Journal 31

For my job shadowing I went to Landmark Aviation at Springfield Capital Airport. Landmark Aviation is and F.B.O. which stands for fixed base operation. This means Landmark houses, fuels, and repairs aircraft right on the field. It was and extremely exciting experience. I was also able to take a tour of the control tower. That was     awesome. I had to sign a waiver saying that I would not divulge any information concerning the tower, because it was a Federal building. I was able to see all aspects of the aviation career. I went into the maintenance hanger and was able to work on some of the planes. That was cool because most people do not get to see how a plane really works, they just assume that it flies because of the propeller. There are so many more aspects that go into flying a plane then simply having enough power. I also got to refuel a jet and some smaller aircraft. When fueling the airplanes it is important to make sure that you are putting the right kind of fuel into the plane. There are two types of fuel. There is JetA fuel and there is Avgas100LL. JetA, as you might expect is for jet turbine aircraft. Avgas100LL is for piston powered planes. If you put the wrong fuel into a plane it is extremely dangerous. The plane will run off of the gas that is still in the fuel pump, but once the plane gets in the air the engine will die. I was also able to taxi some of the planes off of the runway. It was difficult to get used to at first, because you steer the rudders with your feet, as well as braking with your feet. I would love to become a pilot. I could definitely see myself doing those jobs. The excitement and danger that comes every day interests me very much. I hope to become a missionary pilot, so this was a great experience for me.

"Chanting the Square Deific"

Walt Whitman is a very accomplished writer who wrote many poems which he compiled into a published work called "Leaves of Grass". In his poem "Chanting the Square Deific" Walt Whitman brings to the reader his beliefs on how his "Self" is made up. Whitman brings up the "Square" or the four parts that make up the "Self". Whitman believes that each of these four components help in making him who he is. He believes that each piece of the "Square" keeps the other in check, and that they are all part of his "Self", they are part of his soul. The four components are the Father, the Son, the Spirit and Satan. The first three are very similar to the Christian belief in the Trinity. The Trinity is a very important aspect of the Christian religion, and shows that Whitman was familiar with the Christian faith. The fourth component, Satan, is not at all related to the Christian beliefs. A Christian should have no desire to have Satan reside in him or imitate him in any way. In Christianity it is important to live a life that is blameless and pure in the sight of God. Whitman may be showing the reader that he is not blameless and he does have faults, but it is not like his personality to be transparent and show his weaknesses.

The first component to Whitman's theory is the Father. In the poem Walt Whitman writes that the Father is, "Out of the old and new, out of the square entirely divine, Solid, four-sided, (all the sides needed,) from this side Jehovah am I,"(Whitman) The Father is old, and yet he is young. He is a divine being. Whitman says, "Jehovah am I"(Whitman). Some people may take this as Whitman being arrogant and cocky, however it is simply Whitman showing his belief in the fact that the Father is part of him. The Father's judgement is final. Whitman writes, "I dispense from this side judgments inexorable without the least remorse.(Whitman) What the Father says is the final word. He is right and just in what he does, and he does not need to change what he has already done. In his idea of "Self" all four aspects made up a certain part of him.

The second part of Whitman's theory is the Son, which once again is very similar to the Christian Trinity. The Son is the savior or the redeemer in his theory. Whitman writes, "Consolator most mild, the promis'd one advancing, With gentle hand extended"(Whitman). The idea of the Son is once again very similar to Jesus Christ of the Christian religion. In the Bible when he is born he is presented the promised one. Christ was the one who came into the world in a peaceful way. Christ also conquered Death in a peaceful way. He did not come in and kill all of the Romans and take over the world. He lived on the Earth and became a sacrifice. The only thing that was violent in his coming was the way he was killed. Whitman says of the Son, " For I am affection, I am the cheer-bringing God, with hope and all-enclosing charity,"(Whitman) For Whitman the Son is the aspect of the "Square" with which he has a relationship. The "cheer-bringing God" would be someone he would much rather have a personal relationship with. The Father is more harsh and final. The Third component is Satan. Satan is described as,

“Comrade of criminals, brother of slaves,

Aloof, dissatisfied, plotting revolt

Crafty, despised, a drudge, ignorant,"(Whitman)

He is the devil after all. What else would be expected from him? Whitman says that, "in the depths of my heart, proud as any,"(Whitman). He also says, “Defiant, I, Satan, still live”(Whitman). Whitman is showing that he knows he has faults as well. If you take his literal meaning when he says that however he is saying that the Devil is inside of him and is part of him. The Father and the Devil can not inhabit the same place, which is contradictory to the Christian faith.

