Along with other writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Emilie Dickenson, Nathaniel Hawthorne is known as one of the most important and most representative of Dark Romantic literature. His work of "The Minister's Black Veil" exemplifies many characteristics of Dark Romanticism crediting the fact that Hawthorne is a leader in the genre. The strong use of symbolism and the things each symbol represents are supportive of Dark Romantic characteristics. This along with the use of a language and literary style popular to that of Romanticism exemplify the characteristics used in Dark Romantic literature.
The first thing that one notices about this story is the language and style used to tell and describe the account of the minister and the black veil that he wore. “With this gloomy shade before him, good Mr. Hooper walked onward, at a slow and quiet pace, stooping somewhat, and looking on the ground, as is customary with abstracted men, yet nodding kindly to those of his parishioners…” (Hawthorne). This line from the beginning of the story shows all of the styles that are used in the story. First the word selection is similar to what is common in Dark Romanticism in a sense that some of the words are very dark and eerie in a way. As this is the first part of the story where the veil is described, it is already stated as being “gloomy.” The description of how Mr. Hooper is walking through the aisles portrays a person that is doing his normal tasks, but at the same time there is a very eerie sense to how he is acting around the people.
As well as the style in which this story is written, the entire theme also reflects many of the characteristics of Dark Romanticism. Throughout the story the people of the town, along with the reader, are wondering what the meaning of their preacher wearing this black veil is. Many times in the story, there is mention of “secret sin,” and this may be the cause for the black veil that the preacher has begun to wear (Hawthorne). This is supportive of the ideals of Dark Romanticism as that there is a strong belief that all people are prone to sin and self destruct. The cause Mr. Hooper to wear this veil is never truly reveled, but this idea suggests that he did something to make him ashamed of himself and not want to be seen by his peers.
At the conclusion of this story, Mr. Hooper dies and his face remains covered by the black veil that he has been wearing for so many years (Hawthorne). At this point in the story it is almost symbolic that at his death, a black veil is already on his face; similar to what many of the women may have worn to his funeral. It is clear that not even in his death will a mortal lay eye on his face, and as he decays in his grave, he will remain both figuratively and literally covered and hidden from everyone.
The story of “The Minister’s Black Veil” displays many of the characteristics and ideals presented many times in Dark Romantic literature. The style of writing, symbols, and also the main theme presented by the work are evidence to its being in the genre of Dark Romanticism. This is no surprise as Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the leaders in the genre and this story, along with many of his other works displays this.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "The Minister's Black Veil." American Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 280-89. Print.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Mask
I think there are a lot of instances that people wear masks to separate themselves from others in the world. Its hard to tell why people do this, but it seems that at some point or another everyone does it. I think that everyone wears a mask of who they want themselves, well actually rather how they want others to think of them, when they first meet new people. Personally I think that this is a part of human nature because we want to make good first impressions to all of the people that we meet. Maybe we are overcompensating to make up for any false pretenses that may have been thoughts of the new people. One thing that I sometimes do when I meet me people is avoid talking about or showing my intelligence. I am aware that I am pretty smart, but I also know that it can be quite intimidating to talk to someone when you know that they are a lot smarter than you are. This is why I just keep away from showing my intelligence, also because it seems too braggy. It is not really until you have known someone for a while that you start to "take off your mast" and let them see who you really are. It is a lot easier to be yourself around people that you are comfortable with and I believe that it is all a process to get to the point of removing one's "mask." Another time that people wear masks is when they are trying to create a persona that they really don't want to uphold. To me, this is like when I played basketball. It was a huge part of my life and my family really pushed me to do it, but in the end I decided that it wasn't necessarily me so I quite and "removed the mask" of being a basketball player so I could focus more on music.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Dark Romanticism of The Pit and the Pendulum
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most important writers in the genre of Dark Romanticism. His style and word usage, along with the subject matter of his short stories all follow the style of Dark Romanticism. The short story of “The Pit and the Pendulum” is an excellent example of these characteristics used by Poe. Not only is the story about the torture brought upon a man, but also the way in which the story is written follows the basis of Dark Romantic Literature.
The beginning of the story in the courtroom starts off right away with an example of Dark Romanticism. The narrator describes the judge as wearing a very dark robe with extremely white lips (Poe). These two things have a very significant meaning in the figurative sense of the story. Both of these things symbolize death because black is always a symbol of death and the white lips are like a dead body that has become cold. This is almost hinting at the fact that the narrator is already dead, but it seems more that he has an anxiety of death already.
Another symbol of death that is used in the story is one of the torture devices. The pendulum that is swinging towards the prisoner is actually a scythe, which is the tool quite often associated with the character of “Death” (Poe). This is strongly supporting of Dark Romanticism in a sense that it is all about the death of a human being. The device almost symbolizes the eminent death of a person. This is something that Dark Romanticism is supportive of, because its belief is that all people are eventually going to die or self destruct.
