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Welcome to the blog!

The Victorian Era is an interesting era because it included a lot of changes in the society, the biggest of which is the Industrial Revolution. This era formally started on 1837 and ended on 1901, and was dubbed as such because of the reigning queen in those years: Queen Victoria.

During this era, Britain’s naval forces were undoubtedly strong and solid. The British empire also extended much during this period. Not only do the political and economical sides flourished at this era, though, because literature flourished as well.

A bunch of well-acclaimed English writers came and were inspired from this era. Some examples are the Bronte sisters, Oscar Wilde, and Charles Dickens. Topics of choice are very heavy ones too, and usually explicitly contain a social commentary.

The chosen social topic for this blog is Victorian era courtship. The group found this topic interesting because courtship then had a lot of rules, and it usually ends in a marriage for convenience rather than love. This blog will give an overview on courtship during the era, its norms, taboos, and everything else with the help of Victorian literary works.

Happy reading!

Works Cited

Evans, Eric. “Overview: Victorian Britain, 1837-1901.” BBC. N.p., 29 Feb. 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2015.

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Wuthering Heights: Love and Courtship?

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Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights is a romance novel that features realism and gothic symbolisms. It is said that it's full of social relevance. Basically, the story revolves around Heathcliff and his self-destructive journey as he seeks revenge for losing his soulmate, Catherine, to Edgar Linton.

Some critics say that Wuthering Heights is a symbolic and psychological study of the nature of love. Can one's love be really that deep? Or, is it one's fantansy of love's capacity? Remember that in the Victorian era, courtships and marriages are ways to acquire financial stability and high social status. More often than not, courtship/marriage is a cold and calculating process. And, we saw this in Wuthering Heights. Remember the scene where Catherine confesses to Nelly that she loves Edgar but that she is also marrying him to elevate herself socially. I don't know how can Catherine say the she is in love with Edgar because she is totally in love with Heathcliff. I don't know, but this kind of scenario seems to be a critic of Victorian society's women. Most of the time, they chose practicalities over love.

They say that Wuthering Heights is one of the best romance novels but it is tough to call it such, isn't it? Heathcliff and Catherine spent so much time making each other and everyone around them miserable. And, the ultimate love (Heathcliff and Catherine's) was never realized.

Sources: 

Wuthering Heights Theme of Love. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://www.shmoop.com/wuthering-heights/love-theme.html>

Wuthering Heights at a Glance. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/w/wuthering-heights/wuthering-heights-at-a-glance>

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What Victorian Men look for in Women According to The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a novel that can be analyzed in various perspectives. It tackles on homosexuality, religion, love, sexuality, politics, and more. The way one can interpret the novel is endless. In this entry, I'm going to focus more on the aspect on love and courtship. So what exactly are the qualities that Victorian Women must have? Here's a checklist according to Dorian Gray, Lord Henry, and Lord Fermor: 1. Beauty The first few chapters of the novel also tackled on a conversation about marriage and the characteristics of women that should be sought after. Lord Henry and Lord Fermor mentioned characteristics such as beauty In the aspect of beauty, even until today, this attribute is a common criteria that is sought after. This is why women go through so much effort in order to be beautiful in the context of their society. 2. Family Wealth When a victorian man marries, they would choose a wife that is of their own class or higher because of the connections and fortune they would gain from it. This could be why wealth is a characteristic both Lords talked about in Chapter 2. 3.Talented Come a few chapters later, Dorian mentions falling in love with a woman named Sibyl Vane. When asked what about her appealed him, he mentioned her talent for acting. 4. Innocence He also mentions how there is "something of a child about her". This could be interpreted as innocence, a quality looked for in a Victorian Woman. 5. Sacred "It is only the sacred things that are worth touching, Dorian" - Lord Henry This line is another example of qualities that men back in the Victorian Period looked for in a woman. Upon further research I found that the other qualities they looked for were: ability to sing, play an instrument, speak a bit of French or Italian, biddable, dutiful and be ignorant of intellectual opinion. Sources: The Victorian Man and the Victorian Household:Role in the Family. retrieved 27 May 2015 from http://logicmgmt.com/1876/overview/victorian_man/victorian_family_unit.htm A Woman's Place in C19th Victorian History. retrieved 27 May 2015 from http://www.fashion-era.com/a_womans_place.htm

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Anthony Trollope’s novel, Lady Anna, revolves around a woman’s dilemma of having to choose between love or duty. The main character, Lady Anna, was the daughter of Lord Lovel, a nobleman who later abandons his wife and daughter, claiming that their matrimonial union is invalid because he already had a wife living in Italy when they got married. The mother and daughter were then forced to live in poverty and managed to survive only with the help of a kind tailor, Thomas Thwaite. When Lord Lovel died, Lady Anna’s mother, Josephine Murray, fought for the right of her daughter as the heir of Lord Lovel’s estate and fortune. Lady Anna’s illegitimacy would mean the estate will go to another branch of the family. Josephine decided to bring her daughter’s case to the courts. Due to confusion and an ultimately weak case, the Solicitor General decided on a compromise for both families: that Lady Anna marry her cousin instead so that the late Lord Lovel’s assets and title will be reunited in their union. This solution was understandably the best remedy to the situation. It’s supposed to be easy and convenient for all, except for one thing: Lady Anna had already promised her heart to Daniel Thwaite, the son of Thomas Thwaite, and a tailor himself. Her mother was strongly against their union, and continuously tried to break their relationship off. In the end, when the courts decided to give the inheritance to Lady Anna, Lady Anna gave a large part of it to her cousin. The rest, she kept for herself and her husband, and they used it to start anew in Australia.

One thing apparent in the novel is that it gives a sharp commentary on bigamy and patriarchy in the Victorian period. In the novel, Lord Lovel was actually sued by Josephine Murray for bigamy when she found out about his first wife; but then the courts actually acquitted Lord Lovel. This is an obvious prejudice in terms of gender. Aside from his wife in Italy and Josephine Murray, he actually had another mistress. This goes to show that when men are being unfaithful, Victorian society tends to turn a blind eye on this act of immorality, but then when women do it, it’s nothing short of unforgivable.

Moreover, “Lady Anna” speaks volumes about the importance of social class in marriage for the Victorians. From the start, it was shown how Lady Anna’s mother, Josephine Murray, married her husband, Lord Lovel for his money, despite his ill-reputation. Seeing as they have fallen from grace, she was willing to do anything and everything just so they can attain their previous high status in society. She even had to resort to violent means and attempted to kill the Daniel Thwaite just so her daughter will stop from marrying him. She did all of these knowing it grieved her daughter deeply. In retrospect, we can also say that the court’s compromise seemed perfect. She could’ve easily married her cousin, and all the drama would have been avoided. The story’s conflict lies in Lady Anna’s ‘unfortunate’ feelings for a mere tailor. Most women in the Victorian Era probably found themselves in the same situation of having to choose between love and status, only, in reality, most of them probably chose the latter. After all, the story’s ideal ending seems too good to be true.

