The Virtual Coffeehouse

I will be honest and say I had a bit of trouble following this poem and getting interested in it. After reading all of the previous posts and looking back at specific quotes and parts of the poem I understand what everyone is trying to say. I like and agree about what Theresa says about the differences between the poem and Great Expectations in that the language in Dicken's novel is more personal and human.

I agree with all of the posts that have been made so far. I find it a lot more believable when you read a piece of literature that is written from the voice of the main character. It is easier to develope a better connection with the character through thoughts, emotions, and the developement of the character throughout the story like we got to see in great expectations from Pip. I was much more pleased with the connection to the story i got from the book versus the poeml. When a poem such as the one we read for today you lose that connection and it doesn't insert you into the text as much as if the story came from the main character. There is definitely this sense of difference in language like Theresa pointed out which makes the book and the poem very different in means of understanding.

I agree with what has been said above, and I was particularly looking at what Theresa said and I agree that the type of language is one of the main factors seperating Fra Lippo Lippi and Great Expectations. I believe when I was reading about Browning that the Fra lippo lippi was a monologue, which makes it more fantastical, elaborate and dramatic in language, where as in Great Expectations I feel as if there is a very realistic image, realistic fiction with fact, that paints the mood and tone of the novel.

Everyone has pretty much covered all the bases. Personally I did not like "Fra Lippo Lippi" because I did not understand half of it.

From what I did gather, the Narrators had similiar histories, such as being orphans but the narrator from "Fra Lippo Lippi" doesnt seem to grow as nearly as much as Pip through the story.

I could be totally wrong, this is from what I could gather by putting the few pieces I understood together.

What a shock, I have no earth-shattering revelations to share about the topic. But! someone said that it was sort of a cop out for an autobiography to come from the voice of a created character, but maybe the voice is the author with a costume on so to speak. Like someone who writes their diary and locks it and hides the key, maybe they just have something they need to say and it doesn't matter if who realizes the truth of what they say. or maybe its just too late at night to make any sense.

I don’t have much to add other than I also felt the major difference between “Fra Lippo Lippi” and Great Expectations is the language used by the respective narrators to relate to the audience. Pip directly addresses the audience frequently throughout Great Expectations, though it is usually for the sake of explaining his emotions or the thought process behind one of his actions. In “Fra Lippo Lippi,” however, the narrator speaks to the audience not only for the sake of explanation. The Monk’s life is related in a more conversational manner, inviting a level of discourse I felt was not really attained by the first-person narrative of Great Expectations. Pip’s conversation seemed more penitent or even lecture-like, whereas the third-person narration of “Fra Lippo Lippi” gave it an air of discussion, simultaneously presenting the Monk’s life factually and leaving room for interpretation.

Well, as many have mentioned, the narration of Great Expectations differs from the narration in “Fra Lippo Lippi”. Even though both writings can be considered autobiographical, these varying narrations give the reader a different experience.

A quote from Amanda:

“The narration … allows the reader to feel as though you are right there alongside Pip … In Browning's poem, like Sarah stated, the narrator is a fictional character from the fifteenth century, so it is a lot less believable...”

I completely agree, because of this difference, Pip’s story is more likeable and interesting while the poem makes the reader feel more distant in a way. Because of the vastly different identities of each protagonist, there is a different way in which the reader identifies with the character. Reiterating what others have already said, Pip is easy to follow, and so is the language of the novel, but the poem was not easy to follow and Browning’s language and direction with his poem seem to be in a different realm of comparison.

so i agree with alot that has been said so far. i agree with danielle in saying that pip's story was more likable however as someone else pointed out (i forget who, i think Theresa?) the stories are written differently. The novel is written in a form that is easier which is more appealing. I felt that the novel was a more obvious autobiographical piece than the poem.