The final part of the Square Deific is the Holy Spirit. Whitman says, “Santa Spirita, breather, life”(Whitman). In the Christian faith the Spirit was the one who dwells in us. The Spirit now becomes our moral compass and is the proof of the Christian faith. This piece of the Square Deific is identical to the Trinity of the Christian faith. Whitman says that the Spirit is him and lives through him, “Life of the great round world, the sun and stars, and of man, I, the general soul,”(Whitman). The Spirit is the example of the new life brought by the Son in a person.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit make up the Trinity. Whitman says that each component makes up a part of him. However in the Christian faith the Spirit resides in the believer, and the Father and Son are awaiting the believer in Heaven. The Trinity is a major part of the Christian faith and was very influential in Whitman’s development to his Square Deific. The Devil and the Trinity can not occupy the same place at once. The Trinity is much too holy to be in the same place. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit make are the three perfect pieces to the Trinity. To Whitman the Father, Son, Spirit, and Satan make up his Square Deific. The Trinity is important, but Whitman was mistaken when he put Satan in the same category.

Emily Dickinson Reflection

Emily Dickinson’s writing style differed from Walt Whitman’s wring style. Dickinson does not write in the free-flowing technique that Whitman does. There is a noticeable rhythm to her writing. She does not have the free verse that Whitman has. In her poem “If you were coming in the Fall” it can be experienced. She writes,

“If you were coming in the Fall,

I’d brush the Summer by

With half a smile, and half a spurn,

As Housewives do, a Fly.”(Dickinson 439)

There is an obvious rhyme scheme and pattern to her writing. She does not have the writing style that is similar to speech. Dickinson is different in the way that she writes. The rhyme scheme of her poem above shows that she was more interested in the listener of the poem, rather then the person reading it. Her cadence makes the lines of her poems flow together so that it is pleasant to listen to. Dickinson’s writing style is a mix between the free-verse of Walt Whitman, and the iambic pentameter style of other poets. Her style is so unique to her. No one else will really ever capture her talent and ability. She is also known for being very short and to the point in her poems. The lines in her stanza above she only uses four lines to open the audience up to the idea of her poem, whereas some poets would draw out this concept for six or seven lines. In a biography of Emily Dickinson it says that she was “Concise” and she used “sparing, chiseled verse”(Glencoe 437). Compared to Whitman’s free-verse writing style there is a very stiff contrast. Whitman is free-flowing and care free. Dickinson is precise and to the point. Her clear-cut and direct writing style is one of the main things that helped set her apart from the rest, making her a legendary poet.

Emily Dickinson is also different in the things that she writes about. The first stanza of her poem dissected roughly translates to, “If you were coming this fall, I would brush it by with half pleasure and half scorn just like housewives do to a fly.” Whitman wrote about the experiences he had when he was younger and had many jobs. He wrote about what he saw, heard and smelled on the streets of Manhattan. Dickinson wrote about things she saw from her window in her home in Amherst, Massachusetts. She wrote about the questions that came to her mind as she sat at her window in her house. Dickinson was known for writing about many of life’s great questions, which was contrary to what the “mainstream” poets were writing about at that time. This is another way that she was set apart from the other poets at that time. She was willing to discuss the things that no one else wanted to talk about at that time. Dickinson only had a handful of her poems published in the time that she was alive. In spite of that fact, she is one of the most familiar poets to the American society. This is because almost all of her poems were published posthumously by Thomas A. Johnson. She has become so well known and so popular because of her nonconformist ways, and the purity and rarity of her poems.

