Modernism Project

Journal #30

I have not read that many Walt Whitman poems, but if I had to choose my favorite, I think that I would pick O Captain My Captain. I would pick that one just because it is the one that I probably hear the most about and also because I think it is one of the easier ones to understand. The poem is about a ship that comes home from a big voyage. The ship is all weathered and torn, but they managed to return home. When they arrive, everyone is cheering and celebrating, but unfortunately, the Captain had passed away. A man on the ship is talking about the grand homecoming and how all of the people are excited for their arrival. He tells the Captain that he needs to wake up and hear the bells, but of course, the Captain does not answer, because he is dead on the deck.  Basically, this poem is about how even though everyone is very happy because they made it home safely, one of the passengers was mourning for his captain, which had not made it back safe. I liked this one better also because in a lot of Walt Whitman's poems he usually has a hidden meaning or something like that, or sometimes people can interpret poems any way they want, but in this poem, I think the meaning is pretty straight forward for the most part and I am not sure if you could interpret it in any other way really. I also picked it in the first place because it is not super long. I tend to like the shorter poems more than the longer ones because the short ones are normally pretty straight forward and right to the point. The longer ones, in general, are usually a little hard to follow and they sometimes get a little confusing. That is why I picked the poem O Captain, My Captain by the famous poet, Walt Whitman.

"Chanting the Square Deific" - Reflection

  This poem Chanting the Square Deific, is apart of Walt Whitman's famous book, Leaves of Grass. In this poem, Whitman describes God as being a four-sided square. I think that this is an interesting view because I have only been exposed to the three-sided view, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, Whitman adds another aspect to it.

  In the first stanza, it talks about all of the different names that there are for God. In the very beginning God is called "Old Brahm" and "Saturnius" (Whitman).  All of these names are names from different cultures.  Anyway,  I thought that it was interesting how He was described though. I noticed that instead of being described as loving and merciful, which is how many think of Him, He was being described as harsh and unforgiving. " Relentless I forgive no man-whoever sins dies- I will have that man's life; (Whitman). 

  However, in the second stanza it from Christ's point of view. This point of view is extremely different from the previous one. In this stanza He talks about his undying love and His great wisdom. "For I am affection, I am the cheer-bringing God, with hope and all-enclosing charity" (Whitman). This God, or this version of God, is definitely the more well known. This God seems more like the one that we as kids learn about and sing songs about in church (Oliver). 


 Then in the third stanza, it takes kind of a turn and goes on to talk from Satan's point of view. On the square he is on the total opposite side from God. It is kind of like on one side there is extreme goodness and on the other complete evil (Oliver). Unlike the previous two he is the exact opposite. He is crafty and devious. "With a sudra face and worn brow, black, but in the depths of my heart, proud as any (Whitman). Then in the last sentence, it talks about how time will never change him, just like time would never change God. 


 Finally, there is the fourth stanza. In the fourth stanza it is from the Spirits point of view. The spirit is "lighter than light" and "joyous, leaping easily above hell" (Whitman). The Spirit is supposedly in all of life. "Life of the great round world, the sun and stars, and of man, I, the general soul," (Whitman). Whitman also refers to the spirit as the most solid part of the square. 


    Each of these elements are one side of the square that Walt Whitman put together. In the middle of the square, there is self. I think that the square Whitman put together is very interesting. 

Oliver, Charles M. "'Chanting the Square Deific'." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 


Whitman, Walt. "The Walt Whitman Archive." CHANTING THE SQUARE DEIFIC. (Leaves of Grass [1891-1892]) -. The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 02 Apr. 2012.

Journal #29 - Whitman's Self

I understand why it took so long for Walt Whitman to write Leaves of Grass. I think that your transcendental self is who you are, not necessarily what you do. I think it is hard to totally comprehend something like this because I am not sure if everybody knows exactly who they really are. Transcendental self is not defined by the sports or activities you are in, or the jobs you have had. It is truly who you are under the surface. I think that sometimes people see the transcendental self. People like my parents and my siblings definitely see me actually being myself. My friends are also like that, but I know that my transcendental self is not always the version of me that everyone sees. I know at school especially, I do not act the same all the time. For example, I am much more quiet at school than I am at home or when I'm with my friends. I do not really like to volunteer during class to answer questions and stuff like that partly because I just don't want to, but also because sometimes I am afraid of embarrassing myself if I answer wrong. I like the fact that you do not always know people as much as you think you do. If we all acted as our "true" selves all of the time, then you would never have to really take the time to get to know people. I hope that I semi understood what transcendental self means. It is really difficult to blog about this topic because, I myself do not totally understand it. I did like this though because it actually makes you think.  I think that it is impressive also that Walt Whitman was able to write about this kind of stuff because it is very hard to wrap your mind around. Overall, I would rather not think about this stuff though because it is kind of weird.

Emily Dickinson Reflection Blog By Abby&Gabby

Nature, the gentlest mother, is written by the author Emily Dickinson. Emily Dickinson has been known for writing about her love of nature and how even in its simplicity, it is the most beautiful thing that we have ever known. Many authors wrote about their love for nature during this time. For example, Walt Whitman was a big fan, and even before him, Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Henry Thoreau. Her poem starts out like this, “Nature, the gentlest mother, Impatient of no child, The feeblest or the waywardest,- Her admonition mild.” (Dickinson). To Emily Dickinson, Mother Nature was “the gentlest mother” and is also very patient with her children. In the second stanza it then goes on to say that she hears everything; whether it is in the forest or the hill, and that she is always “restraining rampant squirrel or too impetuous bird.” (Dickinson). Finally, in the third stanza, she goes on to say,“How fair her conversation, A summer afternoon, her household, her assembly; and when the sun goes down (Dickinson). I think that this is saying that no matter what time of day it is, or what season, or what year, Mother Nature is always beautiful. Not only is nature beautiful in the day, but even when the sun goes down, she still offers something wonderful, like the stars or the moon. I like how in her poem Emily Dickinson talks about Mother Nature as if she were an actual human. I think that it makes it more interesting for the reader and is very creative. In the fourth stanza, Emily Dickinson says how the voice of Mother Nature encourages the "timid prayer of the minutest cricket, the most unworthy flower" (Dickinson). In this stanza, I think what Emily Dickinson is trying to say is that everything in nature has some sort of purpose, like crickets and flowers. Even though they are not the best part of nature, they still have a purpose. In the fifth stanza, Emily Dickinson talks about how when the children are sleeping, Mother Nature lights the sky with her lamps (Dickinson). I think that when she says lamps she really means stars and the moon because they come out at night when everyone is sleeping. In the final stanza of this poem, Emily Dickinson says "With infinite affection, and infiniter care, her golden finger on her lip, wills silence everywhere" (Dickinson). In this stanza, Emily Dickinson is saying that with a lot of care Mother Nature wills silence at night. I think that this stanza was pretty much self explanatory because I think it means exactly what she is saying. I think that in this stanza Emily Dickinson uses imagery because she says "her golden finger on her lip" which I think is a form of imagery. Overall, this poem was really interesting to read because it was about Mother Nature and how she is the gentlest mother. This poem is really cool because Emily Dickinson refers to Mother Nature as if she is a real person, not just a figure of speech.

