The Spectator Club by Sir Richard Steele, British Literature, BA English, 2023 - 2024 syllabus, University of Madras

 The Spectator Club by Sir Richard Steele

Author:

Sir Richard Steele (1672 – September 1, 1729) was an Irish writer and politician. Steele was born in Dublin, Ireland, and educated at Charterhouse School, where he first met Addison. He went on to Merton College, Oxford, then joined the Life Guards of the Household Cavalry. He disliked British Army life, and his first published work, The Christian Hero (1701).

In 1706 he was appointed to a position in the household of Prince George of Denmark, consort of Anne of Great Britain. He also gained the favour of Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford. In 1709, he founded a thrice-weekly satirical magazine, Tatler, which lasted only two years in its first incarnation. Following the demise of the Tatler, the pair founded The Spectator. 

About Prose:

The essay “The Spectator Club” is the second essay in the ‘The Spectator’. Steele conceived a club with members drawn from different stages of life, society and profession. Each of them has own individual qualities. Thus the club is the miniature version of the society of the day. Yet there is no representative of the lower classes. The club was meant to be of intellectuals. In this essay Steele gives an account of the six gentle men. They were members of the Spectator Club in addition to Mr. Spectator. This essay reveals Steele’s keen power of observation, skill in characterization and his delicate mockery which is easy and informal style.

The Spectator Club is a group of fictional characters created by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele, featured in their periodical The Spectator (1711-1712). The club consists of six members, each representing a different aspect of society:

- Sir Roger de Coverley: a country gentleman

- Sir Andrew Freeport: a merchant

- Captain Sentry: a soldier

- Will Honeycomb: a fashionable gentleman

- Clergy: a cleric

- The Narrator (Mr. Spectator): an observer of society

The club's essays, written by Addison and Steele, offer humorous observations on London life, manners, and morals. The prose is characterized by its clarity, wit, and satire, making The Spectator a pioneering work in English essay writing.

The Spectator was published daily, with 555 issues, and was later collected into seven volumes. The essays were influential in shaping English literature, particularly in the development of the periodical essay and the novel. 

Text:

    The Spectator introduces a group of men that would be regarded as esteemed gentlemen, from their time. The Spectator, No 2,  Friday, March 2, 1711, is an outline of each member's qualifications and why they are affiliated with The Spectator's Club. "These “members” included representatives of commerce, the army, the town (respectively, Sir Andrew Freeport, Captain Sentry, and Will Honeycomb), and of the country gentry (Sir Roger de Coverley)." These men were aimed to represent the most intelligent and influential people of their time. The Spectator was published in London by Sir Richard Steele and Joseph Addison. They assembled these men together to discuss “enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality.” All of these men would help shine a light on the importance of discussion of religious and political partisanship and to make this type of discussion normal. They would create a platform for different writers to show that their individual writing could be entertaining and serious. The Spectator, No 2, Friday, March 2, 1711, is a metaphor for what the hierarchy of England resembled in the 1700's and how society acted.    

The first name mentioned was Sir Roger de Coverley. I believe that he was the first person to talk about in the essay as he best describes the main requirements for being in the club. He is known to have good manners from his peers, he is from the right society being an upper class, and his gender is a white male. Check, Check, Check.  I personally believe that The Spectator's Club chose its members not just from their merit but from their status. Granted it was 1711 and social status was the most important aspect of truly anything, so Sir Roger de Coverley was a good first choice.

 He was best known for being a descendent of his great-grandfather who was the inventor of the famous country-dance, which was named after him. Sir Roger would be regarded by his peers as a fine individual and loved by many. Highly respected by his peer, servants, and is why he is the first mentioned in the essay.

I personally believe that Sir Roger was put first to show the reader that The Spectator was respectable and would use people of stature in society. Sir Roger's role was to represent the integrity of the paper by being the higher-class elite that everyone wants to be.

