Current modernity has shaped itself into a digital cluster of sweltering echo chambers and increasing anxieties surrounding climate change, politics, and even relationships. Everywhere you turn there seems to be just more bad news—one more headline of injustice that seems impossible to change, one more TikTok that overanalyzes your interpersonal relationships. It can get overwhelming. In an increasingly chaotic world, we can turn to “old” literature to help ground us. It may seem more logical to look to contemporary art to seek catharsis, but there is a surprising wealth of comfort to be found in prose and poetics considered to be “antiquated.” Poetry is particularly adept at accomplishing this because of its compact, easily digestible form and the vivid imagery that often accompanies it. Poems from the Early Modern, Restoration, and Romantic time periods are fantastic examples. These eras do not in any way encapsulate all the intersections of human experience. Although these are early time periods that can be intimidating or “boring” to some people, upon deeper inspection, they hold a lot of lovely moments of universal human experience. People have always been people. We have always been concerned that it is the end of times, that society is irredeemable. And yet, we carry on. We continue to enjoy a beautiful sunset and good sex. We get our hearts broken, yearn for revolution, enjoy a good dick joke. The little things that make us human—even the fear, the hopelessness—are all reflected in art from centuries ago. It is easy to become jaded in the modern sphere inundated with constant digital news and discourse, but engaging with literature from a time before ourselves connects us with a greater sense of our own humanity. 

Although these are early time periods that can be intimidating or “boring” to some people, upon deeper inspection, they hold a lot of lovely moments of universal human experience.

Honing in on a particular human experience, many of us have an innate instinct to turn to humor to cope with and make sense of society. One way that this has manifested for hundreds of years is political satire, which remains a huge part of popular culture today, as especially seen during the tumultuous 2024 election cycle. The desire to laugh in the face of a chaotic political landscape is not new, and connects us to the tradition of satiric literature during the Restoration period in England. John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (often simply referred to as Rochester), was known for his sharp tongue and sexually lewd content, which, in hindsight, lends an incredibly contemporary feel to his work. One of his more well-known poems, “On King Charles,” is a poem explicitly about the idiocy and sexual promiscuity of King Charles II. Searing lines such as “And love he loves, for he loves fucking much” (9), “His scepter and prick are of a length; / And she that plays with one may sway the other” (11-12), and “Poor prince, thy prick, like thy buffoons at court / It governs thee, because it makes thee sport” (16-17), reveal that throughout the centuries, people have been frustrated with their leaders, dealing with bloated governments that felt removed from the common people and focused on self-gain. They also reveal that people will resort to penis jokes in times of crisis. Seriously. There is something so incredibly human about a 17th century writer being so fed up with a king’s weak government that he spends an entire poem discussing the king’s penis in iambic pentameter. If you feel trapped in your frustration towards the ruling class, or just need a good laugh, you can always peer through the space-time continuum and find Rochester snidely writing, “Tis sure the sauciest prick that e’er did swive, / The proudest, peremptoriest prick alive” (18-19).

Sometimes satire is not quite what you need, and earnestness is better appreciated when weariness for the status quo starts to manifest itself in fear for the future. When society feels doomed, it is always helpful to remember that there have been countless other points in history when those living through it felt that the world was certain to go up in flames. For example, the Romantic period in literature, spanning from the late 18th century to mid 19th century, was fueled by concerns over industrialization, continuous wars, and a growing class disparity. Europe was rapidly changing, and the masses were paying the price. This is reflected in many of the poems written during this time, where a real worry for society and a desperate desire for revolution—whether political, cultural, or spiritual—shines through. Reading these works can help put life in perspective for modern readers, reminding us that we are not alone in our concerns and that humanity has continuously endured and changed.

When society feels doomed, it is always helpful to remember that there have been countless other points in history when those living through it felt that the world was certain to go up in flames.

