Frank Raymond "F. R." Leavis (14 July 1895 – 14 April 1978) was a British literary critic of the early-to-mid-twentieth century. F.R.leavis is a leading critics among critic's group of New Criticism. He has a lasting effect on English literary criticism. His ideas on practical criticism rather than theory have been widely welcomed .The present essay “Reality and Sincerity” by him is a fine specimen of his genius as a critics.This essay is a basically an outcome of the critical comparison of the three poems - Alexander Smith's "Barbara"
- Emily Bronte's "Cold in Earth"
- Thomas Hardy's "After a Journey"
Criticism is done in order to establish a preference between all the three poems and as a result two of them are ordered and the third would have its place automatically. "Barbara" is about irreparable loss. It deals with the sufferings of an unbearable sorrow. It is basically cheap in nature ,extremely vague and unrealistic in nature. Therefore Barbara does not need any kind of the analysis.
The First verse sets the scene using adjectives like old, grey, crisped, yellow,etc.Which sets a tone of something or something about end. The Second verse ends with the powerful images of ‘Barbara’ looking out of heaven which reminds D.G.Rossetti powerful poem “The Blessed Damozel”. The Third stanza concludes with the exotic memory of wild morning when love embarrassed but one cannot understand why kiss lives the purple stain on agony her mouth. Barbara’s ghost lingers on like bad smell throughout the forth stanza. She seats remembering erotic feeling keeping breslate in her arm. She describes that though she has sinned many times since her death, She has been faithful and loves him still. This compassion of earth and heavenly love incredible for her love, earth is empty without her. The poem ends with the wind, rain and the mourning of wounded sea. Peace is with Barbara and death.
Levis's criticism of Smith’s poem has nothing to do with techniques reading through the verse. It looks very personal .Each line is a memory there is almost a picture in each line smith decides the verse as he himself sharing his thought with “ Barbara”. He is talking to her and he knows what to say so that she will understand him. This poem is not for us but for them…
“When loves speak, they have their own language”.
The other two poems are emotionally intense and the critic here tries to establish superiority of one poem over the other. As per the critic's analysis, we came across the fact that Hardy's work is better as compared to Emily Bronte 's "Cold in Earth".
Remembrance (Cold in Earth)
Cold in the earth—and the deep snow piled above thee,
Far, far removed, cold in the dreary grave!
Have I forgot, my only Love, to love thee,
Severed at last by Time's all-severing wave?
Now, when alone, do my thoughts no longer hover
Over the mountains, on that northern shore,
Resting their wings where heath and fern-leaves cover
Thy noble heart forever, ever more?
Cold in the earth—and fifteen wild Decembers,
From those brown hills, have melted into spring:
Faithful, indeed, is the spirit that remembers
After such years of change and suffering!
Sweet Love of youth, forgive, if I forget thee,
While the world's tide is bearing me along;
Other desires and other hopes beset me,
Hopes which obscure, but cannot do thee wrong!
No later light has lightened up my heaven,
No second morn has ever shone for me;
All my life's bliss from thy dear life was given,
All my life's bliss is in the grave with thee.
But, when the days of golden dreams had perished,
And even Despair was powerless to destroy,
Then did I learn how existence could be cherished,
Strengthened, and fed without the aid of joy.
Then did I check the tears of useless passion—
Weaned my young soul from yearning after thine;
Sternly denied its burning wish to hasten
Down to that tomb already more than mine.
And, even yet, I dare not let it languish,
Dare not indulge in memory's rapturous pain;
Once drinking deep of that divinest anguish,
How could I seek the empty world again?
Analysis
Agony is evident in this poem where the poet talks about 'morning and fifteen wild December', she believes that her wait is neither productive nor gainful. 'Misery' and 'Despair' are never good and she decides not to spend any time further on it. The tone of the poem is compassionate and ultimately resolving in nature and it has very sentimental mood attached to it.
The poem suggests that the grave of her beloved is covered
with two depressing seasons, Winter and Autumn. The covering of the grave suggests that the poet is no longer concerned with her beloved at that point, the poet believes that the best period of their life has gone. The hopes would not be as bright on the contrary, they would be sterner and darker. From the sixth stanza, poet had set herself free from the shackles of lamentations.
In terms of the figures of speech, Alliteration and Repeatation elevate the quotient of pain.
After A Journey by Hardy
I come to interview a Voiceless ghost;
Whither, O whither will its whim now draw me?
Up the cliff, down, till I'm lonely, lost,
And the unseen waters' soliloquies awe me.
Where you will next be there's no knowing,
Facing round about me everywhere,
With your nut-coloured hair,
And gray eyes, and rose-flush coming and going.
Yes: I have re-entered your olden haunts at last;
Through the years, through the dead scenes I have tracked you;
What have you now found to say of our past -
Viewed across the dark space wherein I have lacked you?
Summer gave us sweets, but autumn wrought division?
Things were not lastly as firstly well
With us twain, you tell?
But all's closed now, despite Time's derision.
I see what you are doing: you are leading me on
To the spots we knew when we haunted here together,
The waterfall, above which the mist-bow shone
At the then fair hour in the then fair weather,
And the cave just under, with a voice still so hollow
That it seems to call out to me from forty years ago,
When you were all aglow,
And not the thin ghost that I now frailly follow!
Ignorant of what there is flitting here to see,
The waked birds preen and the seals flop lazily,
Soon you will have, Dear, to vanish from me,
For the stars close their shutters and the dawn whitens hazily.
Trust me, I mind not, though Life lours,
The bringing of me here; nay, bring me here again!
I am just the same as when
Our days were a joy, and our paths through flowers.
Analysis
This poem talks about the past memories of the poet. This poem in terms of analysis can be understand in two parts, from line 1 to 16 we come to know about how Hardy tries o find 'Emma' and 17 to 32, we get an impression that Emma leads him to the memories of the past. In lines 1 to 8, the poet wants to talk with the ghost of Emma. In lines 9 to 16, the speaker shows his feelings of regret since their relationship is not the same as it was. He sees the ghost in the same as it was he sees he ghost in the lonely countryside of corn-well. In 17 to 24, Emma's ghost leads hardy to their past memories and she transport himself to nostalgic movement.
In 25 to 32, visual Imagery is used very appropriately. There are kinesthetic imagery like birds and seals. Visual imagery like stars, dawn, flowers etc. words like vanished, filtering are also examples of kinesthetical imagery. Although Imagenaries shown in the poem are vivid, Hardy makes us realized this through his writing.
Hardy's poem is more conventional in nature, it proves to be more sincere and becomes real in terms of its effect, Emma is at the center in terms of the subject in Thomas Hardy's poem.
Both poems are an outcome of experience but integrity in Hardy's poem is more striking as he tries to depict his memories and his sufferings. On the base of reality and sincerity comes to conclusion that hardy ‘After a Journey’ is more effective poem. It highlight the elements of reality and sincerity more than the poem of Emily Bronte.