The pit in the story seems to represent emptiness. In the story, the narrator describes the well as being extremely deep. He drops a rock in it and does not hear it hit water for a very long time (Poe). This could very well represent the emptiness of humans as a whole in the world. Being almost empty is similar to how the Dark Romantics believe that humans are. Near the end of the story, the narrator speaks of how he is being pushed towards the pit (Poe). It seems like he means that he is being pushed towards the emptiness of himself which could cause the self destruction that Dark Romantics thought that everyone eventually reaches.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendulum” there are many examples of Dark Romanticism. Many of the symbols used in the story display the characteristics that were popular in the style of Dark Romantic literature. This is no surprise as Poe was one of the leaders in the style of Dark Romanticism. The symbols of the pendulum being eminent death of a person and the pit being the emptiness of the people in the world are both evidence of a strong influence from Dark Romanticism. Along with the use of these symbols, there is also use of writing style and word usage that was popular to the how Dark Romantics wrote their works.
Works Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Pit and the Pendulum” American Literature. Comp. Wilhelm, Jeffory. Columbus 2009.
The beginning of the story in the courtroom starts off right away with an example of Dark Romanticism. The narrator describes the judge as wearing a very dark robe with extremely white lips (Poe). These two things have a very significant meaning in the figurative sense of the story. Both of these things symbolize death because black is always a symbol of death and the white lips are like a dead body that has become cold. This is almost hinting at the fact that the narrator is already dead, but it seems more that he has an anxiety of death already.
Another symbol of death that is used in the story is one of the torture devices. The pendulum that is swinging towards the prisoner is actually a scythe, which is the tool quite often associated with the character of “Death” (Poe). This is strongly supporting of Dark Romanticism in a sense that it is all about the death of a human being. The device almost symbolizes the eminent death of a person. This is something that Dark Romanticism is supportive of, because its belief is that all people are eventually going to die or self destruct.
The pit in the story seems to represent emptiness. In the story, the narrator describes the well as being extremely deep. He drops a rock in it and does not hear it hit water for a very long time (Poe). This could very well represent the emptiness of humans as a whole in the world. Being almost empty is similar to how the Dark Romantics believe that humans are. Near the end of the story, the narrator speaks of how he is being pushed towards the pit (Poe). It seems like he means that he is being pushed towards the emptiness of himself which could cause the self destruction that Dark Romantics thought that everyone eventually reaches.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendulum” there are many examples of Dark Romanticism. Many of the symbols used in the story display the characteristics that were popular in the style of Dark Romantic literature. This is no surprise as Poe was one of the leaders in the style of Dark Romanticism. The symbols of the pendulum being eminent death of a person and the pit being the emptiness of the people in the world are both evidence of a strong influence from Dark Romanticism. Along with the use of these symbols, there is also use of writing style and word usage that was popular to the how Dark Romantics wrote their works.
Works Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Pit and the Pendulum” American Literature. Comp. Wilhelm, Jeffory. Columbus 2009.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Analysis of Persons' Criticism of "The Raven"
Leland Persons’ criticism of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” brings up many interesting points about the work and other works written by Poe. He analyzes the way in which Poe wrote his works; that being for the reader to have their own interpretation of it. Persons’ main idea revolves around the concept that when reading “The Raven,” the reader actually has to compose a philosophy of their own about the events and ideas presented in the work.
The connection is made by Persons that not only is the character in the poem trying to “read” the raven, but the reader of the poem is as well (Persons). The use of solely one word by the raven shows that the story is actually meant to be interpreted. As a reader, one finds themselves trying to formulate and explanation as well as a meaning as to why the raven only says the word “nevermore.” Persons states that the bird is identical to the word it speaks because it has no meaning or representation along with no other words to use (Persons). This I disagree with this statement, because as I read the poem, I felt as though the bird did have a more significant meaning. It seems as though the bird has to represent the character’s lost Lenore, or possible something sent from Lenore to give a message to the lamenting lover.
Persons’ says that the reader has control of the bird throughout the poem, because the one reading in fact controls the meaning of the actions and the single word spoken by it (Persons). This I agree with, because I feel as though, if I were to read this poem while experiencing different emotions or moods, I could create a whole new meaning to the word “nevermore” and a new meaning to the entire poem as well. I think this was actually the intention of Poe when this poem was writing. As a writer, when you can make a work have different meanings for every reader in different moods, then a true work of art has been created. Persons’ quotes Edgar Allan Poe in his saying that it is the readers’ job to compose the raven and create the idea of what it represents (Persons). It is as if Poe did not create an idea for the raven to represent, but rather a basis for representation by interpretation of the reader.
Leland Persons made some very valid points about Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.” I completely agree with his ideas about the meaning and significance of the raven in the story when he says that it is all about reader interpretation. I found it interesting that he believes that the reader is actually trying to figure out what the raven is at the same time as the character in the story. This method is most likely what Poe wanted when he wrote this poem and it is also what makes it such a great work of art. Even Poe says that this work is all about the readers’ interpretation, and this creates a story that can change among readers and simply the mood of the reader.
Works Cited
Person, Leland S., Jr. "Poe's Composition of Philosophy: Reading and Writing 'The Raven,'" Arizona Quarterly 46, no. 3 (Autumn 1990): pp. 1-2, 8, 12. Quoted as "The Self-Deconstruction of 'The Raven'" in Harold Bloom, ed. Edgar Allan Poe, Bloom's Major Poets. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 1999. (Updated 2007.) Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BMPEAP25&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 22, 2010).