Dickinson, Emily. "If You Were Coming This Fall." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Glencoe. "Before You Read." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Walt Whitman Reflection

Walt Whitman has a very special and unique poetic writing style. In a biography of Whitman in the Glencoe Literature book it says, “Whitman’s poetry was realistic, free-flowing, and shockingly candid.”(Glencoe 408) He was one of the first poets to write in free verse. He did not follow the any certain pentameter, and each poem has its own exclusive cadence. The cadence was similar to regular human speech, not at all like to poems from previous writing styles. The book says, “He was the first poet in English to write extensively in free verse, an open, unregulated form that reflected the cadences of everyday speech.”(Glencoe 408) Walt Whitman’s writing style is reflected will in his poem “I Hear America Singing”

“I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,

The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,

The mason singing as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,”(Whitman 410)

As you can see there is no distinguishable rhyme scheme. The words are not exactly like someone is speaking them, but the cadence is more the same. Whitman wrote about himself in many of his poems he used his own experiences to manufacture a kind of poetry that celebrated the American spirit. When Whitman was young, he spent his time wandering along the streets of Manhattan.(Glencoe 408) We had many jobs such as: an office boy, a doctor’s assistant, printers assistant and journalist. He with those experiences and from wandering the streets Whitman really captured the American spirit. (Glencoe 408) It is evident that this is the way that Whitman got the idea for the poem “I Hear America Singing”. The way Whitman writes the lines almost the same as someone was saying them to you. He knows the familiar sounds that are incorporated with each laborer’s job. He knows the familiar sound of the mechanics steel tools against the motor, and the sound of the carpenter’s hammer and saw. He makes the reader remember the sound of the mason mixing the mortar, and laying the bricks. Because of Whitman’s unique writing style he is easier to relate to. His easy speech cadence makes it better to listen to, and easier to read. Whitman was a very accomplished writer and poet, but because people saw his work as radical. Whitman was a revolutionary in poetry. No one really read his work when it was first published. Those who read it saw it as offensive and made others upset. They did not like the way that he gave such a personal opinion in his works. The negative critics did not pull him down however. After a few decades people began to realize the impact of his works, and he has become a lasting impact on succeeding writing styles. Whitman’s early publications were so good that Ralph Waldo Emerson took notice of him and that Whitman’s writings were, “the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has contributed yet.”(Glencoe 408) That is saying a lot coming from the most influential and well known writer of the Transcendentalism period.

Glencoe. "Before You Read." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Whitman, Walt. "I Hear America Singing." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Journal 29-Self

Let me start this by saying that I have no idea what is going on. The Transcendentalist self is going to be extremely difficult to define. Who am I? What am I like when no one is looking? I am a quiet person, when I am alone, no one is pressuring me to do anything. At home I feel free. When I am at school I have to act the way people want me to. I act in a way that I will be accepted by others. When I am at home, I am more relaxed. My personality is more laid backed, I like spending time outside where it is quiet and peaceful. It gives me time to reflect on life and evaluate myself. That is what I am doing right now. The Transcendentalist Idea that "all nature, and all people reflect the idea" means that everyone is an individual. They may appear the same on the outside, but on the inside they are all different. For me on the outside I try to be like the other athletes. I try to be athletic, in-shape, "cool" and indifferent about everything else in school. I try to be like them, but I am also different. I am not that different at home as I am at school. At home I am more calm and quiet, but that is about it. At school I try to be a good example of a Christian. I want to make other people wonder why I do not go out and part, or why I do not cuss. I want to show others that I do not have to do those things to feel content or to feel happy. I know that I am accepted for who I am because of Christ. I know that I do not need to do things to be accepted, but it is human nature to try and be accepted. My life at school and how I live is not fake. I do not change myself for people. The reason I am quiet at home is because there are fewer people to talk to. I do change a little bit, but I try not to.

