Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond by E.E Cummings

Journal #31

My job shadowing experience was a good one I think. First, I did not get the memo though that the floor would be really hot. I got overheated and almost passed out in the 11 o clock hour and was going to have my dad come pick me up. I sat in the break room for about a half hour until I cooled down and then decided I was well enough to go back on the floor with my person. I thought the job shadowing experience put in to perspective how much work that these people do on a daily basis. The girl I worked with was quick because it has taken her years to learn the computer, so she knew how to type everything in really fast and get caught up on her work. I learned that is it is hard not to develop and emotional attachment to the patients. Even in the short time I was there, I felt bad for the 93 year old man that we were taking care of. He was so nice and talkative, and it was hard to put aside feelings for profession. I think that is okay though if I want to study oncology because the patients need that kind of support and comfort while maintaining a professional status. I think that based on the experience I could go into that career, just in a different area. The person I shadowed was the charge nurse so she called all the shots on the floor that day and she only had two patients to look after the whole day. I think I need to get over some things first. Like she watched one of her patients throw up all over himself, but she cleaned it up and came right in the break room and ate her food. Looking back now, there really was a lot of downtime on the job, which I was not expecting. She sat doing paper work and computer work for the majority of the time until one of her patients would ring the buzzer for help. I think that if I were to go in to a nursing career I would want to be a little busier. I did not like just sitting down a lot because I wanted to be up doing other things. I think my experience overall was a good one and I might go back and shadow strictly oncology sometime soon.

Journal #30

http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1891/poems/46 

This is my favorite Walt Whitman poem because it describes me and I can personally relate to it. Basically, I like it because it talks about escaping from the world and from the people and just finding yourself. It says, "Escaped from the life that exhibits itself, from all the standards hitherto publish'd, from the pleasures, profits, conformities, which too long I was offering to feed my soul." That quote represents all of Whitman's works because he was always trying to define self. In order to do so, he had to escape the world and not give in to society to feed or define his soul. He had to go elsewhere in order to find his soul or self instead of looking through the eyes of other people. I like this poem a lot because I can take a lot of advice from it. I think that it is a good thing to get away from the world for awhile and clear all your thoughts. The world puts a lot of information into your head without you even realizing it and in a way it shapes who we are. I just find the poem very inspiring. Also the part that says, "for in this secluded spot I can respond as I would not dare elsewhere" is a very powerful quote. In this sacred place where he escapes he can finally be himself and for me that is very hard to find and even harder to do because people always seem to know something. The fact that the poem talks about just escaping and it how the poem makes it sound so easy is a little misleading, but it gives a sense of hope that it is possible. Also the quote "Strong upon me the life that does not exhibit itself, yet contains all the rest," seems to be a contradictory quote because it talks about how he escaped from the world and society, but society and the world contains things that he needs. I think Whitman is confused on who he is and we cannot really define self or really find ourselves completely because we are always growing and changing in some way, shape, or form.

Chanting the Square Deific Reflection Blog

From the very beginning of "Chanting the Square Deific," strong views about superior beings are present. The title says it all. The Square Deific refers to the points of a square representing each deity and how they're connected (Oliver, Charles M.). Whitman uses self perception, the worlds perception, and the soul to represent the different aspects that make up the idea of "self."

The first stanza is representing God (Whitman, Walt). In those lines, God has many different personalities and is very accommodating to many people with other religions; Jehovah being the first described. Jehovah is another name for Jesus(Johnson, Phillip). Then Walt Whitman goes more in depth by including "Old Brahm," which is the word used to represent the God of Hindu mythology, and "Saturnius," which is the word used to represent the God of Roman mythology(Oliver, Charles M.). So, God is only one section of this quaternity, but is powerful and unchanging, at the up most importance to religion. The fact that Kronos, the God of time, is mentioned is important because God is represented as timeless and the ultimate chooser of fate, who can change people's paths, overall affecting one's self perception. Since the stanzas explain these superior beings from the speaker's point of view, there are very different connotations that can be taken away from it. In this case, the speaker is using his self image to describe how he sees God. For instance, he mentions how God is relentless, merciless, and remorseless giving a more negative connotation on God (Oliver, Charles M.). These feelings expressed by the speaker are probably from life experiences, or the times that God was "unfair" in life.

The second stanza Christ being the second side of the square, directly connected to God. There is a different tone with this stanza because the speaker has a more positive connotation of Jesus, rather than God (Whitman, Walt). Jesus in this stanza is represented as a survivor when the speaker says, "Many times have I been rejected, taunted, put in prison, and crucified, and many times shall be again." The speakers words are powerful here because God has such negatives words to represent him, but Jesus, who is second in the quaternity is loving, and gentle, a survivor, and full of wisdom (Oliver, Charles M.).

The third stanza is about Satan, or commonly known as the devil, and makes up the third side of the square deific. Satan is described as the being who still utters his words and his being to people trying to revolt them from the ways of God and Jesus and those who have a different, more positive power (Whitman, Walt). The speaker gives Satan common perceptions, but also understands that there is a different side, one that is a little condescending of people who have struggled, in this case slaves (Oliver, Charles M.).

The fourth stanza is about Santa Spiritia, which is also know as the soul, and it makes up the fourth and final side of the square (Whitman, Walt). The soul may be the most powerful part because without this soul, one would not be able to distinguish between God, Jesus, and Satan, or give opinions and perceptions of these beings. The most powerful quote is the very end, where this general soul lives through these other three beings(Oliver, Charles M.). This soul affects "self" because it is most solid and represents life. This soul determines decisions, opinions, personality, each belonging to one's self image and how other people perceive that image. So overall, the quaternity can be represented through the soul, which represents life and affects everything that happens in life.

Johnson, Phillip. "Who Is Jehovah? Who Is Jesus?" The Spurgeon Archive. 1996. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/deity.htm>.


Oliver, Charles M. "'Chanting the Square Deific'." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW082&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 4, 2012).


Whitman, Walt. "The Walt Whitman Archive." CHANTING THE SQUARE DEIFIC. (Leaves of Grass [1891-1892]) -. The Walt Whitman Achieve. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1891/poems/247>.

Journal #29

Self is really hard to define, simply because I have not fully developed myself. I am still young and have a long way to go, so I do not think "self" can really be defined until I am in the stable years of my life. I believe that I am here for a purpose. I think that there was a reason that God put me on this Earth. I am not sure what this purpose is yet, but I think that is in the journey of finding myself. As for who I am, my name is Courtney Rose. I am currently 16 years old. I have a mom named Barb, a dad named Brian, a brother named Carson, and a niece named Brooklynn. I am a junior. I am about 5'7 and the only sport I participate in anymore is poms. My favorite color is teal blue and I do not have a favorite food. I am hard to define and hard to understand because my thinking process is different from most other people. I am different from a lot of other people too. I do not involve myself in useless drama, and I tend to be pretty quiet. I am usually quiet because I just like to take things in. I am a hard worker and easily motivated. I go after what I want and I am not afraid of the people who try and get in my way. That is just me on the outside. I believe in God and I think that he does everything for a reason, although sometimes I do not understand. I like nature, but I take it for granted most of the time and do not feel "connected" to it like authors of the time period did. I do not believe that there even is a true definition of the word self, I think that you just kind of give it your own meaning. Whatever is chosen to be done in life is the meaning you give yourself. Your decisions, morals, expectations, etc. help to form your "self" and your image.

