TQuadded
Breaking the limits.
I need opinions on this! Please reply ASAP! It's due tomorrow! 
'Depite having been written in different times texts can reflect the enduring values which human beings share.'
The language forms and features, ideas, values and attitudes conveyed in Barrett-Browning's 'Sonnets from the Portugese' (1845) and Fitzgerald's American novel 'The Great Gatsby' (1926) are heavily influenced by their respective historical, social and cultural contexts. Both texts explore similar themes and recurring human values, but only to a ceratain extent; as they are written in different times, it affects their contexts and hence their perspectives on these values. Barrett-Browning's poems aim to address gender issues in her time such as female expectations and petrarchan form, but more importantly discuss the significance of love, and the idea of an ideal or spiritual love. Fitzgerald examines similar themes and values in 'The Great Gatsby'; however, his viewpoint on these themes are affected by his context. Thus, through comparing 'The Great Gatsby' and Barrett-Browning's poems, we are able to identify how differing contexts can shape meaning and alter perspectives.
Both texts deal with the themes and concepts of ideal and pure love, but having been written in different times produces contrasting contexts, and hence differing perspectives. Barrett-Browning's poems take on the Petrarchan form to challenge courtly love and the idea of pure love, as opposed to Gatsby's infinite hunger for platonic love which is unattainable in a materialistic world; a world that lacked strong moral grounding taints the purity of love. Barrett-Browning's initial response to love is realistic, unsure and being cautious in her approach, "Lest one touch of his heart convey its grief". Throughout the sonnet it is evident that she prefers pure love more than any other, "If thou must love me let it be for nought, but for love's sake only". On the other hand, Fitzgerald's context of prohibition, consumerism and post-war disillusionment greatly differs from Barrett-Browning's context. The 1920's, with changed gender relations and the conspicuous pursuit of pleasure and consumerism, make idealistic love problematic; its secularisation restricted love to an object, resulting in unpure transitory attraction rather than eternal dedication found in Barrett-Browning's sonnets. The corruption of Gatsby with greedy materialism is possibly the cause of failure to bring his idea of platonic love to a reality, further accentuating the corruption of love in the 1920's and the hopelessness of achieving ideal love in a demoralised world, "You want too much". Thus, while Fitzgerald and Barrett-Browning scrutinize the idea of pure love, it is the differing contexts that give rise to differing perspectives.
The idea of spiritual love is explored in both texts, and their contextual differences affect the viewpoints of the composers on these values. In Barrett-Browning's time, religion was popular as she was spiritually influenced by famous literature such as 'Paradise Lost' and 'Inferno'. This influence can be noticed in the final poem of the sequence, comparing love to a more religious state of "grace" through the use of abstract nouns - conveying the attainment of a more idealistic and unconditional love. Furthermore, the silver symbolisms throughout the sonnets "silver answer" and "silver iterance" highlights the value of their love, but 'gold' is ultimately saved for Heaven - pure and eternal love, "I shall but love thee better after death". Conclusively, it is Barrett-Browning's context that shaped her perceptions of an ideal love, differing from Fitzgerald's perspective. In direct contrast, religion plays no part in the demoralised world of Gatsby; the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg watch but don't intervene, "at the eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg which had just emerged, pale and enormous, from the dissolving night", "God sees everything". Daisy fails to give Gatsby the commitment and devotion because she fails to recognise the concept of spiritual or eternal love, "I love you now - isn't that enough?" and hence can't love "to the depth and breadth and height" as found in Barrett-Browning's poems. Ultimately, the distinct contexts differentiate the attitudes of both composers on the idea of spiritual love.
Elizabeth Barrett-Browning and Scott Fitzgerald shows contradicting ideas and perspectives of pure, platonic love through 'Sonnets from the Portugese' and 'The Great Gatsby', respectively. While Barrett-Browning found the ultimate fulfillment of love through the perseverance of her own values, Gatsby haphazardly strived to achieve a similar love found in the sonnets. But having been tainted with the corruption of his society, it led to his downfall. Thus, having both texts been written in different times, their contexts are affected and hence their distinct attitudes towards enduring values such as ideal love we human beings share.
