The Image of the Star in English Romantic Poetry

The Image of the Star in English Romantic PoetryABSTRACTEnglish romantic poetry plays an important role in English literature, and excellent poets emerged in large numbers. They praise all the beautiful things in nature in their poetry, especially love. Star, pure and lovely, is the symbol of beautiful things, therefore it is always taken as an important image in English Romantic poetry. Love is the most beautiful feeling of human beings, and it is also the favorite topic by human beings, especially the poets. The real star in the sky only can light up the nights, but the star in the heart of poets can make their world bright forever. Walter Scott, a popular English romantic poet once said in his poem A Serenade, ―The star of love, all stars above‖. Through analyzing the star in English romantic poetry, this paper attempts to explore the relationship between star and love and also the image of the star in English romantic poetry.Key Words:image; star; love; English romantic poetryTHE FEATURES OF THE STAR AND THE SYMBOLICMEANINGS OF THE STARWe are very familiar with the star in our daily life. They are one of the most magical creations of nature. The countless twinkled stars in the sky at fine night are the most important images for the poets placing on their affection. We know that many poems are connected with the star both at home and abroad. But why so many poets prefer to cite the star in their poetry as an image? That’s because the star has their own special features and meanings.Firstly, as a number of the nature family, stars don’t have the most dazzling brilliance, but they can arise our unlimited fantasy and imagination. They blink in the sky at night just like the lovely fairies in fairy tales, beautiful but far away.Secondly, stars are the symbol and sign of loneliness. Stars ornament the vast sky at night, accompanied with the moon, it seems that they are very lonely. Some poets wrote about stars to express their loneliness.Thirdly, the stars in the sky can give people some information about directions at night, especially the Polaris.Fourthly, they are very pure and noble. They stand high in the sky to show their charm. Maybe they are the good things which all the people expected, but too far away to touch.The poets use star widely as an image, especially in English sonnets. Such as ―stars in secret‖, ―gold candles‖and so on. In Chinese literary works, stars often symbolize the great ideas or thoughts that guide people advanced. But in Englishpoetry, stars used to symbol true love. Love is the most beautiful feeling of human beings, and it is also the favorite topic by human beings, especially the poets. ―When sparking stars twirl not, thou gild’s the even‖. Sky symbolizes the poet’s inner world. But when thinking of friends, even though at night, the poets’ inner world is bright. The real stars in the sky only can light up the nights, but the stars in their heart can make their world bright forever. It is the star to every wandering bank whose worth’s unknown, although his heat is taken. ―Wandering bank‖ refers to the ship that lost its way, it is often seen in poetry, such as ―The Soldiers’ Dream‖ by Thomas Campell. We know that it is extremely dangerous for a ship being lost on the ocean. But if they can find the Polaris and advance according to its guide, they can be saved easily. So the star plays an important part in human’s everyday life.THE IMAGE OF THE STAR IN THE ENGLISH ROMANTICPOETRY1. The Image of the Star as the Beauty of LoveAs one of the most important representative poets of the early romanticism, William Wordsworth’s contribution is greatly approved. His imagination is unlimited. When he was in the school at an early age, he learned more eagerly from flowers, hills, stars than from his book. He was attracted deeply by the magical power of nature. He was a passionate lover of nature and his descriptions of lakes and mountains, of meadows and woods, of stars and skies are all very wonderful. In his poems Wordsworth aimed at simplicity and purity of the language, fighting against the conventional forms of 18th century poetry. He wrote a lot of excellent poetry aboutnature, love and other beautiful things.In the poetry, he also preferred to use the star as an image to show his feelings. In ―The Education of Nature‖ he wrote,The stars of midnight shall be dearTo her and she shall lean her earIn many a secret placeWhere rivulets dance their wayward roundAnd beauty born of murmuring soundShall pass into her face.This short poem was written in 1799. The general idea of the whole poem is that the young and beautiful lady is dead in an early age. Only leaving the poet with endless sentimental memories. But because of the poet’s full imagination, it