The ladys dressing room. The Lady’s Dressing Room by Jonathan Swift 2022-12-22
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Summary Of A Lady's Dressing Room
On such a point few words are best, And Strephon bids us guess the rest; And swears how damnably the men lie In calling Celia sweet and cleanly. By taking on a Secondly another great literary device Swift uses would be imagery. He was nonetheless celebrated as one of Ireland's greatest thinkers both during his life and after his death at the age of 78. I've had many students think that Swift's poem is absolutely hilarious, while some students find it unbelievably offensive. Strephon, the rogue, displayed it wide, And turned it round on every side. This poem is sometimes seen as an attack on women.
The negative perceptions that society has towards females are often times directly related toward her actions. Both Strephon and Celia are metaphors for men and women, representing everything good and bad. A Paste of Composition rare, Sweat, Dandriff, Powder, Lead and Hair; A Forehead Cloth with Oyl upon't To smooth the Wrinkles on her Front; Here Allum Flower to stop the Steams, Exhal'd from sour unsavoury Streams, There Night-gloves made of Tripsy's Hide, Bequeath'd by Tripsy when she dy'd, With Puppy Water, Beauty's Help Distill'd from Tripsy's darling Whelp; Here Gallypots and Vials plac'd, Some fill'd with washes, some with Paste, Some with Pomatum, Paints and Slops, And Ointments good for scabby Chops. Strephon is so horrified by what he finds during his search that he can no longer see the charms in Celia or other women, and Swift notes that Strephon needs to see women as Swift does--look at the result and forget how the result is obtained. The vapors flew from out the vent, But Strephon cautious never meant The bottom of the pan to grope, And foul his hands in search of Hope. On such a point few words are best, And Strephon bids us guess the rest; And swears how damnably the men lie In calling Celia sweet and cleanly. Strephon, the rogue, displayed it wide And turned it round on every side.
Montagu essentially has "Doctor Swift," emphasizing that he's a cleric, meeting his "dearest Betty," who happens to be a prostitute and whom Montagu describes as "this dull hard hearted creature" who accepts four Pounds a significant sum for her companionship. Celia was criticized in the poem because she spent hours in her dressing room getting ready. The Stockings, why shou'd I expose, Stain'd with the Marks of stinking Toes; Or greasy Coifs and Pinners reeking, Which Celia slept at least a Week in? The quote shows that the poet clearly dislikes Celia or women in general; he is so disturbed by her dressing room that he degradingly comments on how long she takes to get dressed and why she needs that much time. Strephon, who And Stole in and took a Of all the Whereof, to make the An And Beneath the arm-pits well besmeared. Just accept everyone for who they are. And must you needs describe the chest? When Celia in her glory shows, If Strephon would but stop his nose Who now so impiously blasphemes Her ointments, daubs, and paints and creams, Her washes, slops, and every clout With which he makes so foul a rout , He soon would learn to think like me And bless his ravished sight to see Such order from confusion sprung, Such gaudy tulips raised from dung.
And first a dirty smock appeared, Beneath the armpits well besmeared. To him that looks behind the scene Satira's but some pocky queen. The quote shows once again Swift is morally attacking and degrading a female figure or in this case a motherly image. Note that all parenthetical citations within the guide refer to the lines of the poem from which the quotations are taken. Strephon, who found the room was void, And Betty otherwise employed, Stole in, and took a strict survey, Of all the litter as it lay; Whereof, to make the matter clear, An inventory follows here. And first a dirty Smock appear'd, Beneath the Arm-pits well besmear'd.
No object Strephon's eye escapes: Here petticoats in frowzy heaps; Nor be the handkerchiefs forgot All varnished o'er with snuff and snot. His works are almost all satires, critical of the government and the society in which he lived. To him that looks behind the Scene, Satira's but some pocky Quean. On such a Point few Words are best, And Strephon bids us guess the rest; But swears how damnably the Men lie, In calling Celia sweet and cleanly. Hard by a filthy Bason stands, Fowl'd with the Scouring of her Hands; The Bason takes whatever comes The Scrapings of her Teeth and Gums, A nasty Compound of all Hues, For here she spits, and here she spues. Should I the Queen of Love refuse Because she rose from stinking ooze? The virtues we must not let pass, Of Celia's magnifying glass.
