According to the OED (Oxford English Dictionary), the word "epitaph" is described as "the inscription upon a tombstone." Browning's use of the word here implies the speakers' conceptualization at the words used to describe his life post imaginary death.

Browning spells the word "child" here as "childe" intentionally. The word "childe", spelled with the added "e", derives from Old English and literally translates to "young lord."Additionally, this specific spelling refers to a common spelling dominant in the Medieval Ages distinguishing the son of a nobleman who had yet to obtain knighthood. This is a key point of reference, playing an important role for interpreting some of the poems later, more mysterious themes.

Britannica Academic writes that this is an "administrative and historic county of southeastern England. It is situated just southwest of London, adjoining the River Thames. Surrey is bordered to the northwest by Berkshire, to the northeast by the Greater London conurbation, to the east by Kent, to the south by Sussex, and to the west by Hampshire."

The Oxford Reference states that Leatherhead is an "old town on the A24 and A245."

According to the OED, this is "a small cart drawn by a dog or dogs."

The word choice of "collecting" sailors is reminiscent of Victor's "collecting" of parts to create his creature.

Walton believes that he deserves to achieve his goals of finding the northern passage. He feels as though he has worked hard and put aside "ease and luxury" and that he deserves success. Although he may have put in the hard work, that does not guarantee his success. This feels similar to Victor believing that he had put in the hard work throughout his studies and he should be able to create life and achieve success. Both of these two characters have ambitious goals and are unable to carry them out.

The almost mythological treatment of the sea-route Walton seeks substantiates his sister's worries. In the time that Frankenstein is set, the fact that it remains undiscovered despite recorded attempts which Walton read in his youth mean that this journey might be seen as a fool's quest.

More references to Christianity. Above all, the creature fears isolation, where even in hell the damned suffer enmasse.

The creature's sentiments parallel Walton's inability to find a friend.

Frankenstein recognizes the responsibility he held towards his creature.

Despite his own ruin, Frankenstein still urges others to take his perilous journey.

This mention of how important family is recalls that Walton is writing these letters to his own sister.

Archangel is also the name of the place where Walton disembarked. Further, this is likely a reference to Lucifer as depicted in Milton's Paradise Lost, a known influence on Shelley's work.

The mention of a fall alongside earlier references to Christianity make this another likely reference to man's fall.

Despite full knowledge of where this kind of information can cause, Walton's curiosity causes him to seek it out.

The mention of knowledge and serpents is likely a reference to the story of man's fall.

This is another comment on the social nature of humans. Both Walton and Frankenstein agree that people need companionship to exist.

Because Frankenstein understands Walton's motivation, the parallels between their journeys bring back the grief that he endured all this time.

Frankenstein is able to connect with Walton on the nature of his ambition.

Frankenstein's behavior expresses all of Walton's previously alluded values: life that borders on wildness while still showing a sensitivity to empathy and kindness.

The place that Walton disembarks from, Archangel, is named after an angel.

Walton's drive mirrors that of Frankenstein's in that they both seek something invisible in the shrouds of what could potentially be amazing or terrible or both at the same time.

Walton attributes some of his incompatibilities with the crew to feminine influences, although he doesn't seem to regret it.

Walton values nobility and humanity.

Walton's self-education and alienation from society mirror the creature's experiences. Both learned of the world through text and are at-odds when it comes to social interaction.

Frankenstein is commonly classified as a romantic piece, so it makes sense that we experience the story through the lens of someone who shares these sentiments.

Walton's fear of loneliness echoes sentiments later expressed by Frankenstein's creature. Whether he encounters success or failure, the absence of a companion to share those moments with fills him with grief.

Both St. Petersburgh and Archangel are cities named with reference to figures in Christianity.

Although Walton's words are steeped in emotional attachment, this line proves that he has taken logical steps towards his goals.

This passage clarifies Walton's motivations. His goals are not purely self-motivated as he references, "the inestimable benefit which I shall confer on all mankind." Further, by bringing up future generations, he make the implication that any success he experiences here would have a lasting effect.

Walton's only knowledge of these voyages come from reading. This is similar to Victor who learned about alchemy from studying books on his own. It seems that these two have a lot in common in the ways that they learn and the way that they occupy their time. Walton has read about people trying to find the northern passage and this is what convinces him that he can take this journey, which ultimately puts him and his crew at risk. Victor reads about alchemy on his own and gets the idea that he can create life, which puts him and his family at risk.

It appears that Walton has been warned that the journey to find the northern passage will be treacherous and he has been told that the pole is"the seat of frost and desolation," but Walton holds on hope that there will be "beauty and delight." The sun is "forever visible" because there is 24-hour sunlight during a couple of weeks in December in Antarctica. Walton wants his journey to be successful and chooses not to listen to the warnings of how treacherous it will be. This is similar to Victor not listening to his professors about the dangers of studying alchemy. If Victor had listened, maybe he wouldn't have tried to create life. Similarly, if Walton had listened to the warnings of how dangerous his trip would be, he wouldn't have put his crew in danger. But then we wouldn't have Victor's story because Walton wouldn't be there to rescue him from the water.