Sources:

Johnson, Paul. “Lady Anna: An Introduction”. n.d. http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/trollope/tsociety/anna.html 

Pope, Catherine. 2010 March 17. Lady Anna by Anthony Trollope. http://blog.catherinepope.co.uk/2010/03/lady-anna-by-anthony-trollope-1874/

Lady Anna. n.d. http://www.anthonytrollope.com/books/works/lady_anna_/

Lady Anna. n.d. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/556321.Lady_Anna

Lady Anna Book Review Summary. n.d. http://allreaders.com/book-review-summary/lady-anna-33762

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Jane Eyre is a book by Charlotte Brontë, sister of Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë, which was published in the year 1847 under the pen name “Currer Bell.” The story focused on the life of the title character, Jane Eyre, and showed her experiences as she went on to the different phases in her life.

Jane Eyre is a classic gothic romance novel. Oddly enough, despite its being a romance novel, only quite a few scenes show courtship. In fact, most of the courtship scenes do not even involve the protagonist! Still, though, there are a few points that can be taken from the text that depict the courtship during the Victorian era.

First, it is clear that most marriages are for keeping up appearances. It is seen quite clearly, especially when St. John asked Jane’s hand for marriage, that most marriages during the Victorian era are for convenience. From here, it can be inferred that courtships, too, are just for convenience and such. Going back to Rochester’s courting Lady Ingram, there was never love there, only convenience. And that’s how courtship usually works then. Courtship is more of a job for the Victorian people than it is an act of love.

Second, we see that courtship do happen in public places only. The couples aren’t really left alone during the courtship period. Instead, they go to social gatherings and that’s where the courtship is conducted. In the story, most of Rochester’s and Lady Ingram’s courtship happened in the midst of their friends. They went horseback riding, touring, and all the other events together, but they were always in the company of their friends. They were rarely left alone, and even when alone, there were still servants accompanying them. Even when Rochester and Jane were already engaged, they were rarely all by themselves.

Third, in Jane Eyre, we see how class is of vital importance in courtship and marriage. Wealth is an issue, and it would seem like you need to have money before you can settle down. We see early in the novel, when Jane was just realizing her feelings for Mr. Rochester, that she keeps on telling herself that it’s never going to happen, that she “must remember that he cannot care much” for her (186). It shows how the lovers must be of equal class before courtship can happen. This novel also quite reveals the Darwinian approach to courtship that was evident in the era. “Jane Eyre is a Darwinian exploration of sex and gender and the evolutionary competition of nineteenth-century courtship” (Mishou 255). It’s a survival of the fittest, and if you don’t have what it takes, then you’re out of the game.

Finally, the last point to be taken from the novel is this: the Victorian era is a nightmare dressed like a daydream. For crying out loud, the people are mad! Who goes to such elaborate measures of courting someone else just to tell the person you like that you like her? Well, Mr. Rochester, apparently, but really, that’s just messed up. The courtship during the Victorian era is problematic, and the novel depicts that quite clearly. Beattie (493-505) even went to saying that Bertha’s complex character is a representation of the courtship in the Victorian era.

Although that might be true, I think that the people from this era actually loved the complexities. I think that despite all the protocols and such that they have to consider in courtship, they still believe that their one true love is out there waiting for them. And that hope, I would like to think, is also very evident in Jane Eyre.

Works Cited:

Beattie, Valerie. “The Mystery at Thornfield: Representations of Madness in Jane Eyre." Studies in the Novel 28.4 (1996): 493-505. ProQuest. Web. 18 May 2015.

Mishou, Aubrey L. "SURVIVING THORNFIELD: JANE EYRE AND NINETEENTH-CENTURY EVOLUTIONARY THEORY." Renascence66.4 (2014): 255,272,305. ProQuest. Web. 18 May 2015. 

Oates, Joyce Carol. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. New York: Bantam, 2003. Print.

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This novel is entitled "Mary Barton" (1848) and written by Elizabeth Gaskell. It is set during the industrialization period of Britain and observes the social, working conditions of the lower class. Our protagonist, Mary Barton, gives us an insight on how the environment she was raised in,  had an influence over her values in courtship and future perspectives in terms of marriage. Nevertheless, Mary has also become a depiction of courage and familial loyalty as she struggles to prove her convictions in love and truth while living up to her father's influences.

Her story from childhood to maturity deals not only with the strife that come in love, courtship, marriage and family, but also on the strength of faith in religion (which has become one of the highlights in the Victorian era). As a woman raised in a lower social caste, Mary has been aware of class struggles ever since the death of her mother. Mary's father, John Barton, did not want her to be caught up in the same dreary, and poverty-stricken state, therefore, he tried to apply her to a job with better working conditions. John Barton's  openly held contempt for the social inequalities and political injustices may have contributed to Mary's practical sense in marriage; a reason why her romantic tale wasn't at all for her "best, personal interests".

From the start, Mary Barton was characterized as being "different" from the rest of the girls in her industrial class. She was considered as a "beauty" quite apart from the other women in Green Heys Fields.  Despite being in town as the other folks who work at the factories, she was a woman who exercised grace and indifference among the men who vyed for her attention. To illustrate this point, when Mary was with a group of young girls, and a lad walked past, and stole a kiss from her, saying, "for old acquaintance sake, Mary", Mary slapped him. It also becomes obvious how Mary holds self restraint (or presents herself to be very conservative) based on the events where James (or Jem) Wilson would attempt to converse with her. His manner of courtship wasn't at all welcomed by Mary, despite being aware of the fact that it is in Jem's desire to be Mary's lover and eventually, marry her).  John Barton was also aware of this, yet it can be implied that  social circumstances have, in some way, shaped father and daughter's conceptions on marriage. 

Their state leads us to ask the question, what is marriage for? What does courtship seek to accomplish and how would it end for our lovelorn Jem Wilson?

Unfortunately, Mary has other ideas. Enter Harry Carson, a rich son of a mill owner. Knowing that marriage with a man like Carson, despite his flirty advances, would provide her with a better life, just as her father wished. But when Jem finally proposed and Mary rejected him, she only realized afterwards that the only man she could ever love and marry is Jem. If she marries Carson, then it will not bring her happiness. Later on, her convictions became stronger after Jem was arrested. Carson had been shot to death and Wilson is accused. Mary sets everything aside and finds a way to get Jem an alibi so he can be cleared from the charges. When she does, and Jem is finally freed, Mary faces her father, John Barton, who then confesses to John Carson (Harry Carson’s father). By placing his faith on the teachings of the Bible, John Carson forgives Barton as he takes his final breath and dies.