Journal #28

The famous Emily Dickinson wrote the poem "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died." This poem is about a fly that interrupts the speaker as they are passing away. The poem starts out like this, "I heard a fly buzz when I died; The stillness round my form Was like the stillness in the air Between the heaves of storm" (Dickinson). I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think that Emily Dickinson was saying that as she was laying there dying, the room and the air became very peaceful and still. Especially, after being very sick and heaving after long periods of time. So far, I feel like this is a very interesting poem because it is different than many other poems. I'm not sure if I like it, but it is sort of unique. Next, she goes on to say, "The eyes beside had wrung them dry, And breaths were gathering sure For that last onset, when the king Be witnessed in his power." (Dickinson). This stanza, for me, was a lot harder to analyze because I think everyone can interpret it differently. The first sentence makes me think of people crying because the speaker is dying so I think that it would make sense. The second line, which I do not completely understand, I think might mean that people, like the speaker's friends and family were coming to gather around her, while she passes away for the "last onset, when the king be witnessed in his power" (Dickinson). At least, that is what I took from this stanza. Then, the third stanza starts like this, "I willed my keepsakes, signed away What portion of me I Could make assignable,-and then There interposed a fly," (Dickinson). Now this is talking about how the speaker had signed his/ her will, and assigned what could be assigned away, and then a fly came along. Finally, With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz, Between the light and me; And then the windows failed, and then I could not see to see. I thought this poem was different, I don't think I loved it, but it was okay. "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died." Web. 27 Mar. 2012. .

Emily Dickinson's Writing Style Reflection

Emily Dickinson was another great author. She was born on December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts. She lived a very privileged life. She graduated from Amherst academy and eventually went on to South Hadley Seminary for nearly a year. Her world revolved around her family and because of her family's status, she would often be entertaining guests and visitors. she was also extremely knowledgeable, especially when it came to the Bible, the writings of Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, and also George Eliot (McChesney). The strange thing was that about in her early twenties, Emily Dickinson started to shy away from the outside world and community. she mostly stayed in her house and hardly ever socialized anymore except for with a few close friends (McChesney). However, looking back now, that is what makes her unique. she searched inside herself and sort of analyzed her feelings and lifestyle and often, that is expressed in her poetry (McChesney). It is very obvious in the way she writes that she was probably a little different than most people. for example, she wrote a this letter when she was fifteen years old and here is what it said, " "How swiftly summer has fled & what report has it borne to heaven of misspent time & wasted hours? The ceaseless flight of the seasons is to me a very solemn thought, & yet Why do we not strive to make a better improvement of them?" (Dickinson). At this age, most girls are interested in clothes and hair, but Emily Dickinson was already showing the early signs of becoming the great and memorable author that she is (McChesney). She has several different techniques that she uses when she writes. Like many of the authors during this time, she also loved nature. However, instead of talking about a landscape or a blue sky, or the woods, she would break it down in to a simple blade of grass or a single raindrop or insect. " The Bee is not afraid of me./I know the Butterfly./The pretty people in the Woods/Receive me cordially—." (Dickinson). Emily Dickinson was also different in the fact that she did not like to do the normal things that women were supposed to do back then. She would often bake desserts, but she did not like to cook very much. In a letter she wrote, "Father and Austin still clamor for food, and I, like a martyr am feeding them. Wouldn't you love to see me in these bonds of great despair?" (Dickinson). So, not only was she different in her writing style and personality, but she did not conform to society as women were supposed to do. That was about the time when she started to close herself in her room. I really enjoy reading her poetry knowing that she was different than a lot of authors in her writing style, but also in her personality and perspectives. It is a shame that she maybe didn't get out more and live "a normal life." However, if she hadn't lived this way or had not become that person then we may have not had all of her beautiful and mysterious poetry that we have today.




McChesney, Sandra. "A View from the Window: The Poetry of Emily Dickinson." In Harold Bloom, ed. Emily Dickinson, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2002. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BCED03&SingleRecord=True (accessed March 20, 2012).

Walt Whitman's Writing Style Reflection

Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in Long Island, New York. He is considered to be one of the most important transcendentalist writers of his time. Like we have talked about before, Walt Whitman took a great deal from both Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Henry Thoreau. The poems that I have read of his seem very nice. I am not a great poet or anything like that, but from my perspective I thought that his writing style was very wise sometimes. Sometimes he tends to take a more political turn in his writings, but when he talks about nature especially it reminds me of Emerson and Thoreau and after all of the research we have done on them, I have come to like their styles, at least to a certain extent. This was also a from of Romanticism writing, but like I said, he often wrote about other things as well. "Keep your splendid, silent sun; Keep your woods, O Nature, and the quiet places by the woods; Keep your fields of clover and timothy, and your corn-fields and orchards;Keep the blossoming buckwheat fields, where the Ninth-month bees hum;" (Whitman). Even if I do not agree or really understand with whatever Whitman is saying, I still think his poems are very insightful and well written. Whitman created a whole new style of writing. It was new for this time period and became very popular(Connors). The subject matter was also a lot bolder (Connors). Like Emerson and Thoreau, I think he ended up leaving behind his own legacy.
However, believe it or not, there were some people that did not like Walt Whitman's writing style at all. For example, Henry James an American author, did not like Walt Whitman at all, at least not the way he wrote things. In fact, he ends up calling Whitman's Drum Taps as "an offense against art" (James). He rejected Whitman's style and eclecticism as mere novelty rather than artistic innovation. "Our author's novelty, however, is not in his words, but in the form of his writing. As we have said, it begins for all the world like verse and turns out to be arrant prose." I think here Mr. James is saying that the reason he never cared for Whitman much was because nothing was special about his words. The only thing that was different about him was his writing style. But because everyone liked his style, they would often agree with his views or admire him. I am not sure if I agree with Henry James, but I can kind of see where he is coming from. All I know is that Walt Whitman must have had an affect on people. There are many people that enjoyed his new and different writing style and are still, to this day, trying to reach that same level of creativity as he had done, but then there were others, like Henry James who criticized it and did not enjoy it at all. I personally enjoy his style of writing for the most part.







Connors, Judith. "Whitman, Walt." In Bloom, Harold, ed. Walt Whitman, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2002. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BCWWh02&SingleRecord=True (accessed March 20, 2012).


James, Henry. "Mr. Walt Whitman." The Nation, November 16, 1865: 626. Quoted as "Mr. Walt Whitman" in Bloom, Harold, ed. Walt Whitman, Classic Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCVWaW079&SingleRecord=True (accessed March 20, 2012).


"130. Give Me the Splendid, Silent Sun. Whitman, Walt. 1900. Leaves of Grass." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. .

