This prolific and patriotic poet displays her affection for England to the fullest in her piece titled, “The Homes of England”. Felicia Hemans implicates end rhyme and feminine rhyme in the selected pieces read and that just added to the tones of the work as a whole. At the beginning of each stanza she refers to a different positive status of homes in England to further highlight how prosperous she felt her home should be acknowledged. “The stately Homes…The merry Homes…The blessed Homes…The Cottage Homes…The free, fair Homes of England!”(412) With such diction involved, Hemans had the initiative to pursue the love of home further. Having that in mind, she coordinated each stanza with their corresponding adjective.
With such enthusiasm for her birthplace, why wouldn’t she also celebrate her feminity and its capabilities the acts of another woman? Through the piece, “Corinne at the Capitol”, Hemans allows her audience witness how clever, intelligent, sophisticated and powerful a woman can be with her description of Corinne. She states:
“All the spirit of thy sky/Now hath lit thy large dark eye, /And thy cheek a flush hath caught/From the joy of kindled thought; /And the burning words of song/From thy lip flow fast and strong, /With a rushing stream’s delight/In the freedom of its might. /Radiant daughter of the sun! /Now thy living wreath is won. /Crown’d of Rome!—Oh! Art thou not/Happy in that glorious lot? — / Happier, happier far than thou, / With the laurel on thy brow, / She that makes the humblest hearth/ Lovely but to one on earth!” (414)
Hemans allowed Corinne’s experience to aid her in promoting women to be strong and embrace their talents to their full potential.
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Bianca,
ReplyDeleteI like how you highlighted the opening lines of each stanza in "The Homes of England." I agree that each line builds to an overall positive feel for the love of home and of England.
I also agree with you when you say that Felicia Hemans encouraged women to be strong in her writings. I think she was a closet (and sometimes maybe not so closet feminist). While I agree, I'm unclear about some parts of your blog. For instance, what do you mean by her inclusion of "feminine rhyme" in "The Homes of England"? Do you mean that the subject is female or that something about how the poem sounds makes you think in a feminine vein or something else entirely?
I don't mean to be critical. Overall, I really did enjoy your blog, I just had some trouble understanding it.
Bianca,
ReplyDeleteI think Laura raises some good points in her comments. I would like to have seen you focus on one or the other of Hemans's poems, and to have provided more connecting and supporting ideas to go along with your observations and remarks. In analysis of literature, the main question you should consider is "Why is it this way and not some other way?" So when you quote lines or point out the author's use of feminine rhymes, go into depth speculating on the meaning and function of those observed elements.
Bianca,
ReplyDeleteGood beginning to your blog. I think it would have been stronger had you stuck with only Hemans, “The Homes of England”. I found it to be easier if you focus on one work instead of two or three. You picked an interesting quote from “Corinne at the Capitol”, but only summed it up in one sentence. I think it could have been interesting if you had expanded upon it. I think your right that Hemans promoted women to be strong and embrace their potential. What did you think about the woman she writes about in “The Wife of Asdrubal”? Do you see that woman as embracing her strength? Or as an psychotic murderer?
Bianca,
ReplyDeleteLike those who have commented on this blog before, I agree that you should have only analyzed Heman's 'Homes of England.' Going more in depth on this writing, rather than pulling in another writing could have made this blog more successful like some of your others. I was also a little confused with what you meant by "feminine rhyme." However, I enjoyed the way in which you addressed the beginning of each stanza, for I interpreted these lines in a positive manner as well.
Thanks!
-Alex