68 Matching Annotations
  1. Apr 2018
    1. The Soul selects her own Society-Then-shuts the Door-To her divine Majority-Present no more-Dickinson Poems • 3137 5 Unmoved-she notes the Chariots-pausing-At her low Gate-Unmoved-an Emperor be kneeling . Upon her Mat-I've known her-from an ample nation~ 10 Choose One-Then-close the Valves of her attention-Like Stone-J. 303 f. 4

      This is a very nice foreward thinking attitude towards female empowerment. This could have come about because of the positive attention women are starting to get since Seneca Falls 14-years-ago. This is specifically addresssing eitherherself from a third person p.o.v. or to female readers. The content is powerful to women's empowerment as well because it gives choice to women in what they wish to do with their lives and tells them to break barriers, while also being strong.

    2. 3130 • Early Nineteenth Century: 1800-1865 5 One came the road that I came-. _.And wore my last year's gown-The other, as a bird her nest, Builded our hearts among. ·· She did not sing as we did-· 10 It was a different tune-Herself t~ her a music As Bumble bee of June. Today is fa~ from Childhood-But up arid down the hills 15 I held her hand the tighter-"' Which shortened all the mile~

      Why is it that she uses so many dashes? Does anyone have thoughts on this?

  2. Dec 2016
    1. If love be strong as death

      According to Bibleoddessey.com, there is biblical song that outlines a relationship between two lovers. The song goes as follows: "Set me as a seal upon your heart,as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love, all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned." The author of the article, Fiona C. Black writes "The Song of Songs is a series of poems about human love written in the form of a dialogue between two lovers. Throughout, the lovers speak to each other using vibrant imagery that richly evokes all the senses and powerfully conveys their love... The perception of the Songs of Songs as a story of human love is relatively recent. For much of its interpretive history, readers understood the book as an allegory for God’s relationship with Israel (Judaism) or Jesus’ relationship with the soul (Christianity)... The book does, however, culminate with a more abstract statement, which offers a universal lesson. The observation in Song 8:6-7 is a weighty one: love is as strong as death; passion is as fierce as the grave." This could have been Felicia speaking as Properzia and referencing the bible's song while seeking to find a meaning behind all her feelings and the outcome she faces. I believe this saying regards the eagerness to experience both while also being terrified of the outcome and the patience to wait it out due to impending results of the unknown.<br>

    2. the object of her affection, who regards it with indifference.

      This is parallel to Ariadne's story where, Ariadne eloped Theseus, but he had no joy of her, much like Felicia Hemens is creating a story around Properzia's death to signify a greater meaning and to give a love interest into her life to make it more interesting to the reader and so it would be in sync with the story she is trying to tell of making this bas relief for someone who wouldn't really care for it.

    3. Ariadne

      Ariadne was a Greek mythological figure who was known to fall in love at first sight with Theseus, the son of King Aegeus. Theseus volunteered to kill the Minotaur in the labyrinth. Ariadne supplied him with a sword and a ball of thread so he could find his way out of the maze.

    4. Now fair thou art, Thou form, whose life is of my burning heart!

      This sculpture is made from her meaning she put herself into this work of art and it is a part of her now.

    5. talents for poetry and music

      Martinez. Michele. "Women Poets and the Sister Arts in Nineteenth-Century England." Victorian Poetry. Vol: 41, No. 4, (Winter, 2003), pp. 621-628 .JStor. (http://www.jstor.org/stable/40007039)

    6. PROPERZIA ROSSI.

      • Swaab, Peter. "Caught in a bad romance." Daily Telegraph [London, England] 28 Aug. 2010: 26. Business Insights: Global. Web. 4. Dec. 2016. URL (http://bi.galegroup.com/global/article/GALE%7CA235832990/d9a1b6a2b04b5355c8ee5bfff415c7c3?u=upitt_main)

      • Vasari, Giorgio. Lives of the Artists. Italy. Giunti. 1568. 369. (http://members.efn.org/~acd/vite/VasariProperzia.html)

      • Nochlin, Linda. "Art and Sexual Politics: Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" ArtNews. Volume: 69 (Jan. 1971), 22-39, ARTnews.com. (http://www.artnews.com/2015/05/30/why-have-there-been-no-great-women-artists/)

      • Law, Helen H. “The Name Galatea in the Pygmalion Myth.” The Classical Journal. Vol: 27, No. 5 (Feb., 1932), pp. 337-342. GoogleScholar. (http://www.jstor.org/stable/3290617?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents)

    7. When its full chords are hush'd–awhile to live, And one day haply in thy heart revive Sad thoughts of me:–I leave it, with a sound, A spell o'er memory

      She left the world, leaving a piece and memory of herself in all forms of art and music, so when the Knight hears the tune of the lyre or the whistling of the wind, he will be forced to recall the way Properzia literally became art and she now lives within nature and the way it creates itself into a harmony of sounds that radiates around the Roman Knight and he knows that every time he hears it, he will think of her and what could have been and how the sad thoughts of her haunt him because he chose to not do anything and now it's too late.

