Laodamia - William Wordsworth

 Laodamia - William Wordsworth 

 “With sacrifice before the rising morn

Vows have I made by fruitless hope inspired;

And from the infernal Gods, ’mid shades forlorn

Of night, my slaughtered Lord have I required:

Celestial pity I again implore: —

Restore him to my sight— great Jove, restore!” 

 

So speaking, and by fervent love endowed 

With faith, the Suppliant heavenward lifts her hands;

While, like the sun emerging from a cloud,

Her countenance brightens— and her eye expands;

Her bosom heaves and spreads, her stature grows;

As she expects the issue in repose.

 

O terror! What hath she perceived?— O joy! 

What doth she look on?— whom doth she behold?

Her Hero slain upon the beach of Troy?

His vital presence? His corporeal mould?

It is— if sense deceive her not— ’tis He!

And a God leads him, wingèd Mercury!

 

Mild Hermes spake— and touched her with his wand

That calms all fear, “Such grace hath crowned thy prayer,

Laodamia! That at Jove’s command

Thy husband walks the paths of upper air:

 He comes to tarry with thee three hours’ space;

Accept the gift, behold him face to face!”

 

Forth sprang the impassioned Queen her Lord to clasp;

Again that consummation she essayed;

But unsubstantial Form eludes her grasp

As often as that eager grasp was made.

The Phantom parts— but parts to re-unite,

And re-assume his place before her sight.

 

“Protesilàus, lo! Thy guide is gone!

Confirm, I pray, the vision with thy voice:

This is our palace,— yonder is thy throne;

Speak, and the floor thou tread’st on will rejoice.

Not to appal me have the gods bestowed 

This precious boon; and blest a sad abode.”

 

“Great Jove, Laodamia! Doth not leave

His gifts imperfect:— Spectre though I be,

I am not sent to scare thee or deceive;

But in reward of thy fidelity.

And something also did my worth obtain;

For fearless virtue bringeth boundless gain.

“Thou knowest, the Delphic oracle foretold

That the first Greek who touched the Trojan strand

Should die; but me the treat could not withhold:

A generous cause a victim did demand; 

And forth I leapt upon the sandy plain:

A self-devoted chief— by Hector slain.”

 

“Supreme of Heroes— bravest, noblest, best!

Thy matchless courage I bewail no more,

Which then, when tens of thousands were deprest

By doubt, propelled thee to the fatal shore;

Thou found’st—and I forgive thee— here thou art—

A nobler counsellor than my poor heart.

 

“But thou, capable of sternest deed,

Wert kind as resolute, and good as brave;

And he, whose power restores thee, hath decreed

Thou should’st elude the malice of the grave:

Redundant are thy locks, thy lips as fair

As when their breath enriched Thessalian air.

 

“No spectre, greets me, —no vain shadow this;

Come, blooming Hero, place thee by my side!

Give, on this well-known couch, one nuptial kiss

To me, this day a second time thy bride!”

Jove frowned in heaven: the conscious Parcæ threw

Upon those roseate lips a Stygian hue

 

“this visage tells thee that my doom is past:

Nor should the change be mourned, even if the joys

Of sense were able to return as fast

And surely as they vanish. Earth destroys

Those raptures duly— Erebus disdain:

Calm pleasures there abide— majestic pains. 

 

“Be taught, O faithful Consort, to control 

Rebellious passion: for the Gods approve

The depth, and not the tumult, of the soul; 

A fervent, not ungovernable love.

Thy transports moderate; and meekly mourn

When I depart, for brief is my sojourn—”

 

“Ajh wherefore?— Did not Hercules by force 

Wrest from the guardian monster of the tomb

Alcestis, a reanimated corse,

Given back to dwell on earth in vernal bloom?

Medea’s spells dispersed the weight of years,

And Æson stood a youth ’mid youthful peers. 

 

 “The Gods to us are merciful— and they 

Yet further may relent: for mightier far

Than strength of nerve and sinew, or the sway

Of magic potent over sun and star,

Is love, though oft to agony distrest,

And though his favourite seat be feeble woman’s breast.

 

“but if thou goest, I follow—” “Peace!” he said,—

She looked upon him and was calmed and cheered;

The ghastly colour from his lips had fled;

In his deportment, shape, and mien, appeared

Elysian beauty, melancholy grace,

Brought from a pensive though a happy place.

 

He spake of love, such love as Spirits feel

In worlds whose course is equable and pure;

No fears to beat away— no strife to heal—

The past unsighed for, and the future sure;

Spake of heroic arts in graver mood

Revived, with finer harmony pursued;

 

Of all that ius most beauteous — imaged there

In happier beauty; more pellucid streams,

An ampler ether, a diviner air,

And fields invested with purpureal gleams;

Climes which the sun, who sheds the brightest day

Earth knows, is all unworthy to survey.

