Walt Whitman

I do not claim to have a clear understanding of all or any of the selected readings by Walt Whitman. I think of poetry as an outward expression of personal feelings. Does anyone ever really know what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes? The reader does not know exactly what Whitman felt on different subjects or what his deepest feeling were. Yes, we know the main subject of his poems. Do we know what he thought about the writings? I am sure if I researched Whitman's life his writings would be clearer to me.

                How much can you really know about what a man who died over one hundred years ago? Some may argue you can know lots, but do you know his deepest most personal thoughts? Whitman uses nature in his writings almost constantly. What did the waves on the sea mean to Whitman? What do they mean to the reader. Someone from Indonesia may think of the waves of the sea as terrifying. Those waves wiped away Cities, property and family. To me, the waves of the sea are calming and I look forward to relaxing while listening to them crashing  on the sandy beach. This is a extreme example. I do believe it applies  on a lesser scale. Whitman's many writings  can help readers understand how he felt. I do not believe anyone knows exactly what all the words on the paper were meant to say.

                I have little knowledge about Whitman as a person or a poet. I do believe he had a strong relationship with nature. He constantly refers to birds, wind, plants and the sea. He uses  the images of nature to describe every situation. I imagine him writing while sitting in the middle of the wilderness. I believe Whitman loved nature and thought it was pure. If I were to attempt to interpret his writings further, I feel it necessary to try to understand who he is first.  

Edgar Allen Poe

                Edgar Allen Poe had a brilliantly warped mind.  The two selected readings were creative, but very dark. Poe's ability to portray the characters thoughts was amazing. While I read his words, I felt like I was truly reading the mind of a murderer. How did Poe come up with this stuff? Did he sit around all day thinking about murders? What made him want to write about such dark subjects? His stories feel like they are alive. His descriptions make the reader feel like they witnessed the gruesome horrifying acts.

“The Cask of Amontillado”

                I enjoyed this read. Montresor clearly stated he wanted revenge in the first few lines of the short story. Montresor was a man with a purpose and a plan. The reader is left to wonder what caused him to desire vengeance. He manipulates Fortunato from the moment they first talked. He easily enticed him to become intoxicated. Montresors clever plan worked very well. Fortunato wasn't very fortunate. He had no clue what was happening until it was too late.

“The Tell-Tale Heart”

                This short story is a glimpse into the mind of a crazed killer. I could not help but think of the recent theater shooting. Did the shooter have similar thoughts? The killer in Poe's story was infatuated with the old man's eye. It seemed to torture him in some way. The eye spoke to him. Further into the story he became obsessed and tortured by the sound of the man's beating heart. Why did this man kill? Did the old man do something to him? Maybe he did or maybe he just couldn't stand his eye. In the end admitted to his dead. Apparently the old man was not the fix to his own problems.

                Both these stories are vibrant with thought provoking details. I see two men who think the solution to their problems lies in taking another person's life. Is there good and evil? The old man seemed pretty innocent, but Fortunato seemed like the kind of person who may have wronged some people. Does Poe mean for there to be underlying messages?  I don't know.  I see two murderers and two victims. Poe made these stories come to life. Now we are left to decide or speculate why he wrote such dark stories. 

Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave

             Speechless........ What more is there to say! It is awful that any human being went through so much torment. Animals were treated with more respect. I admire Fredrick Douglas for surviving and persevering when the world was against him. He was raised by various masters, none of which truly cared for him. I cannot imagine growing up without my mother. Fredrick grew up without a mother, father, or anyone who loved him. I am amazed at his will to survive.

                Fredrick described having no clothing as a child. He only had a shirt that went to his knees. I am shocked he survived the cold winters. I just imagine him curled up in a burlap sack with his feet hanging out bleeding from cuts and frostbite. I have never tried to keep warm with a burlap sack. I'm pretty sure it would not keep me warm or even break the wind on a mild winter night.   How could someone see a child in that condition and not feel pain in their heart for the child. Fredrick described good masters as feeding their slaves enough and bad ones as not feeding them enough. We complain when we have to wait five minutes in a fast food drive through. while we sit in our warm car listening to our favorite music. Slaves did not starve for one  or two days or even a month. They were starved for their entire lives.

                Fredrick suffered from beatings and exhaustion. He learned at an early age the consequences of disobeying or dissatisfying his master. I cannot understand how someone could survive such savage beatings. I am sure his wounds from lashings and heavy labor were often infected. It is a miracle he did not die from a, infection. Mr. Covey was described as a good slave holder because he actually fed his slaves. I'm fairly certain his opinion of Covey changed. Just when it seemed like Fredrick had no will left to fight, he found some inner strength to battle with Covey for two hours. Where did this  will to fight come from? He defeated Mr. Covey physically and somehow gained the privilege of being treated in a slightly more respectable way.   

                I believe his knowledge and thirst for knowledge is what set him free. Fredrick was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. He learned the alphabet, writing and reading with little help from others. Knowledge is power. Knowledge started a fire in Fredrick's heart. He realized that there was a whole world out there waiting for him. Without that small flame of knowledge Fredrick would have never found the strength to resist oppression. I will never suffer as Fredrick did while being enslaved. I can learn a lesson from his experience. Knowledge is power. Knowledge will set you free.  

Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown,”

This was an interesting read. I usually like writings that are straight forward, but Hawthorne’s descriptive words make the story come to life. At first I thought the story was going to be romantic. The newlyweds were deeply in love. Faith could barely stand having her husband leave for one night. The tone of the story quickly changed from newlywed love to the deep dark spookiness of the forest. I had no idea why Goodman Brown was going to the forest. I really like how Hawthorne used his words to make the forest seem so scary. The “forest seemed to close around him” and it seemed anyone could be hiding behind the trees.

