Andrea Del Sarto How Brownings Poetry Can — страница 2

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ominous expressions from Browning ?s ?del Sarto?. It continues with his annoyance that Lucrezia must ?prick those perfect ears? as it destroys the authenticity of art by looking at real beauty, instead by appealing to fake aesthetics. In Browning?s time, artists such as Constable strove to find beauty in reality, without appealing to ?fake? looks. Furthermore, the poem shows his possessiveness over Lucrezia, ?My face, my moon, my everybody?s moon?. However this contrasts to the dangerous and violent nature of the count?s possessiveness in ?My Last Duchess?, another Browning poem. This is seemingly ironic since he does not object to his wife covertness? with her cousin, urging her to ?Go, my love?. However, it is obvious that he thinks his art expresses a lot more about his wife

to his audience, and does not like this being revealed to a ?friends friend?. This is where the inner conflict is firstly identified; he wants to have artistic integrity, though does not want to paint his wife as he sees her. He actually segregates himself from his audience as referring to himself and other artists a ?we painters?, and might think his picture of his wife will be looked upon incorrectly. Browning could easily of thought this about how his poetry was received. For example his poem, ?Meeting at Night? is an entire poem based on sexual metaphor, and many could just take this as it is; yet when accompanied by ?Parting at Morning? it relays a profound idea. This part of the poem suggests a divide and a possible disregard by browning of his audience. As the poem

continues, it starts to outline the foreboding feeling that ?de Sarto? has in his life. Browning uses the nouns ?grayness? and ?silvers? as a verb to highlight this particular idea of gloominess, and dullness. He refers to his life as one that is ?in twilight?. This imagery creates a dull, lifeless and sparse impression. This idea of loss of colour from his life and art, ?all being toned down? are interestingly juxtaposed; as one declines, so does the other. There is a hint of finality her, not in itself, but something that is soon to come, but no idea when. This is previously expressed through lines such as ?I might get up tomorrow?. This idea of uncertainty could well have been how Browning was feeling when he wrote the poem, since although it is not entirely certain when he

wrote it, it is thought nearer the end of his life. He could easily have been feeling depressed about his work, and feel he had lost his ?youth and art?. This is very ironic however, since one of his greatest poems, ?Childe Rolande? was one of his last poems. Much of Browning?s language creates a very sluggish and ?pleasant? image, but not exciting. Browning?s ?del Sarto? refers to Fiesole as ?pleasant?, which expresses Browning?s distaste for his surroundings in Italy, where he lived with Elizabeth. Poems such as ?Home Thoughts from Abroad? articulated a want to move back to England, which was not resolved in his poetry until ?De gustibus? ten years later. As the poem continues, it hints at why ?del Sarto? has to work for money. The poem reveals that he wants to ?give [Lucrezia]

more?. It is not entirely clear whether she wants this, or asks for it, the important thing being that he is trying to woo her again as he feels they do not ?love each other?. This is the reasoning for calling their abode a ?melancholy little house?. He feels he has to cement the walls with ?fierce bright gold?, yet this need for money has set his fate. He tries to provide Lucrezia with ? a ruff? and many things beside yet must now ?bear his lot?. It also brings into the idea of ?God?s judgment?, and also that of ?King Francis?. In context with Victorian times, this was a time where people started to question the authenticity of religion, and monarchy. The Victorian era heralded the questioning of religion and the monarchy. It resulted in the abolition of the monarchy in many of

the European countries, and the changes in religion, where it was no longer heresy to question the church. So this is the cause of ?del Sarto?s? inner turmoil. Although he wants to continue painting, and have artistic integrity, for example his want to paint the ?Virgin face?, he wants to give ?more? to Lucrezia. He actually blames her satisfying her ?friend?, and asks ?does he please you more?? Nevertheless he says he regrets ?little, and would change less?. He feels he has been loved ?quite enough?, and would have been up there in the ?four great walls of New Jerusalem? with the greats of ?Leonard, Rafael and Agnolo? but they were ?without a wife?, and he has chosen. This shows how once again the character of ?del Sarto? knows his problem, yet does not wish to solve it. As far