Early American Literature Final

Summary of Brute Neighbors

"Brute Neighbors" consists of a ferocious war between two groups of ants, the red ants and the black ants. Set on a pile of woodchips, groups of ants from the two opposing sides continually engage each other in combat, while Thoreau watches them from above. He observes as they rip each other apart and compares this battle to numerous ones that have spanned the length of humanity. He uses figurative language like allusions and personification over the course of his essay to further convey the battle of the ants. Although he doesn't know why the battle started, Thoreau observed it as though it had some kind of greater purpose.

Why did Thoreau go to the woods?

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." To focus on the essentials of living (deliberately) and learn from experience

First Person

"I" and "Me" standpoint. Personal perspective. Narrator is a character in the story

William Cullen Bryant

"Literary superstar" Avid Naturalist all his life and an American Romantic writer praised for his genius "Author of America" for helping create a voice for distinctive American literature

"Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Nature" is an essay written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and published by James Munroe and Company in 1836. In the essay Emerson put forth the foundation of transcendentalism, a belief system that espouses a non-traditional appreciation of nature.

How does Truth close her speech?

"Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say." Politely removes herself from the conversation at hand (using third person POV) after putting out a call for action to the audience of what they must do regarding the slavery and women's rights issues at hand

Brute Neighbors - Henry Thoreau

"One day when I went out to my wood-pile, or rather my pile of stumps, I observed two large ants, the one red, the other much larger, nearly half an inch long, and black, fiercely contending with one another." "I never learned which party was victorious, nor the cause of the war; but I felt for the rest of that day as if I had had my feeling excited and harrowed by witnessing the struggle the ferocity and carnage, of a human battle before my door."

How does the recovered text approach enhance "Rip Van Winkle"

"Rip Van Winkle" (1819), set before and after the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) in a 20 year timeframe Presented as recovered text, meaning someone found this account in the papers of a fake expert historian (Diedrich Knickerbocker) This method makes the story feel more authentic as an old tale of this region (that could be true), creating an immersive experience into the plot and culture that makes it more enjoyable

Self-Reliance (Emerson)

"Self-Reliance" is Ralph Waldo Emerson's treatise on individualism. In it Emerson explains that people must believe in their own intuition and reject the opinions of others in order to transcend the bounds of the physical world Extremely Non-comformist

Washington Irving Quote

"Some minds seem almost to create themselves, springing up under every disadvantage and working their solitary but irresistible way through a thousand obstacles"

What is "Thanatopsis"?

"Thanatopsis" is an early poem by the American poet William Cullen Bryant. Meaning 'a consideration of death', the word is derived from the Greek 'thanatos' (death) and 'opsis' (view, sight)

Walden: Conclusion Quote

"The faultfinder will find fault even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is." - Thoreau

What is a radical quote from "Self-Reliance"?

"the only right is what is after my constitution, the only wrong what is against it..."-Emerson do what YOU think is right

Types of Thesis

#1 The thesis may focus on an analysis of one of the elements of fiction, drama, poetry or nonfiction as expressed in the work: character, plot, structure, idea, theme, symbol, style, imagery, tone, etc. #2 The thesis may focus on illustrating how a work reflects the particular genre's forms, the characteristics of a philosophy of literature, or the ideas of a particular school of thought. #3 The thesis may draw parallels between some element in the work and real-life situations or subject matter: historical events, the author's life, medical diagnoses, etc.

Thanatopsis Structure

'Thanatopsis' by William Cullen Bryant is an eighty-two-line poem that is split into three stanzas of text. 1. represent the finite and comparably short time alive 2. the eternal and grander aspect of one's soul coming to rest 3. a quick but vital message to take away from all of this. The lines do not follow a specific pattern of rhyme but there are numerous examples of blank verse or unrhymed iambic pentameter

Women in the Nineteenth Century

(1845) Margaret Fuller; Women's rights movement Fuller said that women must fulfill themselves as individuals, not subordinates to men Society must accept women and men as equals The book was influential at Seneca Falls.

Who was Margaret Fuller?

(May 23, 1810 - June 19, 1850) was a journalist, critic and women's rights activist. Fuller became friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson and was subsequently associated with transcendentalism. She edited the transcendentalist journal, The Dial for the first two years of its existence from 1840 to 1842. When she joined Horace Greeley's New York Tribune as literary critic in 1844, she became the first female journalist to work on the staff of a major newspaper. In the mid-1840s she organized discussion groups of women in which a variety of subjects, such as art, education and women's rights, were debated.

Romanticism Characteristics

* direct response to the use of rational thought in the Age of Reason/Enlightenment. * fewer instructional texts, more stories, novels and poems. *influenced by the industrial revolution (positive and negative) 1. imagination and escapism (interest in the supernatural) 2. individuality and freedom 3. nature as a source of spirituality (love for its beauty and landscapes) 4. looking to the past for wisdom (nostalgia) 5. seeing the common man as a hero

What did Hawthorne believe in?

** man is equally capable of wrong-doing, of evil, of making mistakes, as he is capable of the great things talked about by the transcendentalists—Is there a darkness in all of us that is just as powerful as the "part of God within us," the Oversoul? ** nature, in its violence and evil moments, reflects the "darkness" in all of us ** there is great danger in isolating or separating oneself from society (either physically, morally, spiritually, or intellectually) and not listening to the advice from others ("unpardonable sin" of pride, arrogance)

Where I lived, and What I lived For Simile" Our life is like a German Confederacy, made up of petty states, with its boundary forever fluctuating, so that even German cannot tell you how it is bounded at any moment" (Thoreau 234).

- German Confederacy: organization of German states replacing the Holy Roman Empire. - Connecting human lives to a German Confederacy. - Human lives are overly complicated, that even we cannot tell how society truly is.

How does the fact that Thoreau's unfinished home allowed air to blow through important in the discussion of "winds" in the opening paragraph?

- He establishes the minutiae of his life by beginning with a description of his home. - He compares the winds blowing over Earth with the rarely heard poem of creation. - This comparison, demonstrates the closeness with nature the winds create. - The winds are heavenly parts of earthly music.

What does the paradox, "We do not ride on the railroad, it rides upon us" (Thoreau 234), mean?

- The railroad was one of the biggest technological innovations in Thoreau's time (and he disliked technology) - Society has left humans seeking a good economy as their life purpose (which the railroad will assist in) - The path of life isn't directed by humans themselves, they are directed by society. - Humans construct railroads for their advantage but the idea of constructing railroads is controlling us - We are blindly following the idea that we have to follow the path of society (symbolized by the path of a railroad) now economy and innovation have taken control of us stripping our own individuality as we conform

What is Madeline Usher's appearance?

- almost unrecognizable and startling; hair floated about distance - almost inhuman; delicate and handsome yet looks dead/tormented - suffering from a disease and is decaying away - one of the last Ushers (Narrator never sees her again) - lurking in the darkness and randomly vanished back into the darkness -trance-like condition roaming around unintentionally; almost removed from the world

Ideas Presented in "The Fall of the House of Usher"

- anyone can have a point where they become insane - the fear is worse then what you're actually afraid of - having the thought that if the person you're watching die would be relieved by dying (either they're suffering but here or not suffering yet gone, like you failed to save them) - communicating w/o speaking - Are childhood friends just as or more important than the ones you make as an adult? - Everyone has thoughts that they're unaware of influencing their everyday behavior - dreams/visions reveal your inner demons, fears, and feelings - can you escape the evil and consequences of your ancestors' history?

What effect did wearing the veil have on Hooper's life?

- didn't foresee how bad this could be for him - lost his social life, love of his life, and respect - stood by what he truly believed in - traumatized people - isolated him -only could connect to sinners who were about to die and sought to consolation and remorse, now choosing to admit their guilt -stayed by his commitment to God - stronger sermons, better minister

How the narrator was affected by the House of Usher

- getting bad vibes - can't sleep - loud storm -home could be driving him insane as well

How was Sojourner Truth a Transcendenalist?

-"second generation" transcendentalist -after "founding fathers" like Emerson set the precepts and parameters of the philosophy, she (like many others), interpreted the tradition and implemented in her own way -stayed true to her own personal principles -fought to help important causes gain recognition

Who were Brooding Romantics?

-American Romantics that were more American Gothic -didn't have optimism nor faith in the innate goodness of humankind -writers had complex philosophy filled with dark currents and deep awareness of the human capacity for evil

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)

-An abolitionist and former slave who advocated for African American women's rights -Brought the plight of African American women to the mainstream women's movement when she delivered her speech, "Ain't I a Woman?" (1851), which demanded that the rights of African Americans play a role in the political goals of the American women's movement -Unable to read/write but intelligent and brave -experienced miseries of being sold, cruelly beaten/mistreated, forced apart from her lover, forced to marry another slave and had 5 children with him

William Cullen Bryant Origins

-Born in 1794 in Cummington, MA -Began writing young -Translated Latin poems at 10 -Published "The Embargo" satirizing President Jefferson's policies at 13 -inspired by the natural world to write -spent hours exploring forests/hills as a boy -early efforts reflected influence of English Romantic poets

Dark Romanticism Beginnings

-Grew out of and took place during the same period as Romanticism (like Transcendentalism) -cynical reaction to the optimism of Transcendentalists -influenced by Puritans beliefs in Original Sin and the battle between good and evil

Evidence that Rip Van Winkle is an American Revolution Allegory

-Kaatskill Mountains are a dismembered outlier of the Appalachian range -Mountains are to the west of the river and separated by a body of water Parallels the colonies' geographic location compared to Britain's Shows how the tales is set up as symbolic to the Revolutionary War

Rhetorical Devices

-Language techniques that create and hold audience attention and help audience members remember what you said in your speech -Used to enhance their arguments and communicate more effectively

Brief Biography of William Cullen Bryant

-Nature was a huge part of his life -Viewed it as a higher being -Thought nature guides you through your journey -In December William Bryant was walking to his work office and he noticed a bird on the horizon which inspired him to write "To A Waterfowl" -Bryant was known for his poem "Thanatopsis" but his most famous work at that time was actually "To A Waterfowl" Best Known Poems: -Thanatopsis -The Embargo -To A Waterfowl -The Forest Hymn

Beliefs of Transcendentalism

-People are inherently good and should follow their own beliefs regardless of controversy -Humankind, nature, and God are all interconnected -Emphasized living a simple life -Close relationship to nature -Celebrated emotions and imagination -Self-possessed individuals -Individualism and self-reliance -believed intuition can lead to knowledge -encouraged spiritual well-being over financial well-being -valued self-education more

Rip Van Winkle - Nostalgia for the Past

-Rip Van Winkle's thoughts dwelling on the past as he is confused when he arrives back to the village after his nap wondering where his old friends are and what has happened to to the village -Refers to the Revolutionary War references made in the story by the author

Rip Van Winkle - Concern for Individual Freedom

-Rip not conforming to societal standards and seeking a profitable job like everyone else, preferring to live simply and relax -Rip seeking to break free of his wife who is enraged at his own life pursuits

What were Margaret Fuller's accomplishments?

-She held "conversations", meetings to compensate for the lack of women's education that discussed fine arts, history, nature, literature, and mythology -these sessions, ranging from ethics to the arts, encouraged women to discuss these topics to recognize their own intelligence and led to her writing her book -Women in the Nineteenth Century meant a lot to her as it was her true self and significant part of her legacy, incorporating her beliefs on women and their ability to be educated and work in any field

Simile Sounds "For I lived like the Puri Indians, of whom it is said that "for yesterday, today, and tomorrow they have only one word."

-Thoreau explains how he is like the Puri Indians and how time is inconsequential to him.

Thoreau's beliefs

-Transcendentalist -life as experiment in solitude -his life is the life advocated by Emerson -minimal govt. -minimal attachments -moral duty is to protest -Nature was vital to the education of man -humans should experience nature first hand and separate themselves from society. -Personal experience is more valuable than knowledge attained by others -Nature works as a chain connecting all people and fulfilling their lives.

What were the values of Dark Romantics?

-agreed individuality, emotion, intuition, and nature had great importance -didn't believe mankind was essentially good -Original Sin meant every human was born with the ability to do both good and evil -writing explored psychological effects of guilt, sin, madness, and insanity in the human mind

War of words

-began around 1763 (10 years before revolution) -outraged over heavy taxation by the British colonist wrote pamphlets, essays, speeches, songs, and poems -unified colonies against the British and made way for the revolution -beginning of American Revolution (in a way)

Logos - "Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gather 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"

-cites from her own experiences as a slave -states her identity as a women to contrast against the gruel work most white women don't have to endure -it is backwards and crazy that she can be as capable as a man but is treated any less

What did Transcendentalists dislike?

-conformity -material prosperity -obedience to the laws of society -commercialism

Rhetorical Question - "Wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full."

-forces the audience to answer the question and accept there's a problem in society -if the men have so much power they are capable of giving women their rights -forces men to believe the inequality is unethical

Ideas in "Self Reliance"

-only you can demonstrate your own full potential -follow your hear and instincts -the modern world is structured in a way that it seeks to make you give up your identity -do what you think is right -live your own life no matter what other people tell you -be confident in your ideas and beliefs -don't let the future fool you -don't be afraid of contradicting the path, don't conform to consistency

Writers of the American Revolution (Ideas)

-played a key role in creation of new nation -focused on nature law and human rights -used pamphlets to spread ideas -concentrated on political writings -expressed ideals of the Enlightenment -didn't accept monarchy -not religious

Rationalists vs. Romantics

-rationalists believed the city was the place to find prosperity and self realization. -romantics believed the city was a cesspool of moral decay, crime, and corruption. -Romantics solution was bring the country to the city with parks (nature/central park)

How speakers establish credibility for themselves?

-sense of humor -connecting their beliefs to widely held/respected principles -treat reader with respect -acknowledging any exceptions or weaknesses (show they're human) -upfront with their motives

Pathos - "When I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me!"

-she cites a mother's grief to convey how tragic her life has been and how terrible it is for her to lose 13 kids -cites how only Jesus heard her to emphasize how lonely her tragic life's been and how ignorant people have been of her sorrow -emotional to mothers and connects with any in the audience

Edgar Allan Poe's Career

-struggled to support his family, and make ends meet, especially to help his wife - landed promising positions only to lose them with his own self-sabotaging behavior - scathing reviews left him feared and respected - inventive stories brought him acclaim - starving artist

How to Determine Theme

1 look at title (usually emphasizes what the author is saying) 2 check narrator's or characters statements 3 check the arrangement of the plot 4 check for character changes 5 look at the story's conflict 6 look at the point of view 7 analyze the symbols 8 various figures of speech (symbolism, allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or irony) highlight the theme

Character

1) Person in a fictional story or 2) Qualities of a person

Facts about Emerson

1. Emerson's descendants were all New England ministers that extend as far back as to Puritanism in the 17th century. 2. Emerson emphasized the idea that the everyday and average American served as a suitable subject for literature, as God is everywhere, a transcendentalist needs to simply reveal it. 3. Emerson opened his first wife's tomb a year after she died simply to take a look at her corpse. 4. Emerson made his first journal entry when he was sixteen and continued it for the next sixty years, dubbing it The Wide World. The journals were the starting point for his writing after they began on January 25, 1820. 5. Emerson used to go for walks at Sleepy Hollow prior to it becoming a burial ground in 1855, walking alongside Thoreau, Hawthorne, Fuller, and the Alcotts. He hired out others to create a garden cemetery there.

Setting Aspects

1. Place - geographical location, the where 2. Time - Historical period, time of day, year, etc., the when 3. Weather Conditions - rainy, sunny, stormy, etc.? 4. Social Conditions - What is the character's daily life like? Does the story contain local color (writing focuses on speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, of a particular place)? 5. Mood or Atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story?

Inductive Argument Forms

1. Prediction 2. Argument from analogy 3. Generalization 4. Argument from authority 5. Argument based on signs 6. Causal inference

What are the conflicts in Rip Van Winkle?