    8. Dreams, dreams!–the fire Burns faint within me. Yet I leave my name–

      She is only remembered for the artwork she produced and she leaves the world her name to remember but she would rather be known for the love that burns within her and the dreams of the life she would have had with the Knight if he had only shared her feelings.

    9. lyre

      A musical instrument:

    10. I leave it, on my country's air to dwell,– Say proudly yet–"'Twas hers who lov'd me well!

      After she dies, then the Knight discovers what the meaning of love meant to her and how much love she had for him, but he will soon come to conclusion that it is too late, that he lost it and all he can say is that she loved him well.

    11. thee to watch the sky, Speaking not, feeling but that thou wert nigh: [Page 54]  With thee to listen, while the tones of song Swept ev'n as part of our sweet air along, To listen silently;–with thee to gaze On forms,

      Even after she died, as a spirit, she will still find a way to come back to him, as a hum in the wind. And if he were to listen to her song, he would know what was lost.

    12. If I could weep Once, only once, belov'd one! on thy breast, Pouring my heart forth ere I sink to rest! But that were happiness, and unto me Earth's gift is fame.

      If she could only have one experience with him, she would cry and hold him and even in her sadness, she would be happy that he was the one she was sad about. She is saying that the earth gave her the gift of fame for being a woman artist, but she would have preferred the earth to give her the gift to be loved, rather than recognized.

    13. thou, on whom my spirit cast Unvalued wealth,–who know'st not what was given In that devotedness,–the sad, and deep, And unrepaid–farewell!

      She is saying that the Knight doesn't even understand how much of herself she put into this sculpture she gave him and how it even cost her life, and yet he can't or doesn't care to conceptualize the meaning that this must have meant to Properzia to make this for him. She was devoted to him and he could care less. He didn't even say goodbye to her before she died ("unrepaid-farewell").

    14. but I go   Under the silent wings of Peace to dwell; From the slow wasting, from the lonely pain, The inward burning of those words–"in vain,"

      Here, she is dying. "Under the silent wings of Peace to dwell" is alluding to heaven with angels (which explains the wings) and to finally dwell in peace because she believes that when her life ends, she will be free from the love that binds her mortal body to this world and makes her human. She will die in vain, which refers to someone who sacrifices themselves for a cause that ends up ultimately not working out. This is captured in the entirety of the poem where Properzia puts her whole life's work and life to an end to propagate a relationship with a man who will never love her no matter what she gives to him.

    15. Are those high longings o'er? That which I have been can I be no more?– Never, oh! never more; tho' still thy sky Be blue as then, my glorious Italy! And tho' the music, whose rich breathings fill Thine air with soul, be wandering past me still, And tho' the mantle of thy sunlight streams Unchang'd on forms instinct with poet-dreams;

      She is asking if her longing for unrequited love can be over but, like the constant blue sky in Italy, the music that will always be rich, and how the sun will always shine, her love for the Knight will stay unchanged and stagnant. She is trapped in a life of unfulfilling love.

    16. That in his bosom wins not for my name Th' abiding place it ask'd! Yet how my heart, In its own fairy world of song and art, Once beat for praise!

      She speaks again how she asked for his love, but the place within his bosom (heart) cannot accept her love. Properzia lives in her daydreams of this man, in a beautiful world of song, art, and the love of him. She says that what her heart beats for.

    17. give the reed From storms a shelter,–give the drooping vine Something round which its tendrils may entwine,–   Give the parch'd flower a rain-drop, and the meed Of love's kind words to woman!

      She says to give everything what it lives for, what it wants and needs; reed that cannot withstand a storm, a vine something to latch onto so it can grow, a dry flower some water, and a drunken compliment to a fair maiden. She says give all these the things they want most and yet, i am forsaken like this? My fame is worth nothing if i cannot render a suitable mate, and the one i desire the most.

