A103 Introduction to the Humanities
A210 - Approaching Literature TMA 03 'The Birth-Day' by Mary Robinson Write an essay of not more than 1500 words in which you analyse the poem and comment on the poetic form and language used and the way they contribute to the meaning and effects of the poem. 'The Birth-Day' uses various techniques to convey Robinson's indignation at the vast social differences of her time. It incorporates great social commentary and as was often typical of Romantic poetry, is highly politically motivated. Robinson's use of form and language conveys her attempt at poetry being "a force which reforms and is even at variance with society" (Romantic Writings, p.80). She is representing Percy Shelley's ideal of the poet embodying truth, as she attempts to convey the sufferings of the lower-classes. As Shelley states that "Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world" (Romantic Writings: An Anthology, p.366), Robinson endorses that viewpoint, as she endeavours to highlight the discrepancies of the social world, as she sees it. The title of the poem alludes not only to the celebration of the royal birthday, but is utilized to draw attention to the conflicting reactions of the pomposity from the upper-classes on a day which is usually a cause for celebration, compared with the inescapable misery of the lower-classes. This narrative poem is similar to a ballad form, as it tells