Context
The The factors surrounding a text that help us to understand it; the background events that help to explain something. in which a poem was written can sometimes tell you more about its themes, message and meaning.
Some questions you might ask include:
- are aspects of the poet's life reflected in the poem?
- is the time or place in which it was written reflected in the poem?
You will need to research the poet鈥檚 background to discover answers to these questions. But if you do write about a poem and its context, be careful to include only details that reveal something about the poem.
Context of 'Envy'
Mary Lamb was born in 1764 and died in 1847. She and her brother Charles Lamb wrote collections of stories and poems together, often for children, including Tales from Shakespeare and Poems for Children.
Mary suffered from mental illness - perhaps what we would now call bipolar disorder. She was cared for by her family, but was institutionalised at different points during her life. She killed her own mother during a period of mental instability in 1796.
The history of nursery rhymes goes back hundreds of years but in the 19th century, rhymes for children were very popular. These included books written specifically for children. Many nursery rhymes contain messages and lessons hidden in simple stories and straightforward rhymes.