Journal 28

"I heard a Fly buzz- when I died" is a very strange poem. The speaker is talking about what happened after he/she died. This fact and point of view gives a new and different way of reading the poem. Dickinson writes, "I heard a fly buzz-when I died" so it makes the reader think more about what Dickinson was talking about. You never get to hear what death is like from the point of view of the dying person. Then Dickinson writes, "The stillness was around my form Was like the stillness in the air Between the heaves of storm." This gives the image that when she died it was calm except for the occasional sobs from grieving friends and family. "The eyes beside had wrung them dry" shows that the people who were crying, but when it says that they were wrung dry it means that they had finished crying. Then she writes, "And breaths were gathering sure" I believe that it means that the person that was dying was gathering his or her's last breaths. He or she knows that the end is drawing near. "For one last onset, when the King Be witnessed in his power." I am not sure what this is saying, but it could mean that the "King" is calling the dying person home or to heaven. "I willed my keepsakes, signed away, What portion of me I, Could make assignable,—and then, There interposed a fly,". This part of the poem shows that she is giving up all of her material possessions, and was ready to die. "With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz, Between the light and me; And then the windows failed, and then I could not see to see." These lines are showing that the person was ready to die and was going to have a peaceful death, but then he or she was interrupted by the fly. The person died anyways. Even though she was interrupted by the fly he died anyways and it didn't matter because now he or she is dead.

Journal 27

Emily Dickins0n's poems can be sung to the tune of "Amazing Grace" and "Yellow Rose of Texas". her Poems have rhythmic lines and the reason that they can be sung to several different folk songs was because her rhyme scheme and and story telling can follow a musical beat. Dickinson grew up in a Christian family. Her family was very legalistic about Christian laws and held many Puritan beliefs. "Amazing Grace" is a hymn that is a staple for the Christian religion. The lyrics summarize the belief's of Christianity, and what Jesus did for us. Since she grew up in the church she most likely sang "Amazing Grace" and many other hymns. Because "Amazing Grace" is a base of the Christianity, Dickinson was very much influenced by this song. Most of her poems were published posthumously. I do not think that she wrote these poems to go along with the tune of "Amazing Grace", but the rhythm and beat of the poems were influenced by it. When she was writing the poems she had the tune in her head. Because she had it in her head, the tune most likely helped her with the cadence of the poem. When Dickinson grew up she she started to stray away from the Christian faith however. As she grew up and began writing it appeared that she was beginning to develop here own idea for religion. Her Christianity faith was diminishing, but her the things she had learned when she was young were still sticking with her. Even though her faith had changed, you never forget the things that you learn when you are young. The things that she was taught when she was young still had an influence on her. Because she had strayed from her faith when she grew up and became a writer, I do not believe that it was her intention to writer her poems to the tune of "Amazing Grace", but because she grew up with that tune and rhythm in her head she unintentionally did it.

Richard Cory

Edwin Arlington Robinson’s “Richard Cory” is a short, but very powerful poem. It shows how people can have one perception of a person, but in reality they my lead a completely different life. Robinson writes, “In fine, we thought that he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place.”(Robinson 575) People become envious of what they believe other people have. There are two things that are wrong with that. First is the fact that people want what other people have. Envy is a very dangerous sin. If you are not careful you may hurt someone when you are trying to attain what someone else has. It may not be a physical hurt, but your actions affect a lot of people without you even realizing it. The second thing that is wrong with this picture is that people are making assumptions. They are stereotyping someone because of the way they behave or dress. People are basing their happiness on the material possessions the man, Richard Cory appeared to have. They were basing their happiness on something that could be taken away very quickly. Robinson writes, “And he was rich-yes richer then a king.”(Robinson 575) Many people assume that money equals happiness and joy. When in reality, many people have more trouble and discontent when they are wealthier then the average human being. Richard’s discontent is shown in the last line of the poem. It says, “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head.”(Robinson 575) Cory may have had all of the wealth and luxury that the other people desired, but he was not content. Because he did not know where to look next for his contentment and happiness, he thought his only option was to end his miserable life.

A person should never be driven to a point where he thinks taking his life is the best way to escape the pain. He should turn to other people for help, suicide should never be an option.