1. Rip Van Winkle is bored with working on his farm and he has no profitable job; doesn't like working on his own affairs 2. Rip's wife is mean and constantly scolds him 3. His family is poor living on the bare minimum, and Rip's son strives to be like his father 4. Rip is too easygoing and calm 5. Rip sleeps 20 years away and awakes to be greatly confused at how everything has changed 6. All his friends and past locations seem to be gone 7. Almost no one remembers him 8. He appears to be crazy and even a traitor (unaware of current-day politics)

How Writers Develop Theme?

1. Title: offers a clue to the theme; is the title referenced in parts of the text; how does it relate to the overall text 2. Conflicts: what conflicts occur; how are they resolved or not; how do they contribute to the overall message 3. Characters: How do main characters grow or not; what do they learn; what role do minor characters play and why 4. Recurring Elements: recurring words, phrases, ideas, images, symbols, or motifs that could be a clue to the theme 5. Plot and Setting: flashbacks, turning points, or moments of tension in the story; how time period and location affect the plot and characters

American Romanticism Characteristics

1. Value Intuition over reason 2. Youthful innocence is better than educated sophistication 3. Society=Corruption (don't conform, maintain uniqueness) 4. Nature=Truth, Beauty, and Freedom 5. Inspiration found in supernatural tales and myths

What are iconic aspects of Nathaniel Hawthorne?

1. every one of his writing are about or during the Puritans and their time, analyzing the hypocrisy of their lifestyles, actions, rigid orthodox, and sinful nature 2. "Godfather of symbolism" 3. Good vs Evil, Secret Sin, Guilty

American Romantic Period

1800-1855 Literature produced during this time has been called the first truly American literature. influenced by Romanticism in opposition to the values of traditional literature and society Emphasized emotion over intellect, inspiration, imagination, and intuition over logic, discipline and order, and the wild and natural over the tamed, individual rather than society. Major Writers: Hawthorne, Melville, Poe, Dickinson, Whitman, Douglass, Emerson, and Thoreau

American Romanticism

1800-1855 Time of rapid expansion of growth in the US fueled Intuition, Imagination, and Individualism in literature Artistic and Intellectual Movement -Appeal to emotion rather than reason -interest in nature (rural/good city/bad) -interest in the picturesque and unusual -spirit of nationalism

Who was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow?

1807-1882 an American poet who wrote many works that are still famous today, including The Song of Hiawatha, Paul Revere's Ride and Evangeline. He also wrote the first American translation of Dante Alighieri's Inferno. His poetry is based on familiar and easily understood themes with simple, clear, and flowing language. His poetry created an audience in America and contributed to creating American mythology.

Aphorism

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.

Theme of a Psalm of Life by Longfellow

A call to act/lead and not follow Life should not be wasted and it should be made the most of

round character

A character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work. Fully developed personalities in which they are affected by the story's events by learning, growing, or deteriorating. "Character Expands"

dynamic character

A character who grows, learns, or changes as a result of the story's action "Dramatic Change"

Hasty Generalization

A fallacy in which a faulty conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence or biased evidence

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

A homespun account by Benjamin Franklin of his early and middle years. He advocates hard work and stresses the importance of worldly success.

Exposition

A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances

"Old Ironsides" Summary

A narrator talks about a battleship that used to be glorious but is now shipwrecked and dilapidated. He believes that it would be better if the ship would sink beneath the waves than continue to exist in this pitiful state. Specifically, he protests the idea of sinking the storied ship in order to retire it, believing it to be an unworthy way for such a legendary ship to be discarded.

Transcendentalism

A philosophy pioneered by Ralph Waldo Emerson in the 1830's and 1840's, in which each person has direct communication with God and Nature, and there is no need for organized churches. It incorporated the ideas that mind goes beyond matter, intuition is valuable, that each soul is part of the Great Spirit, and each person is part of a reality where only the invisible is truly real. Promoted individualism, self-reliance, and freedom from social constraints, and emphasized emotions.

Walden Pond

A pond of northeast Massachusetts near Concord. Henry David Thoreau lived in a cabin near the pond from 1845 to 1847.

Obstacle Faced by Washington Irving

A professional obstacle Irving faced in his life was his incapability of taking up a career that he could successfully prosper under. He tried to practice law but was a poor student at it, he kept switching between literary and legal careers, and when trying to work in a family import-export business was there when it became bankrupt in three years. Such career shifts and instability left him without any means of support, but he took such a moment as an opportunity to set forth on a path of writing, for better or worse, which ultimately paid off. The reason he chose this path was because he felt that it was the only occupation he could actually fulfill.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer ex. But when shall we be stronger?

Rising Action

A series of events that builds from the conflict. It begins with the inciting force and ends with the climax.

persuasive speech

A speech that attempts to change listeners' attitudes or behaviors by advocating or trying to gain acceptance of the speaker's point of view

non sequitur

A statement that does not follow logically from evidence provided

Conflict

A struggle between opposing forces Internal: Struggle within one's self -Character vs Self External: Struggle with a force outside one's self -Character vs Character -Character vs Nature Character vs Society

What was Ben Jonson's poem about?

A woman should be polite, good natured, and free from the terrible vice of pride. A woman should carry soft virtues in her heart. Only educated and manly women take charge of all aspects of their lives. Jonson adheres to stereotypes when he objects to independence, pride, and self-determination in women.

Tone

A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.

First Snowfall Rhyme Scheme

ABCB Rhyme Pattern and Alternative Iambic Tetrameter and Iambic Trimeter

Tone in Letter to John Adams

Abigail Adams is annoyed with the situation of the colonists not having a strong leader, the lack of women's rights, and her husband's absence Respectful of the circumstances of the situation and resilient in standing by her beliefs

What was Sojourner Truth known for?

Abolitionist and feminist who spoke against slavery and women's rights

Phillis Wheatly (1754-1784)

African American poet who overcame the barriers of slavery to publish two collections of her poems. As a young girl, Wheatly lived in Boston; she was later taken to England, where she found a publisher willing to distribute her work.

"Spring" by Henry Thoreau

After a long winter, Thoreau writes about the landscape slowly changing into spring around him. He notices several aspects of the changing season, mentioning the ice cracking in a canal and the animals coming out of hibernation. Thoreau also writes about the change in weather, describing it as a "memorable crisis." He writes about the new birds that are in the area and places that now look different. The geese return to the area, and they are finally back to the area after the winter took them away. Thoreau watches them and sees them continue to fly north. He thinks about the turning of the seasons and observes nature.

Patrick Henry (1736-1799)

American Orator gifted with a knack for rhetorics, eloquence, and wit Born in Virginia, he taught himself law and developed a promising career. He entered the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1765, and quickly influenced the colonial resistance to British taxation without representation. He was a member of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1774. In March 1775, in an impassioned speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses, he stated: "...but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!" He was active in Virginia politics, serving as the first governor of the new commonwealth. He did not participate in the Constitutional Convention, and he opposed ratification because of the potential limitations to the rights of states.

Walt Whitman

American poet and transcendentalist who was famous for his beliefs on nature, as demonstrated in his book, Leaves of Grass. He was therefore an important part for the buildup of American literature and breaking the traditional rhyme method in writing poetry.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

American poet that was influenced somewhat by the transcendentalism occurring at the time. He was important in building the status of American literature.

Bejamin Franklin

American public official, writer, scientist, and printer. helped draft constitution. Lighting rod, bifocal spectacles, stove (1706-1790) taught himself to write, wrote humorous satire and political essays best of the new nation and became its finest celebrity

Washington Irving

American writer (1783-1859) remembered for the stories "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," contained in The Sketch Book (1819-1820). First popular writer known for supernatural tales Godfather of Romanticism Looks to the past for wisdom Uses old legends for new stories utilized nostalgia (good or bad feelings of the past) for his stories Wrote Biography of George Washington

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)

An American author whose stories are often set in New England. In "The Minister's Black Veil," Hawthorne wrote about Reverend Hopper, who stubbornly refuses to take off the title article of clothing. Hawthorne also wrote "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," in which the title character shows off water from the Fountain of Youth. Both of those stories are included in his collection Twice-Told Tales. In "Rappaccini's Daughter," the title character is Beatrice, the child of a scientist who grows poisonous plants, who herself becomes poisonous. After Giovanni falls in love with Beatrice, he brings her an antidote so they can be together, but, instead of curing her, the antidote kills Beatrice. That story appears alongside "The Birth-Mark" and "Young Goodman Brown" in the collection Mosses from an Old Manse.

Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)

An American physician, poet, and polymath based in Boston. A member of the Fireside Poets, he was acclaimed by his peers as one of the best writers of the day.

William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878)

An American romantic poet, helped introduce European romanticism into American poetry. -"Graveyard Poet" looks at romantics themes of mortality, death, ordinary people, imagination, etc... -Wrote: Thanatopsis, Iliad, Odyssey -Central Park is his brainchild

Logical Fallacies

An error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid

Who is Diedrich Knickerbocker?

An old gentleman from New York who was especially interested in the histories, customs, and culture of the Dutch settlers in New York. Fictional character created by Washington Irving who supposedly wrote Rip Van Winkle and Sleepy Hollow

Thanatopsis Simile - "Tho go not, like the quarry-slave at night"

Anti-simile as it is the speaker's intention to have their audience not face death with any negative thoughts nor dread, and instead set up how death is something one may accept without any fear.

Deductive Argument Forms

Argument based on mathematics, argument from definition, categorical syllogism, hypothetical syllogism, and disjunctive syllogism

What is the setting at the beginning of "The Fall of the House of Usher"?

As the story begins the setting is described as gloomy, dark, and eerie. There is a desolateness about the land, and the house itself is insufferable gloomy sending an unsettling feeling into all who behold it. The house is in decaying ruins, as the narrator rides up during this dark and cloudy autumn da

When did Bryant write "Thanatopsis"?

At the age of 18 Bryant discovered his distinct American voice Inspired by his wanderings in the countryside The American editor who published the poem was struck by its brilliance that he asserted "No one, on this side of the Atlantic, is capable of writing such verses." "Thanatopsis" remains a milestone in American literary history. Poems was considered by many to be the first major book of American poetry

What is Rip Van Winkle like at the beginning of the story and why?

At the start Rip is lazy, easygoing, kind, and helpful due to his lack of responsibility and work ethic, allowing him to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, yet his helpfulness leaves him respected by his peers so besides his wife there is no one to pressure him into a normal job that he dreads (no work aspirations for himself). He has found happiness by being simple.

"First Snowfall" Interpretation

At the start of the poem, the focus is on the beauty of nature and the surrounding landscape being covered in snow. The speaker is presented as an intrigued observer, reminiscing in a moment of natural beauty with his daughter. But learning more about the author gives the last few stanzas a deeper meaning. The ending line, "my kiss was given to her sister, / Folded close under deepening snow" is the line that truly connects the poem to the author. Since only one of Lowell's 4 kids survived past infancy, his bond with his living daughter is illustrated and how he is grieving his lost child through her. The snowfall represents the sadness and quiet that seems to blanket everything following the death of his child. It also creates a spiritual mood and a sense of religious faith, producing a means to deal with grief. It also illustrates Lowell's beliefs in God and that nature can comfort those shaken by death. Lowell believes in a God that controls the universe and loves mankind. In line 23 and 24 Russell says, "And I told of the good All-father/Who cares for us here below." He believes that God ultimately is good and this helps the poet cope with his pain.

TPCASTT

Basics for Poetry Analysis Title Paraphrase Connotation Attitude Shift Title Theme

First Snowfall Personification "Every pine and fir and hemlock, Wore ermine too dear for an earl (Lowell 6)"

Beauty of Nature is personified Ermine are small animals often used by European Royals to make clothing The snow is personified as clothes and the trees are those that wear them. It illustrates the snow as too luxurious for anyone, even those of the highest wealth.

Why Ben Franklin wrote Aphorisms?

Ben Franklin is known for his sayings, or aphorisms, in which he uses witty observations to get a point across to the reader. Aphorisms allowed him to teach a moral lesson in a fun manner

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Background

Ben Franklin was a prolific writer who produced volumes of essays, travel journals, newspaper articles, satires, speeches, almanacs, letters, and ballads. His autobiography contains an excerpt of Franklin's plan to achieve moral perfection, of which he conceived on one of his trans-Atlantic voyages. PThe planrevealed his faith in reason, order, and human perfectibility.

Did Ben Jonson support women's independence in his poem?

Ben Jonson did not support women's independence

Age of Reason Authors

Benjamin Franklin (Autobiography and Poor Richard's Almanac) Patrick Henry ("Speech to the Virginia Convention") Thomas Paine ("The Crisis") Phyllis Wheatley (poetry) Abigail Adams

"he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman!' Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with him."

Biblical Allusion Truth asserts that women have played a significant role in the world and shouldn't be treated any less Without women, men wouldn't exist

"If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!" -Sojourner Truth

Biblical Allusion in "Ain't I a Woman?" -plays off the Christian values most Americans held, especially those hypocritical ones who still owned slaves -References the incident of Eve eating from the Forbidden Fruit causing humanity to be banished from the Garden of Eden -conveys how powerful and capable women are

Who was Oliver Wendell Holmes?

Born August 29, 1809 in Cambridge, Massachusetts He got his Doctor of medicine from Harvard in 1836. He then taught at Dartmouth then taught at Harvard. He published many famous works during the Civil War. He believed that you should follow individual experiences more than your logic and logical thinking. He had a strong connection with nature and often surrounded himself with nature.

How does the work of these writers compare and contrast with that of the early romantics?

Both Dark Romanticists and early Romanticism sought to explore the more emotional and individualistic side of humanity, rather than just reason and rational thought. They had a heavy emphasis on nature and relied on it to uncover the truth, especially when it came to the an individual's purpose. However, Romantics believed that all humanity was inherently good, exploring ideas of beauty and hope in their more optimistic and sentimental works. Dark Romantics were tied to the idea of Original Sin and the Good vs Evil conflict, in which all of humanity had the ability to commit right or wrong. Their stories explored the conflict and the effects of sinning, guilty, and insanity with their horror tones. They took advantage of personification of the supernatural and while they also turned to nature, it was to uncover the dark truths in life.

Lifelong Naturalist William Bryant

Bryant is praised for portraying the wild American landscape Walked up to 40 miles a day Developed a deep knowledge of America's forests, streams, and mountains, and valleys Even as an old man he wasn't content until he knew the name of every aspect of nature in sight

How does Mirana's self-dependence affect her relations with others?

By feeling confident in remaining dependent only on her own resources and efforts, she felt secure in the people she established relations with, as it allowed her to connect herself only with those who would fit who she was, so all her relationships would be honorable. Whether it be fairly limited affectionate attraction between her friends or the opportunity to discuss intellectual matters while remaining social.

A penny saved is a penny earned

By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little).

Theme

Central idea of a work of literature. "moral of the story" Underlying meaning of a fictional piece Author's thoughts on the topic or view of human nature

Where I lived, and What I lived For Allusion "I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike as to put to rout all that was not life..." (Thoreau 232).

Citizens of Sparta are compared to the life Thoreau wants to live, as they were known for their intentionally simple lives. - Sparta as an ancient Greek city-state made up of disciplined warriors, dedicated to fight for Sparta. - Life was simple as they were all equal and had no luxuries - Spartans were raised from birth into soldiers, lacking all the extra "comforts" but getting by with their own strength, fortitude, and discipline Thoreau seeks to convey the lifestyle he is pursuing to understand the meaning of life; life with only what was essential and "poverty-like" is the only way to find his own identity and true content in his eyes

Thanatopsis Metaphor - "All in one mighty sepulchre."

Compares the Earth (Nature) to a massive tomb and resting place as all of humanity is described as returning to Nature upon death.

Thanatopsis Metaphor - "As the long train Of ages glide away"

Compares the passage of time as being long and constantly changing, which further highlights the grandiose of death and its great, everlasting presence since humanity began and as they continue.

Walden: Conclusion Simile "The life in us is like the water in the river."