Walton finds relief in his journey because he has a "steady purpose." This seems similar to Victor's purpose in studying alchemy and going to school and creating life. Victor finds "peace" in his study as he keeps his mind busy. It is not until he actual gives the creature life that he sees how it was a mistake. Similarly, Walton believes that his journey will be successful and he is at peace as long as he is working on finding the passage. It is not until his men grow weak and tired that he decides to give up for them. Walton's framing helps to explain what Victor goes through later in the novel.

This phrase seems to appear quite often. Perhaps it is an omen.

The civil officer becomes a little suspicious of Victor's odd behavior and takes him to view Clerval's body. This is a technique done by criminal investigators. The magistrate became suspicious of Victor's behavior and most likely deemed him as a probable suspect. When taking a suspect into the room with the deceased victim they take careful note of the suspect's body language, facial expression, and overall reaction upon seeing the body. The observation of said suspect will give more insight to the investigator. For instance, if the suspect were to have a cool, calm, collected persona the suspect would be questioned further and most likely held in prison. This technique is rarely used today.

As we continue to read, we can confirm that the creature's wrath has stuck again! Eye witnesses have reported seeing a single man near the scene of the crime in a boat.

We know from previous chapters that the creature's method of murder is death by strangulation. It may be safe to say that the creature is responsible for yet again, another murder. Here, Victor cannot help but think it was his creation that took his beloved friend's life.

A group of guys went fishing. The weather became unsuitable for such sport and it was nearly pitch black so, they decided to head for town. They arrived at a creek. As the men were walking off the boat and onto the sand one of them tripped over Clerval's body. He was clearly dead. The men thought that perhaps the waves carried his lifeless body to the shore however, his clothes weren't wet and his body was warm. They soon noticed the black finger marks around his neck. They concluded that he was strangled to death.

According to Oxford dictionary a magistrate is a civil officer who administers the law, especially one who conducts a court that deals with minor offences and holds preliminary hearings for more serious ones.

Switzerland criminal laws and sentencing practices were influenced by French and German legal traditions. The very first approximation of a criminal code was written in 1799. This criminal code was inspired by the Frenchs' criminal code that was written in 1791.

Source: Crime and Punishment Around the World

In the case of a criminal act "tried" means that Justine will be examined or the case will be investigated judicially. In other words, there will be conduct of a trial.

Capital punishment (legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime) was abolished from federal criminal law in Switzerland in 1942. However, in the early 1700's most countries were still busy executing witches and killing males by decapitation with a sword. Other ways of killing the criminals were drowning, burning, beheading, and lynching them. Some were brutally killed by being smashed by an iron bar. Justine could've been executed by any of the ways listed above.

Source: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/crime-and-punishment_killing-off-the-death-penalty-in-switzerland/41732660

Justine confessed a lie. The catholic priest in confession pressured into it telling her she was going to go to hell if she did not confess to the crime.

Justine confessed to the murder she DID NOT commit! Why? Out of her fear of going to hell.

The evening William was murdered Justine was in Chene (about three miles from Geneva), spending time with her aunt.When she was on her way home a man stopped and asked her if she had seen a child who was lost. Justine was alarmed by this and decided to go look for the lost boy. She spent so much time searching for him the gates of Geneva shut and she was forced to stay the night in a barn and she was not able to call anyone she knew.

Justine: "I'm innocent and God knows it. I am not going to pretend that the accusations made against me should free me; I place my innocence on the plain and simple facts that I have explained. I hope that you keep in mind my good character whenever doubt or suspicion appears."

Justine was out the entire night that William was murdered, which doesn't help her claim of innocence. Justine was near the the area where the crime took place. When a woman approached Justine asking her what she was doing there Justine gave an odd look and replied with an answer that was hard to understand. UGH..it is not looking good.

Justine was sick the morning of William's death. During that time, a servant was going through her clothes and he found the valuable picture of Victor's mother in her pocket (the picture that was certainly the reason behind the murder). Justine was arrested after the officer had been notified of the discovery.

Justine was mentioned earlier in the book. Justine was one of four children. After the death of Justin's father, Justine's mother "treated her very ill." Due to her mother's unkind treatment Justine moved to live with Elizabeth's aunt. According to Elizabeth Justine is beautiful, grateful, smart, and gentle. So, it is very hard to believe she killed William.

Victor sees his creation creeping behind the trees. Not much longer after his eyes land upon the creature's gigantic stature, he knows that the "daemon" is responsible for William's death.

Elizabeth did not actually kill William. Here, she is merely blaming herself for his death.

The valuable picture was gone! They believe that it was certainty the reason behind the murder of young William. They currently have no idea who the murderer is however, they are relentless in their search.

The night William died, he tried to provoke Elizabeth into allowing him to wear a very valuable picture that was once Victor's mother's.

Victor's father found his son dead. There were marks around William's neck indicating that he was strangled to death.

Plainpalais is a huge open space that is known for hosting flea markets and farmer's markets in Geneva. So, Victor's father, Victor's two brothers, and Victor's future wife were walking around there. It was in the evening and it the weather was warm. Earnest and William went off on there own playing hide-and-seek. They were gone for a pretty long time. Ernest returned to his father and explained that despite his efforts, he could not find William.

There was an accident but he cannot write it down, but he will tell her because there is a very good chance that he will be turning around and coming home.

Again, Walton is writing his sister to let it be known that he is safe on his journey. He mentions that he may not be able to go back home for a while. However, he will remain in good spirits. It helps that his crewmen are bold and brave. The floating sheets of ice that indicate danger don't even seem to even phase them.