Blog #18 - Walt Whitman

The poem that I chose is "O' Captain, My Captain!" by Walt Whitman. Walt Whitman was born on May 31, in 1819 in Long Island, New York. Walt Whitman wanted to reflect American society and allow readers to realize themselves and the nature of the American experience (Bio.). The poem that I chose to read is basically about a man on a ship, so maybe he is part of the crew or something. He talks about how he is coming home from a long and hard voyage. The people waiting for them at the port are very happy to see them, but he is in mourning because even though he is happy to be returning, his captain is dead. "My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;" (Whitman). This is when he is talking about being happy about how the voyage turned out and being very sad because of his captain being gone.
This relates to Emerson and Thoreau because both of them have experienced hard times in their life and have dealt with death. For example, when Emerson first got married, his wife was diagnosed with tuberculosis. She passed away just a year or two after they were wed. He talks about how he was heart broken and devastated (Vetter). He also talks about how he was sad because they would no longer be together, at least not in this world. I feel bad for Emerson and also the man on the ship. I liked this poem very much because it was simple and short, but you could interpret it in many ways. That is how I think this poem relates to Emerson. Doing all of these blogs on Emerson and Thoreau was actually very interesting. I have learned a great deal about their philosophies and what they stood for.


"O Captain! My Captain!, by Walt Whitman." Poetry Archive. Web. 09 Mar. 2012.

"Walt Whitman Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 09 Mar. 2012.

"Marriage | Emerson - Living Legacy." Harvard Square Library. Web. 09 Mar. 2012.

Blog #17 - Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts. One of the things that made Emily Dickinson very different was that she was not very social. She had a few very close relationships with people, but other than that she rarely left the house. But she wrote poetry all the time. The poem that I chose to read by Emily Dickinson was the poem "Nature, is what we see." I chose this poem because I thought it would be more of a challenge to write about just because it is a very simple, yet thought provoking poem. Basically, Emily Dickinson talks about nature and how it is so nice in its simplicity. However, she also says that even though it is simple, it is too wonderful for us to even describe it. At least, that's what I took from this poem. "Nature is what we know—Yet have no art to say— So impotent Our Wisdom is To her Simplicity" (Dickinson). That quote was when she was talking about nature's beautiful simplicity.
I think that this poem definitely relates to both Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Henry Thoreau. Both of those guys really liked nature and talked about it a lot. They both had many philosophies on nature. For example, Emerson strongly believed that things in nature offered simplicity, happiness and a sense of respect. He also states, "If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown!" (Emerson). Now, Thoreau also has many philosophies on nature as well. Thoreau quotes on more than one occasion, "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!" (Thoreau). So, all three of them (Dickinson, Emerson, and Thoreau) all believed in the wonderful design that nature is, yet it is its simplicity that makes it wonderful. I liked this poem and all of their views on nature. Even though all of them are very alike in their views, it is weird to think how different they probably were.



"Emily Dickinson." PoemHunter.com. Web. 08 Mar. 2012.


"Update and Debate on World Religious Issues, Politics, Sociology and Cultural Mediation." World Religion Watch. Web. 08 Mar. 2012.

"Thoreau Quotes." Psymon. Web. 08 Mar. 2012.

Blog #16 - To Build a Fire

In the story "To Build a Fire," there is a man who is walking in the Alaskan wilderness. The man had been told to never go out into the wilderness by himself, especially if the weather was so cold. But the man did not listen and he makes the trek anyway. After awhile, the man starts to get very cold and he realizes that he may be in danger. So he decides to stop and make a fire next to this tree. He makes the fire and starts to take off his boots to warm his feet, when all of a sudden, snow falls from the tree and puts out the fire. Unable to get warm, the man actually considers killing his dog so that he can stick his hands in the warm body, but he does not have enough strength to do so, so the dog is let loose. In the end, the man is not able to go on and dies in the cold all by himself.
I think that this story relates to Emerson and Thoreau because it has a lot to do with naturalism. Emerson's philosophy was that if you went against nature, it would work against you instead of helping you. Both Emerson and Thoreau respected nature a lot and were strong believers in it. The man fought against nature by going out on that journey despite of the weather. By doing this it showed that he did not respect nature very much and in the end it ended up killing him. I really liked this story just because I feel like stuff like this happens in real life. People hike alone or do not think about all of the dangerous things that can happen to them if they are not prepared for anything. Other than that it was kind of depressing because he died in the end and all alone in the vast Alaskan wilderness, when he could have lived if only he would have listened.


"To Build a Fire Summary." Study Guides & Essay Editing. Web. 07 Mar. 2012.

"Famous Emerson Quotes - Philosophy Paradise." Philosophy Paradise. Web. 07 Mar. 2012.

Blog#14 - The Darling

"The Darling" is a short story written by Anton Chekov. In the story, the main character and protagonist, Olga, tends to fall in love, in some way or another, with anyone she meets. First, she loved her father and was attached to him, then she married a man that owned a theater, and they fell in love. After he died, only three months later she married a shop keeper. The weird thing was that the shop keeper was married and had a family and Olga wanted him and his family to move in with her, which is just an awkward situation. Anyway, in the end he dies too. So finally, Olga becomes attached to his son and comes to love him. But the son does not love her in return, in fact he is kind of embarrassed to be with her (Chevok).
The story is weird because I think Olga was the kind of person that felt like she always had to be loved or be kind of the center of attention. She sounds very clingy and annoying. I also feel sorry for her though because she was never really able to be independent in any way, or form her own opinions, like a other people do. Now, both Emerson and Thoreau valued love, but I think that they valued love in a very different way that Olga did. I think that Emerson and Thoreau valued actual relationships. Olga just kind of jumped back and forth to people that she met just because she felt that she needed them. For example, Emerson worked as a nurse for awhile during the war. He helped many injured men and dedicated his time to doing that, not to mention he probably saw some scary things. This shows a bigger kind of love. A different kind of love than what Olga felt. Olga made me mad throughout the whole story, but ultimately it made me feel bad for her. It is unfortunate that she was never able to see what was happening.


"The Darling." Enotes.com. Enotes.com. Web. 13 Mar. 2012.

Blog #15 - Richard Cory

This story is about a man named Richard Cory. Basically, this blog is about how the townspeople always think that Richard Cory is a perfect guy and nothing is ever wrong in his life. For example, the story states, "And he was rich—yes, richer than a king, And admirably schooled in every grace: 10 In fine, we thought that he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place" (Edwin Arlington Robinson). The whole time the people admired him and wished that they could be as rich and as elegant as him. But little did everyone know that Richard Cory was not as happy and content as everyone thought that he was. "So on we worked, and waited for the light, And went without the meat, and cursed the bread; And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, 15 Went home and put a bullet through his head" (Robinson). In the end Richard Cory committed suicide, which is very sad. Even though he had everything, (at least everything materialistic) something was missing in his life, obviously something very important. I found this quote that is from David Henry Thoreau and I think that it may relate to this story a little. Thoreau says, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. ...." (Thoreau). I think that this very much describes Richard Cory because he was very quiet. He looked perfect on the outside, but on the inside he was desperate. It is sad to think that more people than we realize live this way, at least according to Thoreau. I thought that this story was very sad, but it just goes to show that you never know what is really going on in people's lives. Also, I did like how even though this story was pretty short, it got across a very strong message. So, overall I did not mind this story, and I think that it relates to Thoreau pretty well.


"45. Richard Corey. Edwin Arlington Robinson. Modern American Poetry." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 05 Mar. 2012.

"Henry David Thoreau." - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss. Web. 05 Mar. 2012.