The connection is made by Persons that not only is the character in the poem trying to “read” the raven, but the reader of the poem is as well (Persons). The use of solely one word by the raven shows that the story is actually meant to be interpreted. As a reader, one finds themselves trying to formulate and explanation as well as a meaning as to why the raven only says the word “nevermore.” Persons states that the bird is identical to the word it speaks because it has no meaning or representation along with no other words to use (Persons). This I disagree with this statement, because as I read the poem, I felt as though the bird did have a more significant meaning. It seems as though the bird has to represent the character’s lost Lenore, or possible something sent from Lenore to give a message to the lamenting lover.
Persons’ says that the reader has control of the bird throughout the poem, because the one reading in fact controls the meaning of the actions and the single word spoken by it (Persons). This I agree with, because I feel as though, if I were to read this poem while experiencing different emotions or moods, I could create a whole new meaning to the word “nevermore” and a new meaning to the entire poem as well. I think this was actually the intention of Poe when this poem was writing. As a writer, when you can make a work have different meanings for every reader in different moods, then a true work of art has been created. Persons’ quotes Edgar Allan Poe in his saying that it is the readers’ job to compose the raven and create the idea of what it represents (Persons). It is as if Poe did not create an idea for the raven to represent, but rather a basis for representation by interpretation of the reader.
Leland Persons made some very valid points about Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.” I completely agree with his ideas about the meaning and significance of the raven in the story when he says that it is all about reader interpretation. I found it interesting that he believes that the reader is actually trying to figure out what the raven is at the same time as the character in the story. This method is most likely what Poe wanted when he wrote this poem and it is also what makes it such a great work of art. Even Poe says that this work is all about the readers’ interpretation, and this creates a story that can change among readers and simply the mood of the reader.
Works Cited
Person, Leland S., Jr. "Poe's Composition of Philosophy: Reading and Writing 'The Raven,'" Arizona Quarterly 46, no. 3 (Autumn 1990): pp. 1-2, 8, 12. Quoted as "The Self-Deconstruction of 'The Raven'" in Harold Bloom, ed. Edgar Allan Poe, Bloom's Major Poets. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 1999. (Updated 2007.) Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BMPEAP25&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 22, 2010).
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven
Literal meaning sentence for sentence:
One night while I was thinking to myself, I heard a tapping on my bedroom door. I said, “There is a visitor knocking on my door and nothing more than this.” I remember that it was December and there was a dwindling fire. I wished for tomorrow and I vainly had sorrow for the loss of Lenore, who has no name anymore. I was filled with terror and to the beat of my heart I kept repeating “There is a visitor at my door and nothing more than this.” I said, sir or ma’am I am sorry but I was about to nap when you started knocking, but when I opened the door, I saw absolutely nothing. In the darkness there was nothing. Complete silence until I whispered saying “Lenore” and an echo I heard and nothing more. I returned into my chamber with my soul burning and I heard an even louder knocking than before. Surly this sound is something at my window so I shall look and I said “This must just be the wind.” I opened the window and entered a raven flapping its wings. He continued to move about until he perched upon my chamber door, sitting there perched and nothing more. I asked the nightly raven what his name is and he said, “Nevermore.” The raven only spoke that one word. He said nothing and did not move until I muttered that he would leave in the morning and the bird said, “Nevermore.” Startled by this I thought that it was the usually and normal for this to happen with this particular bird. I went to my chair and started to think of what it meant that this bird said “Nevermore.” I sat guessing but could not think of a reason for this happening and then I thought that this would pass. Then the air grew dense with the smell of perfume but no one else was there. God has sent these angels to me over my memories of my lost Lenore. With this the bird said, “Nevermore.” I said, “Tell me whether bird or devil, is there balm in Gilead?” With this the bird said, “Nevermore.” I said, “Tell me if Aidenn has the one that the angels name Lenore.” With this the bird said, “Nevermore.” I yelled, “Leave my chambers, raven. Take your beak out of my heart and leave me to my loneliness.” With this the raven said, “Nevermore.” That bird is still perched above my bedroom door with eyes like a demon dreaming and it shall be moved nevermore.
Poetic devices used:
Throughout this poem there are many poetic devices used. One of the major ones used is alliteration. Within the first few stanzas of the poem there are already quite a few examples of this. One is in the first line with the words: while, weak, and weary. Another example is with the words: nodded, nearly, and napping. Throughout the poem there is use of end rhymes as well as internal rhyme. In the first stanza dreary and weary rhyme within the line, but in later lines of the stanza, door is rhymed with more. One of the most important poetic devices used in this poem is the repetition. The raven continually saying "Nevermore" is a huge part of the figurative meaning of the poem overall. Along with this, another device used is personification of giving the raven the ability to talk, though it may only be the one word it speaks.
