Barbauld’s poem “On the Death of the Princess Charlotte” describes the tragedy of Princess Charlotte dying at such a young age, and the devastation and overflows of emotions that struck Britain but not her own father.
The first ten lines of the poem is describing the reaction that “Britain mourns” to the news of Princess Charlotte’s death and this reminds me of society’s reaction to the death of Princess Diana (line 1). Both Princesses have many similarities because they were well-liked and popular yet both lives were ended too soon. While reading that even stranger’s hearts were experiencing anguish and Charlotte’s “youth population melts/ In grief spontaneous, and hard hearts are moved” reminds me of watching the television and seeing the images in the newspaper of the enormous amount of distraught people mourning Diana (3-4).
It is interesting that individuals “and rough unpolished natures” (5) who were strangers to Charlotte show sympathy and compassion towards Charlotte and her family and “learn to feel/ For those they envied” (5-6). I am assuming that the “rough unpolished natures” are the everyday citizens of Britain who envied and possibly hated the royal family for their wealth and power, yet it is remarkable that in a time of need and devastation individuals and strangers unite together to support one another. It is quite appalling that while strangers are showing compassion towards Charlotte and her family, Charlotte’s own father shows no emotion towards his dead daughter. It is my belief that even though the father may not have had the best relationship with Charlotte it is inexcusable for him to not have gone to her funeral. A funeral is not a time for anger and hate but a moment of sympathy and strength in order to show love and support towards the individual and their family. It seems that Charlotte’s husband took the death extremely hard and her father could have helped to comfort the “deep-felt anguish of a husband’s heart” (16).
Even though the father’s actions are simply unnecessary and disgusting it seems that the narrator wants us to have sympathy for him. Everyone is mourning his daughter Charlotte; however, it is he the public should mourn and “think of him, and breathe one prayer” (32) since he is incapable of showing compassion.
Hey Courtney,
ReplyDeleteYour interpretation of the poem would not be negative had you known that her father had lapsed into madness in 1810. He even went blind a few years afterwards. It is not that he did not want to attend her funeral, but that he simply could not understand the nature of what was happening. His disconnection with nature and time is what Barbauld wants us to sympathize with. Hopefully you can re-read this poem with this in mind and find a new appreciation for it.