Courtship and marriage may lead to happiness, but it may be also used to attain material prosperity. 

Gaskell, Elizabeth. "Mary Barton." Encyclopaedia. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://encyclopaedia.com/ebooks/61/86.pdf>

 Scott, David. "Mary Barton." 1 Sept. 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://dtldobsvtn.wordpress.com/tag/bildungsroman/>

Spark, Clare. "Gaskell’s Mary Barton and the Road to Family Values." YDS: The Clare Spark Blog. 25 Nov. 2011. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://clarespark.com/2011/11/25/3293/>

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An Analysis of the Novels, “North and South”by Elizabeth Gaskell, and “Bleak House” of Charles Dickens

During the Victorian period, courtship was usually used as a means of combining the wealth of families, and acted more like a business proposal. Gaskell’s novel, North and South, shows different perspectives of courtship and love as seen in different beliefs and opinions of its characters.  Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Shaw, for example, are sisters with different beliefs about love and marriage and are somehow envious of each other’s condition. Mrs. Shaw is a great example of a Victorian woman who married not for love, but for money. However, she is envious of her sister’s present state wherein she enjoys the company of the man she loves, though she usually complains of the unwealthy condition they have. As Mrs. Shaw says, “married for love, what can dearest Maria have to wish for in this world?” Mrs. Hale, on the other hand, is envious of her sister’s condition, such as having the luxuries of life she cannot afford to have. She cannot even afford to buy a gown that she would wear for the upcoming wedding of Edith Shaw and Captain Lennox. Margaret knew that 'her mother had not found it convenient to come.'

Margaret is the nonconformist heroine of the story, who rejects Mr. Henry Lennox's marriage proposal to her. Though Henry has a good standing in the society and can very much afford to give her a comfortable life, she rejects his proposal because she follows what her heart desires. During the Victorian period, what she rejected was something that others would see as a great opportunity.

She is also a non-conformist because she leaves everything to be devoted to her father, after their family was affected of his different religious beliefs from the Church of England, which later pushed him to resign to his clerical post. She then, meets John Thornton, who is one of his father's students and who has an attitude very much in contrast to hers. She sees him as incompassionate, while he sees her as prideful. The two of them, then, makes a good combination. At first, they weren't able to understand each other, but as the story progresses, they try to understand each other, and like each other, too. The un-Victorian character of Margaret, as manifested by her courage and strength to make her own will matches the noble and dignified character of Thornton to resist business proposals that would make his name dirty.

Margaret is a good example of an un-Victorian woman. Though she follows her own will and conscience, she does not step up unto others to attain her goal. Also, even after attaining her goal, which is freedom from the oppressions of the society, she still remains humble. In the end, when Thornton proposes for the second time, she says, “I'm not good enough.”

On the other hand, Bleak House of Charles Dickens, presents us a character such as Lady Dedlock, who is both a victim of the Victorian society, and of herself, for she tries to adapt to the standards of that society, sacrificing her real love, Captain Hawdon. Lady Dedlock is described as beautiful, and “at the center of the fashionable intelligence and at the top of the fashionable tree.” She is married to Sir Leicester Dedlock, a British aristocrat, who gives her a comfortable and luxurious life. When Captain Hawdon dies, she visits the grave “alone and in secret.” She does this “in the dress of her own maid.” Unbeknowest to all, including herself, her child to Hawdon is still alive and was taken care before, of her sister. She discovers it through Mr. Guppy, and reunites with her toward the ending. She admits to her that the road she had chosen and still continues to travel on is “dark,” and it will lead her “where it will.” She says, “from day to day, sometimes from hour to hour, I do not see the way before my guilty feet. This is the earthly punishment I have brought upon myself, I bear it, and I hide it.”

Even after the discovery, she remains hiding her secret. She does this not for herself, but for her husband’s name not to be blemished. She says, “I must keep this secret, if by any means it can be kept, not wholly for myself. I have a husband, wretched and dishonouring creature that I am!” She believes that there is no way she can back out from the life she had chosen, and thus, decides to maintain it in order. She commands Esther that after reading the letter she had written for her reading only, she must destroy it, but again clarifies that it is “not so much for her sake” but for “her husband’s” and also, for Esther’s, for she must consider her mother “as dead.” Even Esther, pities her for having such a condition wherein she cannot escape the boundaries and limitations placed by the society to her. In the near end of the novel, when she fears that her secret is near to be revealed, she flees away and dies in the snow.

References:

Dickens, Charles. “Bleak House.” Planet eBook. Planet eBook, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.

Gaskell, Elizabeth. “North and South.” Malcs Books. Northen Grove Publishing Project, 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.

“Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock.” BBC. n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. JPEG file.

“John (R. Armitage) and Margaret (D. Denbi-Ashe).” BBC. n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. JPEG file.

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Meet Anthony Garstin, a wretched goatherd  who falls in love with a bonny maiden, Rosa Blencarn.This is a story entitled “Anthony Garstin’s Courtship” by Hubert Crackanthorpe, one of the lesser-known authors in the Victorian period. Despite the narrative’s subtle themes, Crackanthorpe is able to depict several facts regarding Victorian culture while incorporating an ironic twist on the idea of courtship.

Anthony, our dreary protagonist, tries to court the parson’s niece, Rosa, although his approach is rather old fashioned. Despite his attempts to win Rosa, he fails to do so when Rosa is pursued by another man named Luke. Eventually, Rosa is led away, leaving Anthony to ponder over his sorry disposition. Anthony realizes how unfair God is. In comparison to “two rams” engaged in a brawl, it was implied that courtship for his state, is akin to that of a competition (and for which he is the ram that loses out). Nevertheless, Rosa returns, much to the shock of Anthony who finds out that she is pregnant. Rosa sought to redeem her reputation. She tells Anthony that she would marry him as long as he takes the baby as his own. 

Upholding one’s reputation, is a very important Victorian ideal. Failing to meet the expectations of a Victorian society would result to social exclusion. As for courtship, where would it end now in the story? It seems like a cruel twist of fate that Anthony’s romantic hopes would end up in a different way, especially since Anthony’s own mother dislikes Rosa. Considering that Anthony is forty six, he is still afraid of ruining his relationship with his mother. This part of the story implies a strong matriarchal bond. It takes us back to one of the Victorian period’s culture wherein parental consent is required for a lady to be married off to a man. However, it is evident that Crackanthorpe uses another twist to his story.