Blog #13 - I Will Fight No More Forever

I absolutely loved this speech. It was short and simple, but meaningful still. This speech is by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, which were located in Northwest Oregon. The story behind the speech is that the Nez Perce tribe were originally supposed to move to a reservation, but they did not like that and did not want to go. So instead, Chief Joseph tried to lead his tribe of people to Canada so that they would not have to live on the reservations. They made it all the way past Montana and Idaho, but were trapped only about forty miles away from Canada. The tribe fought for about five days, but in the end, they were beaten. This was when Chief Joseph made his speech. In his speech he says that he does not like fighting and he does not want to do it anymore. He also states, " The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led the young men is dead." (Joseph) Because all of the older men are dead, all of the younger ones have to make the decisions now and take that responsibility. It was a great loss, so he continues and finishes by saying, "Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever." (Joseph). I think that this relates to Emerson and Thoreau because well, I do not know how they felt about the Indians, but I know that they both did not like slavery, and I feel that this is borderline. They did not like the violence that came from slavery, so in my opinion, I do not think that they would like the violence and loss of life that came from this either (Emerson).


"Famous Emerson Quotes - Philosophy Paradise." Philosophy Paradise. Web. 01 Mar. 2012

"Chief Joseph." Welcome to Georgia State University. Web. 01 Mar. 2012.

Blog #12 - Spoon River Anthology

Spoon River Anthology is not just one narrative or one poem, but in fact a collection of poems. The poems are about people that live in a small Midwestern town. It is really interesting because sometimes, their stories or how they are feeling overlap with each other. So you might hear a persons name in one poem, and then three poems later you might be reading a poem that also includes that person or it is in fact them who wrote it. I love books like that, so I thought that was really interesting and creative. Anyway, I read the poem called "The Hill." This one is about how everyone has their own way of passing away or dying. I think that it was a pretty depressing poem, but it is only one poem out of the whole book. Anyway, it is about death. For example, the poem says, "Where are Ella, Kate, Mag, Lizzie and Edith,The tender heart, the simple soul, the loud, the proud, The happy one?-All, all, are sleeping on the hill. One died in shameful child-birth,One of a thwarted love,
One at the hands of a brute in a brothel,One of a broken pride, in the search for heart’s desire,One after life in far-away London and Paris Was brought to her little space by Ella and Kate and Mag-All, all, are sleeping, sleeping, sleeping on the hill." (Masters).
I think that this can maybe relate to Emerson or Thoreau a little bit. I think it might relate because I feel like in this poem, the author talks about death so carelessly, but I think that Thoreau was a little more thoughtful when it came to stuff like that. I also know that when Emerson's wife had passed away, he was crushed. I think that like Thoreau, he was also a little more thoughtful when it came to death. He did not consider her to be "just sleeping on a hill", he was very sad. That is how I think it may relate.


"Spoon River Anthology." Umasd.schoolwires.com/.../lib/.../Masters_(Spoon_River).doc. Web. 1 Mar. 2012.

"Marriage | Emerson - Living Legacy." Harvard Square Library. Web. 01 Mar. 2012.

Blog #11 - The Celebrated Jumping Frogs...

In the story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," there is the narrator, of course, and a man named Simon Wheeler. The narrator was looking for another person so he decided to ask Simon Wheeler some questions. However, the story takes a weird turn I think because Simon starts talking about things that totally does not answer the man's questions, but rather has absolutely nothing to do with anything. I think that this might relate to Emerson because of his philosophy on discipline. Discipline can be defined as "a capacity to make one's actions dependent on some key principles"(Leude). This might be kind of far fetched, but I think that this may relate to Emerson because Emerson very much so believed in discipline and it sounds like Simon Wheeler really did not have any discipline at all. When asked a question, he totally got off topic and did not answer the original question. For lack of better words, I do not think that Simon Wheeler had very much common sense. This can now also relate to Emerson because he believed something like common sense often comes from nature. I am not sure how nature relates to the story necessarily, but I do know that that is what Emerson believed and I think if Emerson had ever known Simon Wheeler, they would have definitely not been friends because Emerson seems very intelligent and thoughtful and Simon Wheeler does not sound like the brightest. I did not like this story really at all. I mean I guess it has a good point to it, but really I thought it was pretty boring and I think it could have been interpreted in several different ways. I think that we have read many other stories that are way better. But anyway, that is how I think Emerson relates.


"Update and Debate on World Religious Issues, Politics, Sociology and Cultural Mediation." World Religion Watch. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." 301 Moved Permanently. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

Blog #10 - "The Red Badge of Courage"

This story can relate to both Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Henry Thoreau for several reasons. First of all, this story is about a young soldier named Henry. The whole time Henry and the other soldiers are walking to where they are going to fight, Henry is very worried and scared. He was scared that when the time for battle came, he would not be able to be courageous, but instead he would want to flee. The problem was, that Henry really wanted a "red badge of courage" like many of the other soldiers that he was fighting with. Anyway, sure enough when the time came for battle, he fled. He was running away and as he was running, he stumbled upon a "tattered" man (Crane). To make a long story short, he leaves the man there to die. The next day he feels really bad about leaving and feels especially bad about leaving the man there all alone to die. He goes out to battle that day and fights like he has never fought before. He ends up being very brave and fighting like a good soldier, and he finally feels courageous.

This relates to Thoreau I think more than Emerson. I think that this relates to Thoreau because, for starters, Henry fled from the battle originally. He was scared. Now, I don't know if Thoreau was scared, but Thoreau did separate himself from society. It just kind of reminded me of Henry fleeing into the woods and stuff. Also, Thoreau and the Union have similar views I think. Both Emerson and Thoreau are against slavery and very much for freedom and that is what the Union was fighting for as well. None of them wanted slavery. So, that is how I think that this story relates to Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Henry Thoreau. I liked this story more than I originally thought that I would, but it was not my favorite so far.






"Untitled Document." The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.


Wayne, Tiffany K., ed. "Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson." Critical Companion to
Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Chelsea House
Publishing, 2010. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE54&SID=&iPin=CCRWE0243&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 31, 2012).

Blog #9 - "The Story of an Hour"

"The Story of an Hour" is written by a woman named Kate Chopin. In the story a woman believes that her husband has died in a train accident. She cries and mourns in front of people to make them believe that she is sad, but deep down she is happy that she is "free". This was back in the day when women did not have as many rights and were often oppressed. So then, they find out that her husband did not really die. He comes home and she is so shocked that she has a heart attack or something of that sort. When the doctor got there "they said she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills" (Choplin). I think that this can be compared to Emerson's philosophy of marriage. Emerson was married to a woman named Ellen Tucker. They were happily married but she was sick with tuberculosis. Ellen passed away when she was nineteen, only two years after they were married. "Waldo’s world came apart, literally. He felt that his personal world was cut off from the natural world, as he was cut off from Ellen. He was cut off from himself, “unstrung, debilitated by grief.” (Vetter). As you can see, Emerson never really got over the death of his wife Ellen. You can see a big difference between how Emerson felt and how the Mrs. Mallard reacted. Mrs. Mallard was not very sad because with his death came her freedom, but Emerson was not the same after Ellen, he was not happy. This shows how Emerson probably felt about his marriage in relation to Mrs. Mallards. Emerson obviously loved his wife, and it sounds like she was pretty happy as well during their marriage. Mrs. Mallards marriage does not seem as loving because her husband probably did not give her the kind of freedom that she really wanted, and it seems as though she did not love him near as much as Emerson loved Ellen. This shows a huge difference in their values.



