I found a poem called Excelsior by Whitman, and decided that I was going to read it. I thought it was a very interesting poem, and one that kept me interested the whole time. I found that I liked this poem a lot, because it showed a lot of self confidence, which is something that we do not see or hear a lot about anymore these days. I think that Whitman was mainly trying to show his self confidence so that others would want to be like that too. He was trying to show us that we should not give up, and eventually it will all work out for the better for us. He wants us to know that we can succeed in the things we do, if we just put forth effort. I think this poem was good for me to read, because I need to realize that if I try to make things work and actually put forth a lot of effort, then things will get done and done nicely. I really enjoyed this poem.
I try to do my best in all that I do. Whether it is cheerleading, FFA, or showing pigs and cattle, I try to do my very best and give it my all through everything I do. I think think that the character in Whitman's poem was a very confident person, and really thought that they were the best. He was not afraid to show his confidence or talk about how great he was. He said in the poem how he is the most just, gone the farthest, been the most cautious, most happiest, lavished all, firmest, proudest, bold and true, benevolent, projected beautiful words through the longest time, received the love of the most friends, possesses a perfect and enamored body, has the amplest thoughts, and who has made hymns fit for the whole earth. I think that it is fine to think that you are good at things and brag on yourself every once in awhile, but I thought this was a little too much. Just by reading that one part you can really learn a lot about the character in the poem.
I think that everybody should have to read a poem like this. I think that some people need to gain confidence at times. I think there is a difference between being confident and just being a cocky, over confident person. I think that everyone should be a little confident at times, because we all have things in our life that we are good at that we should be proud of. I think we can all use Whitman as a good example and we should all try to be a little like him at times, just not to the extreme that he takes it to.
I enjoyed reading this, like I stated earlier, and I really got a lot from reading this poem.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Journal #38- Whitman...again:(
We read As I Watch'd the Ploughman Ploughing by Whitman in class for our Journal #38.
AS I watch’d the ploughman ploughing,
Or the sower sowing in the fields—or the harvester harvesting,
I saw there too, O life and death, your analogies:
(Life, life is the tillage, and Death is the harvest according.)
After reading this poem, I could pick out things about God. Whitman was known to right about religious things, and I could pick out details in this writing that led me to believe that he was writing about God. I thought that the three words ploughman, sower, and harvester were all nouns that were describing God in my eyes. I think that God was the ploughman, sower, and harvestor. The ploughman version of God was when he started the earth and he got everything ready for the life of the world. The sower of God was the for of Jesus that was actually living on earth, and trying to lead people to him and continue the great works of the trinity. The harvestor of God is the end of the trinity that you see at the end of your life that determines if the way you lived your life was acceptable and he determines if you will be going to heaven or hell.
At the end of the poem when it talks about life is the tillage and death is the harvest according, also showed me another religious detail. I think that what he is trying to say here is depending on the way you live your life determines your harvest. Your harvest is the end of your life and whether or not you will be going to heaven or hell. If you had good tillage during your life and you did things according to God you will have a great harvest. If you were too have a bad tillage during your life, then you will not have a good harvest. I think that we should try to have good tillage and not have regrets or things we think God will not like, so that we can die with a great harvest that affected many people.
Whitman, Walt. "210. As I Watch’d the Ploughman Ploughing. Whitman, Walt. 1900. Leaves of Grass." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 28 Feb. 2011..
AS I watch’d the ploughman ploughing,
Or the sower sowing in the fields—or the harvester harvesting,
I saw there too, O life and death, your analogies:
(Life, life is the tillage, and Death is the harvest according.)
After reading this poem, I could pick out things about God. Whitman was known to right about religious things, and I could pick out details in this writing that led me to believe that he was writing about God. I thought that the three words ploughman, sower, and harvester were all nouns that were describing God in my eyes. I think that God was the ploughman, sower, and harvestor. The ploughman version of God was when he started the earth and he got everything ready for the life of the world. The sower of God was the for of Jesus that was actually living on earth, and trying to lead people to him and continue the great works of the trinity. The harvestor of God is the end of the trinity that you see at the end of your life that determines if the way you lived your life was acceptable and he determines if you will be going to heaven or hell.
At the end of the poem when it talks about life is the tillage and death is the harvest according, also showed me another religious detail. I think that what he is trying to say here is depending on the way you live your life determines your harvest. Your harvest is the end of your life and whether or not you will be going to heaven or hell. If you had good tillage during your life and you did things according to God you will have a great harvest. If you were too have a bad tillage during your life, then you will not have a good harvest. I think that we should try to have good tillage and not have regrets or things we think God will not like, so that we can die with a great harvest that affected many people.
Whitman, Walt. "210. As I Watch’d the Ploughman Ploughing. Whitman, Walt. 1900. Leaves of Grass." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 28 Feb. 2011.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Journal #36- Vivid Desciption of My Favorite Meal
My favorite meal is probably horse shoe pizza from The Corner Pub and Grill. It has not been my favorite meal for forever, because I just discovered it about two years ago. I discovered it first when I went with a friend to corner pub to meet up with some friends and those friends were eating what I know call my favorite meal. I now love horseshoe pizza, and I am craving it all the time. The whole meal consists of a Mountain Dew, the 16 inch buffalo chicken horseshoe pizza, and also a friend or my family with me, because I can not eat it by myself. The pizza is just amazing, when it first comes out you just look at it and it looks absolutely delicious. You smell the strong buffalo sauce, to the point where it almost burns your nose. I love that smell, and after smelling that your stomach really gets to rumbling. I always know which pieces of the pizza that I want, and I make sure to go in for the grab. I love the corner pieces and I also love any other outside piece, but I am not trying to take away from the middle of the pizza, because really the whole pizza is just amazingly great. After I get my pizza pieces on the plate, I make sure that I have the fork to cut it and the ranch to dip it in. I have to have the fork, because the pizza has so much on it and it is so hot, that I do not want to bite through it. I have to have ranch to dip it in, just for the extra flavor. It tastes so good when it hits your mouth, and different flavors bounce everywhere, like the amazing buffalo chicken or the fries that The Corner Pub seems to cook to perfection. It does not take very much to fill me up though, and before I know it I am full and my craving has gone away for another two weeks or so.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Journal #35- Reporter During the War
I do not like reporting the way it is, but I could not imagine trying to be a reporter during any kind of war. I can not handle any kind of human blood. I always feel like when I see it I am going through the pain, and I would really not like that. I think the things that I would be seeing in the war every day would be way to graphic for me to handle. I think I am good with just hearing about it and learning about what went on during the wars. I think that it is great that there are men and women out there that are willing to fight and risk their lives every day for everybody else, and I have so much respect for people like that. I think that what they do is amazing, and they have so much courage and I thank them for that. I just do not think that I would be able to stand there and watch what they are doing and be able to seriously report about all that was going on. I think that I would first off get distracted to easily from my reports, and second I would be so awe struck by what was going on and probably freaked out that I would not even remember half of the stuff that I had just seen. I think I would be better at reporting if the soldiers just came to me in my little tent and kept me updated about everything that was going on and every little thing that they did, and that way I would not have to see it all. I do think that seeing a little bit of what they go through would not hurt me, and to be honest watching what they do for us every day is something that every American should probably watch and write about. I think it would really make us realize that we do not need to take some things for granit.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Jack London- To Build a Fire
To Build A Fire by Jack London is a short story, that I thought was pretty good. It was very long though, and was not one that you could just read real fast. You had to read the story, then take it all in and think about what you just read, and then at times you had to skim back over to see if you knew what was going on. This short story is about a man on the trail in sub zero weather trying to survive in the best way possible. I could pick out naturalism the most in this story. I thought what was going on in this story was pretty crazy though. This guy was trying to survive in these crazy temperatures of almost negative seventy- five. Naturalists were also the ones to believed that we were dominated by economic, social, and natural forces ("Regionalism" 487). I think that this defintion does show up in To Build A Fire by Jack London. In this story, Jack really talks about the natural forces that are going on that are affecting him on his way. He had to deal with the terrible temperatures, and all of the thick ice that at times was very unbearable.I mean that is just not good. I thought that when he brought his dog, that was kind of a good idea, but it reminded me of the movie Eight Below where a bunch of dogs got captured in the snow and those awful temperatures.“The Yukon lay a mile wide and hidden under three feet of ice.”
