18 th Century British Non-Poetry By Kevin Estok

Topic Covered England saw major transformations to the literature of the time, offering fresh ways of thinking about human relationships; more specifically individual relationships with each other and nature. Sometimes called the Age of Reason, Enlightenment emphasized the importance of – Reason, progress, and liberty – Social upheaval, reversals of personal status, political satire, geographical exploration and the comparison between the supposed natural state of man and the supposed civilized state of man.

Congreve’s Poem “False Though She Be”

TPCAST Title: – Upon observing the poem’s title “False Though She Be”, Congreve makes clear that this work relates to a woman who close to the narrator. Although she is false in regards to a nonspecific detail, the poet’s use of the word “though” to disregard her fallacies Paraphrase: – The woman is untrue to the poet and his love. However, the poet will never take revenge on her (line 2). Interestingly, he approves of her charm, and not her change (line 3 & 4). In lines 5 and 6, the poet remembers the wonderful conditions under which him and his lover met, and he realizes that those times cannot last. Although the poet regrets how the present developed, he is nonetheless grateful for the precious past (lines 7 & 8).

TPCAST Cont. Connotation: – In the title and the first line, the poet uses an anastrophe, or inversion of words in relation to their normal syntactical order. This inversion demonstrates the irregularity of the situation or the naivety of the narrator. The continuation of anastrophe throughout the poem emphasizes certain key words that convey the naivety and senselessness of the poet. The word “approve” in line 3 stands out, illustrating the ease by which the poet accepts his fate in the relationship. He also demonstrates his lack of power in the relationship, which is remarkable for the time period. The poet also uses a rhyming couplet in the second and last stanza of the poem, rhyming the words “last” and “past”. This rhythm makes the matter seem a bit more regularly occurring, perhaps a phenomenon in the culture of the time. Attitude: – The narrator’s attitude is portrayed as accepting, easygoing, conceptual, and understanding, especially when observing the last two lines of the poem.

Cont. Shifts: – In this poem, there exists a shift in moods between the first and second stanza. The mood of this stanza felt tolerant and calm. However, the second stanza shifts by presenting the memorable past with his lover. In this way, the poem ends in a more emotional, dramatic, and loving manner. Themes: – A dominant female role – Relationships between sexes – Reason and progress

Relation to 18 th Century The poem illuminates personal relationships. The narrator shows the reality of many relationships during the time, despite such commonalities. In addition, Congreve displays a level of reason and progress in his poem by giving his female lover autonomy. Most importantly, he illustrates a true nature of relationships; there is a dominant individual in any given relationship, and sometimes, she is the woman.