of jujube branches, gave him a piece of reed as a scepter, dressed him in a scarlet robe, and hailed him as the king of Jews  to mock Jesus. It is said that Jesus took the sin of death with him and nullified it by shedding blood. As a result of the pain inflicted on Jesus by the crown of thorns, God cursed “[t]horns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;” (Genesis 3:18). Browning then juxtaposes herself to Jesus by saying “Take from my head the/ thorn-wreath brown!/ No mortal grief deserves that crown.” (Browning XX). Browning is crying out that the pain she is bearing is far too great for her to suppress and that no amount of reward is worth it.

  Writers during the Victorian period adopted a very materialistic outlook due to the advances in the field of science such as Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and improved electric technology. Unlike most of the writers during this era, Browning strayed from the materialistic view and wrote “De Profundis” with a very anti-materialistic view by exemplifying  the characteristics of nature in order to help the reader establish a deeper understanding towards her emotions. By shrewd usage of simile, Browning parallels a tongue to a stream being able to bringing optimism to the worst of situations. “The tongue which, like a stream, could run/ Smooth music from the roughest stone” (Browning II). Browning also displays qualities of selflessness as thinks of herself as a lesser being of mother nature believing that she is not deserving of better fortune by writing, “No bird am I, to sing in June,/ And dare not ask an equal boon./ Good nests and berries red are Nature's/ To give away to better creatures” (Browning X).

Elizabeth Barrett Browning applies repetition, allusion, and an anti-materialistic view to illustrate in the mind of the readers her perception on life along with the plethora of sensations that it embodies. Her anti-materialistic view helps to create distinction of her piece from work done by the various authors during this era. With clever manipulation of these elements, Browning’s “De Profundis” is a quintessential piece of Victorian literature.

Works Cited

"Elizabeth Barrett Browning." - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

"Elizabeth Barrett Browning." - Wikiquote. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

"Elizabeth Barrett Browning Chronology." Elizabeth Barrett Browning Chronology. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

Browning, Elizabeth Barrett. "De Profundis - Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)." Books &

Literature Classics. About.com,

2010. Web. 22 May 2013.

"What Did The Crown Of Thorns Mean?" GraceThruFaith. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

Romantic Period - Chimney Sweeper Essay

Wei Mei

Mrs. Wilson

English IV B

13 May 2013

Mark of the Reaper

In seventeenth century England, the English would burn coal instead of wood in their fireplaces to elude hearth taxes. Even though its cost efficient, soot is a deadly byproduct of burning coal. Soot would pollute the air inside of homes and render them uninhabitable. Being small and nimble, children were hired to work under hazardous conditions to sweep the chimneys clean of soot.  As a result, chimney sweepers in the eighteenth century inspired William Blake to write “The Chimney Sweepers” (Songs of Innocence and Experience) to share his thoughts towards their lives. Blake engages symbolism, varying tones, and imagery in his poem in order to bring public attention to these cases of involuntary servitude along with the harsh lives of these children.

William Blake implements many symbols into “The Chimney Sweeper” in order to amplify the meaning of behind the symbolism, bring simplicity to a complex idea, and to bring a subconscious connection between the poem and the reader. The colors “black” and “white” are two of the most important uses of symbolism in these two poems. Black being the symbolism of death and despair, white contrasts it by being the symbolism of innocence and hope. Scattered throughout the poem, many examples of “black” or “white” objects were revealed to the readers in order to show how they affect the chimney sweepers. In the excerpt in which Tom Dacre gets his head shaved, Blake cleverly intermingles metaphor with symbolism, “[t]here's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head/ That curled like a lamb's back” (Blake 6-7) to allow the reader to grasp a deeper understanding over the connection between the children and the lamb. Instead of bluntly discussing the innocence of the child, Blake refers the child to a lamb which symbolize the innocence of childhood. Even though death is something that happens everyday, Blake brings guilt and pity to the reader by suggesting death of the innocence, “[b]ecause I was happy upon the heath,/ And smiled among the winter's snow,/ They clothed me in the clothes of death” (Blake 6-8). The “clothes of death” brings in mind the color black which points to the soot that the children work with every day. Being covered in soot, the children become marked by death. Right before the reference to death, Blake uses positive words such as “happy”, “smiled”, and “snow” to imply joy. Snow being white (usually) symbolizes the innocence of the child that would eventually be led to death under the grim working conditions.

