disease
schizophrenia
a long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental fragmentation.
STAVE THREE.
Samantha Cook
Like rock or stone, it is o’ergrown 13With lichens to the very top, 14And hung with heavy tufts of moss, 15 A melancholy crop: 16Up from the earth these mosses creep, 17And this poor thorn! they clasp it round 18So close, you’d say that they were bent 19With plain and manifest intent, 20To drag it to the ground; 21And all had join’d in one endeavour 22To bury this poor thorn for ever
Martha Ray
There is a true story about a woman named Martha Ray. She lived from 1742-1779 before she was murdered by a man she was thought to be romantically involved with. She had been in a relationship with John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich despite his marriage to a woman suffering mental illness. They had been involved for several years and had 5 children before he introduced her to solider, Ray Hackman. Due to rumors of financial debt, Ray got involved with Hackman who had more stability and means to support her. He ended up becoming obsessed with her and murdered her. It is said that he committed the murder because she had been romantically involved with another man, but those rumors have not been confirmed.
Ironically, the story told in the thorn is about a mistress and rumor after rumor that no one has real validation on.
You see a little muddy pond 31Of water, never dry; 32 I’ve measured it from side to side: 33’Tis three feet long, and two feet wide
This is the size of an infant grave. Can we assume that maybe the child that the woman may or may not have had and may or may not have killed could possibly be buried there if it does so exist? Hmm.. or is just a spot on the earth that collects alot of water and is always muddy because the earth drains down into it from the hill. You can not make an assumption because no one really knows. Where did these rumors even start? Was it a credible source? I don't even know this woman and I am wondering if she did or did not have and kill and child.
espy
"to catch sight of"
This adds to the mystery of the story by giving the imagery that you "caught sight" of something . . . as if it was not apparent. It's like when you think you see something moving out of the corner of your eye, but you are not completely sure. It would take more investigation, but what if something was there, do i=you even want to find it?
vermillion
"a brilliant red pigment made from mercury sulfide" -Google Definition
The story refers to this deep, brilliant, red color that makes me think of blood. The woman in this story is being accused of killing her baby, murder. The use of the word "vermillion" makes it seem dark and morbid.
Perhaps my future home, from whence the soul
Barbauld is suggesting that after-death she will have the opprotunity to be free from her body, earth, and heaven. Seeking the mysteries of outerspace to one day be the home of her traveling soul. This isn't the typical afterlife that we ever hear or think of. We can tie this in on how she herself sees the world. Everything ties into a bigger picture. Life after death is a continuation of her soul, the next part of her life.