“Two Butterflies Went Out at Noon,” is an Emily Dickinson poem that is strictly focused on nature, and the aspects associated with nature. In this case, the poem is dealing with butterflies. The speaker is very monotone in this story. The fact that there are two butterflies is significant because that could represent something like a friendship or a relationship(Dickinson, Emily 18). Emily Dickinson had a “tiny” writing style and she usually incorporated things that were not very significant and seen by most people. In this story, the butterflies represent a part of nature that most people do not notice on the day to day. In this poem though, she describes how they are on a journey and no one knows about it.  Unless the birds came upon these two butterflies, no one would even notices that these two miraculous butterflies were on a tremendous and great journey.  Butterflies only live for a certain amount of time, so most people consider them insignificant, because one may think that butterflies do nothing for society, nature, etc.  But, in facts, butterflies are significant, and I think that is the message Emily Dickinson is trying to get across with her poem “Two Butterflies Went Out At Noon.” The great thing about this poem is the mystery that she puts into it. The butterflies are flying over the sea, but no one sees them, or hears them, so no word is brought to her, but yet she thinks up this whole scenario. This poem does reflect a lot of nature, but also a lot of love. The two butterflies are a couple and represent a symbol in this story. The mystery of this relationship is for the reader to make interpretations. Also in this poem, the speaker makes reference to birds when she says "if spoken by the distant bird, if met in ether sea by frigate or by merchantman, report was not to me"(Dickinson, Emily 18). The line incorporates the mystery of the story of the butterflies with the mystery of the journey with the bird in the poem below.

Since "Two Birds Went Out at Noon" was so short, we picked a poem that had the same theme called "A Bird Came Down the Walk." In this poem she is simply observing the observations of a bird, just like she was observing the butterflies. The mystery in the story is that the birds and butterflies do not know her and she does not know them, but she can figure out a lot about them by just watching. She combines the two poems with the line "Than two oars divide the ocean, too silver for a seam, or two butterflies, off banks of noon, leap, plashless, as they swim" (Dickinson, Emily 23) The line incorporates the theme of the butterflies flying over the ocean with the bird that is flying over the ocean too. The observances she makes in the poems are very unique. She attempts things that people ordinarily would not. She actually looks at the bird and breaks down every move that it makes (Dickinson, Emily 23). To her, everything has a meaning and a purpose.

Dickinson, Emily. "23. “A Bird Came down the Walk:.” Part Two: Nature. Dickinson, Emily. 1924. Complete Poems." 23. “A Bird Came down the Walk:.” Part Two: Nature. Dickinson, Emily. 1924. Complete Poems. Bartleby Great Books Online. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. <http://www.bartleby.com/113/2023.html>.


Dickinson, Emily. "18. “Two Butterflies Went out at Noon.” Part Two: Nature. Dickinson, Emily. 1924. Complete Poems." 18. “Two Butterflies Went out at Noon.” Part Two: Nature. Dickinson, Emily. 1924. Complete Poems. Bartleby Great Books Online. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. <http://www.bartleby.com/113/2018.html>.

Journal #28

"I heard a fly buzz when I died," is a very depressing poem. The speaker is laying on his/her death bed and as she is waiting to take his/her last breath, a fly decides to interpose and disrupt her death. This poem reflects Emily Dickinson because she was a very religious person, so she incorporated God, or in this case Jesus, into the poem. I think the fly in this poem serves as a symbol of an obstacle. It is the transition between life and death and the difference between her being alive and her going to spend her time in heaven. The poem has a very eerie tone to it though because of how it describes the objects. The logical preparation for death is definitely expressed in this poem. The speaker talks about how he/she signed away all of her stuff and she was prepared for death. Until the fly get in his/her way, he/she was fully prepared to die. Everyone was gathered around this person just waiting for him/her to pass into the light and something so simple as a fly got in the way. A fly is such a tiny creature, but in this poem in particular it is the most important thing. The buzzing sound is the last thing he/she hears before he/she dies, so the sound the fly makes is really significant. When he/she loses his/her sight, he/she either loses her vision and passes away, or he/she is not dead yet, but is dangling still between life and death. I think that the poem is very significant and very different. One thing that publishers liked about Emily Dickinson's poems was that she had very different topics and she tended not to talk about normal things or common things. This poem talks about the difference between life and death and not many authors were brave enough to venture into the details that goes along with dying. These aspects as well as her religion is incorporated into the story to logically explain the process of death.

Journal #27

Emily Dickinson's poems do go to the tune amazing grace. Based on what I know about Emily Dickinson's poems, this is significant because she was a very religious person. Also, though, I think it is significant because there is a line in the song that says "I once was lost, but now I'm found" which I think is very important because I do not really think Emily knew he she was all that much. She was very secluded, not very social, and turned into depression mode when her love ones died. She in a way I think was lost. The only gateway that she had for her life was through her writing. She stayed away from people, but her real feelings came out through her poems and writing. I think that God was really her safe place. She incorporated God or religion into almost all of her poems somehow. I feel like the line "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear," is very important because I think she is talking about her parents. When her father died and then not long after her mother died, she just downhill spiraled in her life. I think that the song kind of reminds her of the troubles and stuff that she has been through, and the deaths that she has experienced, and on top of that, all the seclusion she faced with no social contact. Overall though, she still had her faith and she found ways to incorporate that in everything that she wrote because she had an emotional connection.

I think that Amazing Grace was the main song her poems can be sung to because the words in the song can closely resemble the words in her poem. Her poems have a couple different categories, two of them being life and love. In her life poems, she talks about her life and what she expects in life, and in Amazing Grace, there is always life, even after life is over. In the love category, there are poems about people she admires, and also the downside of love, but in Amazing Grace, there is always love. I think she found little ways to make her poems go to the words of that song because of the meaning the song has and all.

Emily Dickinson's Writing Style

Emily Dickinson had a very different writing style when you compare her works to Walt Whitman. She was a major poet and writer, but her poems seemed to focus on the softer side of things like love and looking inside of our heart. Her poetry was very religious too because she was very religious herself (Pettinger, Tejvan). In her poems she incorporates inner experiences while talking about the religion she believes in. Her poems express life in its simplicity. She often thinks of herself as if she is a child again (Pettinger, Tejvan). She is not really a girly-girl either, but has a boyish side to her too.

Upon doing some research, I found that Emily Dickinson gradually slid into seclusion when she was in her late twenties (Pettinger, Tejvan). This seclusion allowed her to clear her mind and do great things with her work. She stayed in the family home, but her works continued to flow out (Pettinger, Tejvan).

Emily Dickinson's most famous poem was "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" It was very simple. Basically she is stating that she is no-one. She lived a very secluded life and was not famous during her lifetime. Her works were not widely recognized for awhile because some of the subject matter was too interesting and she was told that probably not many people would like it (Michelle). The poem shows that Emily Dickinson is more appealed to being nobody than to constantly keep her name circulation because it is tiresome. Again, her poems were simple. She had views about herself and she expressed her feelings.