Comparing life to the ever changing movement and conditions of water in a river

What is Thoreau's purpose in comparing the war of the ants to the "Concord Fight" of the past?

Concord, site of one of the first battles of the American Revolution, was justly proud of its place in history. Thoreau's purpose in comparing the war between ants and Concord is to give the battle between ants a sense of significance and nobility, comparable to one of the greatest of American conflicts.

Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)

Dark Romanticist author, poet, critic, and fiction innovator who wrote many poems and short stories including "The Raven," "The Bells," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Gold Bug." He was the originator of the detective story and had a major influence on symbolism and surrealism. Best known for macabre stories.

what is the theme of Thanatopsis?

Death is natural and should not be feared Nature is beautiful and it is what you will join upon death

When did Washington Irving find success as a writer?

Despite early successes, The Sketch Book was what propelled his notoriety to a major success until 1819-20 where he became famous in the US and England, with his short stories being highlighted for how they demonstrated his writing ability and ensured that he could maintain a successful career as a writer for years to come.

Eat to live not live to eat

Don't eat much, eat only what you need

Dark Romantic Writers

Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson

The Barefoot Boy Simile "Lose the freedom of the sod,/ Like a colt's for work be shod" (Whittier Lines 93-94).

Elaborates on adulthood dread. the boy is being compared to that of a baby horse, in which they become fitted with horseshoes as they grow older so they can do hard labor, reinforcing how when the boy becomes an adult, he will lose the freedom he had through nature, left to a life of responsibilities and hard work.

Elizabeth Peabody

Elizabeth Peabody was a teacher, abolitionist, publisher, and member of the Transcendental Club. Discussions of Transcendentalism were held in her West Street bookstore in boston. She even was a founder of the American kindergarten.

What is significant about Elizabeth compared to the other parishoners?

Elizabeth is the only one to ask Mr. Hooper why he wore the black veil, later pleading him to reveal his face before leaving him no one else asked and just made up rumors and acted on their emotions

Who are the most important transcendental writers?

Emerson and Thoreau

What is Emerson's message about the "importance of American originality"?

Emerson believed that Americans needed to adopt their own styles and vision of the surrounding world rather than sticking to the ideas brought about by the past Europeans. It was important to continue embracing present and new ideas of the current generation, through America's views of the world.

What does Emerson believe about comformity?

Emerson believes conformity is restricting and limits one's capabilities of being themselves "to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater" cites an analogy that when once you conform, you will lose yourself and your unique attributes for the worse

Since "few adult persons" can see nature, who does Emerson believe can fully see it and appreciate it?

Emerson believes only children can fully see and appreciate nature, because they can better connect and remain in awe of its wonder and mystery A child's mind is more pure, innocent, and nonconformed

In the woods, what two things do we return to?

Emerson believes we return to reason and faith in the woods, as we turn to find God within nature all around us and in us. While still relying on logic. Relies on Emotional AND Logical

What was significant about Ralph Waldo Emerson?

Emerson drew his ideas from many artists, philosophers, and religious thinkers, from all parts of the world, but he made those ideas his own. For many who read and heard him, especially the young, his ideas were an intellectual awakening to a revolutionary sense of the world. He is criticized for being too optimistic about human nature and progress but hope-about ourselves and about the world- is a fundamental condition of being alive, and American writers and thinkers have returned to Emerson again and again for that reason. We must turn to his life and work, to understand how no other writer has been more influential in shaping American literature.

Central Idea of "Nature"

Emerson identifies nature and spirit as the components of the universe. He defines nature (the "NOT ME") as everything separate from the inner individual — nature, art, other men, our own bodies. In common usage, nature refers to the material world unchanged by man. Art is nature in combination with the will of man. -Taken from Cliffs Notes

"It is this which distinguishes the stick of timber of the wood-cutter, from the tree of the poet." - Emerson

Emerson makes this comparison to develop his point that a poet can see beyond the mere functional use of the natural world, and behold the deeper feeling and feel moved in a spiritual sense that inspires art Nature can deal a more significant impact to people then just its material use; people see things differently

"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide" - Emerson

Emerson means that it is wrong to try and copy others and strive to be like them, as everyone must accept who they are, for all their faults and blessings, to embrace themselves fully to succeed

What happened when Emerson met English romantic poets?

Emerson met English romantic poets, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth. He found them to be dry, old, and conservative bringing him to the conclusion that if great men were so ordinary, ordinary men could actually become great. He later wrote how people read the works of great men to follow in their ideas, but the truth is those people started off ordinary as well. So the truth is everyone is unique and significant in their own right

What was the relationship between Emerson and Thoreau?

Emerson met Thoreau in Harvard, and owned the plot of woods around Walden Pond where Thoreau spent two years in his own cabin, for the intent of focusing on writing. Emerson was a good friend and supporter, as well as a huge inspiration for Thoreau. Thoreau worked with the man and assisted him as an apprentice with editing and writing, and Emerson went on to help support Thoreau, providing him with Walden in which to build his cabin. However, Emerson's most profound impact were his ideas of transcendentalist, connecting with nature, finding oneself in nature, self-reliance, and nonconformity for which Thoreau took to heart for his whole life.

Emerson's View on the universe

Emerson saw the universe as having a grand design, but he argued that God is not just a designer who fixes people in a certain position. Rather, God is present in all that exists.

What two crucial things happened to Emerson on his tour to Europe?

Emerson visited a botanical and zoological garden, the "Jardin des Plantes" in Paris, forming his discovery about nature Emerson met English romantic poets, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, and formed his discovery on man (the individual)

What happened when Emerson visited a botanical and zoological garden in Paris?

Emerson visited a botanical and zoological garden, the "Jardin des Plantes" in Paris, where after taking in all the animals he witnessed he felt connected to them all in some way. His belief is that nature resides within everyone connecting us to it, from the ugliest and wildest to its most beautiful. This prompted his beliefs of naturalism, through humanity and nature's connectedness.

How does Emerson's pantheistic view connect with ideas of early Romanticism and Transcendentalism?

Emerson's pantheistic views connects with ideas of such movements as God existing within individuals promotes the ideas that they need to look into their inner self, as Transcendentalism believes, to become whole. With Romanticism's emphasis on searching within one's emotions and the nature of the world around us, as God is present in all, which is why we search for such beauty within ourselves and around us.

"Self-Reliance" (1841)

Emerson. In the essay he formulates his philosophy of self-reliance an essential part of which is to trust in one's present thoughts and impressions rather than those of other people or of one's past self. This culminates in the quote: "A foolish consistency is the hobgob. He stresses originality, believing in one's own genius and living from within. From this springs the quote: "Envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide." Incredibly radical essay

Resolution

End of the story where loose ends are tied up

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Essayist, poet. A leading transcendentalist, emphasizing freedom and self-reliance in essays which still make him a force today. He had an international reputation as a first-rate poet. He spoke and wrote many works on the behalf of the Abolitionists.

Ideas Associated with Black Veil

Everyone has some secret sin they're trying to conceal the facade everyone hiding their true selves desire to hide one's imperfections from the world thus committing a sin

"The Minister's Bkack Veil" Theme Example

Everyone has their own secret sin, and in Nathaniel Hawthorne's story, humanity remains unwilling to face their own secret sin, from their fear of the black veil symbol and Mr. Hooper's dedication to his vow

What details show that Rip has awoken from a 20-year nap?

Evidence of Significant Time Skip -Long beard -Town layout changing -different forest and mountain scenery -gun is broken and rotting -Wolf is gone -references to the British king are replaced with American iconography

Dark Romanticism Characteristics

Examined the darker side of human nature, Importance of Nature (reveals truth but the truth is dark) Focus on the grotesque Settings apart from society Setting is as much of a character as the actual human characters Use of the supernatural (to personify evil in forms like Satan and ghosts) Valued feeling over reason Heroes often go mad or fail rather than succeeding in a happy ending

"In the prison cells of pride, / Lose the freedom of the sod (Whittier Lines 92-93)"

Example in "The Barefoot Boy" presenting a darker view of adulthood using metaphors of prison, highlighting the loss of freedom, to shift into the drearier view

"Cheerily, then, my little man, / Live and laugh, as boyhood can! (Whittier Lines 83-84)"

Example of the joyful tone in "The Barefoot Boy" to express the boy's carefree and happy time in childhood

How did Roderick Usher die?

Fear of seeing Lady Madeline alive, after they buried her the sorrow of watching someone you love dwindle to nothing, is mentally draining and harmful (akin to Poe with his dying wife Virginia) gradually became insane, cutting himself off and suffering from witnessing Madeline dying, making his condition worse than a normal death Hypochondriac - always thinks he's sick

Phillis Wheatley

First African American female writer to be published in the United States. Her book Poems on Various Subjects was published in 1773 and pioneered African-American literature. One of the most well-known poets in America during her day; the first African American to get a volume of poetry published. Kidnapped as a child from Africa and brought to America where she learned to read (Bible, English, Latin, Greek) Lived a free life and married a free black man but suffered from poverty (free blacks may as well have been a life as hard as slavery) Advocated against slavery; published poems on moral and religious subjects (1753-1784)

Fish and Visitors stink in three days

Fish rots and you hate it just like company makes you uncomfortable and eager to get rid of them after three days

Thesis

Focus statement of an essay; premise statement upon which the point of view or discussion in the essay is based.

What is the theme of Rip Van Winkle?

Freedom and Tyranny - Rip is content with living freely and independent of standards and work, but his wife is a "tyrant" he is forced to obey Constancy and Change - Rip never changes his ways even 20 years later even when the world around him has progressed past traditional views into this "modern" post-Revolutionary America Problems with Marriage Supernatural and Natural Labor for Money vs Volunteering

Which Freedoms did Reason Thrive on?

Freedom of Speech Freedom from Arbitrary Rulers Freedom of Experiment Freedom to Question Existing Laws and Insititutions

What disagreement does Fuller have with Miranda?

Fuller believes that the use of the word manly isn't meant to belittle being a woman in any way nor saying that woman can only be better by being more like men, but it is simply a way of enhancing the words and message of Jonson's poem, and is a heroic quality for women. Miranda believes that the word could have been replaced with so many others and communicate that same idea, however after feeling the sentiment that men view feminine traits as less and that women are only better when they act more like men, it strikes her that Jonson is in opposition to the true equality of sexes and women's independence

How was Woman in the Nineteenth Century presented?

Fuller presents her views on women's equality as a debate between herself and the fictional "Miranda", a woman, who like Fuller had from childhood been encouraged by her father to exercise her mind and is self-reliant and well-educated.

How was Margaret Fuller raised?

Fuller was an extremely precocious child. Under the severe tutelage of her father she more than compensated for the inaccessibility of formal education to females of the time - Taught to read and write at 3 1/2 years old - her dad did not allow her to read feminine writings of the time period due to their solely etiquette and sentimental subjects She acquired wide learning at a very early age, the strain permanently impaired her health.

What aspects of early gothic literature are apparent in modern-day works?

Gothic literature has several of its aspects in modern-day works. For one, the exploration of the psychological effects of guilty, sin, and madness are prevalent in many stories and characters, like the graphic novel, The Killing Joke, as it explores the insanity of the infamous villain, Joker. The conflict between good and evil is long lasting in many pieces of media, taking a role as the central plot from series like Star Wars' conflict between the Jedi and Sith, Lord of the Rings' between the armies of Middle-Earth and Sauron, and more. The abandonment of the rational world is also utilized to the advantage of fictional tales that utilize absurd and outlandish concepts from the works of Dr. Seuss to Marvel Comics' tales of Doctor Strange. Furthermore, the characterization of a story's setting is utilized, personifying it and providing the setting it's own identity and tone, like the noir and crime-ridden city of Gotham.

What personal motives inspired Hawthorne's critical portrayal of Puritan culture?

Hawthorne's family legacy is directly tied to the mass hysteria and accusations of the Salem Witch trials, in which many innocent Puritans were hurt out of others' selfish gain, including his great-great-grandfather Judge Hathorne, who never apologized. They all acted sinful themselves and not all of them admitted to it, and he now believed Puritans had their own darkness and could never truly be perfect

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

He became a well-known printer in Philadelphia and an active leader in the city. He published Poor Richard's Almanac between 1732 and 1758 and his Autobiography in 1818. He was a member of the committee which wrote the Declaration of Independence but spent most of the period of the American Revolution in France. He negotiated the alliance with France and then the Treaty of Paris which ended the war. He also participated in the U.S. Constitutional Convention in 1787, and earned distinction as the oldest delegate in attendance. His many talents earned him a reputation as "the first civilized American." In addition to his political activities, he supported education and was considered a gifted scientist without peer in the colonies. He proved that lightning was a form of electricity, a discovery that earned him international fame. Man of integrity, intelligence and charm.

"Brute Neighbors" In this famous instance of Thoreau's close observation of nature, how does he make the war between armies of ants seem significant?

He describes the "battle" vividly and personifies the ants as displaying qualities such as patriotism and valor. This gives the natural conflict a sense of significance and weight.

Who is Rip Van Winkle?

He is a farmer who lives in a village in the American colonies, of Dutch descent, with a wife and children He descends from brave, strong warriors but is now but a tranquil and lazy man. He is kind to all his neighbors and is always willing to help them out. He is less willing to do his own work and is completely submissive to his wife. .Everyone in the village loves him even the dogs do not bark at him. But he is infamous for showing sluggishness towards households (why is wife hates him) He loves spending time with nature and simply thinking and is quite content with his life. Doesn't conform whatsoever and deems himself as successful

Who was Ralph Waldo Emerson?

He was a New England writer who led people in practicing transcendentalism, which was a literary and philosophical movement which emphasized a simple life of self reliance.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

He was a leading American essayist, poet, practical philosopher, and transcendentalist. Transcendentalism, one of the most significant literary movements of nineteenth-century America, was based in idealism, the goodness of humankind and the harmony of creation. He was inspired by leading transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. The cabin he built on Walden Pond, and lived in for two years, was on property Emerson owned. His most influential essay was Civil Disobedience (1849). He supported abolitionism, lecturing and writing against slavery.

Who was Henry Thoreau?

Heavily influential transcendentalist who critiques American market society in his novel Walden, where he declares that the economic drive of America leads to moral tyranny and inability to appreciate the true beauty of nature. He took Emerson's ideas of Transcendentalist and strove to actually live them to the extreme in a poverty-stricken life.

What high expectations did Miranda's father have for Miranda?

Her father had high expectations for Miranda to use her freedoms of judgment, courage, honor, and fidelity properly, and not to ignore them but always keep these virtues in mind. He expected her to make use of her virtues and intellect to explore the universe around her.

The Barefoot Boy Metaphor "All too soon these feet must hide/ In the prison cells of pride (Whittier Lines 91-92)."

Here Whittier compares shoes to prison cells, as throughout the poem, the boy has been described as barefoot, symbolizing his closeness with nature, but when the boy grows up, he will be wearing shoes. Entering adulthood, the boy will lose his connection with nature, and thus the childhood innocence he had, being locked away in a new time of responsibilities and work.

The Barefoot Boy Imagery "Barefoot boy, with a cheek of tan! / With thy turned-up pantaloons, / And thy merry whistled tunes:" (Whittier Lines 2-4)."

Here, it emphasizes the joy of playing outside in nature. The reader can assume that the boy's rolled up pants means he is probably wading in a creek and humming a song, and it's sort of painting a picture of this boy being happy and enjoying his time.

Meaning of Black Veil

Hiding secret sin himself from the rest of the world except from God, Hooper becomes a living symbol of this idea that everyone else is hiding some dark secret or action

How Characteristics of a Character are revealed?

His/her Physical Appearance What he/she says, thinks, feels, dreams and what he/she does or does not do What others say about him/her and how others react to him/her What the Narrators tell us about them?

American Romanticism Essential Question

How did the writings, customs, and belief systems of the US change after independence?

Poem Structure

How the words are arranged for a poem Are there stanzas, are lines the same length. Look at the punctuation. Think about the logic of the poem. You are looking to understand meaning.

