Unit 3 - Transcendentalism and Poetry
What did Ralph Waldo Emerson write?
"Self-Reliance" "Concord Hymn" "The Snowstorm"
"Civil Disobedience" - What motto does Thoreau accept?
"That government is best, which governs least."
What did Walt Whitman celebrate in his writings?
America-> idea of democracy and the common man
What college did Emily Dickinson's grandfather found?
Amherst College
infinity
Endless or unlimited space, time, or distance
"Self-Reliance" - What would Emerson say is each person's reason for living?
Everyone should seek to fulfill their God-given destiny
What was different about Walt Whitman?
He was rejected by other famous authors/poets
Free Verse
Poetry that has irregular meter and line length
sublime
noble; majestic
radiant
shining, bright
style
the manner in which a writer puts his or her thoughts into words
Root: -fus-
to pour (out)
Exact Rhyme
two words that have identical ending sounds
Slant Rhyme
(approximate rhyme) similar ending sounds NOT IDENTICAL
Concord Hymn - What event took place on the "rude bridge?"
Battle of Concord --> April 19, 1775 American Colonists died for freedom in this 2nd confrontation with the British (They were successful in the 1st battle where they beat the British)
"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" - What does the speaker do in reaction to the lecture?
He feels sick and tired and leaves
"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" - What do the speakers actions reveal about his character?
He's an individualist --> feels like he can learn for himself *would rather experience/learn about nature himself*
"There's a Certain Slant of Light" - 3 Examples of alliteration:
Heavenly hurt Landscape Listens Certain Slant
Concord Hymn - What has happened to the bridge since the battle that took place there?
It has since decayed and washed away, but the significance of the place remains; blood was shed for freedom for all men
"Self-Reliance" - According to Emerson, what do Pythagoras, Socrates, Jesus, Luther, Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton have in common?
These great men were all misunderstood, persecuted, and even hated in their time, but history has proven their genius and their worth
posterity
all succeeding generations
The Snowstorm - What has the storm left behind when the sun appears?
astonished art; "slow structures" (as the artists can only "imitate" nature's beauty
diction
author's word choice and arrangement of words
poet's attitude (tone)
can be discerned by diction; you can infer this by examining his or her choice of words/details
Walden - What would be the disadvantages of spending two solitary years in a natural setting?
loneliness
The Snowstorm - Which words relate to the design and construction of the buildings?
masonry quarry "curves...white bastions" proportional *it changes the shape and appearance of the landscape
aversion
object arousing an intense dislike
suffrage
the right to vote, voting
The Snowstorm - What effect does the storm have on the housemates?
they huddle around the radiant fire
"Self-Reliance" - What does Emerson say society's main purpose is?
to "conspire" put down the individuals self-reliance, determination, and thought
"Self-Reliance" - What term does Emerson use to describe society?
"joint stock company" (no room for individuality - forcing conformity to beliefs and behaviors)
Do you agree with Thoreau that "Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul"?
The physical body needs money for basic needs, but the soul does not require money for peace and contentment
"There is a Solitude of Space" - What does she mean by "A soul admitted to itself- Finite infinity"?
There are certain things you don't share with others -our souls are eternal --> earth bound by time and space
-flu-
flow/flowing
dilapidated
in disrepair
tumultuous
rough, stormy
What poems did Emily Dickinson write?
"There's a certain slant of light" 'My life closed twice before it's close" "The soul selects her own society" 'The brain is wider than the sky" "There is a solitude of space"
evitable
(avoidable) excessive; not necessary
"My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close" - Example of parallelism:
- so huge, so hopeless - all we know of heaven, all we need of hell
Concord Hymn - How does the poem's organization reflect a sense of the passage of time?
-Stanza 2 / the "foe" and "conquerer" have "long since slept;" bridge is "ruined" -Stanza 3 / commemorating the event for future generations
Walden - According to Thoreau, by what is our life "frittered away"?
-by mundane details [true wealth is spiritual]
Walden - What would be the advantages of spending two solitary years in a natural setting?
-connect with nature -think about life's priorities
"I Hear America Singing" - What occupations does Whitman attribute to Americans?
-mechanics -carpenters -mason -boatman -shoemaker -wood-cutter -ploughboy -hatter -mother/wife --> sewer, washer
"There is a Solitude of Space" - Three examples of alliteration:
-solitude of space -solitude of sea -society shall -polar privacy
Walden - What advice does Thoreau offer to those who live in poverty? What does this advice suggest about Thoreau's definition of true wealth?
-they should find the best in life still -true wealth is spiritual, not physical
"The Brain is Wider Than The Sky" - What 3 comparisons does Dickinson make between the brain and something else?
1. The brain is wider than the sky 2. The brain is deeper than the sea 3. The brain is the weight of God
"Civil Disobedience" - How does Thoreau define the best possible kind of government?
A government that limits it's interference in people's lives (LEAST AMOUNT OF CONTROL)
Walden - What does Thoreau mean when he says "it makes but little difference whether you are committed to a farm or the county jail"?
Any commitment comes with demands and restrictions
"The Soul Selects Her Own Society" - What leaves the soul "unmoved"?
Chariots= wealth Emperor= governments, status
"Self-Reliance" - According to Emerson, what role does the "divine" have in determining each person's circumstances?
