Journal #44

Forrest Gump exemplifies Postmodernism extremely well. It is told by a first-person narrator as he remembers and recounts the multiple adventures of his life. He starts his tale while sitting at a bus stop many years after its end. In the beginning, little Forrest was a crippled child. His legs were underdeveloped, and walking was hard enough for him that he needed metal braces on them. Then, one day, as he was being bullied by a group of kids from school, his best and only friend Jennie yelled, "Run, Forrest, run!" and that really put the fire on his butt. So, he began running; he ran and ran as fast as he could, and despite the braces, he ran very fast, just as fast as the bullies chasing him in a truck. He ran so fast, in fact, that those metal braces broke right off his legs, and he was able to make a clean getaway. Then, as his life continues, his mental disability brings him into the army. Quickly, they send poor, unknowing Forrest into the deep of war in Vietnam, where he meets a new friend, Bubba, an equal in mental ability but separate in color, who is a shrimp fisherman back at home, and Bubba invites Forrest to come fishing with him some time. Fighting erupts quickly, and Forrest finds himself in the position of rescuer for multiple wounded soldiers, including his commanding officer, Lieutenant Dan. Later on, Forrest receives commendations for his heroic efforts of the day, and he gets to meet President Nixon at the White House. While there, Forrest unintentionally exposes the Watergate scandal, forcing Nixon's resignation. More time passes, and he finds himself at an anti-war rally in Washington D.C. He is mistaken for a supporter of the anti-war effort and is forced to give an awkwardly unprepared speech into a microphone that is not plugged in. But, while on stage, his lost love Jennie runs into the reflecting pool, and Forrest runs out to meet her where they kiss passionately while the crowd cheers excitedly. Finally, Forrest goes on a run - a very, very long run. He runs for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours, nonstop. Along the way, he gains companions to run with him, and when a truck splashes mud in his face, he creates the iconic smiley-face t-shirt. And for the entire movie, Forrest is recounting everything as it happened in his life. The movie crosses a fictional plot line with real world events, such as the war in Vietnam, the Watergate scandal, and the smiley-face t-shirt. It is also conventional in his use of common storytelling.

Modernism Project

Works Cited:

Anderson, George Parker. "modernism." In Anderson, George P., Judith S. Baughman, Matthew J. Bruccoli, and Carl Rollyson, eds. Encyclopedia of American Literature, Revised Edition: Into the Modern: 1896–1945, Volume 3. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAmL1234&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 24, 2011).

Byrd, Steven. "Modern America, 1914." The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .

"Exploring the Function of Heroes and Heroines in Children's Literature from around the World. ERIC Digest." ERICDigests.Org - Providing Full-text Access to ERIC Digests. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .

Fox, Robert Elliot. "About Ishmael Reed's Life and Work." Modern American Poetry. The Oxford Companion to African American Literature, 1997. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .

"John Steinbeck Biography." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .

"John Steinbeck Biography". Nobelprize.org. 26 Apr 2011. .

Lathbury, Roger. American Modernism (1910-1945). New York, NY: Facts On File, 2006. Print.

Lorcher, Trent. "Modernism in Literature: What Is Modernism?" Bright Hub. Ed. S. Forsyth. 26 Dec. 2009. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .

Porky Pig That's All Folks. Photograph. WIT Work. Comp. P. Hafford. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. .

Reed, Ishmael. "Beware: Do Not Read This Poem." Poems on Poems. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .

Reed, Ishmael. "Jacket Notes." AfroPoets Famous Writers. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .

Steinbeck, John. “Breakfast.” PDF. (accessed April 24, 2011).

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1976. Print.

Taylor, Karen L. "modernism." Facts On File Companion to the French Novel. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CFN346&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 24, 2011).

Werlock, Abby H. P. "Steinbeck, John." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CASS777&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 24, 2011).

Journal #43

The first small section in the beginning has been the only part to really give me anything inside my head, and it is currently at about three minutes. I imagined a sad man slowly trudging through some sort of grassy knoll or snowy field. Then for the next two and a half minutes, there was a long series of seemingly random notes being played very fast and consecutively. It was certainly very impressive, but it was doing nothing to give me a picture of what the song is feeling or is about. Right now, there is a trumpet blast of power, but there aren't real emotions in random noise. I guess I just do not have the appreciation for this kind of music. All it reminds me of is either a set of elevator music because it does not stop or slow down but coherently combines multiple instrumental solos to make a very long piece of music or an old jazz club like I see on television sometimes. They are always full of piano and drum music because they are the main driving force to most of jazz music. If this guy tried to describe his life, I am pretty sure he failed because it was not interesting, and it changed mood twice. But, also, jazz is supposed to be upbeat and exciting, which, hopefully, accounts for most of the random series of notes going on throughout the "song." Jazz itself is a genre usually in awkward places, such as an elevator or a lobby of some sort, where people are there and wanted to be there, but no one wants to talk to anyone else because it would be extremely awkward. Ugh, I hate it when I just start rambling, there is nothing I can really do about it. There is just nothing I want more than to be done with this horrible blog entry. Oh! this song can remind me of a bumbling hummingbird because of the random, sporadic sets of notes, jumbled together in crazy compilations of sound and rhythms.