Figurative meaning:
On a deeper level, this poem is all about the loss of the characters live, Lenore. On this one particular night, the man is sitting in his chambers thinking about her. When he lets the bird in, it is clear that it is not a regular bird. Oftentimes a raven represents the devil and this seems to be the case. As the man speaks of his lamenting for Lenore the bird continues to look at him and say, "Nevermore." The man asks many questions about if he will ever be with his love again, even in heaven, but the bird only says nevermore all of his questions that arise with his lamenting for Lenore. I think that the final lines describing how the bird is still there show the point that what the bird had said would hold true, and the man would never be with his love, Lenore.
One night while I was thinking to myself, I heard a tapping on my bedroom door. I said, “There is a visitor knocking on my door and nothing more than this.” I remember that it was December and there was a dwindling fire. I wished for tomorrow and I vainly had sorrow for the loss of Lenore, who has no name anymore. I was filled with terror and to the beat of my heart I kept repeating “There is a visitor at my door and nothing more than this.” I said, sir or ma’am I am sorry but I was about to nap when you started knocking, but when I opened the door, I saw absolutely nothing. In the darkness there was nothing. Complete silence until I whispered saying “Lenore” and an echo I heard and nothing more. I returned into my chamber with my soul burning and I heard an even louder knocking than before. Surly this sound is something at my window so I shall look and I said “This must just be the wind.” I opened the window and entered a raven flapping its wings. He continued to move about until he perched upon my chamber door, sitting there perched and nothing more. I asked the nightly raven what his name is and he said, “Nevermore.” The raven only spoke that one word. He said nothing and did not move until I muttered that he would leave in the morning and the bird said, “Nevermore.” Startled by this I thought that it was the usually and normal for this to happen with this particular bird. I went to my chair and started to think of what it meant that this bird said “Nevermore.” I sat guessing but could not think of a reason for this happening and then I thought that this would pass. Then the air grew dense with the smell of perfume but no one else was there. God has sent these angels to me over my memories of my lost Lenore. With this the bird said, “Nevermore.” I said, “Tell me whether bird or devil, is there balm in Gilead?” With this the bird said, “Nevermore.” I said, “Tell me if Aidenn has the one that the angels name Lenore.” With this the bird said, “Nevermore.” I yelled, “Leave my chambers, raven. Take your beak out of my heart and leave me to my loneliness.” With this the raven said, “Nevermore.” That bird is still perched above my bedroom door with eyes like a demon dreaming and it shall be moved nevermore.
Poetic devices used:
Throughout this poem there are many poetic devices used. One of the major ones used is alliteration. Within the first few stanzas of the poem there are already quite a few examples of this. One is in the first line with the words: while, weak, and weary. Another example is with the words: nodded, nearly, and napping. Throughout the poem there is use of end rhymes as well as internal rhyme. In the first stanza dreary and weary rhyme within the line, but in later lines of the stanza, door is rhymed with more. One of the most important poetic devices used in this poem is the repetition. The raven continually saying "Nevermore" is a huge part of the figurative meaning of the poem overall. Along with this, another device used is personification of giving the raven the ability to talk, though it may only be the one word it speaks.
Figurative meaning:
On a deeper level, this poem is all about the loss of the characters live, Lenore. On this one particular night, the man is sitting in his chambers thinking about her. When he lets the bird in, it is clear that it is not a regular bird. Oftentimes a raven represents the devil and this seems to be the case. As the man speaks of his lamenting for Lenore the bird continues to look at him and say, "Nevermore." The man asks many questions about if he will ever be with his love again, even in heaven, but the bird only says nevermore all of his questions that arise with his lamenting for Lenore. I think that the final lines describing how the bird is still there show the point that what the bird had said would hold true, and the man would never be with his love, Lenore.
Journal 24 My mind is playing tricks on me
There have been many times that my mind has played tricks on me. I think that it is actually human nature to imagine things and it just happens naturally all of the time. This goes all the way back to when we were I was in middle school. The one instance that I always remember was when I have some friends staying the night at my house. We were in the basement and at about twelve o'clock and we heard something coming from upstairs. It sounded like a door opening and then footsteps going across the house. A little freaked out by this, we decided to investigate. We went upstairs and looked everywhere. We found absolutely nothing and we checked all of the locks to make sure they were locked. We wen't back down to the basement and for a while were just hanging out. Then a little bit later, we heard the footsteps again. We were all in agreement that they were footsteps so we went up to check again. This time, my dad came out of his bedroom and told us that it was nothing and that we should just go back to bed. This instance really shows that our minds can make us believe anything. Obviously there were just sounds that the house usually makes but we made ourselves believe that it was the sound of a person that was in the house. One thing that may have caused this is that there was a large number of people. I think that when there are multiple people and an idea is sparked about something, it just snowballs and eventually everyone starts to believe it. It reminds me of Lord of the Flies with the kids think that there is a creature on the island. Who knows, maybe we would have ended up turning against each other and forming two different groups or become savages like the kids in the Lord of the Flies.
Monday, November 15, 2010
"Walden" Analysis/ Criticism
Although in Michaela Keck’s analysis of Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” there is a statement that even though one may not know “Walden”, they still know Thoreau (Keck). I feel that this is a fallacy because “Walden” is a work that is truly one of Thoreau’s, if not his best work and masterpiece; therefore, if one thinks that they know Thoreau without knowing “Walden,” they are not entirely correct.
