Pathos in Lamb’s Essays
Introduction
In his essays Lamb shows himself as an egoist and he uses the literary form as a means of self-revelation. The power of visualizing memories is the chief feature of Lamb. We find a vein humour running through his essays. His essays give us a wonderful mixture of humour and pathos. These two qualities are very artistically interwoven. His laughter stands on the bring of tears. His life was a life of frustrations and his home life was full of weariness and gloomy.
Pathos In Lamb’s Essays
In his essay ‘Dream Children’ he gives expression to his unfulfilled longings and desires. He loved Ann Simmons but couldn’t marry her. Thus he strikes a very pathetic notes towards the end of his essay, when he puts the following words into the mouth of his imaginary children–
“We are not of Alice, nor of thee, nor are we children at all. The children of Alice call Bartrum father. We are nothing; less than nothing, and dreams. We are only what might have been, and must wait upon the tedious shores of Lethe millions of ages before we have existence, and a name.”
Alice is here no other than Ann Simmons, a girl, Lamb wanted to marry but failed to marry her.
In ‘Poor Relations’ after describing humorously the behaviour of a male and female poor relation, he gives us a few pathetic examples of poor relation who had to suffer on account of poverty.
In ‘New Year’s Eve’ he says that every Christian has two birthdays, one which he or she actually born, the other the new year’s day. He loves the past, his children, his boyhood, youth, glad as well as the sad episodes.
In his ‘The Superannuated Man’ he represents his pathos. While describing his life of retirement Lamb says—-“….from a poor man, poor in time.” This is really a humorous account of the free time of a retired person.
Conclusion
So we find that Lamb is the prince of English essayists and he ranks very high as an essayist. He is the supreme essayist because the true art of essays was born with him. Some critics rightly remarks that Lamb remains ‘more nearly unique’ not only among his contemporaries but in all English Prose literature.