Age of Reason Writers Beliefs

Human Beings Could Progress Social Evils Could be corrected Superstitions and ignorance ended General quality of existence improved

Relationship between human beings and nature according to Emerson?

Human beings and nature are interconnected as one, via subtle harmony, organically connected, propelled by a spiritual side. "Nature always wears the color of the spirit", Reflects feelings and moods of humans.

"Spring" Introduced in the second paragraph is the idea that spring is "a memorable crisis," in part because it is at once gradual and sudden. What changes in nature mark that mysterious point at which winter turns into spring?

Ice on the lake melts and cracks Birds fly back north More light, and it is lighter for longer in the evening Birds start singing Plants start growing again

Necessity never made a good bargain

If you need something and someone knows then you will not be able to bargain because you have to have it

The Barefoot Boy (1855) by John Greenleaf Whittier

Imagery "Where the whitest lilies blow, where the freshest berries grow" "With thy red lip, redder still kissed by strawberries on the hill" / Personification "Nature answers all he asks; hand in hand with her he walks, face to face with her he talks" / Metaphor "All too soon these feet must hide in the prison cells of pride" -"Happy if they sink not in the quick and treacherous sands of sin" / Meaning: The poem means that youth is very special and should be appreciated Childhood is free of worry, pain, and sorrow The poet is telling the reader to cherish childhood while one still has it. The poem brings up in the reader joyful and carefree memories of youth. The speaker tells the boy to enjoy childhood while he has it because when he grows up, he will have to deal with worry, pain, and sin Social Context: The antislavery movement had begun during Whittier's lifetime. He founded the antislavery Liberty party in 1840 and ran for Congress

Where does the term Transcendentalism come from?

Immanuel Kant, German philosopher who wrote of "transcendent forms" of knowledge that exist beyond reason and experience

Walden: Where I Lived and What I Lived For

In "Where I Lived and What I Lived For," Henry David Thoreau begins his life out in the woods in a cabin in 1845. Though incomplete, his cabin suffices for the winter and he relishes his time with nature. Thoreau deliberates that the purpose of his self-exile is to live as simply as possible, in the hopes of discovering the true purpose of living with bare necessities. However, humankind is distracted from life's purpose, instead making their lives too complicated and left conforming to societal standards and ideas.

What is Secret Sin?

In Puritan society, people won't admit that sin exists. Nobody is acknowledging their mistakes. The work is a social critique of the Puritan religion. An individual that mistakenly believes that faith will keep him safe momentarily indulges, and faith is not enough to protect him. The society is full of hypocrisy.

The Pond In Winter by Henry Thoreau

In Thoreau's "The Pond In Winter" he begins his day with many questions on his mind but the nature surrounding him quieted his thoughts. He goes out to the pond to get water. Thoreau comes to the realization that heaven lives both below him and above him as the nature of the world is peaceful and has many surprises. Thoreau then seeks to determine the depth of the pond as where the pond is the longest and the widest intersect. He relates this to human ethics as a person's character is based on what is around him. He then points out how much humans and nature are connected as humans collect worms from logs for fish bait. The worm gets eaten by the fish and the fish get eaten by the humans. They all work in a chain relying on one another.

Letter to the Reverend Samson Occom

In a letter to Rev. Samson Occum, written when Wheatley was about 21 -She tested anyone who would dare to use faith in God to find some way to justify mistreating others. -"In every human Breast," she wrote, "God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; it is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance." -Points out the contradiction between colonist's religious beliefs and desire for freedom from Britain and their stubbornness to keep slavery -doesn't seek to fight them per say but for slavers to understand the hypocrisy and cruelty behind their actions and how it contradicts their beliefs and words

What is the summary of "Ain't I a Woman"?

In her brief but powerful speech "Ain't I a Woman?" delivered at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention of 1851, Black abolitionist and feminist activist Sojourner Truth urgently describes the need for equal rights for women in the United States. Truth's speech was one of the first to highlight the need for intersectional rights for Black men and women. Throughout "Ain't I a Woman?" Truth uses raw, urgent language to describe the pain and suffering she endured as a formerly enslaved woman in order to point out the grave injustices being perpetrated against Black men and women all over the country. (Taken from Lit Charts)

What is the time period of Rip Van Winkle?

In the beginning, it was the period before the Revolutionary War, when the United States was a colony under the control of New England (Dutch culture in pre-Revolution New York state) . The next part takes place 20 years later after the end of the Revolutionary War when the United States is no longer a colony rather an independent nation. George Washington is the president of the United States now.

What sound catches the narrator's attention as he struggles to sleep in the House of Usher?

In the night preventing him from going to sleep, the narrator hears long intervals of low and indefinite sounds as a result of the ongoing storm outside, that leave him intrigued and awake instead.

"To A Waterfowl" Personification/Rhetorical Whither, 'midst falling dew, While glow the heavens with the last steps of day, Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way? (1-4 Paraphrased) William Cullen Bryant

In these four lines the author speaks to the waterfowl, which is apostrophized. An apostrophe is a segment that is written in a rhetorical way to someone or something. The second line personifies day it describes it as walking

Old Ironsides Metaphor "And give her to the god of storms" (Holmes 23)

In this metaphor, the storms that will break the ship down are being compared to the god of storms. This comparison is created in order to glorify how the ship is being sunk in the thrashing waves of a great storied storm, as opposed to the whimper of being sunk in ceremony.

Age of Reason/Enlightenment

Intellectual revolution in Europe (1700s) -created equal representative government -thinker had begun to question previously accepted truths about who should hold the power in government -people consent to government limitations in exchange for government's protection of their basic right and liberties -logic/science/all men are equal

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

Internationally recognized American poet of the 19th century One of the greatest influences of America's artistic and popular culture Studied at Bowdoin College and became a professor until going to Europe Became a professor at Harvard after and retired from teaching in 1854 to pursue his writing career Taught French, Spanish, and Italian First wife, Mary Potter, died from a miscarriage in 1835. Second wife, Frances Appleton, died in 1861 due to fire burns. After her death Longfellow struggled to write for a while. Died in 1882

When did Washington Irving die?

Irving was buried in Sleepy Hollow Ceremony after dying of a heart attack in November 28, 1859. In fact he had just completed his George Washington biographical series eight months earlier

Washington Irving (1783-1859)

Irving was the best-known writer of his time in the United States. He was also one of the first American writers to gain recognition in Europe. (ex of post war nationalism from revolution and war of 1812) His stories illustrated the growing American nationalism since the stories were set in America. One if his best known works was The Sketch Book, which included the stories of "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." - He was the first American to be recognized in England (and elsewhere) as a writer.

"This was sheer idleness to my fellow townsmen, no doubt; but if the birds and flowers had tried me by their standard, I should not have been found wanting."

Is personification as birds and flowers are given the human trait of being judgmental. By this Thoreau means to say that the townspeople see him as lazy and/or useless but nature wouldn't see him as such.

"Instead of singing like the birds, I silently smiled at my incessant good fortune."

Is personification as birds cannot sing, can also be a metaphor as his "good fortune" can be how he sees nature, his form of wealth.

What was "Civil Disobedience" about?

It was an essay by Thoreau of how people are morally obligated to go against a government that is hypocritical or unfair in its policies, and that they should do so peacefully. Those inspired by his essay include Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and the anti-Nazi resistance.

Why would you expect a Dark Romanticist writer to be reluctant about trusting personal intuition?

It would be expected for a Dark Romantic writer to be reluctant at trusting their personal intuition, as while it would not be influenced by society or the thoughts of others there is still a risk in trusting oneself. Normal Romantics believe everyone has the capacity for good which is why trusting one's inner self is a positive endeavor. However, Dark Romantics believe humanity can either commit good or evil, so if one were to act on their own instincts and intuition it could give in to their darker impulses and desires, which is why personal intuition is not completely reliable.

Biography of James Russell Lowell

James Russell Lowell was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1819, the son of a reverend, and went to Harvard at age 15 and graduated with a law degree Later shifted by publishing a collection of poetry, A Year's Life, inspired by Maria White whom he married Maria influenced him to be an abolitionist and so he published in anti-slavery newspapers, though his opinions weren't too consistent during this time In 1848 Lowell published the poems called "The Vision of Sir Launfal" and "A Fable for Critics" which were book-length and boosted his popularity in American literature three out of his four children passed away in infancy, and his wife died in 1853 appointed as a professor of modern languages at Harvard, traveled to Europe for a year, then returned to teach for 20 years Supported the Republican Convention of 1876, reward by President Rutherford Hayes, appointed as a British Ambassador and minister to Spain wrote until he died in 1891

Letter to John Adams Background

John Adams was in Philadelphia in March 1776 to draft new laws for their independent nation Abigail wrote to him to "remember the ladies" and be respectful of their rights and liberties in this new nation Don't put oppressive power into the hands of husbands John laughed and remarked "You are so saucy" Abigail responded with an understanding of the prevalent matters at hand to form a new nation, especially when British troops are sieging them, but to be wary that women deserve this fair treatment they are supposedly fighting for

Sensory Image

Language that evokes images and triggers memories in the reader of the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.

I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear" (Thoreau 232).

Life is better when lived simply and without the distractions of society. Thoreau went to Walden to escape his complicated and unfulfilling life.

Age of Reason Focuses

Logic intellectual quality ethics improving life on earth through exploration of science and politics

A Psalm of Life First Stanza

Longfellow starts off the poem by talking to the reader about how death should not be stated in your saddest hours because life is just an "empty dream" if you aren't contributing to your life, you are already dead Sees many people not as people but lost souls roaming

Common Themes

Love, tragedy, religion, politics, triumph, loss

Why did James Russel Lowell experience anguish in his life?

Lowell lost his first born daughter and two more during their infancy, leaving him with only one daughter left after his wife fell ill and passed away. The grief Lowell felt inspired his poems, particularly "First Snowfall"

What is Madeline Usher's condition?

Madeline is in a constant trance-like state roaming the darkness of her home without any acknowledgement of what is going on around her, apathetic to her surroundings due to her cataleptic state.

What were Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's works?

Major Poems: - "Paul Revere's Ride" - "The Song of Hiawatha" - "A Psalm of Life" Famous in American History Also Wrote: - "Poems on Slavery" - "Voices in the Night" - "Ballads and Other Poems" - "The Volume in the Harbor, Ultima Thule"

Impact of Black Veil

Makes the world seem dark Made Rev Hooper's words resonate stronger with his audience (especially the guilty) Caused everyone to be suspicious of him, feel scared, and spread rumors about him

Why was Margaret Fuller significant?

Margaret Fuller, intellectual, critic, and journalist. After her tragic death, her friend Ralph Waldo Emerson and two others began work on "Memoirs of Margaret Fuller Ossoli," a worshipful but fragmented biographical project. The first 1,000 copies sold out within a day, and for four years it remained the best-selling biography in America. Fuller's own works were republished frequently over the next several decades, and her renown was widespread. Susan B. Anthony wrote that Fuller "possessed more influence on the thought of American women than any woman previous to her time." Emerson believed that her "radiant genius and fiery heart" made her "the real center" of the Transcendentalist movement. Emerson drew New England's brightest thinkers into a literary circle. Known as the Transcendental Club this group of writers, educators and artists joined their voices to call for change in the stagnant 1800s. Margaret Fuller was one of five women who was a member of the club.

Reverend Samson Occom

Mohegan Indian who became a minister after converting to Christianity and in a letter to Phillis Wheatley he criticized his fellow ministers for owning slaves

How does Mr. Hooper represent Hawthorne's struggles with his own guilt?

Mr. Hooper became a symbol for how everyone holds their own sins in secret by suffering and being isolated as a result all their negative and imperfect attitudes are now directed at him as they react to his black veil Mr. Hooper has to sort of bear the metaphorical punishment of hiding sins and guilty, for his parishioners to try and represent their imperfection similar to how Hawthorne felt guilty for being a descendant of those who hurt so many in the Salem Witch Trials

Does Mr. Hooper fulfill his promise to God?

Mr. Hooper's promise to god to become a living symbol to the Puritans of secret sins, so he can resonate with them and compel them to admit their own faults is kept, as he never lifts the veil as the Puritans fail to "so far as my vow may suffer me, know, then, this veil is a type and a symbol, and I am bound to wear it ever, both in light and darkness, in solitude and the gaze of multitudes" (Hawthorne 477)

Third Person

Narrator is not a character, but sees the world through only one character's eyes and thoughts

third person limited

Narrator sees the world through only one characters eyes and thoughts

What was Nathaniel Hawthorne guilty?

Nathaniel Hawthorne's works are notable for their treatment of guilt and the complexities of moral choices. "Moral and religious concerns, in short, are almost always present in Hawthorne's work"(Foster, 56). Given Hawthorne's background, it is not a stretch of the imagination to say that his novels are critiques of Puritanism. Hawthorne lived in the deeply scarred New England area, separated from Puritanism by only one generation. His grandfather had been one of the judges in the Salem Witch Trials. Personal issues include the various ways Hawthorne's family and specific events in his life influenced his writing. -Cited From "123 Help Me"

romantic hero example

Natty Bumppo (Hawkeye) - fictional character; mythic frontiersman and guide; protagonist of James Fenimore Cooper's 5 novels of frontier life known as The Leatherstocking Tales Other Examples: 1. Westly - Princess Bride 2. Jack Dawson - Titanic 3. Indiana Jones 4. Clark Kent/Superman

What is Thanatopsis about?

Nature is a beautiful companion throughout one's life, always there through thick and thin, but life is finite, and like the rest of humanity, one will join nature, giving themselves back after all nature has done for them. But they will become part of something beautiful, a grand rest alongside the worthy of the past and to be joined by a vast number of worthy souls. So death should not be feared, it is an honorable fate, but live your life fully and take in the awe of nature, so you may appreciate and be reassured when you take rest within it.

What is the first stanza of Thanatopsis?

Nature is a reliable confidant through times of happiness and sorrow, there to heal one's soul when troubled. However, one will eventually die and return to nature. The stanza is split into two, beginning with an illustration of nature's beauty and establishing it as a character with a deep relationship with humanity. Yet the transition serves to shift the tone of appraisal to one of solemnity, as it cements nature's path to death. Effectively setting the poem as a message of guidance when faced with a definite eventuality.

Thanatopsis Personification - "She has a voice of gladness, and a smile...and she glides Into his darker musings, with a mild And healing sympathy, that steals away Their sharpness, ere he is aware."-Lines 4-8

Nature is given a kind and compassionate characterization in stanza 1, like it's a good friend that is always there for humanity

The Barefoot Boy Personification "Shall the cool wind kiss the heat:" (Whittier 90

Nature is treated as a person and companion to the boy Wind cannot kiss, but the speaker is saying s that though times get tough when growing up, nature will always be there. It's like on a hot summer day, the cool wind is relaxing and refreshing.

Age of Reason writers characteristics

No longer interested in supernatural and the hereafter (unlike Puritans) took value of their independence and the idea of America (new world )having a special destiny as a model to the rest of the world

Examples of Transcendental Thought

Nonconformity Self-Reliance Free Thought Confidence Importance of Nature

Poor Richard's Almanac Significance

On December 19, 1732, Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia first published Poor Richard's Almanac. The book, filled with proverbs preaching industry and prudence, was published continuously for 25 years and became one of the most popular publications in colonial America, selling an average of 10,000 copies a year.

Flat Character

One dimensional character with only one or two character traits

"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinions; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence solitude..." - Emerson

One proves themselves and can live a content life if they stay true to their own principles without fear or pressure into conforming with everyone else. Truest form comes when you are alone.

Walden: Conclusion

One should live their life free of conformity and the opinions of society. They can live to the fullest by living simply, advancing towards their personal dreams and goals and not material things. If one lives this way, they will reach success, and the rules and problems the world seemed to have before will not seem so complicated anymore. Everyone moves through life at a different speed and journey, so one must not compare themself to any other. Instead, they should love themself, and their place in life and not look for flaws. It is better to be poor than to obtain money dishonestly. One's mind and thoughts are more valuable than anything money can buy. They should be nurtured to break free of society and reach true potential and happiness.