Also, I noticed when I was skimming through at the end, that the there were some mean things going on too. People were making it harder it seemed like, “They were traps. They hid pools of water under the snow...” (London 601-614). I think that shows us realism, because I think that the author, Jack London, wanted us to know that on top of everything else he had to go through a bunch of crap, because people did not care. "Empty as the man's mind was of thoughts, he was keenly observant, and he noticed the changes in the creek, the curves and bends and timber-jams, and always he sharply noted where he placed his feet. Once, coming around a bend, he shied abruptly, like a startled horse, curved away from the place where he had been walking, and retreated several paces back along the trail. The creek he knew was frozen clear to the bottom,—no creek could contain water in that arctic winter,—but he knew also that there were springs that bubbled out from the hillsides and ran along under the snow and on top the ice of the creek" (London 601-614). Right here in this previous passage, I noticed just a little bit of the scary things that he had to deal with, especially water. Water is not a fun thing when its cold, especially if it is not safe. I think this is showing realism, because he was giving details of just exactly what he was going through.
Jack London's writing was not bad, and over all a pretty good story. I thought it was interesting to read the terrible things he had to go through, and in that time it was not adding anything good on top of what our country was already going through. The character must have really been struggling. I enjoyed reading this story overall though.
London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 601-614. Print.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." 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= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 25, 2011)
Also, I noticed when I was skimming through at the end, that the there were some mean things going on too. People were making it harder it seemed like, “They were traps. They hid pools of water under the snow...” (London 601-614). I think that shows us realism, because I think that the author, Jack London, wanted us to know that on top of everything else he had to go through a bunch of crap, because people did not care. "Empty as the man's mind was of thoughts, he was keenly observant, and he noticed the changes in the creek, the curves and bends and timber-jams, and always he sharply noted where he placed his feet. Once, coming around a bend, he shied abruptly, like a startled horse, curved away from the place where he had been walking, and retreated several paces back along the trail. The creek he knew was frozen clear to the bottom,—no creek could contain water in that arctic winter,—but he knew also that there were springs that bubbled out from the hillsides and ran along under the snow and on top the ice of the creek" (London 601-614). Right here in this previous passage, I noticed just a little bit of the scary things that he had to deal with, especially water. Water is not a fun thing when its cold, especially if it is not safe. I think this is showing realism, because he was giving details of just exactly what he was going through.
Jack London's writing was not bad, and over all a pretty good story. I thought it was interesting to read the terrible things he had to go through, and in that time it was not adding anything good on top of what our country was already going through. The character must have really been struggling. I enjoyed reading this story overall though.
London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 601-614. Print.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." 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= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 25, 2011)
Edwin Arlington Robinson – Richard Cory and Miniver Cheevy
I thought the first poem, Richard Cory was actually a pretty good poem overall. I was interested the whole time and even though it ended in a very shocking and crazy way, I still thought that it was a great poem. I really do not like suicide, and it is not a subject that I like to talk about because it almost makes me uncomfortable. I always think that it is crazy that the people that usually commit suicide are the ones that have everything going for them and they have everything they want, just like it was in Richard Cory. Richard Cory had everything that he wanted or could ever have, and all of the people in the town looked to him and adored him. I think that he was the "hero' in this town at the beginning, because everyone looked to him and adored him. "Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gentlemen from the sole to crown, Clean favored, and imperially slim" (Robinson 575). You can see that everyone here looked up to him and just knew he was great.
I think that I see realism the most in Richard Cory. I think that the man in this story had a great life, and just like other people was willing to give it all up because he was selfish. "And he was rich- yes, richer than a king- And admirably schooled in every grace" (Robinson 575) I think that this statement right there shows us realism, because his life depicted was really a great life, and he had everything that he could ever want.
The Miniver Cheevy was another interesting poem, and one that was also very depressing. I thought it was depressing because Cheevy, instead of enjoying life, was always wishing that he had never been born, because he wanted to be born in the medieval times. "Miniver loved the days of old, When swords were bright and steeds were prancing" (Robinson 576). I think that this was kind of weird, but at the same time he was using a good imagination. I just do no think I would want to be born during that ttime.
Miniver Cheevy and Richard Cory were both over all okay, but they were both depressing kind of. I think they both shared realism, and in both stories the main character was not happy with the life that they were living. In Richard Cory, he had everything in the world and everyone looked up to him, but he was still unhappy enough about something to commit suicide. We never found out why he committed suicide, but he did for some reason. In Miniver Cheevy, he was just being weird and wishing that he was not alive, because if he was alive he wanted to be alive during the medieval times. I thought that in Miniver Cheevy, the main character really seemed childish, because he wanted a life with swords, and I mean that is just really not realistic.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Miniver Cheevy" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 576. Print.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 575. Print.
I think that I see realism the most in Richard Cory. I think that the man in this story had a great life, and just like other people was willing to give it all up because he was selfish. "And he was rich- yes, richer than a king- And admirably schooled in every grace" (Robinson 575) I think that this statement right there shows us realism, because his life depicted was really a great life, and he had everything that he could ever want.
The Miniver Cheevy was another interesting poem, and one that was also very depressing. I thought it was depressing because Cheevy, instead of enjoying life, was always wishing that he had never been born, because he wanted to be born in the medieval times. "Miniver loved the days of old, When swords were bright and steeds were prancing" (Robinson 576). I think that this was kind of weird, but at the same time he was using a good imagination. I just do no think I would want to be born during that ttime.
Miniver Cheevy and Richard Cory were both over all okay, but they were both depressing kind of. I think they both shared realism, and in both stories the main character was not happy with the life that they were living. In Richard Cory, he had everything in the world and everyone looked up to him, but he was still unhappy enough about something to commit suicide. We never found out why he committed suicide, but he did for some reason. In Miniver Cheevy, he was just being weird and wishing that he was not alive, because if he was alive he wanted to be alive during the medieval times. I thought that in Miniver Cheevy, the main character really seemed childish, because he wanted a life with swords, and I mean that is just really not realistic.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Miniver Cheevy" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 576. Print.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 575. Print.
Paul Laurence Dunbar – Douglass and We Wear the Mask
I really liked reading Paul Laurence Dunbar's writing We Wear The Mask. I thought it was great and one that a lot of people can relate to at some point in their lives. I thought that this poem was a great examples of realism. "Realism is the attempt to depict life as it actually exists, not as the author wants it to be in the present or the future, or imagines it was in the past. A realist carefully chooses details that illustrate this vision" (Werlock). I think that is what is cool about realists is they are not afraid to say what they need to say, because they just lay it al out there for people how it really is. During this time, writers had just turned from romanticism to realism, but their was a reason for that. "Writers during this period were turning away from romanticism because they wanted to write about something that was closer to ordinary life ("Regionalism" 487). I think the reason that they were turning away from romanticism, because they were going through the crazy things in the wars and just wanted to share with people the truth that was going on. I saw realism in this poem when Paul Laurence Dunbar said, "WE wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile" (Dunbar 571) I think that what he was trying to say here was that we wear this mask that hides are face because we do not want people to see the things that we are going through or that something is bothering us. I think that Dunbar was just trying to say the truth about what people were thinking then, and how they felt ashamed in front of people. I think that a lot of people can relate to this. I know sometimes we all are ashamed at some point of something that we have done, so we wish that we could just wear a mask and pretend that no one knows.