seems that the young lady is not dead but married to the nature. It is not a bad thing though he could never see her again. The poet imagines that because of her beauty, the nature falls in love with her and let her become his wife. Through this we can understand the poet’s talent in creation. The star is appeared in the poem as an image, ―the star of middle night‖ is beautiful and bright; they can light up the sky. In this poem Lucy is just the star of middle night in the poet’s heart, so beautiful and pure, but far away to touch. She brings the poet the beautiful feeling of admire and love. So star here is the symbol of the beauty of true love. The poet shows the image of star in a vivid and deep way.Lord Gordon Byron is one of the most popular English poets both at home andabroad. His influence has shone itself in the works of the Chartist poets in England and the progressive poets in many other countries. During the period of the Romanticism, Wordsworth was the most respectable, and Byron was the most famous. His reactionary spirit in the poetry impressed the Chinese youth who were then wagging struggles to overthrow the old feudal system. Byron also shows his genius in love poetry creation. Star is also his favorite image to express feelings. Such as the poem ―She Walks in Beauty‖,She walks in beautyLike the night of cloudiness climes and starry skiesAnd all that’s best of dark and brightMeet in her aspect and her eyesThus mallow’s to that tender lightWhich heaven to gaudy day denies.This poem is chosen from Hebrew Melodies (1815). On July 11, 1814, Byron attended a party where he for the first time met his young cousin. Lady Wilmot Horton, who was dressed in a black mourning gown with shining ornaments just like the fair stars. Byron was so struck by her beauty that, on returning home, he wrote this poem in a single night. The whole poem is surrounded by admiration. The starry skies refer to the beauty of the lady. The use of the comparison shows perfectly the grace of the young lady. This poem expresses Byronic glorification.―To the Evening Star‖ is Thomas Campbell’s famous poem about love. In this poem, the poet mainly sings for the Venus and the beauty of love. We know that theVenus is beautiful and bright; it is the symbol of love. Here it is the representative of the perpetual love. The poet wrote,Star that bringest home the beeAnd sett’st the weary laborers freeIf any star shed peace, it is thouThat send’st from aboveAppearing when Heaven’s breathe and browAre sweet as hers we love.From this stanza we can see that the poet highly praises the Venus. Venus brings us with peace, and it is as sweet as love. It appears when Heaven’s breathe and brow. He connects Venus with beautiful love.Star of love’s soft interviewsParted lovers on the museTheir remembrance in HeavenOf thrilling vows thou artToo delicious to be ravenBy absence from the heart.In this stanza, the author mentions the sweet love. Venus stays high in the sky and looks at the lovers, the lovers will depart, maybe it is the witness of their love. The poet endows the Venus with life and emotion. The Venus is so attractive that the lovers are fascinated when see it.There is another ―To the Evening Star‖by Thomas Campbell. It is also lovepoetry. He wrote,Thus, ever thus, at days declineIn converse sweet to wander far –O bring with thee my CarolineAnd thou shale be my Ruling Star!In this poem, the author regards the star as the goddess Venus; it is the combination of beauty and love. He associates the Venus with his sweetheart, because they are both beautiful and attractive, it seems that happiness is so near. He mixes the sky and the world in the whole poetry. In the poem, the star is endowed with spirituality. He regards the star as his lover—so beautiful. The language of the poem is also full of passion.2. The Image of the Star as the Purity of Love―The Lost Love‖ is another excellent love poetry of William Wordsworth. This poem is much more beautiful and natural with many images.A violet by a mossy stoneHalt hidden from the eyeFair as a star when only oneIs shining in the sky.This poem is the very first passage of William Wordsworth’s famous love poetry—Lucy Poems. This poem describes the life of a young and lovely country lady. The language of this poem is beautiful and moving. The beginning of the poem it gives us a picture of the place where the young lady is lived, a lonely place. Then thepoet describes the lady’s appearance, fair as a star when only ones, so lovely and delicate just like the fair star in the sky, lights up the poet’s in ner world. This section is exciting and expectant. At last, the emotion of the poet is changed suddenly. The poet tells us that the lady is sleeping quietly in the dark grave. The poet himself is also attacked violently