One thing about her poems is that she refers to love a lot, or an object that she claims to love. There is a lot of emotion behind her writings and poems. Whatever was happening at the time had an impact on her writing. When the Civil War broke out, her poems had a more eerie feeling to them probably because the emotional and darkening setting of the Civil War (Pettinger, Tejvan). She also wrote about things that were not really common. She had a keen eye for observing things and wrote about topics that were a little out of the ordinary, which set her apart from other writers of the time period (Michelle). She was still very influential with the writing style she uses, just her words and how they flow, and overall the poems were very simple and to the point.

Her poems about love are probably the far most significant because she puts a lot of emotion behind her words. Not only is she feeling these things, she expresses them so freely. In her poem "I Have No Life but This" she is talking about how she lives through the existence of her partner, or lover (Dickinson, Emily). It is inspiring because she says she has no new actions to take on or anything to tie her down, she just loves this person very much and her existence is clarified through this person.

Overall, it was her sense of emotion and her simplicity in her writing that made her phenomenal after her lifetime. She paved the way for many writers today, even though she was not famous during her lifetime, she created her own style of poetry and writing that modern authors still incorporate.


Michelle. "Emily Dickinson's Story." Kyrene School District. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/poets/dickinson.htm>.

Dickinson, Emily. "20. “I Have No Life but This.” Part Three: Love. Dickinson, Emily. 1924. Complete Poems." 20. “I Have No Life but This.” Part Three: Love. Dickinson, Emily. 1924. Complete Poems. Bartleby Great Books Online. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.bartleby.com/113/3020.html>.

Dickinson, Emily. "27. “I Â’m Nobody! Who Are You?” Part One: Life. Dickinson, Emily. 1924. Complete Poems." 27. “I Â’m Nobody! Who Are You?” Part One: Life. Dickinson, Emily. 1924. Complete Poems. Bartleby Great Books Online. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.bartleby.com/113/1027.html>

Pettinger, Tejvan. "Biography Emily Dickinson." Emily Dickinson Biography. Biography Online, 26 June 2006. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.biographyonline.net/poets/emily_dickinson.html>.

Walt Whitman's Writing Style

Walt Whitman's writing style is very wise and noble(Connors, Judith). He is considered one of the most important transcendentalist writers. In his stories, he usually takes on a more political side of things, which is typically democratic(Connors, Judith). Overall he incorporated many aspects of life into all of his poems. For instance, he combines political aspects with spirituality, and then adds in philosophies on the important things in life. The subject matter was bolder than the other writings of the time period(Connors, Judith). The quote that really sums up his plan for writing is "This new poetry would be, according to Polley, "Transcendental in tone, rhythmic without being metrical ... the beginning of a new mode of expression." The quote shows that he wanted his work to be different from the other writers of his time period. He believed that the subject matter should flow and have expression, but it would also be a harsher subject matter. In his poems, Whitman used a tool called free verse, which is a kind of poetry that does not follow a certain poetic form. So, in his poems, they do not always rhyme or have a particular order. 


In Whitman's poems and writing overall, he had a very strong sense that nature helped make humanity beautiful. He saw this because he thought nature was very pure and had external and internal beauty and he thought hat if nature could be like this, then humanity could too (Whitman, Walt). His writing was very influential to many people. He had different styles that he incorporated in order to give his poems a unique edge that no one else had. He had powerful views on man itself and you can see when he incorporates nature, how man and nature are somehow connected.


One thing I find interesting about his poems is he always gives some kind of life lesson or tries to provide some kind of lesson to shape American and the people. For instance, in his poem "On the Beach at Night" there is a quote that says, "Somewhere there is (with my lips soothing thee, adding I whisper, I give thee the first suggestion, the problem and indirection) Something there is more immortal even than the stars, (many the burials, many the days and nights, passing away,) something that endure longer than the lustrous Jupiter, longer than any sun or revolving satellite"(Internal.org Poets) In that quote, the father is calming his daughter down while they are standing by the ocean. He is comparing life to nature and it is helping the little girl feel better. It is a very powerful poem because it also just has many life lessons. You can tell that he believes in a higher power and that everything in the end is going to turn out okay. I find the poem very inspiring.


Overall, Whitman's writing style paved the way for future writers. He was the first to really veer off from the normal poetry formations and create his new style that inspired many people. He had important views on life itself and also tied many things into nature. He was a rational person. He had his views on things and he expressed them very well.


Whitman, Walt. "Internal.org Poets." On the Beach at Night. Internal.org. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://www.internal.org/Walt_Whitman/On_the_Beach_at_Night>. 



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


"Walt Whitman." The American Romantic Movement. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://montanaacademy.tripod.com/id7.html>

Walt Whitman- On a Beach at Night blog

The Walt Whitman poem I choose "On the Beach at Night" because I knew that it would someone connect people to nature. In the poem, a father and a daughter are having one of their moments while standing  by the ocean (Whitman,Walt). He is holding her hand and all of her fears seem to be swept away. Her father is her comfort and her shelter from the world and the ocean they are standing next to. He is her protector and helps her through trials. The story is very powerful. It explains a relationship between a dad and a daughter and how powerful the love is (Whitman,Walt). This poem is all about symbols. The ocean is representing the unknown in this story. Overall though, there is a somewhat depressing theme. This is about a girl who is looking at the night sky and how the clouds are dark and they are engulfing the sky where you cannot see Jupiter, but she is standing with her father and she tells herself that she can wait another night and the stars will be out again and she will be able to see Jupiter (Whitman, Walt). The main theme is not to give up hope.

The story is connected to nature. Nature is part of Emerson and Thoreau's philosophies because they believed nature was pure and helpful, unlike other people in the world. They believed that humans were one with nature and that everything starts and ends with nature. So, in this poem, the father and the daughter are connected to nature when they are standing by the ocean. The last sentences of the poem suggests that as long as the moon, the stars, and the ocean endure, the father's love for his daughter will also endure (Lisa). Another reason why this poem goes with Emerson and Thoreau is because they never gave up hope just like the girl in the story, so they were both very inspiring with their words and actions.


Whitman, Walt, and Lisa. "Featured Poem: On The Beach At Night by Walt Whitman." The Reader Online. 14 June 2010. Web. 08 Mar. 2012. <http://thereaderonline.co.uk/2010/06/14/featured-poem-on-the-beach-at-night-by-walt-whitman/>.


