The Ruined Maid is a dialogue between two women who meet after a long time. The poem is notable for its use of irony and satire to expose the hypocrisy of Victorian society, which condemned women for their sexual behavior but also objectified them. The other woman is her former friend, who is shocked by the change in her appearance and lifestyle. The poem narrates a conversation between two women, one of whom is a former country girl who has become a city prostitute. The Ruined Maid was first published in 1901 in a collection of Hardy's poetry titled Wessex Poems. In this critique, I will analyze The Ruined Maid and explore its themes, literary devices, and cultural significance. One of his most famous poems, The Ruined Maid, is a satirical piece that exposes the double standards of Victorian society regarding women's sexuality. His works are known for their poignant portrayal of human emotions, and his poetry often deals with themes of loss, love, and betrayal. Thomas Hardy is one of the most celebrated poets and novelists of the Victorian era. You ain't ruined," said she.Įditor 1 Interpretation The Ruined Maid: A Critique "My dear-a raw country girl, such as you be,Ĭannot quite expect that. "-I wish I had feathers, a fine sweeping gown,Īnd a delicate face, and could strut about Town!". One's pretty lively when ruined," said she. "You used to call home-life a hag-ridden dream,Īnd you'd sigh, and you'd sock but at present you seem "We never do work when we're ruined," said she. "Your hands were like paws then, your face blue and bleakīut now I'm bewitched by your delicate cheek,Īnd your little gloves fit as on any la-dy!". "Some polish is gained with one's ruin," said she. Your talking quite fits 'ee for high compa-ny!". "At home in the barton you said 'thee' and 'thou,'Īnd 'thik oon,' and 'theäs oon,' and 't'other' but now "Yes: that's how we dress when we're ruined," said she. Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks Īnd now you've gay bracelets and bright feathers three!". "You left us in tatters, without shoes or socks, "O didn't you know I'd been ruined?" said she. Who could have supposed I should meet you in Town?Īnd whence such fair garments, such prosperi-ty?". This is especially the case for “false friends,” words that seem familiar but have changed their meaning."O 'Melia, my dear, this does everything crown! If you don’t take the time to look up difficult words, you will be more likely to misinterpret the text. Conclusionĭon’t be too hasty in moving on to analysis. Now, when I recall the daffodils, I feel warm and fuzzy, as if I’m dancing with the daffodils.
By the way, being able to remember is quite pleasant when you’re all alone. Often when I’m lying on my couch, and feeling a bit emotionless or thoughtful, I can still see those daffodils in my mind. I did a great deal of gazing, but didn’t fully appreciate the moment at the time. A poet couldn’t avoid being happy in such circumstances. The waves in the bay also seemed to dance, but the daffodils looked happier. In one glance I could see ten thousand of them. The daffodils formed a line that stretched around much of the bay. There were so many daffodils that they looked like the stars in our galaxy. Suddenly I saw a huge number of daffodils, right beside a lake and under some trees. When I went for a walk, I felt like I was a cloud, floating above the hills and valleys below.
The following paraphrase is quite casual, and it doesn’t capture the beauty and imagery of the poem, but it should give you some idea of the literal meaning: Tossing their heads in sprightly 4 dance. That floats on high o’er vales 1 and hills, VocabularyĪs you read the poem, consult the definitions below: Our example is William Wordsworth’s poem “I wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (1807). For a longer text, you might consider writing a short summary of key points. We’ll do this by looking up any difficult words and by putting the text in our own words (paraphrasing).įor a short poem, you can do a word by word paraphrase. Before analyzing a text, we want to understand its literal meaning.
0 kommentar(er)
