Intrinsic Elements Analysis: Imagery, Understatement, and Allusion in John Keats “Modern Love”

Intrinsic Elements Analysis:

Imagery, Understatement, and Allusion in John Keats “Modern Love” by Clara Ariski

Abstract

In this paper the author tried to analyze “Modern Love” by John Keats. The purpose is to analyze and understand the meaning beyond the words in the poem. Theories that used are textual, cotextual, and hypertextual by close reading method. The writer found that this poem is dominated by kinesthethic imagery, auditory imagery, understatement and references to iconic character. In conclusion, “Modern Love” by John Keats is easier to understand by analyzing the intrinsic elements.

Keywords: allusion, imagery, understatement, John Keats

1. Introduction

According to Laurence Perrine in Sounds and Sense (1969:3), “Poetry might be defined as a kind of language that says more and says it more intensely than does ordinary language”. In addition to that, William Flint Thrall and Addison Hibbard in A Handbook To Literature (1960:341), define poetry “A term applied to the many forms in which human beings have given rhythmic expression to their most imaginative and intense Perceptions of the world, themselves, and the interrelationship of the two”. From those explanation, the writer conclude that poetry is a literary work that conveys meaning beyond the words and can be understood with sense of feeling. While in poetry analysis, we will find out the poet's intention in writing the poem in critical way. The writer uses the poem Modern Love by John Keats to be analyzed. "Modern Love" by John Keats giving a new definition of love. The title shows that love is developed into newer version from the traditional one and expressed with intrinsic elements.

2. Methodology

1.      Analyzing the using of imagery in the poem.

2.      Analyzing the using of understatement in the poem.

3.      Analyzing  the using of allusion in the poem.

3. Research Object

The objects of research are sorted into a material and formal object. Material object in this study is “Modern Love” by John Keats. Formal object of this research is intrinsic elements in this poem.

4. Biography and Poetry

4. 1 Biography of John Keats

John Keats (1795-1821) got his education at the Reverend John Clarke's private school at Enfield. He became an apperentince surgeon in 1811, and continued his medical studies at Guy's Hospital, London. Later, he abandoned his career and focussed on poetry. His popular poems are Hyperion (1818), The Eve of St Agnes (1819), La Belle Dame sans Merci, the major odes, Lamia, and Fall of Hyperion. In July, his declined health made him went to Italy to seek milder climate because of tuberculosis and died in Rome.

Modern Love by John Keats

And what is love? It is a doll dress’d up

For idleness to cosset, nurse, and dandle;

A thing of soft misnomers, so divine

That silly youth doth think to make itself

Divine by loving, and so goes on

Yawning and doting a whole summer long,

Till Miss’s comb is made a pearl tiara,

And common Wellingtons turn Romeo boots;

Then Cleopatra lives at number seven,

And Antony resides in Brunswick Square.

Fools! if some passions high have warm’d the world,

If Queens and Soldiers have play’d deep for hearts,

It is no reason why such agonies

Should be more common than the growth of weeds.

Fools! make me whole again that weighty pearl

The Queen of Egypt melted, and I’ll say

That ye may love in spite of beaver hats. 

4.2 Poetic Paraphrase

Love is like a dressed up doll, because it is nature to be nursed by the owner. It is a small matter, yet so fulfilling. Young people contented by love until they are bored or pleased for whole summer long. The act of loving is goes on, or easily changes, like fashion style that turned from Wellington to Romeo boots. Love is like the seventh Cleopatra and Anton’s love story that well-known around the world. They recklessly love each other despite of the danger of their royal position. Though their love seems superficial, people tend to think highly of their story. This superficiality is proven when they had done a luxurious wager to impress each other and ended with Cleopatra dissolved her pearl earring. The act of loving is also similar to the pursuit of beaver hats, people compete for the best one.

5. Discussion

5.1.  Imagery

The writer contends that Modern Love by John Keats contains kinesthethic imagery and auditory imagery.

5.1.1 Kinesthethic Imagery

For idleness to cosset, nurse, and dandle; (line 2)

Yawning and doting a whole summer long, (line 6)

In line 2, ‘cosset’, ‘nurse’ and ‘dandle’ are verbs that shows kinesthethic imageries in loving a doll. According to Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, the word ‘cosset’ is “care for and protect in an overindulgent way”. Nurse is “hold closely and carefully or caressingly” The word ‘dandle’ is “move an up and down in a playful or affectionate way” Those act support Keats’s understatement in the first line says Love is a dressed up doll. The act of loving will arise when someone is having special bound to the object they love. Doting is an adoration towards someone, for doing it a whole summer long, loving is a process in a long period of time.

5.1.2 Auditory Imagery

Yawning and doting a whole summer long, (line 6)

Yawn is one of onomatopoeia, a word that mimics the sound of action, so that it is classified as auditory imagery because it can be caught by our sense of hearing.

5.2 Understatement

And what is love? It is a doll dress’d up (line 1)

The chosen word in first line indicates likeness between love and a dressed up doll which are childish, fragile, flashy, and desire to show off. In The Art of Loving (1995:46) Erich Fromm expresses the manner of love “Love is not primarily a relationship to a specific person; it is an attitude / an orientation of character which determines the relatedness of a person to the world as a whole, not toward one "object" of love.”   Although love is an object, the underlying meaning of love is placed in act of loving itself. We can not love the physical appearance of an object or person, but our attitude is also important. Understatement meaning of love creates simplification on the way we can see love trough simple object as a doll. From this, he exploits what will human do with a doll is similar with the act of loving.

