Beachy Head

1478 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: romantic criticism and essay

Beachy Head

When it comes to many of the essential ideas explored during the Romantic Movement, are women poets ever accredited in their influence over such themes? This is a question that arises when reading Charlotte Smith’s “Beachy Head.” The poem is so monumental, so breathtaking in its innovation, that one cannot help but to wonder why it is not more renowned in English Literature. Considering that the poem was composed around 1806 just before her death, “Beachy Head” truly strikes modern chords in its themes:

From a modern experience of Romanticism, nurtured by the sometimes oblique narrative strategies of its major poets, a work that begins atop a massive feature of the landscape and ends immured within it bears a remarkable coherence, the more so

since in no poem of the period can one find so powerfulan impulse to resolve the self

into nature. (Curran xxvii)

Although critics may not recognize it as a work equal to that of the major Romantic poets, it is not surprising that both Wordsworth and Keats were greatly influenced by this great poem.

The overall genius expressed by Charlotte Smith in “Beachy Head” can be attributed to her great fascination and love for the landscape of Sussex. The very nature of the poet’s artistic immersion in such a common, specific area is itself evidence of her understanding of a central Romantic idea. The natural beauty that inspires her is not that of some faraway classical monument, it is what she sees in her everyday walks through the county she lives in. Charlotte Smith uses the familiar landscape of southeast England to conjure up incredible allusions to Britain’s great past. She does this with the help of an extremely specific knowledge of the botany, archeology, an...

... middle of paper ...

...overlooked despite how far above many critics place the works of the more renowned poets.

Works Cited and Consulted

Curran, Stuart, ed. The Poems of Charlotte Smith. New York: Oxford, 1993.

Fay, Elizabeth A. A Feminist Introduction to Romanticism. Malden: Blackwell, 1998.

Feldman, Paula R., ed. British Women Poets of the Romantic Era. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1997.

Fletcher, Loraine. Charlotte Smith: A Critical Biography. New York: St. Martin’s, 1998.

Linkin, Harriet K., and Stephen Behrendt, ed. Romanticism and Women poets:

Opening the Doors of Reception. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1999.

Wilson, Carol Shiner. “Female Botanists and the Poetry of Charlotte Smith.” Re-

Visioning Romanticism: British Women Writers 1776-1837. Ed. Carol Wilson and Joel Haefner. Philadelphia: Universityof Philadelphia Press, 1994.

Show More
Related

  • The Battle of Bastogne

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the fall of 1944, the “Atlantic Wall” had diminished after the invasion of Normandy and the American and allied forces were making their way towards Germany. One of the offensives directed to counteract this; Adolf Hitler focused in on and was attacking the inadequately defended Ardennes front. Had this plan succeeded, through the capture of Antwerp, the Germans would have divided the American and British forces in the area, depriving the American Soldiers and allies of a seaport for resupply.

    Read More

  • The Battle of the Bulge

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    The prelude to the Battle of the Bulge began on a winter day in mid-December of 1944. Three powerful German divisions, were the last German offensives in the west at that time during World War II. They began after the Normandy invasion in June 1944. Allied had forces swept rapidly through France but became stalled along the German border earlier that year in September. On December 16, 1944 taking advantage of the weather, which kept the Allied aircraft on the ground, the Germans launched a counteroffensive through the semi-mountainous and heavily-forested Ardennes region in Germany, and advanced 31 miles into Belgium and northern Luxembourg near the Meuse River. Their goal was to trap four allied armies, divide the Americans and the British to force negotiated peace along the western front, and retake the vital seaport of Antwerp in Belgium. Thinking the Ardennes was the least likely spot for a German offensive, American staff commander chose to keep the thin line, so that manpower might concentrate on offensives north and south of the Ardennes known as the "bulge" in the Allied lines. These American lines were thinly held by three divisions in the Allied Army and part of a forth division, while fifth division was making a local attack and the sixth division was in reserve. Division sectors were more than double the width of normal defensive fronts, therefore there were more men scattered along a larger area. The German advance was halted near the Meuse River in late December. Even though the German Offensive achieved total surprise, nowhere did the American troops give ground without a fight. Within three days, the determined American stand and the arrival of powerful reinforcements insured that the ambitious German goal was far beyond reach. In snow and sub-freezing temperatures the Germans fell short of their interim objective- to reach the rambling Meuse River on the edge of the Ardennes. But they managed to avoid being cut off by an Allied Pincer movement.

    Read More

  • Native Indians: The Captivity and Restoration by Mary Rowlandson

    984 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kort, Carol. A to Z of American Women Writers. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2007. Print.

