Critical Analyses of Henry Vaughan's poem THE RETREAT
Introduction: The poems by which
Vaughan is remembered are contained in Silex Scintillans, which appeared in two
parts in 1650 and 1655 respectively. This is largely religious inspiration and
its title is significant for the emblem on the title page that reveals its
meaning to be a heart of flint burning and bleeding under the stroke of a
thunder bolt and so throwing off sparks. It is of course the light of divinity.
Vaughan is at his best when he deals with the
themes of childhood and of communion with nature and with eternity. The poem in
discussion The Retreat influenced Wordsworth in the composition of The Ode on
the Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early childhood. Vaughan’s
Retreat is a religious lyric, a spiritual optimism. It is also a characteristic
poem of the metaphysical school. Vaughan’s expression and imagery bear the
marks of the metaphysical religious poem of Donne and Herbert.
A deep religious poem: Vaughan’s
first love in his poem The Retreat is God. When he was still a child and had
hardly made any progress into worldly existence, he could have a glimpse of
God’s bright face whenever he looked back. But as the burden of worldly
existence grew upon him, he lost the glimpse of the divine visage. Indeed,
adulthood taken away that divine vision of childhood. This is the loss, the
poet laments. In this critical situation Vaughan pleads to move backward
because forward because forward movement in time leads to sin. The backward
movement leads to innocence:
“Some men a forward motion love
But I by backward steps would move”.
Rhetorically, a paradox is a
statement which apparently seems self-contradictory or absurd, but in reality
carries a sound sense. Here, too, the poet makes a paradoxical statement that
backward motion would be better for him. This is because forward motion is
morally backward as it leads on to sin, on the other hand backward motion in
time leads to innocence and so morally forward. ‘Retreat’ to the innocent days
of childhood, when God was an ever-present reality to him, is his welcome note.
The title word thus strikes the essence of the poem. The poet dislikes human or
earthly existence i.e. ‘this place’ and ‘second race’ because on earth the soul
is far removed from God. He wishes to retreat to heaven, the abode of God.
Glorification of the Childhood: We
find the child as an ever idealized picture in The Retreat. As a defence of the
poet we can say that the poem is a passionate lyric and no philosophical thesis
and here is the account of the poet’s personal experiences and longing for the
innocence and purity of childhood. The soul of in the human child which can
perceive a faint heavenly glory in the natural beauty of the world, if stays
too long in this world would forget their heavenly memory and the soul would be
intoxicated into worldly affairs. Thus the child in his journey to innocence to
experience corrupts himself. A grown up like poet wishes to retreat into the
childhood innocence and it is possible when he would die and liberates his soul
from the odds of worldly affairs:
‘And when this dust falls to the urn,
In that state I came, return’.
A metaphysical poem: The Retreat is
full with short and suggestive conceits, homely images and compressed sentences
essentially belong to metaphysical poetry. Even the poet expresses his
devotional thought through extraordinary and straight forward imageries –
“But ah! My soul with too much stay
Is drunk and staggers in the way”.
Further the mystical ideas, childhood,
God, innocence and the journey of soul – everything is so sincere and personal.
Taken from homely affairs of life, they are well visualized. We can compare his
compressions to an eminent Victorian artist Hopkins. For example, ‘angel
infancy’, shoots of everlastingness’, ‘ancient track’, ‘glorious train’ etc
adds the linguistic glamour in the poem.
Conclusion: Through the metaphysical
network and religious conscience Vaughan’s The Retreat is thematically superb.
As far as the syntax and rhyme-pattern is concerned, it finds a place of
perfection in English verse. It is a gift of music, no doubt restrained, but
full of melody and grace.
Amazing view... Thank you..
ReplyDeleteBut you have not mentioned any theories like Neo-platonic theory of the emanation of the soul... it is helpful at a basic level but I wish you could write something for students majoring in the subject.
ReplyDeleteGreat! A very helpful, clear guide. Thanks lots!!
ReplyDeleteClear indeed but most of the points weren't there but it was good though
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot !
ReplyDeleteTHE NOTE HAS BEEN COPIED FROM Arghya Nath Jana. .....most frightening. ......the note is fully copied.
ReplyDelete