Realism and Modernism

Realism and Modernism are definitely two interesting times in literary history. Realism, when we were studying it, was a very boring time. I did not really like the pieces we were reading, if we were even reading literature, which I cannot remember. Modernism, however, is much more like how I would like to read and write. Modernism writing is still popular in many authors today because it is using more common dialect, not as dull or boring as many of the Realism pieces. Also, the philosophies themselves vary drastically when you really look at them. Realism deals mainly with a general attempt to depict subjects as they are considered to exist in the real life. Realism writers would take a beautiful garden scenery and turn it into a small patch of land, containing disgusting little insects falling all over the colorful plants. To me, it seems like making an real point of view involves searching for the little, pointless things to bring down or negate the wondrous effects of beauty on the human body and soul. Modernism was a revolt against the Realism movement, which had gotten too boring and monotonous for many of the people who liked to read current literature. Now, keep in mind that revolting in literature is not the same as revolting in, let me say, the streets. Creating a riot is actually pretty easy when you have the right opinion and the right amount of shut down against those with that opinion. That would be an example of a public revolt. A revolt in literature, more or less, is a somewhat subtle change in how author's write. For example, one author, let me name him Alfred, would say to himself, "wait a second, this is dumb. Why do I need to keep writing like this? People have changed the way we write before, so why can I not change it just one more time?" So, then Alfred would start creating his own writing style in whatever ways he wants. Later at some time, he would go down the street to get a cup of flour for the loaf of bread he is making, strike up a conversation with his friendly neighbor, Mr. Spenner, and chat with him about his new philosophy of writing literature. Then, Mr. Spenner would say something like, "Oh my, that sounds peachy keen! I think I want to write like that, too! Thank you, neighbor Alfred, for telling me all about your brilliant new plan! I will tell all of my other friends!" But, unfortunately, Mr. Spenner does not have any other friends, but then people would be able to read these kind of works from a multitude of sources. Eventually, more and more writers would be using this technique, and that is how a literary revolt comes about. Of course, there are various versions of how a revolt comes, but that is just an example. Modernism no longer depended on real perceptions of stuff during the day, but it made a brand new concept for writers to take their own spin off of.

Job Shadowing Reflection

I thought being a structural/civil engineer would be exactly the same as what it turned out to be. Honestly, it was all pretty boring, and it takes a certain brand of person to do the job because it just looked like an eight-hour workday of torture. Everyday, the person who I shadowed, Mr. Megginson, comes to work in his drury second floor office and deals with the same line of work. His job is to approve bridge drawings and send them to IDOT to be approved. His smaller-classed workers would have made the plans, and then the IDOT plans would be sent to a contractor. His position is more that of a manager and not really a leave-the-office person. This really does not seem to appeal to me because I really would not like to sit in an office doing literally the same thing every day of a twenty, or more, year section of my life. Also, I have already done some research into what I want to do, and mechanical engineering would be more along the lines I am looking for. I did learn about the life of a structural/civil engineer, though, and how I do not want it.

Journal #42

Honestly, I would much rather be forced to write my own bad poetry than have to read any of the poems from either Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman. Whitman is super crazy in the topics that he talks about because he uses all sorts of random and ridiculous philosophies that he made up in his early years that no one really understands. There might be some people who think they can "decode" Whitman's writing, but they are clearly all a bunch of liars. His Everyman concept told of the godliness in every man, creating a new level of where godliness would be acclaimed, resetting that no one is a god at all. They have honestly become nothing more than a regular person, and gods would be, in turn, reset on a new level of godliness. Dickinson is just annoying because all of her poems have double-meanings or even more than just two meanings. It makes a lot of confusion among interpretations given by various people. For instance, heavily Christian critics would, most likely, give a spiritual meaning in all of her work, despite her accidental involvement of a relationship to Jesus, even if it is an implication of his name. Honestly, I think my poetry would deal more with my life and how I feel, mainly about the things that happen in my life and my reactions to them. I do not feel like it would or could have a double-meaning, and I strongly dislike both of these authors for their numerous poems using double-meanings. I need to invent a time machine for multiple purposes. I need to go back to slap these authors in the face for writing such poetry that I just do not like. Of course, there are a few more people and places I would need to go back to to solve problems within the United States and its international affairs. But, if I still had to choose, I think I might have to pick Dickinson to be forced to read.