Which American ideas did Transcendentalists stress?

Optimism, Freedom, and Self-Reliance

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Originally a transcendentalist; later rejected them and became a leading anti-transcendentalist. He was a descendant of Puritan settlers. The Scarlet Letter shows the hypocrisy and insensitivity of New England puritans by showing their cruelty to a woman who has committed adultery and is forced to wear a scarlet "A".

What was Bryant's profession?

Originally he was a lawyer at his father's request but he quit and became a journalist. Eventually he became the editor-in-chief of the New York Evening Post. He continued to write poetry and explore the American wilderness.

How is the self-dependence that is honored in Miranda viewed in other women?

Other women view her self dependence as a fault, and that the knowledge of what should be done and how to act needs to be taught to them, not found in themselves. They believe their mind and thoughts are not to be relied on, and they need to be properly guided by someone else.

Quote Sounds "I had this advantage, at least, in my mode of life, over those who were obliged to look abroad for amusement, to society and the theater, that my life itself was become my amusement, and never ceased to be novel" - Henry David Thoreau

Our Group chose this quote because it best represents Thoreau's message in "Sounds". Thoreau proves that he is able to live without the complexities of life, unlike the townspeople from Concord. It makes you think how Thoreau really wanted to "suck out all the marrow of life".

How did people react to seeing Rev. Hooper in the black veil?

Parishioners - spread rumors about him, began to distrust him, scared of him, avoided him, his words had more impact on them felt fear, paranoia, distrust, worry, and talkative (gossip) Children - ran away in terror from him

Speech in the Virginia Convention

Patrick Henry in spring 1775 during a speech in the Virginia House of Burgesses "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" to not conform and to fight against Britain call to arms and military preparedness after politely listening to his colleagues' objections to war and ideas of peaceful solutions

First Snowball Metaphor "Was ridged inch deep with pearl (Lowell 8)"

Pearl is used as a metaphor to express the beauty of the snow that has fallen all around them.

"The natural day is very calm, and will hardly reprove his indolence"

Personification Thoreau means to say that nature is very gentle, and won't scold one's "laziness" or what is perceived as indolence by the eyes of society.

First Snowfall Personification "The snow had begun in the gloaming, And busily all the night, Had been heaping field and highway, With a silence deep and white" - James Russel Lowell

Personification is used to highlight the snow's significance. The snow's effect on the world directly relates to the impact of the death of the author's daughter on his life. The snowfall brings a quietness upon the world as death can bring silence upon someone's life, emotions, or family.

Tone in Letter to the Rev Samson Occom

Phillis Wheatley passionate tone regarding the issue of slavery as she strongly advocates for freedom in a concrete manner assertive in how hypocritical many are to the issue at hand in terms of religion and politics

Five Elements of Fition

Plot, Setting, Character, Point of View, Theme

Forms of Dark Romantic Writing

Poetry Short Stories Gothic Fiction (combination of horror and romance)

Blank Verse

Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter

The PEE Chain

Point -Link Phrase 1 Example/Evidence -Link Phrase 2 Explain

People in a Work of Fiction

Protagonist or Antagonist Short stories use few characters. One character is typically central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character - he/she is the protagonist. The one opposing the main character is called the antagonist. Opposition or "enemy".

Thanatopsis Imagery - "Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams."

Provides visual imagery that not only compares death to comfort, but conveys how one must be at ease and reassured when they face death, for there is nothing fear, but a peaceful, eternal rest.

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)

Quaker poet poet laureate of the antislavery crusade important in influencing social action cried out against inhumanity, injustice, and intolerance was undeterred by insults and stoning; aroused America over slavery; poet of human freedom. Fireside poet.

How did American colonists adapt to Enlightenment ideals?

Reason and Writing Writers believed reason could help human beings manage themselves and their societies independent of authorities and past traditions

Religion in Romanticism

Religion has transitioned from fear of God to union with God and his teachings

Repetition

Repeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis ex. Let it come! I repeat it sir, let it come!

Why is the phrase "Ain't I a Woman" repeated?

Repetition is utilized to assert that she indeed is a woman, to contrast her identity (and the societal standards that come with it) with how she is actually treated through the hardships she faces as a black and overcame as a slave Highlights how backwards it is for women like her to be treated and the hypocrisy in the period Verbal irony is being used to highlight how she is black and a women and making the audience feel bad for not giving her due respect

When will Rev Hooper lift his veil?

Rev Hooper will only lift his veil when people lift their metaphorical ones and stop hiding their sins He never lifted his veil, even to his death, as humanity failed to learn his message and kept their sins and faults hidden "withered on that grave...and good Mr. Hooper's face is dust; but awful is still the thought, that it moldered beneath the Black Veil!" (Hawthorne 482)

Letter to Rev Samson Occom Background

Rev Occom had been criticizing his fellow ministers for own slaves and Phillis Wheatley responded to her friend with satisfaction for his respect to the blacks and his understanding of the hypocrisy of Christians owning slaves

"To A Waterfowl" Structure

Rhyme scheme: ABAB for the entire poem Iambic pentameter and iambic tetrameter are both used for most lines in the poem, but it is inconsistent and not used for every line. The "P" in Power is capitalized in line 13 to make the reader pause and realize that the speaker is referring to God or another important concept in the speaker's view. There are 8 stanzas, and question marks are used at the end of stanzas near the beginning of the poem. These are used because the first half of the poem is the speaker questioning the bird, and the second half is the speaker realizing the answers.

Rip Van Winkle - Love for Beauty of Natural Landscapes

Rip Van Winkle loves taking in the scenery and nature Opening paragraph goes into great detail of the Catskill mountains and scenery Story as a whole goes into detail about nature

how is rip van winkle a romantic hero?

Rip Van Winkle portrays the element of the classic American romantic hero through his youthful qualities, innocence and pure purpose, sense of honor, knowledge of people and life, his interaction with nature, and quest for a higher truth. He loves spending time out in nature, he doesn't conform to societal standards of needing to work, his favorite pastime is to stop and think, he loves telling stories and entertaining his fellow townspeople

What is "Rip Van Winkle" an allegory for?

Rip and Dame Van Winkle's domestic struggle is an allegory for America's battle with Great Britain Humorous domestic tale is actually symbolic of the larger events that led to the American Revolution

Memorable Characters created by Washington Irving?

Rip van Winkle and Ichabod Crane

What is ironic about the name of Rip Van Winkle's devoted dog "Wolf"?

Rip's dog is ironically named Wolf as while wolves are ferocious and powerful, he is a domesticated and calm animal in the Van Winkle home (mostly due to Rip's wife). Rip's dog represent how they both have their true nature and content ruined by the oppressiveness of Dame Van Winkle's intensity.

How is Rip Van Winkle resolved?

Rip's good friend Peter Vanderdonk comes in and confirms Rip's story that he is indeed the resident of the village who went missing 20 years ago he says the mountains had always been haunted explaining what may have happened Rip then resumes his old ways, lives with his daughter, found his old friends, made some new ones, is free from his wife, and can simply live content and lazy

What is the problem with Rip Van Winkle's wife?

Rip's ill-tempered wife abuses him emotionally (and maybe physically), as she is completely annoyed with his laziness and lack of drive to work for his family. Rip barely works on their farm so they have made no profit and he's constantly scolded for it. She has all the power and makes him feel meek at home, scares his dog, etc.

Why doesn't Roderick Usher allow for Madeline to be inspected?

Roderick Usher didn't let Madeline be inspected, so she isn't analyzed by the doctor (and possibly taken away to investigate her malady) Wealthy people liked keeping their relatives together when dead (usually burying them on their grounds) Possibility: If Madeline is dead/not suffering, Roderick maybe will cease his suffering Narrator thought the physician was sketchy so he went along with it

Roderick's condition is a "family evil," what are his symptoms?

Roderick Usher is in a complete state of malady, as all his senses are greatly diminished. He has become so weak in that his eyes are incredibly sensitive, he can not stand most tastes, the smell of flowers afflicted him, he is uncomfortable in most clothing, and his voice was wavering. He now looks like a shell of his former self and appears dead as this now frail and weak individual.

Who else lives in the house of Usher besides Roderick Usher?

Roderick Usher's only family left is his sister Madeline Usher, as well as at least a butler, servants, and the family physician.

What did Roderick admit they had done without the visitor knowing?

Roderick admits they had buried his sister prematurely while she was still alive, and she has been locked away in her coffin in the dungeon for so long even though she is alive and not dead.

What is the significance between the Usher twins?

Roderick and Madeline may have held some special connection to feel each other's feelings, and perhaps their mental and physical illnesses Prompted each others' maladies perhaps

What things did Roderick and the visitor do to help relieve Roderick's melancholy attitude?

Roderick and the visitor engaged in activities of the arts to help relieve his melancholy attitude by reading, painting, and listening to Roderick play the guitar.

What does Roderick Usher die of?

Roderick died of shock (his greatest fear is fear itself), having been scared the fear would kill him and as such dies because of it - thought the house was supernatural driving him mad - his sister being ill and on the verge of dying brought him grief

What is Roderick Usher's appearance?

Roderick has decayed and aged terribly; narrator is in awe and pity of him; describe shim generously but also lacking and flawed - possibly suicidal at how tortuous his life is and scared of superstitious ideas - home has trapped him and afflicted him so poorly

Significance of "light" in Roderick's Eyes?

Roderick in the beginning had light in his eyes, showing he had hope and life still, however as he's waiting for Madeline knowing she's still alive, the light is gone as he's gone fully mad as he grapples with this secret

Why is Roderick facing the door when the visitor reads the story?

Roderick is facing the door whilst the rider reads the story because for all these days since they buried Madeline, his now acute senses brought him to the realization that she is alive, and so he believes she is now coming for him in vengeance and anger after he prematurely put her to rest in a coffin as if she were dead as he can hear the noises coming from behind the door.

Fireside Poets

Romantic era, New England poets who wrote about the past, family, nature, patriotism, imagination, individuality, and any current social happenings (slavery, etc.) that were read by families at the fire place each night These poets included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Oliver Wendell Holmes James Russel Lowell John Greenleaf Whittier William Cullen Bryant

Thanatopsis (William Cullen Bryant)

Romanticism Death and it's beauty Nature brings peace Love of nature which confronts us for death Show beauty, and strangeness of nature

Minister Hooper's Meaning of Secret Sin

Secret Sin - people walk around pretending to be something they're not Minister Hooper's Interpretation - Puritans falter to the be the perfect holy people they are meant to be due to hiding some sin, or even the fact that they are hiding something

Thanatopsis Simile - "The hills Rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun"

Seeks to cement the final resting place within Nature as wondrous and impressive, comparing it to that of the celestial sun.

What can be learned from "Self-Reliance"?

Self-Reliance teaches the value of not being afraid of expressing yourself and acting on your own principles, to live more contently that way

Cultural Assumptions and Values Examples

Shared Values Culture, Society, and History Fairness and Equity

How did Dame Van Winkle die?

She popped a blood vessel in her brain from yelling so much (died specifically yelling at a merchant) It is consistent with how toxic and over-bearing she is, showing how this harsh and strict behavior will ultimately consume and destroy oneself

What is Rip Van Winkle about?

Short story by the American author Washington Irving. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, drinks their liquor and falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains. He awakes 20 years later to a very changed world, having missed the American Revolution. Known to be famously lazy

Why Would Thoreau Use Similes?

Similes are used to compare two different things. By using similes Thoreau is able to compare himself with both nature and the simplicity provided with the life of a Puri Indian. By doing this he is able to drive home the point that he experienced a deep connection with nature and that simplicity is best when living your life.

"First Snowfall" Symbols

Snow can cover ugly things, represents God's peace and patience, covers over a bad past. The headstone is the man's sorrow and the snow covers it which brings the man peace.

First Snowfall Summary

Snow has been falling all day into the night and has blanketed the surroundings. A father stands with his daughter, looking over the snow and observing nature. The snow reminds the man of his other child who had passed as an infant. As the speaker watched the first snowfall of the year, he envisions the snow that is falling upon his dead daughter's grave. His daughter then asks him who makes it snow, and he answers saying that God does, and he cares for all. The father reflects on the day of the death of his daughter, and the gloom and the darkness of the sky. He tells his daughter that the snow makes everything silent, and God is the only one who can make it fall. He then kisses her and imagines that he is kissing his departed daughter as the snow gives her the comfort he no longer can.

A rolling stone gathers no moss

Someone who doesn't settle in one place is unlikely to become wealthy

First Snowfall Speaker and Tone

Speaker is the father of two daughters mentioned in the poem, one who has passed and one whom he is with, just like Lowell himself. He speaks in a sorrowful tone, as the snow reminds him of his passed daughter but also reminds him of the beauty of nature and of God. The snow carries a majestic silence about it. Within the speaker's presentation of a snow-covered landscape, he provides images of silence and beauty as if the snow was comforting the land by covering it in white, soft snow, as it does for him and his grief. His diction contributes to the calm and somewhat sorrowful tone of the poem. Phrases like "I stood and watched by the window/The noiseless work of the sky," help support this. The speaker intentionally chooses to describe his experience of snow this way, as something that he is immersing himself into. He stops everything while admiring the snow from a distance. He is very clearly captivated by the landscape and yet he has no urge to interact with it. The great loss of his past had taught him to remain detached from things of beauty, to look but do not touch. The detailed display of the landscape and the speech he uses in developing his perspective creates a solemn and somber state of mind that the speaker uses to convey his own emotions. A perfect example of this is, "I remembered the gradual patience that fell from that cloud-like snow, flake by flake, healing and hiding. The scar of our deep-plunged woe."

First Stanza of "The Barefoot Boy"

Stanza 1 has a lighthearted tone that introduces the young boy as the main character The boy in nature enjoys himself during the summer months, described as a prince in nature, wealthy as if he is a rich republican man, with nature all around him. The speaker wishes happiness upon the boy, as he reminisces of his own childhood.

Fourth Stanza of "The Barefoot Boy"

Stanza 4 continues with the speaker reminiscing about his memories as a young boy. During his childhood, viewing the simple things as delicacies made him feel as if he were royalty, allowing him to understand that nature would always be there for him.

What is the third stanza of Thanatopsis?

Starting with a blunt "So live", the speaker transitions from their grand depiction of death and related ideas, as it impacts a key piece of advice to living one's life to fullest. So when death comes, it will be embraced knowing one will become part of something beautiful. The tone is optimistic and insightful, capping the overall message with the shortest stanza to concisely wrap up the poem.

Strict Iambic Pentameter

Stressed / Unstressed Syllables - 5 pairs

Make hay while the sun shines

Take advantage of a good situation or limited opportunity

How is the American Short Story created during the Dark Romanticist movement?

The American Short Story is a simplified form of literature that can be read all at once with a basic enough plot and minimal characters. By taking advantage of this format, Dark Romanticist writers were able to abandon the concept of the rational world to explore their illogical concepts of the darker and negative attributes of humankind. This allowed authors to provide quick stories that a wider audience could more readily consume to better convey their ideas to the masses.

How is "The Barefoot Boy" structured?

The Barefoot Boy is split into five stanzas

The First Snowfall

The First Snowfall is a poem written by James Russel Lowell about a man who is reminded of his daughter's death by the falling snow. He remembers her in his past, and mourns tremendously. He tries to move on and continue to live life happily. In order to do so, the snow, his other daughter, God, and time help him to get through his loss. -Taken From Prezi Throughout this piece, he contemplates nature and its peaceful beauty that embalms his sorrowful heart. -Taken From Poemtopia

What strange thing do you, the reader, find out about the Usher house? What is strange about the Usher house?

The Usher house is eerily desolate with pockets of darkness littered all throughout, making it feel unwelcoming and frightening to live at. The home was incredibly gllofmy and reflected its decaying form through Roderick, and all the furniture, windows, and items added no comfort nor personality, laying scatted and distant from the dark atmosphere of the house.