According to the Oxford dictionary, this word means until now or until this point in time.

Walton finds it difficult to describe the feelings he is experiencing while on his journey. He is fearful but very excited. He makes a reference to the poem by Coleridge titled 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.' Walton says he will be exploring land, like the Mariner in Coleridge's poem, but he will not be killing an albatross (unlike the Mariner).

Walton is asking his sister if she knows how it feels to feel the cold breeze coming from the north. He is describing it as very delightful. The breeze that he feels upon his cheeks comes from the place he is traveling toward. The winds are a preview of the icy regions and he beings to daydream about them more vividly.

Walton is writing to his sister. He is informing her that there has not been any natural catastrophe during the start of his endeavor. His sister was fearful that there would be. Walton arrived at his destination yesterday and the first thing he wanted to do was let her know that he was okay and that he has confidence that he will be successful in his journey on discovery.

Shelley references the 19 years it took for Wordsworth to complete his poem Peter Bell. Wordsworth wrote the poem in 1798, but didn't published it until 1819. He spent those years "considering and retouching" the poem with "slow, dull care". He seems to criticize Wordsworth for this, in order to justify the short amount of time it took Shelley to write this poem. In line 36, Shelley writes " but [My Witch] matches Peter, Though he took nineteen years, and she three days In dressing". He wants to equate his poem with Wordsworth, through his equating the main characters of the two. My likening his poem to one that took longer to perfect, Shelley is eliminating the criticism of his poem because of the haste in which he wrote it.

Baker, further connect Spenser's Una and Shelley's Witch by describing the characters similar connection with animals: "Over savage beasts Una and the Witch of Atlas are able to exert a mollifying influence" (Baker 473). Una is described to have tamed a lion simply through her gentle presence and through "sanguine beasts her gentle looks made tame" (473). This matches closely Shelley's description of the Witch's relationship with animals, saying her voice and eyes made the leopard as "gentle as the dove" (line 102). Both characters have a control over threatening animals, both through their eyes. This is another example of the influence of Spenser on Shelley.

According to Carlos Baker and David Lee Clark, scholars writing for the Modern Language Association, two literary influences of Shelley's were Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene and John Milton's L'Allegro. The opening lines (49-56) mirror closely the opening lines of Milton's work. Shelley's description in this stanza of the Witch mirror closely the description of Una by Spenser: "Una is circummured by an aura" (Baker 473). Both are described as being created and encompassed by light. This influence in character description is obvious here in the similarity.

The "Mary" that Percy Shelley is referring to is his wife and author Mary Shelley. She is most well known for her novel Frankenstein, but published many other books before her death in 1851.

Mary was the daughter of philosopher and political writer William Godwin and famed feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, but received no formal education. She taught herself mostly through her fathers library and the visits to her father from famous poets of the time, like Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth. Mary published her first poem in 1807.

Mary and Percy were married in 1816, two years before she published Frankenstein and 8 years before this poem was published. The dedication of this poem (To Mary (On Her Objecting to the Following Poem, Upon the Score of its Containing No Human Interest) indicates the close literary relationship the two had and the importance of each's opinion. Mary Shelley even edited the first edition this poem.

The rest of this passage seems to indicate that Percy disagrees with Mary's opinion that the poem "tell[s] no story", and even asks her to "this one time" accept the poem as simply a "visionary rhyme" and asks her to be content with that.

A notable, and beautiful, rendition of the Witch from this poem was created by the British artist Robert Fowler. While Fowler wasn't born until 1853, more than 25 years after the poem was published, his interpretation and depiction of the Witch are haunting.<br> The painting, created in 1900, is entitled "The Witch of Atlas".

Statement that he can tame the duchess' wild behavior.

The narrator is a suitor looking for the maiden's hand in marriage.

Makes it seem as if he killed her, either by commissioning someone to do so or by giving her commands to stop her undesirable behavior.

Makes it seem like it would be below him to tell her that her behavior is unacceptable and undesirable.

The narrator disapproves of the duchess' behavior but has no way of politely telling her.

Shows a sense that the narrator never received the kind of favors from the duchess that she paid to other suitors.

Again a reference to the duchess' scandalous behavior.

Browning basically calls the Duchess a whore in the nicest way possible.

Could very well be a reference to how the medium of art does not do justice to describe a person's form. Playing off of Coleridge's idea that he strived through his words to paint a picture.

There is no evidence that Fra Pandolf was a real painter who painted the duchess according to Victorianweb.org.

“I said Frà Pandolf by Design”: Browning's “My Last Duchess”. (2011, November). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/rb/duchess/monteiro5.html

The Oxford English Dictionary describes the word wonder as being "A marvellous object; a marvel, prodigy."

Scrooge's very first words of the final stave show the transition from ominous to upbeat and positive. He had never thought he could have such a joyous spirit until after his ghostly visits. The last stave has Scrooge revisit everyone since before the he saw the ghosts. He now shares the Christmas spirit with them all, circling back to Dickens's point of true moral Christmas spirit.

The Ghost of Christmas future represents the fear of death as it appears to be the shadowy figure of a reaper. After being shown a horrid future ending in an early death, Scrooge makes his final pleas promising that he will relive the past, present, and future honoring Christmas in his heart. He has learned his lesson and remembers Marley's fate, hoping not to share the same.

