Journal 27

I am completely fascinated with Emily Dickinson's ability to match up the lines of her poetry with the rhythm of Amazing Grace. I guess it would be similar to me adding my own lyrics to the melody of a popular song today, but it still is not an easy task. Amazing Grace was a religious song. If my history lessons were correct, I believe the song was created by a slave. It was a very spiritual and inspiring song. Emily Dickinson was considered to be a very spiritual person. She believed in a higher power, but she did not attend church. This was considered obscene during her time period because attending church was considered a must. Like I said, she had faith in a God. She just found the people that attended church to be very hypocritical. I can understand where she is coming from because I was an avid church goer a couple years back. One day I saw a different, ugly side of my pastor, and it affected how I looked at my religious orientation. I haven't been back to that church since, and it makes me self reflect on my personal beliefs compared to the beliefs that I have been preached to all my life. Similar to Emily Dickinson, I still and whole heartedly believe in God.In the lyrics of Amazing Grace, "I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see."I feel connected with God more now than I ever did sitting in a church pew. I have a connection with a higher power, and I live a life that reflects that without judging others. I think Emily Dickinson was ahead of her time by ignoring conformity and having her own beliefs. She showed that she was a committed Christian through her work and felt no need to show it off her commitment to others.Using the Amazing Grace rhythm for her poetry was her own way of showing her faith. It is inspiring to see a woman with similar beliefs to me take a stand in an introverted manner. She avoided conflict between the judgmental people and chose a different way to share her piece.

Walt Whitman

Although many of Walt Whitman’s poems involved fantasy and dreams, almost every one of them had a realistic moral to be learned. In Whitman’s “To a Stranger”, he ponders upon a person who he recognizes. As common as this person is to him, the protagonist is unable to make out the stranger. He comments, “I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you” (Whitman). He is unable to remember the person, let alone their gender because he continues to use the pronouns ‘his’ and ‘her’. He is unable to find the reasoning behind his sudden memory, but in order to ensure that it does not happen again, Whitman says, “I am to see to it that I do not lose you” (Whitman).

Before pursuing his poetry career, Walt Whitman made a livelihood as a journalist. A major code of ethics rule for a journalist is that one must stay unbiased when reporting. Whitman had very outspoken, personal feelings on some of the topics he covered which made it hard for readers to view him as a professional. One critic said, “Mostly he disagreed with owners over political issues, and it was rarely clear whether he quit or was fired” (Oliver). Whitman worked at over 28 newspapers in his career due to the problems that arose from his writing style.

It is by no means wrong for man to have his opinions, but it was not the best reason for one with such views to work as a journalist. It was definitely appropriate for Whitman to find himself through poetry instead. His passion for political issues was similar to that of Henry David Thoreau, a man whose actions against government policies put him in jail. Both men were able to share their perspectives on political struggles and get the attention of others. They’re words were considered by readers. Whether taking away a lesson or learning a new message, readers were always in for some sort of advice when reading a piece from Walt Whitman.

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

Whitman, Walt. "To a Stranger." Poetry Archive. Web. 12 Mar. 2012.

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson used a handful of themes in her poems. The most common themes included lessons of life, love, nature, and time. It is well known that Dickinson was very much an introverted person. She spent a lot of her adulthood as a homebody, working in her room at any chance she got. In fact, she only shared her work with those close to her. Dickinson's poems often shared her deepest feelings and emotions. They differed from the usual literary works of her time because they generally focused on the war taking place at that time. In the poem "The Lightning is a Yellow Fork", Dickinson uses this emotion to explain the fear that many felt from the war and of death. Her ability to give off such emotion by sing relatable topics and clever imagery is outstanding. Dickinson metaphorically compares lightning to a fork. She calls the tool "the awful cutlery" and uses it to show the fear of Americans (Dickinson 341). She explains how the darkness is not fully hidden, and only those of true ignorance do not see it. Those unaware of the issues might as well have no brain at all. It takes intelligence and a point of view for one to stand up for something. They must be inspired and, at the same time, dependable. Each of these traits makes for the perfect activist. Although Dickinson was the quiet type, she wrote with strong emotions and opinions. She might not have been acting out against issues like that of Henry David Thoreau, but the simplicity of her emotional approach did just as much justice. Most of her words weren’t publicly seen until after Emily Dickinson’s death, but her words touched readers just the same. Her topics had strong meanings, but she related them so nicely to other issues that they lasted much longer than her life. Even today Dickinson’s poem could be used by readers to relate to their own lives. She touched upon the simplest problems faced in life to the hardest of loving relationships.

