Felicia Hemans

Felicia Hemans was a very accomplished writer. She was called a prodigy at a very young age, and I found it amazing that she was able to learn four languages and that she had a publication by age 14. As a woman, I found her quite inspiring. She had five children and her husband left her. She, however, did not crumble after this hard time in her life...she continued to function and love her children and she also continued to produce great works. As most of the poets we have read so far, I found that Hemans past greatly influenced her writings. Her father left her Mom just as her husband left her. She therefore placed a lot of emphasis on a mother in the home and the impact that a mother can have on a child's life. I saw this in many of her poems, but the one where it was most relevant to me was "The Homes of England".

In "The Homes of England", Hemans discusses all the different types of mothers that exist and all the roles that they take on. Hemans uses homes in this poem to represent the different types of mothers. Hemans discusses all types of homes...she talks about stately, merry, blessed, cottage and the Free, fair homes of England. In the first stanza Hemans discusses the "stately Homes of England". She states, "How beautiful they stand!/ Amidst their tall ancestral trees"(2-3). Here Hemans refers to the more privileged mothers of England. They place a lot of emphasis on their family and ancestry. They have a lot of privileges in life and are able to share those with their children.

In the next stanza Hemans refers to the "merry Homes of England"(9). In this stanza Hemans writes, "There woman's voice flows forth in song, / Or childhood's tale is told,/ Or lips move tunefully along/ Some glorious page of old."(13-16). In this passage, Hemans makes it clear that the woman is the presence in the home. The woman is the one that sings to the children and reads to the children. I think this was clearly the case for Hemans. Her mother was the one that nurtured her and pushed her to become so brilliant. When her husband left, she was the one who was there for her children and nurtured them.

She goes on to discuss the "blessed Homes of England"(17). In this stanza Hemans writes, "Is laid the hold quietness/ That breathes from Sabbath-hours!"(19-20). In this passage, I believe that Hemans is just emphasizing another of the many roles that the woman/ mother plays. The woman is the one that teaches her children about faith. The mother is the one that takes the children to church and enforces the sabbath day.

Hemans goes on to discuss the "cottage Homes of England"(25). In this section she just continues to emphasize the role of a mother. Despite the type of mother (they come in all forms), they still serve the same purpose and have the same type of influence in the home and on their children.

In the last stanza, Hemans continues to emphasize the importance of the mother. She writes,"May hears of native proof be rear'd/ To guard each hallowed wall!/ And green for ever be the groves, / And bright the flowery sod,/ Where first the child's glad spirit loves/ its country and its God!"(35-40). In this last passage Hemans just emphasizes the main jobs of the mother. The mother is the one that protects the innocence of their child and nurtures and develops them into the people they become. She believes that a mother's role in the home can never be underestimated. After all, the mother is the one that the child will first bond with and look to for love and care. I think that Hemans was a victim of her circumstance. She did not have very good male figures in her life, so I believe that she underestimated the influence of a male figure in the home also. I am very close to my mother and she has had a huge impact on shaping who I have become, but my father has had an equal influence. I believe that had I been raised just by my mother I would not be the same person today. I think that mothers and fathers bring different things to the table and the impact and influence that they both can have on a child's life should not be underestimated.