New Prince, New PompNew Prince, New Pomp

Robert SouthwellRobert Southwell

Overview/ContextOverview/Context

Robert Southwell was a very religious man. He Robert Southwell was a very religious man. He was a Jesuit priest who was martyred for his faith was a Jesuit priest who was martyred for his faith in 1595 and was later made a saint.in 1595 and was later made a saint.

Southwell wrote New Prince, New Pomp and Southwell wrote New Prince, New Pomp and many other poems whilst in prison, waiting to be many other poems whilst in prison, waiting to be hanged for his beliefs.hanged for his beliefs.

New Prince, New Pomp is a Christian nativity New Prince, New Pomp is a Christian nativity poem written in adoration of the birth of Jesus poem written in adoration of the birth of Jesus Christ.Christ.

Southwell’s poetry is often euphuistic and filled Southwell’s poetry is often euphuistic and filled with antithesis and paradox. He uses imaginative with antithesis and paradox. He uses imaginative imagery to explore religious emotion. imagery to explore religious emotion.

FormFormStatementStatement EvidenceEvidence AnalysisAnalysis

Quatrains of Quatrains of abcb rhyme abcb rhyme and and alternating alternating tetrameter tetrameter and trimeterand trimeter

Verse oneVerse one Simple, repetitive structure which Simple, repetitive structure which reflects the humility of Christ’s reflects the humility of Christ’s birth. This form suggests the birth. This form suggests the direct, honest truth of Southwell’s direct, honest truth of Southwell’s beliefs beliefs

EnjambmentEnjambment ‘‘An orient pearl An orient pearl is often found / is often found / In depth of dirty In depth of dirty mire.’ mire.’

The run-on line here encourages to The run-on line here encourages to search on to the next line of the search on to the next line of the poem to complete the metaphor, poem to complete the metaphor, just as Southwell is encouraging us just as Southwell is encouraging us to unearth Christ’s majesty from to unearth Christ’s majesty from his humble originshis humble origins

CaesuraCaesura ‘‘Behold, a Behold, a seely…’seely…’

‘‘With joy With joy approach, O…’approach, O…’

The effect of the mid-line pause is The effect of the mid-line pause is to foreground the imperatives and to foreground the imperatives and allow the significance of the allow the significance of the instruction to be fully absorbedinstruction to be fully absorbed

SyntaxSyntax

StatementStatement EvidenceEvidence AnalysisAnalysis

Simple Simple sentence sentence typestypes

Verse oneVerse one Direct style, used to convey simple, Direct style, used to convey simple, honest truths.honest truths.

Imperative Imperative moodmood

‘‘Behold’Behold’

‘‘Do homage’Do homage’Southwell demands we take notice Southwell demands we take notice and respect Christ’s birthand respect Christ’s birth

Declarative Declarative moodmood

‘‘The prince The prince himself is come himself is come from heaven’from heaven’

Southwell conveys his personal Southwell conveys his personal convictions of religious truth.convictions of religious truth.

Exclamatory Exclamatory tonetone

‘‘Alas, a piteous Alas, a piteous sight!’sight!’

Reveals his strength of feeling, both Reveals his strength of feeling, both admiration and despair at the admiration and despair at the arrival of Christ arrival of Christ

ParallelismParallelism ‘‘Weigh not his Weigh not his crib…Weigh not crib…Weigh not his mother’s…’his mother’s…’

Same syntactical pattern is Same syntactical pattern is repeated to reinforce Southwell’s repeated to reinforce Southwell’s message message

LexisLexisStatemenStatemen

ttEvidenceEvidence AnalysisAnalysis

AdjectivesAdjectives ‘‘seely’, ‘tender’, seely’, ‘tender’, ‘homely’, ‘homely’, ‘piteous’‘piteous’

Creates semantic field of humility Creates semantic field of humility and innocenceand innocence

Present Present tense verbstense verbs

‘‘trembling trembling lieslies’’

‘‘the inns the inns are are full’full’Present tense verbs place the Present tense verbs place the reader in the stable with the reader in the stable with the newborn childnewborn child

ArchaismsArchaisms ‘‘seely’seely’

‘‘wight’wight’

‘‘weed’weed’

Same adjective ‘seely’ meaning Same adjective ‘seely’ meaning ‘pitiable’ is used to describe both ‘pitiable’ is used to describe both Christ and the animals in the stableChrist and the animals in the stable

ParadoxParadox Stable…prince’s Stable…prince’s court’court’

Crib…chair of Crib…chair of state’state’

Poor attire…Poor attire…royal liveries’royal liveries’

‘‘humble pomp’humble pomp’

Southwell is famous for his use of Southwell is famous for his use of antithesis and paradox, which he antithesis and paradox, which he uses here to highlight the uses here to highlight the antithetical nature of the servant antithetical nature of the servant kingking

DemonstratiDemonstrativeve

determiner determiner

‘‘This stable’This stable’

‘‘This crib’This crib’Places the reader in the context of Places the reader in the context of the nativity scenethe nativity scene

ImageryImageryStatementStatement EvidenceEvidence AnalysisAnalysis

Pathetic Pathetic FallacyFallacy

‘‘in freezing in freezing winter night’winter night’

Southwell uses the weather to Southwell uses the weather to emphasise the metaphorical emphasise the metaphorical coldness of Christ’s receptioncoldness of Christ’s reception

MetaphorsMetaphors ‘‘An orient pearl An orient pearl is often found in is often found in depth of dirty depth of dirty mire’mire’

‘‘The stable is a The stable is a prince’s court’prince’s court’

These metaphors paint a picture of These metaphors paint a picture of Christ’s worth despite his humble Christ’s worth despite his humble beginnings.beginnings.

ConnotationsConnotations ‘‘in crib to in crib to shroudshroud his head’ his head’

Foreshadows Christ’s eventual Foreshadows Christ’s eventual sacrifice on the cross.sacrifice on the cross.

SoundSoundStatementStatement EvidenceEvidence AnalysisAnalysis

Plosive Plosive alliterationalliteration

‘‘New New pprince, new rince, new ppomp’omp’

‘‘pparcel of his arcel of his ppomp’omp’

‘‘ppomompp is is pprized’rized’

Emotive tone reflects Southwell’s Emotive tone reflects Southwell’s passion for this miraclepassion for this miracle

Aspirant Aspirant alliterationalliteration

‘‘hhighly prize ighly prize hhis is hhumble pomp’umble pomp’

A breathless final command A breathless final command which encourages the reader to which encourages the reader to embrace the paradoxical nature embrace the paradoxical nature of Christ’s adventof Christ’s advent

Sibilant Sibilant alliterationalliteration

‘‘AlaAlass, a piteou, a piteouss ssight!’ight!’

The gentle tones of hushed The gentle tones of hushed reverence for the new born babe, reverence for the new born babe, yet tinged with sadness for his yet tinged with sadness for his lowly and uncomfortable birth lowly and uncomfortable birth