That silly youth doth think to make itself

The understatement is to think young people are silly to love someone deeply without knowledge of the ugliness that follows. John Keats indicates that youth does not know what love is.

It is no reason why such agonies

Should be more common than the growth of weeds. (line 13-14)

This supports line 12 that alludes Cleopatra and Mark Antony, they went through agonies in romantic relationship. Agonies in love are understated because it is common. Agonies in love receive more consideration from people than other agonies because its romantic significance though it is superficial.

5.3  Allusion

And common Wellingtons turn Romeo boots; (line 8)

Bobbie Kalman mentions Wellington boots in 19Th Century Clothing (1993:19) “Shoes had low heels, and laces replaced buckles, which were popular in the eighteenth century. The most common boots were called Wellington boots, named after the British Duke of Wellington”. It shows the popularity of Wellington boots that become commonwear. This boots was named after British Duke of Wellington, as relation to dressed up doll, his fashion sense was acclaimed by his officers. Romeo boots was also a popular boots in Victorian era, the shoe trend was shifted from romeo boots to wellington boots. This line conveys that love is easy to change. We can not deliberately love someone because there is a urgency to adjust with general conventions and preference.

Then Cleopatra lives at number seven,

And Antony resides in Brunswick Square. (line 9-10)

Cleopatra who lives at number seven give a specific information about which Cleopatra John Keats alludes. Most people does not know which Cleopatra they are talking about. In fact, there were seven Cleopatra had been existed. The most popular and often talked about is Cleopatra VII. Line 9 alludes Mark Antony, Cleopatra lover. Line 9 is also mentions Brunswick Square. Based on historical records, Brunswick Square is a popular area where prominent people resides.

If Queens and Soldiers have play’d deep for hearts, (line 12)

On the line above John Keats alludes Queen Cleopatra as a queen and Antony as a soldier. Their love for each other was dangerous because Mark Antony fooled by false message that Cleopatra was dead, so that he stabbed himself with sword. Cleopatra was devastated by his death, years later, killed herself. This is the proof if  lover had develop deep feeling for each other, it would be destructive.

Fools! make me whole again that weighty pearl

The Queen of Egypt melted, and I’ll say  (line 15-16)

On line 15 John Keats give an exclamation for someone who love and do the act of love is a fool. Whereas weighty pearl refers a wager between Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Adrian Golsworthy points out this incident in Antony And Cleopatra by (2010:322) “Cleopatra took off one of her pearl earrings – the pair were famous for their size and quality – and dropped it into the bowl. The pearl dissolved into a slush and she drank the mixture.” The wager is who would serve the rarest and most exotic banquet between those two. Antony was unimpressed to see ordinary looking food in front of him. Much to his surprise, Cleopatra dissolved her weighty pearl in vinegar and drank it. She won the bet with banquet costing below 2.5 million denarii. The incident between Cleopatra and Mark Antony shows one of the effects of love is urgency to impress someone and develop into a competition between lover. Cleopatra did an unnecesary thing to impress her lover by dissolved a valuable possession that can be used for greater purposes. In that case, John Keats calls it a fool act, he want to make that pearl whole again to undo the worthless thing.

That ye may love in spite of beaver hats. (line 17)

According to A Dictionary of Costume and Fashion (1999:160) Beaver hat is “Man’s tall hat made of silk imitation of beaver fur. Same as top hat. Highly fashionable in 17th century, when made of beaver hat.” High demand for beaver’s fur made beaver on the verge of extinction. John Keats did observe fashion trend in the century he was in and use it as allusion. It show human nature in loving a beautiful object suited with common standard and prestige. People compete against each other to get the best lover, each showing off who has the greatest love. In that case, a desire for an object of love can be dangerous if it is too intense.

6. Conclusion

John Keats equalizes love with dressed up doll, pretty, yet, vain. In this poem, we can see love as a whole unit, while the essential elements were analyzed part by part. Love is constructed by process, the act of loving, is evidence of how far we love someone. Love is also constructed by human nature to love beautiful thing without willingness to observe deeper for ugliness that will follow. He gives us simple way to understand love properly from allusion that dominates Modern Love. The reader in modern time sees the relatedness because John Keats uses popular allusion, from fashion trend, historical place, and popular figures.

References

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Fromm, Erich. 1995. The Art of Loving. Great Britain: Thorsons.

Goldsworthy, Adrian Keith. 2010. Antony And Cleopatra. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Kalman, Bobbie. 1993. 19Th Century Clothing. https://books.google.co.id/books/about/19th_Century_Clothing.html?id=9aXwEbtZ11MC&redir_esc=y (21 April 2016)

"Modern Love". 2016. Poetryfoundation.Org. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/50373 (21 April 2016).

Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. 2016. "Oxford Learner's Dictionaries | Find The Meanings, Definitions, Pictures, Pronunciation Of Words At Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.Com". http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/ (1 December 2015).

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