    18. Yet the world will see Little of this, my parting work, in thee,   Thou shalt have fame! Oh, mockery!

      No one will be bothered when she passes away or even care why she passed away. She is telling the reader that no one will know her story or the final sculpture done by her. She says the Knight will be the one who everyone cares about (maybe because he is highly coveted by other women??) and she sees this as an ironic form of mockery towards her life's work, as shes spent her whole life doing what she does best and being noticed by some artists, only to fall in love and not be noticed by the one she truly wants.

    19. reed

      Defined by Dictionary.com as "noun

      1. a tall, slender-leaved plant of the grass family that grows in water or on marshy ground.
      2. a thing or person resembling or likened to a reed, in particular"
    20. fitful

      Fitful is defined by dictionary.com as "adjective: active or occurring spasmodically or intermittently; not regular or steady. synonyms:intermittent, sporadic, spasmodic, broken, disturbed, disrupted, patchy, irregular, uneven, unsettled"

    21. These are denied me–dreamt of still in vain

      She is defied the feeling of being loved back and she aches for it enough that she is mesmerized by it and it consumes her every thought. He-mans is trying to tell us that its what Properzia truly longed for.

    22. a heart, whereon to lean, With all these deep affections that o'erflow My aching soul

      Her feeling are pouring out of her and she decides to take advantage of the situation and turn her pain into art through a sculpture to give to the Knight. The emotions are overflowing out of her body and she has such deeply rooted affections that something needs to be done.

    23. dirge

      Dirge is defined by Dictionary.com as "noun

      1. a lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite. synonyms: elegy, lament, burial hymn, threnody, requiem, funeral march; keen "a lone bagpiper played the woeful dirge"
      2. a mournful song, piece of music, or poem."
    24. Wafts the faint myrtle's breath,

      This is referring to the aroma produced by the plant and is also a metaphor for the love Properzia had for the Knight. As most plants do, the myrtle will grow and expand as the season yields it ("to rise, to swell") but when it is time for a new season, it will flourish and whither ("to sink away") much like how she loved him but when she died, ("accents of farewell") the scent of love was gone.

    25. painting, by Ducis

      This is the painting from Louis Ducis of Properzia's last work:

    26. last work, a basso-relievo of Ariadne,

      Upon further investigation, there is no piece of artwork done by Properzia called "Basso Relievo of Ariadne." If you look closely at this painting by Louis Ducis, you will see Rossi's supposed last bas releif: In the portrait of the work Properzia is doing, it does not look like a rendition of Ariadne's proclaimed love to Thesues but more of a woman sitting and conversing with a cherub child.

    27. PROPERZIA ROSSI

    28. myrtle's

      Myrtle is a type of plant. Dictionary.com says it is "an evergreen shrub that has glossy aromatic foliage and white flowers followed by purple-black oval berries"

    29. could I throw Into thy frame a voice, a sweet, and low, And thrilling voice of song!–when he came nigh, To send the passion of its melody Thro' his pierced bosom–on its tones to bear My life's deep feeling

      She speaks of him through various types of ekphrasis such as song and sculpting. He makes her metaphorically wants to convey her feelings through song, to tell him how she really feels: her "life's deep feeling"

    30. Speak to him, lorn one, deeply, mournfully, Of all my love and grief!

      Here, she is saying to let the Knight know of the heartache and grief he caused due to her infatuation with him and how it ultimately caused her death.

    31. nigh

      Dictionary.com defines nigh as "adverb, preposition, & adjective near/ almost"

    32. lorn

      dictionary.com defines lorn as "adjective

      1. forsaken, desolate, bereft, or forlorn.
      2. Archaic. lost, ruined, or undone." This context is geared more heavily towards the first definition of lorn, where the speaker is speaking of the bereft of love and how it forsakes her.
    33. earnest

      Dictionary.com defines earnest as "adjective

      1. serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous:an earnest worker.
      2. showing depth and sincerity of feeling: earnest words; an earnest entreaty.
      3. seriously important; demanding or receiving serious attention. noun
      4. full seriousness, as of intention or purpose" In this context, i believe the meaning gravitates more towards showing depth and sincerity of feeling.
    34. fervent thoughts, th' untold, The self-consuming! Speak to him of me

      She is incessantly thinking and dwelling on the fact that she is facing unrequited love from her suitor. its consuming her every thought and it is all she can think about.

    35. Forsaken Ariadne! thou shalt wear My form, my lineaments; but oh! more fair,

      Here is a break down of what is going through her mind: "Forget Ariadne, this sculpture is going to look like me" through her "form" and "lineaments" but she is sculpting her body more to her liking to make him find her more attractive ("but oh! more fair" meaning "but oh! why don't i just make myself look a little more enticing to the subject of my affection so he'll like it/me more").