Whitman, Walt. "On the Beach at Night, by Walt Whitman." Poetry Archive. Web. 08 Mar. 2012. <http://www.poetry-archive.com/w/on_the_beach_at_night.html>

Letters to his Family Blog

"Letters to his Family" by Robert E. Lee is a letter to his son, in which he gives him advice for the future. He mainly states be true to yourself and be true to others (Lee, Robert). He says that you should never do somebody else wrong and to always be honest and frank. If you have the opportunity to help someone, do it, but if you can't than simply tell them why you can't (Lee, Robert). I think that the views of Thoreau and Robert Lee are similar and different. I like the words of Robert E. Lee almost better than Thoreau because he gives actually advice and help whereas Thoreau just explains what is wrong and his opinions on what are right and how they should be solved. I think that they are similar though because they are both trying to make the world better somehow. Thoreau fought for equality and Lee fought to make the people better themselves.Emerson and Thoreau believed in self-reliance and individuality. In this letter to his son, he explains why it is important to be yourself and to do things for others, which overall helps yourself (Lee, Robert). The advice given is all about helping his son and giving him the tools he needs to survive in the world. Basically, everyone has certain duties in this world and we should do those and be completely satisfied. I think that is like Emerson and Thoreau too because they believed that everything had a purpose, even if they did not agree with it, things happened for a reason. Emerson and Thoreau were more about self-reliance and in this story I noticed there were views for God that kind of helped determine everything, so overall it just had a little more religious aspect when compared to Emerson and Thoreau's stories and philosophies. Overall the letter is very powerful because it gives all advice that is needed for the changing future based on what was happening at the time.

Lee, Robert E. "A Letter to His Son." Sonofthesouth.net. Son of the South. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/to%20his%20son.htm.

Emily Dickinson And I Have no Time to Hate blog

I choose Emily Dickinson's poem "I had no time to hate," because the title just really drew me in. I like the fact that the poem is short and sweet and gets right to the point. Mainly she is saying that life is too short to hate. She has no time for hate in her life (Dickinson, Emily). She also talks about love and how she has no time to love, but she makes time. Her words are really powerful in this poem for how short it is. Basically, she just does not want to spend her life hating, but spend it loving.I feel like the love in her story is a spur of the moment type thing. The poem starts out a little depressing and I think that it is about death. It sounds like a speech that is preparing her to die and she does not want to die with enemies or hating people. In the end though, she did not find love, but love found her. The poem is very inspiring. The love that found her and her love for poetry is what ultimately saved her. The tone of this story though changes and you can tell the change of mood in her words once she starts to become happier. She said "was large enough for me" which meant that the love that she found was just enough for her.

I find Emily Dickinson's poem is like the views of Emerson and Thoreau because they were against violence and were at peace with themselves and their decisions. In this poem, Emily is at peace. She decides that she wants to love and not hate. So, I think that she has the same views on violence and just wants things to be alright in the world. Emerson and Thoreau had a lot of passion behind their words and so does Emily Dickinson. She states that the toil of love is big enough for her (Dickinson, Emily), which means basically she is willing to work to love others.


Dickinson, Emily. "No Time to Hate." Short Poems. Web. 08 Mar. 2012. <http://www.shortpoems.org/emily_dickinson/no_time_to_hate.html>.

To Build a Fire Blog

"To Build a Fire" was a very inspiring story. The ending was somewhat sad, but overall it did a really good job at explaining the individualism of the main character. He sets off on a trip to meet his friends in 75 below weather. He does not mind the cold much because he is new to the Yukon and does not really pay much attention, considering this is his first winter. A dog is following him closely on this trail, also inevitable to the cold. They set off on the trail together and slowly things are starting to go downhill. First, the mans spit freezes in mid air, then his beard frosted, then his cheeks iced, and then he became worried of streams that could potentially freeze his body from his waist down. He finally decides to eat the biscuit he had wrapped in a handkerchief for lunch, when he could not because he beard was frozen. So, he takes his knowledge of building a fire.The dog wishes to stay by the fire, but reluctantly follows the man back onto the trail.

Even though the dog follows the man, I do not think he really wanted to. The fact that he did not willingly follow the man makes me think that the man will get stuck in the cold and die. The fire that he built was worth it at the time to defrost himself, but he should not have continued on the trail in the cold. The man is very independent though, which is like the view of Emerson and Thoreau. Thoreau and Emerson believed that self worth and following your own instinct was very important. I think that this story is really powerful because it shows the perseverance of a man and how he believed in himself and wanted to reach his goal. The fire is a symbol in this story. It represents.


http://www.gradesaver.com/to-build-a-fire/study-guide/section1/
http://www.jacklondons.net/buildafire.html

Richard Cory Blog

This poem, "Richard Cory" was very sad. It is really short, but in all it was about a guy who was as rich as ever. He walked down the street and people looked at him, wishing they could take his place. They all wanted to be like him; to have meat and bread like him. He was loved by all of them. He was always so genuine and clean cut too(Edwin, Robinson). He had the perfect appearance and the perfect life, from everyone else's point of view. This is where the story takes a turn, one night, Richard Cory goes home and puts a bullet through his head (Edwin, Robinson).

This story makes me think of one someone so loved would cause so much pain to himself and the people that loved him. Then I think about his material things. Emerson and Thoreau were keen on not being caught up in material items. They tended to go back to the natural things like nature, self reliance, and intuition. I think that Richard Cory was too caught up in his material items. I think he knew that people liked him because he was rich and had such a great appearance, but no one seemed to take the time to really get to know him, they just looked on the surface. Material things got in the way of his true happiness, so he ended his happiness altogether (Edwin, Robinson). Even though he was better off than all of the people in the town, he was not truly liked for being himself, and he ended his life because he knew this. Also, Emerson and Thoreau did not believe that violence was the answer. Even though in some of their stories violence was involved, they did not take kindly to it for they believed it solved nothing. In this story, the character tragically takes his life. He ended his situation by violence and by taking matters into his own hands. The views of this character shy away from those of Emerson and Thoreau. The only thing I do give the character credit for is his self reliance. He believed in himself enough to say that killing himself would make things better. This is the only thing he has in common with Emerson and Thoreau because they valued people who would take a stand on something and who could  make their own decisions.

Robinson, Edwin A. "Richard Cory." Glencoe Literature: The Reader's Choice. New York, NY: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2002. 575+. Print.

The Darling Blog

"The Darling" was about a woman who was married to many different men, some of which died. She has always had a love for people and many of them were fond of her, hence why she was called "darling" (Anton, Chekhov). When he dad died when she was a child, she inherited their townhouse where she lived with her husband Kukin, who was a theater owner. He was always in a sullen mood because it always rained and he left to go to Moscow to hire some actors. Olga was informed of his death one night when she was woken at her house. She was very sad, but quickly moved on to Vasily Pustovalov, a timber merchant who she developed feelings for and they eventually have a son (Glencoe Literature). Vasily soon dies when he develops a cold that triggered a long term illness. So Olga is by herself again and mourning.

The story was very sad to me because everyone kept dying and for someone that was loved by so many people, I think she had a hard time loving others. Even though she mourned and felt alone when these people were gone, she got over them really fast. I think that she had trouble loving other people because what she really needed was a sense of belonging and having someone there (Glencoe Literature). She seemed like she always needed the love and passion of a man to keep her happy, which is unlike the views of Emerson and Thoreau, who said being an individual was the most powerful things. She was not an individual in this story, she relied on the people around her for her happiness, and when she was happy, she was liked by many. I tend to feel bad for the main character because she had such a rough time in her marriages. They always started off happy, but they would eventually die and she was left to pick up the pieces, but she quickly moved on. She did lot it keep her down and she would search for new guys.

