"An Ode [Rule, Britannia]"
By
James Thomson and Thomas Arne
Correction, editorial commentary, and markup by Students and Staff of Marymount University, Tonya Howe
mainAccording to
the OED (main, n.5a), the "main" is the open sea--the azure or blue sea, in this
case. - [TH]charterA charter
is a founding document, but more specifically, a document from a sovereign source
"granting privileges to, or recognizing the rights of,...certain classes" or
groups of people (OED, n.1a). What entity grants these rights in the poem? - [TH]britannia
Source: Spridone, 'The East Offering Its Riches to Britannia' (1778)Britannia is a figurative, allegorical representation of Britain as a female
warrior carrying a trident and a sheild, often accompanied by a lion. The trident
is the weapon of Neptune, the ancient Roman god of the sea, and in the 19th
century, she became a vivid symbol of empire. We might keep in mind the role that
white femininity might play in "civilizing" others. In the 1778 painting shown
here, we see an unhelmeted Britannia accepting offerings from "the East" (The East Offering its Richest to Britannia, via Wikipedia). - [TH]oakThe native English oak tree (quercus robur) has long been a symbol of strength and justice ("Oak Symbolism in the Light of Genomics"). - [TH]
Source: Spridone, 'The East Offering Its Riches to Britannia' (1778)Britannia is a figurative, allegorical representation of Britain as a female
warrior carrying a trident and a sheild, often accompanied by a lion. The trident
is the weapon of Neptune, the ancient Roman god of the sea, and in the 19th
century, she became a vivid symbol of empire. We might keep in mind the role that
white femininity might play in "civilizing" others. In the 1778 painting shown
here, we see an unhelmeted Britannia accepting offerings from "the East" (The East Offering its Richest to Britannia, via Wikipedia). - [TH]oakThe native English oak tree (quercus robur) has long been a symbol of strength and justice ("Oak Symbolism in the Light of Genomics"). - [TH][TP for Alfred: A Masque]
![Page [TP for Alfred: A Masque]](https://anthologyassetsdev.lib.virginia.edu/thomson-rule/pageImages/TP.png)
Page [TP for Alfred: A Masque]Footnotes
main_According to
the OED (main, n.5a), the "main" is the open sea--the azure or blue sea, in this
case.
charter_A charter
is a founding document, but more specifically, a document from a sovereign source
"granting privileges to, or recognizing the rights of,...certain classes" or
groups of people (OED, n.1a). What entity grants these rights in the poem?
britannia_Source: Spridone, 'The East Offering Its Riches to Britannia' (1778)Britannia is a figurative, allegorical representation of Britain as a female
warrior carrying a trident and a sheild, often accompanied by a lion. The trident
is the weapon of Neptune, the ancient Roman god of the sea, and in the 19th
century, she became a vivid symbol of empire. We might keep in mind the role that
white femininity might play in "civilizing" others. In the 1778 painting shown
here, we see an unhelmeted Britannia accepting offerings from "the East" (The East Offering its Richest to Britannia, via Wikipedia).
Source: Spridone, 'The East Offering Its Riches to Britannia' (1778)Britannia is a figurative, allegorical representation of Britain as a female
warrior carrying a trident and a sheild, often accompanied by a lion. The trident
is the weapon of Neptune, the ancient Roman god of the sea, and in the 19th
century, she became a vivid symbol of empire. We might keep in mind the role that
white femininity might play in "civilizing" others. In the 1778 painting shown
here, we see an unhelmeted Britannia accepting offerings from "the East" (The East Offering its Richest to Britannia, via Wikipedia).oak_The native English oak tree (quercus robur) has long been a symbol of strength and justice ("Oak Symbolism in the Light of Genomics").