A few of you have asked, so this is the my paper on Keats (MLA formatting and works cited list removed):
Keatss Raping of Madeline
John Keatss The Eve of St. Agnes is often described as a love story, a romantic fairy tale, and/or an analogy for his own experiences in the publishing world. These readings are easily supported by the text of the poem and by brief research into the authors life. However, these reading seem somewhat nave and shallow upon a more thorough reading and dissection of the poets life. A twenty-first century, feminist reading finds much to question in these interpretations, pointing to Keatss growing skepticism of the Romantic Dreamer ideal and his blatant objectification and outward disdain toward his female readership. Keatss use of the fairy tale trope and his many distortions of the typical traits of fairy tales evidence a darker intent to his poem, revealing not only his growing skepticism but a barely masked misogyny.
The use of the fairy tale trope is easily recognized by many readers of The Eve of St. Agnes. Audiences of Romantic poetry would be particularly familiar with this kind of love story. Many readers have examined this aspect of the poem, including Jack Stillinger, who in his The Hoodwinking of Madeline: Skepticism in The Eve of St. Agnes, rejects the idea that the poem is a delightful bit of romantic fluff, instead pointing to the expressions of doubt in Romanticism illustrated by the sinister actions of Porphyro and the ways that the poem differs from typical fairy tale style.
Porphyro, Madelines supposed lover, sneaks into the castle of Madelines family. Many references are made to the danger he faces in doing so. He must venture in: let no buzzed whisper tell:/ All eyes be muffled, or a hundred swords will storm his heart (83-85). The men in this castle are sworn enemies who would gladly spill Porphyros blood should they find him. Angela illuminates these facts rather plainly pointing out that these men will murder on holy days (119), as they have cursed Porphyro and all of his lineage and land.
The reader is left to guess as to why Madelines family so despise Porphyro, but is quickly led to understand that perhaps there is good reason for their hatred. Angela, who seems to be a friend of this mysterious man from across the moors, eventually seems somewhat frightened of him and his strange nature: Thou must hold water in a witchs sieve,/ And be liege lord of all the Elves and Fay,/ To venture so: it fills me with amaze/ To see thee Porphyro (120-123)! When Porphyro begins plotting to get into Madelines bed chamber, Angela expresses horror: A cruel man and impious thou art:/ Sweet lady , let her pray, and sleep, and dream/ Alone with her good angels, far apart/ From wicked men like thee. Go, go!-- I deem/ Thou canst not surely be the same as thou didst seem (141-144).
Porphyro is sharply contrasted here with the good angels (125) that have hoodwinked Madeline with faery fancy (71). Though Porphyro swears by all saints (145) not to harm Madeline, it is difficult to believe now that his intentions, so shocking to the poor, churchyard thing (155), are honorable despite his ability to gain Angelas assistance in his plot. At this point, Stillinger points out that our disbelief must be suspended if we are to read the poem as an affirmation of romantic love (Stillinger, 55). The strategy Porphyro is proposing-- being smuggled into Madelines bed chamber while she sleeps under a fairy spell so that he may take his peerless bride (167)-- is one that is frowned on, sometimes punished in the criminal courts (Stillinger, 55) of today.
While Madeline dreams of romantic conclusions to her chaste prayer, darker forces are at work in her room. Stillinger brings to the discussion an interesting line that was cut from subsequent edits of the poem in which Porphyros hiding place in Madelines bedchamber is described as a purgatory sweet (56). This raises an interesting metaphor: Madelines bedchamber is called a Paradise that Porphyro seeks to attain; he hides in Purgatory, having risen from Hell. Combined with Angelas words and the readers knowledge of Porphyros status in that house, this image leads to a fairly concrete conclusion that Porphyro is not a dashing, daring, romantic figure come to carry off his love to live happily ever after, but rather a criminal come to take his chosen bride.
He takes his bride through deception and scheming. Stillinger uses the metaphor of bird hunting that is alluded to in the passages in Madelines room (56-57), a demonstration of the force and complete lack of tender romance that has so many times been read in this scene. Indeed, this scene is riddled with evidence of the subtle violence of the rape and kidnapping that takes place. Madelines fear is quite tangible when she awakens and finds that her dream of consummation was reality, and that Porphyro is actually in the bed with her. She feels a painful change, that nigh expelled/ The blisses of her dream so pure and deep:/ At which fair Madeline began to weep,/ And moan forth witless words with many a sigh (300-303). Her dreamed-of lover is now flesh, but unlike the ideal vision of St. Agness dream-- aided of course by Porphyrys drowsy Morphean amulet (257)-- he is pallid, chill, and drear (310)! It is important here to recall the nigh of Madelines awakening. She is still in a semi-sleep state, which Porphyro exploits to convince or hypnotize her into coming with him across the moors and far from her safe home (Stillinger, 59-61).
