{"id":216,"date":"2023-02-18T05:24:57","date_gmt":"2023-02-18T05:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/?p=216"},"modified":"2023-02-18T05:24:57","modified_gmt":"2023-02-18T05:24:57","slug":"beachy-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/2023\/02\/18\/beachy-head\/","title":{"rendered":"Beachy Head"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charlotte Smith\u2019s \u201cBeachy Head\u201d is an ode to the beauty and power of nature. This poem\u2019s excerpt\u00a0immediately establishes\u00a0themes of natural grandeur by both personifying and deifying Nature; the narrator states they were \u201cAn early worshipper at Nature\u2019s shrine \/ I loved her rudest scenes\u201d (lines 346-347). These lines not only establish the immense importance of Nature, but also the beauty of Nature in its wildest state. As the narrator goes on to describe \u201cunfrequented lanes,\u201d \u201cwild roses,\u201d \u201cuncultured flowers,\u201d and numerous other natural miracles, they emphasize the beauty of Nature when it is untamed (lines 349, 350, 359). The narrator\u2019s listing of wild flora culminates with the declaration that these flowers and grasses were \u201cFit crown for April\u2019s fair but changeful brow\u201d (line 367). The comparison of these natural elements to a crown emphasizes the beauty of Nature while also restating the royal or godlike importance of it. Additionally, by referencing April as a representation of Nature, the narrator links Nature to seasons and the\u00a0passing of time \u2013 which is further reinforced by the mention of April\u2019s \u201cchangeful brow\u201d (line 367). Allusions to royalty continue throughout the poem; the narrator details \u201cpurple tassels,\u201d \u201cpurple clouds,\u201d and \u201cpurple haze\u201d (line 351, 366, 487). The repetition of the color purple, which is commonly associated with royalty, carries connotations of majesty that reinforce the narrator\u2019s belief in the power and importance of Nature. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The power and importance of Nature are themes that are expanded further, especially in relation to time. After discovering seashells on cliffs far above the sea, the narrator wonders at possible changes the landscape could have undergone that could explain this phenomenon. The narrator muses on natural changes that would have taken centuries to develop, though they eventually dismiss these theories as simple \u201cconjecture,\u201d seemingly concluding that Nature works on timelines that are too extensive to ever fully comprehend (line 393). The narrator\u2019s deference to the power of Nature is further emphasized through their depictions of common people, each of whom are reliant on Nature for their livelihoods. These people work, \u201cunheeding such inquiry\u201d into Nature\u2019s power, and not considering the \u201cremains of men\u201d that rest \u201cdeep beneath them\u201d (lines 396, 402, 401). Rather than trying to comprehend the great power of Nature, they are simply grateful for what it gives them. This contrast between the working people and the bones and fossils buried deep beneath them reinforces Nature\u2019s power and introduces the idea that everything will return to Nature eventually. While the contrast of humanity\u2019s short lives to Nature\u2019s long reign may seem bleak, the narrator seems to find this return to the natural world humbling and comforting. \u00a0Though this poem exalts the beauty and power of Nature, it also understands that the passing of time will inevitably return everything to its wildest, most natural, and most beautiful state.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charlotte Smith\u2019s \u201cBeachy Head\u201d is an ode to the beauty and power of nature. This poem\u2019s excerpt\u00a0immediately establishes\u00a0themes of natural grandeur by both personifying and deifying Nature; the narrator states they were \u201cAn early worshipper at Nature\u2019s shrine \/ I loved her rudest scenes\u201d (lines 346-347). These lines not only establish the immense importance of … Continue reading Beachy Head<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4998,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spring-2023"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4998"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/britishpoetry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}