""The Story of an Hour"" Virginia Commonwealth University. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.


"Marriage | Emerson - Living Legacy." Harvard Square Library. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.

Blog #8 - "A Wagner Matinee"

"A Wagner Matinee" is by a woman named Willa Cather. What I got from this story was two things, how music can effect people, and a little bit about pioneer life. So basically, this story is about a man who gets a letter from his Uncle saying that his Aunt Georgiana is coming into town and he must pick her up at the station the very next day. The man has very found memories of his Aunt from when he was a young boy. He states, "I owed to this woman most of the good that ever came my way in my boyhood, and had a reverential affection for her." and also, "It was to her, at her ironing or mending, that I read my first Shakespeare', and her old textbook on mythology was the first that ever came into my empty hands. She taught me my scales and exercises, too--on the little parlor organ, which her husband had bought her after fifteen years, during which she had not so much as seen any instrument, but an accordion that belonged to one of the Norwegian farmhands." This tells us a lot about the Aunt. She sounds very reserved, but still loving.

Anyways, he goes the next day to pick her up from the station and he notices that she looks very different than she used to. Her clothes were kind of unusual. He wanted his Aunt to have a great time while visiting so he decided to take her to a concert. (His Aunt had a great musical education). As they are sitting there listening to the music, she begins to cry. "I don't want to go, Clark, I don't want to go!" The man understands because compared to her pioneer life, the music and atmosphere brings back so many memories. I liked reading this story because I thought that it was a good story and I like how it incorporated all of the music, and history.


"Willa Cather's Short Story: A Wagner Matinee." Read Book Online: Literature Books,novels,short Stories,fiction,non-fiction, Poems,essays,plays,Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.

Blog #7 - "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"

"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is written by a man named Ambrose Bierce. I think that this was may favorite of the stories or speeches that we have had to read so far. It was a very sad story with a sad ending, but I have to say I thought it was super interesting. The story is about a man named Peyton Farquahar, who lives in the South and is a plantation owner. While sitting on a rustic bench with his wife, a soldier passes by and gives them news about the war. The soldier tells Farquahar that the opposing soldiers were planning to invade soon. The soldier then tells Peyton of his idea to blow up the bridge in an effort to stop the invasion, or at least put it off. Now, Peyton Farquahar was not very involved in the war effort, but he wanted to be very much. He felt that it was his duty to do this so that he could help the South.

He agrees to go with the soldier and blow up the bridge. However, in an attempt of doing so, he was caught. But, it was stated that, "any civilian caught interfering with the railroad, its bridges, tunnels or trains will be summarily hanged" (Bierce). All of that, was really just the background information. Most of the story actually goes along by describing what Peyton is imagining. The whole thing is about his "great escape" that never really happened. It was very sad that it did not end good, but I thought that it was very well written and a very interesting concept. It is awesome to think that all of that can be thought out in just a split second, and in such great detail nonetheless. It also had a lot of good historical information in it. So between all of the history and the psychological aspect, I really enjoyed ready "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."


"Fiction: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." Fiction: Welcome to The EServer's Fiction Collection. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.

Blog #6 - "Letter to his Family"

I think that this letter that Robert E. Lee wrote is very interesting. He wrote this letter for his son and in the letter it includes many life lessons that are still taught today. For example, Robert E. Lee states, "If a friend asks a favor, you should grant it, if it is reasonable; if not, tell him plainly why you cannot; you would wrong him and wrong yourself by equivocation of any kind." (Lee). I thought that this was very interesting, and this quote stuck out at me as I was reading it. I thought that this was interesting because Mr. Lee is saying that if you are capable of doing your friend a favor, you should do it. And if you are not capable for any reason, then you should tell him exactly why you cannot. I think this stuck out to me because nowadays, I think we get kind of lazy and we choose not to do things just because it is inconvenient for us, even though we are perfectly capable of doing that favor.

Another quote that I picked out was, "If you have any fault to find with any one, tell him, not others, of what you complain; there is no more dangerous experiment than that of undertaking to be one thing before a man's face and another behind his back" (Lee). This is also something that very much still happens today. Mr. Lee tells us not to talk behind someones back, but he also tells us that if we find fault in someone to tell them because that is way better than passing it on. Based off of this, Robert E. Lee sounds like a pretty cool guy and it sounds like he stands for a lot of good things."We should live, act, and say nothing to the injury of any one. It is not only for the best as a matter of principle, but it is the path of peace and honor" (Lee).




"Robert E. Lee Letter to His Son." Www.sonofthesouth.net. Web. 13 Feb. 2012

Blog #5 - "And Ain't I a Woman?"

The speech "And Ain't I a Woman?" is by a lady named Sojourner Truth. I really liked her speech and I think she makes some really good points. This speech was considered to be her most famous. It is a really powerful speech, which is probably why it is one of her most famous. I think it is also very popular because many other women can relate to what she is talking about as well. In this speech Sojourner Truth talks about how women do not have as many rights as men during this time. Even though, many like Sojourner Truth worked just as hard. For example, she explains in her speech,"And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man--when could get to it--and bear the lash as well and ain't I a woman?" (Truth).In this statement, she is basically talking about how she has worked just as hard as a man, and can also eat like a man, but she does not have the same rights as them, and is not as respected as they are either. She also makes some other very good points in her speech.

The very first part of her speech, she starts out by saying, " That man over there say a woman needs to be helped into carriages and lifted over ditches and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helped me into carriages or over mud puddles or gives me a best place. . ." (Truth). I think that some of her speech is about women in general, but this statement however, really has to do with race. She talks about how a man thinks that a woman should be helped and somewhat "respected", but Sojourner Truth says that she has never been helped over a mud puddle. This is because black women were not always treated the same as white women. I really enjoyed this speech and she sounds like a very smart lady.



"Sojourner Truth's Aint I a Woman Speech!" Women Writers: A Zine. Web. 13 Feb. 2012

Blog #4 - Swing Low Sweet Chariot, etc.....

I really liked reading these songs or poems, or whatever they were originally. I have heard "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" before. Back in the South, African Americans would sing it while they were working on the plantations. Out of all the songs they could have sung, this was a very popular one. After looking at the lyrics though, I realized why they would have chosen a song like this one. This is a pretty old song, and in the song, it refers back to Jordan, which is the river that Christ was baptized in. It is a song of hope. A hope that one day, "A band of angels comin' after me,Comin' for to carry me home" (Swing).
Another song is," Go Down, Moses." Unlike the other song, this one talks more about the actual mistreatment of Hebrew slaves during Biblical times, whereas Swing Low Sweet Chariot was simply the hope of coming home, this one sort of tells what happened to them. This song is about when God commands Moses to go to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to "Let My People Go!" I really love Mose's story. I think it is very powerful and amazing. Anyway,for example, the line, "Oppressed so hard they could not stand...Let My People Go!" (Go). However, both of these songs I believe have the slavery issue in common. Both of them relate to that, the only real difference is the time period that it is in.
The last song is "Keep Your Hand on the Plow." I love this song the best I think because it is one of those songs that can be so meaningful and inspiring. For example, I like the line that says, "When my way gets dark as night,I know the lord will be my light," (Keep). This song is basically saying that even when things get hard or confusing, if you "keep your hand on the plow," you will always be okay. I think that is a very comforting thought. That is why people love it so much.