Dickens exhibits more irony to the reader, showing how Scrooge is now biting the words he once spoke. That concern he expresses for ignorance and want shows he has a better understanding of the toils that the lower class face.

This passage shows further importance of how all the lavis luxuries and merriment are useless if not shared with others around you.

The Ghost of Christmas Present represents giving, good intent and celebration, while the pile of food it sits upon symbolizes feasting and merriment. By bringing Scrooge to various houses for Christmas dinner, it shows the empathy that Scrooge can gain, feeling the toil that the lower class families like the Cratchits felt. Dickens displays the Cratchit family as face for the lower class, showing that they are to be valued as individual human beings that do matter to society.

Dickens uses the Christmas party scene at Fezziwig's to exhibit moral standards of Christmas spirit. Throwing lavish parties and enjoying luxuries is not immoral. It is when the desire for such material luxuries keeps one from sharing ones self with others, as we see when Belle breaks off her engagement to Scrooge because he became consumed with greed for wealth and grew cold.

Dickens uses characters to represent certain themes and ideas throughout the text. For example, he portrays Scrooge as everything that goes against the Christmas spirit, while Fred is a reminder to Scrooge and the reader of the joy and cheerfulness that Christmas brings.

Dickens aims at the Poor Laws, exposing how unfair the government system is to the underclass, leaving them to a life of either debtor's prison or working in union houses. Dicken's also dismisses Scrooge's defense for such establishments, since Scrooge uses his charity towards them as an excuse.

Referring back to the light from the ghost's head, the reader gets a sense that it burned so bright because the power of Scrooge's mind was at work, fully committed to scene and all the joy everyone at the ball expressed.

The Ghost of Christmas Past's childlike figure symbolizes memory. Its transition in shape to appear older, shows how memory is a connection of the stages in ones life, for the ghost never maintains the same shape. The light represents the luminous power of the mind and the cap refers to the buildup passions within Scrooge that could keep such light from being shared among others. As the ghost takes Scrooge back to past Christmases, we see that the young Scrooge was filled with love and care, which lessened as he grew older and became overtaken with greed and desire for wealth. The memories connect Scrooge with his emotions and starts to breakdown his cold, hard persona.

According to the oxford English dictionary, humbug describes that which is deceptive or false talk or behavior. The mere fact that Scrooge cannot manage to say this second syllable very well shows the great affect of Marley's message. Scrooge is shown to be pondering the thought of Marley's toil and how he himself may share the same fate if he does not learn his lesson from the visits soon to come. Therefore, with the virtuous nature of this warning, the reader can perceive a possible change in Scrooge for the better.

Another example of foreshadowing, given by the portly gentlemen. Scrooge denies knowing that many can't go to the Poor Law establishments or that they would rather die. The gentlemen, saying he might know, provide the reader with an assumption that soon Scrooge will come to see that what they say is true.

According to the oxford English dictionary "liberality" means the quality of giving or spending freely. This refers to Scrooge and Marley being thought to have been generous owners of the accounting office, willing to spare contributions for the poor. Men in such positions were expected to live with a certain liberality. Ominous means the worrying impression of something bad to come. Together these key words portray the irony of how Scrooge is vs how he was assumed to be by the two portly gentlemen. These words also foreshadow the terrifying visits Scrooge later receives, partly due to his lack of liberality.

The repetition of both stanzas is definitely worth noting. Also, the speaker believes that wisdom sadly carries his experience and memories, and works toward not having to live with these things.

The speaker juxtaposes himself with wisdom, which is acquired only through experience. As the individual himself fades, he connects with the world more and more--only through the experience he gained and lessons he has learned.

Here comes the nation reference, again. The speaker emphasizes the importance of war within nations, how they hold onto their navies.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an argosy is "a merchant-vessel of the largest size and burn, especially those of Ragusa and Venice." In this Vision of the World, these massive ships have magical sails.

According to the oxford-English dictionary, this most likely refers to the Guinea of Africa, which is the West Coast. Although there were a few definitions for this, I noticed his later inclusion of the word "nations."

As either someone--or the woman herself--sympathizes with Amy, the speaker disregards all of this and feels no compassion for her. He doesn't believe that she, too, went through pain, and tells the person to stop self-loathing.

"A little hoard of maxims" seems to mean a collection of self-evident propositions solved in mathematical reasons. Perhaps this stanza means that she thought with her brain and not her heart, and soon she will find her petty self troubled because she is unhappy and chose the wrong decision.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to "vex" is to cause trouble or to harass. The speaker wants his cousin Amy to feel bad about her decision.

This is a recurring symbol throughout the piece. Whenever the speaker compares the depth of the lord's love, he uses a dog in his example. Dogs represent faith, loyalty, and fidelity.

The speaker seems to have a lot of resentment towards memories, since he curses the act of recall and remember. Here, he says that sorrow's crown, or its garment, is the act of remembering happier things and the comparison to the past. There is a constant disconnect and longing between the past and present.

The speaker questions whether it would be better just to pretend she were dead, so he doesn't have to experience the heartbreak. This way, he can put her for rest and embrace the love she did give--but then the speaker realizes she never gave real, unconditional love, since that love is never-ending.

These lines seem to suggest that by the time the cousin confesses her love, it is already too late. She admits that she has had these feelings for a long time, and then she asks the speaker if he, too, feels this way. But everything following seems to mean that they don't have a life together, and things are unsolvable.

