Selected Poems – George Crabbe, Robert
Browning and Oscar Wilde ‘It is the societies in
which the murders take place which are
condemned in these poems, rather than the
murderers.ʼ To what extent do you agree with
this view? Remember to include in your an
Selected Poems – George Crabbe, Robert Browning and Oscar Wilde ‘It is the societies in which
the murders take place which are condemned in these poems, rather than the murderers.ʼ To
what extent do you agree with this view? Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed
exploration of the poetsʼ authorial methods. You should refer to the work of at least two authors
in your answer.
[25 marks]
The Ballad of Reading Gaol – society.
Society neglecting Grimes but also his victims.
Browningʼs narrators having society as the setting, but it is them who are condemned.
For centuries crime fiction has been used as a channel for authors to provide commentary on
the societies in which the crimes are committed forcing the reader to question what type of a
society breeds such criminals, or allows such crimes to take place? In the poetry collection
different interpretations to societies role in crime are presented and, in this essay, I will
therefore discuss to what extent it is the societies which are condemned in these poems rather
than the murderers.
In 1993, Seamus Heaney states that Wildeʼs predatory portrayal of the executioner as the “lord
of death” who came with “icy breath” acting as a subversion to crime fiction at the crime,
becoming a polemic on the justice system – condemning society for the crimes committed
against the criminals. This can be seen through the poems little focus on the criminals victims,
such as Laura Ellen Woolridge (the victim of Charles Woolridge) who is only alluded to in a
single line of “the poor dead woman whom he loved and murdered in her bed”. Her death,
similar to Desdemonaʼs, is however only a fantasy of the true crime committed which was done
on a street corner with the razor blade. The critic La Capra stated that the presence of the
victim is important so that the status of the victim is not confused. Yet as Wilde removes the
victims of the criminals entirely focusing instead on societies crimes against the criminals, he
suggests a conflicting interpretation of criminality establishing the question of whether victims
are truly victims when the crimes committed against the criminals are so much worse. This can
be seen in Canto III where the descriptions of the brutal labour forced on the criminals; “We tore
the tarry ropes to shreds With blunt and bleeding nails; We rubbed the doors and scrubbed the
Browning and Oscar Wilde ‘It is the societies in
which the murders take place which are
condemned in these poems, rather than the
murderers.ʼ To what extent do you agree with
this view? Remember to include in your an
Selected Poems – George Crabbe, Robert Browning and Oscar Wilde ‘It is the societies in which
the murders take place which are condemned in these poems, rather than the murderers.ʼ To
what extent do you agree with this view? Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed
exploration of the poetsʼ authorial methods. You should refer to the work of at least two authors
in your answer.
[25 marks]
The Ballad of Reading Gaol – society.
Society neglecting Grimes but also his victims.
Browningʼs narrators having society as the setting, but it is them who are condemned.
For centuries crime fiction has been used as a channel for authors to provide commentary on
the societies in which the crimes are committed forcing the reader to question what type of a
society breeds such criminals, or allows such crimes to take place? In the poetry collection
different interpretations to societies role in crime are presented and, in this essay, I will
therefore discuss to what extent it is the societies which are condemned in these poems rather
than the murderers.
In 1993, Seamus Heaney states that Wildeʼs predatory portrayal of the executioner as the “lord
of death” who came with “icy breath” acting as a subversion to crime fiction at the crime,
becoming a polemic on the justice system – condemning society for the crimes committed
against the criminals. This can be seen through the poems little focus on the criminals victims,
such as Laura Ellen Woolridge (the victim of Charles Woolridge) who is only alluded to in a
single line of “the poor dead woman whom he loved and murdered in her bed”. Her death,
similar to Desdemonaʼs, is however only a fantasy of the true crime committed which was done
on a street corner with the razor blade. The critic La Capra stated that the presence of the
victim is important so that the status of the victim is not confused. Yet as Wilde removes the
victims of the criminals entirely focusing instead on societies crimes against the criminals, he
suggests a conflicting interpretation of criminality establishing the question of whether victims
are truly victims when the crimes committed against the criminals are so much worse. This can
be seen in Canto III where the descriptions of the brutal labour forced on the criminals; “We tore
the tarry ropes to shreds With blunt and bleeding nails; We rubbed the doors and scrubbed the
