The term “Lucy Poems“ includes five poems written by the romantic poet William Wordsworth which, traditionally, are grouped in literary studies because they seemingly
create an “extraordinary unity”. Yet the poet did not intend
them to be sequenced. As a consequence, there is uncertainty about which and how many poems could be considered as a “Lucy Poem” or not. One has found a conventional solution or compromise declaring Wordsworth’s “Strange fits of
Passion have I known”, “She dwelt among the untrodden ways”, “I travelled among unknown men”, “Three years she grew in sun and shower” and “A slumber did my spirit seal” to be the
“Lucy Poems”. I will base my investigations on this grouping.
During the poet’s time in Goslar, the German harvest and winter put Wordsworth in a pensive mood and “he turned […] to thoughts of death, represented in his poetry by an elegiac strain
far stronger than any of the varieties of sentimental morality it replaced”. The “Lucy Poems” arose out of this gloomy mood and can be described as “poems of homesickness”. Four of these poems, namely “Strange fits”, “She dwelt”, “A slumber” and “Three years” were published in the second volume of the Lyrical Ballads in 1800. The fifth one, “I travelled” was published later.
Only in the later edition of the Lyrical Ballads published of 1815, Wordsworth rearranged all five poems as he divided his poetry into “Poems Founded on the Affections” and “Poems of
the Imagination”. “Strange fits”, “She dwelt” and “I travelled” belong to the first group whilst “Three years” and “A slumber” were integrated into the latter.
As the “Lucy Poems” are seen as a “sober meditation on death or a subject related to death” this link between the poems will be the subject of investigation in my seminar paper. Roughly summarizing the content of the poems, the speaker after somehow intuiting the passing away of his beloved Lucy meditates on her life and death. Since the representation of death in the “Lucy Poems” is linked to its counterpart, the representation of life, it is inevitable to naturally take a look at Lucy as a living creature of nature first.
Examining the representation of Lucy’s passing and its emotional impact on the speaker in the five poems I will then illustrate the gradual changing within the motif of death.[...]
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. About the motif of death in the "Lucy Poems"
- 2.1. Who is/was Lucy?
- 2.1.1. Lucy – a real person or a symbol?
- 2.1.2. Lucy a beloved person and a child of nature
- 2.2. Lucy's death and the links to nature
- 2.3. The meditation on Lucy's death compared to the process of grief
- 2.1. Who is/was Lucy?
- 3. Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This seminar paper investigates the motif of death in Wordsworth's "Lucy Poems," focusing on its representation and relation to the stages of grief. The analysis examines how the representation of death evolves throughout the poems and explores the connection between the poems' sequential order and the emotional progression of grief.
- The identity of Lucy: whether she represents a real person or a symbolic figure.
- Lucy's connection to nature and its role in shaping her representation.
- The changing representation of death across the five poems.
- The correlation between the poems' thematic development and the stages of grief.
- Wordsworth's exploration of human identity, life, and death through the character of Lucy.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter establishes the context for the analysis of Wordsworth's "Lucy Poems." It defines the scope of the study, clarifying the ambiguity surrounding which poems constitute the "Lucy Poems" and confirming the five poems used in the paper. The chapter highlights the poems' origin in Wordsworth's pensive mood during his time in Goslar and their subsequent publication in the Lyrical Ballads, emphasizing their character as "poems of homesickness." The introduction concludes by outlining the paper's objective: to investigate the motif of death in the poems and its relation to the representation of life and the process of grief. The chapter sets the stage for a detailed examination of Lucy's identity, her death, and its emotional impact on the speaker.
2. About the motif of death in the "Lucy Poems": This chapter delves into the central theme of death in Wordsworth's Lucy poems. Section 2.1 explores the multifaceted identity of Lucy, examining the debate surrounding whether she is a real person or a symbolic figure. It considers various interpretations, including the possibility of Lucy being based on Mary Hutchinson, Margaret Hutchinson, or Dorothy Wordsworth. The section also explores Lucy's symbolic role, representing ideals or concepts beyond a mere biographical representation. Section 2.1.2 analyzes Lucy’s portrayal as a beloved person intertwined with nature. This discussion addresses interpretations of Lucy as the ideal English girl, a symbol of England's nature, but ultimately concludes that Lucy is not a mere embodiment of the English landscape but rather a part of it, representing pristine human identity. The chapter connects Lucy's portrayal to Wordsworth's concept of nature and human identity as presented in the preface to Lyrical Ballads, which positions man and nature as integral to each other. The chapter establishes the multi-layered nature of Lucy as both a person and a symbol that transcends simple biographical interpretation.
Keywords
Wordsworth, Lucy Poems, motif of death, stages of grief, representation of death, nature, human identity, symbolism, Lyrical Ballads, elegy, Mary Hutchinson, Margaret Hutchinson, Dorothy Wordsworth.
Frequently Asked Questions: Analysis of the Motif of Death in Wordsworth's "Lucy Poems"
What is the overall focus of this academic paper?
This paper analyzes the motif of death in William Wordsworth's "Lucy Poems," examining its representation and its connection to the stages of grief. It explores how the portrayal of death evolves throughout the poems and links this evolution to the emotional progression of grief. The paper also investigates Lucy's identity—whether she is a real person or a symbolic figure—and her relationship with nature.
Which poems are considered in this analysis?
The analysis focuses on five poems generally recognized as belonging to the "Lucy Poems." The introduction clarifies this ambiguity, confirming the specific poems included in the study.
What is the significance of Lucy's identity?
The paper investigates whether Lucy is a real person or a symbolic figure. It considers various possibilities, including Mary Hutchinson, Margaret Hutchinson, or Dorothy Wordsworth, but ultimately explores Lucy's symbolic role as representing ideals or concepts beyond simple biographical interpretation. Lucy is portrayed as deeply intertwined with nature, representing pristine human identity rather than simply embodying the English landscape.
How does nature factor into the representation of Lucy and death?
Lucy's portrayal is inextricably linked to nature. The analysis explores the connection between Lucy's representation, her death, and Wordsworth's broader concept of nature and human identity as presented in the preface to *Lyrical Ballads*. Lucy is seen as part of nature, highlighting the integral connection between humanity and the natural world in Wordsworth's work.
How does the paper connect the poems to the stages of grief?
The paper examines the correlation between the thematic development of the poems and the stages of grief. It analyzes how the representation of death evolves across the five poems, suggesting a parallel with the emotional progression through grief.
What is the chronological context of the "Lucy Poems"?
The introduction establishes that these poems originated during Wordsworth's time in Goslar, reflecting a pensive mood and homesickness. Their subsequent publication in *Lyrical Ballads* is also noted, further contextualizing their significance.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
The key themes include the motif of death, the stages of grief, the representation of death in poetry, Lucy's identity (real or symbolic), Lucy's connection to nature, human identity, symbolism, and Wordsworth's exploration of life and death.
What are the chapter summaries?
The paper provides chapter summaries outlining the content and focus of each chapter. Chapter 1 establishes the context and scope of the analysis. Chapter 2 delves into the central theme of death, exploring Lucy's identity and her connection to nature. Chapter 3 offers concluding remarks.
What keywords are associated with this analysis?
Keywords include: Wordsworth, Lucy Poems, motif of death, stages of grief, representation of death, nature, human identity, symbolism, *Lyrical Ballads*, elegy, Mary Hutchinson, Margaret Hutchinson, Dorothy Wordsworth.
- Citar trabajo
- Johanna Mett (Autor), 2015, The Motif of Death in the “Lucy Poems”. Its Representation and Relation to the Stages of Grief, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/298341