Dickinson, Emily. “The Lightning is a Yellow Fork". Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 341. Print.

Jack London

It’s clear within the first couple paragraphs of Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” that nature was an inspiration for the short story. Natural ideas and the outdoors were commonly mentioned in pieces of the transcendentalist period. Both Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson described nature and its beauty in their works. It takes a lot of knowledge and research to properly use nature in one’s writing. Jack London does a wonderful job at describing the scenes in the story, and the imagery used makes the reader feel the cold temperature that the protagonist feels throughout the story. It is obvious that he did his research on the below freezing temperatures because he shared many sophisticated facts through the unnamed protagonist.  After falling into the shallow water, the main character has to work at building a fire. London shares his knowledge by giving the reader a simple anatomy lesson. He states, “If his feet are dry, and he fails (to build a fire), he can run along the trail for half a mile and restore his circulation. But the circulation of wet and freezing feet cannot be restored by running when it is seventy-five below” (London 609).

The lesson of “To Build a Fire” could easily be summed up in one word: Determination. The protagonist often refers back to “the old-timer on Sulphur Creek” and the wise advice the man once gave to him. He remembers, “The old-timer had been very serious in laying down the law that no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below. Well, here he was.” (London 609). The man faced serious danger with his wet limbs in the freezing weather, but he continued to take the path to the camp. He struggled to build a fire, but he worked at it as much as he could because it was the only way he would stay warm and, ultimately, survive. He thought about the negative of what could be and described his emotions as “a fear he had never known in his life” (London 613). Although he knew the reality of what was to come, the man was determined to get what he wanted, a trait that was often featured in the transcendentalism period.

London, Jack. “To Build a Fire". Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 603-614. Print.

Edwin Arlington Robinson

It is the classic line that it repeated over and over again, "You Can't Judge a Book by It's Cover." In Richard Corey, the young man is admired by the younger boys and seen with envy by the others. Judging by his actions, the man was depressed, but no one ever saw his emotions underneath his well dressed body and wealthy fingers. As a piece of Realism literature, the poem documents a specific event. It includes emotion as most realism pieces do. It isn't odd to find the author including their own opinions in realism works, and the English book points out that Edwin Arlington Robinson often had emotional characters in his literature. This somewhat biased writing wasn't new to realism authors. In the Transcendentalist period in literature, author such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau stated their views on issues in their writings. It wasn't necessarily common for writers to give such strong views, especially if they were aimed negatively at another group, such as the government. The protests that Emerson and Thoreau sent using their words opened doors and acted as influence to the writers of literary periods to come.