Douglass was a pretty good poem, but I did not enjoy it as much as We Wear The Mask. This Poem, Douglass, was about how Paul Laurence Dunbar wished that Frederick Douglas was alive, and he was sharing with him the things that were going on right then with everything. Dunbar stated, "Ah, Douglass, we have fall'n on evil days, Such days as thou, not even thou didst know, When thee, the eyes of that harsh long ago, Saw, salient, at the cross of devious ways, And all the country heard thee with amaze. Not ended then, the passionate ebb and flow, The awful tide that battled to and fro; We ride amid a tempest of dispraise" (Dunbar 571). I know that this poem is realism, because Dunbar was sharing with this dead person, or imagining he was, about how the country was falling on evil days and how he thought the country was going down hill. I thought this was realism, because he was sharing the real life things that were happing to the country in Dunbar's eyes. "Realists did not want to transcend reality, but to show the experiences that we go through everyday" ("Regionalism" 287). "Realism is the attempt to depict life as it actually exists, not as the author wants it to be in the present or the future, or imagines it was in the past. A realist carefully chooses details that illustrate this vision" (Werlock).
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "Douglass" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 570. Print.
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "We Wear the Mask" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 571. Print.
Regionalism and Realism." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas FIsher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. American Literature ed. Coulmbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 487. Print.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." 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= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 25, 2011)
Douglass was a pretty good poem, but I did not enjoy it as much as We Wear The Mask. This Poem, Douglass, was about how Paul Laurence Dunbar wished that Frederick Douglas was alive, and he was sharing with him the things that were going on right then with everything. Dunbar stated, "Ah, Douglass, we have fall'n on evil days, Such days as thou, not even thou didst know, When thee, the eyes of that harsh long ago, Saw, salient, at the cross of devious ways, And all the country heard thee with amaze. Not ended then, the passionate ebb and flow, The awful tide that battled to and fro; We ride amid a tempest of dispraise" (Dunbar 571). I know that this poem is realism, because Dunbar was sharing with this dead person, or imagining he was, about how the country was falling on evil days and how he thought the country was going down hill. I thought this was realism, because he was sharing the real life things that were happing to the country in Dunbar's eyes. "Realists did not want to transcend reality, but to show the experiences that we go through everyday" ("Regionalism" 287). "Realism is the attempt to depict life as it actually exists, not as the author wants it to be in the present or the future, or imagines it was in the past. A realist carefully chooses details that illustrate this vision" (Werlock).
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "Douglass" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 570. Print.
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "We Wear the Mask" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 571. Print.
Regionalism and Realism." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas FIsher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. American Literature ed. Coulmbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 487. Print.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." 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= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 25, 2011)
Chief Joseph – I Will Fight No More Forever
"Joseph was chief of the Nez Perce, a Native American tribe of the Wallowa Valley in Northwest Oregon. In 1877 the Nez Pierce were ordered to a reservation, or special land reserved for Native Americans. The Nez Pierce refused to go. Instead, Chief Joseph tried to lead 800 of his people to Canada. Fighting the U.S. Army all along their 1100 mile journey, they crossed Idaho and Montana. They were trapped just forty miles from Canada. After a five-day fight, the remaining 431 remaining Nez Perce were beaten. It was then, on October 5, 1877 at Bears Paw, that Chief Joseph made his speech of surrender" (Manuel).
The time that Chief Justice was going through, was a time filled with many hardships for the Indian tribes. The Indian tribes were struggling in that time because they just wanted to live their lives on the reservations that were their's but they could not even get that. The reason this whole speech happened was because the government was trying to move all of Chief Justice's people to a place where he did not want to go. I have not seen hero's in the past stories, but I think that Chief Justice was a true hero in this story, because he was helping out his people.
After Chief Joseph had gone through a bunch of terrible things in this war, and was losing a lot of people, he finally delivered this speech, "I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Toohulhulsote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led the young men is dead. It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are--perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever" (Manuel).
I think that it is pretty obvious that this speech that Chief Justice gave was a great example of realism. Chief Justice was going through a lot at that point, and was just ready to be honest and lay it all out there. I mean he was sick of watching all of his people get hurt by the US, and he finally just told them that he was tired of all of this, and he just wanted to stop and make sure that his people were ok. "My people, some of them, have run away to the hills and have no blankets, no food" (Manuel). I think this is a good example of realism, because he had to be real and also honest with these people so they knew what he was really going through. He was not interested in messing around anymore, and he was all about getting to the point. The Chief just wanted them to know what it would feel like to be them right now. Chief Justice ended the speech with, "I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever" (Manuel). I mean honestly, Chief Justice could not be any more serious than he was in this statement right here. That last sentence in his speech was a great way to end the speech on a realism note. He was not trying to hide any of his feelings or walk around on pins and needles, he was just all about getting to the point and being realistic with the people. He said he was not going to fight ever again, and he knew he needed to do that for his people.
Manuel, David. "Chief Joseph." Welcome to Georgia State University. Web. 17 Feb. 2011..
The time that Chief Justice was going through, was a time filled with many hardships for the Indian tribes. The Indian tribes were struggling in that time because they just wanted to live their lives on the reservations that were their's but they could not even get that. The reason this whole speech happened was because the government was trying to move all of Chief Justice's people to a place where he did not want to go. I have not seen hero's in the past stories, but I think that Chief Justice was a true hero in this story, because he was helping out his people.
After Chief Joseph had gone through a bunch of terrible things in this war, and was losing a lot of people, he finally delivered this speech, "I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Toohulhulsote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led the young men is dead. It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are--perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever" (Manuel).
I think that it is pretty obvious that this speech that Chief Justice gave was a great example of realism. Chief Justice was going through a lot at that point, and was just ready to be honest and lay it all out there. I mean he was sick of watching all of his people get hurt by the US, and he finally just told them that he was tired of all of this, and he just wanted to stop and make sure that his people were ok. "My people, some of them, have run away to the hills and have no blankets, no food" (Manuel). I think this is a good example of realism, because he had to be real and also honest with these people so they knew what he was really going through. He was not interested in messing around anymore, and he was all about getting to the point. The Chief just wanted them to know what it would feel like to be them right now. Chief Justice ended the speech with, "I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever" (Manuel). I mean honestly, Chief Justice could not be any more serious than he was in this statement right here. That last sentence in his speech was a great way to end the speech on a realism note. He was not trying to hide any of his feelings or walk around on pins and needles, he was just all about getting to the point and being realistic with the people. He said he was not going to fight ever again, and he knew he needed to do that for his people.
Manuel, David. "Chief Joseph." Welcome to Georgia State University. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.
Edgar Lee Masters – Spoon River Anthology
I thought that Edgar Lee Masters writing was pretty interesting . I think the reason I like it the most when I was reading some things about him in our book, I realized that there was some pretty cool things about him that I would have never guessed. The one that is the by far the best is, "Edgar Lee Masters was raised in Petersburg, Illinois" (Meet). I live 7 miles from Petersburg, Illinois, I mean that is pretty awesome. Abraham Lincoln lived right around there too, so I bet they probably knew each other. It is amazing the things that I keep learning about the state I live in, and also the town that i live really close to! I also read in the information, that he had a couple of really great writers that were the ones that he said influenced him the most to write. "He read works by Charles Dickens and Ralph Waldo Emerson.. Those good and talented writers helped him to establish that he wanted to become a writer also" (Meet).
I did not know at first what Spoon River Anthology was, but then when I got to reading I really realized what it was. Spoon River Anthology was not just a story or a poem it was a book of many poems and memoirs of people around that area of the author. I think that this shows us that these poems of the Spoon River Anthology show us a lot of regionalism and a also realism too. I think they show regionalism, because all the poems were about a town that all of the different people were apart of. It also goes into details about some of the deaths of these people in this town. I thought it was cool to see the how he showed all of the townspeople always working together. The time that I saw realism was when the character in the book was talking about how she had raised twelve children and ended up losing eight. "Enjoying, working, raising the twelve children, eight of whom we lost" (Masters 516) I thought that this was realism, because she was just being honest and saying how her life really was and the bad things she had went through by losing children. She was just sharing all about her marriage, her kids, and her life and all they go through showing us that they are just everyday people just like everyone else. "I ended up with forty acres; I ended up with a broken fiddle- And a broken laugh, and a thousand memories, and not a single regret" (Masters 517). I think Edgar Lee Masters ended this poem with a great clip. He ended this with a little clip of realism describing the woman's life. I like how she sad that she had a lot of memories and no regrets. I think that is great, and that is also how life should be.