Does comfort come from not remembering things or focusing in on the past? The speaker wonders if he can ignore what happened and find comfort that way.

The speaker, feeling extremely angry, tells his cousin that she befriends or is involved with a clown, or a fool. He is still heated that she didn't choose him or confess sooner.

Because she did not confess her feelings, the speaker wonders whether he should wish her happy. He wonders if he should wish her well despite her previous hesitation to admit her feelings.

The word "copse", according to the Oxford English dictionary, is a small group of trees. The speaker, once going outside and noticing nature, pays close attention to the copses and how they identify and mark spring.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to smote is to "pollute or blemish." Perhaps the word used here means that love pollutes life and the Self. When one falls in love, he/she loses sight of him/herself,

A great constellation named after the mythological Orion, who was a Greek hunter. He is also considered to be heroic in Greek culture.

I would like to "claim" this poem! Thank you!

He says he will leave the window open for her at night so that Cupid ("Love") can accompany her.

Here Keat's seems to be describing the place in his mind for Psyche, created by his internationalizations of her and her value.

Here I think he makes a statement about giving her a Temple, which she deserves, in the comfort of his own mind. I think this is because he believes this is where the most can be done. Change starts from within?

Within these lines I think Keat's wants to show his respect to Psyche and give her a voice, an eye, and a vessel to live vicariously through.

Here Keat's notices that Psyche has no place of worship - no temples, churches, or sanctuaries.

I think in this scene Keats comes to the realization that up until this moment he didn't know who Cupid loved - and they realizes it is Psyche.

Window

Meaning create, invent.

A tree nymph, or tree spirit, in Greek mythology. They are described as sitting on a mossy embankment.

A soft breeze

Temple/church

A string instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later periods.

Meaning illuminated

Meaning: Venus as the evening star.

Venus is the Goddess of Love, which associates with "amorous."

Defined as "a container in which incense is burned, typically during a religious ceremony."

Pheobe is the Goddess of the Moon. Her star could be the Moon that we see today.

A Mountain in Greece

Aurora was the Roman Goddess of Dawn. Aurorean could mean like the dawn, so, a dawning love.

I imagine the grass laying in such a way that it would be suitable for comfort and sleeping, making it a BEDded grass.

Meaning Purple

Definition: seen

A soft shell?

I think what Keat's may be referring to here are lines within the text of poetry. He may feel that the lines aren't worthy of the greatness of Psyche, dude to the fact that he uses the term "tuneless" to describe them - they are lacking melody because the poet feels uninspired.

According to Greek Mythology, Psyche was the goddess of the soul and the wife of Eros, (Roman Cupid) god of love" She is said to have once been a mortal princess whose extraordinary beauty earned the ire of Aphrodite (Roman Venus) when men began turning their worship away from the goddess towards the girl.

Credit: http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Psykhe.html

Claimed!

Andrew Baumann

claimed by Liz Laughlin!

Zach Pivirotto

JK this is me

Shaylalalala

Claimed!

Dibs.

P.S. This is Jon aka the weirdo student who decided to be creative with his username.

Samantha Cook

The thirsting flowers need someone to look after them. They are delicate and need shelter along with water. The cloud becomes its caregiver.

According to the OED, a palfrey is a horse for ordinary riding. The five warriors seized Geraldine and tied her to a white horse.

Camest means come. Christabel asks "How come you are here?" to the lady.

Christabel calls out to the blessed virgin Mary to save her, and then asks "Who art thou?". Art thou means are you, so Christabel is asking who are you to the lady.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, weal means welfare, well-being, happiness, and/or prosperity. Christabel would walk to the woods at midnight to pray for her lovers well-being and welfare while he is away.

Christabel quietly walked at midnight to pray.

According to the OED, a mastiff is "A breed of large, powerful dog with a broad head, drooping ears, and pendulous lips, used as a guard dog and for fighting". The mastiff is pained and making sounds because it can sense danger and that something is not right with the maiden Geraldine. Often in contemporary horror films, dogs can be seen reacting in similar ways when danger, whether supernatural or physical, is near.

According to the OED, tairn means "A small mountain lake, having no significant tributaries." Rill means "A small stream; a brook; a rivulet." Coleridge is setting a scene where the night is quiet and serene, where even nocturnal birds are quiet and still.

Having been put under Geraldine's spell, Christabel is told of her mistake in helping a random stranger in the woods. Geraldine is saying that, by keeping to her Catholic customs of charity and love, Christabel has put herself in harms way.

According to the OED, weal means "Welfare, well-being, happiness, prosperity". Coleridge is choosing to use old language to set a certain tone and believability that "Christabel" is an old text. Christabel is praying for her lover's safety and health while he is away.

According to the OED, betrothed means "Engaged for marriage, affianced". Christabel has been having dreams of her husband-to-be that keep her up and worrying all night, so she goes into the forrest to pray for him nightly.

According to the OED (Oxford English Dictionary), the word "ghyll" is an alternative spelling for the word "gill", which is defined as "a deep rocky cleft or ravine, usually wooded and forming the course of a stream". This description fits in accurately with the stanza's intended setting, as Coleridge uses words like "Dungeon" and "Witches Lair" to emphasize dark, wet, and mysterious places. Additionally, this also emphasizes Coleridge's overall attempt to place the reader in a setting of medieval mysticism.