While reading, I had no idea what was going on. Was this a fictional story? Was this about witchcraft? What was Goodman doing in the forest in the middle of the night? I was a little frustrated as a reader because I had no idea what was going on. I thought this was just another deeply symbolic story that I did not understand. Eventually Goodman returned home. Hawthorne then suggested that maybe the whole forest experience was just a dream.

Did Hawthorne really mean he had a dream? Maybe he was referring to a spiritual awakening. I feel like the suggestion that it was a dream brought the whole story together. Goodman began to see the world differently. Who were these people he thought he knew? Do they practice what they preach? Are they who they say they are? Goodman even seemed to question his wife Faith. What caused Goodman to have this dream or realization?

I think everyone at some point realizes the world is not as it always seems. People do not always practice what they preach. Not just in a religious way, but in all aspects of life. It is a gamble to trust someone. Goodman must have trusted Faith. Did she lose his trust? Why? Unfortunately, we have to be careful who we trust. This mistrust can also bring problems. Did Goodman’s dream cause him to lose faith in humanity? Did his wife Faith do anything to lose his trust? I feel like this story is about a man who has come to realize everyone is not who they say they are. Now, he questions everyone.

The world is the same today. Be careful who you trust. However, would a life be complete without a trusting relationship? This story makes it sound like everyone is up to something. There are many people who may not be trust worthy, but there are plenty of people in this world who we can build trust with and have good relations.           

An Indian's Looking-Glass for the White Man

I really did enjoy reading An Indian's Looking-Glass for the White Man. It was refreshing to read something so straight forward. His words were plain and simple. I wish all writings could be so straight forward. Apess purposefully spoke with power and simplicity. Apess obviously was passionate about the subject. Apess spoke up for all people who are treated with inequality in a time that it was widely accepted. I question myself, would I be that brave and stand up for what is right? I hope so. What did the people of his time think about him condemning their life styles? Did he change their minds about treating other humans so poorly based on looks? I imagine his words were felt strongly by those who listened to him or read his words.

                Apess used many quotes and examples from the bible to prove his point. Most of his readers were probably Christian and believed in the bible. I would assume that his readers were deeply impacted when they read the familiar verses he quoted. Were his word meaningful enough to change the way people acted? I don't know what immediate impact Apess had on improving inequality. I do know that he inspired other and is admired today for standing up for equality.

                Apess knew the bible well and quoted it frequently. Another major factor that added to the power of his sermon was his ability to reason. "If black or red skins, or any other skin of color is disgraceful to God, it appears that he has disgraced himself a great deal--for he has made fifteen colored people to one white, and placed them here upon this earth". Apess was very good with his words. I do not believe anyone could read his words and deny that treating others so poorly was against Christian teachings.   

                I would have enjoyed listening to Apess give a sermon. He spoke with power. He was not afraid to speak harsh words when no one was on his side. Apess was a brave man. If he were alive today he would be excited about the improvements we have made as a society. I do not think he would be completely satisfied. We do not suppress entire races or people of certain colors. We do not treat everyone with love and kindness. The world today would benefit if we all treated each other with a little more equality.    

Self-Reliance

I believe Emerson is correct in portraying mans instinct to appease and please the people who surround him. Emerson's theory is that men need to think for themselves. He describes men as "dismissing without notice his thought, because it is his." Men should think for themselves and not adhere to what other think. Emerson's thoughts remind me of Crevecoeur's words "men are like plants". Emerson believed most men are shaped by their environment. Unlike Crevecoeur, Emerson believed men can overcome their environment and become great. Emerson recognized mans weakness but, also recognized mans ability to overcome weakness.

            Emerson said we need to act on our own thoughts. "Else, to-morrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time, and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another". What makes great men great? They act on their own ideas. They are not afraid of what other people think. They perceive no limits. I really like how Emerson describes a infant conforming to no one. An infant often has numerous adults around it entertaining it. Adults conform to the infants. His point is slightly comical but, the truth. We are not required to conform to anyone's way of thinking or doing. So why do we conform? Fear of rejection? Fear of being wrong? sometime we just need to take a step in the dark and go against the flow. When men think freely they possess power.

            "The force of character is cumulative." "The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of hundreds of tacks. This is only a microscopic criticism. See the line from a distance, and it straightens itself and will explain your other genuine actions." Conforming to others opinions will lead to a straight, defined, and predictable path. Thinking for yourself may cause your path to zigzag but, the path will lead to greatness.

            I hope I can follow Emerson's guidance and think for myself. Limiting myself to the opinions of others would be doing myself a disgrace. In the world we live in information is pushed to us constantly. It is easy to take on other people's opinions. When we watch the news are we really thinking for ourselves? Do we conform to the same opinion as our family and friends? We are all guilty in some degree. It is my goal to do as Emerson says and think for myself.              

The Wild Honey Suckle

                I am not a huge fan of poems. I do not claim to understand what the writer meant them to mean. The Wild Honey Suckle reminds me of my childhood. I enjoyed the small Honey suckle bush that grew by my childhood home. As I continued reading Freneau words turned from summers light into falls decline. He says “I see your future doom”. Freneau obviously was contemplating life while he wrote this poem. To me he was describing our journey through life. Lastly he says “the space between, is but an hour,  The frail duration of a flower”. Life is short. There is beauty in life but, we quickly return to the dust of the earth