Exploring Pastoral Themes and Motifs in Literature
Delve into the world of pastoral literature, where simplicity, nostalgia, and the search for lost innocence prevail. Discover how authors like Virgil, Voltaire, and modern critics explore themes of the Golden Age, Arcadia, and the contrast between rural retreats and urban society. Uncover the timeless motifs of transience, decay, and the yearning for a bygone era, all wrapped in the essence of pastoral poetry.
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Jerusalem 1: Pastoral ideas Saturday, 28 September 2024 Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
The Greek God Pan rules in Arcadia Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
The Pastoral The genre celebrates simplicity in life and seeks the unsophisticated often wishing to be removed from modernity in an urban setting. Post WW1: Georgian movement in English poetry Virgil : Eclogues as introducing the idea of a Golden Age Voltaire: Candide: Let our garden grow Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Other common themes Nostalgia for a past which is idealised. Refuge from modernity Seeking Lost Innocence Transience and Decay Contrast between retreat and modern civilised society Journey as a metaphor: we return from the retreat as a wiser and better person. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Critical voices: Roger Sales: 5 Rs Refuge, Reflection, Return, Requiem, Reconstruction Lawrence Lerner: Pastoral is the poetry of illusion: the Golden Age is the historiography of wish-fulfilment. A historiography is a summary of the historical writings on a particular topic - the history of the slave trade, or the history of the French Revolution, for example. It sets out in broad terms the range of debate and approaches to the topic. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Motifs The Golden Age Presented as an idea by Virgil (Eclogue 4 and Aeneid 6) as part of the propaganda surrounding Augustus rule following decades of civil war. Presented centuries earlier as the lost age of man, now replaced 5 ages later by Iron in the writing of Hesiod. Hence transience and decay. Pastoral dreams of recapturing the sun- drenched world of childhood, often resulting in overly romanticised writings. The Golden Age is lost. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Et in arcadia ego Arcadia: central Peloponnese, home of God PAN. Becomes a generic term for idyllic rural retreat Will contain seeds of decay in man s presence I am/was even in Arcadia Either a wistful looking back at a better time OR a warning that death lurks even in beauty. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Poussin 1594-1665 Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
The Garden Eden: Pre-Lapsarian state of Innocence in which Adam and Eve flourish and live a life of blameless sex and gardening. The snake is already there, suggesting some form of predetermined battle between Innocence and Experience. Is often presented through a mist of regret and of longing to return to the Innocent state. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Rustic music Companion of nymphs riot PAN fertility spring Character thoughts Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Rooster as PAN Undoubted God of his glade? Attractive to nymphs ? Lord of Riot and Misrule Despite powers, is not in ultimate control. Defeated by TROY, if not by the council (the ending is left open) TASK: discover instances of Johnny as a PAN-like character. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Innocents? Phaedra: name of ill-omen links her to Ancient Greece. Name means bright in Ancient Greek. Will die accused of an incestuous relationship with Hippolytus, her son with Theseus. Sings Blake s Jerusalem at the opening of the play. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Anti and Post Pastoral Not all Pastoral reflects unstinting praise on rural way of life. Blake s Jerusalem suggests the evil encroachment of the Dark Satanic Mills onto a rural idyll. Hearks back to a time before Task: Research Blake and Jerusalem and develop ideas for this being the name of the play and the effect of such intertextuality. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
the natural world can no longer be constructed as a land of dreams , but is in fact a bleak battle for survival without divine purpose Terry Gifford Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
The Anti Pastoral Seen clearly from 18th Century Poets like Stephen Duck and John Clare present reality and social criticism in place of simplistic rural idylls. And every village owns its tyrants now./ And parish-slaves must live as parish kings allow. John Clare, The Village Minstrel Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Reality bites: TASK For your wider reading look at these poets and authors and consider the relevance of their view of the pastoral and Nature: Ted Hughes John Clare Seamus Heaney, especially early poems William Blake Songs of Innocence and Experience Thomas Hardy. Present your findings to the group. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
POST PASTORAL Aware of the development of Pastoral as a pejorative term Rise of Ecocriticism demands reading with an awareness of the environmental impact of actions. Effect of the migration from countryside to urban centres and the growth of Rural weekenders. CRITIC WATCH: Lawrence Buell Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
No longer about Humans In the Pastoral paradigm we considered the human condition against the backdrop of a rural retreat. We emerge enlightened. Now, we have as much an interest in the welfare of Arden as in that of its exiled inhabitants, as much interest in their interaction with Arden as in what they take back from it, as much interest in how they represent their interaction with it as in how their representation of themselves as inhabitant have changed. Terry Gifford: Pastoral Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
Giffords Post Pastoral checklist Awe in respect to Nature A recognition of a continuing cycle of birth/death or construction/destruction Recognition of the inner human nature being understood in relation to the outer workings of nature. Move from nature as culture towards culture as nature - all returns to earth in the end Developing consciousness breed conscience Exploitation of the planet is mirrored in human exploitation of gender and race. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
As we read Keep a check list of Pastoral, Anti and Post to help you fit the play into a genre. Consider this statement as well: Satyr plays were an ancient Greek form of tragicomedy, similar in spirit to the bawdy satire of burlesque. They featured choruses of satyrs, were based on Greek mythology, and were rife with mock drunkenness, brazen sexuality (including phallic props), pranks, sight gags, and general merriment. Jonathan Peel 2015 JLS
