When presented with the task of comparing love poetry, the images that instantly sprung into mind were the usual: chocolates, flowers, romance and typical clichés such as “love conquers all” or “all is fair in love and war”. ‘The Seduction’ and ‘Cousin Kate’ however, challenge the reader’s expectation of love poetry by exploring it in more of a deceiving way in which the men take advantage of the women, as opposed to unrealistic and perfect relationships.
‘Cousin Kate’ was written around the Victorian era and is by Christina Rossetti. ‘The Seduction’ was written in the 1980’s or 90’s and is by Eileen McAuley. Although the time periods in which these two poems were written are almost a century and a half apart, you learn that the way society views the two women in these poems hadn’t changed much. The two poems display the differences in male and female attitudes towards love. Both are also unhappy poems as they both contain rejection and humiliation at the end.
‘Cousin Kate’ is about a woman who has a child out of wedlock. Her lover then leaves her for her cousin as she is more beautiful. The cousin is seduced by him as he is wealthy, leaving the woman devastated and left to be shamed by society.
‘The Seduction’ is about a young girl, probably in her teens who is captivated by the charm of another boy and under the influence of alcohol, is coaxed into having sex with him. The repercussions of her actions are not idealistic as she ends up pregnant, leaving her in a state of mental depression.
The themes presented in ‘Cousin Kate’ are those of betrayal, shame and hypocrisy. Betrayal is shown in this poem as the cousin betrays the main character by accepting the lord’s hand in marriage. She mentions that “If you stood...
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... Kate’ there is a regular rhythm as the number of syllables in each line is: 8, 6, 8, 6 whereas, in ‘The Seduction’ there isn’t a regular rhythm. I prefer a regular rhythm as it gives more of a sense of a story being told. The two poems also have a simple structure of action and consequence and the verse length is maintained throughout.
In conclusion, my view on ‘Cousin Kate’ is that it was difficult to understand at first but once you read it through a few more times and begin to read between the lines, it’s message becomes more clear. However, the poem wasn’t that interesting apart from it’s use of similes which I thought was good. ‘The Seduction’ was a poem that was easier to understand and you would know what is going on form the first read. Overall, I thought that MacAuley’s use of poetic devices made it easier to understand and I enjoyed reading the poem.
Charlotte Lennox’s opinion towards love is expressed clearly in her piece “A Song.” The poem’s female speak...
Cousin Kate is a poem about a young woman who is seduced by a Lord. He soon ensnares her and marries her cousin Kate instead, leaving behind a broken-hearted cottage maiden. The maiden is soon classed as a fallen woman and is treated like an outcast in society. She is bitter and jealous of her cousin but soon reveals that she has the one thing her cousin does not and desperately wants: a son and replacement to the Lord.
on: April 10th 1864. He was born in 1809 and died at the age of 83 in
The constant rhythm throughout the poem gives it a light beat, like a waltz; the reader feels like s/he is dancing. The rhyme pattern of...
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In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet’s journey to love and marriage is the focal point of the narrative. But, the lesser known source of richness in Austen’s writing comes from her complex themes the well-developed minor characters. A closer examination of Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s dear friend in Pride and Prejudice, shows that while she did not take up a large amount of space in the narrative, her impact was great. Charlotte’s unfortunate circumstances in the marriage market make her a foil to Elizabeth, who has the power of choice and refusal when it comes to deciding who will be her husband. By focusing on Charlotte’s age and lack of beauty, Austen emphasizes how ridiculous and cruel marriage can be in this time.
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Relationships between two people can have a strong bond and through poetry can have an everlasting life. The relationship can be between a mother and a child, a man and a woman, or of one person reaching out to their love. No matter what kind of relationship there is, the bond between the two people is shown through literary devices to enhance the romantic impression upon the reader. Through Dudley Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham,” Ben Jonson’s “To Celia,” and William Shakespeare’s “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” relationships are viewed as a powerful bond, an everlasting love, and even a romantic hymn.
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Catherine was born into a rich solid family, where her father, Mr. Earnshaw, was a strict man, and her mother, Mrs. Earnshaw, was a pretentious woman. Through her conceited youth Catherine’s immaturity is clearly explained. Born with a very strong attitude; she is the type that throws a fit when doesn’t get what she wants. An example is, “when she learnt the master had lost her whip in attending the stranger, showed her humor by grinning and spitting at the stupid little thing” (33). Catherine was never love by her father, whom felt the need to tell her, “Nay Cathy, I cannot love thee; thou’rt worse than thy brother. Go, s...
The art of seduction can be a complicated strategy. When restricted to words, most turn to the poem to give their mates the phrases to turn them on, and give the writers a good standing. When John Donne and and Andrew Marvell get behind the pen, Ladies should expect some wild literature coming their way. But only one of these writers stands a chance with their poems. In the essay I will be discussing how John Donne has a better chance at seducing a woman with “The flea” than Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” by contrast and comparison.
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