When Anthony’s mother hears of Rosa’s impregnation and Anthony attesting that it is his own, his mother demands that he swears to to the Bible that he is not lying. Yet again, this is another situation that we can relate to the Victorians. Despite the immorality pervading society, people hung on the belief of a God that would be their hope. Nevertheless, Anthony’s mother did not accept his claims and disowned him for good. From this story, it is clear that courtship does not always find a straightforward approach. It is never applied realistically. It finds a way to be ironic instead.

*inset photo by William Atkinson entitled “Courting”

Addox, J. Stephen. "THE DAY THE LOVE DIED: RELATIONSHIP FAILURE AND THE AESTHETIC MOMENT IN THE FICTION OF THE SAVOY." 2008. Web. 16 May 2015. <http://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/E0/02/19/61/00001/addcox_j.pdf>

"Victorian Short Stories." Project Gutenberg Ebook. Web. 16 May 2015. 

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Elizabeth Gaskell’s “Fear of the Future”

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Aptly titled, this story by Elizabeth Gaskell explores the uncertainties of the Victorians with the changes in their society, as told through the lens of a conservative, or “old-fashioned” family man who comes out of the “seclusion” of the country, and visits the city. He becomes constantly bewildered by what he sees, especially in his observations on the behavior of women.

His general observations on the change in how women act led him to feel hopeless in finding suitable wives for his six sons.

Written in 1859, during the latter part of the Victorian Era, “A Fear for the Future” feels more like a satire on the traditionalists’ negative view of the quickly changing times of the Victorian Period. It specifically talks about how women are evolving, specifically, their revolt against their supposed role and conduct in society.

The musings of the man points out how all the women in his day used to be so accommodating of the standards of society for them, as compared to the young women he sees who act in complete deviation from the norms -- and how this change, for him, ultimately makes it difficult for men to love women.

The man not only points out the shift in attitude, like the way women talked to men, or what they talked about; he even mentions the discretions when it comes to their physical appearance. For example, It was specifically said in the text how he finds appalling women’s disregard for the binding corsets.

He regards this shift in view as the loss of the romantic.

I miss everything I have been accustomed to meet with, in these charming members of the great human family. I could almost imagine they had become a different race of beings altogether. In my time girls were romantic, addicted to falling in love, and to wasting their time over novels and letterwriting. Their worst foible was apt to be love of admiration; their most perilous tendency one towards thin shoes and young officers. In a word, they were a thoughtless, foolish, bewitching, loving, helpless, irresistible set of creatures, in whom one saw at a glance all that was faulty or pernicious; and found out more and more with every day of closer intimacy the great underlying wealth of worth and goodness

 The man complained most about what the women talked about. He thinks it disagreeable how women seems more knowledgeable in fields he thought was suited only for men.

 As for Romance, it has had its day. Young women in whose fresh untutored minds and generous hearts it had known from time immemorial its sure stronghold and sanctuary, have gone over in a body to the enemy, and now range themselves under the brown banner of Matter of Fact, Stern Reality, and Common Sense. 

The narrator recalls how his wife Alicia only knew domestic chores, and compliments her for being so; describing her as the ideal lady and thus the perfect wife and companion.

but as for freshness, the bloom, the artlessness, the timidity, the everything most characteristic of girlhood – all has fled, and is no longer there

His views can be summed up in this paragraph:

 I declare to you (and hence the source of my dismay) that if I were a young man thrown into the society of the present day, I should find myself perfectly incapable of falling in love with any of the young ladies that as yet have come under my notice. I couldn’t do it. These followers of the arts, whose life is in the pictures they paint, or the books they write, these scientific damsels who would strike me dumb with a sense of my helpless ignorance if I began to converse with them – these political ladies, above all, who influence the affairs of Europe by their pens, and talk leading articles at you by the hour together if you give them a chance – could I ever feel a tender sentiment for any of these? Does a man fall in love with artist, novelist, mathematician, or politician? No, he doesn’t; and the end of all these speculations is, that I turn with a feeling of profound relief and thankfulness to my beloved Alicia, who is, as she always was, neither more nor less than a loving woman, strong enough in mind and body for all a woman’s work and duties, but for no more; who would as soon think of picking pockets as of writing books – knows no more of algebra than a flower, or of politics than a skylark. Oh, if I could find six such women for my boys! But I despair of it; I don’t believe they exist. Education, cultivation, intellectual elevation, and so forth, have absolutely annihilated the species. Alas, the day!

As a women herself who writes and is a patron of the arts, Elizabeth Gaskell can be considered as one of the feminists of her day.

"A Fear for the Future” addresses what many of the Victorians (especially the men) were uneasy (or scared) of—the radical change in tradition, especially for women.

read full text here

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A Review of Nightingale and The Rose by Oscar Wilde

Photo and Story here

Nightingale and The Rose by Oscar Wilde is a story that shows us how love is viewed in the Victorian era. In this story, we saw a student boy that seems to be in love with a girl. A girl that he can only dance with if he can give her a red rose. He looked for a red rose, yes, but he’s not desperate enough so he just wept and slept. We can see in that scene that the boy doesn't have the desperation that is almost always associated with ‘true love’.

The nightingale, on the other hand, thought that the boy is a true lover for he wept. So, she, in turn, became desperate for him and looked for a rose and ended up sacrificing her life just to make the most beautiful red rose.

The nightingale thought that death is a very dear price for a rose since life is very dear yet, again, she believed that love is better than life. So, resigned, she said, “What is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man”.

So, that evening, the nightingale sang a song about love. The birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. The birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid. She sang of the Love that is perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb. And, the most beautiful red rose was made.

Contrary to the boy, we can see here that the desperation for true love can be seen in the character of the nightingale. It is interesting to look at the pronoun used for the nightingale – she. Looking at it this way, we, now, seem to have two views of love. In the eye of a woman and in the eye of a man. Can it be that women are really hopeless romantics? And, men are just in love in the idea of beauty and practicality. We can remember that in the Victorian era, most marriages are just results of practicalities. And, courtship is measured not by effort but by values. We also saw this in the story when the boy hurriedly went to the girl but that girl couldn't accept it for the Chamberlain’s nephew sent her real jewels and what are flowers compared to jewels.

Oscar Wilde seems to be criticizing people’s view of love in that era. And, he did that by showing how shallow ‘love’ is for the boy and how deep ‘love’ is for the nightingale.  

Love for the nightingale is wiser than philosophy and mightier than power. And, for the boy, Love is a silly thing and not half as useful as logic, for it does not prove anything, and that it is unpractical and as in that age, practicality is everything.

That is Oscar Wilde’s last lines and that is how Love for him is looked at in the Victorian Era.