At this point, the poem hardly reads like a fairy tale to celebrating romantic love and the glories of the Dreamers mind. Nor does it express much kindness to this sentiment of Romantic literature. Many of the convention of fairy tale have been distorted and uglified to express a growing disdain for the Romantic ideal of the Dreamer (Stillinger, 63-71). The poem expresses an even more violent disdain toward women. A hatred, Homans argues, is characteristic of Keats.
Homanss essay sites multiple example of Keatss misogyny. Throughout his relationship with Fannie Brawne, he objectifies her as only an object of beauty, her only value (Homans, 349-350), often appropriat[ing] . . . Fannies voice (Homans, 351) to deny her any intellectual capacity or power. Homans finds that this attitude is carried into all of Keatss interactions with women. Understanding that the offence the ladies take of me (Homans, 346) has much to do with his critical and commercial failures, Keats takes an aggressively sexist tone, referring to the educated women who read and dislike his work as blue Stockings and sublime Petticoats (Homans, 347). Homans quotes a letter written by Keats that illustrates this sentiment: This same inadequacy is discovered. . . in Women with few exceptions-- the Dress Maker, the blue Stocking and the most charming sentimentalist differ but in a Slight degree, and are equally smokeable (347).
Keatss descriptions of Madeline as a pale beauty, hypnotized by superstition and waiting to be ravished is to be expected from a man who sees women as passive sex objects (Homans, 344). By insisting that women remain what he calls abstract Beauty, Homans declares, he objectifies women and subordinates than to his own poetic projects (346).
The reading offered by Stillinger and Homans is an interestingly contrasting companion to the many readings offered by other critics of the work. The romantic fairy tale seen by some is questionable. It seems after reading the works of the above mentioned writers, that Keats uses the trope in a sarcastic manner, expressing a kind of skepticism toward the values of that literary philosophy: the Dreamer is raped by reality. In this new reading of the poem there lies no love story, despite the many attempts to argue that quality in the work. The perspective that seems to hold most sturdily is the metaphor idea, that Keats mirrored his own experiences in the publishing world in the poem, though in a slightly different way. Keats takes out his frustration and bitterness against his chosen target, educated women, by casting them continuously as fools and beautiful objects, fooled and raped.
Keatss Raping of Madeline
John Keatss The Eve of St. Agnes is often described as a love story, a romantic fairy tale, and/or an analogy for his own experiences in the publishing world. These readings are easily supported by the text of the poem and by brief research into the authors life. However, these reading seem somewhat nave and shallow upon a more thorough reading and dissection of the poets life. A twenty-first century, feminist reading finds much to question in these interpretations, pointing to Keatss growing skepticism of the Romantic Dreamer ideal and his blatant objectification and outward disdain toward his female readership. Keatss use of the fairy tale trope and his many distortions of the typical traits of fairy tales evidence a darker intent to his poem, revealing not only his growing skepticism but a barely masked misogyny.
The use of the fairy tale trope is easily recognized by many readers of The Eve of St. Agnes. Audiences of Romantic poetry would be particularly familiar with this kind of love story. Many readers have examined this aspect of the poem, including Jack Stillinger, who in his The Hoodwinking of Madeline: Skepticism in The Eve of St. Agnes, rejects the idea that the poem is a delightful bit of romantic fluff, instead pointing to the expressions of doubt in Romanticism illustrated by the sinister actions of Porphyro and the ways that the poem differs from typical fairy tale style.
Porphyro, Madelines supposed lover, sneaks into the castle of Madelines family. Many references are made to the danger he faces in doing so. He must venture in: let no buzzed whisper tell:/ All eyes be muffled, or a hundred swords will storm his heart (83-85). The men in this castle are sworn enemies who would gladly spill Porphyros blood should they find him. Angela illuminates these facts rather plainly pointing out that these men will murder on holy days (119), as they have cursed Porphyro and all of his lineage and land.
The reader is left to guess as to why Madelines family so despise Porphyro, but is quickly led to understand that perhaps there is good reason for their hatred. Angela, who seems to be a friend of this mysterious man from across the moors, eventually seems somewhat frightened of him and his strange nature: Thou must hold water in a witchs sieve,/ And be liege lord of all the Elves and Fay,/ To venture so: it fills me with amaze/ To see thee Porphyro (120-123)! When Porphyro begins plotting to get into Madelines bed chamber, Angela expresses horror: A cruel man and impious thou art:/ Sweet lady , let her pray, and sleep, and dream/ Alone with her good angels, far apart/ From wicked men like thee. Go, go!-- I deem/ Thou canst not surely be the same as thou didst seem (141-144).