    36. thought, heart, soul, to burn, to shine, Thro' the pale marble's veins. It grows–and now I give my own life's history to thy brow

      This is a good explicit example of how she is putting all of herself into the work of art for this man.

    37. From thee my wo   Shall yet look beautiful to meet his sight,

      She wants this sculpture to entice the Knight so he will find it beautiful and love it.

    38. A sudden joy lights up my loneliness,– I shall not perish all!

      She realizes she can live through her artwork, so this is when she decides to actually go forth and sculpt her last piece.

    39. The bright work grows Beneath my hand, unfolding, as a rose, Leaf after leaf, to beauty; line by line,

      Here Hemens is describing the process that Properzia must have gone through to watch her artwork come to life, (metaphorically and literally??) while she was in the process of creating it and watching it all unfold.

    40. my fruitless dower

      Either her or her family could not produce enough money to make a sufficient dowry for Properzia to be married. This could possibly be why the Roman Knight won't accept her as a lover.

    41. Ev'n for thy sorrowful affection's sake, Live! in thy work breathe out!

      This context gives me a Frankenstein and Creature vibe where Rossi is creating this work and putting herself so into it, that it takes on its own life form. Her tears and pain of heartache give life to her art, apparently, enough for the work to"breathe out."

    42. While thou–Awake! not yet within me die,

      Perhaps she is saying that there is no life to lead without this man, so she might as well be dead, and even welcomes death. Rossi is not awake without a love to live for, so she might as well be sleeping her life away. In the 1920's the American public referred to death as "the big sleep" and i believe that this historical context helps identify that she means "death" when she juxtaposes being awake and dying.

    43. Stealing the brightness from her life away

      The only thong that made her truly happy was the Roman Knight and since he does not share the same feelings as Rossi does, the "brightness" or happiness is taken away from her being.

    44. fervent

      This is defined by Merriam-Webster as "adjective

      1. having or displaying a passionate intensity. synonyms: impassioned, passionate, intense, vehement, ardent, sincere, fervid, heartfelt; More archaic hot, burning, or glowing."
    45. Shaking thine inmost bosom with a tone Of lost affection;–something that may prove What she hath been, whose melancholy love On thee was lavish'd; silent pang and tear,

      Rossi seems to be profusely crying: "Silent pang and tear" is the sound of her sadness because of the "melancholy love" that was unrequited. The word "lavished" in this context also tells us that she was crying heavily because of this lost suitor.

    46. lavish'd

      Defined my Merriam-Webster as "1. expending or bestowing profusely: prodigal

      1. a : expended or produced in abundance b : marked by profusion or excess"
    47. Something immortal of my heart and mind, That yet may speak to thee when I am gone,

      Rossi wants to pour her heart and soul into her artwork so it speaks for her as an artist when she has passed away. In Rossi's lifetime, women artists were not really given a second glance when people dealt with their artwork, so for her to want to make something so significant and amazing for others to judge her as a person on, is a great feat; one where you would have to put your all into it.

    48. enshrined

      This is defined by Merriam-Webster as "transitive verb

      1. to enclose in or as if in a shrine
      2. to preserve or cherish as sacred"
    49. May this last work, this farewell triumph be,– Thou, lov'd so vainly!

      Either she somehow knows she is going to die and this is going to be how she ends her career or she is vowing to make this her last artwork, one she put all her heart into creating, to give away to win the affection of the Knight.

    50. that he may yet Feeling sad mastery there, perchance regret Thine unrequited gift.

      The object of affection, this Roman Knight, does not love Properzia the way she loves him and therefore does not appreciate the gifts she will give him, even if she actually pours her heart and soul into this sculpture (which it seems she is because the way she describes it, is almost as if its animated).

    51. Ere

      Ere is defined by Merriam-Webster, as meaning "before."

    52. Of my soul's lofty gifts! Are they not vain To quench its haunting thirst for happiness?

      Hemens is speaking as if she were Properzia. She is questioning if she is good enough to have someone to love: "my soul's lofty gifts" sound like she would give her everything for whomever she is with and she aches to find true happiness, but no one is satisfied with her.

    53. basso-relievo

      "Basso-Relieve" or "Bas Relief" is defined by Dictionary.com as "1.noun relief sculpture in which the figures project slightly from the background. Also called low relief."

    54. died in consequence of an unrequited attachment.