Sources: Wilde, Oscar. “The Nightingale and The Rose.” Web. 12 May 2015. < http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/NigRos.shtml>

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An Analysis of Thomas Hardy’s “For Conscience’ Sake”

In Thomas Hardy’s “For Conscience Sake,” we can see how a Victorian man thinks highly of his reputation and prioritizes it almost over anything else, even over his conscience. Mr. Millborne, a bachelor and an heir to the toilings of his father, is one day, having a conversation with Doctor Bindon, for he had been unwell for several days. He shares to him his thoughts and feelings on a certain period of his life, when he met a young lady whom he had promised to marry, but was not able to because of the great difference in their social status. He then relates, that for what he knows, the woman now is living at Exonbury, probably with their daughter who might be married by that time. According to him, he feels “dissatisfaction” over an “unfulfilled promise made twenty years ago.”

However, what I want to focus on, is the feelings of Mr. Millborne. It must be clear that his “dissatisfaction” over the “unfulfilled promise” comes not because of love for the woman nor because he misses her and wants her companionship, but because he feels that this matter is a spot or a blemish in his character, that can be removed by fulfilling the promise. In comparison to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark,” wherein the idea of perfection of humanity is symbolized by the removal of the birthmark on Georgina’s face, a woman, this story shows, Mr. Millborne, a man, wanting to attain perfection by fulfilling his promise to a woman. He says that what he feels is “not altogether as a pricking of the conscience but as a dissatisfaction” with his self “as a specimen of the heap of flesh called humanity.”

Going back to his feelings, he clarified that he does not have “any shadow of love for her.” If he would marry her, it is only “to recover” his “sense of being a man of honour” and that any time he remembers the matter, it destroys his “sense of self-respect.” What he really does have, is a great love for his name and dignity, as is common to Victorian men of the period. Even his reason for not marrying her, shows his great love for his name in the society. According to him, it was “represented” to him that it was “beneath” his position to marry her. Hence, the result.” He refused to marry her, not because she is poor, and does not have wealth to offer, but because of what the society thinks of her stand in the society. He thinks and cares more of what the society would think of him if he marries such a woman. After talking with the doctor, he even felt “vexed with himself for having, in a moment of impulse, confided such a case of conscience to anybody.” He probably has not said it to anybody else before aside from the doctor, as he really is taking care of his name in the society.

After four months, Millborne decides to find Mrs. Frankland and is successful in doing so. She is still living at Exonbury, under the name Mrs. Leonora Frankland together with her daughter, Ms. Frances Frankland. He finds out that they are teachers of Music and Dancing. In their first meeting, he already explains his intention of marrying her and as of the reason why. Leonora, of course, didn’t agree at first because of the twenty-years gap that had occurred and he didn’t insist and he gave her time to think about it. However, even in their first meeting, we can already see how selfish he is. He does not think of explaining to her why he left her before, or even say sorry to what he did to her. Instead, he directly tells her what he wants. He does not show any sympathy toward her. Even if he said to the doctor that he doesn’t love her, he must at least have shown respect by explaining to her what happened before and what happened to him for the last twenty years, before commanding her to marry him. This shows how a Victorian man can be dominating to a woman. I used the term “commanding” because even Leonore says that it seems to be an “errand” to her.

Another insulting thing that he does, is that he doesn’t even think of the possibility of Leonore being still in love with him. He mentioned to the doctor before that he knew she loved him. He said to him as he was narrating, “I had won the heart of a young woman of my own age. I promised her marriage, took advantage of my promise, and – am a bachelor.” If he knows that before, she was in love with him, he must have thought of the possibility that she is still in love with him, and showing that he doesn’t care about her feelings and that the reason he finds her is just to clear his conscience, will just double the pain that she experienced before. He left her before even when she loved him, and now he returns saying to her indirectly, that he still doesn’t love her.

After some time, he is able to convince her to marry him, but only for the sake of her daughter who has a relationship with another man who has a good standing in the society, Reverend Percival Cope. As Leonore explains “there is a tacit agreement between them, but – there have been friends of his who object” because of their vocation. As what Mr. Millborne felt before, Mr. Cope also considers what others would think of him, if he marries Frances. This is a prominent characteristic of men during the Victorian period.

Because of Mr. Millborne’s marriage to Mrs. Frankland, the statuses of the two women were alleviated and thus, permitted Mr. Cope to be engaged to Frances. However, one time, while he is on a yacht with the family, he notices the similarities of features between Frances and Mr. Cope. This makes him rethink of his plan of marrying her. He does not want to marry a woman with a family “whose mystery was of the sort suggested.” He delays writing to Frances because “he could not tune himself up to enthusiasm when worried by suspicions of such kind.” He starts evading her. His evasions, and his questioning before if her mother and step-father are related, make her have doubts, too, if her parents are hiding something. Mrs. Frankland, on the other hand, relates her anxiousness to Mr. Millborne, who is speechless of the matter.

The secret becomes revealed both to Frances and Mr. Cope’s family. However, Mr. Cope’s love for Frances wins in the end. He marries her despite of the “mystery” in her family and though this, might ruin his name and his family’s name in the future. Unlike, Mr. Millborne, Mr. Cope, though he thinks of his reputation, is not a user as Mr. Millborne is. He considers the feelings of Frances and is not selfish to get only what he wants. When he was not able to write her for some time, it was only because “he could not tune himself up to enthusiasm when worried by suspicions.” He is aware of how his letter would look like to Frances, and if it would hurt her. He cares for her feelings, unlike Mr. Millborne who in wanting to marry Mrs. Frankland, never cared for her feelings. He is aware of the disparities between them but he does not use them as reasons to humiliate her nor to dominate her. In the end, he finally proves his love by marrying her. This event shows that even during the Victorian period, love can win.

References:

Hardy, Thomas. “For Conscience’ Sake.” Hardy Short Stories. Hardy Short Stories, n.d. Web. 7 May 2015.

“Victorian Wedding.” n.d. Victorian-Era.org. JPEG file.

