An epitaph is a brief set of words that are in memory of someone who has passed, usually on their tombstone. However, Amy Levy’s “Epitaph” is not only for the dead, but for the living as well.
Her poem begins with a description of a man decomposing in his grave. Gruesomely, the poem goes to list his appearance; he lays with “dust in his throat”, “worm in his eyes”, “mould in his mouth”, and “turf on his breast”. Even with such a strong description, the poem claims that this is the best. To support this claim, the poem reads almost thankfully, “Never again will he smile and smile / When his heart is breaking all the while.” Though his end may seem ghastly, his life was more strenuous and painful than death. Selective word choice by Levy creates an emotional reaction in the reader. Words and phrases like “ache” and “breaking” along with hints of hunger in “Never ask for bread, get a stone instead” perpetuate a constant state of pity. The poem continues and delves into his mundane and unremarkable life. Despite all of his efforts to create a better life for himself, the poem makes a point in saying he his better dead and calm, then alive and stressed.
This is where, I claim, that Levy writes an epitaph, not just for the man who died in bed, but for an alive England, at the time. Using a New Historicist lens to analyze her poem, many aspects of the poem are brought to life. As we discussed in class, Amy Levy was raised Jewish and continued practicing her faith during her adult life. She continued pursuing higher education, and was the first Jewish woman to attend Newnham College. Upon publishing many of her works, she faced many criticisms, which led to her struggle with depression, ultimately causing her to take her own life at 27. Knowing this about the author, the dark themes of bleakness and overall harsh nature of her writing, correspond with the adversities she faced in her lifetime. In England, the New Woman feminist movement began shortly after Levy’s death. This “New Woman” was one who was independent, able to work, and stay on par with men, blowing the minds of men across England, who were dismissive of women’s potential. Levy, though incredibly talented, was heavily criticized simply for being that: a talented woman. The dark and dismal message conveyed by “Epitaph” is reflective of Levy’s attitudes towards the social state of England and predicts a dejected future for those men who wish to criticize the New Woman. While she may not have been aware of her value at the time, she was admired by Oscar Wilde, a man who created some ripples in England himself, changing the way Victorian Era literature is viewed today.
On first glance, “Epitaph” by Amy Levy seems just another emo and gray poem of the 1800’s, but I feel that it’s so much more than that. A warning signal and a glimmer of hope for the new women to come.
Your favorite crime,
Jay Walker
Thinking of this poem as an actual epitaph is an engaging and illuminating lens. The complete and utter eeriness of the short poem left me first feeling gutted and empty, and then with your analysis of it maybe even more disheartened. Knowing the personal backstory of Levy really changes my view of this poem, especially because it could have possibly been a reflection of her own inner workings. Even more so, I think it is definitely commentary on the empire, where it is much better lay to rest rather than to continue to live on outdated and awful. The poem or “epitaph” itself is rather bleak, but your thoughtful analysis and historical understandings breathe new life into a “emo and gray” poem.
You make a really good comparison between the descriptions of mouths in the novel between men and women. There is definitely a disparity between the creepy and unsettling physical descriptions of Dracula’s mouth in comparison to the sexualized descriptions of the “voluptuous lips” of Lucy after her vampire infection. I think it would be interesting to expand further on the differences in descriptions between male and female vampires in the novel, especially including the three vampire women from the castle. Their descriptions are similar to that of Lucy, but become more animalistic at a certain point in the men’s perceptions of her. It could be revealing to expand on the sexual temptress instances when Lucy was coaxing Arthur to her and when the three women were attempting to kiss Jonathan.
Your reading of Epitaph is super interesting, and the connection to a broader warning about those who ridicule the New Woman is fascinating. Is there a way we can use this reading to better understand the characters in Dracula? Perhaps, we can look at the demise of Lucy as an example of just the kind of criticism that Levy warnings against. That men such as Stoker should think twice before challenging the strength of the movement.