"Going to Heaven"

So, here I am about a month and a half after this was due, starting to write it. I already put the poem into the post, so I know what this is supposed to be about, but I do not know who wrote this... Oops. Anyway, after rereading this, I think I really like the first paragraph the most because everything is so true. I do not know how my life will end or what it will feel like to die because I have never experienced death. And, if I do go to something like Heaven, I could only hope it be as beautiful as what people think it might be. But, when the author says, "how dim it sounds," that should resonate in everyone's heart and mind because the thought of death really is a bleak outlook. I cannot imagine how it could look like or how it would smell or feel like physically. Then, in the second paragraph, the author is talking about how death could just be like "eh yeah sure it happened, but we can both be there together, and everything will be alright." I really think this is a shared dream of everyone because no one wants to be lonely in death. That's just a boring thought. I mean, who wants to go somewhere all alone but not in search of someone to spend the time with? Um, I think that answer would probably be no one. But, in the end, we will all be friends in Heaven because we all have nothing left to do with our lives, literally. Then, in the last line, the author claims that we are all back home in death because, according to Christianity, we all came from God, and when we die, we will all be returned to his glory. But, in the last paragraph, the poem just really loses me. I do not understand what the author is not believing, and my whole life is confusing, and I think my confusion in everything else is making me confused in multiple things at once, and I just wish it would all go away and I could be done writing this blog now. But, since I have to keep going, I would also like to continue looking around this ground because I am not ready to die. Although I am curious what it feels like, I do not think I would be happy in the end if it were all to end. It is a true shame that people are taken away from us. What if no one died? Well, that was a stupid question because then the world would get overpopulated, and people would die because the earth would run out of resources extremely quickly. I do not think we could last together on Earth, but I also wonder, if it is real, about the population in Heaven. What if God has too many people to look after, and he ends up dumping people off to the side because there's no more room for them? What would happen to their "souls?" And would more people still be admitted, causing more and more people to face the same fate?

Journal #41

Emily Dickinson wrote many poems of varying lengths in her secluded lifetime. There were many, such as "Faith is a Fine Invention," written to be interpreted in a multitude of equally varying ways. In this four line, one stanza poem from Dickinson, faith itself is the main focus. Not only does she attack faith, but she does so by picking apart the flaws in faith using scientific evidence in the shape of the implementation of the microscope. Now, as some people may not know, I do not like overly examining pretty much anything. And, sadly, Dickinson is famous for making poems that cause the reader to examine them from multiple points of view. So, instead of taking on the points of view of multiple people, all of which are clearly not me, I think I will stick to my own perspective on this poem. First of all, I hate Dickinson...a lot. Faith, in my opinion, is not a fine invention because it honestly only creates difficulties among people. Each set of religious views is different from the others in many ways, let them be ranging from very small to a complete change in deity. You never really know. And when those followers of certain religions clash with those of others, some people do not take lightly to the idea of another religion being more suitable to the other person. Hate crimes are just as common for religious views as they are for race or color. Next, faith really gives people places to rest their aggression. After all, in times of trouble, what would people exclaim other than "God dang it!" or a variation, which still contains the same implication of a god. When something bad happens, they ask God for a way out because they are too afraid to "man up" and take control of the situation, despite their ability of regaining control - if you cause the problem, you should be able to figure out a solution. Oh, hey, look! I'm done!

Journal #40

Throughout all of Whitman's poems, there is a central idea of exploring a concept he made up which deals with inner struggles and emotions. I feel like this Self idea is more about the introvert within all of us than anything. Not only are his poems about subjects that had not been studied yet, but they are usually just plain weird. For example, I analyzed Whitman's "We Two Boys Together Clinging." In that poem, Whitman suggests his homosexuality in that the two boys mentioned in the title are forever bound by love. Few writers, if any others, were homosexual in this time period, and it was even more unlikely that one would write about his or her homosexuality in general writing. Whitman helped move more and more homosexual writers into publishing their works, but his beliefs also crossed against Christian views. Homosexuality is viewed commonly as unchristian because God did not include any accounts of homosexual acts in the Bible, being interpreted by many as considering homosexuality a bad thing. I think the Self should not consider the opinions of others in anything. The only really important voice to listen to should be the one inside yourself because you are the only one who actually knows what you want out of life. Furthermore, I think the Self inside myself is always right. I should stand up for what I believe in, and that belief should be represented in the ways I think. Also, the Self is very condescending in that it says gods are within all of us. I do not think it is fair to assume this from Whitman's Self because not everyone holds high society roles, and many of those people without those positions are not looked up to by anyone. They tend to take advantage of the system, an ungodly trait, and lie to get what they want. Keep in mind, this whole time, I should be saying "we" because I am also a victim of these thoughts. But, a god is something to be admired - something beyond special and not anywhere near a mere mortal's grasping.