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Tom and Maggie Tulliver By George Eliot: Courtship Analysis

Tom and Maggie Tulliver is a short story written by Mary Ann Evans under the pseudo name George Eliot back in the Victorian Period. This short story became part of her novel called The Mill on the Floss. Although Tom and Maggie is a story centered on the sibling relationship between the mentioned characters, it also tackled a bit on courtship specifically between Maggie Tulliver and Philip Wakem. Throughout the short story, Maggie and Philip barely interacted, and when they did it was with the presence of Maggie’s brother, Tom. One Maggie and Philip were left alone in the library while everyone else attended to Tom’s leg injury. In this scene, they interacted and even spoke flirtatious words towards one another. “If you had had a brother like me, do you think you should have loved him as well as Tom?” Philip spoke those words to Maggie and at first I wasn’t sure if he meant it simply as would he have made a good brother, or was he fishing for Maggie’s feeling for him, whether or not she could love him. But then I encountered this line said by Philip a few sentences later: “I’ve very fond of you, Maggie; I shall never forget you,” said Philip. At this point, I felt that their conversation was more than just talking about the brotherly love of Maggie towards Philip. Moreover, when I researched on what happens in the novel The Mill on the Floss, it was said that Maggie ended up marrying Philip, but out of pity. So what does this short story, and even the novel, say about Victorian courtship? First, there’s the concept of having to act a certain way in public. In the presence of Tom, Maggie and Philip didn’t have that much conversation, but when they were alone that was when more affectionate words were spoken. Back in the Victorian Age, such public display of affection was deemed as improper for adolescents. Second, Philip’s father was a lawyer and came from a well-off family, thus making him a suitable husband financially. Although this wasn’t tackled in the short story as much as in the novel, the Tulliver family had encountered bankruptcy and Maggie marrying Philip would definitely be advantageous for her financially. Not to mention Maggie married out of pity and not love, which could also mean that Philip’s financial wealth could also be an added reason for her decision to accept his marriage. References The Mill on the Floss"Cliffnotes. Web. 9 May. 2015. "Tom and Maggie Tulliver" Web. 9 May. 2015

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Sketches of Young Couples by Charles Dickens: An Analysis

To get the pdf version, click this.

Sketches of Young Couples by Charles Dickens is a commentary on dating, courtship, and marriage during the Victorian era. Interestingly, this was published on the year that Queen Victoria and King Albert got engaged, and the prologue to the story did not fail to mention this fact, albeit half fiction. The next chapters revealed different types of couples, and basically explained and described each type. The title per chapter is  the couple being described. For example, a chapter with the title “The Couple who Dotes on their Children” may serve as an overview of the couple in focus. The weaknesses of the couples are, in fact, the highlight of the descriptions. “It is possible, then, to view Sketches of Young Couples as one instance within a broader cultural exploration of companionate marriage, emerging as the dominant form of marriage in an increasingly bourgeois society” (Parkins 3-4).

Although the story did not show much of the courtship process itself, it gives its critique on it subtly by giving critique on the already married couples. The attack was on the marriage, but the implied target is courtship. The married couples in the story appear as if they stay in the relationship just to keep up appearances, and that in turn already say a lot about the foundation of their relationship-that is: the courtship process.

One issue regarding courtship that this short story tapped on is the issue of women courting instead of men. In the prologue, it is explicitly stated that such an act is absurd. The following paragraph taken from the story suggests that as well.

THAT these and other the horrors and dangers with which the said Bissextile, or Leap Year, threatens the gentlemen of England on every occasion of its periodical return, have been greatly aggravated and augmented by the terms of Her Majesty's said Most Gracious communication, which have filled the heads of divers young ladies in this Realm with certain new ideas destructive to the peace of mankind, that never entered their imagination before (Dickens 2).

As mentioned earlier, this short story did not detail much of the courtship process. Nevertheless, it would seem influential and relevant still in the study of dating in the Victorian period because not only does it show the end products, it also shows a less romantic and more realistic view of society that still exists to this day and age.

Works Cited

Weheartit.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

Brattin, Joel J.1. "Sketches Of Young Gentlemen And Young Couples With Sketches Of Young Ladies By Edward Gaswall." Dickens Quarterly 29.4 (2012): 363-367. Humanities Source. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. 

Dickens, Charles. "Sketches of Young Couples." Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

Parkins, Wendy1. "Emotions, Ethics And Sociality In Dickens's "Sketches Of Young Couples.." Dickens Quarterly 27.1 (2010): 3-22.Humanities Source. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. 

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A Triad: Love in three tragedies

A Triad

Christina Rossetti Three sang of love together: one with lips    Crimson, with cheeks and bosom in a glow, Flushed to the yellow hair and finger-tips;    And one there sang who soft and smooth as snow    Bloomed like a tinted hyacinth at a show; And one was blue with famine after love,    Who like a harpstring snapped rare harsh and low The burden of what those were singing of. One shamed herself in love; one temperately    Grew gross in soulless love, a sluggish wife; One famished died for love. Thus two of three    Took death for love and won him after strife; One droned in sweetness like a fattened bee:    All on the threshold, yet all short of life.

This sonnet by Christina Rosetti depicts the story of three women in search of love-- all in vain.

The first, “flushed to the yellow hair and finger-tips,” is shamed in love; the second suffers from a bad marriage, a “soulless love”; and the third, “famished,” dies from lack of love.

Here, Rosetti tries to illustrate the difficulties of women during the Victorian period. Due to strict adherence to conformity, and society’s rigid hands on tradition, women, especially, are often caught victims.

Inspecting the three cases presented in the poem, we can conclude three things:

One is that being shamed is something a lot of women in the Victorian period had to live with. Countless stories have been told of a woman who fell for the charm of a man, and ends up loving him – or giving herself to him—even without the blessing of matrimony. Women those times live under the harsh truth of being trapped in a world where their every move is an invitation for judgment. They are not allowed to be sensual, because people see it as immoral.  Losing dignity is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone during that period. Often, women choose death over it.

Second is that marriage doesn’t always lead to the happy ending society led them to believe. Unlike the first woman who ignored the norms, the second woman followed tradition, yet she still ended up in misery. This commentary on marriage and love by Rosetti was so blunt that she actually had to delete it from her collected volumes of poems in 1875 and 1890. In fact, it only appeared again in print after her death. I believe this speaks volumes on how powerful the poem’s implications were, and how the Victorian society may have felt threatened by it, and clearly wasn’t ready to own up to the truth of their traditions’ misgivings.

Lastly, to die due to lack of love like the last woman in the poem may seem an exaggeration in the part of the author, but I think it only emphasizes how women those days were seen as these beings whose main purpose in life was merely to look for love; or at least get married. Being a spinster was the same as being shamed. And, as mentioned before, most women in that era prefer death rather than live a life of judgment.

As a whole, “A Triad” points out the limited choices of women during the Victorian period. In the final line, “All on the threshold, yet all short of life,” Rosetti seems to be trying to say that, as seen from the fate of all three women, out of these limited choices, sadly, whatever women pick, they were almost often certainly doomed.