In addition to satirizing Swift himself, she manages to get a dig in at Alexander Pope, one of Swift's friends and part of his literary circle, who wrote a blistering satire against Montagu as "Sappho. Firstly, Swift tries to tell the men to stop having false expectations, for women to be a goddess. By haughty Celia spent in dressing; The goddess from her chamber issues, Arrayed in lace, brocades, and tissues. But Strephon cautious never meant The bottom of the pan to grope And foul his hands in search of Hope. Here alum flower to stop the steams Exhaled from sour unsavory streams; There night-gloves made of Tripsy's hide, Bequeath'd by Tripsy when she died, With puppy water, beauty's help, Distilled from Tripsy's darling whelp; Here gallypots and vials placed, Some filled with washes, some with paste, Some with pomatum, paints and slops, And ointments good for scabby chops.
Jonathan Swift's The Lady's Dressing Room and Lady Montagu's The Reasons, do both poems accomplish their intent?
In vain, the workman shewed his wit With rings and hinges counterfeit To make it seem in this disguise A cabinet to vulgar eyes; For Strephon ventured to look in, Resolved to go through thick and thin; He lifts the lid, there needs no more: He smelt it all the time before. Now listen while he next produces The various combs for various uses, Filled up with dirt so closely fixt, No brush could force a way betwixt. When Celia in her glory shows, If Strephon would but stop his nose Who now so impiously blasphemes Her ointments, daubs, and paints and creams, Her washes, slops, and every clout With which he makes so foul a rout , He soon would learn to think like me And bless his ravished sight to see Such order from confusion sprung, Such gaudy tulips raised from dung. A poem like such is about the other side of women men typically do not see hints the title. Society during this time silences women and does not allow them to be true to themselves.
He found a job as secretary to Sir William Temple, and it was in Sir William's household that he met Esther Stella Johnson and became her tutor. Thus finishing his grand Survey, Disgusted Strephon stole away Repeating in his amorous Fits, Oh! But Vengeance, Goddess never sleeping Soon punish'd Strephon for his Peeping; His foul Imagination links Each Dame he sees with all her Stinks: And, if unsav'ry Odours fly, Conceives a Lady standing by: All Women his Description fits, And both Idea's jump like Wits: By vicious Fancy coupled fast, And still appearing in Contrast. I pity wretched Strephon blind To all the charms of female kind. Hard by a filthy basin stands, Fouled with the scouring of her hands; The basin takes whatever comes, The scrapings of her teeth and gums, A nasty compound of all hues, For here she spits, and here she spews. Now listen while he next produces The various combs for various uses, Filled up with dirt so closely fixt, No brush could force a way betwixt. When Celia in her glory shows, If Strephon would but stop his nose Who now so impiously blasphemes Her ointments, daubs, and paints and creams, Her washes, slops, and every clout, With which he makes so foul a rout He soon would learn to think like me, And bless his ravished sight to see Such order from confusion sprung, Such gaudy tulips raised from dung.
The stockings why should I expose, Stained with the marks of stinking toes; Or greasy coifs and pinners reeking, Which Celia slept at least a week in? O may she better learn to keep "Those secrets of the hoary deep"! As from within Pandora's box, When Epimetheus oped the locks, A sudden universal crew Of humane evils upwards flew, He still was comforted to find That Hope at last remained behind; So Strephon lifting up the lid To view what in the chest was hid, The vapours flew from out the vent. It's amazing that Swift was able to get both types of responses from a poem that is "heroic" in its format. Should I the Queen of Love refuse Because she rose from stinking ooze? Society during this time silences women and The Lady's Dressing Room Essay considered impolite and gross. A glass that can to sight disclose The smallest worm in Celia's nose, And faithfully direct her nail To squeeze it out from head to tail; For catch it nicely by the head, It must come out alive or dead. Strephon, who found the room was void And Betty otherwise employed, Stole in and took a strict survey Of all the litter as it lay; Whereof, to make the matter clear, An inventory follows here. He seems to get rather angry and more disturbed as he sees more of Celia belongings lying on the dressing room floor. Many find the poem directly insulting against a particular person Swift , while some feel that Swift simply had it coming to him.
Furthermore, in the poem when the character Strephon is repulsed after seeing Celia messy dressing room, we can see where the poet uses some indirect verbal expression to degrade Celia and get across his information without making himself appear sexist. He does it in a. Why Strephon will you tell the rest? Jonathan swift, being the author of both poems, which women are being highly degraded and attacked in for being themselves and making their own decision. I believe the speaker wants to know the truth that lies within the beauty of women, what is underneath the pretty standards they only show the public. His disturbing thoughts in his proposal are not helping the woman, but it is rather attacking and ripping them of their motherhood.