Blog #3 - Calvary Crossing a Ford

Before I write anything in this blog, I would just like to define the word "ford". I did not know what a ford was and neither did a lot of people so just in case anyone reads this blog and doesn't know what a ford is, it is defined as, "A shallow place in a river or stream allowing one to walk or drive across" (Dictionary). I actually really liked reading this. Calvary Crossing the Ford is by Walt Whitman, who was actually a nurse in the Civil War, which I didn't know until today. That also makes a lot of sense that he would write something lie this. So anyway, in this poem, Walt Whitman talks mainly about how American soldiers are walking and crossing over streams, or a ford. I really like this poem because you can interpret the meaning really any way you want. But, really I needed some help figuring out what it could mean at first. For example, it says, "Scarlet and blue and snowy white,
The guidon flags flutter gayly in the wind" (Whitman). I think that this is talking about the American flag that proudly waves in the wind. That shows some patriotism. I also think that the soldiers seem pretty peaceful despite being at war. They were proud to fight for their country, even though the war was not very peaceful. Both Emerson and Whitman believed in freedom. They both talk about how our freedom is important and they both disliked slavery very much. However, I think that Emerson talks more about individual freedom, or the freedom of one person or group rather than our freedom as a country and coming together. Like I said, I think this poem could be interpreted in many different ways, but that is what I got from this poem and I thought it was a good poem to read. As far as Emerson and Whitman go, I think that they had many of the same views.




Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 09 Feb. 2012.

"Cavalry Crossing a Ford - Walt Whitman (1819-1892)." Books & Literature Classics. Web. 09 Feb. 2012.

Blog #2 - The Gettysburg Address

At the time, the Gettysburg Address did not seem to be as important or successful as it is now, at least according to Lincoln it seemed sort of like a failure of a speech. Senator Charles Sumner even stated that Lincoln had said to him, "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.(Lincoln). Little did Abraham Lincoln know that one day this would be one of his most famous speeches. As I read this speech, I picked out some things that I believe Abraham Lincoln and Ralph Waldo Emerson had in common. One of the things that I noticed was that first of all, they were both very much against slavery. That was not the only thing though, as Emerson grew up, he gradually gained a reputation of being a thinker and a speaker (Wayne). As we already know, Lincoln was also considered to be those two things as well. Both Emerson and Lincoln, and even Thoreau also had basically if not anything else, one thing in common and that was freedom. All of them wanted freedom, the only difference was that Abraham Lincoln wanted that for the whole county and not just individually.
This is just a matter of opinion, not a matter of fact, but I think that they probably spoke very differently in their speeches and things as well. From all that I have read, Lincoln just seems to have a very different personality from Thoreau or Emerson. For example, unlike Lincoln, Thoreau would just say that he was against things, rather than accepting that the problem was there and trying to fix it (Wayne). which is sort of what Lincoln did. He would try and fix them. Other than these little things that made them different, I think that really they stood for a lot of the same things. Another thing that they had in common, was their view on common sense. "But, in a larger sense,..." (Lincoln).




Lincoln, Abraham. "The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln." NetINS Showcase. Web. 04 Feb. 2012.



Wayne, Tiffany K., ed. "Emerson, Ralph Waldo." Critical Companion to Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Blog #1 - Douglass & Emerson

Frederick Douglass was a very smart man. However, often he as seen as a man that was "raised in a condition that denied any intelligence in him and punished his attempts to explore it's potential" (Dorbolo). Frederick Douglass was also very much against slavery and had written many books or autobiographical works. It is said that Douglass's writing always led to one major point in the end, and that was always the awareness of the evils of slavery (Dorbolo). I thought that it was very interesting how Douglass viewed the importance of language and how it very much relates to freedom. He said it related to freedom because "it is the medium of social connection among individuals".I think that Douglass was a pretty smart guy.

Both Frederick Douglass and Ralph Waldo Emerson did agree with each other on many things, however, there were some other point of views that made them quite different from each other. For example, Ralph Waldo Emerson was very much about all of the soul, matter, and spirit. For example, "Matter and spirit are not opposed but reflect a critical unity of experience"(Brewton). Douglass on the other hand, sounded more like a thinker. At least that what it kind of sounded like from the reading. However, both of them seem like very thoughtful people. There are also some things though that make them very similar as well. Such as, they both believed that people learned best, or should learn from their own experiences. They also both seemed like they were very independent, thoughtful, and intelligent men. Although they tend to seem pretty similar people, the way Douglass talks in his speeches or books does I think sound differently then Emerson. I think the reason for that is simply because Douglass was so passionate about getting the word out that slavery was an evil thing and that he so much wanted people to realize his point of view, so I feel like he was a little more driven.



Dorbolo, Jon. "Great Philosophers: Frederick Douglass." Oregon State University. 2002. Web. 04 Feb. 2012.

Brewton, Vince. "Emerson, Ralph Waldo [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Web. 04 Feb. 2012

"The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick Douglass." History Is A Weapon. Web. 06 Feb. 2012

Civil Disobedience - Reflection

"I heartily accept the motto - That government is best which governs least" (Thoreau). These are the very first words that Henry David Thoreau writes in his essay, "Civil Disobedience". In this essay, Thoreau talks a lot about how he feels about our government. In this quote, he is basically saying that one day we may not have a need for a government some day. He then starts saying things like, "It has not the vitality and force of a single living man; for a single man can bend it to his will. It is a sort of wooden gun to the people themselves. But it is not the less necessary for this; for the people must have some complicated machinery or other, and hear its din, to satisfy that idea of government which they have" (Thoreau). I think in this section he is talking about how in reality even though the government tells you what to do, when its all said and done, you are the one who actually does it. That government really, is just to guide you in the right direction. I guess that is why he thinks that eventually we may not need it because we will be fine by ourselves. However, even though Thoreau says that he does not want a government, it doesn't mean that he is totally against one either. "But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men,(4) I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it" (Thoreau).Right here he is talking about how he is not one of those people that is not for government at all, but just wants a better one and that every man should say what government they would respect and that would be the first step to getting it.

This essay definitely falls under the Transcendentalism/ Romanticism period. Like we talked about in class the other day, Transcendentalism is based on the individual intuition. There was belief in a God, but it only through nature that we are able to connect with Him (Quinn). Those are just some characteristics of the Transcendentalism period. Romanticism, as we have covered before, deals also with nature, but does not focus as much on the individual aspects. Like the journal we wrote about last class, Thoreau brings up some interesting points when it comes to the law and the government. "They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens. Others, as most legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers, and office-holders, serve the state chiefly with their heads; and, as they rarely make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil, without intending it, as God. A very few, as heroes, patriots, martyrs, reformers in the great sense, and men, serve the state with their consciences also, and so necessarily resist it for the most part; and they are commonly treated as enemies by it. A wise man will only be useful as a man, and will not submit to be "clay," and "stop a hole to keep the wind away,"(8) but leave that office to his dust at least" (Thoreau). Here I think he is kind of talking about how people in government do not always make moral decisions or use their consciences all the time.
I really liked ready this actually. It was very interesting and I liked hearing what he had to say.