I think that Edgar Lee Masters works in Spoon River Anthology were pretty good, and writing a book of poems is actually kind of cool. I think that it was also cool that his writings all tied together.
"Meet Edgar Lee Masters." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 514. Print.
Masters, Edgar Lee. "Lucinda Matlock." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 516. Print.
Masters, Edgar Lee. "Fiddler Jones." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 517. Print.
I did not know at first what Spoon River Anthology was, but then when I got to reading I really realized what it was. Spoon River Anthology was not just a story or a poem it was a book of many poems and memoirs of people around that area of the author. I think that this shows us that these poems of the Spoon River Anthology show us a lot of regionalism and a also realism too. I think they show regionalism, because all the poems were about a town that all of the different people were apart of. It also goes into details about some of the deaths of these people in this town. I thought it was cool to see the how he showed all of the townspeople always working together. The time that I saw realism was when the character in the book was talking about how she had raised twelve children and ended up losing eight. "Enjoying, working, raising the twelve children, eight of whom we lost" (Masters 516) I thought that this was realism, because she was just being honest and saying how her life really was and the bad things she had went through by losing children. She was just sharing all about her marriage, her kids, and her life and all they go through showing us that they are just everyday people just like everyone else. "I ended up with forty acres; I ended up with a broken fiddle- And a broken laugh, and a thousand memories, and not a single regret" (Masters 517). I think Edgar Lee Masters ended this poem with a great clip. He ended this with a little clip of realism describing the woman's life. I like how she sad that she had a lot of memories and no regrets. I think that is great, and that is also how life should be.
I think that Edgar Lee Masters works in Spoon River Anthology were pretty good, and writing a book of poems is actually kind of cool. I think that it was also cool that his writings all tied together.
"Meet Edgar Lee Masters." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 514. Print.
Masters, Edgar Lee. "Lucinda Matlock." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 516. Print.
Masters, Edgar Lee. "Fiddler Jones." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 517. Print.
Mark Twain – Two Views of the River
Before I even read Two Views of the River by Mark Twain, I already knew that it was going to be based on regionalism. I just knew with river being in the title that that was going to be regionalism. Mark Twain, like the frog story that he wrote was really using his imagination in this story also. He was just turning the river into some different, crazy things in his mind. I think once again, Mark Twain is trying to distract all of the people in this time from all of the things that were going on in their lives with the war and all that went along with that that was going on. I thought that this story was a lot easier to follow along with, and the dialect was one that I could actually handle. The best part of this story was just the creative imagination of Mark Twain, and the whole time while reading this story i was just wishing I had half of the imagination he did to write a story like this.
"Now when I had mastered the language of this water and had come to know every trifling feature that bordered the great river as familiarly as I knew the letters of the alphabet, I had made a valuable acquisition. But I had lost something, too. I had lost something which could never be restored to me while I lived. All the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river! I still keep in mind a certain wonderful sunset which I witnessed when steamboating was new to me" (Twain 504). I think this passage right here shows us that there is regionalism in this short story. As it says in our American Literature textbooks, "The writers attempted to show the landscape, customs, speech, and other culture details of that chosen or their chosen region" ("Regionalism" 487). I think this story does show the landscape. Mark Twain takes a piece of landscape and just really describes it in a way that is really creative. I think the other thing is that this river is a landmark that was not only a big deal to him, but also to the people around him and they could really understand where he was coming from. I also saw some points that made me think that this story also had a hint of naturalism writing in it. "Naturalism writers believed that we, humans, are shaped by heredity and environment. Naturalists were also the ones to believed that we were dominated by economic, social, and natural forces" ("Regionalism" 487). "The world was new to me, and I had never seen anything like this at home. But as I have said, a day came when I began to cease from noting the glories and the charms which the moon and the sun and the twilight wrought upon the river's face; another day came when I ceased altogether to note them" (Twain 505). Right here in that last passage was where I saw naturalism. I think that the character really thought that he was being shaped by his environment which was the river, that I do not think he could go on without.
Twain, Mark. "Two Views of the River" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 504-505. Print.
"Regionalism and Realism." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas FIsher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. American Literature ed. Coulmbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 487. Print.
"Regionalism and Realism." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas FIsher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. American Literature ed. Coulmbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 487. Print.
"Now when I had mastered the language of this water and had come to know every trifling feature that bordered the great river as familiarly as I knew the letters of the alphabet, I had made a valuable acquisition. But I had lost something, too. I had lost something which could never be restored to me while I lived. All the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river! I still keep in mind a certain wonderful sunset which I witnessed when steamboating was new to me" (Twain 504). I think this passage right here shows us that there is regionalism in this short story. As it says in our American Literature textbooks, "The writers attempted to show the landscape, customs, speech, and other culture details of that chosen or their chosen region" ("Regionalism" 487). I think this story does show the landscape. Mark Twain takes a piece of landscape and just really describes it in a way that is really creative. I think the other thing is that this river is a landmark that was not only a big deal to him, but also to the people around him and they could really understand where he was coming from. I also saw some points that made me think that this story also had a hint of naturalism writing in it. "Naturalism writers believed that we, humans, are shaped by heredity and environment. Naturalists were also the ones to believed that we were dominated by economic, social, and natural forces" ("Regionalism" 487). "The world was new to me, and I had never seen anything like this at home. But as I have said, a day came when I began to cease from noting the glories and the charms which the moon and the sun and the twilight wrought upon the river's face; another day came when I ceased altogether to note them" (Twain 505). Right here in that last passage was where I saw naturalism. I think that the character really thought that he was being shaped by his environment which was the river, that I do not think he could go on without.
Twain, Mark. "Two Views of the River" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 504-505. Print.
"Regionalism and Realism." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas FIsher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. American Literature ed. Coulmbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 487. Print.
"Regionalism and Realism." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas FIsher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. American Literature ed. Coulmbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 487. Print.
Mark Twain – The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County
The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County was a lot like other things that Mark Twain has wrote. I have not read a lot of books or stories by Mark Twain, but from the ones that I do remember, it always seems like Mark Twain has a difficult way of writing. The dialect in his writings just always confusing to me, and I always struggle to keep along. Mark Twain says things like "cal'klated' (Twain). I mean what is that? I am just not a fan of reading things that I can not really follow along well with, but Mark Twain is a great author and one that has affected a lot of literature today. Mark Twain, as we see in this short story and others from him, has a great imagination and makes the reader feel like they are right there following along with the characters. I thought it was kind of funny how our blogs went from talking about sad people, to crazy people, and now to jumping frogs. Personally I am a fan of the jumping frogs, because it is kind of nice to take a break from all of that crazy stuff that we have been reading.
The time period that Mark Twain wrote about was a totally different one from what we live in now. We think that we have to have all of the materials in the world to entertain us and to make us happy, but that was not the case for this short story. The characters in this book were happy with what they had and did not need expensive toys to make them happy. As you can read this short story you could see that they were happy and very entertained with a jumping frog. "He ketched a frog one day, and took him home, and said he cal'klated to edercate him; and so he never done nothing for three months but set in his back yard and learn that frog to jump" (Twain 500). They could just sit, play, and watch their frogs.
I think that i notice realism the most from The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calevera. Mark Twain was depicting life the way it really was, and sharing with people what they really did and what made them happy, even if it was a silly old jumping frog. "So he never done nothing for three months but set in his back yard and learn that frog to jump" (Twain 500). Like I said earlier, I always remember Mark Twain as one who had a great imagination. I think he was really trying to use his imagination a lot in this story. I think he was sick of all the things that were going on in the wars around him, and he was just ready to hear and write about something that would lift up a few spirits. I think he was honestly trying to distract some people from the crazy things that were going on in that period. He wanted them to read this and be so consumed in the story that they forgot about their worries and troubles for awhile. I think these are perfect examples of realism.
Twain, Mark. "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 498-502. Print.
