Thanks, John, for reminding me that they are contemporaries. I seem to forget! Both Austen and Wordsworth shared profound sensibilities about the things that mattered most to them -- human nature for Austen and the world of nature for Wordsworth. While I'm probably more like Wordsworth in my dreamy reveries of nature, I might wish to be more like Austen taking on society with clear-eyed wit and incisive humor. In other words, she makes me laugh, and I need to do more of that.
Love this. I agree with you and Austen scholar Jocelyn Harris that there is much to learn by exploring Jane Austen as a Romantic - previously she perhaps didn't fit the demographic! But her mind and art absolutely interact with the Romantic poets. (She also gently ridicules them, in Persuasion, yes? But that only goes to show her attention to them.) It also brings to mind Fanny Price's, and other heroine's, spiritual musings and communions with Nature, which are poetic and profound.
Thanks! Yes, I also think that the ecological aspects of Austen deserve more attention. Last year, I taught a course on ecology and Romanticism, which included a reading of Persuasion. (Not my field, but such are the advantages of teaching in a small department.)
I hadn't thought about how close these two were in age; in genre and literary unit it is so easy to separate them by a high stone wall and a thick hedge with a pecking bird in it. But now that seems arbitrary. Interesting. The opening caption is quite a hoot! :-)
Oh, inverted pictures - what a fright! You placed them in the best possible light, so to speak. :-) I have noticed that when I write about literature, I slip into the habitual academic serious voice, and it's very hard to shake. I have to switch genres completely to have a little fun. I'm impressed that you found a way to sneak in some humor. Then again, I'm not writing about Jane Austen. That could be the problem right there.
Thanks, John, for reminding me that they are contemporaries. I seem to forget! Both Austen and Wordsworth shared profound sensibilities about the things that mattered most to them -- human nature for Austen and the world of nature for Wordsworth. While I'm probably more like Wordsworth in my dreamy reveries of nature, I might wish to be more like Austen taking on society with clear-eyed wit and incisive humor. In other words, she makes me laugh, and I need to do more of that.
Love this. I agree with you and Austen scholar Jocelyn Harris that there is much to learn by exploring Jane Austen as a Romantic - previously she perhaps didn't fit the demographic! But her mind and art absolutely interact with the Romantic poets. (She also gently ridicules them, in Persuasion, yes? But that only goes to show her attention to them.) It also brings to mind Fanny Price's, and other heroine's, spiritual musings and communions with Nature, which are poetic and profound.
Thank you for this fascinating, fun discussion!
Thanks! Yes, I also think that the ecological aspects of Austen deserve more attention. Last year, I taught a course on ecology and Romanticism, which included a reading of Persuasion. (Not my field, but such are the advantages of teaching in a small department.)
I hadn't thought about how close these two were in age; in genre and literary unit it is so easy to separate them by a high stone wall and a thick hedge with a pecking bird in it. But now that seems arbitrary. Interesting. The opening caption is quite a hoot! :-)
Yes, I thought about inverting the pictures to keep things serious, but it was just too funny. Jane annoyed, William totally oblivious.
Oh, inverted pictures - what a fright! You placed them in the best possible light, so to speak. :-) I have noticed that when I write about literature, I slip into the habitual academic serious voice, and it's very hard to shake. I have to switch genres completely to have a little fun. I'm impressed that you found a way to sneak in some humor. Then again, I'm not writing about Jane Austen. That could be the problem right there.