Quinn, Edward. "Transcendentalism." A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Thoreau, Henry David. "Thoreau's Civil Disobedience - 1." The Thoreau Reader. Web. 25 Jan. 2012.

Journal #26 - Breaking the Rules

I definitely think that there are certain exceptions to the rules, but it depends on the situation for sure. It is not okay to break the rules if there is absolutely no good reason to. For example, you can't go around breaking the law for no apparent reason. You really shouldn't break the law at all, but every once in awhile, I think that you can. There is this movie I watch every year around Christmas time because that is when it comes on. It is called "A Season for Miracles." In the movie, there are two sisters. When one of them goes to jail, and is not a good mother to her kids, the other sister takes her children even though she is not their legal guardian and has no money or nothing to offer them because she does not want them to have to go into foster care. Basically, they have to hide out in this little town because she is charged with kidnapping. In that town, they miraculously are able to stay at a pretty house and they meet many people that are very helpful and nice. They end up loving the town, and everyone in the town loves them. When the police find her, she has to go to court and stuff, but it ends great because in the end everyone realizes that the only reason she broke the law, is so that she could keep their little family together. That is a good example of the exception to the rule. I believe that in those cases sometimes breaking the rules are okay, but I also do not believe in taking advantage of some things as well. For example, in the story the lady only took what she absolutely needed and only lied when she had to. But she never took advantage of people or things like that. She never broke the rules unless there was no other choice. In these kind of cases, I hope that nobody ever has to break the law or the rules, but sometimes you may have to.

Reflection - "The Minister's Black Veil"

When I first started reading this story, I have to admit that I thought it was pretty strange. But like every story I read, I end up liking it just a little better than I originally thought I would. So anyway, the short story, "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is about a man named Mr. Hooper. The sexton and some other people are curious about him for one reason. Mr. Hooper is wearing a black veil over his face. You can instantly tell that the black veil cannot stand for something good, because from the moment the people see the black veil, they automatically start saying bad things about it and getting worried. For example, in the story the people say things like, ""I can't really feel as if good Mr. Hooper's face was behind that piece of crape," said the sexton."I don't like it," muttered an old woman, as she hobbled into the meeting-house. "He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face.""Our parson has gone mad!" cried Goodman Gray, following him across the threshold (Hawthorne). This is an example of dark romanticism because it shows that right from the start, the veil represents something not necessarily good.

Later in the story, Mr. Hooper tells the members of his church that perhaps he is hiding his face beneath this veil because he believes that like a humans face, the veil can cover up a mans evil and sin (Hawthorne 280). This is also a good example of Dark Romanticism because it shows that they did both acknowledge sin and evil like we talked about last class. Along with that, other characteristics of the romanticism period is that for one, romanticism is very much based on feeling and emotion. then, there is normally some kind of dark twist, making it part of Dark Romanticism (Dark).
Anyway, this is also a very sad story, which ties in more things having to do with the dark romanticism period. So, in the end, the lady tries to get him to take off his veil, but he just wont. She tries and tries to get through to him, but he again refuses to do so. He is not yet ready to take it off and show his face. I was however, very disappointed with the ending though. I thought that in the end, it would get better or at least end just a little happier, but instead it was very sad and depressing. however, I did like the story much, much better than I originally thought I would. I really actually like the dark romanticism period, although it is not always happy, it is always interesting and has really good twists in the story unlike some other genres of literature. This was a really good story in my opinion. But I am still a little bit confused on some parts of it. I do not understand what happens at the end exactly. I read it, but I keep hearing different things about it.


"Dark Romanticism - ArticleWorld." Main Page - ArticleWorld. Web. 23 Jan. 2012.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Minister’s Black Veil.” Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm,
Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed.
Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 280-289. Print.

Reflection - Pit and the Pendulum

It is not surprising that Edgar Allen Poe wrote this short story. I actually really liked this story, but it includes many characteristics of the Dark Romanticism period. It includes many eerie and tragic things and acknowledges the existence of evil. This story is about a soldier from the Spanish Inquisition, who is sentenced to death. He is held in a cell where the walls kind of move, forcing him into this deep pit. As, I said before, this is something that Edgar Allen Poe would definitely write because many of his other short stories include things like torture and death. The Dark Romanticism period is very imaginative and descriptive, which is something that I notice throughout The Pit and the Pendulum. For example, in the story, Poe says things like,

"They were wild, bold, ravenous;their
red eyes glaring upon me as if they waited
for motionlessness on my part to make me
their prey" (Poe 271).

This is scary and pretty descriptive.I like how he does this when he tells his stories because it is much more interesting and actually, normally the stories that I read are not that creepy, but I feel like the more detail you use, the better the story turns out to be. That is why I really liked this story. Another descriptive and scary quote from the book would be this one.

"Oh! For a voice to speak-oh! horror!-
oh any horror but this! With a shriek
I rushed from the margin and buried my
face in my hands, weeping bitterly" (Poe 273).

Throughout the story, being that it is very descriptive, Edgar Allen Poe tells us many things about the soldier and how he is feeling when he is and the cell and stuff. That is yet another reason why I liked this story more than some other stories. I liked it because it tells you about how the soldier was feeling about his experiences, which also sometimes makes it more intense and creepy. An example from the story would be something like this quote.

"Upon my recovery too, I felt very-oh
irrepressibly sick and weak, as if
through long inanition" (Poe 270).
And also,

"I grew frantically mad and struggled to force
myself upward against the sweep of the fearful
scimitar. And then I lay silently calm, and I
lay smiling at the glittery death, as a child
at some rare bauble" (Poe 269).

I think that Edgar Allen Poe is considered to be very famous still because of his great story telling. I think he is so popular because he uses he perfect amount of scary images and eerie story lines, to still kind of having that imaginative, kind of Romanticism feel to it. Hence, the genre being Dark Romanticism. I thought that The Pit and the Pendulum was a very good story and I really enjoyed reading it. I hope that we can read some more of Edgar Allen Poe's stories. They would be really fun to discuss and talk about.

Poe, Edger Allan. "The Pit and the Pendulum." Glencoe Literature. By Jeffrey D. Wilhelm and Douglas Fisher. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 263-73. Print.