"An Army Corps on the March"

I think I like this poem the most out of the ones I have read from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. "An Army Corps on the March" was probably the first one I fully understood without the use of a criticism to help explain it to me, and honestly, I enjoyed reading it. I think it might have had something to do with the obvious subject, as opposed to the confusing topics of love and random thoughts in many of his other poems. The basis of the poem is an army division's march into battle. Gunshots are spread all around them, and dust and debris are in the air, but the brave warriors do not stop or slow down (Whitman). This is a true testament to the bravery that must be in the hearts of soldiers to knowingly press onward to certain death. Whitman makes the situation sound so bleak and hopeless because of the specific word choice he employs in this poem. "Glittering dimly, toiling under the sun—the dust-cover'd men, In columns rise and fall to the undulations of the ground" (Whitman). A dim glitter from the soldiers' uniforms sounds like a brief glimpse of hope because the sun is reflecting off the men in a bright and sparkling way. Toil is a form of great hopelessness, however. Essentially, the men are seeking a way out of the battle or an easy win, but, no matter what they do, there is no easy way to get out of the army at this point. Dust covered, the men are tired and exhausted, and they have certainly not had good, restful sleep in a long while. In other words, this sentence reads, "Exhausted, the soldiers press hopelessly forward into battle but are easily deterred by the shaking in the ground from heavy artillery fire." However dim the situation appears, there is still nobility to be found in entering the battle with a high heart. The final four lines of the poem suggest a peaceful enough surrounding, despite the troop being under heavy enemy fire (Oliver). This is also truly a story of the American Hero because he is one who stands bravely, whether alone or among brothers, and fights for what he believes in. All of these men, if still alive today, would receive high honors for their glorious conquest in this battle, which is reported in a very Realistic way. Whitman is believed to be the segue into modernism writing, but his writing style in this poem appear to have come from previous years of writers. Again, his word choice is precise, so that there is no stipulation of meaning, unlike many others of his writing. It was not necessarily made for the examination of the Self, nor did it implore the use of Whitman's everyman concept. But, his understood characters represented an elite group of American citizens, one that is rare and usually unseen. In other words, this poem could hardly fit in with any of works I have read from his Leaves of Grass book. It is so radically different, both in concept and writing styles.


Works Cited

Oliver, Charles M. "'An Army Corps on the March'." 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. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW023&SingleRecord=True. 8 Mar. 2011.

Whitman, Walt. "An Army Corps on the March." The Walt Whitman Archive. http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1891/poems/160. 8 Mar. 2011.

"As Adam Early in the Morning"

Like many poems from Walt Whitman, "As Adam in the Morning" is no exception to Whitman's usual writing topics of Christianity, free verse, and the everyman, but he also implores sensuality in this explicit poem. The Adam fellow that is in this poem is clearly refering to Adam in the story of Adam and Eve, in which these two people are the first ones on Earth, and they are charged with the task of populating the planet. Although it is very short, being only one stanza, this poem is still able to capture Whitman's thoughts without shorting on emotions or passion. Some of the most commonly used themes from this great American poet are present yet again in "As Adam in the Morning." To start, free verse is, basically, the only way Whitman ever wrote his poetry. Rather than creating a beautiful rhyme scheme to complicate the word choice, Whitman wrote much of his poetry, like this, without regular patterns or rhymes, as if it were meant to be read as in a normal conversation. However, the passion is still strong because of the talk of sensuality and love between the speaker and an unknown recipient. Sexuality is a also a common theme in much of Whitman's writing, including his Leaves of Grass. Whitman addresses man's sensuality as being one of the most important driving forces for good in the world (Oliver). The last two lines of the poem, "Touch me, touch the palm of your hand to my body as I pass, Be not afraid of my body," (Whitman) illuminates the passion in Whitman's writing of this poem. Along with sensuality, Christianity is another common theme in pretty much all of Whitman's writing. Literally interpreted, Adam is the same Adam from the Garden of Eden, mainly because the name Adam is used in the title and beginning line. However, just like a lot of poetry in general, there is still another direction from which to view the poem because, in one line from "As Adam Early in the Morning," the speaker says, "behold me" (Whitman). True, this is something any mere mortal could declare, but "God" might be more likely to say a more pure command (Huff) than a humble Adam. This viewpoint would change the entire meaning of the last two lines from being of sensuality to being a Christian calling. The physical touching is a more obvious and popping explanation of the lines, but this new concept would make a more significant meaning of accepting God into your life. Finally, the everyman is an enormous concept that Whitman frequently touched upon. In this case, Adam is seen as the average person and so is the recipient of the speaker's message. Afterall, who could be better at representing the world than the one who helped start it, according to Christian beliefs? His ideals are very prominent in this poem from Leaves of Grass. This free verse poem, which includes the everyman concept, parts of Christianity, and sensual writing, includes characteristics that represent the renowned Walt Whitman.


