An Analysis and Summay of three works from Appendix C: Trans-Atlantic Abolitionism and Responses to EBB's Anti-Slavery Poems

Summary of “The Fugitive,” by Martha Hempstead

At the beginning of Appendix C there is a brief description of Elizabeth Browning’s poetry that is going to be viewed within this section. This description also goes on to explain two poems that had been selected, from other authors, to build upon Elizabeth Browning’s focus during this time, which happened to be abolitionism. “The Liberty Bell selections both reveal how she drew on the conventions of abolitionist writing and accentuate the relatively radical nature of her [Elizabeth’s] contributions” (Stone 331). One of the poems selected from The Liberty Bell is Martha Hempstead’s, “The Fugitive.” Within this poem Hempstead has written about a runaway slave, who is a woman. Within the poem we discover that she has run away from her master because she has borne a child whom is of her master’s flesh. However, the master does not want this child nor does her want her. Her master had just gotten married and came to believe that she must be sold. “From his sight she must be sold, Nor longer there remain; He had need, beside, of all the gold, Which her beauty would obtain” (Hempstead 336). At the end of the poem Hempstead talks about how a chase has begun to find the missing slave and in the end her, the slave’s, hiding place was found. This poem is very interesting to read after reading Elizabeth Browning’s “The Runaway Slave.” Both of these poems seem to have a reoccurring theme within them and both seem to draw strongly upon the foulness of slavery.  It has been noted that Elizabeth may have been creating her slave within her poem as a woman because of Hempstead’s idea of a “Slave Mother” (Chapman 52).  It is a rather interesting idea to look at because it seems that a woman’s view, especially a slave woman’s view, is not one that is recognized very often or at all during this time. Although it is not directly mentioned within Elizabeth’s poem, as it is in Hempstead’s, the idea that the main character of Elizabeth’s poem is a woman is definitely hinted at throughout the poem. This is a take that I can see Elizabeth using within her poem because I do feel that Elizabeth is someone who is not only very unconventional, but she also wants women’s voices to be heard by male figures. Not only is her poem and Hempstead’s, proclaiming that women have a voice against slavery, but that slave women also have a voice against the ways that they are being treated.

Summary of The Literary World on “Hiram Powers’ Greek Slave” and “The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point” (1851)

This criticism of Elizabeth’s poem is very interesting because the author of the criticism feels that Elizabeth’s poem is not worth reading. At the beginning of the criticism the author talks about how the “Hiram Powers’ Greek Slave” poem is a “tribute” to the great nation, but that there is another, Elizabeth’s poem, that cannot be received “without dissent” (The 342). The criticism goes on to express how it is thought that Elizabeth is basically scrutinizing all Americans for the act of slavery. The author feels that not all Americans can be blamed for slavery, however, because not all Americans are actively involved in slavery. The author of this criticism states, “…The American is not responsible for it [slavery]; it is purely a local institution: if there is any complaint to utter it should be addressed, respectively, to the citizens where slavery exists…” (The  342). The criticism also goes on to express the discontent that he/ she has with the fact that Elizabeth is a “foreign mind” to the problem at hand and that she should not have any place in writing about something that she has no hand in (The  342).

Summary of Charlotte Forten on “The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point” (1854)

This criticism was very interesting because it is almost as if Forten was writing in her journal. The beginning of the poem discusses how “Rose” was to set off to go to the Anti-Slavery Convention and how Forten was to go tomorrow, and that she was rather excited about attending it (Forten 343). The criticism about Elizabeth’s poem is rather short, but Forten expresses her love for Elizabeth’s writing(s) within the criticism. '“The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point,” by Elizabeth B. Browning; how powerfully it is written! how earnestly and touchingly does the writer portray the bitter anguish of the poor fugitive as she thinks over all the wrongs and sufferings that she has endured, and of the sin to which tyrants have driven her…” (Forten 343). The end of the criticism goes on to express Forten’s appreciation for Elizabeth’s poem and her belief that it is written perfectly to display the life of a runaway slave.

