Essay Questions

Discuss the references to classical mythology present in this poem. How does it support the author's main argument?

The author begins by invoking, or at least speaking to, the Muses. These were Greek goddesses of literary inspiration. She also makes reference to the "Stygian" gods of death. Later in the piece, she commands the "little gods", specifically the multiple versions of Eros or Cupid, to mourn Wilmot. However she does not specifically name Eros or Cupid. This is important because Behn is transitioning from a classical Greek frame of reference to a classical Roman one. Her main argument is that Rochester ought to be immortalized as a classical god in his own right, and that he would have been elevated to godhood as a writer even greater than Ovid. She builds up the argument by noting that Wilmot was as generous with his inspiration as a god -- almost like a male Muse -- and that he was "bold as a god" when administering criticism or satire in written form. By the last stanza, the reader cannot help but connect the dots and agree that Behn has built up a reasonable argument for hypothetical deification of such a worthy poet.

(Extra points if the student mentions that Ovid was exiled to a remote island by the same Augustus that Behn claims would have deified the frequently-exiled Wilmot, and identifies the irony.)

Why is this poem considered subversive? What traditions does Behn subvert, and to what effect?

Behn subverts the classical invocation of the Muses by inverting the power structure. Instead of propitiating the goddesses for their favor and aid, she commands them to mourn as though she were the one in charge. This is an inversion of the way things normally work: poets are supposed to begin with supplication, not authority. This works, though, because the literary tradition popularized by Wilmot featured a lot of inversion of tradition. The Restoration writers were rebelling against what they considered to be excessive Puritanism restriction and censorship of artistic and literary expression.

Behn reframes some of the key criticisms about Wilmot's life and conduct by presenting him as a "victim" of women and of a preserver of virtue who corrected the faults and vices of young men by writing critically about them. In reality, anyone who reads Wilmot's biography or writings knows that he was a debauched libertine who promoted vice at nearly every possible opportunity. This kind of spin-doctor approach -- forcing a reader to change his or her conclusion by reframing the issue -- is common in political commentary even in modern times.

Finally, by presenting Augustus Caesar as a ruler who would have appreciated all of Wilmot's wisdom, wit, and literary talent and who would have elevated him to the classical equivalent of sainthood by declaring him a god and thereby guaranteeing his immortality, Behn subtly criticizes King Charles II, who frequently banished Rochester from the Court due to Rochester's own violent, drunken, disrespectful, and inappropriate behavior.

Four kinds of hypothetical characters are addressed in this poem: the Muses and the Little Gods (both immortal), and the Youths and the Beauties (both mortal). The Muses and the Beauties are female; the Little Gods and the Youths are male. Compare and contrast Behn's treatment of immortal characters versus mortal ones.

Both the mortal and immortal characters are being bossed around a bit: Behn is ordering them to mourn and to pay homage to Wilmot. Each group of characters is shown something they have lost: their best tool, their most loyal wooer, their reproacher of vice, or the person the Cupids needed to inspire love in the people shot with their arrows. However, whereas the mortal characters are losing something tangible -- the Beauties have lost the greatest beauty and the Youths have lost their leader -- the immortal characters have lost what could have been their equal, if Rochester had only been born in the right time. Likewise, instead of blaming the gods for the unfair and untimely loss of Wilmot, Behn blames the least powerful group of people of all: the female mortals.

By using the name "Strephon" instead of the two-syllable name "Wilmot" which was the surname of her deceased friend, Behn borrows from the pastoral tradition that went all the way back to Spenser's The Faerie Queene. How does her use of the pastoral reference help the poem?

It has always very common for writers to substitute real people's names for nicknames or pseudonyms. It gives a measure of privacy to the individual being referenced while allowing the writer to use a name with a convenient number of syllables and accents that fit easily into the poetic meter. "Strephon", a common name for a pastoral hero, suggests a young, idealistic shepherd who is in good-natured pursuit of the woman he loves. The name has no violent or disreputable connotations, which is helpful because the last thing an elegist needs to do is to cast aspersions on the person he or she is trying to immortalize. One of Behn's goals with this poem was to present Rochester in the best possible way, and to do that she borrowed a name associated with the brightest and most idealistic expression of male love.