24 The Poetry of Mary Robinsonmultiplicity of allusions, characters, texts, contexts, intertexts, and
modes. Robinson’s use of this avatar is arresting and complicated,
for at first she plays on the character’s role in Shakespeare’s comedy
as an agent of erotic deception: Two years later, in a twist presum-
ably on the dispute between Oberon and Titania over the changeling
boy, Robinson employs the avatar for a series of poems on maternal
themes. The initial poem, Il Ferito’s “Subjection,” appeared in the
Oracle on 29 May 1790, inspiring a response from the “Queen of
the Fairies,” which Bell printed on 2 June. The papers for these days,
however, are not known to exist. Robinson’s poem “To the Queen
of the Fairies” appeared the very next day, 3 June; this day’s paper
fortunately has been preserved. Another poem “To Il Ferito,” signed
by “Philo- Poesis” (“Poetry- lover”), appeared the same day in the
same column and identifies Il Ferito as Della Crusca—not as Robert
Merry. This poem appears with a footnote quoting Il Ferito’s origi-
nal poem: “I’ll quit for e’er this fatal Shore.” One avatar is used to
identify another. Robinson does the same thing when she includes
the poem in her 1791 Poems, providing a footnote for “Il Ferito” that
reads simply “Della Crusca.” Aside from the title, Philo- Poesis’s poem
drops all pretense and directly addresses Della Crusca. Robinson’s
Oberon avatar debuts in this context. Although we do not have the
poem to which she responds, the reprinting of her poem in the 1791
volume provides as an epigraph a ten- line excerpt from “Queen of
the Fairies to Il Ferito,” which indicates that the poem is essentially
a request from Mab/Titania that Oberon magically intervene on Il
Ferito’s behalf. Robinson’s poem is his response—“Sweet Mab—at
thy command I f lew” (1: 75; 1). The poem is unabashedly sexual,
as Robinson’s Oberon describes finding Maria asleep, with suitably
white breast and blushing cheek; he enhances her already erotic dream
of Il Ferito with specific characteristics:The blissful moment swift I caught,
And to the Maiden’s slumb’ring thought
Pictur’d the graces of his mind,
His Taste, his Eloquence refin’d;
His polish’d Manners sweetly mild,
His soft poetic warblings wild:
His warm empassion’d Verse, that fills
The Soul with Love’s ecstatic thrills.
I mark’d the blush upon her cheek
Her spotless bosom’s language speak;
I mark’d the tear of pity roll,
Sweet emblem of her feeling Soul.9780230100251_03_ch01.indd 249780230100251_03_ch01.indd 24 12/31/2010 4:20:09 PM12/31/2010 4:20:09 PM
10.1057/9780230118034 - The Poetry of Mary Robinson, Daniel RobinsonCopyright material from www.palgraveconnect.com - licensed to Universitetsbiblioteket iTr
omso - PalgraveConnect - 2011-04-13