SUMMARY- The poem recounts the story of two women, Maude
Clare and Nell. They are both in love with the same man, Sir Thomas, who has
chosen to marry Nell- due to her superior social status and wealth. On his
wedding day, Maude appears with wedding gifts consisting of the gifts he had
presented to her through the course of their unfulfilled courtship. She
declares to Nell that she can have what is left of the love Maude and Thomas
shared. However, Nell asserts that she loves her husband enough to overlook his
past, and will replace Maude Clare despite her moral inferiority and lesser
beauty.
WOMEN AND MARRIAGE IN THE 19TH CENTURY
Many Victorians considered
marriage to be at the centre of a stable society. It was widely believed that a
happy family contributed to the well-being of the country. Women were forced to
rely on men for their financial upkeep since most jobs were closed to them, so a
good marriage was important. It was generally believed that if a woman was
unmarried she was somehow not complete.
CHARACTERS
MAUDE CLARE-
Moral
Righteous
Proud
Defiant- speaks after mother to defy social hierarchy
‘fallen woman’- suggested to have engaged in a sensual relationship with the lord ‘’ankle-deep’’
Moral
Righteous
Proud
Defiant- speaks after mother to defy social hierarchy
‘fallen woman’- suggested to have engaged in a sensual relationship with the lord ‘’ankle-deep’’
LORD THOMAS
Speaks once
His character is only there to represent the cruelty of aristocracy
Weak willed- submitted to marrying a woman more appropriate for his social status
Conflicted- speech is broken into caesurae, suggests confliction and insecurities
Ambiguous character
Speaks once
His character is only there to represent the cruelty of aristocracy
Weak willed- submitted to marrying a woman more appropriate for his social status
Conflicted- speech is broken into caesurae, suggests confliction and insecurities
Ambiguous character
NELL
Inferior to Maude Clare in all ways ‘’more wise and much more fair’’- aside from her social superiority and wealth
Cold
Shallow
Bitter
Detached- ‘’I’ll love him till he loves me best’’
Inferior to Maude Clare in all ways ‘’more wise and much more fair’’- aside from her social superiority and wealth
Cold
Shallow
Bitter
Detached- ‘’I’ll love him till he loves me best’’
MOTHER
Wealth
High social status- first character to speak
Controlling- arranged marriage
Proud
Blinded to the scandals her son has taken part
of
THEMES
PRIDE
Maude Clare’s pride and awareness of her morality leads to her defiance and scorn of the characters at the wedding. But also gives her the confidence to defy them
The mother’s pride causes her to be blind to Thomas’s mistakes, also emphasises the cruel and lack of empathy in the aristocracy
Nell’s pride results in her misunderstanding of love and emotional connection between MC and Thomas
Maude Clare’s pride and awareness of her morality leads to her defiance and scorn of the characters at the wedding. But also gives her the confidence to defy them
The mother’s pride causes her to be blind to Thomas’s mistakes, also emphasises the cruel and lack of empathy in the aristocracy
Nell’s pride results in her misunderstanding of love and emotional connection between MC and Thomas
BETRAYAL
Thomas betrays the love he had with Maude Clare in order to appease his mother and conform to the expectations of the social hierarchy
The mother is suggested to have been in the same position as Nell when marrying Thomas’s father- she betrays Thomas in forbidding him to marry the woman he loves
Maude Clare’s presence at the wedding may be interpreted as a warning to Nell that Thomas is likely to betray her as he betrayed MC
Thomas betrays the love he had with Maude Clare in order to appease his mother and conform to the expectations of the social hierarchy
The mother is suggested to have been in the same position as Nell when marrying Thomas’s father- she betrays Thomas in forbidding him to marry the woman he loves
Maude Clare’s presence at the wedding may be interpreted as a warning to Nell that Thomas is likely to betray her as he betrayed MC
JEALOUSY
Nell’s jealousy of Maude Clare portrays her as petty and selfish
Maude Clare’s jealousy is what causes her to attend and spoil the wedding
Nell’s jealousy of Maude Clare portrays her as petty and selfish
Maude Clare’s jealousy is what causes her to attend and spoil the wedding
IMAGERY
HEARTH
A hearth is the part of a room which holds a fireplace, perceived to be at the centre of the Victorian home. Provided comfort and sustenance, it was seen to be central to well-being and health
By claiming that she wished to ‘bless' their hearth, Maude Clare ironically comments on the negativity her presence brings. Instead of blessing it with warmth, she proposes to bless it with a coldness which is unnecessary and detrimental to the health of the couple. The extent of the coldness of her presence could account for the paleness in the faces of both Thomas and Nell.
A hearth is the part of a room which holds a fireplace, perceived to be at the centre of the Victorian home. Provided comfort and sustenance, it was seen to be central to well-being and health
By claiming that she wished to ‘bless' their hearth, Maude Clare ironically comments on the negativity her presence brings. Instead of blessing it with warmth, she proposes to bless it with a coldness which is unnecessary and detrimental to the health of the couple. The extent of the coldness of her presence could account for the paleness in the faces of both Thomas and Nell.