Fifth Stanza of "The Barefoot Boy"

The author becomes more grounded to reality. He advises the boy to be happy and enjoy his childhood to its fullest extent as eventually, the boy will lose his carefree time in the outdoors, and instead, grow up and find himself with responsibilities. The speaker wishes that the boy could understand the true joy of his time being an innocent child as he knows boyhood passes by before one can realize it.

To A Waterfowl Analysis

The bird is being hunted, and faces its first challenge along its journey. However, it escapes safely seemingly by itself, but actually with the guidance of a "Power" which could represent many things. The power could be a higher being from religion such as God, or oneself. The power teaches and cares for each who listens, including the bird. It shows that when beings are alone, they are not truly alone, as they can always listen to their instincts. Many may believe that those instincts are driven by God who is in them. If the bird continues to listen to itself, it will soon be rewarded with peace and freedom in a more rewarding world after its tiring journey. This destination that it ends up at may be interpreted as death, with happiness following after. It teaches a lesson to all about guidance from inside oneself. This power will lead each and not leave one helpless and truly alone and instead on the right path to success.

To A Waterfowl Summary

The bird is flying through the sunset alone. The speaker is wondering why it is alone and where it is going. The bird's eye is what gives it away in its flight, and someone who would hunt the bird would see it framed against the sunset and aim to shoot the eye. The speaker questions where the bird is going, listing different places in nature. An unknown powerful character is guiding the waterfowl through life and hardships. Although it's alone, it has a clear path because of the guidance from the unknown character. The bird has been through a lot of hardship and is tired, but can't give into exhaustion and temptation and stop. The journey and hardships will soon be over, and the bird can rest in peace. The bird is gone and went to heaven, but even though the bird is gone, the speaker will remember the lesson to live the perfect lifestyle the bird did and will not forget it.

Overall Message of "To A Waterfowl"

The bird's lifestyle symbolizes a free way of life, emphasizing setting out on your own path and not listening to anyone who tells you otherwise. The speaker, watching the bird, wonders how the bird knows where to go. However, by the end of the poem, the speaker has realized that the bird instinctively knows where to go. The voice inside the bird that is telling it where to go could be compared to God or some other divine being, and is the version of God associated with Romanticism. The speaker learns at the end that the bird knows where to go because it is just following its own true path.

Why is the boy barefoot in Whittier's poem?

The boy is barefoot because the shoes are used to symbolize being further away from nature. Being barefoot emphasizes his closeness to nature as well being farther away from home itself.

Sounds question 3: The single word for time in the language of the Puri Indians is contrasted to the hours that are "fretted by the ticking of the clock" why should this discussion of time lead immediately to Thoreau's fellow townsmen in Concord and their criticism of his "idleness"?

The concord townspeople believe that the Puri Indian's use of a singular word to describe all of time to being indolent on their and Thoreau's part. But Thoreau would like to refute otherwise. The concord townspeople have to "look abroad" to look further into their lives for happiness, and conforming to society, while Thoreau has to just live as he sees his life as his amusement. The townspeople are slaves to time and work, and would not understand Thoreau's perspective.

Setting

The context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs.

Washington Irving's Breakout Work

The first book he wrote, Salmagundi (1807-08) was created with his brother William and friend James Kirke Paulding, in which the short stories contained were meant to poke fun at all aspects of life in New York City, from political, social, and cultural. Their publication was popular and marked an early success in his career, though it would not be enough to convince him or assure him that a full time career as a writer could be feasible.

Old Ironsides Imagery "Her deck, once red with heroes' blood" (Holmes 9) "Nail to the mast her holy flag,/Set every thread-bare sail," (Holmes 21)

The imagery of the poem has the various battle experiences of the ship described in graphic and glorious detail. This vivid imagery stirs up feelings of the battle-worn nature of the ship by bringing attention to the scars left upon the ship from her heroic battles.

"Old Ironsides" Speaker

The ironic speaker of the story begins by urging that the USS Constitution, which played an important role in American history, be destroyed as planned. However, after recounting the heroic tales of the ship's glory days, they then declare that it is better for the ship to sink in a great storm than meet such a humiliating end as being put down like a dog.

"But none of them owns the landscape. There is a property in the horizon which no man has but he whose eyes can integrate all the parts...the poet." - Emerson

The landscape is the view of nature of all the land, as though the farmers have laid claim to their property, they do not own nature's beauty ever present out there. Nobody owns nature, though some can take its beauty and feel moved by it to create art.

What is the second stanza of Thanatopsis?

The longest stanza of the poem, highlighting the grandness of death, and it being a constant presence even as human life is finite. It provides a contemplation of what death is, fulfilling the title's implication. With a tone of grandeur and hope, stating that there is no better place to die than in nature, with nothing to fear as you join legions of great people. Such key aspects of death are emphasized with caesuras and end-stops.

"The Barefoot Boy" Title

The main character being a young boy emphasizes his childhood and innocence. Also, the word "barefoot" has both a literal and figurative meaning. The boy is barefoot in the poem (wading in the creek, running along outside); figuratively, the child barefoot shows that he is connected with the wonder of nature (its animals, food, etc). Connects to Romanticist ideals of nature and Whittier's nostalgic accounts made at this time period

"The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The main character in The Minister's Black Veil is the minister himself, Mr. Hooper. The story begins when Mr. Hooper stands before his congregation in a small Puritan town. The people are shocked to see, however, that Mr. Hooper is wearing a veil over the top half of his face. All they can see is his mouth and chin. Mr. Hooper gives a sermon about secret sin and then attends the funeral of a woman. Before the coffin is removed, Mr. Hooper leans over the body, seemingly in communication. People begin to gossip about the veil and what sort of secret sin Mr. Hooper is hiding. Thereafter, Mr. Hooper performs a wedding ceremony, and his black veil casts darkness over the union. Mr. Hooper's fiancee, Elizabeth, implores him to remove the veil. He refuses, and she ends the engagement. Mr. Hooper continues a life of successful preaching and eventually falls ill. Elizabeth visits him on his death bed, where he says that everyone is wearing black veils. He dies and is buried with his veil still intact. Cited From Study.com

What does Miranda believe has kept women from developing self-respect?

The main detrimental factor to women is the way they are raised, in which they advise their daughters to not have freedom in who they are or think, filling them with self doubt instead, scaring them away from finding independence and thus self respect, making it far more difficult for them to reach that point.

What is the main idea of "Self-Reliance"?

The main idea of "Self-Reliance" is that everyone has the capability to make their own unique impact, as long they remain confident in themselves and do not back down to adversity or conflicting ideas. Trust yourself, your instincts, your mind, your heart, and your own ideas, even though society often tells us that we're wrong.

The example in the third paragraph of Walden: Conclusion of the man "who hears a different drummer" is one of the most quoted messages from Walden. How does this passage support the earlier criticism of conformity?

The man who hears a different drummer, and therefore is not in sync with his peers is an example of each person who's morals and lifestyles do not fall in line with those of society. Thoreau explains his viewpoints on conformity in society where he states that those who follow their own path, and often stray from traditions are able to go further with their goals and beliefs. "The man" will become more successful if he gives in to listen to his own drummer (ideas) rather than blindly following drummers that he does not hear (lifestyles he doesn't believe in).

Who is the narrator going to visit in "The Fall of the House of Usher"?

The narrator is going to visit his old childhood friend, Roderick Usher, who he has not seen in a long time, straining the closeness of their friendship, as his friend has befallen ill and the narrator is responding to his friend's call for help.

While assisting Roderick with Madeline's coffin, what does the narrator notice?

The narrator notices how similar Roderick is to Madeline, in which they are twins, and that there is still a slight blush of color to her and a smile is worn upon her lips. Dead people have no color nor smile when dead

pantheistic view

The pantheistic belief that God is one with the universe: As nature continues to evolve, so does God. Everything is God and God is everything., present in all that exists within nature.

Old Ironsides Personification "And many an eye has danced to see" (Holmes 3

The personification expands upon this Romanticization by highlighting the attractiveness of the ship and how everyone would go out of their way to see its glory.

Old Ironsides (Holmes)

The poem Old Ironsides, published in the Boston Daily Advertiser in 1830, protested the decommissioning of the USS Constitution. The ship was a heavy frigate christened by George Washington himself. The poem created a public uproar which saved the destruction of the ship.

What is the attitude in The Barefoot Boy?

The poem conveys an appreciative and joyful attitude towards the expanse of nature and all it can provide, as well as how blissful and carefree childhood life could be. It also depicts a respectful view of how great these aspects are, and there is wistfulness as the speaker reflects his own nostalgia for living such a life; there is also a hint of regret at not getting the chance to appreciate boyhood and even a dismal view on what adulthood is like. Finally, the speaker tells the boy to enjoy his happiness and innocence because this time of pureness is fleeting and quick.

A Psalm of Life Summary

The poet introduces his concept of living your life with a counterargument. Talks about how all the people of the world think life is meaningless, and live it with no motive. Moves on to how this should change by saying that life is real, and you may only get one, so live! Finishes that stanza by saying the grave is not your goal, but living a full life is. He continues by saying that death is a universal fate, but what happens in your daily life is not up to destiny. It's up to you. Most of his stanzas contain lines of similar meaning, like when he essentially says live to live not to die, he's contributing the same message as when he says to live with a purpose, unlike the metaphor he uses, cattle, who always follow their leader, and do not think for themselves. Goes on to say that life is not destined, and you must work for your achievements. He believes you should leave something behind for your memory, or for the benefit of others. He ends the poem by giving a personal message. No matter who you are or where you come from, this is your call to get up and begin your life and work for greatness.

"Spring" Personification "The bare face of the pond full of glee and youth, as if it spoke the joy of the fishes within it, and the sands on its shore"

The pond reflects the forest and sun without a single ripple and provides a home for the fish. Thoreau uses this to show how spring glows on nature after winter like a cheery smile.

Civil Disobedience (Thoreau)

The refusal to obey a law out of a belief that the law is morally wrong. Author Henry David Thoreau wrote an important essay justifying such action

What picture catches the narrator's eye in the House of Usher?

The small picture of the long, white, and smooth tunnel deeply underneath the surface of the earth, in which it is completely sealed yet engulfed by a flood of rays that give it a gloomy appearance. Painting was like a casket, represents Madeline's physical state and Roderick's mental state, but light exists to represents how he's not full-blown insane (at least in the beginning)

"To A Waterfowl" Speaker

The speaker is a person who is observing the bird's journey. The bird's journey is symbolic of a free lifestyle, and the person watches this and wonders why the bird is living this way. Over the course of the poem, the speaker realizes that the bird lives this way because of an instinct it somehow has. At the beginning, the speaker doesn't understand the ideas of Romanticism or about the instinctive higher power that guides the bird. The bird then disappears, but the speaker has finally realized the bird's message, which is to live true to yourself and listen to the voice inside to guide you. The bird knew this and used it to stay out of harm. After the poem, the speaker begins living the same way the bird did, knowing that the power that guided the bird's path will guide the speaker's path as well. Like the bird, the speaker realizes at the end that everyone has to go on their own path alone, but that they won't really be alone if a divine being is watching over them and guiding their path, keeping them out of danger as long as they listen to it. At the beginning, the speaker did not really understand why people lived the way they did, but after watching the bird's journey, the speaker understands and decides to live this way as well, even though the bird has vanished into the sky.

Who is the speaker of "The Barefoot Boy"?

The speaker of the poem is presented in a first-person perspective, which is clear through the usage of "I" and "my" when the stanza shifts into their own accounts of nature and their childhood time. While not outright stated, considering this was written during a time in which Whittier's interest in poetry was based on his own life and nostalgic accounts, it can be assumed that the speaker is a projection of Whittier, having grown up in a rural environment as a child. While he may be speaking to the boy, he is likely to be an outside figure, distant from the boy's life. There is no instance in which the boy responds to his advice or blissful words.

Why do the stars "awaken a certain reverence" in Emerson's "Nature"?

The stars are held in deep respect as though they are always there above us, they remain far and out of our reach, but we are still connected.

How does "The Fall of the House of Usher" end?

The story ends with the narrator feeling from the scene in terror as the Madeline engages against one Roderick out of anger, as the raging storm causes the fragile house to break apart and collapse, ending the House of Usher and killing Roderick.

Fall of the House of Usher Summary

The story is narrated by a childhood friend of Roderick Usher, the owner of the Usher mansion. This friend is riding to the house, having been summoned by Roderick Usher, having complained in his letter that he is suffering from some illness and expressing a hope that seeing his old friend will lift his spirits. When he arrives, the narrator finds a gloomy and vaguely menacing atmosphere, and his friend, Usher, is much changed since he last saw him: overly sensitive to every sound and sight, and prone to dramatic mood swings. Meanwhile, Roderick's twin sister Madeline is afflicted with a disease which, Roderick tells the narrator, means she will soon die. These twins are the last in the family line, the last descendants of the 'house of Usher'. Roderick Usher is a gifted poet and artist, whose talents the narrator praises before sharing a poem Usher wrote, titled 'The Haunted Palace'. The ballad concerns a royal palace which was once filled with joy and song, until 'evil things' attacked the king's palace and made it a desolate shadow of what it once was. Several days later, Roderick tells the narrator that Madeline has died, and they lay her to rest in a vault. In the days that follow, the narrator starts to feel more uneasy in the house, and attributes his nervousness to the gloomy furniture in the room where he sleeps. The narrator begins to suspect that Roderick is harbouring some dark secret. Roderick grows more erratic in his behaviour, and the narrator reads to his friend to try to soothe him. The plot of the romance (a fictional title invented by Poe himself, called 'Mad Trist') concerns a hero named Ethelred who enters the house of a hermit and slays a dragon. In a shocking development, Madeline breaks out of her coffin and enters the room, and Roderick confesses that he buried her alive. Madeline attacks her brother and kills both him and herself in the struggle, and the narrator flees the house. It is a stormy night, and as he leaves he sees the house fall down, collapsing into the lake which reflects the house's image.

The Minister's Black Veil: Hawthorne

The subject had reference to secret sin, and those sad mysteries which we hide from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal from our own consciousness, even forgetting that the Omniscient can detect them.

First Snowfall Theme

The theme of the poem addresses the way that the snow can bring a solemn silence upon the world very similar to death's impact on a person or group of people. Past the fifth stanza, it becomes clear that the author loves both of his daughters despite longing for the deceased one to live with him again. This also represents how grief is often felt through those who are still living, and how people are regularly reminded of their deceased loved ones.

Theme of "Old Ironsides"

The theme of the poem is that not all great things last forever Once something is used up, it's better to begin to let go The theme of Old Ironsides, "those that have brought glory to their people should be retired with honor," speaks about the U.S.S Constitution and its current condition, and the debate whether the warship should be restored or not. Holmes uses lots of visual imagery describing the glory the U.S.S Constitution once had through its many battles. Because of the glory the warship once had the poem pushes the point that it should be retired with honor.

"To A Waterfowl" Tone

The tone is quiet and thoughtful, with the speaker thinking about the bird's journey and wondering about what the bird is doing. The speaker is thoughtful about a mystery they have not experienced before, and the bird is showing them something new that the speaker begins to think about. The speaker is writing in a way that shows the reader their journey and how they found the equivalent of peace for them, which was believing in the Romantic idea of the individual's longing for freedom.

What is the tone of his references to the Spartans and the heroes of the Trojan war and Napoleon's campaigns.

The tone of his references to Spartans and heroes is reverent; he compares this ant conflict with legendary battles in order to express his sense of reverence and majesty he sees in this conflict between ants.

What is the tone of "Brute Neighbors" and what words/incidents indicate that tone?

The tone of the story is ironic. This is indicated when Thoreau connects the significance of ant warfare to human warfare even though ants are 460x smaller than humans.