'Depite having been written in different times texts can reflect the enduring values which human beings share.'
The language forms and features, ideas, values and attitudes conveyed in Barrett-Browning's 'Sonnets from the Portugese' (1845) and Fitzgerald's American novel 'The Great Gatsby' (1926) are heavily influenced by their respective historical, social and cultural contexts. Both texts explore similar themes and recurring human values, but only to a ceratain extent; as they are written in different times, it affects their contexts and hence their perspectives on these values. Barrett-Browning's poems aim to address gender issues in her time such as female expectations and petrarchan form, but more importantly discuss the significance of love, and the idea of an ideal or spiritual love. Fitzgerald examines similar themes and values in 'The Great Gatsby'; however, his viewpoint on these themes are affected by his context. Thus, through comparing 'The Great Gatsby' and Barrett-Browning's poems, we are able to identify how differing contexts can shape meaning and alter perspectives.
Both texts deal with the themes and concepts of ideal and pure love, but having been written in different times produces contrasting contexts, and hence differing perspectives. Barrett-Browning's poems take on the Petrarchan form to challenge courtly love and the idea of pure love, as opposed to Gatsby's infinite hunger for platonic love which is unattainable in a materialistic world; a world that lacked strong moral grounding taints the purity of love. Barrett-Browning's initial response to love is realistic, unsure and being cautious in her approach, "Lest one touch of his heart convey its grief". Throughout the sonnet it is evident that she prefers pure love more than any other, "If thou must love me let it be for nought, but for love's sake only". On the other hand, Fitzgerald's context of prohibition, consumerism and post-war disillusionment greatly differs from Barrett-Browning's context. The 1920's, with changed gender relations and the conspicuous pursuit of pleasure and consumerism, make idealistic love problematic; its secularisation restricted love to an object, resulting in unpure transitory attraction rather than eternal dedication found in Barrett-Browning's sonnets. The corruption of Gatsby with greedy materialism is possibly the cause of failure to bring his idea of platonic love to a reality, further accentuating the corruption of love in the 1920's and the hopelessness of achieving ideal love in a demoralised world, "You want too much". Thus, while Fitzgerald and Barrett-Browning scrutinize the idea of pure love, it is the differing contexts that give rise to differing perspectives.
The idea of spiritual love is explored in both texts, and their contextual differences affect the viewpoints of the composers on these values. In Barrett-Browning's time, religion was popular as she was spiritually influenced by famous literature such as 'Paradise Lost' and 'Inferno'. This influence can be noticed in the final poem of the sequence, comparing love to a more religious state of "grace" through the use of abstract nouns - conveying the attainment of a more idealistic and unconditional love. Furthermore, the silver symbolisms throughout the sonnets "silver answer" and "silver iterance" highlights the value of their love, but 'gold' is ultimately saved for Heaven - pure and eternal love, "I shall but love thee better after death". Conclusively, it is Barrett-Browning's context that shaped her perceptions of an ideal love, differing from Fitzgerald's perspective. In direct contrast, religion plays no part in the demoralised world of Gatsby; the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg watch but don't intervene, "at the eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg which had just emerged, pale and enormous, from the dissolving night", "God sees everything". Daisy fails to give Gatsby the commitment and devotion because she fails to recognise the concept of spiritual or eternal love, "I love you now - isn't that enough?" and hence can't love "to the depth and breadth and height" as found in Barrett-Browning's poems. Ultimately, the distinct contexts differentiate the attitudes of both composers on the idea of spiritual love.
Elizabeth Barrett-Browning and Scott Fitzgerald shows contradicting ideas and perspectives of pure, platonic love through 'Sonnets from the Portugese' and 'The Great Gatsby', respectively. While Barrett-Browning found the ultimate fulfillment of love through the perseverance of her own values, Gatsby haphazardly strived to achieve a similar love found in the sonnets. But having been tainted with the corruption of his society, it led to his downfall. Thus, having both texts been written in different times, their contexts are affected and hence their distinct attitudes towards enduring values such as ideal love we human beings share.
