The “Sherlock Holmes” stories were not exactly what I had expected them to be, but I can certainly see the appeal of them to citizens of 19^thcentury London. London was not necessarily the best place to be in the world during this time. With industrialization on the rise along with the population, common people endured many hardships. Workhouses were run under absolutely abhorrent conditions and generally it did not seem like any one “higher up” in society cared much about the working and lower classes. I’m not entirely certain what type of place detectives would have held in society during this time, but it seems as though the work Holmes does in London is very important. As a crucial part of his character, he is highly observant—so much so that he can almost tell someone’s entire life story just by looking at them. At a time where generalizations of masses were seemingly so common, having a character individualize his clients in such a way as Holmes does serves as a reminder of individuality amongst the people inhabiting London.

The city itself plays a rather important role in Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes” stories. Where in London events take place are rather vital to the story line. In “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” our heroes get sent all over London trying to find the primary source of the goose stuffed with jewels. London itself, its geography and its inhabitants, play a large role in these stories. Holmes and Watson are not just doing these things to help their clients, they also do it to protect the city and everything that encompasses it.

The scene where Mr. Darcy initially proposes to Elizabeth is arguable the most important scene in the novel and is a major turning point. Until this moment, both parties have been repressing their feelings for one another. Although it doesn’t turn out exactly how Mr. Darcy was hoping, this scene airs many if not all of the grievances between the two, and it is during this fight that Mr. Darcy learns everything he did that made Elizabeth lose favor for him. Darcy takes the opportunity to not only explicitly write out to Elizabeth why everything happened how it did, but he goes and does everything in his power to fix the wrongs he did. The scene itself is beautifully written, as is the whole novel, and sets a perfect tone for the moment. There is tons of negative diction throughout the scene. You could look anywhere on the pages and see words with more negative connotations and denotations, but one place where it really sticks out is where Austen explains that “in spite of her [Elizabeth’s] deeply rooted dislike…she was at fist sorry for the pain he was to receive…” and how overcome with anger she is at the whole situation.

As the argument builds, the sentence structure of the dialogue becomes interesting to follow because it is definitely reminiscent and reflective of a real life argument. Longer sentences start off speech paragraphs, as the individuals rapidly argue a major point they have. As these bits of dialogue continue, sentences become shorter and reflect the anger in both characters that is coming out rapidly in different points they have rolling off their tongues. It is also interesting to note that this scene takes place in Mr. and Mrs. Collins’ home, not in any environment that’s particularly comfortable, familiar, or important to either character. Not just this, but it is also the home of a marriage of compromise, not true love. Darcy could not have possibly been set up for worse success than he is in this scene between the context of Elizabeth’s feelings for him, the setting being in such a home, and Austen’s constant use of negative language. However, it is the passion built between all of these things and the characters themselves that eventually drive them together in the end.

In his poem, Composed upon Westminster Bridge, William Wordsworth reveals his relationship with London by creating a poem from the Westminster Bridge overlooking various iconic landmarks that are calm and beautiful. The poem to begin is a Petrarchan Sonnet, which is a poem of fourteen lines divided into two parts. The first part is the first eight lines known as the octave and the remaining six lines form the sestet, which is the second part of the poem. The rhyme scheme in a Petrarchan sonnet is abbaabbacdcdcd, which is the case for this poem. Being an aspiring creative writer and poet, I am fascinated by the various forms of poetry and the way they allow the writer to depict and portray certain ideas or events and I am also intrigued as to how the reader can interpret different forms of poetry to relate to certain beliefs or opinions. That being said, it is very difficult to write a poem to begin with, let alone a sonnet, let alone a Petrarchan sonnet that follows the traditional rhyme scheme. And what makes Wordsworth’s poem even more fascinating to me is that it is written in perfect iambic pentameter, with ten syllables in each line beginning with an unstressed syllable, then a stressed syllable, and so on. The brilliance behind just the layout and form of the poem is remarkable and captivating at the same time. The tone used is very much of a calm and respectful approach to the bridge and all the sights and sounds it has to offer. Wordsworth talks about the beauty of the city and the quietness and stillness that London experiences during the morning hours. The poem itself discusses how the Earth has nothing more beautiful to call its own than London and the ships, towers, domes, and theatres that identify London as such a beautiful city. The words and the poem itself allow the reader to sense a strong admiration for the fogless London and the pride and honor the speaker takes in writing this poem about this city.

In Sir Thomas Mallory’s The Fair Maid of Astolat the maid is given very little agency as compared to Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem, The Lady of Shallot, which features the lady as having great, almost magical, skills. Tennyson’s poem gives a very different view of the Lady and focuses much more attention on the Lady, differing from Mallory’s work that focuses greatly on the glory of the knights and their significance. I found Tennyson’s poem to give more dignity to the Lady as the tone of her dying from grief in Mallory’s work came across as condescending in the story as it gave very little possibility that the Lady could live independently from her lover. I think that Tennyson’s view on the Lady is influenced by the rise in women’s agency that occurred during the Victorian Era. The contrast between the two works is distinguished by the very different view points the entire situation is described in both pieces.  The aspects of the original Arthurian legend that Tennyson’s poem leaves out greatly impacted the initial comparison I made when I read both works, and the image of the story that I had from reading both works was very different. I think it is also significant that I read Mallory’s work first because I feel that having read the Tennyson piece first would result in a disappointing resolution to the mystery about the Lady that is laid out in The Lady of Shallot.