      Throughout my research, there is no conclusive evidence that shows that Properzia died from a "broken heart" because most sources show that she was on her way to meet the king and he was told she could not make it due to her untimely death on the day. Most sources agree that she was 40 when she passed away. (Source: https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Properzia%20de%27%20Rossi&item_type=topic)

  3. Nov 2016
    1. lofty
      1. of imposing height. "the elegant square was shaded by lofty palms" synonyms: tall, high, giant, towering, soaring, skyscraping "a lofty tower"
      2. (of wool and other textiles) thick and resilient.
    2. ONE dream of passion and of beauty more! And in its bright fulfillment let me pour My soul away! Let earth retain a trace Of that which lit my being, tho' its race Might have been loftier far.–Yet one more dream! From my deep spirit one victorious gleam

      The author, Felicia Hemans, is writing from the perspective of Properzia, and saying that she may be dead but let her artwork live on to give life to the earth and let it leave a trace and her mark on the world to show her impression on the culture she was in. "Let earth retain a trace Of that which lit my being" She is saying that she loved to make art so when she died, earth was left with her art that continues to be viewed to this day, and that she wanted to leave a lasting impression on the world.

    3. it may be that death Shall give my name a power to win such tears As would have made life precious

      Most artists are not truly acknowledged until after their deaths, especially that of a woman artist of this time, because her artwork was not extremely prevalent to the public or seen as important. Due to her gender, women artists were not taken seriously and their credit for their works was given to the male artist that taught them their trade, and not to the actual female artist.

    4. Fame goes with me; I must leave The earth unknown.

      Rossi's death was only recorded because she was scheduled to meet with the incoming king, Charles V, that day and died at age 40. it was recorded that he was on his way to meet with her to have a piece of art commissioned, but he learned on the way there that she had passed away.

    5. Properzia Rossi

      "(c.1490-1530) Properzia de' Rossi was born c.1490 in Bologna, Italy. She studied drawing under Marcantonio Raimondi, known today for his engravings of paintings by Raphael. de' Rossi was at first known for her complex miniature sculptures using an unorthodox medium of apricot, peach or cherry stones. In her thirties, she began to produce normal-sized sculptures like portrait busts, and these helped establish her reputation as a serious artist. She was also commissioned to decorate the altar of Santa Maria del Baraccano in Bologna and she won a competition to produce marble sculpture for the church of San Pedro in Bologna." http://distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/derossi-properzia.html

  4. Oct 2016
    1. THE THORN

    2. “Oh misery! oh misery! 253 O woe is me! oh misery!”

      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!"

    3. But that she goes to this old thorn, 178The thorn which I’ve described to you, 179And there sits in a scarlet cloak,

      This imagery of the scarlet cloak coincides with the vermilion and bright and strong colors represented in this poem. Usually red signifies anger, but in Martha's case, she is sad, which does not correlate to the meaning and emotion usually associated with this color, which makes you think why Wordsworth chose this adjective to describe her cloak.

    4. Her company to Stephen Hill; 119And she was blithe and gay, 120And she was happy, happy still 121Whene’er she thought of Stephen Hill. XII. 122And they had fix’d the wedding-day, 123The morning that must wed them both; 124But Stephen to another maid 125Had sworn another oath; 126And with this other maid to church 127Unthinking Stephen went— 128Poor Martha! on that woful day

      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.

  5. Sep 2016
    1. Fretted by sallies of his mother's kisses,89With light upon him from his father's eyes!90See, at his feet, some little plan or chart,91Some fragment from his dream of human life,92Shaped by himself with newly-learn{`e}d art

      Wordsworth describes the stages of a child growing up and how he dislikes how children "act" while playing and mimicking adults. Within these lines, he describes the child's experiences with their parents and how this is the "human life" he notices and the way the adults show actions and how they are as people is what shapes this child's way of being or as he calls it "art"

    1.  And what if all of animated nature46Be but organic harps diversely framed,47That tremble into thought, as o'er them sweeps48Plastic and vast, one intellectual breeze,49At once the Soul of each, and God of All?

      Coleridge is stating that the world is animated and brought to life through nature, much like the eolian harp. Through the breeze nature brings the harp is played to make beautiful noise that makes the night 'tremble" as he puts. he goes on to say a somewhat controversial statement when he says "at once the soul of each, and God of All" (lines 48-49). Here, he questions if nature is the god who plays all of life's instruments and composes how the world is played out.

    1. But now my soul unus'd to stretch her powers In flight so daring, drops her weary wing, And seeks again the known accustom'd spot

      This is stating that she used to be so open to do what she wanted an fearless in all she accomplished but now it has withered away and she is now weary of all she does. she is seeking to find that presence inside her that allows her to not be fearful and to stretch out her wings.