Keck makes a statement that “Walden” has a focus on nature and the observation of one’s surroundings (Keck). This is completely true, seeing as a majority of the text is spent describing all of the things going on in nature. Thoreau describes many things in great detail, even when he could have used a more simply style. His speaking about the ants that fight is clearly a metaphor with a much more significant meaning, but he still vividly describes the fight (Thoreau).
A point raised by Keck is that it must be known that Thoreau’s location of Walden Pond was not kept secret (Keck). Many scholars, when analyzing this work bring up the fact that Thoreau was actually quite close to his family home and close within the reach of the society in which he lived. This is obviously true, as in “Walden” Thoreau states that he was only about a mile and a half from the town of Concord (Thoreau). Although this is a valid point, I believe that it does not matter how far away one is from society physically, but rather if they can still separate themselves on a personal level. This may have been why Thoreau chose the place he did, to in fact teach that one does not have to go to extreme measures to separate themselves from society.
Near the beginning of “Walden,” Thoreau says that rather things are of God or the Devil, it is the “end of man to glorify God and enjoy him forever (Thoreau).” I find it interesting that he is able to make his time at Walden Pond extremely religious. According to Keck’s analysis, the unity of many naturally, beautiful things in nature are actually considered to be sacred (Keck). Thoreau seems to make the time actually very sacred, one example being his daily bathing in the pond. This shows that not only did Thoreau have a strong opinion of the philosophical, but the religious and mythical as well. Still, I do not think that he was trying to preach about one certain religion but rather to show the power of the connections that nature can make in a person’s life.
All of these things are the key principals to Transcendentalism, but simply the thoughts of Henry David Thoreau as well. This is why I find it hard to believe that Keck would make the statement that one can still know Thoreau without reading or knowing of “Walden.” This work encompasses all of the subjects Thoreau had strong opinions in and is a great example of each of them. “Walden” is one of Thoreau’s masterpieces and it embodies all of his thoughts into one observation of nature and comparison of it to the real world.
Works Cited
Keck, Michaela. "Thoreau's Walden and the American Dream: Challenge or Myth?" In Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BLTTAD021&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 15, 2010).
Thoreau, Henry David. “Walden” In American Literature. Willhelm, Jeffory, comp. McGraw Hill. Columbus, 2009. Print.
Keck makes a statement that “Walden” has a focus on nature and the observation of one’s surroundings (Keck). This is completely true, seeing as a majority of the text is spent describing all of the things going on in nature. Thoreau describes many things in great detail, even when he could have used a more simply style. His speaking about the ants that fight is clearly a metaphor with a much more significant meaning, but he still vividly describes the fight (Thoreau).
A point raised by Keck is that it must be known that Thoreau’s location of Walden Pond was not kept secret (Keck). Many scholars, when analyzing this work bring up the fact that Thoreau was actually quite close to his family home and close within the reach of the society in which he lived. This is obviously true, as in “Walden” Thoreau states that he was only about a mile and a half from the town of Concord (Thoreau). Although this is a valid point, I believe that it does not matter how far away one is from society physically, but rather if they can still separate themselves on a personal level. This may have been why Thoreau chose the place he did, to in fact teach that one does not have to go to extreme measures to separate themselves from society.
Near the beginning of “Walden,” Thoreau says that rather things are of God or the Devil, it is the “end of man to glorify God and enjoy him forever (Thoreau).” I find it interesting that he is able to make his time at Walden Pond extremely religious. According to Keck’s analysis, the unity of many naturally, beautiful things in nature are actually considered to be sacred (Keck). Thoreau seems to make the time actually very sacred, one example being his daily bathing in the pond. This shows that not only did Thoreau have a strong opinion of the philosophical, but the religious and mythical as well. Still, I do not think that he was trying to preach about one certain religion but rather to show the power of the connections that nature can make in a person’s life.
All of these things are the key principals to Transcendentalism, but simply the thoughts of Henry David Thoreau as well. This is why I find it hard to believe that Keck would make the statement that one can still know Thoreau without reading or knowing of “Walden.” This work encompasses all of the subjects Thoreau had strong opinions in and is a great example of each of them. “Walden” is one of Thoreau’s masterpieces and it embodies all of his thoughts into one observation of nature and comparison of it to the real world.
Works Cited
Keck, Michaela. "Thoreau's Walden and the American Dream: Challenge or Myth?" In Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BLTTAD021&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 15, 2010).
Thoreau, Henry David. “Walden” In American Literature. Willhelm, Jeffory, comp. McGraw Hill. Columbus, 2009. Print.