Divine province, God, has a unique roll for each person to play in his or her time due to his or her gifts and abilities
transcendentalist
Followers of a belief which stressed self-reliance, self- culture, self-discipline, and that knowledge transcends instead of coming by reason. They promoted the belief of individualism and caused an array of humanitarian reforms.
"I Hear America Singing" - What does his catalog of occupations suggest about his vision of America?
He is celebrating the common man/worker people who don't necessarily get recognition
"Self-Reliance" - What evidence does Emerson use to support his claim that, "to be great is to be misunderstood?""Self-Reliance" -
He points out famous men whose philosophies and contributions to the world have stood the test of truth and time
The Snowstorm - How does the astonished art reflect transcendentalist beliefs?
Humans can be inspired by nature's beauty
The Snowstorm - What do the words (such as masonry, quarry, proportional, etc...) suggest about the comparison the poet is making between the storm and an architect/artist?
It creates new shapes and forms as it covers new buildings, trees, bushes, etc...
The Snowstorm - What effect does the storm have on the sled and traveler?
It forced them to stop
"My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close" - What is the rhyme scheme?
Lines 2 and 4 rhyme
"I Hear America Singing" - If Whitman were to write this poem today, do you think his message would be the same?
No, because now we could include high school athletes, technology workers, etc.. but some things would be the same
"Civil Disobedience" - What kind of government demands your respect?
One that allows "free speech" and respects others' opinions, even if they disagree
Walden - What does Thoreau mean by his advice to "simplify, simplify"?
People should cut out excessive things in their lives and simplify them, focusing instead on important things.
"Civil Disobedience" - When will Americans get the best possible kind of government?
People will dispense (get rid of) government all together
"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" - What is the speaker saying about the value of science versus a personal experience with nature?
Personal is more important then just scientific facts because nature goes beyond facts --> divinity of nature
"There's a Certain Slant of Light" - How does the speaker feel when the winter sets in?
She sees it as a season when things are going to close in --> SAD (seasonal affected disorder)
"I Hear America Singing" - What word does Whitman use to describe all the workers' actions? In what ways does this word affect the poem's mood?
Singing; They are celebrating the American worker--> suggests energy, light, enthusiasm
Concord Hymn - What does the poet mean by the image of "the shot heard round the world?"
The 'shot' (battle) not only gave hope to the colonists, but gave hope to other countries who wanted to gain their independence and freedom like France
"The Brain is Wider Than The Sky" - How is the brain "wider than the sky" and "deeper than the sea"?
The brain (soul) can understand these things, but they can not understand the brain (soul) **our minds can contain these ideas, but they cannot understand us**
"I Hear America Singing" - What does Whitman describe the laborers doing at night?
They're socializing and still singing
"I Hear America Singing" - Why do you think the poem ends as it does?
To show they are happy at work and recreation
What did Henry David Thoreau write?
Walden and "Civil Disobedience"
"My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close" - How might the lines "My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close" relate to losing loved ones?
When someone dies that is close to you, it is like losing part of yourself (part of you "dies")
The Snowstorm - What does Emerson mean when he refers to the "tumultuous privacy of the storm?"
Wild storms keep people inside and visitors can't come - so it is a private, personal time to weather the storm, safe inside
Walden - Do you believe Thoreau felt his time at Walden was well spent?
Yes because he was able to learn how to simplify his life and make the most of it, because true wealth is spiritual
metaphor
a figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unlike things (without using like or as)
divines
clergy (minister/pastor)
The Snowstorm - What effect does the storm have on the courier?
delayed (slowed)
chaos
disorder of matter and space, supposed to have existed before the ordered universe
"The Soul Selects Her Own Society" - Exact rhyme exampes:
door, more
bastions
fortifications
"The Soul Selects Her Own Society" - Slant rhyme examples:
gate, mat one, stone
magnanimity
generosity
"My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close" - background
has to do with losing a loved one(s)
finite
having measurable or definable limits
"My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close" - What might the "third event" be?
her dying
"There's a Certain Slant of Light" - What does the light seem to represent to the speaker?
her life; mortality in passing seasons of life
"There's a Certain Slant of Light" - In what ways does the winter light affect people?
it oppresses them
What is Walt Whitman best known for?
leaves of grass *greatest work -> free verse -> conversational
Latin: finis
limit or end
"The Brain is Wider Than The Sky" - How is the rhyme scheme similar to her other poems?
lines 2 and 4 rhyme
"There's a Certain Slant of Light" - what is the rhyme scheme?
lines 2 and 4 rhyme
"Self-Reliance" - In what ways does Emerson believe people should be affected by the way others perceive them?
people should not care about others opinions
Cornice
projecting decorative molding along the top of a building
"There's a Certain Slant of Light" - Example of personification:
shadows hold their breath
"The Soul Selects Her Own Society" - How would you describe the individual soul's attitude to worldly attractions (society/current culture)?
she does not care; she is the majority, not culture. She will make her own decisions.
"There is a Solitude of Space" - What 3 things are linked with "solitude"?
space sea death
alacrity
speed
What careers did Walt Whitman take up? (in order)
teacher --> journalist --> poet
"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" - In what ways does the "perfect silence" in the last line contrast with the lecture?
the lecture is filled with words and numbers, but the star's beauty speaks for itself (silently, without words) busyness --> peace
"The Brain is Wider than the Sky" - What is the brain a metaphor for?
the soul
"The Brain is Wider Than The Sky" - How are the brain (soul) and God similar "pound for pound"?
we are made in the image of God
oppresses
weighs heavily on the mind
