Poetry Analysis and Connection to "The Hunchback"

      I chose the poem “A Frog’s Fate” by Christina Georgina Rosetti because it discusses the theme of fate that is present through The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. In both pieces, the characters are fated for an ill future. Quasimodo is fated to be an ‘unfortunate creature” (Hugo) due to his deformed appearance, Frollo believes he is fated to love La Esmeralda which causes him to be “tortured by the specter of his own damnation” (Hugo), and the frog is fated to be hit by the wagon as it “Ran him down, his joys his cares”(Rosetti 14). The quote “The Waggoner strode whistling on. Unconscious of the carnage done” (Rosetti 23-24) also relates to the preface of The Hunchback where the author found the word “fate” engraved on the wall in Notre-Dame. The author hadn’t known who had written it or what sort of situation had occurred there but it shows how the author was just as oblivious to the effects of fate as the driver of the wagon was in “A Frog’s Fate”. The characters of boy pieces do not believe in free will and therefore do not fight against their situations. This can especially be observed in the scene where Frollo is watching a spider catch a fly in its web. The fly is fated to by caught and he therefore must “let fate take its course!” (Hugo).

      In addition, I also chose the poem “Brittle Beauty” (also known as “The Frailty and Hurtfulness of Beauty”) by Henry Howard because it describes the illusive nature of beauty and asks the ultimate question: what is beauty? Howard describes beauty as “Slipper in sliding, as in an eele’s tail” (7). This transitory essence that beauty gives off relates to how Sister Gudule feels about her fate. Her beautiful baby girl was stolen and replaced by an “abominable monster” (Hugo). That moment of beauty she once had slipped away and was replaced by ugliness. The poem also describes how beauty is “False and untrue, enticed oft to treason” (Howard 9). This relates to the characters of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame because Frollo is described as an extremely educated, powerful aristocrat on the outside but is cold and lustful on the inside. On the other hand, Quasimodo is depicted as a “deformed ape” (Hugo) but has one of the kindest souls in the entire novel based on his actions of saving others and his unfailing loyalty to even those who have treated him the worst. Both the poem and the novel describe how beauty is not always what it seems.

"Brittle Beauty" Poetry Analysis

“Brittle Beauty” (also known as “The Frailty and Hurtfulness of Beauty”) by Henry Howard

Analysis and Connection to The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Brittle beauty that nature made so frail, Whereof the gift is small, and short the season, Flowering today, tomorrow apt to fail, Tickle treasure, abhorred of reason, Dangerous to deal with, vain, of none avail, Costly in keeping, passed not worth two peason Slipper in sliding as is an eel's tail, Jewel of jeopardy that peril doth assail, False and untrue, enticed oft to treason, Enemy to youth: that most may I bewail. Ah, bitter sweet: infecting as the poison, Thou farest as fruit that with the frost is taken: Today ready ripe, tomorrow all to-shaken

The poem “Brittle Beauty” (also known as “The Frailty and Hurtfulness of Beauty”) by Henry Howard uses pastoral language and similes to describe the transitory nature of beauty.       Pastoral imagery and similes both allow the reader to make comparisons in order to see the true nature of the subject. Howard describes beauty as “flowering today, tomorrow apt to fail” (Howard 3). This automatically sets the tone of the piece and describes the author’s true feelings about beauty: that fact that it is all about instant gratification. The piece then continues by using similes to compare beauty to “the fruit that with the frost is taken” (Howard 14) and as “infecting as the poison” (Howard 13). These similes continue to express the meaning that the author is attempting to convey. Beauty is illusive and will never satisfy someone forever. It is enjoyable for a certain time, such as the flowers in spring as the pastoral language suggests, but then it is inevitably ruined, just like fruit left out in the frost.       "Brittle Beauty" continues to describe the illusive nature of beauty by asking the ultimate question: what is beauty? Howard describes beauty as "Slipper in sliding, as in an eele’s tail" (Howard 7). This transitory essence that beauty gives off relates to how Sister Gudule feels about her fate. Her beautiful baby girl was stolen and replaced by an "abominable monster" (Hugo). That moment of beauty she once had slipped away and was replaced by ugliness. The poem also describes how beauty is "False and untrue, enticed oft to treason" (Howard). This relates to the characters of The Hunchback because Frollo is described as an extremely educated, powerful, aristocrat on the outside but is cold and cruel on the inside. On the other hand, Quasimodo is depicted as a "deformed ape" (Hugo) but has one of the kindest souls in the entire novel based on his actions of saving others and his unfailing loyalty to even those who have treated him the worst.       Through the use of pastoral language and similes, “Brittle Beauty” relates to The Hunchback of Notre-Dame as it depicts how beauty is not always what it seems.