Journal 23 Unplugging
I think it would be extremely fun and a great learning experience to "unplug" for a week. Our society is very wired these days and it would be a valuable lesson to separate oneself from all of the technology in the world. I think being away from computers and cell phones would be easy, but I don't know about my iPod. My iPod is one of my most valuable possessions so that would make it very difficult to be separated from it for an extended period of time. To make up for this, I think that I would need a guitar. Music is something that keeps me going in life, and really just keeps me sane overall. I would much enjoy taking the time to completely get rid of all of the wires and electronics in my life for a week, but I know that there are a lot of people in our society that simply could not bare being away from their phones for more than a single day at that. I feel like that is a problem with the world that we live in and there needs to be a way to teach less dependence on technology to get through the average day. If I were to take a week to unplug myself from society, I think that I would do it in Australia. From pictures I have seen, there are some stunning landscapes all throughout the continent. I would make sure to be completely separated from everyone even close to me. Another place that I would want to take my week off to unplug would be Alaska. Now that I think about it, this is actually quite similar to the movie and maybe it was a book, but "Into the Wild." This was quite the interesting film that actually was focused on a guy wanting to get away form society and all of the conformity, similarly to the beliefs of Transcendentalism. Maybe sometime before I leave for college I will separate myself from all of the technology in my life for at least a couple of days.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Comparison of Thoreau and Gandhi
Both Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and Mahatma Gandhi's "On the Eve of the Historic Dandi March" are some of the most influential works of literature with a strong focus on protest. There are many differences, as well as similarities between these two great works. Gandhi had a strong influence in his writing from the works of Thoreau, and this can be seen in “On the Eve of the Historic Dandi March.” When reading these works it is easy to see the ties between the great authors that are Thoreau and Gandhi.
The first similarity in these two works is simply the subject matter. Obviously, Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” is about his protest, and Gandhi’s work speaks about a protest that is going to happen the following day of the writing of this essay (Gandhi). In, “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau speaks of the poll tax, or tax placed on people rather than property often for the right to vote, that he refused to pay. In turn, he is arrested and spends some time in jail (Thoreau). He spends a lot of time talking about the injustice of charging someone for something that they are not a part of. Gandhi’s work, on the other hand, speaks mainly about the monopoly on salt (Gandhi). Both works revolve around a wrong or injustice that has been done by a large group that has an immense amount of power.
There is a main difference these two literary works, though; this being the way in which they are written. Thoreau uses a very personal point of view, speaking primarily of his own actions and opinions of the occurrences that happened to him during his protest of the poll tax (Thoreau). As for Gandhi, he seems to be speaking directly to the reader about how to take action and what must be done to make changes and corrections to the way that things are being done wrong at the time (Gandhi). One could argue that this makes Gandhi’s writing more aggressive in a sense in comparison to Thoreau, but the way in which he does it makes not like this at all. Rather, he makes the reader feel as if it is their choice to do what he suggests as means to protest the salt monopoly or agree with his opinions.
Though there are both differences and similarities between “Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau and "On the Eve of the Historic Dandi March" by Gandhi, these are still some of the most influence works from the time of American Romanticism. These works embody the idea of protest of the wrongs and injustices done by organizations like government that have arguable too much control. These authors, in their own ways are able to tell their own stories of protest and how to protest respectively. It is easy to see the similarities, and this is understandable because of the fact that Gandhi was greatly influenced by the works of Thoreau, and it is almost ironic because of Gandhi’s use of the phrase “civil disobedience” in his work. These two important literary works will remain just that, important, for a long time because they serve as the model for the first works regarding protest.
Works Cited
Gandhi, Mahatma. "On the Eve of the Historic Dandi March." American Literature. Comp. Jeffory Willhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 229-30. Print.
Thoreau, Henry D. "Civil Disobedience." American Literature. Comp. Jeffory Willhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 222-27. Print.
The first similarity in these two works is simply the subject matter. Obviously, Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” is about his protest, and Gandhi’s work speaks about a protest that is going to happen the following day of the writing of this essay (Gandhi). In, “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau speaks of the poll tax, or tax placed on people rather than property often for the right to vote, that he refused to pay. In turn, he is arrested and spends some time in jail (Thoreau). He spends a lot of time talking about the injustice of charging someone for something that they are not a part of. Gandhi’s work, on the other hand, speaks mainly about the monopoly on salt (Gandhi). Both works revolve around a wrong or injustice that has been done by a large group that has an immense amount of power.
There is a main difference these two literary works, though; this being the way in which they are written. Thoreau uses a very personal point of view, speaking primarily of his own actions and opinions of the occurrences that happened to him during his protest of the poll tax (Thoreau). As for Gandhi, he seems to be speaking directly to the reader about how to take action and what must be done to make changes and corrections to the way that things are being done wrong at the time (Gandhi). One could argue that this makes Gandhi’s writing more aggressive in a sense in comparison to Thoreau, but the way in which he does it makes not like this at all. Rather, he makes the reader feel as if it is their choice to do what he suggests as means to protest the salt monopoly or agree with his opinions.
Though there are both differences and similarities between “Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau and "On the Eve of the Historic Dandi March" by Gandhi, these are still some of the most influence works from the time of American Romanticism. These works embody the idea of protest of the wrongs and injustices done by organizations like government that have arguable too much control. These authors, in their own ways are able to tell their own stories of protest and how to protest respectively. It is easy to see the similarities, and this is understandable because of the fact that Gandhi was greatly influenced by the works of Thoreau, and it is almost ironic because of Gandhi’s use of the phrase “civil disobedience” in his work. These two important literary works will remain just that, important, for a long time because they serve as the model for the first works regarding protest.