by the bad reality. In this poetry star is perfectly the symbol of the pure love, just as the violet by a mossy stone. To some degree, it is a kind of loneliness. The fair lady lying in the grave alone just like the only star shone in the sky.P. B. Shelley is called the most wonderful lyric poet England has ever produced mainly for his poems on nature, on love and on politics. He regards passion as the source of poetry creation, so all his poems are never short of passion, especially the passion for love and the passion for the beauty of nature. His unhappy marriage with Harriet contributes to his expectation for love. In his lyrics, love is sung as something noble, high above the ―cash payment‖ marriage institution under capitalism. He is interested in Plato’s philosophy; Plato’s spiritual world encourages him to pursue the beauty of human’s spirit. The idealism philosophy influences the poet widely. His love poetry is full of passion; he devotes all his feelings to the poetry. He also prefers to use the star in his poetry. In ―One Word Is Too Often Profaned‖ he wrote,The worship the heart lifts aboveAnd the Heavens reject notThe desire of the moth for the starOf the night for the morrow.This poem is a very special one compared to other love poems. P. B. Shelley is a musical poet, and this poem proves that perfectly. At the very beginning, four parallel sentences are used to stress the effects. The words ―one‖, ―profane‖, ―disdain‖ are appeared again and again, this is the very typical rhetoric called repetition. The repeated words are emphasized due to the repetition of the sounds, which can give us much deeper impressions and feelings. Meanwhile, the echo of the sounds can also produce a happy and compatible effect. The most ingenious is that the poet doesn’t express his emotions un disguised; the word ―love‖ only appeared once in the poem. Understatement is used in the poetry, the poet just said, ―I can’t give what men call love‖. But the deep, strong, true love is contained in the implication. This love with miss and admiration just like the desire of the moth for the star, or the night for the morrow—so punctilious and profound. The poet combines love with ideal in the poem. The start of the poem is very ingenious. The poet doesn’t express his feelings in a direct way, instead it is very veiled. The word ―love‖ doesn’t appear until the second stanza, but immediately it changes into admiration. The following are two sentences of comparison—the moth for the star and the night for the morrow. It connects love with ideal. The last stanza the poet mentions the misery of real life that can make it much real. The star here is the symbol of pure love far away. Though it is attracted, but we can’t get it in our real life. The star is also stands for the ideal in the poem—pure but hard to touch. The desire of the moth for the star—so importunate and clinging. It best describes the poet’s enthusiasm to love. The star is purity and faraway just as love. The desire of the moth for the starThis poem is one of the most famous love poetry in English romantic period because of its special language features. The two comparisons at the end of the poem are classical and special. The moth expects for the star. The poet expresses his noble feelings in a logical way. The end of the poem maybe a little melancholy, but it is true. In reality, love, ideal and life contributes him with various thoughts and feelings, so the end is a little sad.―The Indian Serenade‖ is another love poem of P. B. Shelley. Serenade is a kind of love songs that is originated from the Medieval Knights literature, it is sung to the lovers at night. This poem is named with Serenade to express his feelings. Now suppose that we are in love with other person, we maybe miss him or her day and night. The poet is also very nonsensical, it seems that his love is much stronger than other person, even if heartbreak.The first stanza is very sweet and gentle, it describes the poet’s miss to his sweetheart, and he can’t sleep at night.I arise from dreams of theeIn the first sweet sleep of night.We can feel the sweet affection of the poet at the beginning. Then he writes about the beautiful night and the star, which are shining brightly in the sky. He sings to his lover at night to express his strong feelings.When the winds are breathing lowAnd the stars are shining brightI arise from dreams of theeAnd a spirit in my feetHath led me- who knows how?To thy chamber-window, sweet?How beautiful is the night! And the stars are shining bright at night, just as love, so pure and noble. They are shining in the sky as if are encouraged the poet to pursue true love. Under the encouragement of the star, the poet comes to the window of the lady without any hesitation. The poet is excited. The stars are as beautiful and pure as love. They are the symbol of the purity of love. In the second stanza, the poet supposes that his life died on shine,As the wandering airs faintedThe silent stream on the darkThe champak odors’ failedThe nightingale’s compliantDied upon her heart.But the poet doesn’t care about all these except his love to her. He shows his love, ―O beloved as thou art!