The time period that Mark Twain wrote about was a totally different one from what we live in now. We think that we have to have all of the materials in the world to entertain us and to make us happy, but that was not the case for this short story. The characters in this book were happy with what they had and did not need expensive toys to make them happy. As you can read this short story you could see that they were happy and very entertained with a jumping frog. "He ketched a frog one day, and took him home, and said he cal'klated to edercate him; and so he never done nothing for three months but set in his back yard and learn that frog to jump" (Twain 500). They could just sit, play, and watch their frogs.
I think that i notice realism the most from The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calevera. Mark Twain was depicting life the way it really was, and sharing with people what they really did and what made them happy, even if it was a silly old jumping frog. "So he never done nothing for three months but set in his back yard and learn that frog to jump" (Twain 500). Like I said earlier, I always remember Mark Twain as one who had a great imagination. I think he was really trying to use his imagination a lot in this story. I think he was sick of all the things that were going on in the wars around him, and he was just ready to hear and write about something that would lift up a few spirits. I think he was honestly trying to distract some people from the crazy things that were going on in that period. He wanted them to read this and be so consumed in the story that they forgot about their worries and troubles for awhile. I think these are perfect examples of realism.
Twain, Mark. "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 498-502. Print.
Stephen Crane – from The Red Badge of Courage
To start of the Red Badge of Courage their was a little bit of figurative language that i quickly picked out. "He was like a carpenter who has made many boxes, making still another box, only there was furious haste in his movements" (Crane 493). So to put this use of figurative language into a simpler form, the author was just trying to say that he was getting a task done extremely fast that he had done before.
The Red Badge of Courage was an interesting story to read, to say the least. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane was about a man that has some anger issues, and he for some reason does not know how to control these issues very well. I thought it was just kind of weird how in this story this psycho man went from just working or doing something to being extremely angry. As I kept reading Crane's weird words I saw the what happens to this man when he gets angry. He finally breaks it down for us and helps us understand a little better just what is going on in this guys crazy mind and body. "Presently he began to feel the effects of the war atmosphere - a blistering sweat, a sensation that his eyeballs were about to crack like hot stones. A burning roar filled his ears. Following this came a red rage. He developed the acute exasperation of a pestered animal, a well-meaning cow worried by dogs. He had a mad feeling against his rifle, which could only be used against one life at a time.... His impotency appeared to him, and made his rage into that of a driven beast. Buried in the smoke of many rifles his anger was directed not so much against the men whom he knew were rushing toward him A against the swirling battle phantoms which were choking him, stuffing their smoke robes down his parched throat" (Crane 493).
I really did not know quite what to think after i read this passage. This guy did some weird things when he got mad, and he turned into some crazy things. I did realize that this was obviously under the category of realism. The story is depicting this guys life, and the author Stephen Crane is trying to show the crazy emotions of this psycho guy. Not only did I pick up a lot of realism things in this passage, but I also picked up a hint of naturalism. "Naturalist authors were largely interested in maintaining Darwin's suppositions that human beings were soulless creatures..bereft of free will, whose mannerisms and behavior resulted primarily from their heredity and the influences of a capricious environment" (Sommers). I did pick up some similarities from both this definition and The Red Badge of Courage. I really thought that this character was a soulless, crazy person. I mean this guy goes from just being a little angry at something and before you know it he is going crazy and acting like a beast or something. I mean that is not something that you read about a lot or even see for that matter. He was different from most people, being that he could not control his anger or his tempers. He was just doing whatever he wanted, and his anger it was showed us that he fits underneath the naturalist category also.
Crane, Stephen. "from The Red Badge of Courage." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 493. Print.
Sommers, Joseph Michael. "Naturalism." In Maunder, Andrew. Facts On File Companion to the British Short Story. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Feb 16, 2011.
The Red Badge of Courage was an interesting story to read, to say the least. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane was about a man that has some anger issues, and he for some reason does not know how to control these issues very well. I thought it was just kind of weird how in this story this psycho man went from just working or doing something to being extremely angry. As I kept reading Crane's weird words I saw the what happens to this man when he gets angry. He finally breaks it down for us and helps us understand a little better just what is going on in this guys crazy mind and body. "Presently he began to feel the effects of the war atmosphere - a blistering sweat, a sensation that his eyeballs were about to crack like hot stones. A burning roar filled his ears. Following this came a red rage. He developed the acute exasperation of a pestered animal, a well-meaning cow worried by dogs. He had a mad feeling against his rifle, which could only be used against one life at a time.... His impotency appeared to him, and made his rage into that of a driven beast. Buried in the smoke of many rifles his anger was directed not so much against the men whom he knew were rushing toward him A against the swirling battle phantoms which were choking him, stuffing their smoke robes down his parched throat" (Crane 493).
I really did not know quite what to think after i read this passage. This guy did some weird things when he got mad, and he turned into some crazy things. I did realize that this was obviously under the category of realism. The story is depicting this guys life, and the author Stephen Crane is trying to show the crazy emotions of this psycho guy. Not only did I pick up a lot of realism things in this passage, but I also picked up a hint of naturalism. "Naturalist authors were largely interested in maintaining Darwin's suppositions that human beings were soulless creatures..bereft of free will, whose mannerisms and behavior resulted primarily from their heredity and the influences of a capricious environment" (Sommers). I did pick up some similarities from both this definition and The Red Badge of Courage. I really thought that this character was a soulless, crazy person. I mean this guy goes from just being a little angry at something and before you know it he is going crazy and acting like a beast or something. I mean that is not something that you read about a lot or even see for that matter. He was different from most people, being that he could not control his anger or his tempers. He was just doing whatever he wanted, and his anger it was showed us that he fits underneath the naturalist category also.
Crane, Stephen. "from The Red Badge of Courage." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 493. Print.
Sommers, Joseph Michael. "Naturalism." In Maunder, Andrew. Facts On File Companion to the British Short Story. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Feb 16, 2011.
Kate Chopin- The Awakening and The Story of an Hour
The Awakening by Kate Chopin was not one that I could totally grasp what was going on right at first. I could tell from reading this story that Kate Chopin was a very independent woman, and one that probably did not have the easiest childhood. I read a little in our book and realized that the story was about a woman named Mrs Pontellier. I could also tell right away that Kate Chopin was obviously an realism writer. "Realism is the attempt to depict life as it actually exists, not as the author wants it to be in the present or the future, or imagines it was in the past" (Werlock). When Kate Chopin was writing this excerpt, it was during a time during/ after the civil war when women were trying to find themselves, and they were trying to figure out what they were supposed to be doing in life and also what they wanted from life. I saw realism when Kate said in the awakening, "Turning, she thrusts her face , steaming and wet, into the bend of her arm, and she went on crying there, not caring any loner to dry her face, her eyes, her arm" (Chopin, "The Awakening, 491). We saw in this passage by Chopin that she was just crying, and was not paying attention to anything else but her own thoughts. She was just sharing the what was really going on in her life, whether she wanted it to or not, and how it affected her so much emotionally. In the Awakening, Kate was just sharing about a woman named Mrs. Pontellier who was trying to find herself in a hard time.
Kate Chopin also wrote another writing that we can find in our American Literature textbooks called The Story of an Hour. The Story of and Hour and The Awakening are kind of similar in that they both are talking about a woman that is dealing with some very strong emotions, that are really important in her life. The main woman in this one is called Mrs. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard is a very upset woman and is crying in this excerpt, but we actually can figure out the main reason for her tears. She is crying because she really was coming to realize that her love was dead, and all that was going to go along with that. She was realizing that she was going to be all alone the rest of her life, and she was not going to feel any more love from him. "There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself" (Chopin, "The Story" 555). I really pick up a lot of realism writing in this passage. I think that Kate Chopin was a realist writer, because in The Story there was just so much sad things and a lot of tears. She was just trying to depict life as it actually exists (Werlock).
Kate Chopin was a great realism writer. I enjoyed reading her stories, and I like how she showed through her characters what she was going through then. It was a hard time for women in the time that she was writing these excerpts.
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 553-555. Print.