Sources:

Harrison, Anthony, H. “Love and the Ideal in the Poetry of Christina Rosetti” n.d. <http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/crossetti/harrison2/4.5.html> 

 Goblin Market - A Triad Summary and Analysis. n.d. <http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-goblin-market/chapanal004.html#gsc.tab=0>

Christina Rosetti - Enotes.com. n.d. <http://www.enotes.com/topics/christina-rossetti/critical-essays/analysis-1>

Christina Rosetii’s A Triad - The Woman’s Role. n.d.  http://www.markedbyteachers.com/university-degree/linguistics-classics-and-related-subjects/christina-rosetti-s-the-triad-a-woman-s-role.html

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An Analysis of the Poem, “A Man’s Requirements” by Elizabeth Browning

The poem entitled “A Man’s Requirements” by Elizabeth Browning talks about requirements of a man to a woman but the poem was actually written by a woman, so what it really shows are what the woman wants the man to ask of her. The first four lines show that the woman wants the man to ask her to love him with her whole being and, that she must also love every aspect of him. This means that she must accept him, his strength and weaknesses, and his whole character. During the Victorian period, marriages were usually seen as business proposals. Young men and women, usually didn’t have control on the decision as to whom they were going to be married to in the future. Parents or other family members, decide as to whom they should be married to. The family, especially the women’s, also consider a lot the financial wealth and influences of the whole family of the man. Because of these pressures, the woman wants the man to ask her for her real love “feeling, thinking, seeing,” and to love the wholeness of him and not only some aspects of him, that were important during the Victorian period.

The fifth and the sixth lines show how the woman wants the man to ask her to love him with her “open youth in its frank surrender.” During the Victorian period, both women and men carefully chose their partners to be. They did not “surrender” easily their youth just for anybody but they had to make sure that the first man or woman they will have a relationship with, will also be the man or woman they will marry and be with for the rest of their lives. The women, especially, had to make sure that their virginity will not be lost for somebody who they will not be married to. Also, the use of the term “frank surrender,” involves a natural process and is related to nature. The “open youth” being “surrendered” honestly can also be associated  with the lost of innocence of the woman. The surrendering of her open youth which involves her lost of innocence can be seen as something sexual. It means that the woman must “really” desire for the man and that her body must be ready for their being one.

Lines seven and eight talks about the “vowing” of her mouth, with its “silence tender.” The term, “vowing” here can both be, literal as in vowing when one promises something through words and it can also mean another kind of vowing, such as the kiss in wedding ceremonies, for it involves the word “tender.” The use of the word “tender” can suggest that there is a sense of touch involved. In either of the two meanings, the woman wants the man to ask her for a real love. A love which she can willingly show to the world.

Lines nine to twelve still shows how the woman wants the man to ask for her true love. The use of the word “azure” which is the color of the sky, and the terms “heaven’s truth” shows the woman as a reflection or representation of heaven. Lines thirteen to sixteen still shows of how the woman wants the man to ask for her love. Lines fifteen and sixteen says “love me with thine heart, that all neighbors then see beating.” These lines give almost the same meaning as with lines seven and eight. In either meanings, the woman wants the man to ask for her real love which she can willingly show to the world.

Lines seventeen to twenty say of how the woman wants the man to ask her to love him “open-mindedly” and “with a loitering foot, hearing one behind it.” The term “open-minded” suggests that the woman must love him by her own choice, a choice that is not dictated by the society, but that comes from her own imagination. This is proven and strengthened by the next words “with a loitering foot, hearing one behind it.” The term “loitering” suggests a delay of an activity, with idle steps and pauses. This is done when somebody thinks and wonder, especially when someone is very careful on deciding what to do next or what are the next steps to be done. This involves a careful thinking, and is in contrary to a decision that is done automatically and that is pushed by the society. It means that the woman wants the man to ask for her decision which is a product of her own thoughts and that this decision is something that is very much taken consideration first before making.

Lines twenty-one to twenty-four still describes a yearning for a natural love of the woman. This is emphasized by the use of the words “blush that burns.” The woman wants the man to ask for her natural love. A love with natural desire, that might involve chemical reactions from the body. This is somehow the same with lines five and six where the woman wants the man to ask her to “surrender” her “open youth” to him.Lines twenty-five and twenty-six talk about loving with a “thinking soul.” These lines give almost the same meaning as with lines seventeen to twenty. The woman wants the man to ask her to think, not just to accept the dictates of the society, but to love him with a “thinking soul.” This thinking and being open minded must not stop and that her rest must still be “love-sighing.” This is strengthened by the following lines, twenty-seven and twenty-eight, which talks about her “thoughts that roll” that must continue until death. The woman wants the man to ask her to love him, not as a puppet, but as an individual with freedom of emotions.

Lines twenty-nine to thirty-two talk about something religious. The words “crown,” “kneeling,” “prayers,” and “angels” refer to something religious and talks about a kind of love which involves spirituality, and is divine. This divine love is pure and clean as what the next lines, thirty-three and thirty-four describe. “Love me pure, as muses do, up the woodlands shady” talks about a natural kind of love, again, emphasized by the word “woodlands.” Lines thirty-five and thirty-six describe a child-like kind of love. A love that is honest and pure. The woman wants the man to ask her to love him honestly and naturally. Lines thirty-seven to forty describe an unlimited kind of love. A love that has no limitations, not temporal, and will exist until her death. These lines give almost the same meaning as with lines, twenty-seven and twenty-eight.

Lines forty to forty-four are the last lines of the poem, and which also show us the sudden twist of the story. “Thus, if thou wilt prove me, dear, woman’s love no fable, I will love thee half a year as a man is able,” show what the speaker of the poem, the woman, really thinks of the man. It summarizes what Elizabeth Browning wanted to portray in her poem, and what she probably sees as a reality during the Victorian period – that no matter how a man asks for the sacrifices of the woman, and no matter how a man asks for her almost eternal love, he cannot give the same, equal love, that the woman has given. The end of the poem shows the reality during the Victorian period, that it was a male-dominated society. It was a male-dominated society because women were weaker before. The majority didn’t have jobs or good sources of income so they, as the majority, were the ones who needed to prove their love to men. Men worked and can anytime create a family if they wanted to, and choose a woman according to the standards of the Victorian period. They will usually choose a beautiful, submissive wife who can take care of the children and can do the household chores, depending on the status quo of the man. Because of this, a lot of incapable women competed with each other to get the attention and love of the few men. Today, more women can study, can have good professions, and sources of income so they have more freedom to choose the man they want to be married to. They do not need to prove much their love to men because they can stand on their own, and thus, if they decide to be on a relationship, it usually really means that the woman is in love. The probability of the idea of love is higher than that of the Victorian period, where the actions of the women were influenced by the dictates of the society. Therefore, the poem “A Man’s Requirements” shows a good view of how women during the Victorian period, struggled to prove their love to men.

References:

Browning, Elizabeth. “A Man’s Requirements.” Bartleby. Bartleby, n.d. Web. 16 April 2015.

“Victorian Era Ball Gowns.” n.d. Your Vintage Wedding. JPEG File.

