tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post5858689029852153784..comments2024-03-28T14:04:54.557-07:00Comments on the prowling Bee: The Robin's my Criterion for Tune –Susan Kornfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05384011972647144453noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-526293903590454942023-03-07T12:46:03.999-08:002023-03-07T12:46:03.999-08:00Line 1: Robin (Turdus migratotius), native to Nort...Line 1: Robin (Turdus migratotius), native to North America.<br /><br />Line 3: European Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). She probably didn’t know two species of American cuckoo breed in Massachusetts, Black-billed and Yellow-billed.<br /><br />Line 5: The tune is probably ‘Rule, Brittania!’<br /><br />Line 16: The Queen is Victoria, who reigned 1837-1901. Her “Province”, the British Empire, sided with the Confederacy because they needed Confederate cotton for their factories. The US Civil War was raging, which is why ED says the Queen discerns “Provincially”.<br />LarryBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-46763169261843031612016-09-12T07:48:03.534-07:002016-09-12T07:48:03.534-07:00I would go for a 'political' reading: ED&#...I would go for a 'political' reading: ED's 'New Englandly' provincialism is opposed here to 'Englandly' rule over foreing provinces (colonialism). Then the punchline about the Queen is not only a pun (you point out) but an ironic comment. <br /><br />This, I guess, would be congruent not only with the lines I quoted about being 'British born' and spurning domestic daisies, but also (as I see now) with the first opposition: <br />But, were I Cuckoo born – <br />I'd swear by him – <br />Isn't Cuckoo a good emblem of colonialism?<br /><br />I believe such a 'deconstructive' reading - as far as the mood is concerned - may be also applied to another poem in which an unnamed Robin appears (F 359). More in a moment - and thanks, Susan, for you perceptive and inspiring blog! Andrzej (from Cracow)andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01645621824460174503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-57866437521248658622016-09-11T14:54:56.094-07:002016-09-11T14:54:56.094-07:00That's a good point about daisies being a rath...That's a good point about daisies being a rather quintessential English flower. Perhaps I skipped over the line because of the resultant difficulty. I don't remember. Anyway, I'd love to hear more about your thoughts on that.Susan Kornfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05384011972647144453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-1786184667745725012016-09-11T11:20:56.796-07:002016-09-11T11:20:56.796-07:00What about the lines:
But, were I Britain born,
I...What about the lines:<br /> But, were I Britain born,<br />I'd Daisies spurn – <br />Even if ED called herself 'Daisy', aren't daisies 'prototypically' British? Doesn't ED prepare here the ground for the final opposition between her own and the British (colonial) 'provinciality'? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com