Works Cited
Gandhi, Mahatma. "On the Eve of the Historic Dandi March." American Literature. Comp. Jeffory Willhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 229-30. Print.
Thoreau, Henry D. "Civil Disobedience." American Literature. Comp. Jeffory Willhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 222-27. Print.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Journal 22 Breaking the Law for the Purpose of Romantic Beliefs
To a Romantic, there are some times that it is okay to break the law. The importance of oneself actually overrules laws and order. One situation I could think of if I was a romantic poet would be being in nature. If there was one place in the world that I had been told was a really amazing place to meditate and become one with myself, I would want to go there. Especially if it was coming from a close friend that I trusted to pick good places to do all of the things that Romantic poets do. Lets say that I go to this magically poetics paradise for meditation and I find that there is an electrical fence with a huge "No Trespassing" sign and there are others posted all over the area. After seeing this I think that I should just go home, but then I notice a gap in the fence where I could enter the beautiful area. Although it would technically be illegal, I think I would still go in through the little whole, because having the place to meditate is more important than my regard for the law. I think that even if I wasn't a romantic poet, I may still do this in real life. Personally, I really do appreciate nature and meditation. Also, I don't think that the police would really care if you weren't doing anything. They may just ask you to leave, but say you were hunting on someone else's grounds, that may be a different story. If I came across the owner of the land, and he or she was upset about my trespassing, I would make sure to apologize and try to see if there would be anything that I could do to make up for it. If they pressed charges, I would just have to do whatever the punishment is because you can't complain if you break the law. This is a situation that it is okay to disregard the law.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Analysis of Emerson and the Work Melancholia
Through his many works, Ralph Waldo Emerson became one of the most important writers in all of American literature. His unique style, with similarities to Romanticism, allowed the creation of not only a new era of literature but also a philosophy known as Transcendentalism. Emerson had very strong views about the conforming society in which he lived, and he believed that it needed to change. His thoughts revolutionized philosophy, though some of them may have even been a bit harsh.
One belief of Emerson was that grieving the dead is a waste of time and energy. This is something that Emerson was known to show many times throughout his life; as when his loved ones died and he did not seem to grieve their loss (“Emerson”). This may seem like a very cruel thought, but there is actually quite a bit of logic behind it. This was one of the parts of society that he thought was conforming too much to do the same thing of wasting ones time to grieving.
Emerson’s thoughts about death and grieving seem to be harsh and pretty dark, but this is one thing that his opinions change on. In 1842, Emerson’s son, Waldo died and just after this time, his views on mourning seemed to drastically change. His strong opinions of not grieving at all changed to more of a need for a reinvention of oneself as the grieving process. (“Emerson”). Again, the focus on individuality and a high personal focus is apparent, as in Romantic literature.
This draws an interesting point of the fact that Emerson actually rejected the idea of Romanticism later in his career (“Emerson”). This is quite strange because Romantic literature seems to be one of the biggest influences on what Emerson wrote. Both styles have a focus on individuality; though Romanticism is more focused on how a person behaves in nature and Transcendentalism is more focused on how a person behaves in society, both are a focus on individuality nonetheless. It is hard to believe that something that serves as the basis for your work could possibly be denied and rejected in later years.
Emerson’s style actually influenced many writers to come like Whitman, Thoreau, and Nietzsche (“Emerson”). Many of these writers emerged during the Romantic revolution and could actually be considered Romantic authors. This is why it is strange that Emerson would reject Romanticism. The people that he inspired used it as a model and became great writers of it, and the person that caused them to write what they did no longer believes in it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the greatest writers in all of American literature. Though, his opinions changed throughout his writing career, he still inspired many other great writers and revolutionized Romanticism to create the new era of Transcendentalism. Some of his views were almost harsh in a sense, but still there was always logic behind these opinions of his. All of his thoughts about the conforming society that he was living in aided in the creation of a new philosophy that changed literature and the world.
Works Cited
"Emerson and the Work of Melancholia." Raritan (Spring 1987). Quoted as "Emerson and the Work of Melancholia" in Bloom, Harold, ed. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Updated Edition, Bloom's Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=MCVRWE007&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 7, 2010).
One belief of Emerson was that grieving the dead is a waste of time and energy. This is something that Emerson was known to show many times throughout his life; as when his loved ones died and he did not seem to grieve their loss (“Emerson”). This may seem like a very cruel thought, but there is actually quite a bit of logic behind it. This was one of the parts of society that he thought was conforming too much to do the same thing of wasting ones time to grieving.
Emerson’s thoughts about death and grieving seem to be harsh and pretty dark, but this is one thing that his opinions change on. In 1842, Emerson’s son, Waldo died and just after this time, his views on mourning seemed to drastically change. His strong opinions of not grieving at all changed to more of a need for a reinvention of oneself as the grieving process. (“Emerson”). Again, the focus on individuality and a high personal focus is apparent, as in Romantic literature.
This draws an interesting point of the fact that Emerson actually rejected the idea of Romanticism later in his career (“Emerson”). This is quite strange because Romantic literature seems to be one of the biggest influences on what Emerson wrote. Both styles have a focus on individuality; though Romanticism is more focused on how a person behaves in nature and Transcendentalism is more focused on how a person behaves in society, both are a focus on individuality nonetheless. It is hard to believe that something that serves as the basis for your work could possibly be denied and rejected in later years.
