#critiqueofthewealthy

[learningaliving]

Commonplace Entry 14: Charlotte Smith's Elegiac Sonnets

On Being Cautioned Against Walking Headland Overlooking the Sea Because it Was Frequented by a Lunatic

"I see him more with envy, than with fear...he has no nice felicities that shrink... He seems uncursed not to know the depth or duration of his woe" (58).

Charlotte Smith's sonnet speaks to the philosophical and cultural prisons that society places on people such as those with abundant assets, properties, homes and the things that fill them. The wealthy have many privileges, but they are also responsible for so much they may experience little freedom. Even more notable in this poem is the prison of the mind referencing those who have knowledge of our condition, or the ills of individual and society. It would seem humanity is nearly made wearier and more miserable with the advancement of knowledge.

Smith, Charlotte. Elegiac Sonnets, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 10th Edition, Volume D, The Romantic Period, New York, London, W.W. Norton Company, 2018, pp.58.

[learningaliving]

Commonplace Entry 3: Letters...Written during Her Travels [The Turkish Embassy Letters]

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu observed in one of her Turkish Embassy letters, "I was here convinced of the truth of a reflection I had often made, that if it were the fashion to go naked, the face would hardly be observed. I perceived that the ladies of the most delicate skins and finest shapes had the greatest share of my admiration, though their faces were sometimes less beautiful than those of their companions" (631).

Women travel writers such as Montagu had significant influence in the 17th century. The rise of the middle class and technological advancements made for more security and freedom in global travel for English citizens. Montagu, wife of Constantinople ambassador and the daughter of an aristocrat, was invested in sharing her observances and the English were invested in reading her words in turn. Her ability to witness foreign social cultural curiosities and report of them gave her an edge as an influencer. 18th century English were particularly interested in unveiling activities that would typically be removed from the public eye. Montagu's experience of the Turkish women's bathhouse gave her a taste of the surprising freedom found there. In "veiling" oneself from the gaze of others (men), superficialities, such as clothing and jewelry, became moot. Women's wisdom could be observed and expressed when the importance of outward appearance was subdued. Montagu continues to successfully asks modern audiences what makes a person fully valuable?

Montagu, Lady Mary W. Letters...Written during Her travels [The Turkish Embassy Letters], The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 10th Edition, Volume C, The Restoration and The Eighteenth Century, New York, London, W.W. Norton Company, 2018, pp. 631.