‖ His blazing love let him must do that without hesitation. He is full of enthusiasm about love. From the third stanza we know that the poet treats his love with her a s all his life. If he can’t get this love, it seems that he maybe die. He wrote,O lift me from the grassI die, I faint, and I failLet thy love in kisses rainO my lips and eyelids paleMy cheek is cold and white, alas!My heart beats loud and fastO! Press it close to shine againWhere it will break at last.He is eager to be alive with her love and he treats love heart and soul. The stars in the poem stand for the pure, sincere and passionate love. The poet gives us an explanatory note to love in the poetry.From the two love poems above, we can see that Shelley is a frank and passionate poet. His use to the star as an image is clear and unambiguous. His strong emotions and talent can easily infect us. The star is a typical symbol of love and beauty in all his love poetry.3. The Image of the Star as the Eternity of LoveJohn Keats is another great English romantic poet. He is called as one of the brilliant trio of active romanticist in England. Though his life for poetry creation is very short, just six years, his progress is quite amazing. He learned his poetical art mainly from the poets of the English Renaissance, from Milton and from Dante, the national poet of Italy. His leading principle for poetry creation was ―Beauty in truth, truth in beauty‖. He is also the forerunner of the Aestheticism. Of the numerous short poems by Keats, the most important are his sonnets and odes. His best sonnets including ―Bright Star‖, his last poem written on his voyage to Italy.The whole life of John Keats is very miserable, but he is very strong in facing allthe difficulties. Because of his illness and poor, his love with Brown can’t get a good result. ―Bright Star‖is one of these kinds of poetry to express his strong emotions. Through the description of the star he expresses his feelings in an indirect way. This poem is highly approved mainly because that the two moods are perfectly combined.Bright Star, would I were steadfast as thou art —Not in lone splendor hung aloft the nightAnd watching, with eternal lids apartLike nature’s patient sleepless EremiteThe moving waters at their priest like taskOf pure ablution round earth’s human shoresOr gazing on the new soft-fallen maskOf snow upon the mountains and the moor—No—yet still steadfast, still unchangeablePillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breastTo feel for ever its soft fall and swellAwake forever in a sweet unrestStill, still to hear tender- taken breathAnd so live ever, —or else swoon to death.The first eight lines are the sweet love; the following six lines are the misery ofthe body. The former is pure and happy while the latter is full of desire. This poem is attractive also because it is a real description about John Keats’s love to Brown. Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou are—steadfast means unchanging or constant here. Not in lone splendor hung aloft the night! The star’s isolation is implicit in its watching and in its not participating. It never sleeps. There is also a lack of motion in these lines. Like nature’s patie nt, sleepless Eremite. Hermit, usually with a religious connotation. Emphasizing the star’s sleeplessness is part of the characterization of the star’s non-humanness, which makes it an impossible goal for a human being to aspire to. The moving waters at their priest like task. The rise and the fall of the tides twice a day are seen as a religiously performed ritual. With the poem’s shift to earth, there is movement and aliveness, as well as spirituality (―priest like‖). Of pure ablution a round earth’s human shores, a religious cleaning, ritual washing. This reference continues the religious imagery of ―Eremite‖ and ―priest like‖. ―Human‖ is what the poet is and the star is not. Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask. The ―mask‖ is the covering of snow on the ground. This snow has pleasing connotations, being ―new‖ and―soft‖. All the moon can do is to ―gaze‖. Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—Beauty (the snow) is found in diverse places on earth. The alliteration (repetition of M sounds) stresses the connection of these words. No—yet still steadfast, still unchangeable, t he poet turns again to himself; ―Still‖ has two meanings here: (1) always or ever and (2) motionless. Pillow’s upon my fair love’s ripening breast,Movement and change in human life are introduced with ―ripening‖, a contrast to the star. To feel forever its soft fall and swell, ―f all and swell‖are also change and movement. ―Soft‖ intensifies the sensuality introduced with ―pillow’d‖. Awake forever in a sweet unrest. In contrast to the eternal sleeplessness and motionlessness of the star, the poet’s not sleeping is active (―awake‖). Now change or flux becomes desirable, ―sweet unrest‖, an oxymoron. Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, Repetition (―still‖ is used 4 times in 5 lines) emphasizes time or timelessness for human beings. ―Breath‖ is flux, and ―tender‖ makes it positive. And so live ever—or else swoon to death. Three of the last four lines use ―for ever‖ or ―ever‖, emphasizing steadfastness in time or eternity, but it is an eternity of love, passion and sensuality. In a swift reversal, the poet accepts the possibility of dying from pleasure. ―Swoon‖ has sexual overtones; orgasm is often compared to a dying (the French term for orgasm is le petit mort, or the small death). Because of its position as the last word in the poem and because of being an accented syllable, ―death‖ carries a great deal of weight in the final effect and meaning of the poem.In the first line, the poet expresses his desire for an ideal and love—to be as steadfast as a star—an ideal and love which human being a human being in this world of change or flux, cannot achieve, as he comes to realize by the end of the poem. In fact, he is unable to identify even briefly with the star; immediately, in line 2, he asserts a negative, ―no‖. And lines 2-8 reject qualities of the star’s steadfastness. Even the religious imagery is associated with coldness and aloneness; moreover, the star is cut off from the beauties of nature on earth.Once the poet eliminates the non-human qualities of the star, he is left with just the quality of steadfastness. He can now define steadfastness in terms of human lifeon earth, in the world of love and movement. As in so many poems, Keats is grappling with the paradox of the desire for permanence and a world of timelessness and eternity (the star) while living in a world of time and flux. The end of the poem resolves the paradox: joy and fulfillment are to be found here, now; he needs no more. There is a possible ambiguity in the las t line; is Keats saying that even if love doesn’t enable him to live forever, he will die content in ecstasy and love?―Bright Star‖ is John Keats’ last poem written in the voyage to Italy. He wakes up to his situation. He is so young but can’t get what he wanted. His heart is full of sadness. However, he doesn’t express his sufferings deeply. Instead, he shows his wish about love and life. The poet hopes that his love can as steady as the star in the sky, can as eternal as the star in the sky, the whole poetry is full of passion. We can understand the poet’s strong emotion from this poem. Because of the poet’s special physical and mental condition, he hopes that his love is the bright star in the sky. Bright star in the poetry is the symbol of the eternity of love.CONCLUSIONEnglish romantic poetry is considered as one of the brightest stars in English literature. The eighteenth century is distinctively an age of prose. During this period, a lot of excellent poets and poetry are appeared. The poets praise all the beautiful things of nature; especially love, so the star is very popular in poetry. Love is the most beautiful feeling of human beings, and it is also the favorite topic by human beings. Image also plays an important part in the creation of poetry, and the star is often mentioned in English romantic poetry as an image. The star and love has manysimilarities. The star is shining brightly in the sky forever just as the love is singing forever by human beings. We know that the poets are very sensitive, their feelings are much more exquisite than common people, so they like to sing about star and love, especially the poets of romantic period, and their achievements are also amazing. The real star in the sky only can light up the nights, but the stars in the poets’ heart can make their world bright forever. The star can bring them with love, which can highly satisfied their hearts. Through the analysis of the splendid poetry of romantic period, we can understand that star and love are pure, beautiful and eternal. Walter Scott, a popular English romantic poet once said in his poem ―A Serenade‖, ―The star of love, all stars above‖. This sentence puts up the poet’s idea about love clearly, it also shows the connection between the star and love. Through this we know that the star plays an important role in the poet’s heart, as well as love.。