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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Blake’S Green Symbols Of Humanity, Society, And Spirituality, Angela J. Heagy
Blake’S Green Symbols Of Humanity, Society, And Spirituality, Angela J. Heagy
Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism
William Blake is an exemplar of Romantic poetry characterized by depictions of the occult, the divine, and human nature. Despite Blake’s reputation as a Romantic poet, many critics claim that there is not sufficient evidence to consider him a nature writer. As a result, Blake’s name is frequently omitted from ecological discussions; some scholars go so far as to claim that Blake’s poetry demonstrates a disregard for nature altogether. This article argues that an eco-critical analysis of Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience reveals nature to be Blake’s continual source of inspiration. Within this collection, nature represents the struggles …
Beyond "His Native Town": Travel And Alienation In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Erin G. Quinn
Beyond "His Native Town": Travel And Alienation In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Erin G. Quinn
Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism
Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein features a surprisingly extensive variety of locations through which Victor Frankenstein travels, ranging from the vibrant cities of London and Oxford to the isolated Orkney islands and Arctic lands. Scholars have analyzed the roles which some of these settings, namely, the Alps and the Arctic, play in the novel, and many have noted the importance of travel to the text. However, little scholarship exists assessing how Victor’s travels as a whole impact him, as well as their collective purpose within the story. Given the prominence of travel in Shelley’s text, as well as the fact …
Experimenting Upon The Feelings: Maria Edgeworth’S Empirical Approach To Love In Belinda, Emily Hopwood Durney
Experimenting Upon The Feelings: Maria Edgeworth’S Empirical Approach To Love In Belinda, Emily Hopwood Durney
Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism
In her 1801 novel/moral tale Belinda, Maria Edgeworth presents a story of love, family, reconciliation, and education in a time when the popularity of companionate marriages was rising in British society along with the acceleration of scientific innovations and advancements. Belinda mixes these two interests of love and science as Edgeworth, empirically minded like her inventor father, frequently has her characters debunk illusion and deceit through induction and logic. Critics, such as Nicole Wright, have argued that Belinda is a far more significant character than is often recognized because of her logic and reason—especially as she helps other characters …
Poe's Gothic Soul In "Metzengerstein": An Invitation To Look Inside, Elizabeth Peek
Poe's Gothic Soul In "Metzengerstein": An Invitation To Look Inside, Elizabeth Peek
Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism
The following paper examines Poe’s affair with German tradition, particularly Gothic and Romantic writing, through an analysis of his short story “Metzengerstein.” This short story is not only rich with the conventions of Gothic fiction, but also rings with an autobiographical tone. The added piece of Poe himself in this text implies his own Gothic origins. I imply that Poe was a natural Romantic, with the purpose of bringing his own terror to a larger audience. The German gloom in “Metzengerstein” was authentic, not an imitation. I come to the conclusion that Poe’s production of literary horror – in the …