Let’s take Anna Barbauld’s poem “Eighteen Hundred and Eleven” as an example. Barbauld focuses on the follies of the British empire, with lines such as, “The worm is in thy core, thy glories pass away” (314), reflecting a kind of disappointment in society that continues to hit deeply. While almost certain that Britain will collapse because of its sins, Barbauld manages to express a quiet hope that the better aspects of British society will live on in a new world. She condemns war and corruption, but finds virtue in Britain’s artistic and scientific achievements, stating, “arts that make it life to live are thine” (78). This type of complexity in emotion is relatable to those of us who look at our current society and find it difficult to be patriotic, yet still appreciate aspects of our culture and feel that a better future is possible. The fact that the poem itself outlasts the particularities Barbauld writes about shows that her hopes were fulfilled. This serves to pull us out of the all-encompassing nature of our own issues. We are not the first to be disappointed in society, or feel mixed emotions towards our home, or want change; it is important to reckon with these feelings, and to hold on to the fact that change is possible and has happened before.

More introspectively, when faced with a transforming world, Wordsworth discusses a desire to return to the simplicity of childhood in his poem “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Childhood.” When he writes, “The things which I have seen I can see no more” (9), Wordsworth touches on a universal experience of growing up—that loss of childhood magic and the burden of knowledge. He continues to search for that lost simplicity though, with a vigor that inspires us to find the beauty in our own lives. John Keats writes of looking for an escape from melancholic depression in “Ode to a Nightingale,” a common feeling for those facing mental illness or loss. His final question of “Do I wake or sleep?” (80) can function as a comfort for those grappling with the same darkness. Within the vastness of human experience, these poets capture emotions and hopes from a tumultuous time that holds mirrors up to our own, reminding us that this is all just a part of being, well, human.

Within the vastness of human experience, these poets capture emotions and hopes from a tumultuous time that holds mirrors up to our own, reminding us that this is all just a part of being, well, human.

Another one of the experiences that is quintessential to our experience as humans is that of our interpersonal relationships, particularly falling in love. Early Modern poet John Donne manages to capture the extremely intimate moments and emotions that come with love in exquisite, often metaphysical detail. One poem of his that achieves this is “The Sun Rising,” a poem that describes waking up with your lover and wishing you did not have to get out of bed. Donne’s imagery evokes both a specificity and a universality. Lines such as, “Busy old fool, unruly sun / Why dost thou thus, / Through windows, and through curtains call on us” (1-3), place you within the particular physical world of the poem yet describe common experiences that you yourself may have likely had, even hundreds of years later. “This bed thy center is, these walls, thy sphere” (30), is another line that achieves this, exalting a common bedroom with the likes of celestial bodies. By taking such an inconspicuous moment between lovers and giving it poetic weight, Donne reminds us to appreciate everyday occurrences, and also reminds us that we are not alone in the intensity of our feelings for those we care about. “The Flea” is about desire so intense that Donne wishes a flea would bite both him and the object of his affection in order to mix their blood together—“It sucked me first, and now sucks thee, / And in this flea our two bloods mingled be” (2-3).  If you are ever feeling “delusional” about a crush, remember that Donne did it first. One of his most famous lines is the beginning of “The Canonization”: “For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love” (1). This beautiful declaration of willingness to give yourself despite what others say is a stark contrast from the pathologizing and “nonchalance” that colors the modern dating world. It serves as a reminder that it is okay to let yourself love, for when you do, you enter a long tradition of lovers that spans centuries of humanity. This is where the true beauty of Donne’s 17th century poetry lies. His words assure us that it is just a natural part of life to love and to romanticize; that it always has been and always will be. By being from a time before us, Donne’s work harnesses the power to pull us out of our own digital voids and connect us back to what makes us human—our shared experiences, our personal connections.

…Donne reminds us to appreciate everyday occurrences, and also reminds us that we are not alone in the intensity of our feelings for those we care about.

It is poetry like Donne’s—and Rochester’s, Barbauld’s, Wordsworth’s, and Keats’—that while often ignored outside of literature classes, has proven itself to be uniquely positioned to help us make sense of our place in the modern world. Next time you find yourself feeling hopeless, or jaded, or exhausted, try something different, and read. Read to learn that all you feel has been felt before, that all the turmoil and beauty is part of your humanity. If you’re willing to read something “old,” there are centuries of understanding open to you.