Analysis: “From Mrs. Wilmot to her Sister Caroline Morris”: A Poem of Encouragement, by Emily Elsasser
Analysis: “From Mrs. Wilmot to her Sister Caroline Morris”: A Poem of
Encouragement
by Emily Elsasser
Sarah Elizabeth Wilmot’s poem “From Mrs. Wilmot to her Sister Caroline Morris During a Fit of Illness January 1768” is an occasional poem, written to cheer her unwell sister. By recollecting a time when the speaker and her children were ill and Caroline was there to comfort her, Wilmot endeavours to in turn offer comfort to her sister now that their roles are reversed. Within the poem, Wilmot contrasts classical and religious allusions to represent the dichotomy of sickness and health, using capitalization to emphasize this pattern.
In the opening stanza of the poem, Wilmot immediately draws the reader to focus on the dangers of disease. Personifying “dire Disease” as a female who “hath with her iron hand/Over my loved Children held her Ebon Wand,” Wilmot aligns classical allusions with her children’s past illness (lines 11-12). “Disease” and her “Ebon Wand” are capitalized, beginning a pattern that Wilmot follows throughout the poem. Though it is not clear if Wilmot intended merely to personify disease or to allude to a classical or folk figure, the capitalized words in the succeeding passage offer evidence that she deliberately chose classical references to emphasize the danger of her past illness. Her past “Melancholly” is compared to “Hebon j[uice],” likely referring to the poisonous Hebenon plant of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and she describes her fever as having sent her to “roam in Regions of Chimeras dire” (lines 19-20; 22). Alluding to Shakespearian poison and mythical Greek monsters not only highlights the danger that Wilmot has overcome, but also allows her the opportunity to contrast this danger with her desire for Caroline’s health.
Throughout the poem, Caroline’s role as “a ray of Hope” to Wilmot is inextricably tied to religious language and Christian Biblical allusion (line 31). Caroline is shown to be “a radiant lamp thro’ dismal Scenes of black” when Wilmot is ill, a reference to Psalm 119:105 from the Christian Bible, which states “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (King James Version). This allusion situates Caroline as a Christ-like figure for Wilmot during her illness. This would have been an encouraging parallel for her sister during her illness because, though the figure of Christ endures sufferings, he also overcomes them.[1] Wilmot also continues her pattern of capitalization within this final stanza. However, differing from the chaotic classical images of Chimeras, poison, and disease, Wilmot describes her sister as a “Panacea,” or a soothing relief to her illness, highlighting the godly characteristics of “Love,” her “gen’rous Soul,” and her “Spirit” that brings “Peace and Felicity” (lines 16, 39, 43, 46, 48). These descriptions emphasize an intentional shift from classical to religious allusion, and place the focus of the poem not on the negative topic of disease, but instead on health.
The significance of this shift lies in the occasion of the poem. Wilmot does not wish to terrify her sister with how dangerous disease can be by reminding Caroline of her own past illness, but rather wishes to encourage her sister to persevere through her current illness. By contrasting classical and religious allusions to represent sickness and health, and drawing parallels between Caroline’s character and that of Christ, Wilmot creates an uplifting tone within her poem.
[1]Since Christianity was the dominant religion during Wilmot’s lifetime, she would have been familiar with these texts and teachings.