Porphyro is sharply contrasted here with the good angels (125) that have hoodwinked Madeline with faery fancy (71). Though Porphyro swears by all saints (145) not to harm Madeline, it is difficult to believe now that his intentions, so shocking to the poor, churchyard thing (155), are honorable despite his ability to gain Angelas assistance in his plot. At this point, Stillinger points out that our disbelief must be suspended if we are to read the poem as an affirmation of romantic love (Stillinger, 55). The strategy Porphyro is proposing-- being smuggled into Madelines bed chamber while she sleeps under a fairy spell so that he may take his peerless bride (167)-- is one that is frowned on, sometimes punished in the criminal courts (Stillinger, 55) of today.
While Madeline dreams of romantic conclusions to her chaste prayer, darker forces are at work in her room. Stillinger brings to the discussion an interesting line that was cut from subsequent edits of the poem in which Porphyros hiding place in Madelines bedchamber is described as a purgatory sweet (56). This raises an interesting metaphor: Madelines bedchamber is called a Paradise that Porphyro seeks to attain; he hides in Purgatory, having risen from Hell. Combined with Angelas words and the readers knowledge of Porphyros status in that house, this image leads to a fairly concrete conclusion that Porphyro is not a dashing, daring, romantic figure come to carry off his love to live happily ever after, but rather a criminal come to take his chosen bride.
He takes his bride through deception and scheming. Stillinger uses the metaphor of bird hunting that is alluded to in the passages in Madelines room (56-57), a demonstration of the force and complete lack of tender romance that has so many times been read in this scene. Indeed, this scene is riddled with evidence of the subtle violence of the rape and kidnapping that takes place. Madelines fear is quite tangible when she awakens and finds that her dream of consummation was reality, and that Porphyro is actually in the bed with her. She feels a painful change, that nigh expelled/ The blisses of her dream so pure and deep:/ At which fair Madeline began to weep,/ And moan forth witless words with many a sigh (300-303). Her dreamed-of lover is now flesh, but unlike the ideal vision of St. Agness dream-- aided of course by Porphyrys drowsy Morphean amulet (257)-- he is pallid, chill, and drear (310)! It is important here to recall the nigh of Madelines awakening. She is still in a semi-sleep state, which Porphyro exploits to convince or hypnotize her into coming with him across the moors and far from her safe home (Stillinger, 59-61).
At this point, the poem hardly reads like a fairy tale to celebrating romantic love and the glories of the Dreamers mind. Nor does it express much kindness to this sentiment of Romantic literature. Many of the convention of fairy tale have been distorted and uglified to express a growing disdain for the Romantic ideal of the Dreamer (Stillinger, 63-71). The poem expresses an even more violent disdain toward women. A hatred, Homans argues, is characteristic of Keats.
Homanss essay sites multiple example of Keatss misogyny. Throughout his relationship with Fannie Brawne, he objectifies her as only an object of beauty, her only value (Homans, 349-350), often appropriat[ing] . . . Fannies voice (Homans, 351) to deny her any intellectual capacity or power. Homans finds that this attitude is carried into all of Keatss interactions with women. Understanding that the offence the ladies take of me (Homans, 346) has much to do with his critical and commercial failures, Keats takes an aggressively sexist tone, referring to the educated women who read and dislike his work as blue Stockings and sublime Petticoats (Homans, 347). Homans quotes a letter written by Keats that illustrates this sentiment: This same inadequacy is discovered. . . in Women with few exceptions-- the Dress Maker, the blue Stocking and the most charming sentimentalist differ but in a Slight degree, and are equally smokeable (347).
Keatss descriptions of Madeline as a pale beauty, hypnotized by superstition and waiting to be ravished is to be expected from a man who sees women as passive sex objects (Homans, 344). By insisting that women remain what he calls abstract Beauty, Homans declares, he objectifies women and subordinates than to his own poetic projects (346).
The reading offered by Stillinger and Homans is an interestingly contrasting companion to the many readings offered by other critics of the work. The romantic fairy tale seen by some is questionable. It seems after reading the works of the above mentioned writers, that Keats uses the trope in a sarcastic manner, expressing a kind of skepticism toward the values of that literary philosophy: the Dreamer is raped by reality. In this new reading of the poem there lies no love story, despite the many attempts to argue that quality in the work. The perspective that seems to hold most sturdily is the metaphor idea, that Keats mirrored his own experiences in the publishing world in the poem, though in a slightly different way. Keats takes out his frustration and bitterness against his chosen target, educated women, by casting them continuously as fools and beautiful objects, fooled and raped.
souspire:
I think that your analysis is a profound and sophisticated examination of the poem using a genuinely well-integrated textual and biographical approach. Plus, you do write well: both cogent and lucid prose! You are headed for big things academically!