#pursuitofknowledge

On Being Cautioned Against Walking Headland Overlooking the Sea Because it Was Frequented by a Lunatic

"I see him more with envy, than with fear...he has no nice felicities that shrink... He seems uncursed not to know the depth or duration of his woe" (58).

Charlotte Smith's sonnet speaks to the philosophical and cultural prisons that society places on people such as those with abundant assets, properties, homes and the things that fill them. The wealthy have many privileges, but they are also responsible for so much they may experience little freedom. Even more notable in this poem is the prison of the mind referencing those who have knowledge of our condition, or the ills of individual and society. It would seem humanity is nearly made wearier and more miserable with the advancement of knowledge.

Commonplace Entry 13: Jonathan Swift's The Lady's Dressing Room

Jonathan Swift's poem detailed, "Whereof, to make the matter clear, an inventory follows here... a dirty smock...various combs...a forehead cloth...alum flour...night-gloves...gallipots and vials...ointments...paints and slops...towels...petticoats...a handkerchief...stockings...quaff pins...tweezers...a magnifying glass...a reeking chest" (636-639).

In step with 18th century Restoration ideology, Swift's poem takes on a nearly taxonomical approach to the itemization of women's accoutrements and hygienic tools the narrator encounters. It bluntly showcases the "women problem" and demonstrates the otherness of women is society at this time. It dabbles into the realm of the natural world, by itemizing all those things which seem unnatural to make women beautiful or more appealing.

Commonplace Entry 11: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Part 1

Said Shelley's protagonist Victor Frankenstein of his creative process, "No one can conceive the variety of feeling which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds which I should first break through and pour a torrent of light on a dark world. A new species would bless me as its creator and source. Many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me" (42).

V. Frankenstein set about as a student of science with the intention of a healer/physician to explore the boundaries of life after death. The loss of his mother had made the experience of death and grief personal. Initially empathy and intellectual curiosity drove his pursuits, though his endeavors were eventually misguided.

Commonplace Entry 10: John Keat's Lamia

Wrote Keats in Part 1, "She was gordian shape of dazzling hue, Vermillion-spotted, golden, green, and blue; Striped like a zebra, freckled like a pard, Eyed like a peacock, and all crimson barr'd... her head was serpent, but ah, bitter-sweet! She had a woman's mouth with its pearls complete...Her throat was serpent, but the words she spake came, as through bubbling honey for Love's sake" (986-986).

Author and poet John Keats addressed his Romantic Period audience aptly with the inclusion of a half-human half-beast Lamia poem in his writings. Through Hermes perspective, Keats points to themes of seduction (by women) and the broader English exploration of the natural world that was a hallmark of the era. Zebras being from Africa and peacocks from Burma, these animal's inclusion may seem a surprise to the modern reader. While the snake was somewhat known to the English at this time, this particular Lamia-snake creature is a monstrosity and a beauty as partial woman. It contains elements and characteristics of both familiar and mysterious exotic animals. This passage may speak to skepticism of English explorations abroad, provide a cultural warning against the expansion of too much knowledge too swiftly, or be a nod to the role women play in society.

Commonplace Entry 3: Letters...Written during Her Travels [The Turkish Embassy Letters]

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu observed in one of her Turkish Embassy letters, "I was here convinced of the truth of a reflection I had often made, that if it were the fashion to go naked, the face would hardly be observed. I perceived that the ladies of the most delicate skins and finest shapes had the greatest share of my admiration, though their faces were sometimes less beautiful than those of their companions" (631).

Women travel writers such as Montagu had significant influence in the 17th century. The rise of the middle class and technological advancements made for more security and freedom in global travel for English citizens. Montagu, wife of Constantinople ambassador and the daughter of an aristocrat, was invested in sharing her observances and the English were invested in reading her words in turn. Her ability to witness foreign social cultural curiosities and report of them gave her an edge as an influencer. 18th century English were particularly interested in unveiling activities that would typically be removed from the public eye. Montagu's experience of the Turkish women's bathhouse gave her a taste of the surprising freedom found there. In "veiling" oneself from the gaze of others (men), superficialities, such as clothing and jewelry, became moot. Women's wisdom could be observed and expressed when the importance of outward appearance was subdued. Montagu continues to successfully asks modern audiences what makes a person fully valuable?

In Gulliver's Travels, author Jonathan Swift comments on the tendencies of the English through the lens of Gulliver's observance of the Lilliputians. Said Gulliver, “As the news of my arrival spread though the kingdom it brought prodigious numbers of rich, idle, and curious people to see me; so that the villages were almost emptied and great neglect of tillage and household affairs must have ensued, if his Imperial Majesty had not provided by several proclamations and o and orders of state against this inconveniency" (292).

The English have prospered long, making many advancements in society. These technological and scientific advancements have yielded copious numbers of wealthy people. With an excess of wealth, people of the upper class are left stumbling about for entertainment to pass their time. The wealthy are also easily distracted from their labors and can be found seeking bemusement over other ways of spending one's time. They are quick to forget their obligations unless a law is enacted to keep everyone in place doing their part. Both homeowners and land managers are part of this distracted group and Swift draws clear parallels here to English upper class cultural values and those of the Lilliputians.

In Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver observes the Lilliputian people. He notes, "These people are most excellent mathematicians, and arrived to a great perfection in mechanics by the countenance and encouragement of the Emperor, who is a renowned patron of learning" (288).

It takes one learned (hu)man to recognize another. Lemuel Gulliver, the main character of Swift's iconic work, has a long history of apprenticeship and knowledge acquisition. He labored under a variety of disciplines before he had the opportunity to depart on his several voyages, finally arriving on the island of Lilliput. Initially, he voyaged for the sake of financial stability but ended up remaining partially out of sheer curiosity to observe the miniature inhabitants, their language and cultural norms. He noted unspoken oaths of hospitality which 18th Century English highly valued, alongside their commitment to learning endorsed from the top down. The government leaders preached education, and Gulliver found this honorable. His observance of education in action, helped him develop a respect for the islanders he may not have had otherwise.