The next gentleman that was deemed esteemed enough to be apart of The Spectator's club was not named. I believe him being unnamed was to emphasize the importance of the criteria of who is selected to be apart of this group. The man is described as apart of the Inner Temple or basically a lawyer. He is also said to be a man of great probity, wit, and understanding. The mystery man is further illustrated by how his presence could have a positive effect on actors at a play and how people would be lucky if he came to the play as the actors would want to please him. This description of this man is only to further show the importance of the type of people that The Spectator's Club accepts into their club and what audience they are aiming towards. This part is essential to understanding the audience being aimed at as only people that are educated or significant enough to understand the material being discussed is being targeted.

The importance of the mystery man is to also show the hierarchy of the current society. The powerful elite in Sir Roger was followed by a highly educated lawyer.

The next man that meets the criteria is Sir Andrew Freeport. Recognized as a successful merchant in London. Regarded as a man that has noble intent with trade and believes that true power comes from arts and industry.

 I believe that The Spectator including a man such as Sir Andrew Freeport as a similar reason to the mystery man. He first has the gentleman-like qualities needed to be apart of the club and more important introduces a more relatable club member that would expand the audience. At a time in history when many people in England would be working at the port or on a ship, introducing someone that directly involves the shipping industry is not by coincidence.

As the last character, Sir Andrew falls into the order of society as a merchant. This order is not random as Steele is illustrating what he believes to be the society's hierarchy. Elite, Lawyer, and now a merchant. 

The next introduction is for Captain Sentry. He is described as a gentleman of great courage, good understanding, but invincible modesty. A military man that represents the ideal captain. He is never overbearing but does expect the men below him to obey orders as he obeys orders from the men above him. I believe he is aimed to gain the viewership of the military as England was a major powerhouse in the world military at the time and many young men were soldiers. Having someone like Captain Sentry would closely relate to a larger audience and increase the overall popularity of The Spectator.

I also believe it is interesting that Steele would but a Captain or someone that represents the military so low on his social hierarchy. Especially for his time, England was a military powerhouse and soldiers had greater privileges than a typical citizen.  Possible Steele's true views of the military are being shown through his evaluation as the military is only fourth on his society's hierarchy.     

The next gentleman that is introduced is WIll Honeycomb. A man who is described as a  ladies man in every way. Handsome, smart, wealthy, and knows how to dress. I believe that Honeycomb's main purpose is to attract the female audience. Granted at the time only women that came from families that could afford to teach them how to read would be cable of reading this but The Spector left out no possible audience. Men would also be able to see what women would possibly want in a man's character by mimicking Honeycomb.

I personally believe Honeycomb's placement in society's hierarchy makes the most sense. A beautiful man that understands women. Granted he is not the smartest nor the wealthiest but can do someone that other men cannot. That is to be desired by women by more than just their wealth or social position.  

The last person that is talked about is a clergyman. He is regarded as a very philosophical man that rarely joins the club but when he does his presence is welcomed. The clergyman unlike the other is not specifically good with business or influencing a large number of people but is respected in his opinions. I believe that the clergyman is aimed to represent the average man. He may have noticeable faults but also has many respectable pros. He creates the last possible audience that The Speataor could market by encouraging even the average man to read The Spectator.

I believe that the clergyman coming in last was not by mistake. Granted at the time Steele lived, religion did have a very powerful backing but in the terms of logic and wit, I believe Steele purposefully put the clergy at the bottom to make a point that religion is important enough to be on the list but not as significant.

The Spectator's Club is truly remarkable marketing for its time. Without social media or really technology, an individual's ability to connect to a specific piece of writing was essential to the success of any paper or essay. It connected to the audience of that time  With the second issue of The Spectator, Steele was able to do just that and found a way to relate to everyone in his time period. I believe that Steele is showing the audience what he believes to be the social hierarchy of his society.  

