Friday, June 15, 2007

The Wife of Asdrubal

In Felicia Hemans "Tales, and Historic Scenes, in Verse" the peom "The Wife of Asdrubal," she states, "Bright in her hand the lifted dagger gleams, Swift from her children's hearts the life-blood streams; With frantic laugh she clasps them to the breast. Whose woes and passions soon shall be at rest; Lifts one appealing, frenzied glance on high, Then deep midst rolling flames is lost to mortal eye (408)." This passage is describing a mother killing her children on a burning roof because her husband surrendered to the enemy to save his life and doom everybody else. This peom is very interesting because of some of the events that happened in Hemans' life. Her husband left her to go to Italy, and her dad left her mother to go to Canada (405). I find this interesting because maybe this is a poem that describes her feelings toward her husband and fater. The fact that the mother took the life of her children could be a example of what a single mother will do to make sure that her children never suffer. Being a single mother cannot be simple especially back in a time when women did not have nearly as many rights as women do now. Although her mother and her were able to care for their children as single mothers, she at some point or another appears to have become frustrated with the way that they most important men in her and her children's lives seem to abandon them. Because of this, this poem seems to be a symbol of her never ending desire to do what ever is necessary for her children without having to depend on their father kind of the way her mother did.

3 comments:

Jonathan.Glance said...

Robert,

I agree that there is probably some link between her life (and especially her marriage) and the poem. I am not sure how the poem can support your iterpretation that it signifies her desire to do whatever necessary for her children, though, give what Asdrubal's wife does.

-valerie- said...

Robert

I was shocked to enjoy such a dark poem. I agree with you that there is a link between this poem and her life. However, I do not believe that Asdrubal's wife killing her children shows that Heman will do whatever is neccessary for her children. I found the poem to be a way for Heman to release her anger because of her father and husband leaving her.

Nichole said...

I also agree with you that there had to be a link between this poem and her actual life. For her to write such a depressing poem she has got to be very bitter. I do not care how much suffering that you think your children will have in their life, I do not think that there can be any kind of excuse for a mother to take away that life. I think that would be the greatest suffering being murdered by your mother.