Works Cited

Huff, Randall. "'As Adam Early in the Morning'." The Facts On File Companion to American Poetry, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CPAP0028&SingleRecord=True. 6 Mar. 2011.

Oliver, Charles M. "'As Adam Early in the Morning'." 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. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW026&SingleRecord=True. 6 Mar. 2011.

Whitman, Walt. "As Adam Early in the Morning" for Leaves of Grass. The Walt Whitman Archive. Online. http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/. 6 Mar. 2011.

Journal #39

Whitman's poem, called "Bardic Symbols," is a classic example of themes like America, the everyman, and Christianity and spirituality, but, simultaneously, the poem is very difficult to understand and confusing due to the multiple symbols he uses. Basically, the speaker is walking along the shoreline, and some sticks wash up onto the beach before him, and he tries to study the useless garbage to find a hidden meaning. But, this task is extremely difficult because he is just unable to put his finger on what it might mean. And, by thinking of these sticks, the speaker also begins searching for the meaning of life. This same confusion is mentioned in William Dean Howells' criticism of "Bardic Symbols." Essentially, Howells says that no one can interpret this oddly twisted message because it is not their right to simply infer what Whitman's message is because only Whitman himself could know the true meaning. Whitman also, somehow, incorporates his ideas of the everyman, Christianity, and America into this general concept. First, the everyman is portrayed with the random "Joe Shmoe" walking on the beach because it is a very common place for people to go. Next, Whitman creates this little world in the poem, reflecting America as a whole. The ocean is America, and its job is to give out great wonders, represented by the sticks, in this case. It is like the ocean has secrets for the passerby, and this particular man happens to notice them. But, unfortunately, these secrets are not defined as absolute. In fact, they are nearly impossible to explain, even to begin scratching the surface. Their meaning is not just written down, and that is where all of the troubles come from in determining what to think of Whitman's writing. Whitman's views of Christianity work in the same basic manner. This "God" is an inanimate character who provides his best followers with a mysterious salvation in the alleged afterlife. Similar to how man does not know what happens after death, the speaker in the poem does not know what to do after the sticks have washed up on shore.

"We Two Boys Together Clinging"

This is most likely the easiest poem to understand from Whitman's collection, but having a criticism to back me up is still retty nice. In "We Two Boys Together Clinging," a dynamic duo of young boys goes parading through various towns of the North and the South, taking part in numerous loud and obnoxious activities such as dringking, thieving, and enjoying public power; all the time, the boys never left each other's side (Whitman). Then, however, with the last line, the speaker reveals that the two boys are homosexual and that they have been marauding places for food and to see the shocked faces of the people when they recognize their homosexuality (Oliver). Normally, Whitman would write about the "self" or the "everyman," but I do not believe either of these are strongly involved in "We Two Boys Together Clinging." The story itself is not really self-enhancing because the speaker does not refer to anything that sets up a sense of fulfillment. The boys merely travel from location to location, scrounging for food and laughs, but they do not lead full lives. In fact, their lives are hallow and lacking, and they should be, at least, trying to build a solid relationship with each other to base their adventures less on necessity and more on friendship. The "everyman," however, is slightly prevelant in the people the boys visit, like the priests, because religion was a large basis for the lives of the common citizen (Whitman). Men worked for food or money and took their family to church every week. Society, also, is extremely important in this poem because of the places the boys go. The reactions of the regular people are presumably over the top if the boys get so much joy out of watching them. In the real world's society, homosexuality was not so highly viewed because it was so radically different, like how African Americans were only beginning the fight for equality in rights, schooling, and freedom. But, still, homosexual rights are not even established today to the fullest. There are still many active social groups for the advancement of homosexuals, so it is obvious that these boys in "We Two Boys Together Clinging" do not receive equal treatment because of the reactions of the public. Now, seeing that I have exhausted every topic that has come into my mind, I would like to say that this poem, "We Two Boys Together Clinging" is actually a decent poem. True, it has not rhyme scheme or purpose for its writing, but I like the boldness of the topic. Homosexuality is hardly ever a topic in works we cover in an English class. Whitman captured the real reason behind why the boys were traveling so much in a "beating around the bush" kind of way, too. Also, I had to think a little, but no too much, to figure out that the boys were gay and that they were literally loving each other like the story says, and not just dancing through life in a lovely fashion.


