"A game of cards played (ordinarily) by four persons, of whom each two sitting opposite each other are partners, with a pack of 52 cards, which are dealt face downwards to the players in rotation, so that each has a hand of 13 cards" (OED).

This word originated in the 17th Century, stemming from the original English verb “connex." It was replaced by our modern spelling of the verb form, “connect,” between the years 1725 and 1750. (OED).

"A former English money of account... of the value of 12d. or 1/ 20 of a pound sterling. No longer in official use after the introduction of decimal coinage in 1971, but still occasionally used to denote five new pence" (OED).

"Of a person: highly trained, educated, or skilled; possessing many accomplishments" (OED).

“A large enclosed area of land or woodland maintained for the decoration of a castle or country house, or for pleasure or recreation, etc." (OED).

"a numbered ticket bought in order to participate in a lottery," (OED). Resembling the modern version, "lottery tickets" is a game of chance. It is detailed in full by Edmond Hoyle in his guide, Hoyle's Games: Containing Laws & Directions for Playing the Various Games Now Prevalent : with Many Improvements and Additions.

Leapor reminds us that all change, innovation, new directions come at a price. Like the Romantic poets before here who placed such emphasis on Nature and it's impact on the world abroad she bears the question, "at what cost?" Is this a question that we should still be asking ourselves today?Nature, mother earth, surrounds us whether we like it or not. So should it be our duty to preserve it? Or should we just change it as we see fit?

This is a direct connection to "Pope's Epistle to Burlington" (line 131). It is not made directly clear to the reader but with prior knowledge, especially of those of the time who were likely to have read Pope, would be able to pick out the allusion.

The "darling Crime" can possibly be seen as a connection to writing and poetry in general. The act of writing for a female individual was nothing short of transgressive. Leapor's efforts were mirrored by the efforts of poets like Anne Finch These are early allusions to feminist writings that are to come in the future years.

The issue in Crumble-Hall is not just about the battle between fine buildings and intellectual value but also between the those who own books and those who do not and what they choose to do with the opportunity afforded to them.

There seems to be a considerable amount of disagreement on the nature of "Crumble Hall" and the intent of Leapor. From mocking, to betrayal, to anger, and discontent different views and interpretations are abundant. Jeannie Dalporto comprises a vast collections in her book [Landscape, Labor, and the Ideology of Improvement In Mary Leapor's "Crumble Hall.](https://www.jstor.org/stable/41467881?seq=16&refreqid=excelsior%3Ade0acf6f39739707dd656972746b2cff#page_scan_tab_contents)

The earlier part of the poem is an exploration/tour of the estate. But notice the shift to the outside grounds. It's a rather unorthodox change of scenery. In her "Alienated Insider" article, Valerie Rumbold writes of the "tensions between rootedness and aspirations..."

In a brief moment of communication between the Lord of the house and the "servant," Leapor gives a voice to those who do not traditionally get to have a voice. She gives some value, some credence to the duties and work of female individuals. Much as Mary Collier outlined her work duties in her response to Stephen Duck, Leapor takes the opportunity to seek recognition.

In a traditional country-home poem you would get a grand description of a beautiful parlour. But the way in which Leapor describes the room we get the feeling of a bland, barren, somewhat "dead" room. Nothing about this room really feels appealing or draws us in.

Mira is Leapor's poetic name for herself so as to sound a bit more pastoral to adhere to the time period she found herself in (look to the "Work" section in the link.) Realizing that she is using herself in the poem sets some context for "Crumble-Hall" and sets up the initial lines as reflexive on herself.

Why use Nymphs to illustrate her point? Does the use of mythological characters strengthen or weaken her argument? It seems to add some color and imagination to her argument, and it may seem to add some connection to past intellectuals.

In "Crumble-Hall" Leapor criticzes the wealthy for the destruction of nature and their constant renovation of their homes to fit the ever-changing trends of society. Is this need to "fit-in" or this need to adjust to societal norms still prevalent today? Why do we as people feel the need to adjust to the norms of society?

Looking to the "help" Leapor praises "sophronia" for all the hardwork she puts in as a servant of the the oh so grand household she has been making her way through in "Crumble-Hall." A theme that's still prevalent today, the "help" is looked at as less, despite the hard work they go through everyday. They work twice as hard in life to get half as far, if that.

Leapor's distaste for the grandeur size of the house is shared by other poets like, Alexander Pope. His "Epistle to Burlington" sheds some common sentiments on the matter of an excessive tendency shared by the elite.

A second socialite that Leapor does not hesitate to scathe. She points out the excessive nature they revel in. Just as they eat in excessive amounts they surround themselves with excessive and unnecessary luxuries while so many others have so little. But even more so it is unfortunate that those with opportunities afforded to them do not take advantage of all that life has afforded them.

The Country House genre places the home directly into the main narrative as an essential piece of subject matter. The country house poem (or country estate poem) of the seventeenth century which praised the houses and estates of the landed elite was the early form of this genre. Click here for some extra reading on Country House poetry and its development since the 18th century. Knowing that estate poetry is a form of praise, how does that effect the way you take in Mary Leapor's poem?

A long list of reactions to Levine's work here. Look specifically to the responses of Michael Peich and David St. John. This whole time we've been speaking about industrialization and unconsciously focusing on (at least personally) on the white population of the time. But they introduce a whole new depth to the poem. Does it change perspective at different points in the poem?

From this interview Philip Levine takes a moment to speak about how he was giving a voice to the voiceless. But here they speak to the difference of being a voice and giving a voice to the voiceless. Which is the better take?

A little extra insight into "They Feed They Lion" and it's author Phil Levine

Likely the common phrase from the mouths of unhappy and overworked laborers to their superiors

fists are usually a sign of aggression but being paired with the word "sweet" we get a whole new sense from the word. The juxtaposition allows for more depth in the short lines of poetry, in any literature for that matter.

this could possibly be about deforestation, a result of industrial expansion

these are just a few of the common products one could find during the industrial revolution

Human kind has been on a downhill spiral when it comes to the environment and the world we live in. And since the 70s, when this was written by Levine, it seems to have rapidly accelerated

Levine could be addressing the toll that industrialism has on Earth

Items that are produced/manufactured. The growth of industry?

Aggressive? Aggression towards someone or a group?

Seems like somewhat of a call to arms. A call for action, for the oppressed to fight back.