Robinson, A. Edwin. "Richard Cory" Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

The Darling

Anton Chekov’s “The Darling” is an ironic story. It is about a girl, Olenka, who does not have any of her own opinions, and she is always looking for someone to love. It may not be the kind of love that binds someone in marriage, but she is looking for someone to love. Chekov writes, “She was constantly in love with someone, and could not live otherwise.”(Chekov 558) It may be that she can not form her own opinions and relies on the people she loves to give her the opinions she thinks. Or it may be that she loves to love. The author writes, “Whatever Snookin said about the theater and the actors, she repeated.”(Chekov 559) When she had married Snookin, she inherited his opinions and ideas. When Snookin died, she was remarried to Pustovalov, a timber yard owner. When they were married she adopted his ideas. Chekov writes, “Whatever thoughts her husband had, she had also.”(Chekov 561) It is evident know that Olenka does not have her own ideas, but she simply adopts them from the people she is in love with. There is also some irony in the story. Olenka’s first husband Snookin owned a theater. Olenka adopted the idea that, “Take the audience for a start. They are nothing but ignorant savages.”(Chekov 558) To her, and her husband, the audience does not know how to appreciate a good show. After Snookin dies, and she is married to Pustovalov she says, “What do people see in those theaters anyways?”(Chekov 561) It is funny that her opinion can be so swayed.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, on the other hand had a different idea. He believed that people had limitless potential. In an analysis of Emerson it says, “He believed human beings had limitless potential.”(180) According to the way Chekov wrote, Olenka’s only potential was when she was using the ideas of her love. Olenka’s potential only went as far as the person she loved potential went.

Chekov, Anton. “The Darling” Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

"Emerson’s Outlook." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Spoon River Anthology

I will Fight No More Forever

Two Views of the River

Mark Twain is an excellent example of a Regionalist writer. Twain creates a vivid portrayal of the region he lives in. In “Two Views of the River” Twain describes how he used to be awed by the majesty and splendor of the river, and the beauty of the sunset on the water. Now however, he has grown used to the beauty of the river. He no longer sees the magical qualities he once thought it possessed. Twain writes, “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.”(Twain 505) Before this Twain had described how the sun was, “enriching it, every passing moment, with new marvels of coloring.”(Twain 505) In the beginning of the time Twain spent living on the river he was mesmerized by every passing second of beauty the river produced. Now that he had lived there for some time the river had grown dull to him. Mark Twain now sees the dangers and the bad things that the river possess or warns about. He writes, “that slanting mark on the water refers to a bluff reef which is going to kill somebody’s steamboat one of these nights.”(Twain 505) Instead of noticing the beauty as he originally had, he now sees the bad things that come from the river.

Ralph Waldo Emerson would have been enraged by the way Mark Twain wrote. In “Nature” Emerson writes, “Most persons do not see the sun. At the least they have a very superficial seeing.”(Emerson 191) The superficial meaning Emerson refers to would be the way Twain sees the river after he had lived there for some time. Emerson is coming down on people that get used to the life they live everyday. The people who do not see the beauty in where they live or what they do because they have grown used to it. Twain on the other hand is simply displaying his Regionalist characteristics. He is telling the reader the simple truth.

Emerson, W. Ralph. "From Nature." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Twain, Mark "Two Views of the River." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Red Badge of Courage

Naturalism is an idea that people do not have control over what they do. Their power is limited in the decisions they make. People have little real control in how they live. Naturalists believe they are controlled by destiny. What happens to them is because of destiny and heredity. People base their decisions off of social and economic demands. A person is forced to do what he or she does because of how the world is affecting them. Naturalists believe that a person should not be responsible for their actions, because they are required to do what they do because of brutal society. Steven Crane demonstrates this when he writes in “Red Badge of Courage”, “His impotency appeared to him, and made his rage into that of a driven beast.”(Crane 493) An animal that has become angry does not stop to think of the consequences of its actions. It simply does it, and a beast that becomes angry is usually antagonized by someone or something else. People do not blame the animal for the rage, they blame the person or thing that set the animal off. There for making the animal exempt from its actions. Crane also writes, “He was at a task.”(Crane 493) The main character, Henry Fleming, was in the mist of battle, but it was as if it was just a job or a chore for him to fight. Crane writes, “He, in his thoughts, was careening of in other places,” (Crane 493) For Fleming he was not interested in what he was doing. He was forced to do what he was doing by the harsh and brutal environment of battle.