Anton Chekov

It’s no surprise that women in this time were often considered inferior to men. They weren’t given a voice, and many struggled with this reality. However, Olenka, of Anton Chekov’s The Darling, was perfectly fine taking on the role of being a man’s woman. She married her first husband and quickly went to work for him. She took his values and opinions and used them as her own. It’s as if she came into the marriage a blank slate and became filled with her husband’s beliefs. Her first husband died and Olenka felt empty. She claimed, “Who’s going to look after your poor wretched Olenka now that you’ve abandoned her?” (Chekov 560). It is understandable that Olenka felt depressed by the loss, but it’s crazy that she does not have the confidence to live independently. She had a similar reaction when her second husband died. Throughout the story she relies on her husbands for her livelihood. Once married, Olenka would go to work for her husbands and live dependently on him. She would freak out when her husband went out of town for business, and she'd act as if she had no idea how to survive. It's depressing seeing how little self confidence Olenka had. Her constant needs and attention could have easily been a cause for the great amount of depression in her life. Chekov's essay differs from those of Thoreau and Emerson because theirs often tell of independent people going out and getting what they want. Their muses are inspired people who work towards something they believe in. Instead, Chekov's main character, Olenka, relies on those around her to survive. After the death of ther second husband, she said, "But the worst thing of all was no longer having any opinions. She saw objects round her and understood everything that was going on, but she could not form opinions about anything and did not know what to talk about" (Chekov 563). She shows very few aspirations or goals in life. It isn't until she gains maternal feelings that she finally feels necessary in the world. The narrator claims, "Not one of her previous attachments has been so deep, never before has she surrounded herself so wholeheartedly, unselfishly and joyfully as now, when her maternal feelings are being kindled more and more" (Chekov 565). It's nice to see Olenka finally find where she's meant to be.

Chekov, Anton. “The Darling". Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 557-565. Print.

Chief Joseph

Edgar Lee Masters

Spoon River Anthology is a collection of poems by Edgar Lee Masters. Each poem describes a small town character as its subject. These characters make their own decisions, whether good or bad, and put together the lies, secrets, and rumors that Edgar Lee Masters sees as being small town life. All of these tales are of those who have passed on. In the first of the 240 some poems, Edgar Lee Masters describes the characters. He says, "All, all are sleeping, sleeping, sleeping on the hill" (Masters 547). In Spoon River Anthology, Masters exposes the secretive side of small towns that the normal passerbyer doesn't necessarily see. Each character is somehow connected, whether it be through infidelity or promises. This puzzle like effect in the plot adds mystery and suspense to Spoon River Anthology. Yes, it is a collection of poems, but it is the connection through the poems that keeps the reader most interested.

The novel was based on how each individual's philosophy affected how they made their decisions. As a piece during the Regionalism period, it is safe to safe that growing ud in a small town in the Midwest had a great affect on each individual's outlook on life. Both Emerson and Thoreau believed that a person must have a full understanding of themselves to have self-improvement. One of the easiest ways to undersstand a person is to learn about where they came from. Spoon River Anthology not only used the mystery aspect to engage readers, but Edgar Lee Masters also did a nice job at pointing out small details of small town Spoon River. He included the accented dialect that the citizens would of had. He also gave specific names to streets and churches, giving a personal feel to the readers. All of these small, yet significant, details gave the audience a better understanding of Spoon River and gave a sense of imagery that allowed readers to picture the small town for themselves.

Masters, Edgar Lee. “Spoon River Anthology". Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 547. Print

Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce used imagination and an adventurous story line to fool the readers of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. He starts by explaining the poor circumstances that Peyton Farquhar had found himself in. He was standing on two makeshift planks off of the Owl Creek Bridge, and he had his hands bound and a rope around his neck (Bierce 393). Farquhar was being forced to oblige with the both physically and mentally painful activity by a group of soldiers. The reader is never informed of why Farquhar is tied up. He supported the Confederate army, but because of an injury, he could not fight in the war. The reader can only assume what Peyton must have done to be tied up to a noose on a bridge. Bierce makes several references to imagination and memories in the story. He writes, “He was now full possession of his physical senses. They were, indeed, preternaturally keen and alert” (Bierce 393). It isn’t until the end of the story that we realize that Farquhar’s adventure through the forest and visits with his family are all just a dream. He is back shadowing on the happiest moments of his life to take his mind off of reality. It is not until the final paragraphs that when Peyton Farquahar feels a tightening at his throat when the readers learn that a greater portion of the story was all just a dream. The dream feature was an interesting twist on the somewhat common war story.

The encouragement of imagination in writing began in the Romanticism period. Nature and the outdoors was another influence for the literature period. Fast forward to the Transcendentalism period and many of the same philosophies are used. Nature was often a place where authors would go to find themselves. Both Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau valued nature and saw how important source it was. Emerson even believed that we are educated by nature and our actions.

Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 389-396. Print.