Mary Shelley, why do you write?

One day someone will ask you what special interest in the world causes you to write in the manner that you do. You will reply “the way a person's role in the world can be cataclysmically altered either by an internal emotional upheaval, or by some supernatural occurrence that mirrors an internal schism”

I found Frankenstein’s womb fascinating especially in the way that it explores how the novel Frankenstein came to be the way it is. When the graphic novel Mary is quoting things that her father wrote and said, one can see how she found inspiration in his ideas, but also how she interrogated those ideas to come to the conclusions that she does in Frankenstein. There is the line that says, “There is nothing that human imagination can figure brilliant and enviable, that human genius and skill do not aspire to realize.” One can imagine this line being at the forefront of Mary Shelley’s mind as she began to create the character as Victor Frankenstein. He is driven by this idea that he can give life to something that he creates and believes that science and his intelligence will create this being. 

Referring back to the quote at the start of this post, I think it’s interesting to imagine how this encounter with the nameless creature in the graphic novel might have had an effect on how Mary Shelley wrote the novel. I’m thinking specifically about how “some supernatural occurrence that mirrors an internal schism”. The author of the graphic novel is positioning this encounter as the inspiration for Shelley’s Frankenstein, so what is he saying about Mary Shelley’s creative process? We’ve noted several times about how Mary Shelley’s life story feeds into her work, so how would the story in this graphic novel feed into Frankenstein?

Trying to recreate the sublime

When we discussed the sublime earlier in the semester, I remember someone describing it as something so beautiful that it frightens you and that’s what the sublime in Frankenstein does. When I think about those massive, majestic snow-covered mountains I am in awe. It is something so awesome, and man took no part in creating it. This novel is partly about Man not having limits on what he wants to create with all this new scientific knowledge. I think the mountains serve as a reminder of the limitations of Man.

Frankenstein’s fascination in natural philosophy is spurred by a sublime scene, when he witnesses a “Most violent and terrible” storm that he watches with “curiosity and delight.” He learns about electricity when a lightning bolt destroys a tree. In that moment, the power of nature is displayed.  Perhaps, Frankenstein’s creation can be seen as his attempt to mimic nature, to harness the power of nature. He tries to recreate the beauty, but when the monster comes alive, “the beauty of the dream vanished and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” There is no terrifying beauty, just terror.

Suggested horror vs. the horror in the details.

I found the differences between the two transformation scenes quite interesting. In Christabel, Coleridge does not describe what is under Geraldine’s robe. Lines 252-254 say, “Behold! Her bosom, and half her side – A sight to dream of, not to tell! O shield her! shield sweet Christabel.” It is as if the horror underneath those robes is too much to bear for Christabel, so the reader is put into that same position of turning away from it. Coleridge leaves it to the reader to imagine what horrifying things are under that robe. 

In contrast, Keats description of Lamia is very detailed with multiple colors, stripes, spots and peacock eyes. For this reason, Lamia doesn’t come across as scary as Geraldine does. With Geraldine, there is a fear of the unknown, but with Lamia, especially with the description of lines 47-67, there is no fear because you are too busy trying to imagine what this creature with a snake’s head, but a woman’s mouth looks like. There is more revulsion than fear. 

That continues when you get to witness the transformation of Lamia in lines 146-170. You would think the transformation of a serpent-like creature into a woman would be a magical experience, but Keats is very specific about what goes on. It’s almost like a chemical reaction with the way she foams at the mouth and the release of phosphorus and sparks. Keats uses volcanic imagery so there is this feeling of burning away her old form to create the new one. Before this, Lamia seems a bit devious because of the way she bargains with Hermes to get herself turned into a woman, but I found myself more sympathetic towards her after this description of her painful transformation.

To the Lilly

On pg. 75 we get the “Sonnet to the Lilly” which Adeline sings while she is sitting in the forest. She has been feeling sad because she has lost Madame’s affection and she doesn’t know why. However, this morning nature calls to her and she finds herself in a picturesque scene. The paragraph leading into the poem describes how the scene make Adeline feel better. 

Radcliffe actually wrote this poem for the novel, so unlike the epigraphs at the start of each chapter that set the scene, the poem is consistent with the character and expresses Adeline’s emotions. The poem expresses a very Romantic idea of finding comfort in nature. A few paragraphs before Adeline lamented the state of her relationship with Madame LaMotte saying, “I have lost that affection which was my only comfort.” However, in this beautiful environment she is able find comfort and hope. 

Placing a poem in the middle of prose also changes the pace of the chapter. Up till this point, Adeline hasn’t said much. The narrator tells us what she is feeling, but in the poem we get to see her emotions fully expressed, even if it is through song. It reveals a certain amount of innocence to Adeline. I remember in Catholic school being told that lilies represent virtue and purity and I think the lily represents the purity and innocence of Adeline. I think you have to have quite a bit of innocence in you to be able to be moved to hope by nature when everyone you care about seems to be turning away from you. She does not harden her heart; she opens it to other things.