Having read many texts for the course, two of the more eye opening readings came from both Charles Dickens in Night Walks and William Wordsworth in The Prelude, Book 7. In both of these works, the authors portray London in similar manners and yet they also have some distinct differences amongst them as well. In Dickens’ work, he discusses how he comes about these walks stating, “Some years ago, a temporary inability to sleep, caused me to walk about the streets all night” (Dickens). In his work, he discusses the people associated with different parts of town, encountering the homeless, the drunks, and the violent people that stumbled onto the streets of London in the early hours of the morning. He discusses where the violence occurs and reveals that the Haymarket is the worst kept part of London. Dickens alludes to the idea that while London may be a lively city, it may not be as great as everyone portrays it to be. Wordsworth also alludes to this idea in his work. In Book 7 of Wordsworth’s The Prelude, we move forward in time six years where Wordsworth continues his narrative by revealing that he was once a temporary resident but now he plans on becoming a permanent one. Wordsworth depicts London based off of a typical walk in the quiet side streets, similar to Dickens. Wordsworth encounters street entertainers, singers, shows, performances, and many other types and races of people that one would encounter in certain neighborhoods. He brings up the monuments to be seen and the museums and art galleries that surround him. Wordsworth’s work seems to take on a more admiring approach of London and the sights and sounds it has to offer. And yet while the major difference between Dickens’ work and Wordsworth’s is the depiction of London and the connotation used, Wordsworth refers to London at one point in this book as an “ant hill,” which to me is a negative connotation and paints a more negative picture of London in my head. Maybe Wordsworth is trying to relate the amount of people and the hustle and bustle of London to an ant hill, or similarly to Dickens, maybe he is also portraying London to be a city that is not as great as everyone may think.

Reading Malory’s “The Fair Maid of Astolat” influenced how I read Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shallot“. The victorian poem focuses primarily on the Lady of Shalott herself with a delayed introduction of Lancelot. Malory’s poem is filled with many characters. The overlapping names, places and backstory can be vastly overwhelming compared to the simplistic characters in the victorian poem. The focus was on the longing of Love rather than the need for community. The Malory poem felt like a war story or catalog of random people and battles. In comparison to Tennyson’s work, Malory’s poem is free of magical elements and focused only of the biographical events that occurred.

I will admit, I was a little biased against Lancelot after reading his lack of integrity or concern in Tennyson’s work. I remember vaguely mumbling something along the lines of “Typical man” when he commented on her appearance even after she had passed on. It was difficult to remember that there as no previous relationship between the two individuals prior to her passing. Malory tells a completely different person. Lancelot is an adulterous liar who takes advantage of love seeking women. In Malory’s version, Lancelot is more hated for his actions and treatment of others.

Bring on the women! Tennyson’s poem elicits an emotional response from the audience in favor of our lovely Lady of Shallot. Our lady is trapped in a loveless tower searching for an unobtainable male emotional response. In Malory’s version, the heavy weight of detail raises questions about the Lady of Shalott’s situation in Tennyson’s work. It is unclear as to wether or not she is trapped by force or is trapped as a choice. Is she cursed? Is she magical? It is unclear. In Malory’s version there is an overflow of details on the Maydyn. She is not trapped in a tower but rather gives herself to a man she recently met and showed unreciprocated feelings resulting in her eventual suicide. The audience’s emotional support is present not at her final act of suicide, but rather at the deception presented by Lancelot. Both women can be viewed as slaves to their own towers of unrequited love, but one has the option to live free and one dies for “love”.

Tennyson’s poem seems for like a ballad or sweet lullaby in comparison to the hefty intake of Malory’s poem. However, Malory’s poem provides more backstory to the characters with historical basis. Tennyson’s poem lacks the historical grounding, but in some cases I think I enjoy that poem better. The Lady of Shallot seems like a character that many women can feel connected to. Perhaps women trapped in abusive relationships who are searching for love outside of their loveless castle. In any case, I am more likely to be reciting the melodic stanzas of Tennyson’s work rather than quoting Malory’s extensive poem in my daily life. So for this round, Tennyson’s poem wins.