 

Yet there the Soul shall enter which hath earned

That privilege by virtue,— “I’ll,” said he,

“The end of man’s existence I discerned,

Who from ignoble games and revelry

Could draw, when we had parted, vain delight,

While tears were thy best pastime, day and night;

 

“And while my youthful peers before my eyes

(Each hero following his peculiar bent)

Prepared themselves for glorious enterprise

By martial sports, —or, seated in the tent,

Chieftains and kings in council were detained;

What time the fleet at Aulis lay enchained.

 

“The wished-for wind was given:—I then revolved

The oracle, upon the silent sea;

And, if no worthier led the way, resolved

That, of a thousand vessels, mine should be

The foremost prow in pressing to the strand,—

Mine the first blood that tinged the Trojan sand.

 

 “Yet bitter, oft-times bitter, was the pang

When of thy loss I thought, belovèd Wife!

On thee too fondly did my memory hang,

And on the joys we shared in mortal life,—

The paths which we had trod—these fountains, flowers:

My new-planned cities, and unfinished towers.

 

“But should suspense permit the Foe to cry,

‘Behold they tremble!—haughty their array,

Yet of their numbers no one dares to die?’ 

In soul I swept the indignity away:

Old frailties then recurred:—but lofty thought,

In act embodied, my deliverance wrought.

 

“And Thou, though strong in love, art all too weak

In reason, in self-government too slow;

I counsel thee by fortitude to seek

Our blest re-union in the shades below,

The invisible world with thee hath sympathized;

Be thy affections raised and solemnized.

 

“Learn, by a mortal yearning, to ascend—

Seeking a higher object. Love was given,

Encouraged, sanctioned, chiefly for that end;

For this the passion to excess was driven—

That self might be annulled: her bondage prove

The fetters of a dream opposed to love.—

 

Aloud she shrieked! For Hermes re-appears!

Round the dear Shade she would have clung — ’its vain:

The hours are past—too brief had they been years;

And him no mortal effort can detain:

Swift, toward the realms that know not earthly day,

He through the portal takes his silent way,

And on the palace-floor a lifeless corse She lay.

 

Thus, all in vain exhorted and reproved,

She perished; and, as for a wilful crime,

By the just Gods whom no weak pity moved,

Was doomed to wear out her appointed time,

Apart from happy Ghosts, that gather flowers

Of blissful quiet ’mid unfading bowers.

 

—Yet tears to human suffering are due;

And mortal hopes defeated and o’erthrown

Are mourned by man, and not by man alone,

As fondly he believes.—Upon the side

Of Hellespont (such faith was entertained)

A knot of spiry trees for ages grew

From out the tomb of him for whom she died;

And ever, when such stature they had gained

That Ilium’s walls were subject to their view,

The trees’ tall summits withered at the sight;

A constant interchange of growth and blight!

 

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poem ed by mastanappa puletipalli

 

Analysis

William Wordsworth’s poem “Laodamia” (1815) is a narrative of tragic love, loss, and the tension between earthly passions and spiritual transcendence. It draws on the mythological story of Laodamia and Protesilaus, a tale from Greek mythology. Here is a summary of the background and themes:

 

Mythological background: 

 

Laodamia was the wife of Protesilaus, the first Greek hero to die in the Trojan War. According to the myth, Protesilaus was the first Greek to set foot on Trojan soil, knowing that whoever did so was fated to die. After his death, Laodmaia was overwhelmed by grief. In some versions of the myth, the gods, moved by her mourning, allowed Protesilaus to return from the dead for a brief time to comfort her. 

 

However, this moment of reunion is bittersweet. In the myth, once Protesilaus must return to the underworld, Laodamia’s grief consumes her, and in some versions, she eventually dies to join him in the afterlife. Wordsworth takes this myth as the foundation for his poem. 

 

Themes in Wordsworth’s “Laodamia”

 

Grief and Love:

 

Laodamia’s passionate love for her husband is central to the poem. She is depicted as a devoted wife whose sorrow and longing for Protesilaus lead to her tragic end. Wordsworth explores how excessive attachment to earthly love can be destructive.  

 

The Conflict Between Earthly and Spiritual Love

 

Wordsworth presents a contrast between Laodamia’s intense, earthly love for Protestilaus and his transformed, spiritualized nature after his death. Protesilaus returns as a figure who has transcended earthly concerns, and he urges Laodamia to let go of her sorrow and focus on higher, spiritual ideals., He speaks to her about the futility of clinging to mortal life and encourages her to seek a purer, more detached love that aligns with divine wisdom.

