Journey as Metaphor in The House of Fame

Abstract

<p>This thesis deals with the structure and meaning of The House of Fame. The poem is a simple one with meaning embodied through a series of repeated images and devices. The narrator is presented with the possibility of growth and understanding based upon the model set by the journey of Aeneas as presented early in the poem. The narrator's inability to grasp the meanings, implicit and explicit, indicate that his "journey" is a complete failure. The poem attempts to teach its readers that life itself is a "journey" from this world to the next and that one must strive to emulate the "journey" of Aeneas and not of the narrator "Geffrey".</p>