Essay - Swammerdam' A. S. Byatt in the Novel Possession Succeeds Brilliantly...

Swammerdam"

A. S. Byatt in the novel Possession succeeds brilliantly in ***** monumental technical achievement of creating a deeply layered romance in which two twentieth century literary scholars, Roland Michell and Maud Bailey, become themselves romantically *****volved as they investigate a startling connection between the ***** Victorian poets of whom they have made specialized study. *****'s feat is an especially remarkable tour de force as she invents and adroitly interlaces the poetic works of both R*****olph Henry Ash and Christabel LaMotte into her narrative. This essay will present a critical analysis ***** *****'s poem "Swammerdam" as it reveals it's intricate intratextual roles in the novel.

Randolph Henry Ash writes ***** poem "Swammerdam" during the period of time during which he and ***** LaMotte are initiating ***** secret correspondence that will develop into t***** great passion of their lives. Byatt intends the reader to know that ***** aimed this poem specifically at Christabel as audience. The poem itself plays a role in the plot as the first copied draft sent by Ash is intercepted ***** *****'s lesbian companion Blanche, verifying her suspicions. ***** *****s the poem to Ash's wife ***** pro***** of the affair. Ash sends a second copy of the poem to which he finds it necessary ***** make numerous changes. Ellen returns ***** original draft to ***** w*****n he ***** the affair to her. "Swammerdam" reveals much about ***** character of the poet. His perfectionism, his pride in his erudition, his pomposity, ***** literary pretension. It is a form ***** h***** ventriloquism, t*****e style in which he prides himself for look*****g closely at historical figures, getting inside them and speaking through them.

***** first lines of "*****" include echoes of Coleridge's "Ancient Mariner," as the speaker begs to be heard. Indeed the name Christa*****l comes from a Coleridge poem. Thus By*****t evokes multiple l*****yers of literary meaning as ***** equates her fictional ***** with Robert Browning, who in his "Mr. Sludge, 'the Medium'" shows that he shares Ash's skepticism of spiritualist phenomena. Taking this Ash poem in the context of his other works, as created by Byatt, the reader, can also perceive the presence of John Donne, whose attitude toward women's m*****ds as expressed in "Love Alchemy," makes it evident that ***** agrees ***** men must "Hope not for mind in wo*****." From the same Donne poem, Ash takes ***** title "Mummy Possessed," his own satiric response to Christabel's belief ***** spiritualism. In identifying Ash with Donne, ***** categorizes him as a metaphysical poet. Ash's connection with experience, like Donne's is male ***** intellectual. These poets d*****tance themselves from life and use their poetry to mentally stimulate their readers, requiring depth ***** *****ledge ***** underst*****ing. The overall *****ne of "Swammerdam" can be seen ***** superior male talking down to inferior minded female.

The egg imagery ***** which Ash begins the ***** is vital to its essential ***** and to the relationship ***** the poem ***** the novel as a whole. E*****rly in their ***** Christabel poses a riddle for