Shahenda Fathalla Ramadan 9C 6/12/2008

Exploring the persona’s attitude to money and pleasure in Spectator Ab Extra

Exploring the persona’s attitude to money and pleasure in

Spectator Ab Extra

Hillarie Belloc said, “I am tired of love, I am still tried of rhythm, but money
gives me pleasure all the time.” This quote is well known and agrees with the
persona of “Spectator Ab Extra”‘s point of view. Unlike all the majority of poem
“caged bird”, “songs to the men of England” and “Carpet weavers” were written
from those who experienced injustice and poverty, whilst “Spectator Ab Extra”
came from a rich perspective. Through out the following essay, I will highlight
techniques and explore in depth the reflection of money on the persona.

The first factor to entrap attraction in this poem is the interior monologue.
Being written from one point of view – the persona’s point of view- the poem is
defined as being highly subjective. Therefore the poem is lacking facts as it displays
the persona’s thought and opinions only. Although through the poem we travel to
know about people surrounding the persona. We still can’t base it on any evidence
as it is the persona’s opinion about them.

The opening stage of the poem indicates a luxurious main setting. “As I sat at
the café”, Hugh Clough makes it clear to the reader from the first line in the first
stanza, that the poem is from a rich perspective. From the setting, we can analyse
the persona by having both; money to spend and time to relax and enjoy.

The persona thinks negatively about the people around him that they are
scorning at the expensive meals he is eating and drinking, “They may sneer as they
like about eating and drinking”. Using “as they like” indicates a careless reaction of
the persona to them as he believes that they are he seems happy observing them
jealous of him. T the use of the pronoun “they”, the persona is trying to tell that he
is different from them Hugh Clough uses the verb “sneer” instead of scorn, to show
a powerful image of how the people treat him with contempt. In the third stanza, the
poet re-showed a negligent reaction towards the other people, “they may talk as
they

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Shahenda Fathalla Ramadan 9C 6/12/2008
Exploring the persona’s attitude to money and pleasure in Spectator Ab Extra

please about what they call pelf”. Using the pronoun “they”, the persona is trying to
tell that he is different from them. The word “pelf” demonstrates the persona
believes that people think that his money is“dirty money”. Due to the persona
having money and his strong believe in a very-fine lifestyle, he is showing a un-
minded treatment to the other lower people.

“Pleasant it is to have money”, this phrase is repeated for several times in the
poem. This powerfully states the persona’s main belief of life which is to own lots
of money and being rich. The repetition of this phrase shows that the persona is
trying to post this idea into the reader’s head. Bringing the words “pleasure” and
“money” together, the persona is trying to state that pleasure can only exists when
the though of money is running in your head. The persona then moves to a new
point of pleasure which is about eating and drinking. “Pleasure of thought surpass
eating and drinking”, the persona disagrees with the people and strongly believe
that there is no other pleasure than eating and drinking. Money blinded it owner to
other respective pleasures of life and turned all his believes into the pleasure of
enjoying life with money.

Through out the poem we arrive to be more familiar with the personality of
the persona. The title of the poem comes from the Latin language which means “the
watcher from the outside”. The phrase “en grand seigneur”, is a French phrase
which means in the manner of a gentleman. The technique of using words from
varies languages displays that the persona is highly educated and intellectual. The
persona is arrogant and likes to show-off as he uses the pronoun “they” to talk about
other people and chooses the setting to be at a luxurious café. The pronouns “I” has
been mentioned in the poem for over six times which shows that he is self-centered.
Using a sarcastic tone in the poem plays a part of his characteristic. By saying
“when I have done, throw a crust to the poor” shows that the persona is a selfish
person who puts himself in the first place then thinks of other people. Using the
verb “throw” instead of “giving” displays an impolite treatment from the persona to
the other people – like throwing a waste of flesh to a street dog. Mentioning “I said
to myself”, shows that the persona preferred to be isolated and solitary.

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Shahenda Fathalla Ramadan 9C 6/12/2008
Exploring the persona’s attitude to money and pleasure in Spectator Ab Extra

Arrogant, self-centered, isolated, careless, sarcastic, self valuing, materialistic,

solitary, snobby and paranoid are all un-preferred characteristics of the persona
which were brought by money. I believe that the person shouldn’t let money change
him/her into the worse. Having money doesn’t mean that we should think only of
“one’s self”, instead we should turn more to others and provide them with a taste of
what we have. I strongly disagree with persona about the pleasure of life because
fraternity and altruistic are much more important than the pleasure of having
money. Therefore, I advice the persona to think more positively and revise the
pleasures of life.

In conclusion, all the above mentioned about the personality of the persona, his
attitude to others and his meaning of life, are influenced by having money and being
super rich. As if he lost all his money and privileges, he will come to look at life
throw another lower corner with a more respective meaning.

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