
			18th Century Poem Analysis

         The differences between eighteenth-century literature and 
 romantic poems, with respect to history is constituted here.  This is 
 seen through the influential works of John Keats and Alexander Pope.  
 These works are acknowledged as, "The Rape of Lock" and "The Eve of 
 St. Agnes."  Alexander Pope takes his readers on a hatred filled epic. 
  A robust piece of literature and love induced psychoses in, "The Rape 
 of Lock."  On the other hand, "The Eve of St. Agnes" told a tale of 
 life, love, death, and eternal fate in heaven.  These two brilliant 
 writers have given two magnificent poems.  Pope exhibits many 
 characteristics of a narcissistic human being.  His independence in 
 life shows through his writings in fiction.  Which inevitably portray 
 his deeper feelings of life.  Popes' efforts here are of outstanding 
 quality.  However, his poem did fail to convince Arabella to rsum 
 her engagement to Lord Petre.  Most of Pope's efforts here were 
 written with time.  Now, Keats has romantically serenaded his reader 
 with descriptive lust and desire, which can be compared with popes' 
 efforts by the difference in eighteenth century literature and 
 romantic poems, their descriptive natures and ideas they portray to 
 the reader through their writing.
         Pope has written an eighteenth-century poem which he calls, 
 "An Hero-Comical Poem."  This poem has exalted an over all sense of 
 worthlessness for common rules.  The mentioning of Achilles and the 
 ever-popular Aeneas, are symbols of Pope's Gothic style.  Pope speaks 
 (almost) G-D like throughout, "The Rape of Lock."  Contrary to Keats, 
 who is more down-to-earth with his sense of realism in his writings.  
 In the beginning of Keats romantic premise to life in St. Agnes, all 
 is cold.  The opening sequence brings a sense of realism to this 
 bitter cold scene.  Cold owls, rabbit's, and numb fingers on a holy, 
 "Beads man."  The Beads man symbolizes the sense of age and spirit.  
 Much of this poem is a test of Keats inner soul or spirit.  He has 
 lead himself to St. Agnes for his own personal account of life in a 
 time long gone.  Keats' romantic style has brought visionary raw 
 emotion to the aching hearts of all his readers.  Then, both poems go 
 separate ways in their tales of body and spirit.
         Taking account of all differences in these two works, has 
 brought out a sense of unknown extasy.  Pope displays morality with 
 his own twists on fate and man kind's inability to rationalize right 
 decision making in life.  He complicates this with, "Moral 
 superiority"  and his visions of old styles blended with his attitude 
 for recognition.  Pope has indulged the reader in consistent religious 
 order, and awkward justice for mankind.  However, when viewing Keats 
 poem stanza by stanza, much is revealed.  Keats' tale starts as a 
 direct eagerness for future considerations.  His image of love and old 
 age creates a stifled knot in the stomach of the reader.  Enthusiastic 
 resistance is overcome by Keats smooth flow, and harmonizing beauty in 
 heaven.  Angels and death are brought together like osmosis.  His 
 ability to start off in a cold bitter atmosphere of regret, and then 
 sway the reader's emotion to a peaceful loving atmosphere is in itself 
 astonishing.  Desire brings Keats to the heightened point of emotional 
 gratification within, "The Eve of St. Agnes."  St. Agnes is such a 
 peaceful age-old memory for Keats.  He presents strength when pain is 
 being inflicted.  His early images of purgatory, show Keats in a bind 
 of human emotion and regret for past sins.  However, Pope does this   
  as well throughout, "The Rape of Lock."  Although, Pope is less 
 likely to find a happy medium in his tale of tolerance.  He does 
 manage to relinquish all his desires for the sake of his own inner 
 strength.  This strength is portrayed more intensely through his soul. 
  Memories are key to the anguish of the poem.  In all of Keats 
 mediocre issues come love and honor.  The entire tenth stanza is 
 caused by the emotions involved with love.  However, this must leave 
 some readers at a loss.  Keats doesn't seem to really care whether 
 anybody understands him.  Keats only concern is to repent and achieve 
 harmony in life with his body and soul.  Each of these two poets has 
 signified their lack of realism with a substantial concern for age-old 
 myth, and undeniable love.  The portrayal of love in each poem has 
 brought most of the emotional satisfaction from the reader.  Hence, 
 having observed these two magnificent artists for their personal 
 adherence to the reader, it is necessary to delve into the emotional 
 collaboration of imagery and its effect on the mind, body, and soul of 
 the two sides involved in each reading.
         Imagery can sustain many possible contradictions on the 
 writer's intentions.  For instance, Keats hides his characters(Porphro 
 and Madeline) in order to present a more lustful in-depth love.  
 Safety is a key to Keats' prolific attitude on the secrecy of a 
 woman's virginity.  A wholesome outlook is always in the future, it 
 would seem.  However, this outlook is never reached throughout the 
 poem.  In comparison with Pope, Keats has distinguished himself in his 
 writing.  Pope relies on old myths and obscure legends in order to 
 achieve his outcome of clarity.  Each writer has their own hero of the 
 day.  In each writer's mind is the idea that one can be g-d through 
 their own scripture.  Each must be excused for not always being able 
 to know what is still real and what is fiction in life.  Their 
 expensive minds have brought their own personal truth to light.  Can 
 they hear the crying of their love sick pasts?  In classic style, Pope 
 has brought dreams to reality.  While Keats has more realistically 
 attended to his personal experiences.  In addition to women, love, 
 g-d, sex, soul, mind, and body,  Keats and Pope have taken different 
 outlooks on many similar issues.  Keats has given the reader a more 
 intense feeling of desire and lust, then Pope.  However, when myth and 
 love collide Alexander Pope has answered with his tale of g-d's, 
 angels and afterlife.  As an empirical narcissistic person, I have 
 romanticized about the romances Keats has described.  His inner 
 thoughts are more clear, then those of Pope.  Additionally, Pope is 
 more morbid and in a way sour about his shortcomings in life.  Which 
 are expressed significantly in many of Pope's images.  For instance, 
 "poetic eyes" is used by Pope on line 124.  This image can be 
 expressed as a better way for the reader to see that life imitates 
 art!  Now, viewing both works in detail has brought out an arousal of 
 insecurity and misunderstood quality.  However, each has distinguished 
 its own identity by its style.
         Referring back to the comparison of Pope and Keats styles can 
 be quite an enhancement upon the cerebral context in each poem.  Pope 
 has strictly concerned himself with literary merit, and ghostly 
 apparitions of old tales that haunt all writers of the possibility for 
 brilliance.  Keats however, has staked his claim as a romantic 
 idealist of love and thought.  Mind, body and soul are key factors in 
 both of these works.  Heaven is portrayed as a savior to man, and an 
 unforsaken goal for others.  Spirituality reigns deep within the 
 hearts of both Keats and Pope.  Consequence is not an issue, but the 
 ability to repent through words of wisdom is. This is what keeps Keats 
 and Pope sane(As well as many other writers, including myself). With 
 wisdom comes age, and with desire comes lust.  Therefore, romantic 
 poets need to be preserved for their tremendous ability to stretch the 
 common ability to comprehend all of life's trials and tribulations as 
 seen here in all its glory!             

 

