National Poetry Day

A little bird (OK, a hunky big bloke - yum) has reminded me that it's National Poetry Day. Here is a celebratory recording by Kingswoman: Tennyson's Now sleeps the crimson petal. It's more romantic than erotic, in fact Romantic - high Romantic writing of the Victorian era. Like a lot of Tennyson's poetry though, there is heavily sexual symbolism for the delicate ladies to blush over.

The poem comes from a 'verse medley' by Alfred, Lord Tennyson called The Princess. This is an odd story, it starts with a group of young people who are inspired to tell each other a verse drama about a heroic Prince. Young Lilia, the daughter of the house, challenges the young men to it: 
I wish I were
Some mighty poetess, I would shame you then, 
That love to keep us children! 

They compose a poem about a great Princess who separates herself from the world in order to pursue learning. But it only leads to 'tears idle tears', gurllllzzzzz (wink - that famous poem is also part of The Princess medley). A Prince falls in love with her, and when she rejects his suit, a terrible battle ensues, her brothers and various assorted hunky Princes are all dreadfully wounded, then finally she agrees to be a good wife and mother instead. 

LOL, it's all very Victorian. Nothing like that could happen today OF COURSE! (wink). 

I am always struck by the way Lilia and Ida (the Princess) are depicted as attractive and charming because of their wit and intelligence, how Tennyson shows their frustration at not being allowed to develop their thoughts ("you ... that love to keep us children"), but in the end this is not the Victorian way - love means never having to think any more, apparently.