Charlotte Smiths On Being Cautioned against Walking on...

Charlotte Smiths On Being Cautioned against Walking on an Headland Overlooking the Sea, Because it was Frequented by a Lunatic â€Å"On Being Cautioned against Walking on an Headland Overlooking the Sea, Because it was Frequented by a Lunatic,† Charlotte Smith’s sonnet, comments on the poet’s feelings toward this lunatic and the thought process he instigates in her mind. By using different syntax to describe her two characters, Smith draws the attention of the reader to the message in the sonnet instead of the scene on the surface. The structure of the English sonnet also lends to the poem’s power, giving Smith a perfect avenue to deliver her message. The poem begins by describing the lunatic as a man with very animal tendencies,†¦show more content†¦Although traditionally being insane is a desired state, she cannot help but feel envy for his unadulterated and peaceful mind. His innocence and ignorance of his surrounding world is caused by his lunacy, but Smith ascertains that a greater unity with nature should be more important than the business of consciousness and self-awareness. A deeper level is achieved in the mind of the narrator when she acknowledges her own mental state and that she is eager to leave her sad mood. While the man is described as animal-like and savage, she stands â€Å"In moody sadness, on the giddy brink† (9) full of contemplation and reflection on her own worldview. The poet is quite self-aware while the lunatic is not, and through her intelligent banter, the reader can see the extreme difference in personality. The poet’s own self-conception, however, is ironic in that she is wishing for ignorance that can only be achieved by lack of a self-concept. The catch-22 she experiences is perplexing, both to her and the reader. Finally, the structure of this sonnet brings the reader’s attention to what the point really is. Instead of making the narrator, full of desire for self-improvement, the hero of the sonnet, the final couplet corrals the reader’s attention back to the personality of the lunatic, who is the true focus of the poem.