Analysis of the two criticisms and the poem, “The Fugitive”

It is very interesting to look at these two criticism and see how different they are. I am not fully aware of the gender of the author of the criticism from The Literary World; however, I would like to assume that the author is a male. That may seem a little bias, and I am sorry for that, but during this time many American male figures did not see the problem in slavery; especially if that male figure resided in the South. The author of this criticism felt very strongly that Elizabeth’s poem was not written correctly and that she had no right to write such a horrendous poem that scrutinized the American’s for their ways. This is almost like some of the other criticism that have been written about Elizabeth by male critics. The fact that Elizabeth has a voice against slavery is very threatening. To me I feel that behind what is written within this criticism the critic has deeper feelings against Elizabeth, feelings that reside against her gender.

Although it is not directly mentioned within this criticism, I feel that a woman viewing Elizabeth’s poem may have more sympathy or understanding towards it because Elizabeth is woman writer who wants to express her beliefs on a very masculine subject. The second criticism is a great example of this as it is written by a woman. Although a woman of the South may not take to Elizabeth’s poem as enthusiastically as Forten did, many woman of this time may have enjoyed Elizabeth’s poem(s) because they were written by someone who was representing their [the women’s] voice as a whole. It is very interesting how the two criticisms clashed against one another. Forten believed very strongly that Elizabeth’s poem was written perfectly to display the abuse and mistreatment that slaves were enduring, yet the other critic did not believe that Elizabeth’s poem was being written in an appropriate manner.

The fact that, unlike Hempstead, Elizabeth is an outside looking-in; I can see where the problems may have aroused in American readers. However, I can’t help, but wonder if Elizabeth wanted this reaction from her American readers. Even today if we are in a situation that is bad, we do not want to listen to an outsider who is telling us so. Americans did not want to listen to an outsider telling them that their actions were sinful and that the slaves, of all people, had feeling and had dislike for their owners for treating them the way that they did. Hempstead and Elizabeth not only took a step forward for women, but they also took a step forward for abolitionist writers. Although it was not seen at this time the fact that the poems at hand could arouse the readers, in any way, may it be anger or happiness, the important thing was that it aroused them. Although those against Elizabeth’s poem may have not fully agreed with her views and admitted to their wrong-doings, Elizabeth’s poem did bring into question their actions. They, the reader, had to question their actions in order to be aroused with anger or happiness by her poem, and I think that this was Elizabeth’s full intentions within her poem, “The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point.”

                And thus I thought that I would come
                                And kneel here where ye knelt before,
                And feel your souls around me hum
                                In undertone to the ocean’s roar;
                And lift my black face, my black hand,
                Here, in your names, to curse this land
                                Ye blessed in freedom’s evermore.

                                                                (Browning 193)

Works Cited:

Browning, Elizabeth B. "The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim's Point." Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Selected         Poems. Ed. Marjorie Stone and Beverly Taylor. Ontario: Broadview Editions, 2009. 190-204. Print.

Chapman, Alison. Victorian Women Poets. N.p.: Brewer, 2003. 52. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Hempstead, Martha. "The Fugitive." Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Selected Poems. Ed. Marjorie Stone and Beverly Taylor. Ontario: Broadview Editions, 2009. 333-36. Print.

Forten, Charlotte. "Charlotte Forten on "The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim's Point" (1854)." Elizabeth Barrett   Browning: Selected Poems. Ed. Marjorie Stone and Beverly Taylor. Ontario: Broadview Editions, 2009. 343. Print.

Stone, Marjorie, and Beverly Taylor. Elizabeth Barrett Browning- Selected Poems. Ontario: Broadview    Editions, 2009. 331. Print.

"The Literary World on "Hiram Powers' Greek Slave" and "The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim's Point" (1851)." Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Selected Poems. Ed. Marjorie Stone and Beverly Taylor. Ontario:  Broadview Editions, 2009. 342. Print.

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