Journal 31 - Job Shadowing

When I was first informed that I was going to shadow Wally Hamlin, the CEO of HPR Marketing Agency, I was unenthusiastic. I had signed up to be an editor or graphic designer, so I was confused on how a marketing agency would transfer into what I wanted to do. After talking to Wally on the phone, I was told I would be talking to a graphic designer at the agency. 

My job didn't start until 1:00 on Wednesday, so I was able to sleep in and run a few errands before hand. When I arrived at HPR Marketing, I was taken back by how casual everyone was dressed. I was wearing a black pencil skirt and silk top, the outfit I had pictured a marketing director to be wearing, and, to my surprise, the workers at HPR were wearing denim. Three other girls from PPHS were also job shadowing for Wally, so the four of us met up in the conference room of the business. Wally was welcoming us as we entered with the kind of energy one would expect a person named Wally to have. It only took me a quick glance to see it was going to be a fun day. The first words out of Wally Hamlin's mouth were: "I didn't know what I wanted to be when I went to college. I just knew I wanted to be rich, and now I am." He introduced us to his VP, a petite young lady, and they went over the schedule that they had planned for the day and answered any quick  questions we had. We then went around the office and were introduced to the seven business employees--three marketing account managers, three graphic designers, and the new guy on the job that had to deal with all of the paperwork. Because I focused more on graphic design, Wally had me talk to the three young graphic designers. They showed me some of the logos and advertisements they had created, and were open to all of the questions I had. I was able to relate and understand their projects because I have used similar programs in my Photography and Computer Design classes. We also got to visit with the Account Managers at HPR Marketing. I had never really understood what marketing was exactly, so it was a nice opportunity for me to get a better understanding of the job. At the of the day, we met back up with Wally, and he gave us some final advice. He informed us how we should go about applying for jobs and encouraged us to follow up and how important it is to employers. He was a truly smart man, and I could how much work he put into creating such a successful business.

Modernism Video

Discussing the Modernism piece "When the Negro was in Vogue" by Langston Hughes

Journal 30-Favorite Whitman Poem

POETS TO COME.

http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1891/poems/23

I came across Walt Whitman’s poem Poets to Come while researching for a past blog assignment. At the time, I was in a hurry to find quotes as back up and just clicking on random titles from the novel, Leaves of Grass. Although only three short stanzas, Poets to Come has so much meaning and creates a sentimental scene for the reader. The poem covers the movement of generation to generation, in this case, in the field of writing. Whitman describes how he can give advice, but his work will soon have its end. He uses imagery to give a physical description of passing men on the street. Although they may not know of each other, the men are connected in the fact that they were poets of their generation. It was the older man’s responsibility to have a literary voice for his generation, and it is now the younger man’s turn.

There are differences in every generation of history. Parents didn’t necessarily believe in the actions of their children, yet, more likely than not, their own parents had the same negative appeal on their decisions. It’s a fact of life that as time changes, trends and beliefs change as well. Take the literary periods for example. From Romanticism to Transcendentalism, the values and beliefs contrasted amongst the periods.

I see a rather large generational gap between the age groups today. It has been an era of technology. Those older than say 50 aren’t necessarily up to date with all of the new tools. It’s much more difficult for a matured person to learn the new gadgets because they aren’t used to them. Similar to how Whitman has to look to the future with nothing but hope for the upcoming poets, the aged professionals can only have faith in the rookies. I can’t imagine it’s easy for them to move on seeing how they aren’t used to the new way of doing things. I guess that just means there’s a new generation.