Summary:

            The Spectator introduces a group of men that would be regarded as esteemed gentlemen, from their time. The Spectator, No 2,  Friday, March 2, 1711, is an outline of each member's qualifications and why they are affiliated with The Spectator's Club. "These “members” included representatives of commerce, the army, the town (respectively, Sir Andrew Freeport, Captain Sentry, and Will Honeycomb), and of the country gentry (Sir Roger de Coverley)." These men were aimed to represent the most intelligent and influential people of their time. The Spectator was published in London by Sir Richard Steele and Joseph Addison. They assembled these men together to discuss “enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality.” All of these men would help shine a light on the importance of discussion of religious and political partisanship and to make this type of discussion normal. They would create a platform for different writers to show that their individual writing could be entertaining and serious. The Spectator, No 2, Friday, March 2, 1711, is a metaphor for what the hierarchy of England resembled in the 1700's and how society acted.    

The first name mentioned was Sir Roger de Coverley. I believe that he was the first person to talk about in the essay as he best describes the main requirements for being in the club. He is known to have good manners from his peers, he is from the right society being an upper class, and his gender is a white male. Check, Check, Check.  I personally believe that The Spectator's Club chose its members not just from their merit but from their status. Granted it was 1711 and social status was the most important aspect of truly anything, so Sir Roger de Coverley was a good first choice.

 He was best known for being a descendent of his great-grandfather who was the inventor of the famous country-dance, which was named after him. Sir Roger would be regarded by his peers as a fine individual and loved by many. Highly respected by his peer, servants, and is why he is the first mentioned in the essay.

I personally believe that Sir Roger was put first to show the reader that The Spectator was respectable and would use people of stature in society. Sir Roger's role was to represent the integrity of the paper by being the higher-class elite that everyone wants to be.

The next gentleman that was deemed esteemed enough to be apart of The Spectator's club was not named. I believe him being unnamed was to emphasize the importance of the criteria of who is selected to be apart of this group. The man is described as apart of the Inner Temple or basically a lawyer. He is also said to be a man of great probity, wit, and understanding. The mystery man is further illustrated by how his presence could have a positive effect on actors at a play and how people would be lucky if he came to the play as the actors would want to please him. This description of this man is only to further show the importance of the type of people that The Spectator's Club accepts into their club and what audience they are aiming towards. This part is essential to understanding the audience being aimed at as only people that are educated or significant enough to understand the material being discussed is being targeted.

The importance of the mystery man is to also show the hierarchy of the current society. The powerful elite in Sir Roger was followed by a highly educated lawyer.

The next man that meets the criteria is Sir Andrew Freeport. Recognized as a successful merchant in London. Regarded as a man that has noble intent with trade and believes that true power comes from arts and industry.

 I believe that The Spectator including a man such as Sir Andrew Freeport as a similar reason to the mystery man. He first has the gentleman-like qualities needed to be apart of the club and more important introduces a more relatable club member that would expand the audience. At a time in history when many people in England would be working at the port or on a ship, introducing someone that directly involves the shipping industry is not by coincidence.

As the last character, Sir Andrew falls into the order of society as a merchant. This order is not random as Steele is illustrating what he believes to be the society's hierarchy. Elite, Lawyer, and now a merchant. 

The next introduction is for Captain Sentry. He is described as a gentleman of great courage, good understanding, but invincible modesty. A military man that represents the ideal captain. He is never overbearing but does expect the men below him to obey orders as he obeys orders from the men above him. I believe he is aimed to gain the viewership of the military as England was a major powerhouse in the world military at the time and many young men were soldiers. Having someone like Captain Sentry would closely relate to a larger audience and increase the overall popularity of The Spectator.

I also believe it is interesting that Steele would but a Captain or someone that represents the military so low on his social hierarchy. Especially for his time, England was a military powerhouse and soldiers had greater privileges than a typical citizen.  Possible Steele's true views of the military are being shown through his evaluation as the military is only fourth on his society's hierarchy.     

The next gentleman that is introduced is WIll Honeycomb. A man who is described as a  ladies man in every way. Handsome, smart, wealthy, and knows how to dress. I believe that Honeycomb's main purpose is to attract the female audience. Granted at the time only women that came from families that could afford to teach them how to read would be cable of reading this but The Spector left out no possible audience. Men would also be able to see what women would possibly want in a man's character by mimicking Honeycomb.