Works Cited

Oliver, Charles M. "'We Two Boys Together Clinging'." 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. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW566&SingleRecord=True. 02 Mar. 2011.

Whitman, Walt. "We Two Boys Together Clinging. (Leaves of Grass [1891-1892])." The Walt Whitman Archive. Ed. Ed Folsom and Kenneth M. Price. 1995. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. .

Journal #38

Well, honestly, I do not really see actual examples of how the "everyman" or Christianity is placed in "As I Watch'd the Ploughman Ploughing" at all. The poem is dumb, and Whitman is not the amazing, super-awesome poem every English teacher thinks of him as. Basically, Whitman is creeping on this guy minding his own business, working in his field, and Whitman compares him to life in the ploughing land and death in the harvest he reaps. Seriously, I do not see any connection to the "everyman," unless I am supposed to consider the man being a farmer to be the relation to the average person. But, if I were not a farmer at this time, I would probably not have a relation to this poem because it is entirely about farming, and I would obviously need to know what "tilling" is, which is a term used in agriculture. Then, there could also be a small view from which spirituality can be seen because of the life and death in each side of the same thing. Obviously, life and death act in a cycle because death is always at the end of life, and life, therefore, could be assumed to follow death as well. With the tillage, new soil is brought up from the ground, and it is able to bring wonderful new life to the crops it holds. As the harvest is taken, however, the farmer must cut the plant from its source of life, resulting in the death of the plant. I feel like I am just rambling in circles, but I also think it is Whitman's fault because of the paradox of logic he implores in his writing. Finally, society of the time is strongly reperesented in this short poem because the character is watching the average person, a ploughman, and he has also seen a sower and harvester. This must be evidence that those people are in abundance during the time, which is true because much living of the time period was based on subsistence farming, which employed everyone in agriculture to be able to feed the family.

Whitman’s Self and Song

Describing the Self is a difficult topic to complete or even complete to the fullest. It is sometimes awkward to focus entirely on one’s self, not only in writing but also in normal speech and conversation. However, Whitman captures himself in an apparently great way because, in his poem from his Leaves of Grass collection entitled “Excelsior,” Whitman asks question after rhetorical question wondering who could be more proud, happy, or benevolent, as examples, than he. Whitman does not show himself modestly, not even in the least. He thinks of himself as an almost godly figure (Whitman, “Excelsior”). He describes his persona as loved and lavished in friendship, wealth, and absolute perfection (Whitman, “Excelsior”).

In “O Captain! My Captain!,” Whitman examines another aspect of his Self by including sorrow in the story. The poor man, the narrator, is so excited to be landing once again after a dangerous trip out at sea because they have accomplished their goal, which is not specified. However, when the small commotion of coming into the dock settles, a gathering of eyes had settled on the lifeless body of the ship’s late captain, there on deck (Whitman, “O Captain!”). His Self is interfering with the common reaction to such a situation because the Self is mainly concentrated on the personal feelings and outlooks on life. Whitman is still overly excited about their success out at sea, but he needs to feel remorse for the loss of his trusty captain alongside the rest of his normal crew. In the final stanza of the poem, Whitman declares, “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, “O Captain!”). Clearly, his mission out to sea was victorious, and it is fair that he is happy of its success, but there is, literally, a dead man lying there on the same boat he is on.

Song is a factor of the common poem because of the rhyme scheme and the way the lines flow together. The meter with which Whitman writes is hardly ever common among each poem, despite being collected together in Leaves of Grass. For example, in “One Song, America, Before I Go,” Whitman uses absolutely no rhyme pattern or similar length of each line, but the song of which he speaks is of his love for the country as a whole, which slightly disagrees with his other poem, “Excelsior.” But, his Self seems to incorporate the song of some of his writings as well. His few rhymes match others in different lines and in varying places, and the point of his work with the Self is to analyze and focus on the personal being. This being has also created the poem itself, so song, in a sense, is the same as the Self. The song gives a poem its beauty, while the Self relies on harsh reality, much like the views of Realism. Without one another, the Self or song in the poem cannot stand up as a single, good poem. They actually rely on each other.


Works Cited

Whitman, Walt. “Excelsior.” 1900. Online. 24 Feb. 2011.
Whitman, Walt. “O Captain! My Captain!” 1900. Online. 24 Feb. 2011.
Whitman, Walt. “One Song, America, Before I Go.” 1900. Online. 24 Feb. 2011.

