An Italian painter, Filippo Lippi, back in the fifteenth century
inspired Robert Browning to write this poem and reflect on the time of
Victorian Society. The poem is written in blank verse, lines in iambic
pentameter. The conversation is throughout monologue as if he is talking to
himself. There are no other speakers in the poem, Lippo himself is telling all
the stories in a drunken state. The poet also used different allusions in this
poem for better understanding.
This article is copy protected!
|
If this poem is viewed thematically, there are different points of
view discussed. For instance, the theme of freedom. The poet is completely
bound to his morals and rituals in the Church. He is supposed to do nothing
wrong and have to pretend to be always morally perfect. He knows very well that
even the prior in the Church is not that much a saint but they are not
considered the other way around. Then there are themes of religion, art, and
desires. The main theme that Robert Browning discussed is the purpose of art,
its production, and what it brings to light.
Every artist has a reason for producing art. Some produce to escape
their emotions, some portray their feelings, some reflect on the reality of
life and some produce surreal pieces. Every artist's work is valid as they
create it with their mind. But art should never be used to show something
deceptively.
This poem is a Monologue where Lippo is caught by some watchmen at
night duty and he seems drunk. He starts to explain why he is here and what
brought him here. He reveal that he was bored of drawing all the saints and saw
some musicians outside his window and followed them. He continues talking about
his art and the purpose behind his paintings. He talks about everything
including his childhood, it seemed like he wanted to keep talking, keep sharing
about himself. He talks about his difficult life at the Church and how it was
not his choice to be here. Because he was an orphan, he had to become a part of
the monastery.
Now, he is also making paintings for them of different Saints and
other religious figures. But he did not like it very much. Although the Church
suggested he paint the souls of humans and not their bodies. He, however, wants
to produce what he sees. He thinks that producing good art for sacred purposes
seems pretentious on Church's part and they want to hide reality. The Church
forbids him from showing reality through his art. They criticized him for
making a bold portrayed of Prior’s mistress as they wanted to hide the truth.
This art was both revenge and for the production of authentic
concepts. He wanted to rebel Church because they forced him to do religious
formalities throughout his life. Alongside, he wanted to present the real and
corrupted faces of the saints and pious people.
Throughout the poem, there are different Latin references that
direct the superiority of this language. Latin was considered a prestigious
language at the medieval time and also a language symbolized for Church but
Lippo consider it a waste of time. This point also shows how he was against the
culture of that time. He was forced to become a monk so he needed to learn this
language. Other than that, the poem is figuratively themed dark, the night and
gloominess associated with it.
