Felicia Hemans

Although Felicia Hemans portrays women in traditional roles, she was by no means traditional. As an educated woman who published many acclaimed works, she was very different from the housewives she portrayed in The Homes of England. The biography of her in the textbook mentions that she shared a publisher with Lord Byron, who referred to her as “your feminine He-Man” or “Mrs. Hewoman’s” (404). Lord Byron’s attitude toward accomplished women was probably more common in that era, as the women’s rights movements was still several decades away. Hemans seems to undermine that perception of women, if not always outright.

In The Homes of England, Hemans presents the image of a family around their hearth at night (line 10, 412). However, she does not just concentrate on the wealthy family gathered around their ornate fireplace. This notion of equality of all is perhaps a throwback to the first generation Romantics. Hemans is like fellow Romantics Wordsworth and Blake in her inclusion of different social classes. She writes about both the “stately” homes (line 1, 412) and the “cottage” homes (line 25, 412). She sees both extremes as representing England; neither is more important than the other. She exclaims, “The free, fair Homes of England! / Long, Long in hut and hall” (lines 33-34, 412). Her inclusion of both “hut and hall” shows again that England is not cut of one cloth; England has a diversity that cannot be ignored and yet in that diversity there is equality.

Even though Felicia Hemans depicts women in traditional roles in The Homes of England, there is an undercurrent of feminism. The women in the poem are homemakers, doing traditional women’s tasks. They are the creators of “household love” (line 11, 412). Yet no matter the family’s social or financial standing, the mother is a very active figure. In one household, “woman’s voice flows forth in song” (line 11, 412). It is assumed that the woman is teaching music to her children or otherwise entertaining the family. Women are also storytellers of “childhood’s tale” (line 12, 412). In addition, they nourish the education of the child by encouraging reading (line 16, 412). The mention of “church-bells’ chime” (line 21, 412) shows that women would be involved in the child’s religious education as well. The home is “where first the child’s glad spirit loves/Its country and its God!” (lines 39-40, 412). Given all of Hemans’ examples of women’s work, it seems the mother plays a key part in shaping the child. There is a saying that “the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” Despite the women’s apparently more traditionally and more submissive rules, they actually wield a good deal of influence. Note that these homes of which each “hallowed wall” (line 36, 412) should be guarded are the domains of the mothers. The soldiers who fight for England fight not only for England in its greatness and beauty, but also with the nostalgic memories of their homes and their own mothers.

Hemans' The Homes of England also displays a Romantic appeal to emotion, especially national pride and familial tenderness. The opening quote from Marmion sets up this poem as being about patriotism, “Where’s the coward that would not dare/To fight for such a land?” (412). Throughout the poem, Hemans goes on to extol England’s goodness. She illustrates its majestic beauty with various nature scenes. England is a land of “tall ancestral trees” (line 3), “rejoicing stream[s]” (line 8), “silvery brooks” (line 27), and “glowing orchards” (line 29). To Hemans, England is not only beautiful, but should be and shall be beautiful and adored forever, “And green for ever be the groves, / And bright the flowery sod” (lines 37-38, 412).