To what extend is Warton's depiction of the dying Indian more sensational than sympathetic?
What prejudices does the poem play to? What aesthetic tastes is does it appeal to?
We spent the bulk of class on Wednesday taking a collective mental inventory of the class's knowledge of literature between the 1740s and the 1790s. How does this poem track with you and your classmate's prior knowledge of the period? In what ways does this poem complicate the depiction of the period that emerged during discussion?
You don't need to analyze the poem as a whole in your response! A couple of sentences focused on a specific idea, image, or concept are enough. You can also respond by taking issue (kindly and collegially, of course) with a classmate's ideas.
Alternatively, if you puzzled by what exactly this poem is saying, feel free to say so here--try to identify a specific line or passage that trips you up.
Deadline:
3 comments:
The line "... nor suffer her to linger,/ Like christian cowards, in a life of pain" was interesting to me in context with the Enlightenment because it speaks poorly of Christians during a time when scientific accomplishments caused people to question religion. I'm not sure what to do with it, though. Is it because Christians take issue with assisted suicide? If this is so, some people in the scientific community (and elsewhere) believe that assisted suicide is a reasonable alternative to years of suffering. I'm not choosing sides on this debate, but I'm wondering if the author takes one. If so, is his thought process influenced by scientific progress? Or dissatisfaction with organized religion? Or absolutely none of the above?
I also read this poem in the context of a post enlightenment age. Up until the enlightenment Christians had named religion and the spreading of Christianity for all sorts questionable deeds including invasions, war and oppression. it makes me wonder if when Warton writes "And when disease /Preys on her languid limb, then kindly stab her / With thine own hands, nor suffer her to linger, /Like christian cowards , in a life of pain." the disease he is referring to is not Christianity itself and the stabbing is more of a metaphor for refusing conversion. it seems that he is saying to his son that he would rather his son take his own life than leave their native religion behind and converting to one the centers on suffering the way that Chrisitanity does. I think "Thy much-lov'd mother" is not a flesh and blood mother but a goddess.
It makes sense that Warton would write this after there had been so many scientific discoveries during the enlightenment that left many Christians questiong not only the motives for the conquering of other lands but the very foundations of their religion, which had been up until then their truth. Just a guess really...but I hope of some value.
I had the same question as Jillian regarding the author taking a side on the issues presented in the poem. In lines 21 & 22 the poem reads, "Tell her I ne'er have worship'd / With those that eat their God." Judging by this line I would say that the author is opposed to scientific ways and would rather worship God instead of believing in rationality and science. With the Enlightenment period taking place when this poem was written, it makes sense that the author present issues of reason and religion and how to separate, yet combine the multiple viewpoints that people of that time were facing.
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