William Blake: Innocence and Experience Presentation

“Title page for Songs of Innocence” from Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy A, 1795 (British Museum)

"Title page for Songs of Experience" from Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy A, 1795 (British Museum)

Above are the original covers of the songs of innocence and experience. Blake makes a connection between innocence and children, and between experience and loss. Ideas of children and the concept of childhood changed greatly in the Romantic period. The concept of childhood as something that should be appreciated was a Romantic idea. The Romantic poets saw children as being the symbol of innocence and having a unique, important viewpoint because of their closeness to nature and not yet being affected by experience. They had not yet learnt to rationalize, so could see the world for what it really was and identify what was important. Whilst William Blake initially published Songs of Innocence on its own, he never published Songs of Experience on its own. This suggests that he believed that one cannot understand experience without first having innocence. Innocence can exist on its own, but experience is defined by the loss of innocence.

Blake handmade every copy of the Songs of Innocence and Experience published in his lifetime. Each book is unique. If we agree that the illustrations around a poem affect our reading of it, then the reading of a poem will differ slightly depending on the manuscript. With "Little Black Boy", The colors differ between each copy of the book which raises the question of whether Blake’s conception of race was changing with each etching he made. Also how is our reading of the poem affected by the images we see.

“Little Black Boy” from Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy A, 1795 (British Museum)

Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy B, 1789, 1794 (British Museum)

Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy C, 1789, 1794 (Library of Congress)

The concept of a future society, usually a heavenly one, in which inequalities are resolved, is very common of Blake in his Songs of Innocence. Blake focuses on the fact that Christ “became a little child,” suggesting that adults, men and women, must return to a childlike state to regain the innocence that was stripped away by the social cruelties of the world.

In this poem, the black child narrator speaks of a longing for validation from the white opposition. The line “but O! my soul is white,” conveys this longing and despair for recognition and understanding. This is seen again in the last line, “And be like him and he will then love me.” He is truly seeking the love of the white boy.    

The first two stanzas describe the past, stanzas 3-5 is the mother speaking in the present, and the last two stanzas are the black boys words that he will say to the English boy in the future. The poem progresses as a timeline from past (the learning), to the present (the lesson itself), and then to the future (the practical outcome of the lesson).

The equality of people is the main message of this poem – portrayed by the image of God creating the world; the sun in particular that shines and warms everyone – a readiness for the light and heat that is His love.

The poem has a sense of hopefulness in relation to the black boy envisioning a heaven where he is equal to the English boy when they are in heaven together. Not only does the little black boy lack “light” in regard to his skin color, even though he has accepted God, the poem gives a sense that his soul is automatically judged by others to not have a holy “light” or redemption, all based on the color of his skin. This slightly ties into slavery and racism; the superiority of whites – which Blake dissolves in his works with the idea that we will all be the same in the end.

In the third stanza, the mother tells her son that God lives, and gives his “light” and heat away to all things – nature and men alike. This is the point that Blake is trying to convey through the little black boy; although he is black, he is not excluded from God’s “light” and love. Once the little black boy learns to love himself, and their souls learn to bear the heat God gives, the cloud, like a shady grove, will disappear and they will hear Gods voice tell them to come from the grove and rejoice with him in His “light” and His love. 

Sources

Black, Joseph, ed. The Broadview Anthology of British Literature- The Age of Romanticism. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Pr, 2010. Print

"Songs of Innocence and Experience." Blake Archive http://www.blakearchive.org/exist/blake/archive/work.xq?workid=songsie&java=no

Religion and The Role of the Poet

The brief introduction to Blake in the textbook refers to Blake as "a voice crying in the wilderness", which is a phrase from the Bible that refers to John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus in the Gospels. Blake uses the line as an introduction to his poem "All Religions Are One." I find it interesting how much Blake's religion feeds his work despite his distaste for organized religion. Blake believed that God spoke to him. He seems to be positioning the poet as a type of prophet.

In "Introduction" in Songs of Innocence, the piper is told to "Pipe a song about a Lamb", and then to "sit thee down and write in a book that all may read." I'm reading this as the Lamb referring to Jesus. It seems the knowledge of Jesus begins in art, then the poet writes it down so that all may know it too. In "Introduction" from Songs of Experience, it is the bard "Who Present, Past & Future sees/Whose ears have heard the Holy Word." If the poet is a prophet, then poetry brings the reader closer to God. Poetry then, is not mere art. This idea might explain why Blake's work is quite different from other poets. Blake has no fluff poems that are merely entertaining. Each poem has a message that it is trying to convey. and, as corny as it may sound, a higher purpose.

Dreams

James Hogg is a fascinating character. I found his mixing of genres interesting, especially in “The Expedition to Hell” which begins seeming like a serious discussion on the nature of dreams, but ends with the curious case of George Dobson who in unable to escape his dreams. I’m not sure what to do with this inability to escape this nightmare. It’s as if the hell in his mind is real enough to make the real world irrelevant.

In the beginning of “The Expedition to Hell” Hogg talks about the lack of control people have in their dreams. Ideas you try to repress pop up, and those you try to dream about, you never seem to. Some of the poems we’ve read this week have the air of a nightmare that’s come true or rather a dream that turns into a nightmare. I’m thinking about “Ellenore” mostly. The return of William is a dream come true but it ends as a nightmare as she ends up dead. She has no control of her situation once she gets on the horse. She goes in search of the dream, but ends up with the nightmare instead. 

I’m probably overreaching now, but it does make me think about the French Revolution. People had a dream that they tried to create, but then they lost control and it became a nightmare.