Chekhov, Anton. "Chekhov Stories." SparkNotes. SparkNotes. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/chekhov/section7.rhtml>.


Chekhov, Anton. "The Darling." Glencoe Literature: The Reader's Choice. New York, NY: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2000. 557-66. Print.

I will Fight No More Forever Blog

I like the story by Chief Joseph, "I will fight no more forever." It is a surrender speech saying basically he is tired of the fighting and tired of the struggling that he is experiencing and that other people around him are experiencing too. He is not giving up on fighting, it just does not suit him anymore. He wants to have a life and have time to find his children and do the things that he has yet to accomplish. I think the story is pretty inspiring. I like how he knows what is good for him and how he wants to surrender.

What really interests me about this story is the fact of how he looks at the youth. He says that the old men who led the youth are dead and now it is the youth's choice to say yes or no. This shows that youth is beginning to have more power, and I can tell that it frightens some of the people, including him. I think it just shows a different point of view. There were things evident in Thoreau's theories and Chief Josephs that suggest the future of the world and how it did not look good.

When comparing his views to those of Thoreau, I do not find much of a difference. They are both determined people, but in very different ways. Thoreau was a very hard core person. He wanted to do what was right and was determined to accomplish things no matter what the cost was, even if that meant going to jail or dying for what he believed in. Chief Joseph on the other hand was more a compassionate person. He saw his life through his eyes and did not like to waste any time like Thoreau. He was not giving up, just the conditions got to hard for him to handle, and it was not worth seeing children freezing and dying of starvation, so he surrendered himself. I find both the men very inspiring though because they follow what they believe.

McCloskey, Mary. "I Will Fight No More Forever." Welcome to Georgia State University. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://www2.gsu.edu/~eslmlm/chiefjoseph.html>.

The Hill- Spoon River Anthology

I read "The Hill," which is an excerpt from the "Spoon River Anthology." I found it a very disturbing story. Usually things associated with nature seem to be calm and understanding, but this story was very different. The hill was a big symbol in this story. It ultimately represented all the people who died. All of the writer's family and friends had basically died a tragic death and were "sleeping on the hill." I almost wonder if the hill represents like hell because of the tragic deaths they all died from, or if it represents heaven because they are peacefully sleeping  on the hill. The fact that the setting is Spoon River, Illinois, which is our state, has a more personal effect because he includes Abe Lincoln and historical instances that are significant to the state.

When I tried to compare the work of this particular excerpt with those of Thoreau's ideas, I could not really make a direct connection between the two. I find Thoreau's philosophies were more words that were spoken and he made people listen. This story on the other hand was just like telling people about what happened. Like he was wondering where all the people around him had gone. I just did not find that there was really a connection between the two stories because they both have very different topics and viewpoints. In Thoreau's story he was close to death and he realized and accepted it because he was fighting for something he believed in. In this story though, many people had already died and there was nothing really significant about it other than the fact that hill represents the death and the author represents the ongoing life. The hill in itself is significant because it shows the variety of people who are on the hill. There are kind-hearted people and fighters, and alcoholics, and musicians, and veterans, and yet each one died a different death, tragic in their own way, and they are all together on the hill as one.


Masters, Edgar L. "1. The Hill. Masters, Edgar Lee. 1916. Spoon River Anthology."Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Bartleby.com. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.bartleby.com/84/1.html>.

Two Views of the River Blog

The memoir by Mark Twain shows the point of view from an average person looking at the river, and then from the view of himself looking at the river. All the things in the river used to mean something to him. The sun, the moon, the water, and the surrounding areas all had characteristics that meant something deeper than just their appearance. In the story, Twain starts to look at all of the things surrounding the river as symbols instead of just scenery. This was also a story about romance though too. He viewed the river with a sense of passion and now that he has come to realization of what these objects mean, he says all the romance is gone(Twain, Mark ). I think that the character in this story had lost a loved one or someone very important to him. I think that he used to come to the river and he was so happy that all he saw was the scenery and how beautiful everything looked. I think that once he lost someone he loved, he would go to the river and criticize the scenery and look for the hidden meaning instead of what he saw on the surface.

I think the views in this story are not really similar to those of Thoreau, but they are like those of Walden, who used a lot of nature. This story uses nature to incorporate different meanings. For instance, the sun means that there will be sun tomorrow, the floating log tells that the river is slowly rising, a slanting mark on the river is a reef that will swallow someones boat sometime in the near nights, and the old dead tree with a single branch is reaching its point of death (Twain, Mark). I think in these instances, he has anger behind his words. When he talks about the dead tree and how no one would be able to survive by this river without that landmark, it seems like he is slowly losing hope.

Overall, I got a sad feeling from this story. It started off so well, and then all the beauty was lost and the mood changed. I feel the character in the story was once a very happy person, but slowly became sad. Even though it is not completely evident why, there was some sort of romance lost in his life that made him lose the beauty in the other aspects of his life. It is a really powerful story and it shows that the romance with his special person was very powerful and real.

Twain, Mark. "Two Views of the River." Glencoe Literature. the Reader's Choice. New York, NY: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2000. 504-05. Print.

The Red Badge of Courage Blog

"The Red Badge of Courage" was a different story. The detail was so overpowering that the illusions the reader gets are so vivid. I found the story somewhat disturbing. The story starts out with this guy who is basically on a mission. His thoughts are veering off from him as he is in the Civil War. He is fighting when all of a sudden he gets hit in the back of the head. He was mistaken for the enemy and hit by someone of his own troop. His first act in the war was running because he was scared. He was a coward at first in this story and overcome by the powerful feelings that come with the war atmosphere. After he got hit in the head, many people thought he was wounded. He was not wounded with a battle scar, but by the mark of his own stupidity when he ran away from the fight rather than with it. When he starts to run again, he gets this overwhelming feeling. He runs into the fight, not really taking care of himself, and begins to shoot his rifle. He fires freely and many times, creating a cloud of smoke. As he emerges from this cloud of smoke, he now begins to feel foolish. He had just killed so many people by shooting his rifle carefree. His act of bravery though in this scene helped his troops though. So the Red  Badge of Courage in this story is the wounds he gets when he runs into the war firing his rifle at the oncoming people running towards him. The very last sentence is the most powerful line in the story because the part where it says "the swirling battle phantoms which were choking him, stuffing their smoke robes down his parched throat," is one of those feelings that no one really gets to experience unless they are engaged in this war. 

I think that this story is not like the views of Henry David Thoreau because Thoreau believed that acts of violence were not necessary and that there was always some other way to solve the problem. Thoreau had more power in his words than he had in his actions. Stephan Crane, though, thought that violence was the answer in the end. When he completed his act of courage, even though he did not have that great triumphant feeling, he had helped someway in the war. I think the views are different mainly because of their outlooks on violence and when it is necessary to take action and when it is necessary to back off and just let things be.

Crane, Stephan. "The Red Badge of Courage." Glencoe Literature. By Jeffrey D. Wilhelm and Douglas Fisher. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 492-93. Print.

