Walt Whitman was not only a great poet; he was an extraordinary man. He spent his life putting others before himself. He sent money to his widowed mother every week. He nursed soldiers from the Civil War and spent the little money he had to buy needed supplies for them. In 1848, he moved to New Orleans and saw slavery firsthand. He hated it. The theme of democracy and equality are in many of his poems. “A Southerner soon as a Northerner, a planter nonchalant and hospitable down by the Oconee I live.” (984) The entire sixteenth section of Song of Myself is about how everyone is equal, not matter where you live.
My biggest challenge with Song of Myself was deciding who the narrator was. My husband personally thinks Whitman made God the narrator. “I pass death with the dying and birth with the new-washed babe, and am not contained between my hat and boots,” (983) I don’t think I agree. I think Whitman is using himself as the narrator, but he is explaining how his spirit (or soul) is flowing in and out of everything. He thinks he is everywhere, almost like God, but not quite. (I’m not saying he thinks he’s God, I just meant his spirit flows.)
The most interesting section of Song of Myself is in section thirty-two, line eighteen. “A gigantic beauty of a stallion, fresh and responsive to my caresses,” (986) After reading this, my husband informed me that Whitman was a homosexual. I personally think that Whitman is referring to a man in this section. “His well-built limbs tremble with pleasure as we race around and return.” (986) I could be completely wrong, but it would add a little spice if I was right.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Fredrick Douglass
Perpetua Onyekwelu
Fredrick Douglass
Fredrick Douglass was an American slave.
A powerful black man, that was not sure of his own age. His father was an unnamed
white man. His mother, Harriet Bailey was also a slave. When Fredrick was born,
he was separated from his mother. He was raised by an old woman “too old for
field labor” (pg923). The old woman raised him with other children that are not
old enough to work in the farm. His mother Harriet work hard in the farm plantation
field, and few times, at her peril, she ventured in to the night to visit her
son. “She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep, but long before I waked
she was gone” (pg923). Fredrick Douglass life as a slave deprived him to be
around his siblings. It caused him constant hunger, sleeping on the ground, and
bare foot, dressed in one cloth sometimes necked. He didn’t know about family affection
as a child.
A powerful black man, that was not sure of his own age. His father was an unnamed
white man. His mother, Harriet Bailey was also a slave. When Fredrick was born,
he was separated from his mother. He was raised by an old woman “too old for
field labor” (pg923). The old woman raised him with other children that are not
old enough to work in the farm. His mother Harriet work hard in the farm plantation
field, and few times, at her peril, she ventured in to the night to visit her
son. “She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep, but long before I waked
she was gone” (pg923). Fredrick Douglass life as a slave deprived him to be
around his siblings. It caused him constant hunger, sleeping on the ground, and
bare foot, dressed in one cloth sometimes necked. He didn’t know about family affection
as a child.
When Fredrick was around the age of
seven, he was sent to Hugh and Sophia Auld’s home in Baltimore. He was very
happy to go to the city. “Going to live in Baltimore laid the foundation, and
opened the gateway to all my subsequent prosperity” (pg936). It was in
Baltimore, under the instruction of Mrs. Auld that young Fredrick first learned
the alphabet. However it did not last long, before Mr. Auld discovered these lessons.
He strictly forbid it in words that left a profound impression on young Fredrick;
that while knowledge and learning of the world around him could bring him great
unhappiness, it could also give him great power over his enslavers who
preferred their chattel to remain ignorant and unthinking.
seven, he was sent to Hugh and Sophia Auld’s home in Baltimore. He was very
happy to go to the city. “Going to live in Baltimore laid the foundation, and
opened the gateway to all my subsequent prosperity” (pg936). It was in
Baltimore, under the instruction of Mrs. Auld that young Fredrick first learned
the alphabet. However it did not last long, before Mr. Auld discovered these lessons.
He strictly forbid it in words that left a profound impression on young Fredrick;
that while knowledge and learning of the world around him could bring him great
unhappiness, it could also give him great power over his enslavers who
preferred their chattel to remain ignorant and unthinking.
Fredrick proceeding from intense and
serious state of mind plan to continue to learn to read and write on sly, aided
by the white children he met on the street and among the shipyards and docks.
At this point he knew that education will set him free and eventually education
certainly set him free.
serious state of mind plan to continue to learn to read and write on sly, aided
by the white children he met on the street and among the shipyards and docks.
At this point he knew that education will set him free and eventually education
certainly set him free.
Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler is certainly an interesting story to say the least. One might say that it is quite an easy read, since there is always something happening. It can also be said that the story is full of drama. There is also some suspense involved. Some of the characters are somewhat mysterious and it is not until the story is over that they are better understood.
The one character that surely catches the reader's attention from the beginning to the end would have to be none other than Hedda. She is a quite complex character and is definitely a "handful" one might say. Hedda is a beautiful charming girl in the story and might look innocent, but this girl is not innocent. She knows what she wants and she finds a way to get it. One might say that Hedda is addicted to power. She loves having power over others, such as here husband, George Tesman. A couple lines in the story that stand out, come during a conversation between Judge Brack and Hedda. Judge Brack says, "For one thing you've got the home you always wanted." and Hedda replies, "You really believe that story." (Ibsen 1486). It would be easy to say after hearing this that Hedda is quite a sneaky person. She clearly did not have the home that she had always wanted. She had talked her poor husband into buying it though, so now they shared it together. When Judge Brack asked, "And you didn't really care in the least about the house?" Hedda replied to Brack, "God knows I didn't." She had only brought up the house in conversation so they would have something to talk about. One might say Hedda has a lot of nerve and is a bit too cocky conducting herself as she does. Hedda also gets bored very easily which makes one wonder how loyal she is too her husband. It seems as though the poor guy does not have a chance. This might lead one to feel bad for Tesman, since he seems to be such a good guy and his wife, well just seems to manipulate him to get what she wants.
The one character that surely catches the reader's attention from the beginning to the end would have to be none other than Hedda. She is a quite complex character and is definitely a "handful" one might say. Hedda is a beautiful charming girl in the story and might look innocent, but this girl is not innocent. She knows what she wants and she finds a way to get it. One might say that Hedda is addicted to power. She loves having power over others, such as here husband, George Tesman. A couple lines in the story that stand out, come during a conversation between Judge Brack and Hedda. Judge Brack says, "For one thing you've got the home you always wanted." and Hedda replies, "You really believe that story." (Ibsen 1486). It would be easy to say after hearing this that Hedda is quite a sneaky person. She clearly did not have the home that she had always wanted. She had talked her poor husband into buying it though, so now they shared it together. When Judge Brack asked, "And you didn't really care in the least about the house?" Hedda replied to Brack, "God knows I didn't." She had only brought up the house in conversation so they would have something to talk about. One might say Hedda has a lot of nerve and is a bit too cocky conducting herself as she does. Hedda also gets bored very easily which makes one wonder how loyal she is too her husband. It seems as though the poor guy does not have a chance. This might lead one to feel bad for Tesman, since he seems to be such a good guy and his wife, well just seems to manipulate him to get what she wants.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Dickinson - Jade Youngblood
I have never been a fan of poetry. I don't understand it well. Instead of saying,
“After great pain, a formal feeling comes –
The nerves sit ceremonies, like Tombs –” (1053)
why can't she say, “A broken heart is not fun, and it takes time to heal,”? Anyway, since I have no idea what Dickinson was trying to say in her poems, I would like to give a short biography of her life.
Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts. She went to boarding school, but returned after a year because she was too homesick to stay. This pattern continued throughout her life – she never left home and rarely had visitors. She did, however, correspond with many poets, writers, and scholars in her lifetime. A few of her influences included: William Wordsworth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. As Dickinson aged, her seclusion became worse. She considered her dog Carlo her closest friend. (She named him after the dog in Jane Eyre.) Carlo died after sixteen years together. She even got to the point where she would only talk to visitors through a closed door. In her seclusion, she wrote most of her works during the mid 1860s. She also started to only wear white. Dickinson was surrounded by death – her mother, father, brother, and favorite nephew all died within her life. After a long battle of kidney disease, Dickinson died at the age of fifty-five on May 15, 1886.
“This is the hour of Lead –
Remembered, if outlived,
As Freezing persons. Recollect the Snow –
First – Chill – then Stupor – then the letting go –” (1053)
“After great pain, a formal feeling comes –
The nerves sit ceremonies, like Tombs –” (1053)
why can't she say, “A broken heart is not fun, and it takes time to heal,”? Anyway, since I have no idea what Dickinson was trying to say in her poems, I would like to give a short biography of her life.
Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts. She went to boarding school, but returned after a year because she was too homesick to stay. This pattern continued throughout her life – she never left home and rarely had visitors. She did, however, correspond with many poets, writers, and scholars in her lifetime. A few of her influences included: William Wordsworth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. As Dickinson aged, her seclusion became worse. She considered her dog Carlo her closest friend. (She named him after the dog in Jane Eyre.) Carlo died after sixteen years together. She even got to the point where she would only talk to visitors through a closed door. In her seclusion, she wrote most of her works during the mid 1860s. She also started to only wear white. Dickinson was surrounded by death – her mother, father, brother, and favorite nephew all died within her life. After a long battle of kidney disease, Dickinson died at the age of fifty-five on May 15, 1886.
“This is the hour of Lead –
Remembered, if outlived,
As Freezing persons. Recollect the Snow –
First – Chill – then Stupor – then the letting go –” (1053)
Friday, April 8, 2011
Hedda Gabler Quiz
Hey, Everyone, I left town without a copy of the quiz to load into Blackboard. I'll get it up when I get back to LR. I'll extend the due date a day or so. CKB
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Frankenstein
Frankenstein
In Mary Shelley Frankenstein, I kept
thinking if the creature is good or bad. In my opinion I will think that the
creature is good. The creature smiled benevolently at Victor through his bed
curtains (Shelley 35). He suffers from his abandonment. He learns the hard way
that fire burns and that he is ugly. He is tormented and targeted because of
his displeasing appearance. However his senility showed when he became filled
with nature, and cried at some of depressing stories from the De lacy’s family.
His tender and caring heart showed when he looked over the family, gathered
fire wood for them, and cleared snow from the path for them during the winter
month. “My thoughts now became more active, and I longed to discover the
motives and feelings of these lovely creatures” (Shelley 77). He had educated
himself through this time, and he was trying to get the courage to show himself
to the family that he loved. All of the creature’s action throughout the time watching
over De lacy’s shows his pure heart and good intensions.
thinking if the creature is good or bad. In my opinion I will think that the
creature is good. The creature smiled benevolently at Victor through his bed
curtains (Shelley 35). He suffers from his abandonment. He learns the hard way
that fire burns and that he is ugly. He is tormented and targeted because of
his displeasing appearance. However his senility showed when he became filled
with nature, and cried at some of depressing stories from the De lacy’s family.
His tender and caring heart showed when he looked over the family, gathered
fire wood for them, and cleared snow from the path for them during the winter
month. “My thoughts now became more active, and I longed to discover the
motives and feelings of these lovely creatures” (Shelley 77). He had educated
himself through this time, and he was trying to get the courage to show himself
to the family that he loved. All of the creature’s action throughout the time watching
over De lacy’s shows his pure heart and good intensions.
When the creature finally gets the nerves to
confront the De lacy. He was hoping to be accepted by the old man and
eventually by his family. He is violently rejected by the old man’s family. Even
while Felix is beating the creature to save his blind father, the creature does
not strike him back. That will make one think that the creature have some good sense
in him. He never kills anyone out of spite until he discovers the nature of his
creation and how Victor just left him. His anger toward Victor is justified. He
does not mean to kill William. The creature was outraged by the rejection, and
he caused his creator Victor Frankenstein for putting him on earth to endure
such misery. The creature says, “Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live?”
(Shelley 91). The rejection was the final straw for him to hold back his rage.
He decided that he hated his creator so much, and he would revenge his physical
and emotional wound by destroying Victor’s life.
confront the De lacy. He was hoping to be accepted by the old man and
eventually by his family. He is violently rejected by the old man’s family. Even
while Felix is beating the creature to save his blind father, the creature does
not strike him back. That will make one think that the creature have some good sense
in him. He never kills anyone out of spite until he discovers the nature of his
creation and how Victor just left him. His anger toward Victor is justified. He
does not mean to kill William. The creature was outraged by the rejection, and
he caused his creator Victor Frankenstein for putting him on earth to endure
such misery. The creature says, “Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live?”
(Shelley 91). The rejection was the final straw for him to hold back his rage.
He decided that he hated his creator so much, and he would revenge his physical
and emotional wound by destroying Victor’s life.
In Mary Shelley, one can realize that
people can make someone do what they don’t have intention of doing by just the
way they behave around them. This is the creature who thinks, feels, suffers,
desires, and reasons. Unfortunately, he is unfairly judged by his appearance
without giving him a chance to express himself.
people can make someone do what they don’t have intention of doing by just the
way they behave around them. This is the creature who thinks, feels, suffers,
desires, and reasons. Unfortunately, he is unfairly judged by his appearance
without giving him a chance to express himself.
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