Study Question: The Victorians: Poetry &Prose

1 . What is the function of poetry for Mill ? Of poets ? What differences do you see between his ideal of poetry and the Romantic ideal

The function of poetry , according to Mill , is to act upon the emotions It differs from prose or science in a sense that while these address beliefs , poetry is to feelings that while the other two works by convincing or persuading , poetry works by moving ' emotions and while the other two presents a proposition to the understanding poetry offers interesting objects of contemplation to the sensibilities ' Poetry

should paint the human soul truly ' There is not much difference in Mill 's function of poetry to Romantic ideals in the sense that both appeal to the emotion of the readers

2 . In the passage from his Autobiography , what does Mill become depressed /love his faith ? What saves ' him ? What is Mill 's critique of Utilitarian philosophy

Although Mill is a famous exponent of Utilitarianism , he has some objections or criticisms about it . His father was also an exponent of Utilitarianism and here lies his delemma . He took the oppurtunity to publish his criticisms , alongside with his defense , when an earlier work by Professor Sedgwick was published that assaulted utilitarian ethics and which had given his father and other utilitarians much indignation

3 . What choice is the Lady of Shalott making when she leaves her tower

The Lady of Shalott decides to leave her isolation when she decided to leave her tower . All her life she lived in isolation , that although reapers hears her song , had seen her and she couldn 't look down fro her tower because of the curse if she did so . One time she exclaimed I am half-sick of the shadows ' Even though she resists looking down from her tower , she finally did when she heard Sir Lancelot sing and the curse is starting to manifest on her . Perhaps , at least at the time of death the Lady of Shalott does not wish to be alone but wish herself to be known to others , that she left the tower , labeled the boat she found The Lady of Shalott ' and died crossing the river going to Camelot

4 . Is Ulysses ' decision to leave his home again (a ) heroic or (b escapist ? Defend your answer

Ulysses ' decision to leave his home again is an escape to the life in his kingdom . There is nothing heroic in his new conquest , other than to seek a newer world ' or to touch the Happy Isles ' In the beginning of the poem , Ulysses already suggest that there is little point in staying home and states that he cannot rest from travel ' He believes that going back to sea again would yeild some work of noble note suggesting that travelling the seas offers a much simpler and fruitful life than staying home

5 . Explain how the setting and circumstances affect our reading of My Last Duchess ? Is the narrator reliable ? How do we know

The setting and circumstances in...