The Story of the Hour

"The Story of the Hour" is refreshing, but tragic. The main character in the story has a heart condition. With a heart condition you really do not know how long you have to live. Her family and friends all know that her husband has died in an accident, and they are figuring out the best way to tell her, without sending her over the edge. Like any woman would be, she is very upset. She goes up to her room alone and locks the door. She cries to herself and she prays, mourning the loss of her husband. She then has this reoccurring voice in her head that says "free" and "free body mind and soul." These powerful voices that she hears coming to her give her a sense of reassurance. The mood in the story quickly changes. The woman becomes happy. She wishes for a long life, and she stands to unlock the door. She held her head high and for a moment she was the strongest person. She walked down the stairs with her sister, and when they reached the bottom, a guy named Richard was waiting at the bottom. He had not heard of the accident of the husband. The woman then drops down, dying of a heart attack. Her heart condition was what gave her strength and it ultimately killed her.

I find the story very powerful because the woman found strength in one of the darkest times of her life. She got a sense of hope and freedom. She was very strong anyway because of her heart condition. She knew that life could be long or life could be short, and she did not let her heart condition get in the way of her life. She found a new light with the acceptance of her heart condition and the dying of her husband. She felt free.

I find the word free in this story is used kind of freely. I am not too sure if she was sad at first that her husband had died, but she got happier because she realized she was free from him, or if she felt free and hopeful that she would see him again when eventually her heart condition would bring her back to him. Either way the story reflects romanticism because it shows how life really is. There was no sugar-coating anything in this story. It was a good example of explaining the process of death and grieving. I do not think her views were like Thoreau's though. She was very calm and accepted things how they were whereas Thoreau was a motivational person and looked for change everywhere he could.

Chopin, Kate. "The Story of the Hour." Glencoe Literature. By Jeffrey D. Wilhelm and Douglas Fisher. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 554-55. Print.

O Pioneer Blog-Willa Cather

Well, "O Pioneer" was shorter than I thought it was. It was very short and did not provide a lot of detail. The family in the story is in a lot of despair because there is a drought and there was a loved one that died, which made everything harder for them. Reading some of the background history, I find that the father was only forty-two years old and he was sick and dying. He had three four children, one girl and two boys. He debated for a long time, considering one of the boys would be his most obvious choice when was trying to find out who he should leave the family farm too. He decides in the end to entrust the farm to his daughter, Alexandra. After three years of doing a good job, there is a bad drought. The family becomes pioneers basically and they lived off the land and struggled to grow enough food. The times were hard and ultimately the remaining children wished they could go and live with their uncle who owns a bakery in Chicago. My favorite line from the excerpt in the story is, "A pioneer should have imagination, should be able to enjoy the idea of things more than the things themselves." To me, that quote says that they know what they have, but they have hope for what they could have for the future. So, they are very motivated. I think that their ideas are like Thoreau's mainly because of their motivation. All of them were motivated for the future to change and they wanted to have a better outlook on life. Even though they both went through struggles, they never once gave up hope, and that is a common theme they share. The dreams of Henry David Thoreau and the children in "O Pioneer" are strong. Even though they did not create the problems they were handed, they made the best out of them that they could and took their future into their own hands.

Cather, Willa. "Willa Cather O Pioneers! Criticism." ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans, and More. Enotes.com. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. <http://www.enotes.com/o-pioneers-criticism/o-pioneers-willa-cather>.

Willa, Cather."O Pioneer." American Literature. Columbus: Mc-Graw Hill, 2009. 488-489. Print.

An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge

The beginning of this story is the even that is being foreshadowed to. The second and the third parts of the story are what makes up why Farquhar is about to be hung by two infantry men. The beginning scene is very vivid and detailed. As he is hanging from a noose waiting for the the sergeants to stop of the platform, he starts getting these thoughts while he is watching the stream below him. He sees a log and envisions him being that log, floating up stream and into safety where he can be with his family again in safe grounds. So, at first, the reader feels really bad for this man because they do not know why he is being hung. In the second part the audience learns a little bit about the history of Farquhar and how he had gotten to the hanging. Then, the third part is back to the hanging where the platforms are released, and the noose breaks sending Farquhar down into the steam. Multiple gun shots are fired at him, and he avoids them all, eventually being plunged onto land where he can run to safety. He runs back to his house to meet his wife, when he is suddenly shot in the back of the neck and died. This story is very sad. I do not like the story line at all. The views of this writer are based on lots of details and the audience almost has to figure out the story for themselves. The opinions of Thoreau though are basically stated. Thoreau knows his opinions and he speaks them wisely. I almost feel like Thoreau is a man who makes his own luck and when he wants to see something change, he does. I think that Ambrose is the same way. He gets into sticky situations, just like Thoreau did when he was put in jail, and they both find a way to get their points across and still be saved from whatever is causing them harm. I think that when comparing them, they are the two most significant writers that I have seen so far that have completely different stories, but overall they have the same concepts and are fighting for the same things.

Bierce, Ambrose. "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge, by Ambrose Bierce; I Page 1." Page By Page Books. Read Classic Books Online, Free. Page By Page Books, 2004. Web. 14 Feb. 2012. <http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Ambrose_Bierce/An_Occurrence_At_Owl_Creek_Bridge/I_p1.html>.

And I ain't a Woman? and Letters to his Family blog

"And I ain't a Woman" by Sojourner Truth is a very moving poem. I think she is comparing the difference between blacks and whites and the how people treat them. A man says a woman is supposed to be helped and carried, but she never receives that treatment because of her race. The white women always get the special treatment, and the special places. The blacks on the other hand receive no speical place and she had to watch while her 13 children were sold into slavery (Sojourner, Truth). I think her speech is sad. It is also very moving though because her points are so true. God came from a woman who bore him. There would be no God if it was not for that woman (Sojourner, Truth). In her eyes, she should be receiving the same treatment, and she is right because all woman should be created equal. I think her views are similar to Thoreau because they were both against this cruelty and they both wanted equal rights. Thoreau had more of an effect becasue during the time, he was a male and people listened to the male more than a woman, and his imprisonment and his civil disobidience made a statement. Sojourner Truth did make a statement, but only in her words. Not many people would listen to what she had to say because she was a woman and because she was black. I find the story very inspiring because she fought for what was right and she wanted equal rights as the other woman, because they do not understand what she is going through. The views of her and Thoreau and Emerson are the same because they all believed in individualism and standing up for what was right, even if they stood alone. All three views are one in the same because they all had similar journeys and just wanted to be heard, but they were also against slavery too, and Sojourner Truth was born a slave.

Truth, Sojourner. "Sojourner Truth's Aint I a Woman Speech!" Women Writers: A Zine. Womenwriters.net, 14 July 1998. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/truth.htm.

Spiritual Songs Blogs

"Swing Low Sweet Chariot" is an African American spiritual song in which a slave is singing. The slaves are all waiting for the "Chariot" or higher power to set them free. The song is written by the negro community prior to the beginning of the Civil War. It is also know as a negro folk song. The chariot represents freedom, or it also can represent God shining down from the heavens to bring the slaves up to him, where they are free. The slaves are envisioning their freedom by seeing things around them, for example the Jordan River. The views of this song and Henry David Thoreau are very similar. They both were obviously against slavery and they believed that there should be freedom. Henry Thoreau was different because he fought for it, and the slaves did not really fight for it, but they hoped for it.