BOARD
A board is the table upon which meals are shared, the place where communion and generosity can be found.
Traditionally, the idea of blessing the ‘board' would be providing food for a family to enjoy. By saying that her ‘gift' will bless their board, Maude places herself at the heart of their domestic life and thus stands in the way of the happy communication they might enjoy.
A board is the table upon which meals are shared, the place where communion and generosity can be found.
Traditionally, the idea of blessing the ‘board' would be providing food for a family to enjoy. By saying that her ‘gift' will bless their board, Maude places herself at the heart of their domestic life and thus stands in the way of the happy communication they might enjoy.
MARRIAGE BED
By claiming that she wishes to ‘bless' their marriage-bed, Maude Clare inserts herself between the intimacy that should exist between Thomas and Nell alone
Maude's presence threatens to disturb their sleep, disrupt their love for one another and threaten the well-being of any future children they may have.
By claiming that she wishes to ‘bless' their marriage-bed, Maude Clare inserts herself between the intimacy that should exist between Thomas and Nell alone
Maude's presence threatens to disturb their sleep, disrupt their love for one another and threaten the well-being of any future children they may have.
THE
GOLDEN CHAIN
Maude gives back to Thomas her half of the ‘golden chain' they had split between them when he was courting her
She suggests that she no longer wants to retain any portion of him. It is the final breaking of the bond that she felt was tying her to him.
Maude gives back to Thomas her half of the ‘golden chain' they had split between them when he was courting her
She suggests that she no longer wants to retain any portion of him. It is the final breaking of the bond that she felt was tying her to him.
LILIES
Maude tells Thomas that she remembers wading through grass as they searched together for ‘lilies in the beck'
On his wedding day, she gives back to him her half of the ‘faded leaves' that they plucked whilst the lilies were in bloom
Lilies have been associated with purity since ancient times. They are widely regarded a symbol of fertility, being used as a wedding flower and are also seen as a symbol of death, being placed on graves
By reminding Thomas that ‘lilies are budding now' Maude Clare both offers an ironic comment on his marriage to another woman and recalls the hope that she once had regarding getting married herself.
Maude tells Thomas that she remembers wading through grass as they searched together for ‘lilies in the beck'
On his wedding day, she gives back to him her half of the ‘faded leaves' that they plucked whilst the lilies were in bloom
Lilies have been associated with purity since ancient times. They are widely regarded a symbol of fertility, being used as a wedding flower and are also seen as a symbol of death, being placed on graves
By reminding Thomas that ‘lilies are budding now' Maude Clare both offers an ironic comment on his marriage to another woman and recalls the hope that she once had regarding getting married herself.
BLOOM
AND DEW
Maude claims that if the gift she has for Thomas and Nell consisted of fruit or flowers, their bloom and the dew would have long disappeared
Bloom and dew indicate life and growth, Maude suggests that she comes to bring destruction. She hints that the gift she wants to give back is her share of Thomas' ‘fickle heart'
Spoken of ironically as a gift, she presents it more as a burden and a shame she wants to be rid of
Rather than symbolising love, she considers that his heart is a symbol of unfaithfulness and indecisiveness.
Maude claims that if the gift she has for Thomas and Nell consisted of fruit or flowers, their bloom and the dew would have long disappeared
Bloom and dew indicate life and growth, Maude suggests that she comes to bring destruction. She hints that the gift she wants to give back is her share of Thomas' ‘fickle heart'
Spoken of ironically as a gift, she presents it more as a burden and a shame she wants to be rid of
Rather than symbolising love, she considers that his heart is a symbol of unfaithfulness and indecisiveness.
BECK
Religious connotations- suggest ultimate corruption and impurity of humanity
Could also suggest MC’s ‘scandalous relationship’ with the lord was in fact one of love and purity, blessed by heavenly powers
A beck is a river/stream with a rugged bed or difficult course- premonition that MC’s affair was never to be happy or to end in such a way which was desirable i.e. marriage
Religious connotations- suggest ultimate corruption and impurity of humanity
Could also suggest MC’s ‘scandalous relationship’ with the lord was in fact one of love and purity, blessed by heavenly powers
A beck is a river/stream with a rugged bed or difficult course- premonition that MC’s affair was never to be happy or to end in such a way which was desirable i.e. marriage
FORM- BALLAD
Traditional ballad
AB AB rhyme scheme
Alternate iambic tetrameter and trimeter lines
Traditional ballads written to make a moral statement, tell a popular story or to celebrate or attack certain institutions or people.
Maude Clare has an ABCB rhyme scheme- avoids fitting the pattern of a ballad smoothly, disjointed
Reflects upon the tone and context of the
story, as one of heart break and trialTraditional ballad
AB AB rhyme scheme
Alternate iambic tetrameter and trimeter lines
Traditional ballads written to make a moral statement, tell a popular story or to celebrate or attack certain institutions or people.
Maude Clare has an ABCB rhyme scheme- avoids fitting the pattern of a ballad smoothly, disjointed
No comments:
Post a Comment