Linguistics & Terence, This is Stupid Stuff

2009B Poem: “Terence, This is Stupid Stuff”
Prompt: The following poem makes use of the story of Mithridates VI, King of Pontus, who developed an immunity to poison. Read the poem carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze how Housman employs literary devices in adapting the story to address concerns of the late Victorian period.

Score: 5 

"Terence, This is Stupid Stuff" by A.E. Houseman employs the historical allusion to Mithridates VI in order to address issues within the Victorian period such as the issue of the Victorian period's age of disillusionment in regards to both religion and government and the reactionary nature of people's alcoholic hedonism.

The speaker of the poem opens with a phrasing that is meant to satirically disregard the poetry of Terence -- poetry that is implied to be both sad and inwardly reasoning, a "moping melancholy mad" (13). This line is then followed by a plea from the speaker to "pipe a tune to dance to, lad." (14), meaning that the speaker would rather hear something that isn't as woebegone as Terence's poem. This is a reference to much of Victorian period literature, which focuses on bitter endings, and fractious or melancholic characters, thus adding a layer of disdainful sarcasm to these pieces, even if "Terence, This is Stupid Stuff" proceeds to take on a darker subject matter by introducing the section of the Victorian time period that took on hedonism as a proper method of rebellion against the norm of the time.

By implying that alcohol allows one to forget how bad the world may be, A.E. Houseman makes usage of a particular irony. The speaker implies that the works of Milton don't allow people to understand the world around them half as much as liquor can, as shown by the line "And malt does more thank Milton can," (21.) but goes on to state that a person should "look into the pewter pot, to see the world as the world's not." (25-26). This is a contradiction, a paradox, as he says that one should look to alcohol for answers but should also look to it in order to muddle your mind with a blissful ignorance.

However, the purpose of this alcohol discussion is related to the allusion of Mithridates VI -- and comes around back to the discussion and satire of Victorian period poetry. By placing the story of Mithridates VI last, we are meant to take in the true purpose of the poem, besides all its lauding of alcohol and how it allows people to see the truth.

By adding the line, "Them it was their poison hurt," (74.), an assertion is made about the "stupid stuff" [ the depressing nature of Terence's prose ]; that what is poisoning the Victorian period is not the overindulgence of those responding to miserable times, but rather the way that people try to wallow in it -- in despair, by the discussing and writing of it. The speaker would rather see people strive for happiness, and accepts fully that the world "has still, much good, but much less good than ill." (43-44), but believes that making oneself happy with alcohol is better than trying to remain in a state of constant, raked-up misery.

The people who are poisoning themselves, he believes, are those who would try to poison others -- whether literally, as in the case of Mithridates VI, or metaphorically, as in the case of the Victorian era of literature.

Hedonism, and decadence, then, is the proper way to react to hardships and realities of the world, as put forth by the speaker in "Terence, This is Stupid Stuff". Although disillusioning and ignorant, A.E. Houseman uses a myriad of devices such as satire, allusion, paradoxes and irony in order to tie in the collective thoughts and worries of the Victorian period with the historical tale of Mithridates VI.