Close Readings Love and Death: Family Elegies by Wordsworth, Lowell, Riley and Carson
Aug 3, 2025
Delve into the poignant exploration of family elegies spanning from Wordsworth to Carson. Discover how Wordsworth's nuanced tribute to his brother grapples with grief, contrasting with Denise Riley's innovative approach to mourning. Uncover Lowell's candid vignettes that reject typical elegiac conventions. Finally, Anne Carson challenges narrative coherence, weaving together fragments to capture the essence of loss. This thought-provoking discussion reveals how different poets confront the complexities of love and death.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Oblique Elegy Using Weather Contrast
- Wordsworth's elegy for his brother John is oblique and only explicitly about John in the last third of the poem.
- It contrasts the idyllic weather of 1794 with the storm in Beaumont's painting, symbolizing loss and trauma.
John's Role in Wordsworth's Life
- John Wordsworth was a merchant sea captain who financially supported William's poetry career.
- His death meant the loss of both a brother and crucial family financial support.
Elegy Shapes Wordsworth's Themes
- Elegy is central to Wordsworth's poetry, reflecting transitions from innocence to harsh experience through death.
- Poems like his Lucy series show how loss brings a deeper tragic poetic awareness.