Journal #37

Oh, my goodness, this might have been the most difficult piece to understand, but, after trying to read it multiple times (trying), Whitman's Language of the Self reveals an extremely egotistical side of Whitman. Why would someone elect to write fully about himself unless he is simply in love with himself, or narcissistic. Many scholarly works give hint to Whitman's obvious self-absorption and the great effects it has on his writing. The main point of his writing is to define the "self." Unfortunately, however, his "self" only includes his own self. His attempts to portray his self led to much self-imposed conflict about how he could possibly be a respectable figure. It was not that he had some sort of spectacular writing ability, but he just chose to talk about a new subject, and, apparently, that subject is no longer interesting to audiences of today. His comparisons to God of how "I" am God and how God is myself make a sense of impossible circularity in that, then, everyone would be a God, and who would really be a God if everyone is a God. I think "God" is a relative term because a "God" should be a figure that has more power or significance than other people, but if we are all godly, then we are all on the same level of significance again, and no one is truly godly anymore. Also, how can he just assume that he is a God? I would neve just assume that I am that amazingly important to the entire world because I know a lot better than being that stupid, honestly. It seems just disgusting to think Whitman could be that in love with himself to think that he is so much more amazing than any other part of humanity. It just is not fair. Also, like I said, this criticism was very difficult to read, but it is still very credible because the author is clearly well versed on Whitman's views of his writing. There is a lot of support, and it is very evident just on first glance because of its immense length. This support was embodied enough for me to really dislike Whitman, not only because we are no doing a "unit" on his writing, but also just because he is so wrapped up in himself, and it is really just not respectable.

Journal #36

I love food so much. It really is not even funny, but the problem with loving food so much is that I really do not have a specific "favorite meal." No, wait, I think that might be false. I am sorry. I believe the best thing I have ever eaten is my dad's chicken cordon blue. He begins with raw chicken breasts, plump, pink, and slightly firm, and he whacks them a few times with a sleek, shiny, silver hammer to make the meat tender to the tongue. He gets out a sharp knife and runs it through the breast of the chicken to make a sort of taco shell shape. He then stuffs the chicken with freshly heated, thin cut ham strips, almost to the consistency of melted butter. When the ham cooks, an aroma wafts into the air - one of the sweet smells of downhome, country cookin'. The crackling of the grease is enough to make me want to eat it there. Meanwhile, he gets a large pot of water boiling for the pasta to start cooking. Just when the pasta is put into the rolling boil of water, my dad crusts the stuffed chicken with cheesy breadcrumbs and cooks the popping chicken in the same skillet that holds the delicious remaining juices from the ham. This combination infuses the flavor of ham into the chicken to give it a double punch of ham. He melts a combination of Swiss, cheddar, American, and provolone cheeses over each juicy piece of chicken in the skillet. When the pasta is cooked to just over al dente, which is soft but slightly firm, it is taken out of the pot and steam bathed until the chicken finishes, too. Each ooey-gooey helping of chicken is plated over a fresh mound of pasta and topped with even more breadcrumbs and melted cheese, creating an explosion of flavor in your mouth for your delightful enjoyment. Oh, I love food.

Journal #35

Well, first of all, it would probably be extremely dangerous to be on the front lines with the troops if I were only a news reporter, primarily because I would die - instantly - since I would not have a weapon or anything to defend myself. That, just by itself, would be very scary, too. Wow. I hate technology so much. I actually just finished typing 348 words from that point, and then Blogger decides to go all jank mode on my life and make me restart. Again, thanks, Blogger. But, if I can remember any of what I just rambled about, my life would probably end in like 51 seconds if I were actually in the middle of a war. I mean, why would I intentionally put myself out in the way of harm for a stupid job? I could probably just get a different job - one that does not wish to kill me. However, if I were to survive longer than 51 seconds and make it through the entire battle, that would be really awesome. All of the glory that comes with being a veteran of a war and all the normal money that comes in from having a steady work force job would be in my possession. How perfect, right? Honor and riches are the two points of the American Dream, afterall. So, now I am a war hero and a multi-millionaire. Is there really anything better in life? That would make for a pretty darn good story to tell the grandkids, you know. Also, I would not have to go through any of the training like a soldier, and I would not have to be yelled at (too much) by officers, unless I am blatantly standing in their way with my obvious lack of knowledge of what is happening around me. Then, if I did so choose, I could just quit after a few articles, when the going gets tough for the army, and I will still be alive and look freakin' awesome to everyone. So, yes, I think that was 325 words.