According to the OED (Oxford English Dictionary), the word "sacristan" is described as "a parish of the church". This whole stanza emphasizes the grief of the Baron for his deceased wife, as he orders the sacristan to ring a massive bell each mourning in remembrance. The bell can be seen as a metaphor for Christabel herself. Coleridge uses both the synthetic inflection of the "bel" sound in both Christabel's name and the word "bell". This is intended, as the metaphor relates to the Baron's grief over his dead wife and the realization that his daughter is of marrying age, as the "bell" can additionally represent both death (mourning bell) and happiness (marriage bells).

The River Irthing is a major river in northern England. The river itself is divided into various delta segments, spawning from the River Eden. Part of the river runs through the ancient Hadrian's Wall. Hadrian's Wall was built by ancient Celts to defend against northern Scot invaders. This is evident in Coleridge's text, as he proceeds to write about traveling northward, across the Irthing and into Scotland.

"Cliffand tower" is a reference to Clifford Tower, located in present day York, in Northern England. The tower was built in the 13th century on a large mossy mound to hold prisoners, which makes metaphorical sense since Coleridge makes a textual reference to "the lovely lady's prison" early in the same stanza. The references of a prison relates to Christabel's imprisonment to both the physical, and metaphorical domination/curse of Geraldine.

Here, the idea that Martha Ray killed her child is challenged as it is said by Old Farmer Simpson that the child in her womb actually brought back her senses. However, in the first half of the stanza the child is thought to actually increase Martha Ray's madness. This back and forth thought could just be the local folk thinking amongst themselves about Martha Ray's condition. This distances us from the truth as we never actually know whether Martha Ray is mad or if she even killed her child.

For some reason the speaker warns the main character away from Martha Ray's home. Her home is described as a hut, which connotes witches and magic. Historically, madness was considered a result of possession or witchcraft, and this line of thought wasn't properly challenged until the mid 19th century, 50 years ahead of this poem. Perhaps Wordsworth is merely reporting the superstitions of country folk and doesn't necessarily hold these views himself.

It could be coincidence that the tree is no higher than a 2-year old child, but equating the tree to a child could be an allegory. Whereas the pond presents a reflection of the child, perhaps the tree is also a reflection, where the surface presents a grim tree but below is something beautiful.

Much like how the child is hidden beneath the hill, the child is also hidden within the reflection of the pond. This concept gives depth to reflective properties, metaphorically, where looking at a reflection presents something deeper than the mere image being reflected. Another interpretation is that the child and main character are related in some way as their movements mimic one another, much like a reflection would mimic the person standing in front of it.

The repetition of lines show the emphasis and how the town gossip is lingering on a certain trait of Martha Ray. The tautology shows that when people fixate on a certain thing, they repeat it inside their minds, much like how it is shown in the poem when Martha says "Oh misery! oh misery!"

Stephen Hill isn't mentioned after this event. He is used in the story to serve as a back story for Martha to give her motive to be upset in the poem. It is speculated (by the public's gossip) that he had a relationship with Martha then left her to be with another women, and what exactly occurred between the couple was never entirely disclosed. This leaves the audience to think that he could have possibly had more than a relationship with Martha and thus, explains why she weeps on the hill.

Pictured is an aerial view of Tintern Abbey. Consistent with Wordsworth's observation, the site is surrounded by forested hills, isolating the location from the outside world. It's likely that this aspect of the Wye is what fueled the introspective current that runs throughout this piece. Surrounded predominately by foliage, It's possible that Wordsworth had no choice but to create inner-dialogue in order to make sense of his thoughts.

This excerpt provides insight into Wordsworth's fascination with nature. Established earlier in the piece, nature offered him an escape during his youth. This was followed by clarity during his maturation. Here, we can gather a explanation of the circumstances that allowed both of these gifts to transfer.

Its "quietness" offers something that people cannot. In nature, there's no "lofty thoughts," "evil tongues," "rash judgments," or "sneers of selfish men." Although kindness is also absent, this indifference allows one to act and think how they want without fear of punishment or perversion of reward. In nature, the only actions you're capable of are ones that you're intrinsically predisposed of. In short, you can be who you truly are.

Here, we are shown the evolution of Wordsworth's earlier mindset of someone who thinks only of, "flying from something he dreads." No longer an aimless youth, he finds clarity in the nature that once only served as an escape. This sentiment is felt so deeply that Wordsworth possibly experiences it in a religious sense. Later in the piece, he references "a presence" which seems to run through all aspects of creation. This philosophy has similarities with Unitarianism, a christian movement of Wordsworth's time which commonly held the belief that everything in existence carries within a spiritual essence, thus connecting all aspects of life.

Commonly used when referring to fish eggs, it's possible that Wordsworth's use of "roe" refers to the roe deer, a member of Wales' native fauna. This is supported by mentions of "bounding . . . by the sides of the deep rivers," rather than within their stream. Further evidence can be found in Wordsworth's reference of "a man flying from what he dreads." This behavior mirrors the skittish nature which is typical of deer.

From this comparison, it can be deduced that Wordsworth's actions were in line with a roe deer in that his aim was simply to survive. Where he wound up made no difference.