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s transcendentalist philosophy has a different idea. In the Glencoe Literature book a break down of Emerson says, “He believed human beings had limitless potential.”(180). This is contrary to the idea Crane presents in “Red Badge of Courage” when he writes, “His impotency appeared to him”(Crane 493) In this sentence it shows that Naturalists believe that humans power is limited and controlled by society.

Crane, Stephen. "From Sinners Red Badge of Courage." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

"Emerson’s Outlook." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

"Story of an Hour"

"Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin is a very absurd story. Kate Chopin is making a stand for women's rights. The main character in this story is Louise Mallard. She learns that her husband has been killed in a train crash, and immediately she is in tears. After a while she realizes that it is not as bad as she thinks it is. She realizes she is free from her husbands controlling will. Chopin writes, "There would be no powerful will bending hers"(Chopin 555). This story was written in 1894 and women had little to no rights in that time period. Mallard has a turn around in her emotions when she realizes she is free. She says, "'Free, free, free!'"(Chopin 554) Mallard obviously was not too excited about her marriage with her husband. She cared about him but she was not extremely fond of him. Chopin writes, "And yet she loved him-sometimes. Often she had not."(Chopin 555) Most likely she loved him in the beginning of their marriage, but now she was seeing her husbands true colors coming through. Chopin was showing that women wanted more from their marriages, and more from their lives in general. She was a women activist. She was making a point that women need to be treated better, and that they also deserve freedom.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was also a women rights supporter. Growing up he was parented by his mother, his father had died when he was young. In a analysis of Emerson it says, "His mother supported his family after the untimely death of his father."(Harvard) There was obviously a lot of influence of women in his life. His Aunt Marry came on "extended visits"(Harvard) very often. In the work about Emerson it says, "Emerson singed the "Declaration of Principles'"(Harvard) This was a document put forth by the National Women's Rights Convention. Emerson had strong feelings about women's rights and did not care what others thought of him.

Harvard. "Women’s Rights | Emerson - Living Legacy." Harvard Square Library. Web. 24 Feb. 2012. .

Chopin, Kate. "Story of an Hour." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

O Pioneers

Willa Cather’s excerpt from “O Pioneers!” gives the reader a brief glimpse of the hard life of a pioneer. It displays the strength of family out in the wild frontier. In spite of the death of the Bergson’s father they still preserver. Cather writes, “For the first three years after John Bergson’s death, the affairs of his family prospered. Then came the hard times that brought every one on the Divide to the brink of despair”(Cather 489). The family stuck together in the good times, but they also stuck together during the hard times. She writes, “The first of these fruitless summers the Bergson boys bore courageously.”

(Cather 489) The Bergson brothers stuck together after their father had died. They kept the farm going through the tough and unsuccessful growing season. Cather writes, “It was no fault of theirs that that they had been dragged into the wilderness when they were little boys”(Cather 489) Even though they had no choice on coming to this new land, they still work hard to keep the family farm going. Cather is really stressing the importance of the strength of family. It is important that the Bergson boys keep the farm going to support the family, and to honor the wishes of their father. He came all that way to try and make a better life for him and his family.

Ralph Waldo Emerson believes that a man is stronger by himself, fighting for himself. In his writing “Self-Reliance” he says, “It is only as a man puts off all foreign support, and stands alone, that I see him to be strong and to prevail.”(Emerson 322). Emerson is not saying that a man should not have a family and set out to provide for them. He is saying that the man should be there to provide and support for his family. The man is strongest when he does not have to rely on any out side help. When John Bergson died he left the farm to his sons, and they may have to rely on the support of other people forcing them to not be as wealthy or as strong as they would be by themselves.