"Old Ironsides" Tone

The tone shifts quite dramatically between each of the stanzas, transitioning between a romanticizing tone in the second stanza to a tone with more finality by the end of the poem. This shift in tone is important to the message of the poem because it highlights the difference between the glorified history of the boat and the finality of the destruction of the boat and aims to garner support to stop the destruction of the boat. The tone is almost disappointed and pitiful, as if it is a pity that the once glorious battleship exists now in such a pitiful state.

The Barefoot Boy Imagery "Every morn shall lead thee through / Fresh baptisms of the dew; / Every evening from thy feet / Shall the cool wind kiss the heat: (Whittier Lines 87-90)"

These lines demonstrate that from morning to night, the young boy is treated greatly by nature in his childhood from the dew cleansing him to the wind keeping him comfortable. Contributes to painting an alluring picture of how fulfilling life is when you're having an idyllic and blissful childhood.

What book do Roderick and the narrator read to "pass away" the night together?

They read Mad Trist the story Sir Launcelot to pass away the night together and to distract Roderick from whatever he is so hysterical over.

What types of books do Roderick Usher and the visitor read together?

They read works of fiction, theology, philosophy, and geography such as the "Ververt et Chartreuse" of Gresset; the "Belphegor" of Machiavelli; the "Heaven and Hell" of Swedenborg; the "Subterranean Voyage of Nicholas Klimm" by Holberg; the "Chiromancy" of Robert Flud, of Jean D'Indaginé, and of De la Chambre; the "Journey into the Blue Distance" of Tieck; the "City of the Sun" of Campanella; "Directorium Inquisitorium," by the Dominican Eymeric de Gironne; the Vigiliæ Mortuorum Secundum Chorum Ecclesiæ Maguntinæ; and "Mad Trist"

Who is the speaker in Thanatopsis?

Third-Person Omniscient Individual aware of what death is like and advising the audience to embrace death -holds a deep appreciation and reverence for nature -trusts in nature -comfortable tone with reassurance -aware of man's relationship with nature and death

"To A Waterfowl" Metaphor "[T]he abyss of heaven" (line 25)

This is a metaphor for the sky, and shows how the speaker is watching the waterfowl fly away into the sky. This contributes to the speaker's overall sense of wonder at the actions of the waterfowl and their growing understanding of the bird's path.

"To A Waterfowl" Imagery "Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong,/ As, darkly painted on the crimson sky" (lines 6-7).

This is an example of imagery, as the speaker is using words like "mark" and "crimson" to create a strong picture in the reader's mind of the bird framed against the "crimson sky". Also, using the adjective "crimson" instead of just saying "red" makes the reader visualize this more clearly, as it is an adjective with a stronger connotation and creates a vivid picture of the sky.

The Pond In Winter Personification "The snow covers it to an equal depth, and ... Like the marmots in the surrounding hills, it closes its eyelids and become dormant for three months or more" (Thoreau 237)

This is an example of personification as Thoreau draws a connection between the frozen pond in the snow and an eyelid being covered. This also describes how the three months of snow coverage is comparable to the sleep of a marmot. Both the animal and the earth become dormant in this way. This reinforces the author's message of interconnectedness within nature, specifically Walden.

The Pond In Winter Personification "But there was dawning Nature, in whom all creatures live, looking in at my broad windows with serene and satisfied face and no question on her lips." (Thoreau 236)

This is another example of personification. Thoreau identifies Nature as a being observing him, satisfied. This supports Thoreau's belief that nature can provide an answer to the minute worries of life. That it can hush the frantic thoughts stirred up by the everyday toil of "civilized" life.

What is The Barefoot Boy about?

This poem is about his own Romanticist ideals, shown by a young barefoot boy being rich in nature, not money, highlighting Whittier's appreciative view of nature and pulling inspiration from how he did not have a wealthy upbringing. The boy is innocent and connected to nature (central ideas of the poem) Nature and innocence are both compared to the world of adults, in which adults have to try to stand out in endless struggles to stand out

The Pond In Winter "I look down into the quiet parlor of the fishes, pervaded by a softened light as through a window of ground glass, with its bright sanded floor the same as in summer; there a perennial waveless serenity reigns as in the amber twilight sky, corresponding to the cool and even temperament of the inhabitants. Heaven is under our feet is well as over our heads."- (Thoreau 236)

This quote establishes a message of true transcendentalism at the beginning of the excerpt. It is within the quote that Thoreau addresses the beauty and significance of every part of nature. Rather than solely focusing on the grandeur, visible sky and landscape, the narrator finds himself captivated in the uncovering of a frozen pond. Every part of nature is beautiful and carries meaning, from the things we adore and fear most to the lowest, most trivial natural occurrences.

Why is it important that the description of the battle in "Brute Neighbors" shifts from the general field of battle to the three ants he separates from the others and watches through a magnifying glass

This shift in focus from a whole conflict to a smaller conflict between three ants is important because it allows Thoreau to see the brutality and patriotic desperation of the conflict close up, allowing him to comment on the individual sacrifice the ants are willing to make to protect their colony.

The Pond in Winter Thoreau says he "awoke to an answered question, to Nature and daylight." What makes Thoreau see that nature transcends all questions and doubts about existence.

Thoreau believes that nature is above all because of the peace and serenity provided by it. Those in her company according to Thoreau can escape the worries of life. In this case, he awakes to nature in the form of sunlight and takes it as a sign to let nature guide him through his troubles and to put the small things of life behind him.

The Pond In Winter What evidence proves that these "wild men", fishermen, have penetrated more deeply into nature than the trained naturalist?

Thoreau believes the purest form of naturalism is surrendering oneself to nature and relying on it honestly. "wild men" experience nature first hand and learn to work with it, as nature works with them. These 'wild men' depend entirely on nature and so they must respect it, Nature provides them with life and livelihood. The naturalist simply observes nature, they will never reach the same level of reverence. They fail to become vulnerable to Nature herself.

What was Thoreau's idea on belongings?

Thoreau came up with the idea that in terms of belongings we should consider how much we can get by with instead of how much more we can get. As such he could sustain himself on one day of work per week. Poverty-stricken lifestyle

Sounds question 2: Thoreau's own inner state on those days was expressed by a silent smile or an occasional chuckle. How are these expressions of himself related to the sounds he hears from nature?

Thoreau compares his idleness on those days with nature. In lines 26-29, Thoreau said "Instead of singing like the birds, I silently smiled... as the sparrow had its thrill ... I had my chuckle". Thoreau's idleness brings him his own happiness, just like the birds singing in nature. These expressions are also natural and joyful expressions much like the singing of the birds.

Present for the first time at a "war" or a "battle" of any kind, Thoreau declares that "I was myself excited somewhat even as if they had been men." How does he convey this excitement to his reader?

Thoreau conveys his excitement through lush and violent descriptions as well as comparison of the conflict to great displays of American conflict such as the battle of Concord.

What did Thoreau value most?

Thoreau deeply valued self-reliance as he felt the need to be dependent on the economy, the government, or even companionship rather than face tasks or our problems ourselves, weakens us. He felt that it was most important to be a good friend to yourself and seek within you for your own morals and unique self to truly have an impact.

The Pond In Winter In what way are the fishermen "as wise in natural lore as the citizens is in artificial"?

Thoreau describes the fishermen in this way to portray their natural skill and ability to learn through experience. A fishermen's talent is authentic to their personal endeavors, while a citizen gains second hand knowledge from books and other sources.

What did Thoreau do in regards to the Mexican War?

Thoreau disagreed with the Mexican War and slavery, so he decided not to pay his tax, causing him to spend a night in jail.

Simile Sounds "I grew in those seasons like corn in the night, and they were far better than any work of the hands would have been."

Thoreau explains how he is able to grow by himself, like corn, which are known to grow more at night because they absorb too many nutrients in the day

Why did Thoreau end his experiment living at the Walden Pond?

Thoreau felt that the repetitiveness of his nonconformity at Walden was conforming to himself and his routine.

What did Thoreau discover on how we should live when spending time in the woods?

Thoreau lived in the woods so that he could garner a deep experience and education of what life has to offer, by confronting nature firsthand and being able to realize what was most essential to him. He felt that his life could only be worthy if he actually learned what was fundamental to himself and who he was, and he needed to harness his own self-reliance out alone in the woods with only nature.

Brute Neighbors Personification

Thoreau personified the ants by portraying them as soldiers in a harsh battle, writing their injuries and the brutality of the war to great detail. Thoreau's use of personification allow readers to visualize the raw emotions and feelings of the ants, despite them being vastly different from humans.

Brute Neighbors Allusion

Thoreau references several altercations over the course of human history, relating them to the war of the ants. He alludes to the battles of Napoleon, the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Boston Tea Party, and several others. Thoreau's allusions give readers a greater understanding of the brutality and savagery of the battle.

Henry Thoreau

Thoreau remains one of the most ambiguous figures in American literature. Although hailed as a superb naturalist, he once carelessly caused a fire that burned 300 acres of woodland. Some writers like James Russell Lowell thought him conceited, indolent, selfish, and enamored of uselessness but Thoreau impressed others with his gentleness and his goodwill in helping slaves escape to freedom. Aloof toward almost everyone else, he nonetheless wrote numerous entries on friendship in his journals. He died believing that he was a failure, yet he has since become one of the most loved and well-known authors of the world.

What explanation does Thoreau give that "we live meanly, like ants" and why does he emphasize simplicity?

Thoreau shows that life is better when lived simply, writing society has become too complicated, distracting as from our true selves. Human lives are compared to those of ants, inferior and routinely. People are influenced by societal standards and ideas, conforming to the modern lifestyle, innovations, and economy.

How did living in the woods enable Thoreau to improve the quality of his life?

Thoreau sought to "live deliberately" in order to "live deep" - living in the woods allowed him to escape the complexities of modern life - he went to the woods to learn from what life had to offer him - that way he could live a fully independent life, separate from modern society, in which he could rely on himself and learn from nature, surviving only on the bare neccessities

Walden "Sounds" summary

Thoreau spent the summer working in the outdoors but there were moments when he stopped to appreciate nature. He would sit in his doorway, in a meditative dreamy-like state and take in the sun and all nature had to offer. He would listen to the birds singing until the passing of time had been noticeable. He claims that this is not time wasted for him as he grew more during this time than he could in any line of work. To him days of the week are insignificant for the hours blend together. To the townsmen his way of living was viewed as sheer idleness but if the birds and flowers were to judge him he wouldn't be seen as such. He believes that one must look within themselves to find their calling and happiness.

In his conclusion (Walden) Thoreau again applies the lessons of his experiment to broader experiences. In the first paragraph, what general lesson about conformity is to be drawn from the path he wore between his house and the pond?

Thoreau talks of the path that he created so easily by falling into a habit. He created a path in only a week, but stopped walking on it very shortly. However, it still remains there even years after, since others continue to use it This analogy shows how easy it is to create traditions and unbreakable habits in society, while it is so much more difficult to break away from them. Traditions and habits maintain themselves in society as more people fall prey to the beaten paths. However, in order to do something different, and change the paths, one has to move away from others and their beliefs.

Why Would Thoreau Use Personification?

Thoreau used personification as he could directly give nature human qualities in order to further show how he believed that humans and nature were one.

The Pond In Winter Metaphor "I cut my way first through a foot of snow, and then a foot of ice, and open a window under my feet, where, kneeling to drink, I look down into the quiet parlor of the fishes" (Thoreau 237)

Thoreau uses the metaphor of carving a hole into the ice to opening a window to a parlor of fishes. Opening this window allows him to see into a new world of life below the frozen surface. Though out of typical reach, showing a little effort to see what lies beyond is what it takes to have a transcendentalist mindset.

What was Thoreau's view on technology?

Thoreau viewed technology as a normally unnecessary distraction as while it could have some functional use, they are incapable of addressing the challenge of finding content in oneself. Rather than achieving innovation for the sake of it, we should continue to look to nature, which is much more significance spiritually.

Pond in Winter: Summary

Thoreau wakes up with questions on his mind, but then the power of Nature answers them. Nature leads him out of his confusion and says "Forward!" He then admires nature from his home on the hill. Then, he starts his morning labors. He describes the pond as snowy and cold, covered with layers of hard ice. He states that the pond's ground is like heaven. Men come and go to the pond to fish and gather other resources. He describes the pond as a meeting point for the towns, which keeps them unified. Thoreau also talks about an expert fisherman who can catch fish even in the midst of the winter. He has learned the necessary tools to fish by needing to survive and through experience.

What is Thoreau's method as a writer?

Thoreau's method as a writer is often to move from the small fact to the larger truth.

Sounds question 1: This passage celebrates idleness but not merely as laziness or shirking of work. The state of "revery" which on those sunny mornings allows Thoreau to forget "the lapse of time" has its own purpose in his life. Why does he feel that these hours "were not time subtracted from my life, but so much over and above my usual allowance".

Throughout his state of reverie, Thoreau listened to nature and experienced a deep connection with nature. This connection with nature nourished his inner self. Thoreau spent this time in contemplation, where he grew as a person because of this connection as shown in lines 16-17. He says he "grew like corn" which further shows how deep his connection is to be comparing himself to an aspect of nature.

Second Person

Told from the reader's point of view, using "you"

the view that the basic truths of the universe lie beyond the knowledge we obtain from our senses

Transcendentalism Definition

Two Types of Romanticism

Transcendentalism: "hippie", believed society and its institutions (organized religion, political parties) corrupt the purity of the human soul; nature, self-reliant Gothic/Dark Romantics: escape into your imagination, explored the darkness of the human mind

How is Transcendentalism paradoxical?

Transcendentalists are free and open to contradict themselves and their ideas; they must constantly change their methods and not follow a set guidelines or go into routine so they can be a true non-comformist individual

What were Truth's feelings concerning the traditional roles and status of women?

Truth believes women aren't being treated fairly and considering traditional standards, it is hypocritical and outrageous that women aren't given any equal treatment for their fair share -It is especially outrageous that she can eat as much as a man or work as hard and she isn't treated the same -Even more hypocritical is how women are meant to be treated kindly and helped into carriages but she isn't given any of that because she's black, despite all the hardships she's had, the work, the children

Why did Truth bring up intellect when posing the question of what it had to do with women's rights or black's rights?

Truth brought up intellect as this discussion is merely one of common sense, utilizing verbal irony to pretend she is dumb, when she is actually not and that there is no reason for "intellectual" deliberation when this is a simple matter with an easy and clear solution

What is Truth claiming in Ain't I a Woman?

Truth claims that women are as capable as men (or more), and deserve equality The counterclaim she addresses is how religion is used to justify sexism, which is flawed considering that Jesus Christ came from a women This biblical allusion highlights the flaw in the argument of the rich white men against her

How is Ain't I a Woman? a critique of the time period?

Truth directly states her feelings of the time period -men are actively against equality for women -brings her voice into how women deserve rights no matter what men say -states that black women aren't treated as well as white women which is messed up

How is Truth a strong woman?

Truth is a strong women as mentally and emotionally as despite undergoing cruel treatment, losing her lover, losing 13 children to slavery, and escaping she's persevered with the strength to keep going and to fight on in her life.

How does Truth open her speech?

Truth opens her speech casually with a slight bit of humor to relieve the tension of the situation -Pokes fun about how blacks and women are all rallying for rights which will be angering the white men -politely enters the conversation to add in her own two cents regarding the issue

Significance of "Ain't I a Woman?"

Truth's speech was revolutionary for its time: it spoke unapologetically about the horrors of slavery, the corruption of the Christian religious establishment in the U.S., and the hypocrisy of those who would confer the rights to suffrage and property ownership unto white women, but not Black women. While only a few paragraphs long, Truth's speech managed to pointedly address many of the most urgent issues in American society at the time. (Taken from Lit Charts)

Old Ironsides

United States 44-gun frigate that was one of the first three naval ships built by the United States

Sojourner Truth

United States abolitionist and feminist who was freed from slavery and became a leading advocate of the abolition of slavery and for the rights of women (1797-1883) -Second generation transcendentalist -followed her personal principles

Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1854)

Walden, or, Life in the Woods, is an American book written by noted transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. The work is part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery, satire, and manual for self-reliance. Published in 1854, it details Thoreau's experiences over the course of two years in a cabin he built near Walden Pond, amid woodland owned by his friend and mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, near Concord, Massachusetts.

