naphelge
07-16-2012, 06:04 PM
Hi everyone,
I am trying to put together an essay outline comparing the poetry of EDickinson and CRossetti for a female in literature course I am taking atm.
I read an infamous quote somewhere that I need to locate but cannot seem to find in any of my notes. I am hoping perhaps someone might be familiar with the quote and know a reputable source for it as my potential thesis will partly revolve around it. The quote is something along the lines of:
ED's poetry could be considered more seriously had she written in iambic pentameter
or perhaps
ED's poetry cannot be taken seriously because she did not write in iambic pentameter.
Something along those lines.
I want to pit that statement against the fact that Rossetti did indeed write formally structured poems, often in sonnet form, but was still largely dismissed; most notably perhaps by her brother of letters/critic (name escapes me atm, but not Dante, Edward maybe?). Then of course, go on to hail the writing style of both, probably angling how they can both be interpreted as writing products of their environments; so far as Rossetti was unavoidably steeped and thus influenced by a very formally, traditional European culture, whereas Dickinson was influenced by the beginnings of a new country feeling its way in the world, and thus helping to account for her daring, unconventional (I've got nothing to lose) style of writing. Her poems would surely have suffered in creativity, or at least her readers would have been denied the wonder of her creative force, had she attempted a more formally accepted style of writing, even though she would perhaps had more encouragement to publish (from the likes of Higginson who discouraged ED publishing b/c of her unconventional style) and stake a claim to fame during her own lifetime. Or something like that.
Any help locating a source for that quote would be much appreciated.
cheers,
nap
I am trying to put together an essay outline comparing the poetry of EDickinson and CRossetti for a female in literature course I am taking atm.
I read an infamous quote somewhere that I need to locate but cannot seem to find in any of my notes. I am hoping perhaps someone might be familiar with the quote and know a reputable source for it as my potential thesis will partly revolve around it. The quote is something along the lines of:
ED's poetry could be considered more seriously had she written in iambic pentameter
or perhaps
ED's poetry cannot be taken seriously because she did not write in iambic pentameter.
Something along those lines.
I want to pit that statement against the fact that Rossetti did indeed write formally structured poems, often in sonnet form, but was still largely dismissed; most notably perhaps by her brother of letters/critic (name escapes me atm, but not Dante, Edward maybe?). Then of course, go on to hail the writing style of both, probably angling how they can both be interpreted as writing products of their environments; so far as Rossetti was unavoidably steeped and thus influenced by a very formally, traditional European culture, whereas Dickinson was influenced by the beginnings of a new country feeling its way in the world, and thus helping to account for her daring, unconventional (I've got nothing to lose) style of writing. Her poems would surely have suffered in creativity, or at least her readers would have been denied the wonder of her creative force, had she attempted a more formally accepted style of writing, even though she would perhaps had more encouragement to publish (from the likes of Higginson who discouraged ED publishing b/c of her unconventional style) and stake a claim to fame during her own lifetime. Or something like that.
Any help locating a source for that quote would be much appreciated.
cheers,
nap