Manfred, a poem by Lord Byron, takes place mainly on the Jungfrau, a tall mountain. Though I was unable to visit the site personally, the three of our group that who did go to the Jungfrau gave descriptions and took pictures that I was shown. The Jungfrau was described as an experience unlike any other and extremely beautiful. The comment that struck me most deeply and tied best into the poem was made by Becky when she said that with the thin air and steep climb it felt as if humans should not be there.
This thought ties in with the general theme throughout Manfred of the separation of humans and nature. There are different types of separation, with nature being personified as pure or evil but humans remaining human. Early in the poem(Act 1, Scene2), Manfred is attempting to kill himself by jumping off the Jungfrau. As he is deciding to jump, he is commenting on the beauty of everything, both of heaven and earth. He addresses the heavens saying, "You were not meant for me" and the earth saying, "Earth! take these atoms! (Act 1 scene 2 line 9)" He believes that he is not meant for the great beauty he sees above him. As he is about to jump, however, a chamois hunter stops him, saying, "Stain not our pure vales with thy guilty blood (line 11)." These mountains are pure and should not be tainted with suicide. On the other hand, the Jungfrau is the meeting place of the Destinies which are considered evil, evil spirits, Nemesis, and Arimanes(the anti-creator)(Act 2 Scene 3).
Great beauty and great evil are gathered together in a place where few humans can reach. Both aspects are utterly inhuman. Manfred is noted by both sides to be different from other humans, but he refuses to give in to either side, whether it be by giving his soul to the evil spirits or listening to the abbot. Manfred chooses to have his own soul, and as a result, he captures what it means to be truly human.
No comments:
Post a Comment