Author: Bath, Elizabeth (1772-1856)
Title: Poems, on Various Subjects
Date: 1806
Descriptive and Critical Essay
Elizabeth Bath’s volume, Poems, on Various Occasions, was printed by J. Desmond, at the Mirror-Office, Small-Street in Bristol, as a subscription edition, for which the names alone comprised nearly 30 pages in length, totaling 747 names, an impressive feat in considering that this collection was her only published work. Many of the subscribers appear to have purchased multiple copies. The volume also includes a dedication to a dear friend: “To a sincere friend, whose attachment has withstood Time, Absence, and Adversity, and whose sincerity is equaled only by the stability which has ever marked her character, the following poems are dedicated, as a token of the unfeigned affection of Elizabeth Bath.”
The first page following the dedication gets right into Bath’s poetry, commenting on the passage of time and the circumstances that led to the Friends’ meeting house ending up where a monastery once stood in Bristol, and how that change was itself a striking illustration to the passage of time. Because this first poem is untitled, most who have mentioned it appear to refer to it by its opening line, What Revolutions, in Succeeding Years. Indeed, this poem delves into her religious background, her fascination with the passage of time, and her characteristic retrospection.
WHAT revolutions, in succeeding years,
Change all terrestrial things!—we stand amaz'd
When, leaping o'er the gulph of time, long pass'd,
On some far distant eminence, we pause;
Pause, to reflect, to wonder, to admire,
And view the miracles which time has wrought.
These lines begin to paint a picture of a preoccupation with retrospection and time that grounds her work in a sense of realism that is seen less often in other poetry of the time. While many other poets tend to paint idealized pictures of the individual poet’s subject, Elizabeth Bath tends to forgo this sort of exaggerated idealizing in favor of saying that things are simply as beautiful as we allow them to be, acknowledging in some way that even in her most idealized works, there is a recognizable aspect of physical and historical realism that is absent from the works of many others.
The Retrospect is another poem which shows Bath’s decision to reflect.
PLEASANT it was when evening's soothing calm
Invited us to loiter on the green,
While martial music crown'd the closing scene,
And friendship pour'd around its healing balm;
To feel participated joy, and prove
How sweet that union of the soul may be,
How dear that undisturb'd felicity,
The silent sympathy of those we love.
Joy sweet and tranquil as the mellow ray,
That placid shone on evening's shadowy vest,
And, softly smiling on a world at rest,
Stream'd forth to light us on our homeward way.
Hope, lend thy aid, and to my mind pourtray,
On fancy's tablet, such a future day.
This poem, however idealized it may be, highlights Elizabeth Bath’s desire to reflect on the past, and in this instance on her memories. This poem recounts a particular day with a particular person, possibly even the person to whom Bath dedicated the volume. From the poem’s position near the beginning of the collection, and from the clear fondness with which Bath recalls the occasion and the person, it is tempting to think there may be a connection, although there seems to be no specific reference to establish that connection.
The Reflections of a Serious Moment demonstrates that Bath’s thought in and about nature are not all thoroughly positive, although hope is seldom absent. While other poems like On Death or Reflections in a Burial Ground tend to be more somber overall, this poem lessens the somber scene by inserting a grain of hope within it.
HOW cold are the dead in the depths of the grave,
Still and dark is their gloomy abode;
And long are the reeds that so solemnly wave
O'er the tomb that affection bestow'd.
These are the frail monuments grandeur will raise
O'er those, to the grave, that descend;
But the living memorial that never decays,
Is lodged in the heart of a friend.
This will last till the spirit is freed from the clod,
Which envelopes the essence divine;
It may add to the treasures reserv'd for the just,
Which with lustre celestial shall shine.
The sun sheds his rays to enliven the green
And sports on the breast of the wave;
But where are the rays to enliven the form
That is lodg'd in the depths of the grave?
Yet this is the spot sensibility seeks,
There it weeps o'er the slumbering dead;
And this is the spot where fond friendship resorts,
Affection's sad tribute to shed.
The first few lines of this poem are definitely indicators of a sadness that Elizabeth Bath is trying to convey, and this is something she does well. The poem showcases a realistic feeling of loss and a relationship that will no longer continue to create new, happy memories.
Perhaps tho' withdrawn from this cottage of clay,
The spirit may sometimes descend;
Still owning the ties that had bound it below,
It may comfort the heart of a friend.
This passage, combined with the earlier lines, paints a religious nature to the poem, addressing an afterlife, spirits, and heavenly spirits, all of which are of course indicators of hope.
To cherish the feeling we fly to the spot,
The mansions of sorrow to tread;
For there lies the hand that, with blossoms so sweet,
Life's rough thorny path-way once spread.
How heedless the traveller passes along,
He does not to sorrow attend;
But the long flowing grass and the stone-cover'd grave,
These speak to the heart of a friend.
Impressively these to the spirit convey
A comfort nought else can impart;
And while we are musing, they silently pour
A balm on the still-bleeding heart.
These lines indicate that everyone needs to cherish the moments they have with the ones they love, and that they need to find comfort in something on their own terms because others may not furnish the much-desired comfort:
These enjoyments are sacred, and who shall explain
How such scenes can a comfort bestow;
The stoic may reason, and reason in vain,
On a pleasure he never shall know.
He never the mental delights shall partake,
Which refin'd sensibility knows;
Those only can taste them who wait at her shrine,
Or can tell of the bliss she bestows.
By the end of the poem Bath states that no matter what the circumstances, one should still find enjoyment in her or his memories, secure in the knowledge that no matter what fortunes or misfortunes may come, those memories are still sustaining ones.
Another characteristic of BatH’s collection is her apparent like of sonnets. Of some 60 odd poems, 13 of them are sonnets, approximately 1/6th of her total work. To dedicate such a large portion of work to one particular style of poetry seems to indicate at the very least a definite appreciation of the type of poem. And her sonnets cover a wide range of thoughts and feelings, showcasing her often considerable skill.
Perhaps more than anything, Elizabeth Bath’s poems are about her friendships with people. Several are dedicated to people, as witnessed by their titles, and many include short dedications to someone. Perhaps this is another reason why, despite having previously not published, she sold so many subscriptions to her volume. Perhaps the messages about friendship, time passing, and personal reflection rang true for those who may have known her and her work from private contact, granting her an audience she might not have otherwise had.
Prepared by Asa Lambrecht, Universitry of Nebraska, Spring 2018
© Asa Lambrecht, 2018