Englishness in Snow and London Snow

Chen Xueying

1.Introduction

Englishness is what refers to the national identity of English people. It is seen as a recognition of ones own identity， or a sense of belonging or a certain kind of spirit of sharing what one possesses with each other. There surely exists many a factor that exerts a strong influence on the formation of Englishness， patriotism， history as well as nationalism and the like are all the common things in daily life. Todays Englishness has an overall tendency towards the defence of English tradition and the admiration of local color. It， meanwhile， manages to make itself a virtue but despises all that come overseas， even across the channels.

Both poems， Snow created by Louise MacNeice and London Snow by Robert Bridges， are typical of Englishness， in which English nature is manifested to a full content. With all the English features rolled into one， the two poems are certainly the representation of English way of life， be it writing or living. By analyzing the themes and styles in both poems， the twentieth English identity will be brought to light.

2.An Analysis on Englishness in Snow and London Snow

It is true to say that Englishness is a combination of all kinds of English qualities and nature that help to make people become aware of their identity. Therefore， to know what the identity is in the two poems， a thorough interpretation is in need. And three aspects， to wit， diction， pastoralism as well as mystery， will be taken into consideration and analyzed.

2.1 Diction

Louise MacNeice， though overshadowed by his friend W·H·Auden， is now gradually regaining his critical reputation. With classical style in poetic creation， MacNeice expresses in his poetry the immediate interests and the sense of the natural and social world. In his poem Snow， simple words， Anglo-Saxon words particularly， are used to present his own ideas， which is considered as one of the most conspicuous features of Englishness. For instance， “rich”， “pink”， “gay” and “fancy” and so on and so forth， all of which are straightforward expressions that help intensify the English nature in a way. In addition to the plain words used in the poem， simultaneous employment of sound “s” in some of those words strengthens the feeling of falling snow and makes the poem sound softer and gentler， which is regarded as their， to be specific， the English peoples interpretation and sketches of the falling snow.

In a word， either Snow or London Snow succeeds to the English traditional poetic style. With the classical way of creation， both the poets manage to carry the convention forward and make its representation unique to English people.

2.2 Pastoralism

Pastoralism supports human existence in harsh environments and often represents a sustainable approach to land use， or the “l(fā)ast refuge”（Richards， 2004： 2）. With the speedy pace of the development of the society， English people are mostly attacked by fatigue and showing no more interest in life. However， everyone， though weary， feels nostalgic for the past pastoral life which is carefree and serene.

In the two poems， the pastoral attitude is amply embodied. As the titles describe， snow is a common stuff that all English people can touch and， in a way， a symbol of peace that every ordinary person longs for. Besides， images appeared in the poems are too the ordinary stuff in daily life， such as “window”， “glass” and “rose” in Snow and “roof”， “road” and “school” in London Snow， which are so common that people can not be more familiar. The utilization of those common images， for one thing， makes itself accessible to ordinary people， and for another， gives rise to the Englishness.

Overall， ordinary life， an extremely vital feature of Englishness which is demonstrated in a simple manner， gives an emphatic explanation to the Englishness hidden in both poems.

2.3 Mystery

Poems of Englishness are of rationality known as the depth of thought that triggers the mystique of English literature. It is necessary to note that poems with English essence are meditative and philosophical between the lines.

The Mystery of Snow can find expression in some adjectives exploited in an impressive way. As words go in the poem Snow， “World is suddener than we fancy it” which asserts that fancy is exactly the source of illusion that material world is sudden. Moreover， “There is more than glass between the snow and the huge roses” stresses the impossibility of fulfilling the mysterious desires which human sensory devices try to reach constantly. Snow can be seen as a symbol of the truth and rose the human desire， between which there is something more than mere glass. “More” suggests an extra and an enigmatic excess feature of the sense that generates desire.

3.Conclusion

Englishness in Snow and London Snow can be reflected in a great amount of aspects， though， only three of which are taken to give illustration. Whatever the characteristic is， Englishness is always the English way of behaving and writing. A unique use of diction externally adorns the keynote of a poem， and an attitude towards idyll reveals the English poets wishes in their times and the profound creation of poems displays the distinctive fashion of English literature across the world. In brief， be it Snow or London Snow， the English quintessence is indeed existing in each ingredient of the poem that is essential to a whole.

Reference

[1]Batten， Guinn. “Ciaran Carsons Parturient Partition： the ‘Crack in MacNeices ‘More Than Glass”. Southern Review， 1995， 31 （3）： 536-556.