    Read More

  • A Women's Quest in The Odyssey, A Room Of One's Own, and Northanger Abbey

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    Delany, Sheila. Writing Women: Women Writers and Women in Literature: Medieval to Modern. New York: Schocken, 1983.

    Read More

  • Cages and Escape: Delving into Margaret Atwood’s “Siren Song”

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thieves of Language: Women Poets and Revisionist Mythmaking 8.1 (1982): 68-90. JSTOR. Web. 14 May 2014. .

    Read More

  • Ayn Rand - A False Romantic

    2794 Words  | 6 Pages

    Bloom, Harold and Lionel Trilling, eds. Romantic Poetry and Prose. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973.

    Read More

  • The Publishing Career of Isabella Whitney

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Todd, Janet. British Women Writers A Critical Reference Guide. Continuum New York: Continuum Publishing Company, 1989.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Dragonflies And Insect

    528 Words  | 2 Pages

    Insects are a vital part of our earth’s ecology. They play various roles as pollinators and as food sources for other animals, without them our food would be drastically reduced. Due to the high amounts of species from the order Insecta, there are key taxonomic features used to classify different specimens from each other.

    Read More

  • To What Extent Did Nationalism Affect Music of the Romantic Period?

    3167 Words  | 7 Pages

    King, Neil. The Romantics: English Literature in Its Historical, Cultural, and Social Contexts. New York: Facts on File, 2003. Print.

    Read More

  • The Poetry in Harlem Renaissance

    1966 Words  | 4 Pages

    Leonard, K. D. (2009). African American women poets and the power of the word. The Cambridge Companion to African American Women's Literature, 168-187.

    Read More

  • Romanticism In William Wordsworth

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the most popular American poets is Walt Whitman. Whitman’s poetry has become a rallying cry for Americans, asking for individuality, self-approval, and even equality. While this poetry seems to be truly groundbreaking, which it objectively was, Whitman was influenced by the writings of others. While Whitman may not have believed in this connection to previous authors, critics have linked him to Emerson, Poe, and even Carlyle. However, many critics have ignored the connection between Walt Whitman and the English writer William Wordsworth. A major proponent of Romanticism, Wordsworth’s influence can be seen in Whitman 's poetry through a Romantic connection. Despite differences in form, one can see William Wordsworth’s influence on Walt

    Read More

  • Guam and Rhino Beetle

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wood, Brian J. The Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle. Layang Layang, Johore: Chemara Research Station, 1964. Print.

    Read More

  • Romantic Period of Literature in America

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    A drastic shift from the Puritan and Quaker writings of the colonial period in American literature, the romantic movement was heavily influenced by a changing colonial world. The United States, closely following a revolutionary victory, began pushing west. Our founding fathers believed diligently in the Manifest Destiny that declared the United States would one day stretch “from sea to shining sea.” Such an exciting and promising time catalyzed the creation of a new literary period and influenced its writers to greatly love and appreciate life. Also influencing American literature at the time of the romantic movement was the high level of immigration the United States was facing. Many new cultures and customs flooded into the states and literature, being the social sponge that it is, absorbed much of the content. This included much of the romantic writings of Europeans and a new view and hope towards life that an overwhelming amount of immigrants possessed. Another influential piece to the romantic movement puzzle was religious exploration. Authors were fascinated by the idea of t...

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Coleoptera

    1498 Words  | 3 Pages

    The study area is one of the protected forests in Sarawak. A large number of insects and beetles are expected to be higher in an undisturbed and unpolluted area (Muslim et al., 2010). This is one of the reasons why this area was chosen. The order Coleoptera was chosen because of their importance in ecosystem. Beetles have contributed too many ecological processes as they have become one of the vital fauna in global diversity in order to sustain various ecosystems (Dagobert et al., 2008). As a large proportion group in biodiversity, beetles play a vital role in trophic chains (Dagobert et al., 2008). Besides, they had become good indicators in environmental properties as their distributions are mostly influenced by the habitat changes (Dagobert et al., 2008).

    Read More

  • The Writing Style Of Walt Whitman

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    Poetry is often regarded as a highly respected art of writing. Emily Dickinson was regarded as one of the greatest poets of the 19th century for her observations of religion, nature, medicine, and music. William Shakespeare's plays can be regarded as a style of poetry and is credited for several words in the English dictionary. However, the style of Walt Whitman is considered as one of the greatest poets that ever lived. However, his writing styles were not regarded without consequence. The writing styles of Walt Whitman, in his day, were considered a highly controversial topic. However, because of his topics, Walt Whitman is indeed the ultimate poet.

    Read More

More about Beachy Head

Open Document