Chopin, Kate. "from The Awakening." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 491. Print.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "Realism." 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. Feb 16, 2011.
Kate Chopin also wrote another writing that we can find in our American Literature textbooks called The Story of an Hour. The Story of and Hour and The Awakening are kind of similar in that they both are talking about a woman that is dealing with some very strong emotions, that are really important in her life. The main woman in this one is called Mrs. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard is a very upset woman and is crying in this excerpt, but we actually can figure out the main reason for her tears. She is crying because she really was coming to realize that her love was dead, and all that was going to go along with that. She was realizing that she was going to be all alone the rest of her life, and she was not going to feel any more love from him. "There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself" (Chopin, "The Story" 555). I really pick up a lot of realism writing in this passage. I think that Kate Chopin was a realist writer, because in The Story there was just so much sad things and a lot of tears. She was just trying to depict life as it actually exists (Werlock).
Kate Chopin was a great realism writer. I enjoyed reading her stories, and I like how she showed through her characters what she was going through then. It was a hard time for women in the time that she was writing these excerpts.
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 553-555. Print.
Chopin, Kate. "from The Awakening." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 491. Print.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "Realism." 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. Feb 16, 2011.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Willa Cather- O Pioneers and A Wagner Matiné
O Pioneers by WIlla Cather was a pretty decent expert, but not one that I thought was the interesting to me. I think it is just like all of the other stories in that time. All they talked about the whole time is the hardships that they went through, which i understand but at times that can get old. This story was about all of the hardships that the pioneers went through in that time, which from reading the title, I could tell what it was going to be about.
Realism, like most stories during this time, was shown in this expert, but I saw regionalism the most. I saw realism when they were explaining the hardships, and hard work that they had to put forth in that time. They really make you think about the things that they had to go through, and the hard things that they had to work through. I recognized regionalism in the part that they were talking about sitting by the sidewalks, and then I saw Illinois so that really stuck out to me. "The thing to do was to get back to Iowa, to Illinois, to any place that had been proved habitable "(Cather 489). The main thing that they were trying to say in the story right here was that they were not in the right spot in the country that they felt like was best for them. They thought that they should be in Iowa or Illinois, places for real men. They wanted to be at the places that they thought were to be more suitable.
I thought that A Wagner Matine by Willa Cather was a better story to read. I am a fan of music, so I knew when this story was talking about music that I would really like it. I think the stories that you can relate to are always the best. I think that this story actually kind of had an effect on me. Willa Cather showed that music has a story behind it. She also showed that each person might listen to a song and get something different from it. I really liked how she said that, because I really understood what she was saying. I was listening to Pink's new song, and I thought I knew what she was talking about, but then I heard a different meaning of it that she was trying to get across. So, when listening to music everybody gets a different view depending on the things that you have been through in your life. I think that A Wagner Matine was sharing realism with us, just by all of the emotions that she was showing. She shared with us how much music did to her in her life, and she would just listen and not have anything to say. She loved music. I thought that this was a pretty good story over all.
Both O Pioneers and A Wagner Matine by WIlla Cather showed us realism. They both showed the different emotions that were going on in that time, even though they were totally opposite. One was talking about hardships, and one was talking about how she thought so highly of music.
Cather, Willa. "from O Pioneers!" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 489. Print.
Cather, Willa. "A Wagner Matinée." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 521-526. Print
Realism, like most stories during this time, was shown in this expert, but I saw regionalism the most. I saw realism when they were explaining the hardships, and hard work that they had to put forth in that time. They really make you think about the things that they had to go through, and the hard things that they had to work through. I recognized regionalism in the part that they were talking about sitting by the sidewalks, and then I saw Illinois so that really stuck out to me. "The thing to do was to get back to Iowa, to Illinois, to any place that had been proved habitable "(Cather 489). The main thing that they were trying to say in the story right here was that they were not in the right spot in the country that they felt like was best for them. They thought that they should be in Iowa or Illinois, places for real men. They wanted to be at the places that they thought were to be more suitable.
I thought that A Wagner Matine by Willa Cather was a better story to read. I am a fan of music, so I knew when this story was talking about music that I would really like it. I think the stories that you can relate to are always the best. I think that this story actually kind of had an effect on me. Willa Cather showed that music has a story behind it. She also showed that each person might listen to a song and get something different from it. I really liked how she said that, because I really understood what she was saying. I was listening to Pink's new song, and I thought I knew what she was talking about, but then I heard a different meaning of it that she was trying to get across. So, when listening to music everybody gets a different view depending on the things that you have been through in your life. I think that A Wagner Matine was sharing realism with us, just by all of the emotions that she was showing. She shared with us how much music did to her in her life, and she would just listen and not have anything to say. She loved music. I thought that this was a pretty good story over all.
Both O Pioneers and A Wagner Matine by WIlla Cather showed us realism. They both showed the different emotions that were going on in that time, even though they were totally opposite. One was talking about hardships, and one was talking about how she thought so highly of music.
Cather, Willa. "from O Pioneers!" American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 489. Print.
Cather, Willa. "A Wagner Matinée." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 521-526. Print
Robert E. Lee - Letter to his Family
I read Letter to His Son by Robert E. Lee in our American Literature Textbook. I thought it was kind of hard to follow along at first, because old things like that I do not follow with very well. I think that it was kind of confusing, but then I started to get it. I also thought just by reading the title at first that it was kind of cool that he was sharing things that were really important with his son. I would hope to think that his son would appreciate what he had to say, and hopefully his dad had a great affect in his life.
"I will not, however, permit myself to believe, until all ground of hope is gone, that the fruit of his noble deeds will be destroyed, and that his precious advice and virtuous example will so soon be forgotten by his countrymen. As far as I can judge by the papers, we are between a state of anarchy and civil war. May God avert both of these evils from us! I fear that mankind will not for years be sufficiently Christianized to bear the absence of restraint and force. I see that four states have declared themselves out of the Union; four more will apparently follow their example. Then, if the border states are brought into the gulf of revolution, one half of the country will be arrayed against the other. I must try and be patient and await the end, for I can do nothing to hasten or retard it" (Lee).
In this passage in our American Literature Textbooks, you can tell that Lee was writing this letter to his son during the civil war. Lee wrote this to his son after his son had sent him a book called Life of Washington in the mail (Lee). Robert E. Lee was going through a hard, rough time in his life right then when they were writing back and forth. I could tell when reading this that Lee's son probably sent this book to him, because I think the book related to Robert E. Lee a lot at that point in his life. The big issue that Lee was sharing with to his son, and everyone else for that matter, was about the North and the South in America at that time during the Civil War. I think that Robert E. Lee not only shares with us realism in this letter to his son, but also regionalism. "Then, if the border states are brought into the gulf of revolution, one half of the country will be arrayed against the other" (Lee). I think this line in the letter to Robert's son was a great example of regionalism, because regionalism deals with certain regions and things that go in those places. The regions in this circumstance was the north and the south. That was a big issue that was affecting Robert E. Lee in his life. I think that it also shares realism with us too. "I will not, however, permit myself to believe, until all ground of hope is gone, that the fruit of his noble deeds will be destroyed, and that his precious advice and virtuous example will so soon be forgotten by his countrymen" (Lee). This line is realism, because Lee was sharing with us the feelings that he had towards this book. He was not going to let anyone change his mind, and he has his own views and he was okay with that.
Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Son." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 384-385. Print.
"I will not, however, permit myself to believe, until all ground of hope is gone, that the fruit of his noble deeds will be destroyed, and that his precious advice and virtuous example will so soon be forgotten by his countrymen. As far as I can judge by the papers, we are between a state of anarchy and civil war. May God avert both of these evils from us! I fear that mankind will not for years be sufficiently Christianized to bear the absence of restraint and force. I see that four states have declared themselves out of the Union; four more will apparently follow their example. Then, if the border states are brought into the gulf of revolution, one half of the country will be arrayed against the other. I must try and be patient and await the end, for I can do nothing to hasten or retard it" (Lee).