"Go Down Moses" is another African American spiritual song that the slaves sung as they were working and also during the prayer times. It is a song about freedom of the slaves who are just waiting for that day where Moses goes down and they will all be saved. Egypt in the song could stand for the slaves states that were present before the Civil War (enotes). I think that the views of this song and Henry David Thoreau are the same because again the song is about slavery and both the groups of African Americans and Thoreau were against civil disobedience and cruelty or violence, both which came along with slavery. The views are different in the fact that the slaves mainly rely on God and they use a lot of references towards the bible whereas Henry  Thoreau relied more on his opinions and his individualism during the time.

The last song, "Keep Your Hands on the Plow," is another African American spiritual song. It was also during the time of slavery prior to the Civil War. Basically in the first stanza of the song, a hand is being placed on the bible, is how I took it, and God is leading them. It says keep holding on to the plow, which I think means keep hoping. The slaves never lost hope because all they wanted at the time was freedom. Again this song and Thoreau's ideas are similar because they both were against slavery and violence. They were both very anxious for change. I did not really find any differences in the two opinions.

"Go Down, Moses Text of the Poem." ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans, and More. Enotes.com. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://www.enotes.com/go-down/text-poem>.


Keep Your Hands On The Plow - GospelSongLyrics.Org." GospelSongLyrics.org - Lyrics and Music to All Your Favorite Gospel Songs. GospelSongLyrics. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://www.gospelsonglyrics.org/songs/keep_your_hands_on_the_plow.html>.

"Swing Low Sweet Chariot." Enotes.com. Enotes.com. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://www.enotes.com/swing-low>.

Calvary Crossing a Ford- Walt Whitman

Cavalry Crossing a Ford is written during the time of the Civil War. Walt Whitman did work as a nurse at the time of the Civil War. The "Cavalry" may represent one of the Cavalry troops that Walt Whitman may have noticed, but we do not know because the story is not written in first person. The perspective of the story is unique. A ford means a shallow river. So basically a Cavalry troop is crossing a shallow river during the time of the Civil War is the main scene of the story. The weapons flash in the sun. The author then tells the reader to hark, or listen to the musical clank of the soldiers, whose feet are becoming in sync and could also be the sound of their guns.

 During the Civil War, the troops were fighting for slavery. Even though the actual poem does not mention slavery, since we know it is during the Civil War time, we can already just assume. Henry Thoreau was very against slavery. He did not believe in violence like that, so in a sense the two are connected. Henry Thoreau also did not approve of the government, and the army is a big part of the government. So, Henry Thoreau did not have a very good view of the troops. He thought highly of resistance to violence, so fighting and things associated with the war did not please him.

Walt Whitman on the other hand is different because his story is all about the Cavalry troops, and even though the reader, or the narrator of the story, is an innocent bystander just watching, there is no downgrading comments against the troops. The reader simply just watches and can view the scene that is being presented. I think that the two are different from each other simply just because their view of government. Henry Thoreau's works are usually very opinionated and deal with his opinions and his thoughts. Walt Whitman though shows a non-individual side. He does not include personal opinions and he just lets the reader image things for themselves. He simply just tells a story through his works.


Cavalry Crossing a Ford Study Guide - Walt Whitman - ENotes.com." ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans, and More. Enotes.com. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://www.enotes.com/cavalry-crossing>.

Whitman, Walt. "Cavalry Crossing a Ford - Walt Whitman (1819-1892)." Books & Literature Classics. About.com. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/wwhitman/bl-ww-calvary.htm>.

The Gettysburg Address-Abraham Lincoln

In the Gettysburg Address, I think that there is a different viewpoint than that of Henry David Thoreau. Abraham Lincoln was a obviously a big part of government, considering he was president. He tried to make changes to the government, which is what Thoreau hoped would happen. In the first line, "all men are created equal" is a strong quote. Looking at previous stories like Fredrick Douglas, who was a negro and did not believe that all men were created equal and that the liberty and freedom that we received was not for him, makes me have a different view on this story. They both represent Thoreau's philosophies but in very different ways. Abraham Lincoln's words were very powerful. He found ways to create equality between all people. He laid a part of the battle field to those who gave their lives for the freedom we still have. The main difference between Thoreau's words and Abraham's words are Thoreau had a lot of power in his words whereas Abraham had a lot of power in his actions. Thoreau was not in a government position and he did not have the power to make the changes he wanted to see, but he was able to speak his words and get people to listen to him. Abraham Lincoln was in a government position so he was able to put words into actions, but he did not think words were as important. His quote, "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here," shows that his words may not be important, but the battle that happened is important and the people who lost their lives will be remembered for a long time. The philosophies between the two philosophers are very different from each other I think mainly because how different they are in society and how other people see them. I think though that Thoreau paved the way for Abraham Lincoln because he changed the government and was able to put Thoreau's ideas into actions with the power in political government he held. Thoreau was also against violence. He accepted it, but he was against it. Abraham Lincoln was not for violence, but the war was something that needed to be done in order for government change and change in society.

Lincoln, Abraham. "The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln." NetINS Showcase. Abraham Lincoln Online. Web. 08 Feb. 2012. <http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm>.

The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro

Well after reading the story, and comparing it to Henry Thoreau's philosophies, I think they are very similar to each other. Thoreau was all about civil disobedience, which in short terms resisted the government. He was also all about standing up for what you believe in, even if that means standing alone. In Fredrick Douglas story, it was told from the point of view of a negro who is looking at the meaning of The Fourth of July to him. He believes that the country, which is 76 years old, is just starting out. It is a baby, compared to other nations who number their years by thousands. Fredrick Douglas kept saying things like "your country" and "your independence" where he was not really including himself. I found this interesting because of the viewpoint that he has. Not only does he think that the nation is young, but that the Fourth of July does not really apply to him. I think this is where he opposes the nation, kind of like how Henry Thoreau opposed the government. He is still stuck in that stage where freedom is ours, but the punishment of being a slave is still put on him. The fact that we celebrate the holiday is disgusted by him because we are basically celebrating how we treated the slaves, and in the end we still gained our freedom. My favorite quote that I came across states, "May he not hope that high lessons of wisdom, of justice and of truth, will yet give direction to her destiny?"(Douglas, Fredrick). Basically from that quote I took the thought that the nation is still in its younger stage and has a lot of room to change. In this room to change comes a lot of experience. Fredrick Douglas has high hopes for this because he does believe the national "holiday" is not made for him because he is still given injustice. It was the British that we gained freedom from while he was gaining freedom, or rather yet escaping the slave camp that he was in. It is a very emotional story. I think it makes us look at the things that the government has done and the changes that the nation has made that has impacted many people of many different races. It helps put into perspective that the past cannot be changed, so somehow there has to be hope in the future; something needs to make up for all of the wrongdoings of the past. 


