Critical analysis of form structure language and context of Godiva published 1842

Godiva (or Godgifu) (fl. 1040-1080) was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry,  in order to gain a remission of the oppressive toll imposed by her husband on his tenants.  In the Victorian period, the women’s movement looked to Godiva as an inspiration for disempowered women.  She was/is seen as a woman who breaks out of the stereotype that women belong in the private, domestic domain.  The poem is written in blank verse. 

The critic Daniel Donoghue describes Leofric’s identity as “defined by a crass materialism which makes Godiva as much a possession of his as the diamond in his ear” (87).

Activities:

• Identify specific contrasts made between Lady Godiva and the earl.  Note how Godiva’s initial powerlessness and the Earl’s superiority are presented.
• Note how Godiva breaks the stereotypical contrasts by becoming active and leaving the domestic sphere.
• Find examples for how Tennyson shows that Godiva’s action is intrinsically good?  e.g. she is compared to light, the retribution is wrought against the Peeping Tom.
• Consider why the poet has used of internal focus (description as if from the point of view of the character) for the walls and gables.

Her hair.  An important feature because:

• “But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for acovering” (I Cor. 11.15).
• Godiva’s hair is a sign of femininity.
• It is also a symbol of status, evidence of “wealth and leisure” (Synnott 384).
• In medieval Europe, married women only wore their hair down in the privacy of their homes when they were with their husbands (Donaghue 30).   Godiva is bringing the privacy of her nakedness and her loosed hair into the public realm.
• Godiva’s hair is also a symbol of her eroticism. In the legend her hair is not a sufficient covering as it leaves her legs exposed. Tennyson’s poem says, “And shower’d the rippled ringlets to her knee” (line 47).  Seeing an ankle was erotic enough for the Victorians!
• Godiva being on horseback also adds to the eroticism.  Godiva’s eroticism is another source of her power.

Gender reading perspectives

• Lady Godiva takes control:  ‘she took the tax away” (line 78).  Godiva takes it away, not Earl Leofric.
• Her nakedness encourages prurient interest

—oOo—

You are free:

• to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work
• to Remix — to adapt the work

Under the following conditions:

• Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified, as above, by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
• Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

With the understanding that:

• Waiver — Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.
• Public Domain — Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
• Other Rights — In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:
  • Your fair dealing or fair use rights, or other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations;
  • The author’s moral rights;
  • Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.
• Notice — For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to this web page.