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Elizabeth Barret Browning's Sonnets Of The Portuguese

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A comparative of study of Elizabeth Barret Browning 's 'Sonnets of the Portuguese ', and F. Scott. Fitzgerald 's novel, 'The Great Gatsby ', provides insight into the moral concerns of different eras. 'The Great Gatsby ' was published in 1925, during the Jazz age, also known as the 'Roaring Twenties '. The moral concerns of the 1920s were vastly different to those of the 1850s patriarchal society, when Elizabeth Barrett Browning 's, 'Sonnets of the Portuguese ' were released in the Victorian era. Through the exploration of similar themes in these two texts, a comparison between them delineates the moral concerns of both of these eras. Love and mortality are both present in 'The Great Gatsby ' and 'The Sonnets of the Portuguese ', and …show more content…

Mortality is a concept that can be explored in different ways, depending on a particular eras spiritual values. This is evident when comparing the moral concerns during the 1850s in Elizabeth Barret Browning 's 'Sonnets of the Portuguese ', and F. Scott. Fitzgerald 's 'The Great Gatsby '. During 'The Sonnets of the Portuguese 's ' Patriarchal society, it was important to live a life of high morals and values, as life was dictated by god and their spiritual beliefs. There was a belief in the afterlife and it seemed as though everyone had a pre-determined purpose and past. It was thought to be vital that after death that you went to heaven. The first line of Elizabeth Barret Browning 's 'Sonnets of the Portuguese ', sonnet number XXII, suggests this. "When our two souls stand up erect and strong…". This line reflects Elizabeth 's and Robert 's movement into heaven together, after death. Sexual imagery is used to reference how Elizabeth gave up her own morals to be with Robert. Their love for each other was so strong that it suggests that even though, Elizabeth gave up her own morals, it was worth it. Throughout this sonnet, Elizabeth Barret Browning continues to reference heaven and the afterlife. "The angels would press on us and aspire". Again, this continues to support the idea of continuing her and Robert 's love into heaven, by referencing angels. Angels are being depicted as benevolent celestial beings, who act as a symbol of love, light and innocence in the afterlife. In the 1850s, lives were lived, according to spiritual values and morals, this influenced how mortality was seen in this society. Contrasting this, is the 1920s consumerist society, where death was thought to be meaningless, and it was more important to have a good time when you are alive, no matter how immoral you are. This era reflects the loss of spirituality post WW1 society, where death was not uncommon. The society of the 1920s were going through an

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