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How Shall I Woo: A Poetry Analysis of Courtship in the Eyes of Thomas Moore

How Shall I Woo? by Thomas Moore If I speak to thee in friendship's name, Thou think'st I speak too coldly; If I mention Love's devoted flame, Thou say'st I speak too boldly. Between these two unequal fires Why doom me thus to hover? I'm a friend, if such thy heart requires, If more thou seek'st, a lover. Which shall it be? How shall I woo? Fair one, choose between the two. Tho' the wings of Love will brightly play, When first he comes to woo thee, There's a chance that he may fly away As fast as he flies to thee. While Friendship, tho' on foot she come, No flights of fancy trying, Will, therefore, oft be found at home, When Love abroad is flying. Which shall it be? How shall I woo? Dear one, choose between the two. If neither feeling suits thy heart, Let's see, to please thee, whether We may not learn some precious art To mix their charms together; One feeling, still more sweet, to form From two so sweet already -- A friendship that like love is warm, A love like friendship steady. Thus let it be, thus let me woo, Dearest, thus we'll join the two. In “How Shall I Woo” Thomas Moore starts his poem by talking about the language of courtship and how confusing it is. He gives us a glimpse of what a man may be thinking of during the process of courtship to a woman. “If I speak to thee in friendship’s name, Thou think’st I speak too coldly; If I mention Love’s devoted flame, Thou say’st I speak too boldly” Moore talks about his conflict in how to communicate his affection to the woman he wishes to be with. It seems as if mere spoken language isn’t enough to let the other person know of his true intentions. He could try to be subtle and kind with his words, AKA torpe, but then she may think he has no affection for her. On the other hand, if he tries to be bold about his affections verbally, then he would be seen as coming on too strong. This could be why in the Victorian Period, body language and subtle gestures became a tool in communicating affection because words were not enough. “Between these two unequal fires Why doom me thus to hover? I’m a friend, if such thy heart requires, If more thou seek’st, a lover.” As the poem goes on, Moore continues to show how conflicted he is with what approach to do in order to gain someone’s affection. At the same time, the last two lines show that it is the woman who decides whether he shall be a friend or a lover. These lines show how back in the Victorian Era, a man feels that it must be him who courts the person he has affections for and not the woman unlike in today’s society where it is more socially acceptable. This also shows that men see woman as having the power to decide between whether a relationship shall be friendship or romance. “Tho’ the wings of Love will brightly play, When first he comes to woo thee, There’s a chance that he may fly away As fast as he flies to thee. While Friendship, tho’ on foot she come, No flighst of fancy trying, Will, therefore, oft be found at home, When love abroad is flying.” In the second stanza, one can see Moore comparing his ideas on the two kinds of courtship and their effects. The first is the kind of courtship where you go all out from the very start. It is compared to the motion of flying for this kind of courtship happens quickly. He warns however that a courtship such as that may end as soon as it happens. This may be symbolistic of relationships that are fast. The kind that goes straight into romance without the foundation of friendship, unlike the second kind of courtship which Moore describes. He explains how a relationship that starts by having a foundation of friendship first may take a long time –as he compares it to walking on foot-, and it may not be as grand or fancy as the first, but at the end of the day when one goes home, that person shall find that love still there. “If neither feeling suits thy heart, Let’s see, to please thee, whether We may not learn some precious art To mix their charms together; One feeling, still more sweet, to form From two so sweet already – A friendship that like love is warm, A love like friendship steady Thus let it be, thus let me woo, Dearest, thus we’ll join the two" In the last stanza he opens the idea of combining both approaches of courtship. A process where in it’s sweet while still having the strong foundation of friendship embedded in the relationship. A love that will last a very long time. Aside from that, this stanza also emphasizes how Moore still sees that the power of the choice is up to woman when he uses the line “to please thee”, so all his internal conflict on choosing what to do is all so that it may please the woman he’s vying for affection of. References: "Litscape.com." How Shall I Woo? N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. < http://www.litscape.com/author/Thomas_Moore/How_Shall_I_Woo.html > "Cartoon Silhouette Of Love | My Free Photoshop World." My Free Photoshop World RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. < http://www.myfreephotoshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/6310.jpg >

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(4)

I loved you first: but afterwards your love Outsoaring mine, sang such a loftier song As drowned the friendly cooings of my dove. Which owes the other most? my love was long, And yours one moment seemed to wax more strong; I loved and guessed at you, you construed me And loved me for what might or might not be – Nay, weights and measures do us both a wrong. For verily love knows not ‘mine’ or ‘thine;’ With separate ‘I’ and ‘thou’ free love has done, For one is both and both are one in love: Rich love knows nought of ‘thine that is not mine;’ Both have the strength and both the length thereof, Both of us, of the love which makes us one.

“I loved you first: but afterwards your love” Sonnet 4 from Monna Innominata (Unknown Lady) by Christina Rossetti (1830–94)

Written through the perspective of women, Beatrice and Laura, muses of Dante and Petrarch, this sonnet sought to emphasize women's charms and "attempts to reverse the male literary tradition of the glorification of women”. In this case, how do women see a romantic relationship in contrast to man’s regard for it? What is love and how does it transpire according to them? For Rossetti, love creates an indistinction between two people. 

“For one is both and both are in love” and,

“both of us, of the love which makes us one.” 

Despite how impurity and infidelity has tainted the Victorian period, Rossetti paints an undeniably positive perspective in love. Only a handful of insights have been provided over the fourth sonnet of Monna Innominata. Yet what relevance could it possibly give to our subject of courtship?

“I loved and guessed at you, you construed me

And loved me for what might or might not be – “

“For verily love knows not ‘mine’ or ‘thine;’

With separate ‘I’ and ‘thou’ free love has done”

Despite not providing a clearer idea of how courtship is done, the first two lines may infer how courtship begins. Namely, through understanding (you construed me) and acceptance (loved me for what might or might not be). The latter two lines may imply Rossetti’s own conception of love. As idealistic it may seem, the framing of love as a gesture between “two” yet regarded as a “whole” may serve as guide to lovers during the Victorian period on how love should be interpreted. 

"Monna Innominata Summary - ENotes.com." Enotes.com. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://www.enotes.com/topics/monna-innominata>

"Monna Innominata, Sonnet 4 ("I Loved You First...")." Genius. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://genius.com/Christina-rossetti-monna-innominata-sonnet-4-i-loved-you-first-annotated/>

Moore, Mary. "Laura's Laurels: Christina Rossetti's "Monna Innominata" 1 and 8 and Petrarch's Rime Sparse 85 and 1." Questia. 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-279261939/laura-s-laurels-christina-rossetti-s-monna-innominata?>

Rossetti, Christina. “"I Loved You First: But Afterwards Your Love”“ Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/180859>