Summary and Analysis of “Appendix D.2-D.5: Review of ‘Casa Guidi Windows’”

Summaries

From [Guiseppe Mazzini], “Europe: Its Conditions and Prospects”, Westminster Review (April 1852): 236-50

                Mazzini first underlines the fact that the literature of the first half of the 19^th century was linked to the political context of the time: “The literature of the Continent during the last few years has been essentially political, revolutionary, and warlike.” Then he explains the ideas of change and revolution which were spread through Europe at his time. Eventually Mazzini explains that this change is unavoidable and England should take part in it.

From “Mrs. Browning’s New Poem”, The Leader (14 June 1851) : 560-61

                First, we are reminded of Mrs. Browning’s talent and also of the weaknesses in her writing. Then the author said that Casa Guidi Windows demarcates of her previous writings: “In her Casa Guidi Windows we notice an immense improvement”. Finally the author declares that according to him the second part of the poem is better than the first one.

From [Henry Fothergrill Chorley], “Poems before Congress”, The Athenaeum 1690 (17 March 1860) : 371-72

                In this short text Chorley explains that the political dimension in Browning’s Poems before Congress has taken a too big part to the detriment of the poetic dimension. Then he gives an example of this political dimension in her poetry by quoting “A Curse of Nation”. Finally he says that Mrs. Browning is still a great poetess in her time.

Analysis

                These three texts give us an idea of the political context in Europe during the 19^th century and they also present two different opinions about Elizabeth Browning’s work about this period.  Mazzini’s text presents the context in Europe during the 19^th century and he insists on change. Indeed, according to him, the idea of absolutism is not as much as strong than it was in the past: “Europe […] no longer believes in the sanctity of royal races… She has invented the political axiom, “Kings reign without governing;” wherever they govern and govern badly, she overthrows them”. To Mazzini, revolutions through Europe are an inevitable consequence of absolutism and privileges: “Now look at the organization of Europe – is it not altogether based upon privilege, by whatever name it may be know ? How then can one wonder at the struggle which is engendered within it ?”. Mazzini also explains that England has to take part in the struggle for liberty: “If England persist in maintaining this neutral, passive, selfish part, she must expiate it. European transformation is inevitable”.

                This political context and this period of change has led to a lot of writings. Elizabeth Browning’s “Casa Guidi Windows” is one of them. In the text “Mrs. Browning’s New Poem”, the author clearly says that this poem is a great achievement and that according to him Browning’s poetry is better thanks to her presence in Italy during the events she tells: “the actual experience of the things she utters in musical creativeness has given a graver and more touching tone to the rhythm of her thoughts”. Nevertheless he makes a distinction between the parts of the poem and says that “the whole of the first part is inferior, we think of the second, written three years afterwards, in 1851, when all the hopes of Italy had been frustrated”. We can wonder if the author’s opinion is only based on Browning’s poetic work in these two parts or if it is based on the difference of tone due to the evolution of the events that occurred in Italy.

                A different opinion is given in Chorley’s text. To him, Browning’s main default in her work Poems before Congress is that it is more focused on the political context and events than on her poetry: “She is more political than poetical”; “It must be remarked that Mrs. Browning’s Art suffers from the violence of her temper. Choosing to scold, she forgets how to sing”. This statement is very different from the previous text’ author. However, Chorley asserts than Elizabeth Browning remains one of the greatest poetess of her time: “Mrs. Browning is, as before, a real poetess – One of the few among the few, - one who has written, in her time, better than the best of English poetesses”.

 

Summary and Analysis of “Appendix B: Religion and Factory Reform”, Elizabeth Barrett Browning Selected Poems

In this blog, I will be summarizing a text from Peter Bayne about religion in Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poetry and two other texts from Frances Trollope and the Irish Unviversity Press Series of British Parliamentary Papers, both dealing with the employment of children in factories.

