Well, I say!
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22 March 1834
Well, I say! Upon perusal of a set of poems by the esteemed Mina Loy, I find myself absolutely shocked. When they mentioned that this young lady was progressive, I thought she would just have supported reform! This shocking woman mentioned female unmentionables and advocated for the . Her demands were absolutely outrageous. I cannot believe this manuscript was published or that gentlemen read this jargon. I blush at the thought of a woman being exposed to such smut. It is an embarrassment to literature to have such nonsense allowed to be so widely circulated. If this was the story the Mariner told me, he would have warned against the extremism displayed here.
29 March
Gracious. When I began this venture, I hoped the Wasteland would offer a humorous turn on the aristocracy or a hopeful end with a moral about the importance of Empire. I was sorely mistaken. I shudder at the thought that this ghastly image is what my England will become. But, tis only a nightmare. For King and Country, I say, and Nature, too! This Wasteland cannot occur; the holy Empire will not allow it. Though the elegant usage of Greek mythology was a nice touch, it was a means to a dastardly end of the Sybil. The Greek references were utilized to demonstrate how my own society failed and burst into flames. What in the world is the point in reading a poem if you feel awful at the end? There was barely any solace. At least there was a glimmer of hope in renewal. I could work with that. I just cannot fathom art that makes one depressed. Art is supposed to uplift, to inspire, to incite passion for one’s homeland! And living in the greatest nation on this earth should inspire pride and patriotism! . . . not this description of destruction and death.
5 April
More women thinking and more problems seem to ensue. I cannot help but wonder if the connection exists because the natural order is being tampered with. The Mariner was right in that the universe fights back when humans attempt to change things. Why couldn’t they just leave voting alone? Since they got the vote, they have all been clamoring for more. It puts such a strain on not only them, but the men who are trying to keep their world moving. This March character seems so conflicted between her duty and some uncertain emotional qualm. If this were in MY time, there would be no question! She would be happy to submit, just as nature intended. I cannot see why this should be such an issue. Why change what has worked for all of history? Why cause all of this pain? Miss Banford would still be alive and well if it had not been for March’s selfish actions. I myself respect women, but I daresay they should not have the opportunity to cause such havoc. They have their place, and it is tragedies like this that happen when they disregard their purpose. Imagine if no one volunteered to explore the New Frontier? Where would England be then? What if no men volunteered to fight when the time came for war? For heaven’s sakes, there would be no England! No Empire! This is exactly what the Mariner warned. . . this blatant disregard for the universe is exactly what he entrusted me to protect! And I will protect it.
12 April
What in the world did I just try to read. I do not even pretend to understand the meaning of this text. How long was this man daydreaming about his breakfast? And why a kidney? This whole passage was utterly grotesque. I care not to think about why this work was written. There is no rhyme or reason, no closure. I have no words but that I hope this work never comes near the weak nerves of a woman. This sounds as if the Mariner fell asleep whilst explaining his story to me. It frightens me to ponder the state of the mind behind this work. He must be absolutely mad.
19 April
Well, this woman appears to at least hide her feminist struggles much better than that hussy, Loy. This is much more palatable for my taste. At least Clarissa did her duty as a wife and mother. That woman feels extraordinarily strongly. I hope she attempts to fix her relationship with her husband though. She seems not to submit as much as I first anticipated. I do feel for this Septimus fellow, though. I pity the man and respect his efforts for King and Country, but for the life of me do not understand this mental breakdown of his. War changes, I suppose. But England does not. England needs him to settle down and produce heirs, and so does his wife. It appears that even though they both try that neither of them successfully fulfill their duties to one another and to Country. How disappointing. I can’t help but feel that this will have a disappointing end for Septimus and Rezia.
26 April
Where the other works were graphic, this poor book tore my heart. I sympathize with Septimus, as he gave his life for King and Country. That is the greatest fate a man could achieve. Tis a pity the others couldn’t see the greatness in his soul. He saw so much. I believe in truth and justice. All good Romantics do. I believe that if you search long enough for the truth that one can find it. But in the works I was forced to read? No. They have no truth. If truth exists for them, it is hidden. It seems like everyone is searching for this meaning, like we all do, but with these books and poems, no one ever finds the truth. If they experience an awakening, they die. OH! It seems as if death is the only release for these poor souls. Even the Sybil in the Wasteland begged for death, but in that poor jar of dust’s case, it was understandable.