Douglas, Fredrick M. "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick Douglass."History Is A Weapon. History Is A Weapon. Web. 07 Feb. 2012. <http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/douglassjuly4.html>

Reflection Blog: Civil Disobedience

I found "Civil Disobedience" very hard to understand. The aspect that government has on our society is very powerful, but yes, our conscience and our decisions have a lot of power too. I think that in this three part story, that Thoreau was trying to compare and contrast the effect of government and the effect of our own decisions. In the very beginning of the story, Thoreau starts out by explaining that government rarely presents itself as useful. That is a pretty moving statement. He believes that the accomplishments achieved in the past lied in the character of the people involved in them. He thinks that if government was involved even less than it was that these accomplishments would be a lot successful than they already were.

Upon finding a criticism, I learned some part of history that connects Henry Thoreau to his story and his opinions. Henry Thoreau was thrown in jail because he refused to pay a toll tax during the Mexican War. The Mexican War at this time was a perfect example of how the will of the people was not taken into consideration anymore.

The fact that Henry Thoreau thinks conscience comes first is a concept that I have never really thought about and its quite interesting. Henry's thoughts and ideas paved the way for civil rights that became increasingly important after he had died. It is interesting how someone thinks that a good solution is to avoid the American government and follow your conscience instead.

One of the main characteristics of the transcendentalist time period is the formation of revolutionary thoughts and ideas. Henry's thoughts, like I said earlier, became so popular later when civil rights came into play, and it gave a different outlook on government for future generations altogether. Another characteristic of the transcendentalism time period is personal intuition, or valuing feelings over reasons. In Thoreau's story, the "feelings" are represented by conscience and "reason" is represented by the government.

Henry Thoreau refers to the government as a machine in his story. At some point all machines wear out. He comes up with his own theories about government and how it works. Government controls us, but it is like a machine and we usually listen to it. That is why they are very few real men left, if any at all, who will listen to their conscience first and the law second. Even though I do not understand politics very well, I found the story very interesting. This one man had the ability to get people to listen to his ideas and they actually helped the future generations too. As for another transcendentalism characteristic, I think that Thoreau favors individual worth over that of society. We are all part of society, under one government. So basically he is saying that the conscience that we have will get us farther in the end than the government will because there are going to be times when the government fails us like it has before, and in his opinion repeatedly does.

Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds. "'Civil Disobedience'."Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, Revised Edition. 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= EAmL0453&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 27, 2012).

Journal #26 Break the Law

I think it is acceptable to break the law, only when you are desperately in need. For example, if a dad were to get laid of his job and he does not have enough to support his family, and he decides to steal something so they have food on the table that night, I find that more acceptable than someone who steals food just because they were hungry and did not want to pay for it. People take the law for granted sometime. I have witnessed someone who obviously had money with them, but it was easier to steal something instead. I think that people in need are the ones who are more inclined to break the law and be able to have a case against them, or to represent them. There is always assistance though, so I do not think many people need to break the law in order to get what they need. There is always food stamps, and shelters, food pantries, and stores that have cheaper supplies for the people that are desperately in need. I also think it is acceptable to break the rules when you are younger. That is just a part of the younger generation. They say that in order to be old and wise you must be young and stupid first. That shows that to be "stupid" you made mistakes and break the rules. Breaking the rules is an inevitable part of being a teenager. Other than those circumstances, I do not find breaking the law acceptable in any way. If it was, then there would be no need for cops and stuff like that. It is dangerous when people break the law because more and more people would want to do it too. I do not think that breaking the rules is really acceptable either. I am not saying that teenagers automatically get to break the rules, but every once in a while they do, or they do not have a normal childhood.

Reflection Blog: The Minister's Black Veil

I like this story a lot. It was very interesting to read, and then have it read to me. The overall story has a really strong theme, which I think is why the story is so interesting. I noticed many dark romanticism characteristics right of the bat. The black veil is the topic of the town. People do not understand why the minister is walking around with the black veil. That adds mystery to the story because if people in the town do not know why he is wearing the veil, then the reader does not know either. The quote "He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face," is such a powerful quote in the story. Just because Mr. Hooper added a piece of crepe to his face, all the characters in the story suddenly think he has gone mad and his personality has changed. This is the mystery that I find in the story because if people really knew Mr. Hooper, then adding a piece of crepe to his face should not change their opinions of him. The minister is very smart in this story and also has a lot of perseverance. I think he sends out a good message with the black veil, because he is right. We all do have sins and mistakes, making our face a black veil. There is a lot of emotion on our faces, we can easily hide what we have done wrong, which is represented by the black veil.

This story also has an aspect of horror to it. I think this because of the color black. When using the word black to describe the veil, it just gives it a whole new meaning. I think of something very dark, never being able to look into his face while talking to him. This frightens most people in the town. I can tell when the woman says "and I would not be alone with him for the world. I wonder he is not afraid to be alone with himself."

I think this story represents the dark romanticism because of the tragedy at the end. Mr. Hooper said he would wear his veil until the day when all people were to remove their veils and then his face would be seen once again. This time came at his death bed at the end of the story. He was about to enter heaven where he would no longer need the black veil hiding his secrets and his sins. Sin is also a major characteristic of dark romanticism writing because it is such a sad, and painful topic. No one likes to admit their sins and they happen everyday. The black veil is ultimately a symbol for sins, and how each day we cover our faces, which covers all our sins. Another term associated with dark romanticism is "monsters." The townspeople in the story believe that Mr. Hooper had become a monster because he was walking around with such a grotesque veil that people could not longer see him as the Mr. Hooper he was, but what he is now,

The theme in this book is very powerful. The black veil was such a bold statement made by the minister that all of his congregation should learn from him instead of abandoning him because he covered his face with a black piece of crepe, showing the power of his individualism, which is another characteristic of romanticism writing.

 Werlock, Abby H. P. "'The Minister's Black Veil'." 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= CASS581&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 25, 2012).


Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Minister's Black Veil. New York: Glencoe Literature. 279-90. Print.

Journal #25- Fear

When I think about fear, I start thinking of all the things that I am afraid of. Like first of all, I am afraid of spiders. They are my biggest fear. Yesterday, I was doing my laundry and saw a spider in the laundry basket. I turned around to put my clothes from the washer into the dryer and when I looked back the spider was gone. I was terrified and very paranoid. The second thing I am afraid of is bridges. They scare me. Especially when they are over water. I do not know why, but I just do not like the feeling I get when I go over a big bridge that have water underneath them. I tend to hold my breath over bridges. I also do not know why. Or someone tends to hold my hand if it gets that bad. The perfect example of that is when I was going to Florida with my family. We had to cross about a 2 mile long bridge to get to our house from town. Each time you had to stop on the bridge and pay a fee for crossing. So not only was I scared on the bridge, but the fact that we had to stop just freaked me out more. I am scared of clowns. They are not funny, they are not cute, and I do not care if there is a real person inside there, I do not like it. One of them tried to come up to me at a parade and I ran and hid from it like a little child. I do not know how children find them amusing at all. Then, I have minor fears. I am afraid of Styrofoam. The sound it makes, makes my stomach hurt really bad. I do not like when people mess with it and I also will not touch it because of the sound. Then, I hate nail files. The sound they make also make me queasy. I cannot file my nails and I cannot watch other people file their nails either. Since I have OCD, it just the little things I am afraid of because my fears are what throw me off balance, and I cannot stand it.