The horrible marionette, in contrast, rather than singing, smoked its cigarette and tried to pretend it was alive. Finally, the utter hopelessness of the dark side of Victorian society comes out with the phrase, "The dead are dancing with the dead, the dust is whirling with the dust," evoking the funeral speak of "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," and the dead -- the underside of society, those with whom the proper Victorian had little use, pass from love to lust, from light to dark, tire of the game as they do the synthetic waltz, their shadows morphing into nothing as they continue to wheel and whirl, finally weary of it all. The literary images of this poem, coupled with the drawings by Althea Gyles, certainly focus upon the hypocrisy of the social caste and cultural mores of the time. Wilde, likely being familiar with these types of establishments, seems to believe that while the aristocracy would "slum" to these areas for entertainment,...
However, rather than being able to offer something true and meaningful, they are relegated to focus on the lustful nature, the fleeting glances and actions of pleasure, certainly not the overt sense of love. Finishing the poem, one cannot help but be filled with the pathos of the inhabitants, lacking any life force, but still attempting to dance a part of the world. For Wilde, society's view of lust is empty and lifeless, too, removed from the innocent and the truth of real love. Yet, too, he seems to say that the pleasures of the flesh are desired by all -- fleeting and ever out of reach.
permissive attitude towards London sailor-town exist during the 1850-1860, and how did it change during the 1900-1910? The main Theories Fronted Although the marine community came from diverse backgrounds, the seafarers ashore had acquired a debauched image long before the 16th Century. The seafarers have won the appraisal of researchers for their role since then. According to Lee[footnoteRef:1], seafarers had delinked themselves from the usual expected bonds and roles in society
" Mather 22) Hawthorne clearly stepped away from the Puritan ethic by consistently alluding to the existence of the earthly supernatural. Though this was a fear of the Puritans, clearly it was associated with Satan and possession of the living. In Hawthorne's works the supernatural was associated with less grand sources, such as those seen in Young Goodman Brown. (Hoeltje 39-40) Hawthorne allows his characters to explore concepts that would have been
The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad -- as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation:" (such as, one might add, when the
" The point made by the poet is similar to the poem above. The reference to John, The Father of our souls, shall be, John tells us, doth not yet appear; is a reference to the Book of Revelations, at the end of the Bible. That despite the promises of an Eternal life for those who eschew sin, we are still frail and have the faults of people. We are still besought by sin
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