Cather, Willa. "From O Pioneers ." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Emerson, R. Waldo. "Self-Reliance." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

“An Occurrence at Owl Bridge Creek”, by Ambrose Bierce, is a very suspenseful and exciting story. The way Bierce made the story jump back and forth is particularly interesting. The imagination Bierce must have had to write a story is outstanding. The main character in the story, Peyton Farquhar, was a very patriotic man. Even though he is not supporting the right cause, he is still very passionate about what he believes. Bierce writes, “he was naturally and original secessionist and ardently devoted to the southern cause.”(Bierce 391) Farquhar was not able to fight for the Confederacy, but he still wanted to help any way he could. Bierce writes, “No service was too humble for him to perform in aid of the South” (Bierce 392). No matter what Peyton Farquhar was asked to do to aid the Confederacy, he would do it. Farquhar was tricked by a Federal scout, but he did not know it. That is what led him to be captured. In doing what he could to slow the advancing Union army, Farquhar was caught trying to burn down a bridge. Bierce creates the image of a southern hero, and the reader is intrigued by what he has done. Peyton Farquhar was not able to join the Confederate Army, but he was still fighting for what he believed to be right.

Henry David Thoreau is the opposite of Ambrose Bierce. In “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau is clearly disappointed in his government, “I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government.”(Thoreau 223) At that time none of the states had seceded form the Union, and the government still supported slavery. Thoreau did not appreciate the fact that he had to pay taxes to something he did not support. Ralph Waldo Emerson writes in “Self-Reliance”, “It is only as man puts off all foreign support, and stands alone, that I see him to be strong and to prevail.”(Emerson 322) Emerson and Bierce have a similar philosophy. Farquhar was alone in his act, and Emerson sees that as a strong attribute.

Bierce, Ambrose. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Emerson, R. Waldo. "From Self-Reliance." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Thoreau, D. Henry. "From Civil Disobedience." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth’s speech, “And Ain’t I a Woman?” is a very powerful and emotional speech. It is obvious that Sojourner was fired up when she made this speech. There is an obvious political message behind her speech, and that is the fact that women should be treated equally. Sojourner connects slavery with women’s writes by saying if she has to do the same work as a man, why can she not be given the same rights as a man. She says, “I have plowed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman?”(Truth 370) She has to do the same exact work a man (if not more as a slave) and she is treated more poorly then a slave man. Sojourner is making to point that if she works as hard as a man, eats as much as a man, and takes the punishment as well as a man, she should be able to have the freedoms of a man. More importantly she is trying to gain rights and freedoms for slave women. Truth says, “Nobody every helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or give me any best place! And ain’t I a woman?”(Truth 370) There is even more segregation between slave men and women. She is saying nobody ever helps her when she could use it. However white women are helped in almost everything they do. Sojourner is combining equality between black and white women, as well as equality between men and women.

Henry David Thoreau has a similar philosophy in his work “Civil Disobedience”. He writes, “Is a democracy, such as we know it, the last improvement possible in government? Is it not possible to take a step further towards recognizing and organizing the rights of men?”(Thoreau 227) Here Thoreau is pushing towards the rights of all man kind, which is similar to Sojourner Truth pressing for change in women’s rights. They both want better treatment and more respect from their superiors.

Thoreau, D. Henry "Civil Disobedience." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain’t I a Woman?" Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Letter to His Family

When Robert E. Lee wrote this letter he was torn by the shape of his country. There were already states seceding from the Union when he wrote this letter and he feared that more would soon follow. General Lee did not want violence to be the way this revolt was settled. Lee writes, “I hope, therefore, that all constitutional means will be exhausted before there is a resort to force.”(Lee 385) He knows that a war would not be helpful to this young country at all. It is ironic that he is saying that, and we the reader already know what happens after he writes this letter. General Lee has such big pride in his state, and it is obvious when he writes, “If the Union is dissolved, and the government disrupted, I shall return to my native state and share the miseries of my people; and, save in defense, will draw my sword on none.”(Lee 385) Lee does not want to engage in violence. That is the last thing he wants. He writes, “Secession is nothing but a revolution.”(Lee 385) Lee knows that what the Confederacy is doing, and nothing good will come of it. He says that the constitution is not meant to be broken, but the Confederacy is doing it anyway. In spite of that fact General Lee is still standing by his state of Virginia. His love for his state, and the people in it, is greater then the love of the Union.

Ralph Waldo Emerson seems to disagree with Lee’s decision. In his work “Self-Reliance” he says, “He is weaker by every recruit to his banner. Is not a man better then a town?”(Emerson 322) Emerson believes that you should fight for yourself and not your community. General Lee believes that it would be unforgivable to fight with his friends and family, even if he knows it is for the wrong side. Lee’s love for his state of Virginia, was greater than his love of justice.