 

"A Frog's Fate" Poetry Analysis

“A Frog’s Fate” by Christina Georgina Rosetti

Analysis and Connection to The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Contemptuous of his home beyond The village and the village-pond, A large-souled Frog who spurned each byeway Hopped along the imperial highway. Nor grunting pig nor barking dog Could disconcert so great a Frog. The morning dew was lingering yet, His sides to cool, his tongue to wet: The night-dew, when the night should come, A travelled Frog would send him home. Not so, alas! The wayside grass Sees him no more: not so, alas! A broad-wheeled waggon unawares Ran him down, his joys, his cares. From dying choke one feeble croak The Frog's perpetual silence broke: - "Ye buoyant Frogs, ye great and small, Even I am mortal after all! My road to fame turns out a wry way; I perish on the hideous highway; Oh for my old familiar byeway!" The choking Frog sobbed and was gone; The Waggoner strode whistling on. Unconscious of the carnage done, Whistling that Waggoner strode on - Whistling (it may have happened so) "A froggy would a-wooing go." A hypothetic frog trolled he, Obtuse to a reality. O rich and poor, O great and small, Such oversights beset us all. The mangled Frog abides incog, The uninteresting actual frog: The hypothetic frog alone Is the one frog we dwell upon.

The poem “A Frog’s Fate” by Christina Georgina Rossetti uses imagery and a sense of hyperbole to describe the effects of fate and one’s unwillingness to try and change them.       Imagery allows the reader to see, smell, touch, taste and hear the surroundings that they read about to better understand the message of the piece. Rossetti uses both tactile and auditory imagery to describe the characteristics of “so great a Frog” (Rosetti 6). The description of “His sides to cool, his tongue to wet” (Rossetti 8) make the vision of the frog much more realistic, especially when the audience encounters the auditory imagery of his “dying choke [and] one feeble croak” (Rossetti 15). Both types of imagery contribute to the sense of hyperbole that Rossetti gives to the poem. There are many examples of formalistic and elevated language such as “‘ye buoyant Frogs, ye great and small, /Even I am mortal after all!’” (Rossetti 17-18) which assign such ornate language to simply describing a frog being run over. This shows the Frog’s unwillingness to fight against his circumstance. Rossetti chose to write the Frog a brave end when he chose to accept his fate; similar to many of the characters in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.       "A Frog's Fate" discusses the theme of fate that is frequently present throughout The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. In both pieces, the characters are fated for an ill future. Quasimodo is fated to be an "unfortunate creature" (Hugo) due to his deformed appearance, Frollo believes he is fated to love La Esmerelda which causes him to be "tortured by the specter of his own damnation" (Hugo), and the frog is fated to be hit by the wagon as it "Ran him down, his joys, his cares". (Rosetti 14). The quote "The Waggoner strode whistling on./Unconscious of the carnage done" (Rosetti 23-24) also relates to the preface of The Hunchback where the author found the word "fate" engraved on the wall in Notre-Dame. The author hadn't know who had written it or what sort of situation had occurred there but it shows how the author was just as oblivious to the effects of fate as the driver of the wagon was in "A Frog's Fate". The characters of both pieces do not believe in free will and therefore do not fight against their situations. This can especially be observed in the scene where Frollo is watching a spider catch a fly in its web. The fly is fated to be caught and he therefore must "let fate take its course!" (Hugo).       Thus, through the use of imagery and a sense of hyperbole, the poem “A Frog’s Fate” by Christina Georgina Rossetti relates to The Hunchback of Notre-Dame as it describes the effects of fate and one’s unwillingness to attempt to and change them.