Art, pain and immortality: Gendered creativity in Felicia Dorothea Hemans’s sentimental poetry

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: 1, 1 - 10, 27.03.2025

Seher Aktarer

https://doi.org/10.30783/nevsosbilen.1524655

Abstract

This paper examines Felicia Dorothea Hemans’s (1793-1835) poetry in relation to pain, female poetic creativity, and literary immortality. Hemans is a prominent figure in the sentimental tradition of English writing, as she is recognised for her unique capacity to integrate personal emotions with domestic concerns, thereby frequently questioning traditional gender roles in poetry. Hemans establishes a unique literary tradition that addresses domestic, national, and political issues by emphasising personal emotions. Despite the constraints imposed on women, Hemans always maintains her feminine identity in her poetry. She welcomes it as a major influence on her creative process. In this light, this paper closely explores the ways Felicia Dorothea Hemans reveals the immortalizing power of works in her two poems “Properzia Rossi” and “The Grave of a Poetess”, published in her collection Records of Women (1828), while also giving their articulation of the individual pain of the female poet either as a lover or as a poet. By exploring how Hemans skilfully transforms personal sorrow into a lasting creative legacy by highlighting the junction of these two elements, Hemans’s works indicate the ability of art to immortalize and preserve the feminine experience, even in the face of pain.

Keywords

Felicia Dorothea Hemans, “Properzia Rossi”, “The Grave of a Poetess”, Records of Women, Sentimental poetry

Sanat, acı ve ölümsüzlük: Felicia Dorothea Hemans’ın duygusal şiirinde cinsiyete dayalı yaratıcılık

Abstract

Bu makale Felicia Dorothea Hemans’ın (1793-1835) şiirini acı, kadının şiirsel yaratıcılığı ve edebi ölümsüzlük bağlamında incelemektedir. Hemans, İngiliz yazınının duygusal geleneğinde öne çıkan bir figürdür; kişisel duyguları ev içi kaygılarla bütünleştirme konusundaki benzersiz kapasitesiyle tanınır ve böylece şiirdeki geleneksel cinsiyet rollerini sıklıkla sorgular. Hemans, kişisel duyguları vurgulayarak aile içi, ulusal ve siyasi meseleleri ele alan benzersiz bir edebi gelenek kurar. Kadınlara dayatılan kısıtlamalara rağmen, Hemans şiirlerinde kadınsı kimliğini her zaman korur. Bunu yaratım sürecinde önemli bir etki olarak kabul eder. Bu ışık altında, bu makale Felicia Dorothea Hemans’ın, Records of Women (1828) adlı koleksiyonunda yayınlanan “Properzia Rossi” ve “The Grave of a Poetess” adlı iki şiirinde eserlerin ölümsüzleştirici gücünü ortaya koyma biçimlerini yakından incelerken, aynı zamanda kadın şairin bir sevgili ya da şair olarak bireysel acısını dile getirme biçimlerini de ele almaktadır. Hemans’ın eserleri, bu iki unsurun birleşimini vurgulayarak kişisel acıyı nasıl ustalıkla kalıcı bir yaratıcı mirasa dönüştürdüğünü keşfederek, sanatın acı karşısında bile kadınsı deneyimi ölümsüzleştirme ve koruma yeteneğine işaret ediyor.

Keywords

Felicia Dorothea Hemans, “Properzia Rossi”, “The Grave of a Poetess”, Records of Women, Duygusal şiir

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