The meaning of "cataract" when used here is different from its more prevalent, contemporary usage. Here, the word refers to a waterfall with the connotation of a downpour. Its reference to rushing water pre-dates the name of the disease which it's now associated with. One explanation for this association could be that the eye condition resembles the cloudiness of rushing water. Another explanation refers to early Persian terminology for the ailment: "nazul-i-ah" which translates to "descent of water."

After much use of repetition, the speaker remarks on the promises of others that justice should be brought among Martha, speculating that she must have committed an awful crime. The search for the infant's bones drawls much attention to the conclusion of a burial as if the mystery was already solved. These given oaths by the people emphasize Wordsworth's view on how repetition creates a truth once something is believed enough, since the mind clings on to repeated words and phrases of what is not known. Hence the infant's fate is unknown, yet throughout this whole poem, the constant use of similar phrases almost gives a sure answer, as that is all the reader can hold on to. for any sense in guidance and amplified emotion.

Here is more use of repetition through imagery. Looking upon the face of the weeping Martha, the speaker seems convinced that she indeed buried her infant, as though her despair was as evident as the storm about the land. This discovery from the speaker only presses on the reader's emotions more and more, creating truth in the mystery of Martha's infant.

The hill may surely represent the the grave of Martha's infant, given it's size of only half a foot in height. Certainly plenty of room to bury an infant. Such symbolism could give reason to why Martha feels the need to visit the hill so often, crying in misery. The height of the hill seems to refer to how hidden it was from anyone's view, as though only Martha knew of the grave's existence. The hill could also reflect a part of the infant, with the tufts of moss as hair, shaken grass as its motion, and the cries heard by others as the infants cry for its mother. I believe such descriptions refer to how Wordsworth uses repetition, this time through imagery, to help the reader view the hill differently, enough to finally believe it does represent a grave and that Martha perhaps did do away with her infant and bury it there. http://wallpaperstock.net/hilltop-sunset_wallpapers_31922_1920x1200_1.html

The tempest is defined as a violent storm, which the speaker uses to question why poor Martha still goes to the top of the mountain. This horrid weather symbolizes Martha's anguish and the different elements of precipitation, such as the rain and snow, correlate to the strong emotion Martha shows towards the infant. https://makingroomforgod.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/storm.jpg

Wordsworth is saying that through time, our memories mature and become a "sober pleasure," which suggests that during the present, moments are lively, fleeting, and hard to capture at the time. It takes years for these memories to develop into these sober pleasures for us to look back and see things clearly. Then, your mind becomes a "mansion" for these memories. These memories then keep us grounded, and the speaker says that if is friend is stricken with "solitude, or fear, or pain, or grief," that she will always be able to remember him with "tender joy." We use our memories to heal and get through times of pain.

This imagery is vastly different from how he describes the mound in later stanzas. I believe that this switch in description of imagery is Wordsworth's way of using repetition, this time in scenery, to effect the way the reader views the mound. He talks about ever changing beliefs and I wonder if perhaps this is how he is "experimenting" with the effect that the reader will believe whatever they are told short term, no matter if it has changed or not.

These lines relate to the passage of time and catching up with an old friend who holds "former pleasures" of the speaker. The speaker looks at this friend and sees all of their memories together in her eyes. We can never go back to things of the past, but when we reunite with people of our past, we see in them an old version of ourselves that we can never get back - "May I behold in thee what I was once."

This is also the first time that a second character is mentioned in the poem. That is, if you don't consider the Wye River to be its own living entity, as stated in an above annoation.

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/4/21/1271867072464/Quantock-Hills-001.jpg?w=300&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=7414b5c874d0a91e240600bb2af9de90 This would be the kind of scenery found on this mountain. I also found quite a few pictures that involved hills of flowers. I think that Wordsworth adapted the scenery in this poem to fit his need to see what sublime imagery does to the reader.

"... plants, often of a green, grey, or yellow tint, which grow on the surface of rocks, trees, etc." Also called liverwort according to the Oxford English Dictionary. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KSbqGwqSreU/T7HPTvPjvnI/AAAAAAAABpM/rqTsrkwyac8/s1600/awesome+lichen.JPG

In response to slc147: There is actually a footnote in our book that shares a similar story but with an interesting twist. The book says that Martha Ray was a mistress to a nobleman, and was murdered by a rejected clergyman in the form of a suitor. He claimed he did the deed because of "Love's madness." It also goes on to state that one of the illegitimate children Martha Ray bore to the nobleman was friends with Wordsworth and Coleridge. I wonder if there's a little bit more research to be done here.

A "crag" can be described as a jagged or rugged cliff. This could potentially be hinting at the rugged exterior society seems to see Martha Ray having, or even the lack of reason and completely rugged accusations that society seems to be making.

These lines seem quite obvious in their purpose: it's trying to show that without a doubt, the woman in the scarlet cloak had a baby, killed it, and buried it here. More importantly than that however, is the idea that Wordsworth is likely trying to show hints of how gossip works and travels - that idea encompasses this poem.

These lines seem to hint at possibly being symbolic of Martha Ray, the main female character in the poem. She's much more like an aspect of setting that she is a character in all honesty. She holds eerie presence and is misunderstood by society, much like the thorn.

This is making note of the fact that the woman in the poem can be found at the top of this hill regardless of time. In the day or in the night, she was there.

Image of Tintern Abbey and the Wye River

According to the OED, "sylvan" means "One who (or something that) inhabits a wood or forest; a being of the woods."