I personally believe Honeycomb's placement in society's hierarchy makes the most sense. A beautiful man that understands women. Granted he is not the smartest nor the wealthiest but can do someone that other men cannot. That is to be desired by women by more than just their wealth or social position.  

The last person that is talked about is a clergyman. He is regarded as a very philosophical man that rarely joins the club but when he does his presence is welcomed. The clergyman unlike the other is not specifically good with business or influencing a large number of people but is respected in his opinions. I believe that the clergyman is aimed to represent the average man. He may have noticeable faults but also has many respectable pros. He creates the last possible audience that The Speataor could market by encouraging even the average man to read The Spectator.

I believe that the clergyman coming in last was not by mistake. Granted at the time Steele lived, religion did have a very powerful backing but in the terms of logic and wit, I believe Steele purposefully put the clergy at the bottom to make a point that religion is important enough to be on the list but not as significant.

The Spectator's Club is truly remarkable marketing for its time. Without social media or really technology, an individual's ability to connect to a specific piece of writing was essential to the success of any paper or essay. It connected to the audience of that time  With the second issue of The Spectator, Steele was able to do just that and found a way to relate to everyone in his time period. I believe that Steele is showing the audience what he believes to be the social hierarchy of his society.  

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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray, Unit 1 Poem, British Literature, BA English, 2023 - 2024 syllabus, University of Madras

Unit - I

1. Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard - Thomas Gray

About Author:

            Thomas Gray (26 December 1716 – 30 July 1771) was an English poet, classical scholar and professor at Pembroke College, Cambridge, best known for his poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, published in 1751.

            While Gray is regarded as the foremost English-language poet of the mid-18th century, he was very self-critical and published only thirteen poems during his lifetime and refused the post of Poet Laureate in 1757.

            He lived most of his life in Cambridge, and enjoyed travelling around Britain. He died in 1771 aged 54, after a short illness.

About Poem:

            Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard is a poem by Thomas Gray, completed in 1750 and first published in 1751. The poem's origins are unknown, but it was partly inspired by Gray's thoughts following the death of the poet Richard West in 1742. Originally titled “Stanzas Wrote in a Country Church-Yard”, the poem was completed when Gray was living near the Church of St Giles, Stoke Poges. It was sent to his friend Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, who popularised the poem among London literary circles. Gray was eventually forced to publish the work on 15 February 1751 in order to pre-empt a magazine publisher from printing an unlicensed copy of the poem.

Click the above link👆 for lesson explanation

Summary:

Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is a timeless poem that reflects on mortality, the fleeting nature of life, and the beauty of the natural world. The poem is set in a rural churchyard, where the speaker contemplates the humble graves of the villagers.

The poem begins with the speaker describing the peaceful atmosphere of the churchyard at dusk, surrounded by the sounds of nature. He reflects on the simple, unassuming lives of the villagers, who lived and died without seeking fame or recognition. The speaker imagines the lives of the villagers, wondering what stories their graves could tell if they could speak. He ponders on the potential talents and abilities that were lost with their deaths, and how they were never recognized or celebrated.

As the poem progresses, the speaker consoles himself with the thought that the villagers, though unknown, are at peace and free from the troubles of the world. He reflects on the fleeting nature of life and fame, noting that even the most powerful and wealthy individuals will eventually be forgotten. The speaker urges the reader to reflect on their own mortality and the brevity of life, emphasizing that true glory lies not in wealth or power, but in living a simple, virtuous life.

Throughout the poem, Gray uses vivid imagery and symbolism to convey the beauty of the natural world and its connection to human mortality. The churchyard, with its humble graves and simple epitaphs, serves as a reminder of the transience of life. The speaker's reflections on the villagers' lives and deaths create a sense of melancholy, but also a sense of acceptance and peace.