In this passage in our American Literature Textbooks, you can tell that Lee was writing this letter to his son during the civil war. Lee wrote this to his son after his son had sent him a book called Life of Washington in the mail (Lee). Robert E. Lee was going through a hard, rough time in his life right then when they were writing back and forth. I could tell when reading this that Lee's son probably sent this book to him, because I think the book related to Robert E. Lee a lot at that point in his life. The big issue that Lee was sharing with to his son, and everyone else for that matter, was about the North and the South in America at that time during the Civil War. I think that Robert E. Lee not only shares with us realism in this letter to his son, but also regionalism. "Then, if the border states are brought into the gulf of revolution, one half of the country will be arrayed against the other" (Lee). I think this line in the letter to Robert's son was a great example of regionalism, because regionalism deals with certain regions and things that go in those places. The regions in this circumstance was the north and the south. That was a big issue that was affecting Robert E. Lee in his life. I think that it also shares realism with us too. "I will not, however, permit myself to believe, until all ground of hope is gone, that the fruit of his noble deeds will be destroyed, and that his precious advice and virtuous example will so soon be forgotten by his countrymen" (Lee). This line is realism, because Lee was sharing with us the feelings that he had towards this book. He was not going to let anyone change his mind, and he has his own views and he was okay with that.
Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Son." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 384-385. Print.
Sojourner Truth – And Ain‘t I a Woman?
And Ain't I a Woman was a speech delivered by Sojourner Truth in 1851 at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio (Truth). "Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman" (Truth). I think the author Sojourner Truth was just trying to let out her feelings in this speech, and let people know that women are just as good as men. She is a woman herself, and she can do the same work that men can do. I think she is almost saying her that she has done more than a man, she works hard and could take the lashings and she has born thirteen children. That many children is not easy by any means. Hearing that part of the speech by Sojourner Truth was very touching, and it is something that every girl has wanted to say at some point. Women always get the stereotype that we all need to stay at home, take care of the house, and keep track of children. I think that this shows realism. She was not afraid to just let out her real feelings, she wanted people to know that what was happening was not okay, and women needed to be treated just like men. "I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well" (Truth). Right here in the passage it shows us realism, because she is sharing with the people that she delivered this to what she went through everyday.
Of course, just like most writings in this time, it was based on slavery. I think that that is pretty understandable. Sojourner Truth had obviously been raised in a time where slavery was all around and a part of her life. "I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me" (Truth). I think that this statement really shows us realism right there. I think slavery really affected her life, and she wanted people to say that and really just be honest and share with them how it really feels like. I think the reason that she went on to work for the Underground Railroad, was because she did not want slavery to affect everyone else's life like it did hers. She really got her words across in a great way, and this poem was pretty moving to see a woman like that be able to say all of that.
I think Sojourner Truth had a lot of influence on people then. She wrote an amazing poem that moved a lot of people, not only women, and helped with the Underground Railroad. I think this realism writing was a great one, and one where the author, Sojourner Truth, was really able to deliver a great message. We have not been through what she had to go through, but we know that slavery was awful. I totally understand the reason she wrote a great speech like this.
Truth, Sojourner. ""AIN'T I A WOMAN?" BY SOJOURNER TRUTH." Feminist.com. Web. 15 Feb. 2011..
Of course, just like most writings in this time, it was based on slavery. I think that that is pretty understandable. Sojourner Truth had obviously been raised in a time where slavery was all around and a part of her life. "I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me" (Truth). I think that this statement really shows us realism right there. I think slavery really affected her life, and she wanted people to say that and really just be honest and share with them how it really feels like. I think the reason that she went on to work for the Underground Railroad, was because she did not want slavery to affect everyone else's life like it did hers. She really got her words across in a great way, and this poem was pretty moving to see a woman like that be able to say all of that.
I think Sojourner Truth had a lot of influence on people then. She wrote an amazing poem that moved a lot of people, not only women, and helped with the Underground Railroad. I think this realism writing was a great one, and one where the author, Sojourner Truth, was really able to deliver a great message. We have not been through what she had to go through, but we know that slavery was awful. I totally understand the reason she wrote a great speech like this.
Truth, Sojourner. ""AIN'T I A WOMAN?" BY SOJOURNER TRUTH." Feminist.com. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Go Down Moses, & Keep Your Hand on the Plow
"Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home.
I looked over Jordan,
And WHAT did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home,
A band of angels comin' after me,
Comin' for to carry me home" ("Swing").
This is the chorus for Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. I have heard of this poem before, and I actually think that it is a pretty good poem, and one that really has a lot of meaning behind it if you really know what this anonymous person was talking about. I know from reading this poem in the past that it was written during the time when they had the underground railroads. I think that this tells us that this poem is obviously sharing regionalism, because it is focusing on the area that they were in. During this time of the underground railroads, people were just worried about being home and that is all that they wanted. I think this speech meant a lot to the people that were around then, because it was sharing about their lives and how they just knew that those angels were for them to take them home, so not only does it show regionalism but it also shares realism. I think it showed realism, because this author was sharing real life events during this time that affected everyone, and was causing people to be unhappy.
When Israel was in Egypt's land
Let my people go
Oppressed so hard they could not stand
Let my people go
Go down (go down)
Moses (do down Moses)
Way down in Egypt's land
Tell old, Pharoh
Let my people go!
Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said
Let my people go
If not, I'll smite your first born dead
Let my people go! ("GO Down Moses Lyrics").
These words are the lyrics to Go Down Moses. I think that Go Down Moses is related to regionalism. I can tell from reading this passage that the writer was probably an African American that had probably escaped from slavery for a little bit, and was just wanting to be set free. I think it represents regionalism, because their is a place that they want to be and that place is home. They share their feelings, and they just want to be free.
Keep Your Hands on the Plow was a good read, and I had never heard of that one before. I noticed that this one too was talking about slavery, and that they needed to keep their hands on the plow and just keep pushing forward, and eventually it would all be over with. "Got my hands on the gospel plow, Wouldn't take nothin' for my journey now, Keep your hands on that plow, hold on" (Keep Your Hands on the Plow Lyrics). I think this also shows regionalism and realism. I think that they were just being honest and talking about what was going on in their life right then, it that place where they could not stop working.
All three of these lyrics had a lot in common, because they were all about slavery. I think that they all showed us regionalism and realism. They were brutally honest at times about sharing what was really going on in their lives. They also shared how certain areas were free, but some were not. Slavery was a big issue in that time, and I can see how that was probably a big subject to talk about, and some people just needed to share their feelings then.
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Lyrics." Scout Songs: Song Lyrics for Boy Scouts Songs, Girl Scouts Songs, and American Patriotic Songs. Web. 10 Feb. 2011..
"Go Down Moses Lyrics." Music-Lyrics-Gospel. RecordFly LLC. Web. 6 Feb. 2011. http://www.music-lyrics-gospel.com/gospel_music_lyrics/go_down_moses_586.asp.
"Keep Your Hands On The Plow - GospelSongLyrics.Org." GospelSongLyrics.org - Lyrics and Music to All Your Favorite Gospel Songs. Web. 15 Feb. 2011..
Comin' for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home.
I looked over Jordan,
And WHAT did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home,
A band of angels comin' after me,
Comin' for to carry me home" ("Swing").
This is the chorus for Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. I have heard of this poem before, and I actually think that it is a pretty good poem, and one that really has a lot of meaning behind it if you really know what this anonymous person was talking about. I know from reading this poem in the past that it was written during the time when they had the underground railroads. I think that this tells us that this poem is obviously sharing regionalism, because it is focusing on the area that they were in. During this time of the underground railroads, people were just worried about being home and that is all that they wanted. I think this speech meant a lot to the people that were around then, because it was sharing about their lives and how they just knew that those angels were for them to take them home, so not only does it show regionalism but it also shares realism. I think it showed realism, because this author was sharing real life events during this time that affected everyone, and was causing people to be unhappy.
When Israel was in Egypt's land
Let my people go
Oppressed so hard they could not stand
Let my people go
Go down (go down)
Moses (do down Moses)
Way down in Egypt's land
Tell old, Pharoh
Let my people go!
Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said
Let my people go
If not, I'll smite your first born dead
Let my people go! ("GO Down Moses Lyrics").
These words are the lyrics to Go Down Moses. I think that Go Down Moses is related to regionalism. I can tell from reading this passage that the writer was probably an African American that had probably escaped from slavery for a little bit, and was just wanting to be set free. I think it represents regionalism, because their is a place that they want to be and that place is home. They share their feelings, and they just want to be free.
Keep Your Hands on the Plow was a good read, and I had never heard of that one before. I noticed that this one too was talking about slavery, and that they needed to keep their hands on the plow and just keep pushing forward, and eventually it would all be over with. "Got my hands on the gospel plow, Wouldn't take nothin' for my journey now, Keep your hands on that plow, hold on" (Keep Your Hands on the Plow Lyrics). I think this also shows regionalism and realism. I think that they were just being honest and talking about what was going on in their life right then, it that place where they could not stop working.
All three of these lyrics had a lot in common, because they were all about slavery. I think that they all showed us regionalism and realism. They were brutally honest at times about sharing what was really going on in their lives. They also shared how certain areas were free, but some were not. Slavery was a big issue in that time, and I can see how that was probably a big subject to talk about, and some people just needed to share their feelings then.
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Lyrics." Scout Songs: Song Lyrics for Boy Scouts Songs, Girl Scouts Songs, and American Patriotic Songs. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.
"Go Down Moses Lyrics." Music-Lyrics-Gospel. RecordFly LLC. Web. 6 Feb. 2011. http://www.music-lyrics-gospel.com/gospel_music_lyrics/go_down_moses_586.asp.
"Keep Your Hands On The Plow - GospelSongLyrics.Org." GospelSongLyrics.org - Lyrics and Music to All Your Favorite Gospel Songs. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.
Abraham Lincoln- The Gettysburg Address
"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this" (Lincoln). The Gettysburg Address that Lincoln delivered during the Civil War was really related to realism. He was sharing this speech in a time where people were really upset about the battle that was going on, that was affecting everyone's lives. He delivered his speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at the battlefield to soldiers, soldiers families, and people that were there already there or had heard that he was going to be giving the speech.
This next part of Lincolns Gettysburg address really shows us a great example of realism. "But in a larger sense we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled, here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here"(Lincoln). I think that this part of Lincoln's speech really hit hard for some people. He showed me that this was a realism writing, because he was using real life events that were going on around them, and was telling them that they can not take something like this lightly. He was also just being honest and admitting things that were hard to face at that time. He was honestly just being real and telling them that they have to face the facts that we have lost people and they have fought for us and risked their lives so that we could have freedoms.
"One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war, the magnitude, or the duration, which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God"(Lincoln). In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address he was really upset that people were still wanting to have slaves, and no body was totally just stopping people from having slaves. This speech really shows realism, and it is amazing to see the details Lincoln gave us that shared the real life things that the slaveholders were thinking or the things that the slaves had to go through. I think the point where Lincoln says that they pray to the same God really showed me realism. He was letting people know that we need to face the facts and realize that no matter what your color, we all should be treated equally because we are all the same especially in God's eyes. While giving this speech Lincoln really was dealing with emotions and feelings of everybody during this time. He knew that they should think about God and what he would of thought of some of their behaviors.
Lincoln's writings are really good writings that we all need to read. He made a huge influence on our country, that still affects us today.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln Civil War Speech." American Civil War History Timelines Battle Map Pictures. Web. 10 Feb. 2011..
Lincoln, Abraham. "Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address." NetINS Showcase. Web. 10 Feb. 2011..
This next part of Lincolns Gettysburg address really shows us a great example of realism. "But in a larger sense we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled, here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here"(Lincoln). I think that this part of Lincoln's speech really hit hard for some people. He showed me that this was a realism writing, because he was using real life events that were going on around them, and was telling them that they can not take something like this lightly. He was also just being honest and admitting things that were hard to face at that time. He was honestly just being real and telling them that they have to face the facts that we have lost people and they have fought for us and risked their lives so that we could have freedoms.
"One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war, the magnitude, or the duration, which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God"(Lincoln). In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address he was really upset that people were still wanting to have slaves, and no body was totally just stopping people from having slaves. This speech really shows realism, and it is amazing to see the details Lincoln gave us that shared the real life things that the slaveholders were thinking or the things that the slaves had to go through. I think the point where Lincoln says that they pray to the same God really showed me realism. He was letting people know that we need to face the facts and realize that no matter what your color, we all should be treated equally because we are all the same especially in God's eyes. While giving this speech Lincoln really was dealing with emotions and feelings of everybody during this time. He knew that they should think about God and what he would of thought of some of their behaviors.
Lincoln's writings are really good writings that we all need to read. He made a huge influence on our country, that still affects us today.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln Civil War Speech." American Civil War History Timelines Battle Map Pictures. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address." NetINS Showcase. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Frederick Douglas- The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro
Frederick Douglas gave his speech to a white audience in Rochester, New York on July, 5, 1852 (Douglas 336). I thought this was a funny first thing to read, because the title of Douglas' writing made me think that it was going to be all about African Americans, but then it says that he delivered his speech to a room full of just whites. I read a little clip from our Glencoe American Literature books, and I could really get some details that were from the realism writing period.
"The blessing in which you, this day, rejoiced, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn" (Douglas 336).
I think just this paragraph its self you can tell that this speech that he spoke was obviously a great example of realism. I think that he was just trying to share things that were real in his life, and things that were actually going on for him in his life. He gave this speech to white people to share with them just how it really was for some African Americans at that time. He wanted to know that they should be happy because they are very lucky, because the African Americans on that day were in a mourning state because of all the things that they had to go through in that time. I also see hints of naturalism style in his speech, because he was saying all of his people so therefor it was almost a heredity and environment thing, that made the African Americans the way they were. "The sunlight that brought you light and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me" (Douglas 336).
"What, to the American slave, is your fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim" (Douglas 336). This sentence in his speech right here says a lot. I think this is a statement that would have stopped me in my tracks if I was there in Rochester, New York on that day. It just shows you how real that things are for them. The African Americans were not treated well at all then, and it was time for some of them to hear that. I think this shows realism because he was sharing his real life examples and giving details of just how exactly the Fourth of July was for them.
"There is not a nation on earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour" (Douglas 336). After I read this statement, I finally realized how the whole speech was just so relative to realism and naturalism. I think he was interested in writing about something that was important to him in his life and talk about things that he knew the most about. I do not think he just pulled this speech out of no where, I think he had been thinking about it for awhile.
Douglas, Frederick. "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro." Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 336. Print.
"The blessing in which you, this day, rejoiced, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn" (Douglas 336).
I think just this paragraph its self you can tell that this speech that he spoke was obviously a great example of realism. I think that he was just trying to share things that were real in his life, and things that were actually going on for him in his life. He gave this speech to white people to share with them just how it really was for some African Americans at that time. He wanted to know that they should be happy because they are very lucky, because the African Americans on that day were in a mourning state because of all the things that they had to go through in that time. I also see hints of naturalism style in his speech, because he was saying all of his people so therefor it was almost a heredity and environment thing, that made the African Americans the way they were. "The sunlight that brought you light and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me" (Douglas 336).
"What, to the American slave, is your fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim" (Douglas 336). This sentence in his speech right here says a lot. I think this is a statement that would have stopped me in my tracks if I was there in Rochester, New York on that day. It just shows you how real that things are for them. The African Americans were not treated well at all then, and it was time for some of them to hear that. I think this shows realism because he was sharing his real life examples and giving details of just how exactly the Fourth of July was for them.
"There is not a nation on earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour" (Douglas 336). After I read this statement, I finally realized how the whole speech was just so relative to realism and naturalism. I think he was interested in writing about something that was important to him in his life and talk about things that he knew the most about. I do not think he just pulled this speech out of no where, I think he had been thinking about it for awhile.
Douglas, Frederick. "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro." Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 336. Print.
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