Emerson, W. Ralph. "From Self-Reliance." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Lee. E. Robert. "From Letter to His Family." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” is an old slave hymn sung by the slaves as they work in the fields, and has a beautiful tune. It was also sung by many famous artists like Johnny Cash. In a critical analysis of “Swing low, Sweet Chariots” Randal Huff writes, “In line 3 the speaker looks over the landscape of the Holy Land, distilled here to the single country of Jordan so often mentioned in the Bible, and finds "a band of angels" coming after him/her to carry him home.”(Huff) Some say that this refers to when the Hebrew slaves were brought out of slavery by Moses,(Exodus 13:17) People believe that the African American slaves are crying out to God to relieve of their misery, just as the Hebrew slaves were before God sent Moses. In that bible passage there is no reference to a chariot. In the song one of the main lines is, “Swing low, Sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home.”(Anonymous 364) In 2 Kings 2:11-12 the prophet Elijah is taken into heaven by a chariot of fire. We do not know which one it is, and it may be a combination of both. The slaves were all eager to be set free and they knew the only way that would happen is if the died. They were asking God to take them home peacefully. In this hymn, and “Go Down, Moses” and “Keep Your Hand on the Plow” there is such a reverence and a firm belief in God and his power. In “Go Down, Moses” it says, “Thus saith the Lord”( Anonymous 347) and in “Keep Your Hand on the Plow” it says, “Got my hand on the gospel plow, Wouldn’t take nothin’ for my journey now…”( Anonymous 348) These hymns display the strong faith the slaves had.

Emerson and Thoreau have a different angle. They do not have a strong belief if any in God. In “Nature” Emerson makes the scenery more important then God. He writes, “the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God.” (Emerson 192) Emerson puts himself in the same class as God. Thoreau writes in “Walden”, “and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to “Glorify God and enjoy him forever’”(Thoreau 214) Thoreau dismisses the fact that we were put here on Earth to glorify God forever! Both of theses writers are so contradictory to what the slave hymns are saying.

Anonymous . "Go Down, Moses." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Anonymous "Keep your Hand on the Plow." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Emerson, W. Ralph. "Nature." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Anonymous. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Thoreau, D. Henry. "From Walden." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Calvary Crossing a Ford

The poem, “Calvary Crossing a Ford” by Walt Whitman, does not appear to have any real metaphoric significance. It is simply a poem describing soldiers crossing a river. In a literary analysis of the poem by Charles Oliver he writes, “readers may well feel the tension, perhaps even irony, between the scene of time stopped momentarily for these soldiers and a coming battle in which they know men will be killed.”(Oliver) Whitman was trying to display a serene moment it war, showing that in spite of all the gruesome fighting and bloodshed, there are still moments where one can relax and find rest. Walt Whitman writes, “each person a picture, the negligent rest on the saddles.”(Whitman 341) He is depicting a still moment, there is no hurry to get anywhere, they only wish to rest. Whitman is displaying something very similar to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s work, “Nature”. They both convey a moment of peace if you take the time to stop and notice it.

In “Nature” Emerson writes, “In the tranquil landscape”(Emerson 192). The landscape and nature are peaceful in themselves yet man does not take the time to realize it. Emerson writes, “The sun illuminates only the eyes of man, but shines into the eye and heart of the child.”(Emerson 191) Men take for granted how beautiful the sun really is, but the child is fascinated by its beautiful mystery. Emerson wants people to slow down and appreciate the true beauty of nature. That was a good lesson for his culture then, but it is a better lesson for us now. It seems like everyone is always in a hurry and never wants to stop and appreciate the tranquility of the world we live in. Whitman also has a very similar philosophy. Even though they were in a time of war, one could still take the time to stop and appreciate the simple pleasures in life. They are both trying to tell their readers that if we only took the time to slow down and take in the beauty they would be amazed.

Emerson, W. Ralph. "From Nature." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Oliver, Charles M. "'Cavalry Crossing a Ford'." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.(February 9, 2012)

Whitman, Walt. "Crossing Calvary a Ford." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.