In “The Chimney Sweepers” (Songs of Innocence and Experience), Blake employs an array of tones to contrast the perspective of a chimney sweeper living under dangerous conditions in order to show how much attitude can affect one’s life. In Songs of Innocence, a sad but optimistic tone is implied. Melancholy was expressed by the narrator referring to all the children as “[w]ere all of them locked up in coffins of black. (Blake 12) The “coffins of black” being a reference to the inside of the chimney which is extremely fatal if the soot is inhaled. The black again, represents death. A hopeful and optimistic tone was used when “an Angel who had a bright key,/ And he opened the coffins & set them [children] all free;” (Blake 13-14).  The “bright key” is again, a symbolism of hope due to its obvious insinuation to the color white as it is the brightest color in the spectrum. The “Angel” doesn’t necessarily have to mean the classic biblical being from heaven with a pair of wings and a halo over its head. The angel could simply be an allusion to someone that had the courage to free them of their servitude. Blake is communicating to the reader that the reader would be doing the work of angels if they would contribute to helping the children that are in environments similar to the chimney sweepers in this poem.

In the passage in which an angel rescues the children, Blake utilizes a heavy use of imagery to articulate and to paint in the reader’s mind how he sees it in his mind. “And by came an Angel who had a bright key,/ And he open'd the coffins & set them all free;/ Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run,/ And wash in a river. and shine in the Sun./ Then naked & white, all their bags left behind,/ They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind;/ And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,/ He'd have God for his father & never want joy.” (Blake 13-20). Not only does Blake apply an exuberant amount of imagery in the passage above, he uses it to brandish Romantic characteristics by emphasizing the love of nature, the natural man, and the achievements of the individual. The descriptive imagery of the countryside displays a love of nature, the “naked & white” bodies of the boy is the reference to the natural man, and the criteria of individual achievement was fulfilled when the boy was asked to attain harmony with himself and his surroundings in order to “have God for his father”.

By employing symbolism, varying tones, and imagery, William Blake brings attention to the public of the harsh working conditions of chimney sweepers. He implies criticism on the society for not amending this issue. Blake motivates the society to reform by invoking feelings of moral guilt.

Works Cited

"The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience)." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

"The Chimney Sweeper." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 May 2013. Web. 28 May 2013.

"Songs of Innocence-The Chimney Sweeper." By William Blake. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

"William Blake's Two Poems Called "The Chimney Sweeper" Create Art by Keeping Us Uncomfortable." Slate Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

Romantic Period Rough Draft - The Chimney Sweeper

Wei Mei

Mrs. Wilson

English IV B

13 May 2013

The Chimney Sweeper Essay

In seventeenth century England, the English would burn coal instead of wood in their fireplaces to elude hearth taxes. Even though its cost efficient, soot is a deadly byproduct of burning coal. Soot would pollute the air inside of homes and render them uninhabitable. Being small and nimble, children were hired to work under hazardous conditions to sweep the chimneys clean of soot.  As a result, chimney sweepers in the eighteenth century inspired William Blake to write “The Chimney Sweepers” (Songs of Innocence and Experience) to share his thoughts towards their lives. Blake engages symbolism, varying tones, and imagery in his poem in order to bring public attention to these cases of involuntary servitude along with the harsh lives of these children.

William Blake implements many symbols into “The Chimney Sweeper” in order to amplify the meaning of behind the symbolism, bring simplicity to a complex idea, and to bring a subconscious connection between the poem and the reader. The colors “black” and “white” are two of the most important uses of symbolism in these two poems. Black being the symbolism of death and despair, white contrasts it by being the symbolism of innocence and hope. Scattered throughout the poem, many examples of “black” or “white” objects were revealed to the readers in order to show how they affect the chimney sweepers. Blake cleverly intermingles metaphor with symbolism “There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head/ That curled like a lamb's back” (Blake 6-7) to allow the reader to grasp a deeper understanding over the connection between the children and the lamb. Instead of bluntly discussing the innocence of the child, Blake refers the child to a lamb which symbolize the innocence of childhood. Even though death is something that happens everyday, Blake brings guilt and pity to the reader by suggesting death of the innocence “Because I was happy upon the heath,/ And smiled among the winter's snow,/ They clothed me in the clothes of death” (Blake 6-8). The “clothes of death” brings in mind the color black which points to the soot that the children work with every day. Being covered in soot, the children become marked by death. Right before the reference to death, Blake uses positive words such as “happy”, “smiled”, and “snow” to imply joy. Snow being white (usually) symbolizes the innocence of the child that would eventually be led to death under the grim working conditions.

          In “The Chimney Sweepers” (Songs of Innocence and Experience), Blake employs an array of tones to contrast the perspective of a chimney sweeper living under dangerous conditions in order to show how much attitude can affect one’s life. In Songs of Innocence, a sad but optimistic tone is implied. Melancholy was expressed by the narrator referring to all the children as “Were all of them locked up in coffins of black. (Blake 12) The “coffins of black” being a reference to the inside of the chimney which is extremely fatal if the soot is inhaled. The black again, represents death. A hopeful and optimistic tone was used when “an Angel who had a bright key,/ And he opened the coffins & set them [children] all free;” (Blake 13-14).  The “bright key” is again, a symbolism of hope due to its obvious insinuation to the color white as it is the brightest color in the spectrum. The “Angel” doesn’t necessarily have to mean the classic biblical being from heaven with a pair of wings and a halo over its head. The angel could simply be an allusion to someone that had the courage to free them of their servitude. Blake is communicating to the reader that the reader would be doing the work of angels if they would contribute to helping the children that are in environments similar to the chimney sweepers in this poem.

