Herrick and Behn
Describe a way in which Herrick or Behn adapts or responds to the poetry of earlier writers.
posted by Natalie Grinnell @ 11:32 AM
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English Literature to 1800
This weblog is part of Natalie Grinnell's English 201: English Literature to 1800 course at Wofford College.
13 Comments:
Aphra Behn is different from all the writers that came before her for several reasons. First she was a woman who did not shy away from any subject. She led a life that even today we would view as progressive. Many female authors after her look up to her as a role model in early women’s literature. Behn tackled subjects in her work that others did not. For example in The Disappointment Behn is writing about a man and his inability to perform. The female characters in her writings tend to be strong and make their own choices, they affect the characters around them as opposed to other characters (typically males) affective their actions.
I like Robert Herrick because he seems more modern than the older writers we talk about. He still deals with things like love, but he deals with them in a more modern way. He talks about the phsical part of love a lot as well. In "The Vine", for example, he is very detailed, talking about the psysical contact of the lovers with phrases like, "...her long small legs and things / I with my tendrils did suprise" (ll5-6). Some of Herrick's lines are quite graphic like the lines "And found (ah me!) this flesh of mine / More like a stock than like a vine" (ll22-23). I like this poem because it is different.
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One way in which Herrick adapts to the poetry of earlier writers is by his adaptation of traditional love sonnets. He stays with love poetry, and with the theme of a lover wanting to ultimately sleep with the beloved, but he diverts from the mold by ignoring the restrictions of the genre. He also is much more forward and explicit in what he asks for, using less suggestion and instead blatantly acknowledging what he wants. This can be seen in poems such as "Upon the Nipples of Julia's Breast" and "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time."
I think Herrick transforms earlier poetry with his graphic details in his poems. They are a little surprising in poems like "Upon Julia's Clothes," and "To the Virgins..." They deal with the more physical beings of lovers but in a more obvious way. He does not describe body parts or actions in euphemisms. He makes the language very realistic and obvious.
Personally, I loved Robert Herrick’s poetry. I found it up front and intriguing. Herrick uses his language to, in some ways, pervert the customary love poetry into his own formula of cynicism and crudeness. His poetry focuses on human desire and the present time. Herrick’s poetry is much more comparable to modern poetry, and getting away from the set standards of earlier literature. I found that “Delight in Disorder” really seemed to fit Herrick’s attitude and paralleled his opinions about life in general, as well as the literature he wrote. I really appreciated his openness and honesty in writing about human lust and desire.
Robert Herrick is a much different poet than we have read about in the past. He writes about love and the ladies that he loves. His discriptions are so vivid and create a picture for the reader to visualize. Herrick is a risque poet. An example of this is in "The Vine" when it says "...her belly, buttocks, and her waist." He describes the areas of a woman's body that were never spoke of in public much less than writing.
Aphra Behn is different from the writers from before in her blunt and open sexuality. None of the previous writers are brave enough to describe sex so open and vividly. Behn wirtes from a womans perspective this point of view contrasts greatly with the subtle "pricks" of shakspeare. The author openly details: "Offering her virgin innocence" (l 67). I understand why the general population had such a scornful reaction to her. She did not embrace the shy male sexuality of previous poetry.
Robert Herrick's poetry is very bold and modern. He has responded to earlier writers by apparently deciding to rebel against traditional love poem, and focus more on sex. I was surprised at some of his more graphic poetry, such as "The Vine." He is frank and leaves little to the imagination, which surprised me for someone writing in the 17th century.
I enjoyed reading Aphra Behn's poetry because it was from a female perspective, which was not as common at the time. It is obvious that she was not afraid to express her feelings on subject matters such as sex and love. I think many of her works would have come as a shock to her readers. However, I think she provided a different perspective, one that many females could relate. I like that she is not afraid to openly express her feelings.
Herrick takes the form of a traditional love poem, and twists it to his own uses in a surprising manner. While other poets wrote about the erotic, Herrick almost seems to write purely about the sex. His poetry is without guile, and the poet is entirely honest with his intentions.
I enjoyed Herrick's poetry because of the language he uses to depict very vivid images. The introduction says that he was very influenced by classical poets. In "The Bad Season Makes the Poet Sad" Herrick almost creates an English sonnet with rhyme in 14 lines, but the rhyme scheme is not quite the same. Comparatively, I find Aphra Behn's life very interesting. She draws on writers of the past by combining three previous forms of memoir, a travel narrative, and biography. Also it says she often told her stories orally over and over.
I agree with McKenzie that Aphra Behn, as a female writer, is different from those preceding her. In "The Disappointment," she holds nothing back when describing her sexual encounter. In this poem, she describes an encounter in which the man, Lysander, is unable to have sex with his lover, Cloris.
Though her subject matter is unique, the language throughout sounds reminiscent of previous authors. Furthermore, her use of classic figures, such as the ancient gods Priapus and Apollo, is also a technique that responds to earlier poetry.
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