The Old Familiar Faces Charles Lamb

Biography Charles LAMB (1775-1834) English writer, poet and essayist during the Romantic period Part of a literary circle with famous romantic writers such as: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor. Best known for his Tales From Shakespeare. In fact, first published by William Godwin, Mary Shelley's father. In 1796, Charles' sister suffered from a mental disorder and stabbed their mother. She is sent to a mental hospital. As far as the poem is concerned, the death of his mother highly contributed to his motivation to write it.

The Old Familiar Faces Title: Evoques nostalgia, friendship, memories I have had playmates, I have had companions, In my days of childhood, in my joyful school-days-- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. I have been laughing, I have been carousing, Drinking late, sitting late, with my bosom cronies-- I loved a Love once, fairest among women: Closed are her doors on me, I must not see her-- I have a friend, a kinder friend has no man: Like an ingrate, I left my friend abruptly; Left him, to muse on the old familiar faces. Looking back on schooldays (positive) Looking back on old friends (=literary circle?) Title: Evoques nostalgia, friendship, memories Form / connotation : Composed of 7 stanzas, each containing 3 lines (tercets), an elgy Long vowel sounds No rhymes 1st person narrator creates proximity/ empathy with author Looking back on past relationships (love) Looking back on past relationships (freindship) Ghost-like I paced round the haunts of my childhood, Earth seem'd a desert I was bound to traverse, Seeking to find the old familiar faces. Friend of my bosom, thou more than a brother, Why wert not thou born in my father's dwelling? So might we talk of the old familiar faces-- How some they have died, and some they have left me, And some are taken from me; all are departed-- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. Looking back on childhood (negative) Expressing regret and affection for friend All have left, departed

Themes: Nostalgia Lexcical field of nostalgia I have had playmates, I have had companions, In my days of childhood, in my joyful school-days-- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. I have been laughing, I have been carousing, Drinking late, sitting late, with my bosom cronies-- I loved a Love once, fairest among women: Closed are her doors on me, I must not see her-- I have a friend, a kinder friend has no man: Like an ingrate, I left my friend abruptly; Left him, to muse on the old familiar faces. Lexcical field of nostalgia Postive + Negative tones expressing happiness and sadness and regret 4 anaphoras « all all are gone » 7 epistrophes « old familiar faces » Metaphor « closed her doors on me » Similie / Hyperbole « earth seemed a desert.. » Shifts in verb form : Past tense Present tense (present perfect = unspecific period in time) = all are gone, but memory still lies Ghost-like I paced round the haunts of my childhood, Earth seem'd a desert I was bound to traverse, Seeking to find the old familiar faces. Friend of my bosom, thou more than a brother, Why wert not thou born in my father's dwelling? So might we talk of the old familiar faces-- How some they have died, and some they have left me, And some are taken from me; all are departed All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. To carouse = drink and make merry

Themes: Relationships; friendship and love I have had playmates, I have had companions, In my days of childhood, in my joyful school-days-- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. I have been laughing, I have been carousing, Drinking late, sitting late, with my bosom cronies-- I loved a Love once, fairest among women: Closed are her doors on me, I must not see her-- I have a friend, a kinder friend has no man: Like an ingrate, I left my friend abruptly; Left him, to muse on the old familiar faces. His relations, love and friendship Postitive : « joyful school days » in the days of childhood Superlatives « fairest of young women », « a kinder friend has no man » « friend of my bosom, thou art more than a brother » - « thou » Negative : Anaphora/ repetition « drinknig late, sitting late » = negative connotation, once the evening is over, they have left Metaphor « closed her doors on me » Adjectives/ lexical field « left abruptly », « haunts of my childhood », « paced » « some they have died… » => He is « seeking to find » the old familiar faces he once cherished Ghost-like I paced round the haunts of my childhood, Earth seem'd a desert I was bound to traverse, Seeking to find the old familiar faces. Friend of my bosom, thou more than a brother, Why wert not thou born in my father's dwelling? So might we talk of the old familiar faces-- How some they have died, and some they have left me, And some are taken from me; all are departed-- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. Cronie = close friend or companion

Themes: Death, loss and regret I have had playmates, I have had companions, In my days of childhood, in my joyful school-days-- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. I have been laughing, I have been carousing, Drinking late, sitting late, with my bosom cronies-- I loved a Love once, fairest among women: Closed are her doors on me, I must not see her-- I have a friend, a kinder friend has no man: Like an ingrate, I left my friend abruptly; Left him, to muse on the old familiar faces. No rhymes, informal tone Lexical field of regret Similie « ingrate » = someone who does not show proper appreciation or thanks for something Shift stanza 6, « you », asks question directly to reader Lexical field of death and loss Imagery/simile: « ghost-like » , « desert » = lonliness Feminine endings (stressed the unstressed sylable) = haunting quality = > link to female tragedy of mother and sister = looking back on life full of loss and regret situations generalised to fit in any man’s situation, first person naration Ghost-like I paced round the haunts of my childhood, Earth seem'd a desert I was bound to traverse, Seeking to find the old familiar faces. Friend of my bosom, thou more than a brother, Why wert not thou born in my father's dwelling? So might we talk of the old familiar faces-- How some they have died, and some they have left me, And some are taken from me; all are departed-- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. The first published version of poem begins: Why are they gone, the old familiar faces? I had a mother, but she died, and left me, Died prematurley in days of horrors  All, all are gone, the old familiar faces

Links with Blake and Frankenstien I have had playmates, I have had companions, In my days of childhood, in my joyful school-days-- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. I have been laughing, I have been carousing, Drinking late, sitting late, with my bosom cronies-- I loved a Love once, fairest among women: Closed are her doors on me, I must not see her-- I have a friend, a kinder friend has no man: Like an ingrate, I left my friend abruptly; Left him, to muse on the old familiar faces. Frankenstien who had a happy childhood with many « playmates » and « companions » The Garden of Love: innocence, play, happiness The Chimney Sweeper: loss of innocence Frankenstien who loved Elizabeth, who « closed her doors on him » Henry Clerval, Frankenstiens closest friend who he « left abrubtly » «  like an igrate » Ghost-like I paced round the haunts of my childhood, Earth seem'd a desert I was bound to traverse, Seeking to find the old familiar faces. Friend of my bosom, thou more than a brother, Why wert not thou born in my father's dwelling? So might we talk of the old familiar faces-- How some they have died, and some they have left me, And some are taken from me; all are departed-- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. Regret, despair that Victor feels looking back on the « haunts » of his actions. « I walked about like a restless spectre », « I wandered like an evil spirit » Regret, despair that Victor feels looking back on all the ones he loved that « taken from him » .