ROBERT-BROWNING“Soliloquy-of-the-Spanish-Cloister”.docx

ROBERTBROWNINGSPOEIRYRobcnBrowning“Soliloquyof(heSpanishCloister*CompleteTextGr-r-rIheRgo.nyheart'sabhorrence!Waleryourdamnedwer-po<s.do!Ifhatekilledmen.Brother1.awrcc.God'sblood,wouldnotminekillyou!What?yourmyrtlebushwants(rimming?Oh.thatrosehaspriorclaimsNeedsitsleadenvasefilledbrimming?Helldryyouupwithitsamcs!A(Ihemealwesittogether;Salvelibi!1musthearWisetalkofthekindofweather.SortOfSCason,timeofyear:Notaplenteouscork-<op:scarcelyDarvwehopeoak*ga!ls.Idoubt;Vhat*sthe1.atinnamefor“parsley?XWhat'stheGreeknametorSwinc,sSnout?V1)cw?We,llhaveourplatterburnished.1.aidwithcareonourownshelf!Withafire-newspoonwe'refurnished.Andagoblc<forourself.RinsedlikesomethingsacricialErc*tisfittotouchourchaps一Markedwith1.forourinitial!(He-hc!Therehislilysnaps!)Sain1.fbrsoo<h!WhilebrownDoloresSquatsoutsidetheConventbankWithSanchicha,tellingstories.Steepingtressesinthetank,Blueblack.lustrous,thicklikehorsehairs.Can*(Isechisdeadeyeglow.Brightas'twcrcaBarbar>corsair,s'?(Thatis,ifhe'dletitshow!)Whenhefinishesrefeciion,KnifeandforkheneverlaysCross-wise,tomyrecollection.AsdoI,inJcsuspraise.ItheTrinityillustrate.Drinkingwateredorange-pulpInthreesipstheArianfrustrate:Whilehedrainshisatonegulp.Oh.(hosemelons?Ifhe'sableWc,rvtohaveafeast!sonice!Onegoestothe.Abbot*stable.Allofusgeteachaslice.Howgoonyourflowers?Nonedouble?Notonefrui(-srtcanyouspy?Strange!AndI.too.atsuchtrouble.Keepthemclosc-nippcdonthesly!There'sagreattextinGalatians.Onceyou(riponit.entailsTwenty-ninedistinctdamnations.Onesure,ifanotherfails:IfItriphimjus(ad),ing.Sureofheavenassureascanbe.SpinhimroundandsendhimflyingOff(ohell,aManichce?Or.myscrofulousFrenehnovelOngreypaperwithblunttype!Simplyglanceatit.yougrovelHandandfootinBdiarSgripe:IfIdoubledownitspagesAl(hewoefulsixteenthprint.Whenhegathershisgreengages,Opcasieveandslipitin't?Or.herc,sSatan!-onemightventurePledgeone'ssoultohim.yetleaveSucha11awintheindentureAshe'dmisstill,PaStretrieve,Blasiedlay(hatrose-acaciaWe'resoproudoPHy.Zy.Hine.-St,there'sVespers!PlenagratiaAve,Virgo!Gr-rryouswine!SummaryThishighlyentertainingpoemportraysthegrumblingsofajealousmonkwhofindshispleasuresmoreinthefleshthaninthespirit.Presentinghimselfasthemodelofrighteousness,thespeakercondemnsafellowmonk.Brother1.awrence,forhisimmorality;butwesoonrecognizethat(hefaultsheassignsto1.awrcnccareinfacthisown.UnlikemanyofBrwning,smonologues,thisonehasnorealhistoricalspecificity:wehavenoClueSastowhenthespeakermighthavelived,andtheSpanishcloisterissimplyananonymousmonastery.FormThepoemcomprisesnineeight-lineslanzas.eachrhymingABABCDCD.Thelinesfallroughlyintotetrameter,althoughwithsomeirregularities.Browningmakesampleuseoftheconventionsofspokenlanguage,includingnonverbalsoundsC%jr-r-r-'')andcolloquiallanguage(*,Hclldryyouupwithitsflames)Manyofthelaterd1111nalicmonologuesdispensewithrt>yn>ealtogether,butthisPoCmretainsit.perhapstosuggestthespeaker'sself-righteousnessandcarefuladherencetotraditionandformalconvention.BecauseIheUPeakerhereistalkingtohimself,(bepoemisno(technicallyadramaticmonologueassomanyfBrowning'spoemsare:rather,itis.asitstitlesuggests,a“soliloquy”(eventhoughitisafreestandingpoem,andnotaspeechfromaplay).Neverthelessitsharesmanyofthefeaturesof(hedramaticmonologues:aninterestinsketchingoutacharacter,anattentiontoaes(beticizingdetail,andanimpliedcomne11arj,onmorality.Commcntar)'uSoIiIoquyof(heSpanishCIOiSIerMexploresmoralhypocrisy.OnIhesurface,thePoCnImayseemIobealighthistoricalpiece,lheUlleringsofagrumpybulinterestingInonkhowever,itrepeatedlyapproachesatonesimilartothatusedbythemorestridentofVictorianessayistsandreligiousfigures.Browningportraysthisman'sinteriorcommentarytoshowthatbehindrighteousnessoftenlurksself-righteousnessandco11p(ion.ThespeakerlevelssomerathermalevolentcursesalBrother1.awrence,accusinghisfellowmonkofgluttonyandlechery,whenitisobvious,basedontheexampleshegives,thatitisthespeakerhinsclfwhoisguiltyofthesesins(forexample,whendescribingthesupposedtocusof1.awrence'slecherousattentions,thespeakerindulgesinfairlyabundantdetail;dearlyhehasbeenlookingforhimself.)Moreover,(hespeaker'sfantasiesabouttrapping1.iiwrcnccintodamnationsuggestthat1.awrcnceisinfuelagoodnunwhowillreceivesalvation.ThusBrowningimpliesthatthemostvehementmoralistsinventtheirownoppositioninordertoelevatethemselves.Perhaps11u>Mirnprtanlly.thespeakerdescribesabargainhewouldmakewithSatanIohurt1.awrcncc.IhcspeakerclaimshecouldmakesuchabargainthatSatanwouldbelievehewasgettingthespeaker'ssoulwhenintaelaloopholewouldletthespeakerescape.TheparadoxhereisthatmakinganysortofbargainWiIhIhedevil(othedisadvantageofanothe;whetheronetricksSatanintheendrnol.mustnecessarilyinvolvethelossofone'ssoul:theveryactofmakingsuchatreacherousbargainconstitutesamortalsin.Noonecouldadmirethisspeaker,smoraldissolution;yclherepresentsan>crclyIhinlyveiledversionofpeoplewhosepubliccharactersarcVerymuchadmiredthemora