A heavy use of imagery was utilized by Blake to articulate and to paint in the reader’s mind how he sees it in his mind. “And by came an Angel who had a bright key,/ And he open'd the coffins & set them all free;/ Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run,/ And wash in a river. and shine in the Sun./ Then naked & white, all their bags left behind,/ They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind;/ And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,/ He'd have God for his father & never want joy.” (Blake 13-20). Not only does Blake apply an exuberant amount of imagery in the passage above, he uses it to brandish Romantic characteristics by emphasizing the love of nature, the natural man, and the achievements of the individual. The descriptive imagery of the countryside displays a love of nature, the “naked & white” bodies of the boy is the reference to the natural man, and the boy was asked for his achievement of happiness in order to “have God for his father”.

By employing symbolism, varying tones, and imagery, William Blake brings attention to the public of the harsh working conditions of chimney sweepers. He implies criticism on the society for not amending this issue. Blake motivates the society to reform by invoking feelings of moral guilt.

Neoclassical Period Final Essay - A Modest Proposal

Wei Mei

Ms. Wilson

English IV - Brit Lit B

10 May 2013

A Complex Essay

Neoclassical literature is "Literature. of, pertaining to, or designating a style of poetry or prose, developed chiefly in the 17th and 18th centuries, rigidly adhering to canons of form that were derived mainly from classical antiquity, that were exemplified by decorum of style or diction, the three unities,etc., and that emphasized an impersonal expression of universal truths as shown in human actions, representing them" (Dictionary.com). In Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, elements of the neoclassical period were demonstrated with the use of allusion, didactic tone, and Juvenalian satire. Swift’s essay is anything but modest, his usage of verbal irony in the title makes his essay amusing and powerful. Swift’s solution for social and economical issues in A Modest Proposal is for the poor Irish families to sell their children to the rich as delicacies.

Allusion is utilized by Jonathan Swift to fault the Irish and English people for the poverty of Ireland. "It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags" (Swift, 1-4). The "great town" was most likely an allusion to the city of Dublin, the birthplace of Jonathan Swift. In the excerpt above, Swift skillfully intertwines imagery and allusion with pathos to help the reader to better grasp his perspective. Imagery was used to illustrate the scene of the streets filled with peasants begging for food while Swift used pathos to stimulate the readers' emotions to empathizing with him. Swift states that if the infants are able to survive through the adolescent years, they would “leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.”(Swift, 9-10) The "Pretender" being an allusion to James Francis Edward Stuart. Swift implies that the Irish people that emigrate have no sense of nationalism and James Stuart’s acceptance of these immigrants are the roots of the issues that plague Ireland.

"The number of souls in Ireland being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couples whose wives are breeders, from which number I subtract thirty thousand couples, who are able to maintain their own children, although I apprehend there cannot be so many under the present distresses of the kingdom, but this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand breeders. I again subtract fifty thousand for those women who miscarry, or whose children die by accident, or disease within the year. There only remain an hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents annually born" (Swift, 43-53) A didactic tone is shown by using raw statistics and facts to convey information and prove the effectiveness of Swift’s proposal. These figures also illustrate to the reader that Swift’s numbers provide him with a sense of authority and assurance which will in turn, grant the readers confidence to the potential of the outcome of his proposal while also appealing to their ethos.

Swift’s essay displays qualities of Juvenalian satire through the use of a harsh and exaggerated tone while promoting an idea that is seen by most, if not all, as absurd. Swift suggests that the solution to Ireland’s problems regarding hunger and poverty is that infants ” may at a year old be offered in sale to the persons of quality, and fortune, through the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump, and fat for a good table.”(Swift, 89-93) Along with the suggestion of eating infants, Swift dehumanizes women and children by comparing them to livestock “twenty thousand [women] may be reserved for breed, whereof only one-fourth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle or swine”(Swift, 83-84) His reason for using Juvenalian satire is  to attack the Irish way of life and mock the incompetence of the Irish nation.

Through the usage of allusion, didactic tone, and Juvenalian satire, Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal is an archetypal piece of neoclassical literature. At first look, this essay would seem to be themed around economic inequalities. As the reader develops a better understanding for the essay, cultural arrogance is a theme that becomes apparent once the reader grasps the perception that Swift mocks the way how the Irish and English are leading Ireland to its demise. Swift incorporates a mocking tone in order to invigorate the Irish people to becoming less dependent on the English and to sow the seeds of change.

Works Cited

Hartsvigsen. "Mrs. Hartvigsen’s Blog: English From “The Hart” … From The Heart." Web log post. Weber School District. Weber School District, 2009. Web. 8 May 2013.

"Jonathan Swift." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Sept. 2013. Web. 09 May 2013.