The idea of love in Elizabeth and Robert Browning’s poems compare to one another in “Sonnet 43” and “Porphyria’s Lover” through the way they talk about the love they have for their significant other. Both undyingly love their spouse without question and they are willing to go through hardships and good times as long as it means they get to be with that person. Both poems in some ways reflect reality such as in the poem “Sonnet 43”, Elizabeth is so blinded by her love for the man that when she thinks of old regrets from her past it doesn’t matter to her anymore because she has him and often when people are in love they feel that they can get through anything as long as they have their one true love by their side. Whereas, in “Porphyria’s Lover”, reflects how intimacy only last for so long until the other person involved wants more to the relationship which often happens in relationships that are purely based on the physical aspect less than the emotional aspect. I am not surprised the two are married because although their writings about love differ, they understand each other in a way someone on the outside looking in couldn’t.

In the Victorian era women were either viewed as madonnas who were pure and the pinnacle of what it meant to be a woman or whores, who were seen as less than and a shame to the society. At the time, women were getting paid very little at the jobs they worked at or some simply just didn’t have any money so they resorted to an alternative which was prostitution. Women prostituted in the slums of London in hope to make enough money to provide for themselves but sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis ended that dream. At the time men could easily buy an underage girl without question and virgins were bided on at a high price because no one cared about the well being of the women and girls being prostituted which led to their lives being in more danger than they already were. The murderer Jack the ripper was able to murder dozens of prostitutes because it was not a case to the people of London who were facilitated by the murders because they were unknown instead of taking arresting the man, the murders were left as just that.

I choose this particular painting of “The Lady of Shalott” because I felt that it showcased the meaning behind the poem. The painting shows how Lady of Shalott gave up her art and jumped through the window to seek normalcy in the city of Camelot only she never made it. The painting represents the event where she died on her way to what she assumed would be a better and happier life and Sir Lancelot finally noticing her and appreciating her beauty for if only a moment. The other knights of the roundtable, trying to rescue her and bring her to land even though they know it’s too late. The colors do convey the sadness of the lady because even though the colors are bright there is still a darkness too them or somber emotion to the painting. The background integrates into the poem because the colorful leaves represent the season of Autumn while the water is a representation of the river the Lady was floating upon before she was found. The trees fit because it shows how she finally made it up the hill although she physically could not witness it herself.

The difference in working conditions in Victorian England for lower class compared to in today’s society is that they had what was known as workhouses for the lower class to work in. The conditions in which the lower class had to work on were terrible because they would turn about people with disabilities who were starving and if a family was admitted then they would be separated. Although the workhouses provided work it came with hard labor especially for the men while the women had to work in Sweat shops, producing cheap mass of clothing. The lower class were paid very little and were fed just enough to prevent starvation. Unlike in today’s society where people with disabilities are still able to work and can even get money for their disability, and the jobs are not as laboring. The working conditions during the Victorian era are similar today in the way that people are still getting paid unfairly, regardless of how hard or good at the job a person is. Take women for instance, women are paid less than men in jobs like wall street or male dominated fields because they are still looked at as just a woman even though they could be better qualified at the job than their male counterpart.

Who?- Europeans and Americans who were wealthy until photography became more accessible.

What?- Photographs taken of deceased loved ones as a way to celebrate the person’s life and was essentially thought of as maintaining a sense life after death in children and adults alike. In a time where there was a high mortality rate, postmortem photography was a way for the families to pay their respect to the dead or “beautiful corpses” as it was often called and honor their loved one.

When?- The tradition of photography predated photography and with the invention of the daguerreotype in 1839, photography was on the rise. The first postmortem photograph was taken in 1841 that filled a memorial void that other forms such as paintings could not.

Where?- Photographers made house calls to take the pictures because people died at home rather than in the hospital. Americans displayed their photos in mantels or private while Europeans framed their photos.

Why?- Photographs were more taken of the dead than the deceased because death was more frequent during those times which means people were less repulsed by it. Photographs were taken of their loved ones before their burial and were sometimes the first and only photograph ever taken of them. The photographs often brought the family together and served as a mourning photo which helped the family during their time of grief especially for children and infants.

How– The biggest question of them all is how did the photographers take the photos aside from the family centered photos? Towards the turn of the century, photographers began pose their deceased loved ones especially children for photos by fixing their hair and dressing them up. Certain objects were placed into the picture to symbolize their life and certain poses were chosen such as toys surrounding the child or the deceased standing or sitting. Rather than present the death as if they were dead, they attempted to make them appear alive.

Sources: https://hubpages.com/education/Why-Take-Pictures-of-Dead-Post-Mortem-Photography, https://www.history.com/news/post-mortem-photos-history,

https://hubpages.com/education/Why-Take-Pictures-of-Dead-Post-Mortem-Photography

The most moving and powerful image out of the several images I came across listed in the article was the picture of the “Old Closes and Streets of Glasgow” slum photographed by Thomas Annan. What captured me to these photos particularly is the way it was shot and how Annan shot the photos with intimacy and closeness, it is as if you are there in the slums during the 1800’s. The photo captures the kind of conditions the poor working class had to endure because of the growing population. The photo shows how people, the majority at the time, immigrants how little space and room they had, the streets were dirty, kids sitting in the streets in alleyways, showing how inhumane the conditions truly were. These pictures also drew me in because it showed the misery, diseases, and even filth the poor working class were forced to live in because of their social status in the society.

In the brief introduction to the Victorian era, I learned about how the Victorians are the reason for divisions and how people are labeled within society. For instance, during the Victorian era, women were labeled as either Madonna’s who were seen as pure and sanctified or whores putting women in a box where they could only be one of the two types of women. This idea of division within society is still prevalent today only in the 21st century, more labels are added to a persons agenda, such as their race, sexuality, age and so on. However, being subjected to staying in that particular box still remains and if a person decides to step outside the line and go against what society has set for them, people reprimand them for going against society’s views. Victorians are like us because we as a people have adopted ideas such as politics and have kept it going for decades. One advancement that has really changed the way we live is the medical advancements because we now have knowledge and treatments for all types of diseases.

The rule that more people should follow on social media is rule number one on the general tips list about acting how you would in person. When it comes to social media and the internet, people often put on a facade different from who they really are in person. When people sign up for certain social media accounts such as Instagram, they make the mistake of portraying a false representation different from who they are in real life. More people should follow this rule because how someone acts on social media is the way they will be perceived in the real world and can be telling of a person’s characteristic. When it comes to social media people also make the mistake of not taking into account that their future employer could stumble across their social media account and judge whether or not that person is the right fit for the job based on how they portray themselves on their social media.

When taking Humanities 101 it is important to remember to do all your blogs, if not they will eventually pile up and will hurt your grade in the long run. This blog will be filled with posts that were prevalent or interesting during the Victorian time period. The blog will not just be about boring topics but interesting ones such as monsters. This blog will be entertaining and relate to articles that reflect the Victorian time period and how it relates back to modern day and how in today’s society it is similar to the Victorian era. This blog will be fun.