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Coventry Patmore was a librarian by profession, and originally an Anglican by creed, but he later converted to Catholicism. Inspired by his new religion, he composed some of his best religious poetry, prolific in both quality and quantity. To fellow lyricist Francis Thompson, Patmore was indeed "the greatest genius of the century." Together, both Patmore and Thompson brought English religious poetry to unexpected, perhaps unsurpassable heights. From childhood to grave Patmore believed himself obligated to celebrate married love, "the more serious importance of which had been singularly missed by most poets of all countries" he once said. As time went on, this theme became spiritualized in his mind. There can really be only one story of happy married love, and when he finally adopted a form for it, it ultimately resembled the scenario of a novel by Anthony Trollope. This quality, the trivial realism of the narrative of The Angel of the House, attracted a multitude of readers, and at the same time obscured the splendor of the essential part of the poem. Patmore's ultimate success consisted not in the mild adventure of Honoria and her spouse, but in the magnificence of the philosophical episodes, in which the psychology of love is illustrated in language of great originality. Among Patmore's well-known poems are "The Toys," "A Farewell," "If I were Dead," "Departure," and "Auras of Delight."
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Coventry Patmore
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S R (3/14/2006 9:33:00 AM)
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The poem Toys is very symbolic in its setting. Even though the poet speaks of his little son, from a broader perspective, the poem underlies the 'comfort' man resorts to, when God admonishes him... When man is buffeted for his faults, or when he encounters certain undesirable happenings in his life, he immediately resorts to other resorts to comfort and solace him, thus moving away from his creator. But still, God, much akin to Francis Thompson's 'Hound of Heaven, ' in all His grace forgives man for his shortcomings and kisses him (blesses him with His heavenly comfort) .
The creator’s concern for His creation and the creation’s antipathy to the love of God are manifested in this poem. The slumber of the child represents the forgetfulness and the sheer childish callousness of children towards elders (here God) .
The lines
“anged there with careful art,
To comfort his sad heart”
are of particular significance because, man in his love of the world, forgets whatever blessings he has derived from the Almighty and turns to the world in times of distress.
The poem has a great import on the love of God and the antipathy of man.
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