This word seems to suggest that the river is more than just a river - it seems to be living in some way. The speaker also calls the river a "wanderer through the woods," which also makes the river come alive. This makes the river seem like an old friend that the speaker's spirit keeps coming back to. In this poem, the river seems more important than the abbey, which gets barely any recognition. This poem seems to be more about nature and the human spirit.

According to the OED, this word means "Of the nature of the animal body as opposed to the spirit; physical; bodily; mortal."

This phrasing of "corporeal frame" to describe a human body, seems to suggest that your body is something which holds you back, until you are "laid asleep / In body, and become a living soul." This says that only our bodies die, or are "laid asleep," while our soul continues to live on. Our bodies are simply a cavity to hold our soul until we die, and only then does our soul become "living."

The choice to use the word "unremembered" here seems to be important and indicative of something so fleeting and insignificant, that the speaker didn't even remember these feelings. He doesn't say that these are "feelings too / Of forgotten pleasure," because this would suggest that were remembered in the first place, and that over time, they were forgotten. The fact that feelings were "unremembered" seems to show that they "had no trivial influence" on the man's life.

Here, Wordsworth is clearly stating that "Five years have passed" since he has been back to this spot, but these years seem to have passed slowly "with the length / Of five long winters!" Winter always seems to pass longer than summer. Summer is fleeting, while winter seems to drag on and never end. Wordsworth is playing with this idea of how time seems to pass slowly and his summers away from Tintern Abbey have felt like winters, because they have been so long. This goes with the idea that time passes fast when you're enjoying your time, but when you are away from something, time seems to slow down.

There is a true story about a woman named Martha Ray. She lived from 1742-1779 before she was murdered by a man she was thought to be romantically involved with. She had been in a relationship with John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich despite his marriage to a woman suffering mental illness. They had been involved for several years and had 5 children before he introduced her to solider, Ray Hackman. Due to rumors of financial debt, Ray got involved with Hackman who had more stability and means to support her. He ended up becoming obsessed with her and murdered her. It is said that he committed the murder because she had been romantically involved with another man, but those rumors have not been confirmed.

Ironically, the story told in the thorn is about a mistress and rumor after rumor that no one has real validation on.

This is the size of an infant grave. Can we assume that maybe the child that the woman may or may not have had and may or may not have killed could possibly be buried there if it does so exist? Hmm.. or is just a spot on the earth that collects alot of water and is always muddy because the earth drains down into it from the hill. You can not make an assumption because no one really knows. Where did these rumors even start? Was it a credible source? I don't even know this woman and I am wondering if she did or did not have and kill and child.

"to catch sight of"

This adds to the mystery of the story by giving the imagery that you "caught sight" of something . . . as if it was not apparent. It's like when you think you see something moving out of the corner of your eye, but you are not completely sure. It would take more investigation, but what if something was there, do i=you even want to find it?

"a brilliant red pigment made from mercury sulfide" -Google Definition

The story refers to this deep, brilliant, red color that makes me think of blood. The woman in this story is being accused of killing her baby, murder. The use of the word "vermillion" makes it seem dark and morbid.

This use of "virtual tautology" is shown in his use of colors in the poem. For the color red, alone, he uses "vermilion", "scarlet", and "red" which all seem to evoke the same visual for the reader, but a reoccurring visual that is stuck in the readers mind throughout.

In these lines, it seems to me, that Wordsworth is comment on the blurred lines between fact and fiction. The narrator explicitly states that no one knows if the baby was there, or even if there was a baby and he "cannot tell". However, while the method of death is uncertain "all and each agree" that the baby is buried there. As if the agreement of all is equivalent to it it being true. Wordsworth seems to be implying the power of language to create fact; if enough people repeat something and enough believe it then it become true.

Vermilion is a "brilliant red or scarlet pigment originally made from the powdered mineral cinnabar". Wordsworth uses vermilion as a descriptor in the mossy hill where the infant is rumored to be buried. It is notable that he specifically chooses vermilion, which is the same color as scarlet, but doesn't use that word. Scarlet is used to describe Martha Rays coat, but the color association is with the hill where she frequents. This may be because Wordsworth is connecting her the the hill itself, or what could be found within the hill. He specifically ties ties Martha, through color, to this location, however doesn't do it explicitly. As if he is hiding the connection; a clue within the poem to the mystery?

In stark contrast to the "old and grey", "wretched", "poor" Thorn tree from the poems opening lines, Wordsworth weaves in a vision of color and beauty on the hill (that may or may not be the place of an infant's grave)-- with vermilion, olive green, scarlet, red, and white. The tiny foot tall "hill of moss" is the only description of color (besides the woman's cloak) in the poem and stands out because of this. Wordsworth is intentionally drawing attention to this piece of the landscape through the language in order to highlight it's centrality to the mystery of the poem, whether or not their is a grave there.

In the footnote for "The Thorn" in our anthology, Wordsworth describes observing a thorn tree on Quantock Hill during a storm that he had never noticed before. He goes on to write that, through this poem, he hoped to "make this Thorn permanently an impressive object as the storm [had]" for him. With this goal in mind, he seems to be making the Thorn "impressive" by associating it with the mystery of Martha Ray. He creates a legend or myth in the poem, connects it with the Thorn, and makes it memorable.

This is a Latin epigraph. It's a kind of paratext! Anyone have a translation?