Religion

From Peter Bayne, Two Englishwomen: Mrs. Browning and Charlotte Brontë (London: James Clarke, 1881)

Summary

First, Bayne makes a comparison between Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s and the 17^th century poet John Milton’s works about religion and explains that Milton’s Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained are better works than Browning’s A Drama of Exile and The Seraphim. Then he makes a distinction between the two poet by explaining how their works deal with the death of Christ.

Analysis

Peter Bayne’s text is based upon a comparison between Elizabeth Barrett Browning and John Milton. At first he affirms that Milton’s literary skills were better than Browning’s: “As works of literary art, the performance of Mrs. Browning cannot enter into rivalry with those of Milton”. But then he explains that the two poets’ ways of dealing with the death of Christ differ. To Bayne, the best treatment of this topic is Browning’s: “On the other hand, Mrs. Browning is in some respect – and these important – more successful in the treatment of the subject than Milton”. According to him, Milton “has almost ignored the death of Christ” whereas Browning “seeks to penetrate into the spiritual meanings of the death of Christ, into the mystery of sorrow shared by Divinity, into love that, through death, conquers death and hell”. It seems obvious that to Bayne, Browning’s work deals more deeply with the subject of religion and particularly with the death of Christ.

 

Factory Reform

Summaries

From Frances Trollope, The Life and Adventures of Michael Armstrong, The Factory Boy (London: Henry Colburn, 1844; serial publication, 1840)

In this excerpt of his novel, Trollope first describes the factory in which children are working. He gives many details concerning the machinery and the atmosphere there. Then he describes the working children. He insists on their appearance, the way they have to do their work and their movements.

From On the Employment of Children and Young Persons in the Irons trades and another Manufactures… and on the actual State, Condition, and Treatment of such Children and Young Persons (1841)

This text is composed of five parts which describe the working conditions of five children and young persons. These excepts of reports give details about the work of these people and  their harsh working conditions. These are the five people presented in this text: Eliza Field, age going on 10; Mary Field age going on 11; Sarah Field, age going on 14; Edward Coleman (age unknown); Unknown, aged 19.

Analysis

These two texts clearly condemn the working conditions of children during the 19^th century. Trollope presents the factories as being like an hell thanks to his descriptions: “every sight, every sound, every scent that kind nature has fitted to the organs of children, so as to render the mere un fettered use of them a delight, are banished for ever and ever”; “the scents that reek around, from oil, tainted water, and human filth”. The emphasis on senses makes the reader realizes the unpleasant and awful atmosphere of the place.

Both texts presents the children as victims of the work in factories and manufactures. Trollope describes them as: “hundreds of helpless children, divested of every trace of health, of joyousness, and even of youth”; “lean and distorted limbs – sallow and sunken cheeks – dim hollow eyes, that speak unrest and most unnatural carefulness, give to each tiny, trembling, unelastic form, a look of hideous premature old age”. With these descriptions, children appears as weak, old, exhausted. It shows how they were exploited and reinforces the feeling of injustice we can feel. In the excerpts of the reports from the Irish University, children are presented with a more individual way, but the impact on the reader is the same. The children are perceived as low-paid victims with no possibility of education and no better future: “gets a shilling a week”; “never heard of another world, nor of heaven, nor of another life”; “she has worked over-hours”; “was taken away at 10 years of age to go to work; has never been able to go to school since; would be glad if she could”.

The dangerous aspect of working in the factories is also mentioned in these texts. Indeed, the working conditions of children were dreadful and children were often wounded or died because of the lack of safety, as we can read in the reports: “many children are burnt to death”; “only yesterday a boy was killed, another had both legs fractured, and several were injured”; “a boy […] was killed on the spot by the weight of the tips that fell upon him; another boy had both his thighs broken and one arm, another boy had his knee hurt, another his arm, and one hurt his back”. All these descriptions deliberately inform the readers to make them react against the work for children in such conditions.

I think that these texts make us be aware of this terrible aspect of the 19^th century society. It also make us understand why poets such as William Wordsworth and Elizabeth Barrett felt concern about it and wrote poems such as Wordsworth’s “The Chimney Sweeper” and Browning’s “The Cry of the Children”.