Some could say that Oliver’s beginning is an injustice in itself. One of the most important aspects of the novel is the frustrating struggle of injustice. Oliver Twist is a victim of the society around him. If Oliver had been born into an identified wealthy family, his early life would have been much different. Throughout the novel, Dickens makes it apparent that people born into the lower classes have no chance of moving into another class. Being born into the lower classes of this society is a death sentence. Oliver could have been spared from the injustice he had under taken if it wasn’t for the unjust decision of his birth nurse. The individual nurse could be part to blame, but the society she was a part & serves is the real criminal. The criminal society is what brought Agnes to the workhouse in the first place. The societal fear of being shamed & defamed due to a baby out of wedlock weighed heavier on her conscience than giving birth to a baby in a proper environment. Oliver is a product of the society he was born into. Other around him have created the unjust circumstance he was born into. Unfortunately, like many others in his situation, he cannot get out of the trapped lifestyle. Even if he shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

February 19, 1893

I have almost completed packing for my move. I sometimes wonder if the decision I have made is the right one for me, but as I have now lost the last member of my family, I need a new beginning. London is that new beginning. It is only a two-hour journey into the city, but from this small town it feels like I’ll be entering a whole new world.

I have read Bradshaw’s Illustrated Handbook to London and its Environsin the past out of curiosity for the growing city, and have found that much of the information regarding the city has helped me prepare for my upcoming lifestyle. For clothing, I recall him writing this about the temperature, “The mean temperature is 52 degrees, and the extremes 81 degrees and 20 degrees; the former generally occurring in August, and the latter in January” (Bradshaw 17). Since I am moving in just a few days, I know to pack more clothes to bare the cold rather than the heat. I think that Bradshaw’s Handbookwill come in handy again soon, I will write further on the subject when it comes.

February 23, 1893

I am writing as we pull into King’s Cross Station and I do have to remark that Bradshaw’s Handbookwas right about the “London Fog” (17). It seems as though the view from my window is blurred, but I know it is not the glass, it’s the air. It feels almost warmer, but without the added heat, just a difference in the atmosphere.

The other stark contrast to my small town is the overwhelming amount of people on the platform. As we approach there is a sea of bodies, and I wonder how I will navigate through them all when I need to get off the train. In Bradshaw’s Handbookhe wrote about the growing population of London, “The number of houses is upwards of 298,000” (16). This number has most definitely risen since then as well. That idea overwhelms me, but I try to remain calm by noting that the more there are in the city, the more people I can begin good relationships with. Well, they just announced it’s time to exit the train, let my journey begin…

One aspect of the novel, Oliver Twist, is the fact that he is faced with constant injustices from the moment he is born. At first the fact that Oliver is met with injustice after injustice can seem frustrating as a reader who is waiting for a good outcome to happen to the main character at some point, but further evaluation of Dickens’ motives help lead to the realization that this could have been Dickens’ point that people who begin their lives with wealth, which had passed Oliver by at the fault of the doctor and nurse who aided in his birth, are living at the complete opposite side of the spectrum as compared to those who are born poor orphans, as the doctor and nurse determined Oliver would be. Many of Oliver’s injustices come from social institutions of the time period including the Church and the workhouse welfare system that existed in England in the nineteenth century. The injustice I found to stand out the most was the fact that Oliver would have had a family if his mother was able to identify herself. His family was in fact quite wealthy and could have helped Oliver avoid most all of the tragedy that he experiences during his upbringing. This injustice technically could be blamed on Sally, the nurse who helped deliver Oliver, since she stole the locket from Agnes which was her only chance of being identified. I believe that the actual blame is to be placed on the circumstances that existed in Victorian culture which led Agnes to make the choices that she did, that being choosing to give birth in a workhouse instead of facing the social consequences that came with having a child out of wedlock and the shame that would bring upon her family. 

*Note before reading: from this view, Wordsworth would not have been looking at Big Ben because it would not have been built for another 32 years*

Upon first reading William Wordsworth’s poem “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” you get an immediate idea of his love for the city of London. What caught my attention was the intriguing juxtaposition of both vague and specific perspectives that he includes in his writing. The first line of the poem references Earth as a whole, so that creates a wide spectrum of discussion. Then, as he goes on he mentions “This City,” meaning London, so that starts to narrow down the lens of his influence (Line 4). Nonetheless, the city is still very large, so it is hard to tell what he could be reveling in so deeply. He continues to write more about the city’s beauty in lines 6 and 7, Wordsworth writes: “Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie open unto the fields, and to the sky.” These two lines are especially relevant to the juxtaposition, because while he does name particular places and things that are catching his eye, he names so many that it essentially becomes vague again.

I believe that this mindfulness of perspective is significant not just to Wordsworth, but also to the reader. This sense of perspective being so unclear allows the reader to wonder what Wordsworth is putting his focus of affection on, other than the city of London as a whole. While thinking on this concept, readers would then be prompted to wonder what their own personal focus would be of the beauty of London. Through this process, Wordsworth is causing his readers to view the city just the way he would, with love and admiration.

Even without the experience of the same view that Wordsworth would have been overlooking, readers get a unique angle into his relationship to the city and its characteristics. It also becomes a view that readers then yearn to experience after reading the poem, so it prompts them to visit London in person. Then they can truly decide for themselves what their favorite aspect of the city would be.

https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/sightseeing/london-attraction/big-ben

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45514/composed-upon-westminster-bridge-september-3-1802