Against Indifference

Description

English poetry and song was recognized throughout Europe as being truly a class apart from all the other nations by the time Henry the VIII came to power. According to Erasmus, the folk music of England was second to none, and both poets and composers were known to add pathos and deeper meaning to their verses and melodies.

Not much is known about Charles Webbe ( – c. 1678). English poet and songwriter, he is known to have worked closely together with famed English composer, Henry Purcell, providing the lyrics to some of Purcell’s songs. A good example are the inspired lyrics of the English folk song, Cease, O my sad soul from “New Ayres and Dialogues.”

Against Indifference is a perfect example of Webbe’s poetry – striking, sentimental, decisive and to some extent deeply melancholic. The precise date when the poem was written is unknown, however, it is believed that it became widely popular during the late 17th and early 18th century, during a time of high prosperity and recognition for English poets of Webbe’s caliber.

The poem is composed from two stanzas, each counting six lines and featuring a Shakespearean iambic pentameter rhyme scheme known as the Venus and Adonis stanza (ABABCC). The somewhat dramatic tone of the poem seems appropriately associated to this rhyme, and Webbe uses it to draw attention to the strong, contrasting emotions he wishes to express through the poem.

The tone of Against Indifference is as faithful to its title as possible. The poet attempts to convey how much more alive and preferable a strong sense of love or disdain is, as opposed to lukewarmness and indifference. Readers are swept away by Webbe’s intensity and energy, and the poem is definitely an appropriate choice for this day and age, when indifference and ignorance often seem to take precedence over emotional expression.
[amz_corss_sell asin=”1776665627″]