The Politics of Dramatic Form

Isobel Armstrong

Summary:

               In “The Politics of Dramatic Form” Isobel Armstrong compared perspectives of various utilitarian thinkers on dramatic form, specifically that utilized by Robert Browning. Armstrong begins with Mill’s perspective on dramatic form. Mill is said by Armstrong to believe that for poetry to be of the dramatic form it must involve a focus on the “speaker’s” internal conflict of feelings. According to Mill the “speaker” needs to be unaware of any audience because this creates a greater since of drama. This drama is present because the character is expressing feeling as if all else no longer existed. This is the truest form of the emotion that the “speaker” and thus the poet can express. Armstrong also wrote of Bentham’s perspective on dramatic form and the importance of fiction created through language. Bentham said “fictitious entities owe their existence, their impossible, yet indispensable, existence” to language.  Thanks to language the importance of relation to fiction of dramatic form is possible. This relation to fiction is so important because it allows the reader to see him/herself in the fictitious situation of the fictitious character. The reader’s placement of him/herself into the situation is seemingly more dramatic because the emotions become theirs.  Robert Browning utilized many of these utilitarian perspectives to create many his monologues. 

Analysis:

               I agree with much of Armstrong’s opinion on the use of the utilitarian perspectives.  A major example of this I noticed was in Porphyria’s Lover.  After reading Armstrong’s essay the poem made much more sense to me.  The feelings created by the dramatic poem almost became my own, as explained in the essay.  I understood better why these feelings had occurred.  I also agree with his views of the “speaker”.  It makes a monologue much more real when it almost seems as if you, the reader, is there with their thoughts, rather than them thinking for themselves.   

Samuel B. Holcombe:

“Death of Mrs. Browning”

Southern Literacy Messenger 33 (December 1861): 412-17

Summary:

                In this section of Samuel B. Holcombe’s essay “Death of Mrs. Browning” it is made immediately known that Holcombe is very fond of Mrs. Browning’s work. Holcombe claims that Mrs. Browning is “ ..the Shakespeare of her sex…” but still unique in her womanliness. Going on in admiration Holcombe begins to talk about how well Browning incorporates her religious view into her poems. Holcombe compares Browning to Tennyson and how they are both educated in modern science and have considered the many speculations of Christianity that were present at the time. Despite her understanding of science and speculations of the time Browning’s work “confesses” her Christian views. Holcombe takes a great liking to the way Browning expresses her Christian views in her work. Holcombe enjoys how Browning recognizes God as a “divine creator of all things”, and “a being of perfect love and wisdom.”

Analysis:

                I thought it was interesting after reading “The Cry of the Children” to read Holcombe’s admiration of how Browning’s Christian belief is portrayed through God as a divine, all knowing father in her poetry. When you read through “The Cry of the Children” I don’t believe there is any depiction of God or Christianity that is that positive. Towards the end of the poem Browning makes it known that she has Christian beliefs as she describes how she feels sorry for the children who are too young to understand the liberty that Christianity can bring someone in such hard times. Clearly Browning believes that Christianity is good but in this poem she does not go great length to describe how wonderful it is, which is what I believe Holcombe was admiring in his essay.

Hanna Lawrance:

“Mrs. Browning’s Poetry”

The British Quarterly Review 42 (October 1865): 359-84

Summary:

                Much like Holcombe, Hannah Lawrence very much admires Browning’s work in “Mrs. Browning’s Poetry.” Lawrence too was fond of Browning’s way of positively portraying Christianity. Lawrence enjoyed the Virgin Mary that Browning created in her piece “Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus.” Browning brought a Christian character that is highly admired by women to life and giving her many characteristics that any mother could relate to. 

Analysis:

                Now having read Browning’s “Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus” or “The Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus” I can understand what both Lawrence and Holcombe mean when they talk about how well Christianity is portrayed by Browning. Browning created a Virgin Mary that was relatable, probably more so for woman, but Mary seemed kind and caring as she spoke to sleeping Jesus. I can now see where Lawrence and Holcombe are coming from and I would agree with them in saying that Browning does a great job at incorporating and expressing her Christian beliefs into her work.

Frances Trollope:

“The Life and Adventures of Michael Armstrong, The Factory Boy”

Summary:

                In this exert of “The Life and Adventures of Michael Armstrong, The Factory Boy” someone is describing the scene of a cotton factory full of child laborers.  The narrator starts by saying that the happy innocent idea of a child that many people have will forever be lost after witnessing children slaving away in a factory. The children in this factory are described as looking beaten down and old for their youthful age. The narrator is disgusted by the filth and unpleasant atmosphere that the children were working in. The narrator then speaks of a little girl of age seven and describes her job as a ”scavenger.” Her duty was to round up all the fragments of cotton debris so that it wouldn’t mess up the final product. This job could be very dangerous the narrator realizes. The little girl is crawling around, under, and in a large piece of machinery with lots of moving parts. The narrator ends by saying although a kid is small and fits without touching the big moving parts that accidents still often happen.

Analysis:

                Both Frances Trollope and Elizabeth Browning share equal horror in knowing that children are working and working in such horrible conditions. In Trollope’s “The Life and Adventures of Michael Armstrong, The Factory Boy” and Browning’s “The Cry of the children” the sense of horror and disbelief of the authors can easily understood. I thought it was interesting that both Trollope and Browning took to writing to express their feelings of disbelief on the subject.