 

Transience of Life

 

The poem reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death Laodamia’s inability to reconcile herself with this truth leads to her downfall, illustrating Wordsworth’s frequent meditations on the impermanence of human experience.

 

Moral and Philosophical Reflection

 

Wordsworth uses the mythological story to reflect on broader philosophical themes, such as the proper response to suffering and the importance of accepting loss with resignation. Protesilaus’s advice to Laodamia echoes the poet’s belief in the necessity of tempering emotions with reason and spiritual understanding.

 

  Structure and Style

 

“Laodamia” is written in elegiac stanzas, combining solemnity and lyricism. The poem’s classical subject matter is typical of the Romantic era’s engagement with ancient myths, but Wordsworth gives it a moral and philosophical dimension that reflects his own worldview. The language is dignified and reflective, creating a tone that mirrors the tragic and contemplative nature of the story.

 

In “Laodamia”, Wordsworth blends classical mythology with Romantic ideals, using the story of tragic love to explore deep philosophical concerns about the nature of human attachment, grief, and spiritual transcendence. 

  

Summary

 

The poem opens by introducing Laodamia, the wife of Protesilaus., the Greek hero who was the first to die in the Trojan War. As the Greeks were about to invade Troy, an oracle had foretold that the first warrior to step on Trojan soil would be the first to fall.  Protesilaus bravely accepted this fate and led the Greek charge, dying almost immediately after setting foot on the battlefield. His death left Laodamia in deep mourning, consumed by grief over her husband’s early demise.

 

Laodamia’s Grief and Prayer 

 

Unable to accept the loss, Laodamia prays to the gods to reunite her with Protesilaus, even if only for a short time. She is willing to bargain with fate and the divine powers, driven by her overwhelming love and yearning. The depth of her grief and the strength of her love are made clear, and her intense prayers reflect her unwillingness to let go of her earthly desires.

 

The God’s Reponse

 

Moved by her sorrow, the gods grant her wish. They allow Protesilaus to return to the mortal realm briefly so that he and Laodamia can have one final meeting. However, this reunion comes with a clear condition: it is only temporary, and Protesilaus will have to return to the underworld once the moment has passed.

 

Protesilaus’s Return

 

Protesilaus, now in a purified and spiritualized state, appears before Laodamia. He has undergone a transformation since his death, now existing in a higher, more enlightened form. While Laodamia’s love for his is still grounded in her earthly passions. Protesilaus’s perspective has changed. Having transcended mortal concerns, he advises Laodamia to release herself from her deep attachment to the physical world and to him. He urges her to turn away from her consuming grief and focus instead on higher, spiritual ideals.

 

Protesilaus’s Counsel

 

Protesilaus offers Laodamia wisdom aboiut life, love, and death. He tells her that excessive attachment to the temporal world leads to suffering and that true fulfillment lies in embracing a more spiritual love that is aligned with divine wisdom. In this sense, Protesilaus embodies a voice of reason and spiritual understanding. He encourages Laodamia to live her remaining days with purpose and to find comfort in the idea that their love can endure beyond death, but only if she learns to let go of her earthly desires. 

 

Laodamia’s Refusal 

 

Despite Protesilaus’s counsel, Laodamia struggles to accept his message. Her love for him is still too deeply rooted in the physical world., and she cannot let go of the desire to be with him in life. The intensity of her emotions prevents her from heeding his advice and finding peace in spiritual detachment. 

 

Protesilaus’s Departure

 

Protesilaus’s time in the mortal world is short, and he must soon return to the underworld. His departure is marked by finality, leaving Laodamia heartbroken once again. His parting words serve as a warning and a plea for her to seek solace in a higher realm of understanding, but Laodamia remains trapped in her sorrow, unable to transcend her grief.  

 

Laodamia’s Tragic End

 

In the concluding lines of the poem, Laodamia’s fate is revealed. Uanable to reconcile herself to life without Protesilaus and un willing to embrace the spiritual detachment he encouraged. Laodamia succumbs to her grief. In her overwhelming despair, she dies, joining her husband in death. This tragic ending reflects the consequences of her inability to release her emotional attachment to the physical world.

 

Final Reflection

 

The poem ends with a reflection on the tragic fate of Laodamia. Wordsworth, through his narrator, offers a moral and philosophical commentary on the nature of love, grief and human desire. He suggests that while love is a powerful and essential part of life, it must be tempered with reason and acceptance of life’s transient nature. Excessive attachment to worldly concerns can lead to suffering, and it is only through spiritual understanding and resignation that true peace can be achieved. Thus, the poem enlightens us that spiritual happiness is greater than earthly desires through this great poem from the pen of William Wordsworth. 

 

   

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 mastanappa puletipalli