Emerson’s style actually influenced many writers to come like Whitman, Thoreau, and Nietzsche (“Emerson”). Many of these writers emerged during the Romantic revolution and could actually be considered Romantic authors. This is why it is strange that Emerson would reject Romanticism. The people that he inspired used it as a model and became great writers of it, and the person that caused them to write what they did no longer believes in it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the greatest writers in all of American literature. Though, his opinions changed throughout his writing career, he still inspired many other great writers and revolutionized Romanticism to create the new era of Transcendentalism. Some of his views were almost harsh in a sense, but still there was always logic behind these opinions of his. All of his thoughts about the conforming society that he was living in aided in the creation of a new philosophy that changed literature and the world.
Works Cited
"Emerson and the Work of Melancholia." Raritan (Spring 1987). Quoted as "Emerson and the Work of Melancholia" in Bloom, Harold, ed. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Updated Edition, Bloom's Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=MCVRWE007&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 7, 2010).
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Journal 21 Emerson in Comparison to Franklin
Emerson thought that self reliance was extremely important to the success of a person. He thought that people needed to be separate from the common world because there was way too much conformity in the world and there was a lack of individuality. Franklin seemed to have a similar opinion about how people need to act. His thoughts were actually more focuses on how a person interacts in nature, while Emerson remained focused on society relation to people. Franklin thoughts about individuality are all about how a person feels about themselves. This is actually what created the basis for the thoughts about self reliance that Emerson later wrote about. Emerson is truly one of the first Transcendentalists and his work "Self Reliance" is the first work of its kind. Franklin did not really care much about how people ended up being in relation to the rest of the people of the world. Emerson really thought that there was a flaw in the world in that too many people were conforming to be the same way that everyone else. Really, Franklin's thoughts from his Romantic views are the basis for the thoughts of Transcendentalism which is the main creation of Ralph Waldo Emerson. The ideas are extremely the same, but the major change is in how it relates to the world. To Franklin, self reliance and individuality was all about how it effected the person that was practicing it; though to Emerson, the self reliance and individuality was all about how one shapes their personality in the world. I find it odd that Emerson rejected Romanticism in his later years of writing because it seems that Romanticism is actually one of his biggest influences for the work that made him famous. Though there are differences in the writing, the basis is quite similar and many relationships can be seen. Overall, Emerson and Franklin have very similar writing styles and because of this, Emerson actually created the literary era of Transcendentalism himself.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Journal 20 Self Reflection
Throughout our lives it is extremely important that we reflect on our lives and simply get away from the world. Having time to ourselves helps us relax and release a lot of the daily stresses that we encounter in our lives. To me, time to myself means finding some place to listen to music on my own. It really calms me down and lets me get a little more in tune with myself and my life. This can be very different for other people though; some may enjoy being outside and others may like to exercise or run. All that really matters is that you find time to simply do something that you enjoy and be by yourself. Self reflection is something that can help us be a lot more successful in the long run, but also make ourselves better on a more daily, small scale. It is important that we think about the thinks that we have accomplished as well as the things that we want to accomplish in the future. Lately, I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I am going to do after high school. Honestly I don't really have a strong idea of what I want to do, but I think I have made some progress on narrowing down my options. This is one example of how important self reflection is. I pretty much know how I'm going to do throughout the rest of high school, so it makes me get a better understanding of what I can do for college, and even after. Without taking time to think about these important decisions that I will have to make in the near future, I would be completely lost and could end up making a wrong decision that could truly reshape how my life plays out. Self reflection and separating oneself from society are closely related, but sometimes self reflection can be easier when talking with someone that has been through the same experiences. Most times, these types of people can get you on the right track to make the right decision for yourself.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Journal 19 Ideal United States
In my ideal United States there would be a lot of differences when compared to today's country. One major thing that I would have would be improved food for the nation. America has one of the highest obesity levels in the world. This is something that I just cannot stand. It is really disgusting to see some of the people our area, but it’s not only how disgusting it is, it is also for the health of the country overall. People living healthier lives means longer life spans on average for the population of the country. Another change would be the public education system. A lot of times the foreign exchange students tell me that the classes that they have in Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and many other countries in the world, they speak of how much more difficult the classes that they are taking there are. Most of the time, language barrier is the only thing that slows the foreign exchange students down in their education here. I think that a higher level of intelligence for the nation would help it out economically as well as in the world industries in general. Along with more education, I think that American students in the public school system should be required to learn either Mandarin or Spanish. This is because of the fact that they are among the most spoken languages in the world. It is important that a nation can work with other countries and cultures, and language is the first step to allowing this. Simon told me that about 85 to 90 percent of the population speaks English. This is a prime example of how the United States should be. Our school receives countless foreign exchange students every year, yet we never send anyone to another county. A lot of times as well, the exchange students actually speak better English then some of the people in our school, who to them it’s their primary language. What does this say about our countries education system? Simply that there is a lot of room for improvement. These are some of the changes that I would make to create a more ideal United States.
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