The Foster Mother's Tale

Hey im supposed to be annotating this poem from lyrical ballads. but my teacher doesnt have a clue about this poem and i relli need help with some info.

even historical background would be useful. does ne one have ne goods notes or websites i can look at.

thanks !!

Reply 1

iamorgan

Ok, it's a long time since you posted and I'm sure this is all sorted now!! I am revising this poem ATM and so I thought I may as well share some thoughts which will help me with my revision anyway.

It is a dramatic fragment, which suggests that it holds true to the founding principles of Lyrical Ballads in that it is a type of revolutionary piece to go in what effectively is a poetry anthology!! Also, it reinforces the revolutionary beliefs held by Coleridge and Wordsworth (although Coleridge wrote this). It deals with issues ranging from social justice to love, supernatural, nature and crime as well as giving us an insight into life -the conversational form helps to give it a more friendly and relaxed tone, with simple characters such as the Foster Mother being juxtaposed by the seemingly educated, yet vulnerable Maria. Some notable quotes that might be useful are;

'you two little ones'
'make me learn'
'Can no one hear?'
'it is a perilous tale!'
'Lord Velez' -aristocracy
'unlawful thoughts'
'never learnt a prayer'
'knew the names of birds...and whistled, as he were a bird himself'
'those bold voyagers'
'earth heaved under them'
'cast into that hole'
'new world'
'lived and died among the savage men'

Whilst this is a conversation, it is more. It seems to be a revelation about superstition, discovery (or shipment of prisoners to the new world whichever you believe) and a rather simplistic, and obedient outlook on life that characterised the life of so many. The fact it has a conversational form makes it more accessible and its irregular structure gives it a free-flow, showing how Coleridge was attempting to enter into conversation with his reader. It's a bit like a gossip column for Coleridge.............

This can link to the Rime of the Ancyent Marinere with its emphasis on the earth having 'heaved under them' echoing 'slow uneasy motion' in the Rime.
Equally, Coleridge's, The Dungeon, 'Nature, healest thy wondering and distempered child' links with 'knew the names of birds...and whistled as he were a bird himself'. Here, we see Coleridge's affinity with and love for nature.

Reply 2

Emill9989

This poem is one of my faves!
It links with the theam of nature well as Albert is first noted as
'...a baby wrapt in mosses, lined
With thistle-beards..'
I saw this as a sort of Mowgli like character as he then grew up in the forest and enjoyed expolring. As with Wordsworth's poems theams this one reperesents how someone can be at one with nature and use nature for healing.
As Albert is taken away to learn in books he gets restless. Like Wordsworth in 'Expostulation and Reply' I don't think Coleridge is trying to portray learning through books as a bad thing, just trying to hint that there are other ways - such as nature.
Note that the talks he has with Lord Velez were of Revolution and this caused him to be the focus of gossip and to be locked away (this is also very biographical of Coleridge and Wordsworth's lives as they were seen as outcast due to their revolutionary ideals)
When Albert is locked up he sings about green feilds and lakes thus again showing the healing power of nature.
I think at the end of the whole main section
'His love grew desperate; and defying death,
He made that cunning entracne I described:
And the young man escaped'
shows how powerful emotions and connections can overpower force of strength etc.

The last big by the Foster-Mother about the two going on a ship to Spain and Albert not returning, but living with the savage men, Coleridge is portraying the Native Americans and how they live without the same society that is so clear in England and that locked away Albert.

Overall in this poem, remeber it is critcal of society and encourages free thinking and looks to nature for learning.
Can also be linked with:
The Dungeon - Being locked away
We Are Seven - The loss of Youth Albert's innocence when he reads
Tintern Abbey - Nature as a healer
Expostualtion and Reply & Tables Turned (I studied these two togtether as they are togther) - the difference between nature as a teacher and books teaching

Hope it helps
Any more questions, just ask