IGNOU MEG-01 Assignment: British Poetry

1. Explain any two of the excerpts of poems given below with reference to their

context:

(i) “Now, sire”, quod she, “When we flee fro the bemes…”

These lines are from Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales,” specifically “The Wife

of Bath’s Prologue.” The Wife of Bath, a bold and witty character, discusses the

importance of female autonomy and experience over scholastic authority. The quoted

lines show her typical irreverence and candid talk about physical needs and human

desires. Her advice to take a laxative symbolizes a humorous and earthly approach to

problems, contrasting with the idealistic or spiritual remedies often promoted by the

Church. This line is emblematic of Chaucer’s use of satire to critique social and gender

norms of his time.

(iii) “I wonder by my troth, what thou and I / Did, till we lov’d? were we not wean’d till

then?”

These lines are taken from John Donne’s poem “The Good Morrow.” Donne, a

metaphysical poet, explores the transformative power of love. The speaker reflects on

life before love, suggesting that it was as immature and incomplete as infancy before

weaning. This rhetorical question underlines the central theme of the poem—love as a

spiritual awakening that redefines existence. The speaker feels reborn through the

mutual and profound connection with his beloved. Donne’s use of colloquial language

and complex metaphors exemplifies the metaphysical style.

2. Highlight the salient features of Romanticism with illustrations from the poems

prescribed for study.

Romanticism was a literary movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries that

emphasized emotion, individualism, nature, and the imagination. The Romantic poets
reacted against the rationalism of the Enlightenment and the industrialization of

society. Key features of Romanticism include:

1. **Emphasis on Emotion and Imagination**: Romantic poets valued intense emotion

as an authentic source of aesthetic experience. Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” reflects

deep personal emotions and the spiritual influence of nature.

2. **Glorification of Nature**: Nature is central in Romantic poetry. For example, in

“Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey,” Wordsworth celebrates the

restorative powers of nature.

3. **Focus on the Individual and Subjectivity**: The Romantics celebrated the

individual’s experiences, thoughts, and feelings. In Coleridge’s “Dejection: An Ode,” the

poet introspects his emotional state.

4. **Interest in the Supernatural**: Many Romantic poets incorporated supernatural

elements, as in Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”

5. **Celebration of the Common Man**: Wordsworth believed poetry should reflect the

lives of ordinary people and be written in simple language.

Romanticism, therefore, broke away from classical forms and formal language, opening

poetry to personal feeling and a deep appreciation of the natural world.

3. Attempt a comparison between the Epithalamion and the Prothalamion as wedding

songs.

Both “Epithalamion” and “Prothalamion” are wedding-themed poems by Edmund

Spenser, yet they differ in purpose, tone, and content.

“Epithalamion” is a deeply personal poem celebrating Spenser’s own wedding. It follows

the structure of a classical wedding hymn and is rich in imagery, drawing from

mythology, Christian symbolism, and the natural world. The poem reflects the poet’s
joy, desire, and reverence for his bride. It is celebratory, sensual, and spiritual.

“Prothalamion,” on the other hand, is more formal and public, written to celebrate the

impending marriages of the Earl of Worcester’s two daughters. It features a pastoral

setting with swans and rivers, serving as metaphors for the brides’ beauty and purity.

Unlike the passionate tone of “Epithalamion,” “Prothalamion” is more reserved and

ceremonial.

While both poems use classical allusions and pastoral imagery, “Epithalamion” is

intimate and emotional, whereas “Prothalamion” serves a more social and political

purpose, aligning with Spenser’s role as a court poet. The former celebrates personal

love; the latter honors aristocratic alliances.

4. Would you agree that Milton reflects on blindness in Sonnets 19 & 23? Give a

reasoned answer.

Yes, John Milton’s Sonnets 19 and 23 both reflect on his personal

affliction—blindness—and explore broader philosophical and spiritual themes through it.

In Sonnet 19, “When I consider how my light is spent,” Milton meditates on his

blindness and questions how he can serve God when he can no longer use his poetic

talent. The poem evolves from despair to spiritual resolution, ending with the famous

line, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” This suggests that passive endurance

and faithfulness are as valuable as active work.

Sonnet 23, “Methought I saw my late espousèd saint,” is a dream vision in which Milton

sees his deceased wife. The sonnet is poignant and emotional, as his blindness

prevents him from seeing her clearly. His dream of her presence becomes a bittersweet

encounter—ephemeral yet profound. The poem highlights his loss of sight and the
emotional toll it takes on him.

Together, these sonnets express Milton’s personal struggle, spiritual resilience, and

artistic brilliance in the face of blindness.

5. Would you consider Sylvia Plath’s Daddy to be an expression against the voice of

patriarchy? Comment critically.

Yes, Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” is widely interpreted as a powerful protest against

patriarchy. The poem is both a personal outcry and a symbolic confrontation with

oppressive male figures.

“Daddy” deals with the poet’s complex feelings toward her father and husband, whom

she views as authoritarian and controlling. The poem uses Holocaust imagery, casting

the father figure as a Nazi and the speaker as a Jew, symbolizing extreme victimization.

This metaphor illustrates the psychological oppression she experienced, not just from

her father but also from patriarchal norms.

The tone is confessional and charged with anger and irony. Phrases like “I made a

model of you” and “I’m through” signal her struggle to liberate herself from male

domination. The poem culminates in her rejection of the father figure and what he

represents.

Plath’s intense emotional expression and use of violent imagery make “Daddy” a

landmark feminist text that critiques the psychological and societal mechanisms of

patriarchy.