Views on the penal System: The Dungeon and The Convict Essay Example

rejection. Additionally, Wordsworth's negative perspective on the punishment system is reflected in his description of the convict. The prisoner's "stedfast dejection" and their focus on the "fetters that link him to death" demonstrate his elective sadness.

The foot-shackles may represent both a physical and metaphorical imprisonment. The convict is not only physically bound, but he cannot fully enjoy the freedom of walking. Wordsworth insists that just as nature requires water for survival, the prisoner's life-blood dries up without freedom, rendering him lifeless. The poet also conjures up horrific images of the captive's anguish ("My fancy has pierced to his heart, and pourtrays/More terrible images there"). It is clear that Wordsworth understands the prisoner's predicament and condemns the penal system for inflicting such misery.

The King's arrival at the prison cell is described in a stanza that is rich in meaning and has numerous literal interpretations. The use of "dark synod" emphasizes that true goodness is found in nature's light, rather than physical comforts, while "dark" could also signify evil and sinister tendencies. This reveals the poet's antipathy towards the governing power, and by extension, the controlling penal system. The reference to where the King originates from, a "blood-reeking field," implies carnage and slaughter. These two places - synod and battlefield - reflect the dual powers and responsibilities of a monarch: warfare and the Church. Nonetheless, despite the King's considerable power, he is "led," suggesting that there is an even greater force behind the throne.

The poet may be criticizing the penal system for its lack of accountability, as blame for punishing wrongdoers is shifted around. The King's luxurious lifestyle, as indicated by the soft alliteration in "All soothers

of sense their soft virtue shall yield," seems to distance him from reality. When combined with the violent battlefield, this presents a scornful view that while common people starve and could be convicted even for stealing bread, the King likely commits worse sins yet remains free and ignorant in his pampered life. This suggests that it is the monarch's own power, rather than literal shackles, that constrain him. Wordsworth not only portrays the unfairness of the penal system but also highlights similarities between the immoral behavior of both royalty and impoverished individuals. This theme continues in the eighth stanza, where the King's life is compared to that of a convict.

In the passage, it is explained that despite indulging in opulent living ("doze in oblivion"), the King is also responsible for his wrongdoing. However, he chooses to ignore his culpability and suppresses his guilty conscience, satisfying his desire to inflict pain.

Wordsworth criticizes the King for acting against nature, which goes against the romantic belief of following nature's will. This contrasts with the convict's distress in their uncomfortable and diseased environment. The comfort the King enjoys is juxtaposed against the pain experienced by the victim of the penal system. Wordsworth's description aims to display his despair with how poorly convicts are treated.

The prisoner lying in his cell is sleepless, while the King peacefully sleeps, forgetting the bloodshed he caused. The convict's only escape from the guilt of his crimes is through sleep, but even then, the memory of his misdeeds remains. The sentence that spans across two stanzas implores the miserable prisoner to turn on his bed, while the guard dog outside barks relentlessly.

The text describes an

immense amount of pain that the speaker believes a convict may experience. This pain could stem from a fear of hell or death, but ultimately manifests as physical discomfort described as "a thousand sharp punctures of cold-sweating pain." The speaker expresses sympathy for the convict and refers to them as "poor" and a "brother," while also stating their intentions to only do good. The poet criticizes the penal system for their treatment of the convict and argues that imprisonment does not foster rehabilitation.

The punishment system is not conducive to growth, but instead hinders it. It creates an unfavorable environment that prevents moral reform and flourishing. Even if given the power, the speaker would override the penal system and release the offender to allow for a chance to start anew and blossom once again. This aligns with Godwin's belief that transportation to a new location provides an opportunity for a fresh start.

"The Dungeon" by Coleridge hints at his views on the English penal system, evoking feelings of a dark and sinister place symbolic to oppressive punishment. The poem's structure highlights the inadequacy of how we treat others and emphasizes nature's healing power. The criticism is directed towards men and is more public than Wordsworth's "The Convict," which focuses on the poet's personal relationship with the convict. Coleridge's narration is more inclusive, referring to each offender as "poor brother" and criticizing "pamper'd mountebanks."

In this extracted text from a play, Coleridge employs vivid language and the use of rhetorical questions, such as "Is this the only cure?", to encourage others to share his critical opinions of the penal system. He likens judges, lawyers, and representatives

of the legal system to "pamper'd mountebanks", or quack doctors, highlighting their indulgent lifestyles. The suggested remedy for condemning bad behavior is "uncomforted/And friendless solitude", portraying the dungeon as a form of social isolation. Much like in The Convict, Coleridge depicts the extent of suffering brought about by imprisonment to express his beliefs regarding the penal system's failure and unfairness. He describes this suffering through phrases such as "groaning and tears...".

"Savage faces" and inhumanity are referenced in both The Dungeon and The Convict, highlighting the absence of natural light - a source of rejuvenation romanticized by literature. The Dungeon portrays the penal system as archaic and cruel, exemplified by the dim light of the lamp in the damp and misty dungeon. Alternative methods must be sought to replace this oppressive system, including connecting with nature.

Wordsworth employs the concept of transplantation to convey a certain idea, whereas Coleridge acknowledges nature's redemptive and healing capabilities in the statement "O nature! /Healest thy wandering and distempered child". In The Convict, one limitation of being imprisoned in a cell is the inability to fully enjoy the joyous sounds of nature. This auditory aspect is also referenced in The Dungeon, where the poet mentions the beautiful music that nature produces through woods, winds, and waters.

The use of a metaphor to describe dance and minstrelsy is considered jarring and dissonant. However, the use of alliteration with 'w's provides a calming and lyrical effect.

There is a contrast in how music and words are perceived. While words are linked to intellect, the convict finds comfort in acquiring knowledge through music instead of conventional wisdom. Both poems use irony to make a point.

Wordsworth writes of appreciating the world through "wise passiveness" (Expostulation and Reply), while The Convict depicts the poet standing alone on a mountain.

The distinction between solitude on a mountain and isolation in a cell appears to rest on the element of choice. By exercising a "wise passiveness," one opts for solitary confinement, whereas the poet is critiquing the unfair and unsatisfactory judgments of the penal system that impose solitary confinement and adverse circumstances without the individual's input.