Monday, March 12, 2012
Themes of Death in Lamb's Writing
Charles Lamb often writes about themes of death and loss. Often, they can be interpreted as one in the same, such as in "Old Familiar Faces," where Lamb writes about the deaths of his mother and playmates and the death of a relationship with a lover and with a friend. I sometimes found it difficult to interpret whether Lamb was spiritual in his view of death and the afterlife or more satirical; however, either method would suggest that his writing is a mode of coping with loss. He alternates between remembering the good times and great qualities in people, such as his grandmother Field in "Dream-Children," and the sadness of their deaths. At the end of that particular piece, Lamb awakes from a dream, hence the title of the poem. Is he so overwrought with grief that even in sleep he cannot escape or do the children bring him comfort? I found the switch abrupt and a bit confusing and would like to understand it more clearly.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I read your comment regarding "Old Familiar Faces," and I am not sure about Lamb's view of death either. In the OFF poem, I almost read it as him arguing the temperance of everything. All people, all moments in life serve a certain purpose, but eventually are changed and no longer a part of your life. However, I see Lamb arguing the lack of reason behind this and questioning it's pattern. For example, when talking about his friend he says "a kinder friend has no man," but "I left my friend abruptly" so that he could go "muse on the old familiar faces." Lamb seems to suggests an obsession with the past to the point that we can't be satisfied with the future. However, he doesn't seem to be happy with this idea. In the concluding stanza, he seems to blame the change on death and loss, suggesting that the lack of satisfaction in life is due to death.
ReplyDeleteIn light of your comment, Aly, the lack of satisfaction in Lamb's life that comes from the presence of death would make me lean toward the interpretation of his being satirical and pessimistic about the afterlife, especially since he views people and moments as temporary-- gone from his life when they die. The dissatisfaction in his life is apparent to me as well. He seems to miss the enjoyment of life because of his bizarre fixation on death and on those who are no longer present. Maybe he regrets the interactions he had with them and wishes he could change them?
ReplyDelete