This essay will compare Lewis Carol's poem and parody "Father Williams" to its original poem "The old man's comforts and how he gained them" by Robert Southey. The poem is part of Lewis Carroll's novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".
But what exactly makes a parody? A definition by Vladimir Propp is delivered and followed by some information about the authors and the content of their poems. With the help of several questions, the poems are analysed syntactically as well as semantically to answer the question, if Carroll's poem can be regarded as a parody of Southey's poem.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definition of Parody
3. Information about the Authors
4. Analysis of the Poems
4.1 Pragmatical Level
4.2 Semantical Level
4.3 Syntactical Level
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Topics
This essay examines the literary relationship between Lewis Carroll’s parody "Father William" and its original source, Robert Southey’s poem "The old man’s comforts and how he gained them," aiming to identify the structural and thematic mechanisms that define the former as a parody.
- Comparative analysis of pragmatical, semantical, and syntactical levels in both poems.
- Evaluation of literary parody definitions as proposed by Vladimir Propp.
- Investigation into the usage of irony, sarcasm, and nonsense verse in Victorian literature.
- Examination of character roles, motivations, and the subversion of aging themes.
- Exploration of formal differences, including rhyme schemes and poem structure.
Excerpt from the Book
Analysis of the semantical level of both poems
Secondly, I am going to look at the semantical level of both poems and compare them. “The old man’s comforts and how he gained them“ has a lot of isotopies in it. One of them is “age“. The young man again and again reminds father William of how old he is by telling him e.g. that his hair is grey (line two) or that he is “a hearty old man“ (line three). On the contrary father William always tells the young man things about his youth e.g. “(…) youth would fly fast“ (line six) or “pleasures with youth“ (line ten). “Youth“ and “age“ are two competitive and oppositional themes that appear a lot in the poem. Another recurring theme is “decay“.
As father William tells stories about his youth, he often uses expressions such as “(…) youth would fly fast“ (line six), “And pleasures with youth pass away“ (line ten) or “I remembered that youth could not last“ (line 14). Two more isotopies are “past“ and “future“. In line 16, Southey writes: “(…) I never might grieve for the past“ but in line 15 he says: “I thought of the future whatever I did“. There is a strong contrast in the poem which is on the one hand due to the many contrastive themes but on the other hand due to the old father William and the young man. The young man seems to desperately want advice, because he cries and does not talk normally to the old man (line one, nine and 17).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the research topic, presenting the two poems to be compared and outlining the methodology used to define the nature of Lewis Carroll's parody.
2. Definition of Parody: This section establishes a theoretical foundation by referencing Vladimir Propp's definition of parody, emphasizing exaggeration and imitation of external characteristics.
3. Information about the Authors: This section provides biographical and literary context for Lewis Carroll and Robert Southey, discussing the genre of "nonsense verse" and Southey’s characteristics as a poet.
4. Analysis of the Poems: This central chapter conducts a deep dive into the poems across three linguistic levels to uncover similarities and differences in structure, meaning, and intent.
5. Conclusion: This final section summarizes the findings, confirming that Carroll's work meets the requirements of a parody and reflecting on the importance of literary criticism for nonsense literature.
Keywords
Parody, Lewis Carroll, Robert Southey, Father William, Nonsense Verse, Irony, Sarcasm, Literary Analysis, Victorian Literature, Isotopy, Semantics, Syntactics, Pragmatics, Exaggeration, Imitation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this academic paper?
The paper focuses on a comparative literary analysis between Robert Southey's poem "The old man’s comforts and how he gained them" and its parody, "Father William" by Lewis Carroll.
What are the central themes explored in the study?
The study explores themes of aging, the contrast between youth and old age, the nature of nonsense literature, and the function of irony and sarcasm in parodic writing.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine what specific features and stylistic choices make Lewis Carroll’s "Father William" a successful and distinct parody of the original poem.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author employs a structured linguistic and literary analysis, examining the texts on pragmatical, semantical, and syntactical levels to identify patterns and deviations.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body covers a definition of parody, biographical context of the authors, and an in-depth comparison of the poems' content, character dynamics, and formal structure.
Which keywords characterize this analysis?
Key terms include Parody, Nonsense Verse, Irony, Exaggeration, Imitation, and comparative literary analysis.
How does Carroll manipulate the theme of "decay" compared to Southey?
While Southey portrays aging with themes of melancholy and decay, Carroll subverts this by depicting an unusually active and agile "Father William," effectively mocking the original's gravity.
Why is the "God" figure excluded in Carroll's parody?
The author suggests that including the holy figure of God would have been inappropriate for a parody, as the genre aims for irony and humor rather than religious solemnity.
- Citation du texte
- Suzanne Petzoldt (Auteur), 2014, What Makes a Parody? A Comparison Between "Father William" by Lewis Carroll and "The Old Man’s Comforts and How He Gained Them" by Robert Southey, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/382955
