Ordinary language
I respond more powerfully to the “The Chimney Sweeper.” The poem addresses the corrupt society. In these two societies, child labor is encouraged. The name “chimney sweepers” is derived from the nature of work the children did (Blake 20). Secondly, society in both poems supports this work. Parents go to church while their kids get oppressed. Fathers also sell their children in the two communities.
Gothic fiction emphasizes emotions. Infrastructure in these poems includes; caves, dungeons, castles, graveyards, and chapels. These infrastructures include; decaying buildings and old castles. Infrastructure also includes hidden places like forests or wilderness and isolations in mountainous areas. The castle in “The Castle of Otranto” is symbolic, representing a decaying religion (Morley 12). The forest in the “Sir Bertrand Romance forest” is personified. The black veil in “mysteries of Udolpho” is also personified.
Memory in “Tintern Abbey” is crucial in communication with nature. The memory created in childhood works in adulthood (Abbey 8). Additionally, people draw the best memories from nature. In “Frost at Midnight,” memory is given recurring shapes. Childhood memory is critical in adulthood. The memory shapes past like a shadow in this poem. Nature, imagination, education, and hope to build memory in people.
In “Sir Bertrand Romance forest,” there is a sparkling light in the direction of the sound. This scene lets Bertrand know the course of the music. There are burning candles in the church in “The Castle of Otranto.” The candles help in partially illuminating the church (Morley 22). “The Mysteries of Udolpho” begins with shade and light. The shadows and light bring partial illumination.
Both the Vathek and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” display huge scenes of curiosity. In Vathek, the audience is left in curiosity to understand the meanings of the mysterious sabers. In “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” curiosity drives the mariner to kill the albatross (Coleridge 4). The audience is left in curiosity to know how the mariner wakes from the dead after sailing with angels. Indulging one’s curiosity helps the author gain the reader’s attention. Readers must follow the story to the end to satisfy their curiosity. Reading Gothic presents readers with massive phases of curiosity, thus driving e fictional aspect of Gothic readings.
“The Eve of St. Agnes” and “La Belle Dame sans Merci” present curiosity in numerous ways. In “The Eve of St. Agnes,” Madeline goes to sleep, expecting a vision. The audience is curious to know the man Madeline wished to see in this vision. Whatever happened to the two lovers, Madeline and Porphyro are still are a mystery (Keats 4). In “La Belle Dame sans Merci,” the powers Mercy uses to trick men into her adventure are still are a mystery (Keats 2). The audience is left in curiosity, to know what Mercy does with the knight. Additionally, the narrator does not tell the whereabouts of Merci.
The poet looks up to the nightingale and wants to develop the happiness depicted by the bird. After enduring suffering and pressures, the poet sees a happy bird. He anticipates acquiring the same mental state and joy as the bird. However, the bird flies away, leaving the pot isolated. In essence, only the poet benefits from this relationship. The bird leaving proves that the relationship was one-sided, and only the pot benefitted from it. Initially, the association brings happiness to the poet; however, after the nightingale leaves, the poet is left in isolation.
Ordinary language defines the phrases and words used in daily lives. This language is critical for poets. Ordinary language enables poets to present their ideas straightforwardly. Ordinary language is also easy for the audience to understand (Wordsworth 4). Through ordinary language, poets can present complex themes with ease. The ordinary language also enables poets to shape the intended image. Finally, ordinary language shows flexibility in the use of various styles.