As with all of CR's poems published in The Germ, this short piece
appeared pseudonymously as
the work of “Ellen Alleyn”. It was first reprinted
posthumously in
WMR's edition of his sister's New Poems (1896).
Textual History: Composition
December 1847. The manuscript title is “An
Argument”. (The MS is in the Bodleian Library.)
The influence of Tennyson's “Mariana” is evident in the general conception of the
tale. New Testament allusions are laid in discreetly; their presence
turns the poem from a secular tale to a religious allegory.
This collection contains 2 texts and images, including:
Germ text
Scholarly Commentary
Introduction
As with all of CR's poems published in The Germ, this short piece appeared pseudonymously as the work of “Ellen Alleyn”. It was first reprinted posthumously in WMR's edition of his sister's New Poems (1896).
Textual History: Composition
December 1847. The manuscript title is “An Argument”. (The MS is in the Bodleian Library.)
Printing History
First printed in The Germ 3, pages 111-117.
Literary
The influence of Tennyson's “Mariana” is evident in the general conception of the tale. New Testament allusions are laid in discreetly; their presence turns the poem from a secular tale to a religious allegory.