Jack London - "To Build a Fire"

Naturalism is a huge understatement for Jack London's "To Build a Fire." With a focus entirely on nature and the human interpretation of it, this subgenre of Realism relates to Darwin's theory of "survival of the fittest" (Werlock). London's "To Build a Fire" tells the story of a man and his Huskie exploring the Alaskan wilderness in the depths of winter, where it is very, very cold. The poor man's basic survival instincts are diminished by the dog's amazing sense of protection in this epic battle between life and the harsh cold of a deep Alaskan winter (London, 603-614). There is so much the reader can assume from the title of the story, alone. At first, it is apparent that the story must teach some sort of wilderness lesson, such as how to actually build a fire, but it can also be assumed that the wilderness puts the main character in some sort of survival situation in which he will need to learn to cope with the situation, despite its bleak outlook. Naturalism is truly a large concern here this concept deals with the interaction between man and nature and the overall survival, which brings out his most primitive instincts (Werlock). As the unprepared man travels out to Alaska in search of gold, his mind is not set on the signs of increasing danger, such as the immensely growing cold weather (London, 603-614). Still, as taken from the title, the reader is able to assume that the character will have to comply with some sort of struggle with nature. However, as the story picks up, nature does nearly nothing of drastic proportion to halt the man and his dog, but it just keeps up with the well below freezing temperatures, making the man lose his care about gold eventually (London, 603-614). The main focus of the short story is to bring out the man's, and dog's, instincts to the point of where the man is hardly even a functioning human anymore, but his bodily instincts take over his mental toughness in order to ensure survival. Darwinism plays an enormous part in Naturalism, as well (Werlock), and this theory is illustrated well in "To Build a Fire." The main character is not really fighting against another being to stay alive, but his fight is against his body and will (London, 603-614). Next, to cover the remaining topics, society is fairly unimportant in this story because the focus is all about the human nature of the main character. Religion is useless in this story, too, because the man mentions no references of God even throughout his entire span out in the difficult wilderness. Also, government does not have anything to do with "To Build a Fire" because the government is not strong in Alaska since it covers such a grand expanse of land. Finally, the American Dream and the Hero are not quite as present in this story either as result of the bleak situation the character and his dog are placed in. And, finally, the language is extremely simple, almost modern, hinting at a new shift from the Civil War era's Realism to a much more modern style of writing.


Works Cited

London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 603-614. Print.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "naturalism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0501&SingleRecord=True. 15 Feb. 2011.

Edwin Arlington Robinson - "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy"

In Edwin Arlington Robinson's two poems, here, entitled "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy," there is a simple story of chasing the perfect dream. Each individual has his own idea of what their American Dream is, but each one also finds it impossible to achieve. In "Richard Cory," the character, presumably Richard Cory himself, is described as a well-off man of perfect stature and whom everyone else wants to be (Robinson, "Richard Cory," 575). His life is oh so wonderful because he is the perfect gentleman and a noble citizen of the community who is envied by all for his grace, elegance, charm, and vast riches, to boot (Robinson, "Richard Cory," 575). Unfortunately, Richard Cory was apparently unhappy with his life because, on one summer night, he went back to his house and shot himself (Robinson, "Richard Cory," 575). Here, Realism is harsh. This poor man finds all of what the American Dream has to offer, but he does not want it; he does not want the attention of the whole town. His life was meant to be regular, so he was very unhappy with it. Realism is characterized in this piece because Cory is described so bluntly. The same story happens in "Miniver Cheevy." Cheevy is imagining all sorts of different and fantastic places and people he could be. He dreams of being a knight in Camelot, being a member of the Italian Medici, the time of the valiant warrior, and the art of the Romance (Robinson, "Miniver Cheevy," 576). All of these magical instances are of beauty and amazement, but they are all only in his dreams. When his fantasies sound just so perfect, he comes back to reality, drinking alone in a bar (Robinson, "Miniver Cheevy," 576). Problems with society are present in both of these stories because the other people, whether in the town or in dreams, push each character into the ending of both stories. Cory commits suicide because of the envy the townspeople have over him, and Cheevy can only dream of the places he could be because society has dropped him off at the bar, probably leaving him no money source or anything else to do all day. Once again, religion and government have nothing to do with either of these poems from Robinson. Nature is unimportant, also, even though it touches it briefly in "Richard Cory." Human nature, however, is important in both stories. Richard Cheevy is driven to the point of madness because of the suppressing atmosphere in which he lives. He is admired by so many people because of the things he had, but he does not like it or want it to continue; in general, huaman nature is difficult to describe in "Richard Cory." However, it is certainly natural to dream of the best possibilities, even while knowing they would be impossible, like Miniver Cheevy does. His daydreams are only the cause of alcoholic sorrows, but it is always nice to put yourself in the shoes of someone who you would love to be. Finally, the Hero could only be death for both people. In Cory's case, the Hero comes to "save" his life, but Cheevy's Hero could only end his life. In the "afterlife," it could be said that Cheevy's spirit would search the world for the perfect resting place, never to find it, but keeping him held out of drinking and longing for the chance to search.


Works Cited

Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Miniver Cheevy." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 576. Print.

Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 575. Print.