Journal #25 - Fear

I feel like we have talked about fear and things like in the last couple of journals. Well, for starters I hate fear. Fear is one of those things that really usually it is all in your mind. Like after you watch a scary movie and then that night you feel scared because all of that is in your mind, when in reality, you have absolutely nothing to be afraid of whatsoever. However, there are many things that I am afraid of and those things are not all in my mind. For example, I am terrified of alligators! I don't know what it is about them, but they just scare me a lot. I think it might be that they look like mini dinosaurs or something, and also the fact that if you ever fell in that swampy water, you would be done for because who knows what could be swimming under you. I have actually had nightmares about that before. Now, I think I am more afraid of alligators than I am of sharks, but sharks are not my favorite either. I think its the fact that in water, you really don't stand a chance against them and you are totally vulnerable. Spiders are another thing. Actually, I'm not really scared of them at all. But if one is on me or something, I totally freak out! The small ones don't bother me, but those big, creepy hairy ones really creep me out big time! I think in general, bugs really creep me out...except for inch worms, they are pretty cute. Most of the things that I am afraid of are things that I really don't stand a chance against, like alligators or sharks. But other than that, I am not afraid of that many things. All in all, I think actual fear is very much in your head and even though it is hard not to be scared sometimes, most of the time, we have no reason to be.

Journal #24 - Spooky

I can 't really remember a time that I have been spooked. I know I have, but they obviously did not scare me that much because otherwise I feel like I would have remembered. Actually, I spook really easily. You know how sometimes when you are just walking around and all of a sudden, you think you see something or someone out of the corner of your eye? That happens to me a lot for some reason and it makes me jump every single time! (We actually learned why your brain does that in anatomy). So, I don't remember when someone actually liked scared me and it worked. But I have had a lot of things that have scared me and has made me jumped and things like that. So one time, at my old house, my friend and I were jumping of the trampoline. The sun had already gone down and our house kind of backed up to the woods. All of a sudden, we heard this growling noise. It sounded super creepy, like a rabid raccoon or something. We were going to run inside, but the house is a decent walk away from the trampoline and we couldn't tell what was there. We decided that we were just going to sprint for the house and not stop until we get there. We were just about to run for our lives, when a tiny little calico cat jumps out from under the trampoline. I jumped so high, it scared me so bad. But turns out, it wasn't a scary badger or raccoon, it was just a cat (haha.) ...It was making really creepy noises though... And my brothers have tried to scare me, but it rarely works. To be honest, I do most of the spooking in our family. We do have this Halloween tradition though where we take this big felt spider and we hide it in different places and try to scare each other. Its a lot of fun.

Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven - Reflection

The poem starts with the narrator who was taking a nap in his chambers and thinking about his lost love Lenore when he hears a tapping at the door. He calls out to it, but receives no answer. Like most, he starts to get a little nervous and once again calls out to whoever it may be. " "Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping" (paragraph 4). Once again there is no response, so now he is very nervous and anxious. He finally goes to see who could be tapping and all of a sudden a raven appears in his chambers. Noticing how serious the raven looks, he asks him his name and the bird replies "Nevermore". That is the only word the bird can say so the narrator begins to assume that he had to have learned the word somewhere. The narrator then begins to assume that the raven is a thing of evil and begins asking it questions about his lost love Lenore. As before, the raven gives the same response. Finally, the narrator becomes angry at the raven and believes that his soul is trapped under the ravens shadow "and shall be lifted Nevermore". The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe is a good example of Dark Romanticism. Dark Romanticism often includes the more eerie side of normal Romanticism. Many of the times, it includes the supernatural and unlike normal Romanticism, Dark Romanticism does acknowledge the existence of sin and evil in the world. Other literary works that include Dark Romanticism have things in them such as vampires, werewolves, and mysterious things like that, kind of like the raven in thins poem. The raven was very eerie and gave the narrator and strange and uneasy feeling. The raven also talked, but in a way tormented him by only responding with the answer Nevermore. Another thing that I think is very interesting about Edgar Allen Poe is how many of his poems seem to be about different states of the mind. In many of his poems the narrator often feels this feeling or is thinking this thing that kinda makes them paranoid or go crazy. (stories and poems like Tell Tale Heart and Dreamland). Those are some of the things involved with Dark Romanticism.



"Edgar Allan Poe: The Raven." Poetry Lovers' Page. Web. 17 Jan. 2012

Journal #23 - Scary Stories

I do not watch many scary movies. I like to watch them, but when night time comes around and its time to go to bed, all of the things that I saw just pop back into my mind, and I get a little freaked out, so I don't like to watch them a lot. But sometimes it isn't even the story that freaks me out, normally its all of the little techniques that make a movie seem much scarier than it really is. For example, one of the things that can often scare you is the loud random noises that make you jump. It will be completely silent, and in your mind you just know that something is about to happen and it will probably end up scaring you. But somehow, you are just never quite prepared and you jump right out of your seat. Then, at night when you decide to go to bed and it is all quite in your room, you feel like something will happen, like in the movies, but it never does. Another technique that scary movies often use is their choice of music. If there is not dead silence, then there tends to be scary music playing in the background. Now, I don't know about any of you. but for me, the music is everything. Music can make you feel really any emotion, and when there is scary music in the movie, it makes it seem way more scarier than if a happy tune was playing. One other technique is the use of day and night. Everything scary usually happens at night, because that tends to be a time when we feel vulnerable and unsure of what we think may be lurking in the dark. So, overall, most of the time the actual movie is not even scary, but by using all of these techniques, it can make the movie much more interesting and intense.

Journal #22 - Sledding Poem

Sledding is one of my favorite things,
I love it so much I just want to sing.
While gliding through all the white snow,
I feel as though I never want to go.

Even if there is tons of ice,
I can promise you sledding is always nice.
With your gloves and your hat and your coat oh so warm,
You are bound to have the most excellent form.

But that is not everything winter can bring,
With all things to do you will never want spring!
Not only is there skiing and sledding galore,
There is presents and baking, and shopping at stores.

There is making snow angels and skating on ice,
And also the cider made with cinnamon spice.
And if there's one thing I know, and I tell you it's true,
That wintertime is often very magical too.

When you look out your window and see all that glitter,
You must go outside no matter how cold or bitter.
There is something about it, so clean and so pure,
It's my most favorite season, I know this for sure.

Now don't get me wrong, I love summer, spring, and fall,
But somehow winter just tops them all.
Along with winter, you must have different seasons,
Because each of them has all of it's reasons.

Journal #21 - Snowy Scene

Unfortunately, we did not have a white Christmas this year, which did in fact bum me out. Even though I absolutely Christmas and nothing could really ruin it for me, I have to admit that snow just makes Christmas seem even more magical than it already is. I can recall of another time though. There is nothing better than waking up at 6:30 in the morning and looking out your window to see if there is any possibility of not going to school that day. If you feel that the chances are good, you run up to your parents room to watch the news, anxiously waiting to see the little words at the bottom of the screen. When you first see the words you have so anxiously been waiting for, suddenly its like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders. Most of the time I end up crawling back into my warm comfy bed and drift back of to sleep. After getting a couple more hours of sleep, you are ready for a great day of watching movies and snuggling up with a soothing cup of hot chocolate. However, that usually comes after playing in the snow. You start by putting on your snow pants, gloves, and hat and finally top it off with your big winter coat. As you open the door to the winter wonderland, you can feel the slight crisp wind on your face. The snow looks so clean and fresh, I almost don't want to step in it. But of course I go ahead and step on the powdery snow and under me it makes a soft crunching sound. I look around and notice how the snow has quietly placed itself on top of the tree limbs and occasionally, there will be a few animal or bird prints pressed into it. I'm not sure why snow seems to be so magical, but it just is. I hope it snows this year because what is winter without a little snow?