Blog 8: A Summary and Analysis of Reviews from Appendix D: The Italian Question, Reviews of Casa Guidi Windows, and Reviews of Poems Before Congress

In this blog I am summarizing and analyzing three reviews of Elizabeth Barrett-Browning’s poem Casa Guidi Windows.

 Summary:

The first article excerpted from The Athenaeum 1232 (7 June 1851): 597-98 titled “A Review of Casa Guidi Windows,” describes the manner in which EBB composes her pieces. It claims they are pieces inspired in a moment and written down in a spontaneous manner. The reviewer in this article feels that this type of poetry is “too loose, and colloquial in its manner”(347). Furthermore it also accuses Barrett-Browning to have caught the tone of her husband Robert Browning. The article describes Barrett-Browning’s poetry as having an older or antique quality to it. Then the article continues and describes EBB’s motives in her poetry. The article says, “ We know few things in modern poetry more passionate, vigorous, or true than her protest against that hushing of human claims which means not the silence of a people contented, but that of a people stifled” (347).  In other words the article is saying that EBB is fervent in defending people that are held down. Lastly the article praises EBB for her poem and her success in creating a “judicious tribute to Mazzini” (348). The next article I examined from the Eclectic Review gives a more historical review of EBB’s poem Casa Guidi Windows. It explains EBB’s poem is a contemplation of what has happened in Italy after the great European outbreak of 1848. The article claims that even EBB believed in the movement that ended up disappointing so many, but the article ultimately praises her for her ability to beautifully depict the cry for peace. The article says, “This is glorious poetry—glorious in its intellectual strength, in its lofty eloquence, and glorious in the divinity of a resplendent truth” (351). The third article focuses on EBB as a woman poet at first and also later makes a more universal claim that her poetry has a ‘deeper human interest.’ The article from The Spectator compares EBB to a Joan of Arc type woman in the sense that she called for action in a time of hardship for Italy. To add to the praise of EBB as woman the article says,

 “And to those who think that woman and politics should be wide as the poles asunder, we recommend it, as a proof of the feminine warmth of heart that may coexist with a vivid sympathy with the public affairs of nation, and of the deeper human interest those affairs themselves assume when thus viewed in relation to family life and from the centre of the natural affections..”(350).

In other words, the fact that EBB is a woman gives her the ability to share a deep connection with her country and her people.

Analysis:

I really liked the idea that because EBB is a woman she was able to bring different and meaningful insight into public affairs of the nation. It is interesting to see a reviewer praise a woman that comments on politics through emotion. The majority view would naturally want politicians to make decisions separate from emotional heartstrings. I also found it very interesting that one article pointed out that EBB’s poems were written in the spur-of-the-moment. It commented on how this composition can be negative but I also think it makes you wonder about the alternative as well. I find that writing out of passion can reveal certain truths that otherwise might not come through in someone’s’ writing. 

A Summary and Analysis of Appendix B: Religion and Factory Reform

 In this blog I will be summarizing and analyzing three different articles about religion and factory reform focused around Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetry.

Summary:

The first article I chose to look titled, "Reviews" pulled from The Guardian discusses Elizabeth Barrett Brownings religious background and the problems they find with it. The article starts by pointing out that Elizabeth is a very religious woman, and her 'intellectual idols' include her husband Robert Browning, Tennyson, and Mr. Carlyle. Next the article makes it clear that their beliefs would clearly be different from Barrett Browning if they were ever to sit down and discuss it at length. But the article ultimately concedes to Elizabeth and says, "But in the present state of religious discord and confusion, we may regret it, but teaching of which she has most likely never heard, and is deficient in doctrine which she has had no opportunity to supply (321). So in other words the article cuts her some slack because of the many varying views of the time and because they believed her to not be completely educated on the matter. The next article I examined praised Barrett Browning for bringing to life the Virgin Mary; a figure it claims that is often left out. Hannah Lawrance writes, "The Virgin Mary is to many of us little more than a name, or perchance a half-angelic face looking down from the beautiful Italian picture. We seldom think of her even as she is represented in scripture, as one for virtue and goodness highly favored among women. From this dim unreal existence Mrs. Browning has called her into life" (322). This idea they explain further giving her praise because Barrett Browning has drawn attention to a figure they claim that has suffered similar to the Saviour himself. The last article I chose to look at was titled, "From Frances Trollope, The Life and Adventure of Micheal Armstrong, The Factory Boy (London: Henry Colburn, 1844, : serial publication, 1840." This article gives a depiction of the children working in factories during the Industrial Revolution. The imagery in this excerpt is very vivid and detailed. In one part it describes a little girl having to stretch out to avoid steam burning her as she picks up stray pieces of cotton. "In the performance of this duty, the child was obliged, from time to time, to stretch itself with sudden quickness on the ground, while the hissing machinery passed over her; and when this skillfully done, and the head, body, and outstretched limbs carefully glued to repass over the dizzy head and trembling body without touching it. But accidents frequently occur..." (79-81).
The realistic portrayal leaves you horrified with the last sentence knowing that often her movement wasn't skillful enough.

Analysis:

I think that Elizabeth Barrett Browning chose to write about a religious view that was more universal in a sense, rather than focusing on Catholicism or Protestant or some other narrowed faith for a reason. She wrote about what she felt and that didn't always reflect some exact scripture of faith. In the first article the author agrees and gives credit to Elizabeth Barrett Browning for being a religious woman despite maybe a few short comings in religious education. After reading the excerpt from the serial publication I understood why Browning is famous for her political poetry; her ability to draw on your human sympathies while simultaneously making a comment on the working conditions of children is amazing. The imagery she uses is so real. I felt like I could see the sunken in cheeks of the little boys working.