Journal 28

 The author of the poem was ready for death. He or she had already made the preparations that come with dying and was ready to go. The speaker says, "Be witnessed in his power" and "I willed my keepsakes, signed away." I would imagine that preparing for death isn't an easy process. I'm sure it would depend on the age of the victim and their life experience. When you finally gets past the denial and bargaining, the acceptance of death is the next step. I would imagine that one who has accepted death is in a calm state. The speaker in Emily Dickinson's "I Heard a Fly Buzz" describes the feeling as a "stillness in the air". Said stillness was interrupted by a bumble bee. When I'm outside and being active, a bee is easy to detect when it's close to my face. The sound of the buzzing stills you. I find that standing still is the most effective way to avoid getting stung by a bee. The speaker of the poem most likely heard the bee coming from far away considering the still, silent state that he or she was in. The silent converstaion that the speaker had with the bee was the last they ever had. A connection of somesort that symbolized the pure freedom that the speaker's sole will soon partake in. The light and window described at the end of the poem is an example of imagery. The reader can picture what it would be like to see the light through a window then all of a sudden have that window closed, bringing darkness into the room. I think it was a great comparison to what death would be like. Since no living person knows what it is truly like to kick the bucket, one can only be creative when describing it. Dickinson's clever description and great explanation of the speaker's emotions allow the reader to grasp not only the poem but also the process of death.

Emily Dickinson- Tweener

Emily Dickinson used many characteristics in her writing that could classify as either Realism or Modernism work. She broke traditions with her writing, shocking outsiders with her modernism technique. She also wrote descriptive poetry about her surroundings, a common characteristic of Realism writing. Categorizing the work of Emily Dickinson into just one literary time period is not an easy task. “Her voice and verbal artistry are unique, and her themes are both ageless and universal,” said one literary criticism (Cornelius).

Emily Dickinson will forever be remembered for the years she spent isolated in her bedroom. The criticism explains, “Despite Dickinson's ever-growing literary popularity, many details of her life remain a mystery” (Cornelius). The isolation showed through her work. She was not bothered by society or worldly issues in her bedroom, so her literature rarely discusses political or social events. Instead, the major themes in her poems were simple ideas and nature. Looking out of the window in her bedroom proved to be inspiration for many of her nature pieces. She was able to use the images that she saw to describe in her work. “As with any individual, the time, the place, and even the atmosphere surrounding Emily Dickinson all influenced the ways she thought and acted and developed her natural talent,” writes the criticism (Cornelius). One effective talent that Dickinson had was the ability to truly understand humans. In one of Emily Dickinson’s most popular poems, “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?”, she shows her understanding of humanity. She bonds with the reader over their similarity of being a ‘nobody’. She says, “Don't tell! They'd advertise – you know! How dreary—to be—Somebody!” (Dickinson). Her ability to describe a person through emotions and feelings not only relate to the reader but also make her a great Realism author.

Dickinson came from a religious family. She had a strong Puritan background, but she often did not attend church. Although she didn’t praise God on a Sunday morning, she refers to a higher power in several of her poems. She also mentions the spiritual journey that she is on. One criticism comments, “As was the Puritan custom, Dickinson continually examined her inner life, engaging in a kind of dialogue with herself that forms the basis of some of her finest poetry” (Cornelius). The inner spirit, also considered a self reflection, was highly recognized in the works of the Modernism period. By not attending church, Emily Dickinson was breaking the rules of her society. A modernism writer was known for breaking tradition and finding new ways to interact with the world. 

Along with their own writing style, many poets often had their own punctuation style. As Walt Whitman would use capitalization for emphasis in his poetry, Emily Dickinson uses improper grammar in her work. The reasoning behind the technique is unknown considering Dickinson received a proper education and knew better. One can only assume that the misleading punctuation was to create a rhythm that Dickinson wanted in her poems. In some cases, readers became confused by her style and opted to not read her poetry.

Cornelius, Kay. "Dickinson, Emily." In Harold Bloom, ed. Emily Dickinson, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2002. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Dickinson, Emily. "I'm Nobody! Who Are You?" Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More. Web. 04 Apr. 2012.

Walt Whitman- Tweener

Walt Whitman was a poet during a transition in literary time periods. His work included many coinciding characteristics, so it was difficult to categorize him in just one time period. Was he a Realism author who used great descriptions to tell of nature and reality, or was he a Modernism author who found new ways of interacting with the world? With sources that fit each literary period’s criteria, Walt Whitman can be categorized in only one way: a tweener.

                Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, a collection of poetry, is considered one of the most studied books of American poetry. Before becoming an author, Whitman worked as a newspaper editor and printer, so he had a large part in the publishing of his book. In fact, he would change the design and reorder the poems over and over again before finally settling with the sixth published version of the novel. Whitman’s perfectionist quality, which some might consider unnecessary attention to detail, is what made him such a great Realism writer. Being able to describe something to a reader without straight up saying it is not easy. One must have knowledge in human psychology in order to create layered characters in their work. A higher level of writing would include characters that the reader can understand emotionally instead of just a physical image. These details were commonly used in Realism writing to give readers an accurate portrayal of the events that occurred. In Walt Whitman’s “Poets to Come”, he describes a scenario between two generations. He says, “I am a man who, sauntering along without fully stopping, turns a casual look upon you and then averts his face, Leaving it to you to prove and define it, Expecting the main things from you” (Poets). The subtle description of the scene gives off a powerful message with so much more meaning behind it. The reader is able to picture the scene in their mind, thanks to the use of imagery in the poem, and get a good understanding of the situation, the entire purpose of Realism writing.

Modernism writing can easily be summed up in one word: Individualism. The literary period broke tradition by creating new ways to view and interact with out surroundings. Inner self and reflections were a couple new ways people would interact. Walt Whitman was no stranger to self reflection, and he encouraged his readers to make decisions for themselves and no one else. In “Song of Myself” Whitman writes, “You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me, You shall listen to all sides and filter them from yourself” (Song).

Walt Whitman was known to have his own rhythm in his poetry. He would include punctuation such as capitalization or periods in odd places in order to create an effect. Any emphasis he puts on a word or phrase has a specific meaning. It may not be plainly stated, but Whitman’s special punctuation has meaning to his poetry. It is a rare characteristic that isn’t seen in every poet’s work.

Whitman, Walt. "Poets to Come." The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 03 Apr. 2012.

Whitman, Walt. "Song of Myself." The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 03 Apr. 2012.

Whitman-Square Deific

“Chanting the Square Deific”, a poem of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass collection, is very much a balance between good and evil, a fight that many endure in one way or another in their lifetime. The poem reflects on the idea of a square deity rather than the three sided trinity that is most commonly seen. Each side of the square is given it’s own stanza in the poem where the opinions and outlooks of each character is shared. In one literary criticism, the author explains, “There are four stanzas, each presenting one of the four sides to Whitman's "Square Deific," and each told from the speaker's point of view, first God, then Christ, then Satan, and, finally, the Soul ("Santa Spirita")” (Oliver).

The first side of Whitman’s Square Deific is a negative one. As if speaking from the point of view of God, Whitman explains, “Relentless I forgive no man—whoever sins dies—I will have that man's life” (Whitman). He imagines God as having no sympathy for his actions. The description of the adjacent side was easy enough point out its speaker. With knowledge from prophets, a helping hand for all, and an early death, the second side of the deific is Jesus (Whitman). He serves as a breath of fresh air, or a positive, to the cruelty that came before him in the poem. Opposite of God in not only views and plans but also in the square deific is Satan. He is continuously brooding and plotting against power and vows to never change. One Facts on File essay states, “Satan is opposite God in the Square Deific, creating, Whitman may be suggesting here, a balance between good and evil, both necessary, he believed, in the lives of human beings and in all of Nature” (Oliver). The final side of the square is the Holy Spirit, described as being “the most solid” of the four (Whitman).

As a self reflection, “Chanting the Square Deific” exudes several lessons to be learned. One spotted in every stanza of the poem is to live with little fear. God may have treated sinners poorly, and he made quick judgments on people, but he did so without remorse (Whitman). He didn’t show the most positive of qualities, but he felt what he was doing was right, so he lived with little regret. In the second stanza, Jesus sensed that he would encounter an early death, but he continued to live his life for others (Whitman). Whitman writes, “And my sweet love bequeath'd here and elsewhere never dies.” (Whitman). He lived his life with the fear of death at his back knowing that the actions he made would never be forgotten. Satan, the next side of the deific, could easily be considered the bravest of brave. He brooded against the highest power with no regret. Although feared by many, Satan himself was never concerned with changing the nasty, rebellious soul that he was. Finally, the Holy Spirit, who served as a go to, or haven, for all permanent beings. With little fear, the Holy Spirit “leaped easily from Hell” to be a guide for all mankind (Whitman).

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. Web. 03 Apr. 2012.

　

Whitman, Walt. "Chanting The Square Deific." The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 03 Apr.