The poem concludes with the speaker reflecting on his own mortality, imagining his own epitaph and the quiet, unassuming life he hopes to have led. The final stanzas are a meditation on the beauty of nature and the comfort it brings to those who grieve. The poem ends with a sense of acceptance and peace, as the speaker bids farewell to the world.

Text:

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

         The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,

The plowman homeward plods his weary way,

         And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

 

Now fades the glimm'ring landscape on the sight,

         And all the air a solemn stillness holds,

Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,

         And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;

 

Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r

         The moping owl does to the moon complain

Of such, as wand'ring near her secret bow'r,

         Molest her ancient solitary reign.

 

Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade,

         Where heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap,

Each in his narrow cell for ever laid,

         The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.

 

The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn,

         The swallow twitt'ring from the straw-built shed,

The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn,

         No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.

 

For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,

         Or busy housewife ply her evening care:

No children run to lisp their sire's return,

         Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.

 

Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield,

         Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;

How jocund did they drive their team afield!

         How bow'd the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!

 

Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,

         Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;

Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile

         The short and simple annals of the poor.

 

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r,

         And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,

Awaits alike th' inevitable hour.

         The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

 

Nor you, ye proud, impute to these the fault,

         If Mem'ry o'er their tomb no trophies raise,

Where thro' the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault

         The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.

 

Can storied urn or animated bust

         Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?

Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust,

         Or Flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of Death?

 

Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid

         Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;

Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway'd,

         Or wak'd to ecstasy the living lyre.

 

But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page

         Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll;

Chill Penury repress'd their noble rage,

         And froze the genial current of the soul.

 

Full many a gem of purest ray serene,

         The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:

Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,

         And waste its sweetness on the desert air.

 

Some village-Hampden, that with dauntless breast

         The little tyrant of his fields withstood;

Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,

         Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood.

 

Th' applause of list'ning senates to command,

         The threats of pain and ruin to despise,

To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,

         And read their hist'ry in a nation's eyes,

 

Their lot forbade: nor circumscrib'd alone

         Their growing virtues, but their crimes confin'd;

Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne,

         And shut the gates of mercy on mankind,

 

The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide,

         To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,

Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride

         With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.

 

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,

         Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;

Along the cool sequester'd vale of life

         They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.

 

Yet ev'n these bones from insult to protect,

         Some frail memorial still erected nigh,

With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd,

         Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.

 

Their name, their years, spelt by th' unletter'd muse,

         The place of fame and elegy supply:

And many a holy text around she strews,

         That teach the rustic moralist to die.

 

For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey,

         This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd,

Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,

         Nor cast one longing, ling'ring look behind?

 

On some fond breast the parting soul relies,

         Some pious drops the closing eye requires;

Ev'n from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,

         Ev'n in our ashes live their wonted fires.

 

For thee, who mindful of th' unhonour'd Dead

         Dost in these lines their artless tale relate;

If chance, by lonely contemplation led,

         Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate,

 

Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,

         "Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn

Brushing with hasty steps the dews away

         To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.

 

"There at the foot of yonder nodding beech

         That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,

His listless length at noontide would he stretch,

         And pore upon the brook that babbles by.

 

"Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,

         Mutt'ring his wayward fancies he would rove,

Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn,

         Or craz'd with care, or cross'd in hopeless love.

 

"One morn I miss'd him on the custom'd hill,

         Along the heath and near his fav'rite tree;

Another came; nor yet beside the rill,

         Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;

 

"The next with dirges due in sad array

         Slow thro' the church-way path we saw him borne.

Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay,

         Grav'd on the stone beneath yon aged thorn."

 

THE EPITAPH

Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth

       A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.

Fair Science frown'd not on his humble birth,

       And Melancholy mark'd him for her own.

 

Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere,

       Heav'n did a recompense as largely send:

He gave to Mis'ry all he had, a tear,

       He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a friend.

 

No farther seek his merits to disclose,

       Or draw his frailties from their dread abode,

(There they alike in trembling hope repose)

       The bosom of his Father and his God.

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