The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Canyon

Washington Irving's work that propelled him to international acclaim was published through 1819 and 1820 as The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon. Published as seven different installments, it totaled to English sketches, travel pieces, literary essays, a few other works, and three short stories that were the standouts of The Sketch Book. The following stories were "Rip van Winkle", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", and "The Spectre Bridegroom" all heavily contributed to the international acclaimed garnered with many praising his style, and ultimately allowing Irving to continue a career as a writer.

In some respects, the final sentences of "Conclusion" sum up all of Walden. Thoreau reminds us that finding our "perfect summer life," as did the beautiful bug, is not merely a matter of waiting. According to Thoreau, in what way may any of us prepare to experience spiritual awakening?

We can ready ourselves for our own "perfect summers" or spiritual awakenings, by being content with who we are and with where we are in our lives. Don't stress over things you don't have control over, such as time, and enjoy where you are. Be your own person and do what you love without worrying about what others think. You are where you are for a reason and you are who you are for a reason.

While reading the book aloud to Roderick, what odd thing does the visitor notice?

What is strange to the visitor as while he reads the book aloud, whenever he came upon a significant passage that described a certain sound in the story, he hears that very same noise coming from somewhere in the home, which is later revealed to be Madeline breaking out of her coffin. Also to note, whilst reading, Roderick was not soothed as intended and instead was muttering, rocking back and forth, was scary, and staring at the door.

What a reader wants to know about a speaker when making an argument?

What they now about the subject? What experiences make them credible? Why they should pay attention to them?

"Spring" This selection gives a sense of the awakening and rebirth that accompanies spring. Beginning with the ribbon of water along the shore, the first paragraph develops an impression of movement until the "living surface" of the pond seems itself "all one active fish." What images create this impression?

When "the great sweeping curves of the edge of the ice" and "the wind slides eastward over its opaque surface in vain till it reaches the living surface beyond.", it creates the feeling of passing winter represented in ice followed by the ribbon of water becoming filled with fish.

When Madeline Usher enters alive, what does she immediately do?

When Madeline enters alive, she immediately attempts to attack her brother, Roderick Usher, even though she is barely alive herself.

emotional appeal (pathos)

When a writer appeals to readers' emotions (often through pathos) to excite and involve them in the argument elicit strong feelings from the audience ex. Jefferson using words like "death" and "tyranny" when speaking of King George

logical appeal (logos)

When a writer tries to persuade the audience based on statistics, facts, and reasons. The process of reasoning ex. Declaration citing "injuries and usurpations" from King George III as need for independence

What is the narrator's theory in regards to the family evil plaguing the house of Usher?

When the first stones of the home were placed. their placement was one of evil, that saturated into the bloodline and compelled their dark deeds The evil spreading is represented by fungi The home and people living there drive Roderick insane

Brute Neighbors "I never learned which party was victorious, nor the cause of the war; but I felt for the rest of that day as if I had had my feelings excited and harrowed by witnessing the struggle, the ferocity and carnage, of a human battle before my door".

When we look at it from a different point of view, we realize that war is completely pointless. No matter the reason it starts or how it ends, it will only put you right back where you started, except more blood will have been shed.

What was John Greenleaf Whittier's current mindset when he wrote The Barefoot Boy (1855)?

While he rose to fame through his abolitionist writings, by this time had broken off from his colleagues and had stopped writing poems that related to abolition and slavery. Instead, he began to transition away from politics and write about his own past. Having grown up in a poor family in a rural location, "The Barefoot Boy" reflects his time growing up.

What is the tone of Thanatopsis?

While this poem is about death, it is not particularly gloomy or depressing Rather instead, it has a hopeful tone, comforting and reassuring to develop the theme that death is not to be feared but embraced after a fully lived life. Optimistic, Insightful, Grandiose, Trusting, etc.

Who is John Greenleaf Whittier?

Whittier was a writer during the mid 18th century who published his first poem, "The Exile's Departure", in 1826. He was a passionate abolitionist, and many of his works and pieces were influenced by his strong views. His most famous works include "Snowbound," Maud Mauler," and "The Barefoot Boy," which is the piece we'll be talking about today.

What views influence John Greenleaf Whittier's work?

Whittier was raised on Quaker values of hard work, family, and peace. He cared highly about human rights and advocated strongly for the abolition of slavery during the time of the Civil War, writing many articles, essays, and poems for newspapers. Later on, Whittier became part of the Whig political party, opposing President Jackson and the Democratic party.

Primary Source Considerations

Who was the writer? What is the form of document and how it affects the content? When and where was it written? Who is the intended audience?

Poor Richard's Almanack (1732-1758)

Widely read annual pamphlet edited by Benjamin Franklin. Best known for its proverbs and aphorisms emphasizing thrift, industry, morality, and common sense.

Abigail Adams

Wife of John Adams. During the Revolutionary War, she wrote letters to her husband describing life on the home front. She urged her husband to remember America's women and protect their rights in the new government he was helping to create. Managed household, farm, and some of John's business affairs. Early and outspoken feminist against men's "absolute power" and was an abolitionist. (1744-1818)

How William Bryant expresses himself in Thanatopsis?

William Cullen Bryant was an avid naturalist all his life, taking the time to care and be around nature, and in his poem, "Thanatopsis", Bryant conveys his deep trust towards nature and its relation to death, through a consistently optimistic tone and awe-inspiring imagery, despite the darker subject matters at hand.

Who wrote Thanatopsis?

William Cullen Bryant, author of "Thanatopsis," was born in Cummington, Massachusetts on November 3, 1794. He is considered an American nature poet and journalist, who wrote poems, essays, and articles that championed the rights of workers and immigrants.

What is the shift in tone in "The Barefoot Boy"?

With such pleasant words and playfulness maintained in the first four stanzas, Whittier displays an appreciative attitude towards nature and childhood life, with a clear sense of joy. Yet, childhood does not last forever, and during the fifth stanza, Whittier shifts from this lightheartedness into a dreary view of what adulthood brings, filled with responsibilities. This shift in tone reflects the transition from childhood to adulthood, and especially how the speaker views it, but it does not end off dreary as much as melancholy, as the speaker wishes the boy could appreciate the time of boyhood before it passes.

The powerful fifth paragraph centers upon the rebirth that is possible once we have opened ourselves to nature and to your true inner being. Within this context, what is the "moral" of the story of the beautiful bug that hatched after being buried many years in an old wooden table?

Within every person there is a real, purified, and beautiful version of themselves which can rise to the surface. Even though we live in a society that limits one's individuality and personality, we can all find a way to break through that barricade as the bug did the table, and be a true version of ourselves. We should not worry about the past or the future, but rather live in the present moment right now and know that whatever you want will come to you.

Literary Term

Words/Terms used in discussion, classification, criticism, and analysis of poetry, novels, and picture books.

Rationalist Hero

Worldly and well read/well educated; he was sophisticated, bent on making a name for himself in the "big city". Sets the laws and foundation of the country; charming with women. [Ex: Benjamin Franklin]

What is the relationship between strength and adversity?

You need strength to combat adversity and adversity builds strength

Ralph Waldo Emerson

a New England writer who wrote about transcendentalism and believed in practicing self-examination and learning through nature brains behind Transcendentalism who said our inner light was our most important sense developed pride in America and held many meets advocating his philosohpy

What was Walden about?

a book by American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings. The work is part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery, satire, and—to some degree—a manual for self-reliance. Walden details Thoreau's experiences over the course of two years, two months, and two days in a cabin he built near Walden Pond amidst woodland owned by his friend and mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, near Concord, Massachusetts.

circular reasoning

a fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence

Patrick Henry

a leader of the American Revolution and a famous orator who spoke out against British rule of the American colonies (1736-1799) "the Orator of Liberty"

Romantic Hero

a literary archetype referring to a character that is a hero found in the common man 1. youthful, innocent, and pure 2. intuitive 3. close to nature 4. follows his principles, not laws (rejects society) 5. awkward with woman

static character

a literary or dramatic character who undergoes little or no inner change; a character who does not grow or develop.

God helps those that help themselves

a motto that emphasizes the importance of self-initiative and agency the expression is known around the world and is used to inspire people for self-help

Transparent Eyeball

a philosophical metaphor originated by Ralph Waldo Emerson which emphasizes that the individual experience nature and transcend to a higher version of the self eye that is absorbent, not reflective, taking in all that nature has to offer; individual becomes one w nature with the eyeball

iambic pentameter

a poetic meter that is made up of 5 stressed syllables each followed by an unstressed syllable

What is the location setting of Rip Van Winkle?

a small Dutch-American colonial village at the foot of the Kaatskill mountains it was founded long ago by the earliest Dutch colonists

Thanatopsis Personification - "Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again"

adds to Earth/Nature's character in how it provides for humanity, but that cycle eventually leads to humanity giving itself back to Nature upon the end of their own life, highlighting the relationship between humanity and nature and its "intimacy"

Why did settlers move west?

after the size of the US doubled at the beginning of the 19th century and the Louisiana Purchase kick-started the age of expansion, explorers pushed farther west for practical reasons like making money and gaining land

primary source

an account of an event created by someone who took part in or witnessed the event

literary present tense

an artificial "present" used when writing about fiction, where things that occur in a work are described as happening right now

things which hurt, instruct

anything that doesnt kill you makes you stronger

Logos

appeal to a reader's logic and reason arguments based on facts, evidence, reasoning, and cultural values

Pathos

appeal to audience's emotions -words and images evoke certain emotions -moves audience to sympathize with related ideas -emotional appeals make logical claims stronger and memorable -Humor puts reader at ease -make people aware of how much they others (guilt)

Ethos

appeal to ethics, credibility, or character every speaker brings a different ethos to their argument with the language, evidence, and images used

Why does Parson Hooper put on the veil?

as stated in his conversation with Elizabeth and on his deathbed symbolize his own dark sins (like everyone else has) as he has made a vow to God to be this living symbol to the people of his church to understand they can never hide their sins from God he became a living symbol up until death, of how everyone has their own secret sin, yet people never had the courage to ask him why he did it nor unveil their own sins woke up one day and possibly sought to emphasize his minister position and duty to become a symbol to teach humans and make them understand secret sin

deductive argument

begins with a generalization or premise, and proceeds to examples and supporting facts ex. All men are mortal. Socrates is man therefore he is mortal

how speakers create authority for themselves

bold claim as an expert reference to academic titles, well-known employers, and years of experience

Argument Basics

claim - clear statement of a position on an issue support - reason or evidence to back the claim counterarguments - statements that anticipate and refute opposing views logic - sound and effective language conclusion - sums up the reasons or call for aciton

"To A Waterfowl" (21-24 Paraphrased) And soon that toil shall end; Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest, And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend, Soon, o'er thy sheltered nest. -William Cullen Bryant

could be an example of a metaphor for death as the toil coming to an end could represent life while the summer home is the sheltered peace you reach in heaven. Although, it could just represent the end of any hard journey

Thanatopsis Title

derived from Thanatos, Greek god of Death, topsis is a Greek work meaning sight "meditation on death", considers death and views it as a glorious and natural process

Visual Imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of sight What you can see and visual descriptions Includes Color, Size, Shape, Light/Dark, shadows, and shade

Olfactory imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of smell scent is one of the most direct triggers of memory/emotion similar language used to taste simile is common to emulate this

Gustatory Imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of taste sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami as well as textures and sensations tied to the act of eating

Tactile Imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of touch what you feel, textures and sensations humans feel touching something, different in temperatures

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.

don't be too confident that something will be successful, because it may go wrong

Themes in "The Fall of the House of Usher"

dysfunction- house, which leads to life... sometimes life looks like how we feel on the inside story starts outside the house and ends outside the house Roderick tries to rid of insanity by burying sister Light and dark imagery. The divine side of death vs the innocent, child and humane side. How the house dies with the people isolation confusion evil (incest involved?) failure to adapt to the modern world madness and illness mystery, narrator can't figure out what is going on

American spin of Transcendentalism

every individual is capable of discovering this higher truth, on his or her own, through intuition, urging people to find these truths of life with their "inner light" and inspiration -Idea from Emerson

Transcendentalist Beliefs

everything in the world is a reflection of the Divine Soul, the physical facts of the natural world are a doorway to the spiritual world, people can use the intuition to behold God's spirit revealed in nature or in their own souls, self-reliance and individualism must overweight external authority and blind conformity to custom and traditions, spontaneous feelings and intuition are superior to deliberate intellectualism and rationality

Margaret Fuller (1810-1850)

explored the possibilities of freedom for women; embraced the transcendental principle that all people could develop a life-affirming mystical relationship with God inspired a rising generation of women writers and reformers

Old Ironsides Figurative Language Purpose

figurative language comes together in order to further the romanticization of the glory days of the USS Consitution

Age of Reason Forms of Literature

gifted minds of this period were drawn to political writing (Nonfiction) -Pamphlets -Letters -documents -essays -speeches

What happen when Margaret Fuller's father die?

her father did not leave a will for the family, so their estate was left to the uncle who did not take care of her mother, siblings, or herself well

Thanatopsis Imagery - "The golden sun, The planets, all the infinite host of heaven, Are shining on the sad abodes of death,"

highlights the magnificence and beauty surrounding the subject of death, even despite it's "depressing" connotation

What did Bryant use his position on the New York Evening Post for?

holding the position to his death he remained a committed political and social activist used the newspaper to advocate for human rights and the protection of the environment

How the House of Usher connected to the bloodline?

house is connected to the bloodline -grand homes fall in the past, come to hard times and dwindle like Usher family -representative to it -decaying, dark, and twisted, and dwindling like the family -home and bloodline die together at the end

Narratives and Reasoning Examples (Logos)

human experiences personal experiences Formal Logic (reasoning)

What is the tone of Rip Van Winkle?

humorous and light-hearted so it can be entertaining to the reader "a termagant wife may, therefore, in some respects, be considered a tolerable blessing; and if so, Rip Van Winkle was thrice blessed."

When did Sojourner Truth gain her freedom?

in 1827, her master failed to honor his promise to free her or uphold the New York Anti-Slavery Law so she escaped she informed her master that "I did not run away, I walked away by daylight..."

Verbal Irony

irony in which a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning.

Second Stanza of "The Barefoot Boy"

it is described that the age of being a boy comes with little pain, but instead joy at waking up each day. He can spend time with nature, providing him vast knowledge of the actions and habits of animals, and the various wildlife. Using deep personification of nature, described as walking hand in hand with the boy, talking to him, and even feeling joy through the happiness of the boy, the speaker highlights their bond.

Edgar Allan Poe's Troubling Life

literature's "most brilliant, but erratic stars" - abandoned by his dad as an infant - lost his mom to tuberculosis at age 3 - had a stormy relationship with John Allan (who take him in) - thrown out of college at 18 for gambling debts - lost his wife/cousin, Virginia Clemm to tuberculosis as she constantly got better then went back to feeling terrible, before ultimately dying -Poe died two years later for reasons ranging from alcohol poisoning to brain lesions to rabies

Bryant's Mark on American Literature

one of the first poets to overthrow the "servile habit of copying" English poets

Most important outlet for spread of political writing?

pamphlets

The Life of George Washington

published from 1855 to 1859 by Washington Irving sought to uphold Washington's great virtues definitely wasn't subtle about it social - used a novel about our first president and Revolutionary war hero to convey the virtues of republicanism to the masses properly translated historical accuracy into a narrative story, and even turned such an acclaimed figure like Washington into a relatable character for readers

inductive argument

reasoning from individual observations or events to conclude a general principle

Biblical Allusions

references to events, figures, or phrases from the Bible at times they have rhetorical appeal of shared beliefs

What were Transcendentalists writings like?

reflective, serious, intense, more Romanticist, prose

Types of Characters

round, flat, static, dynamic

Shifts in Thanatopsis

shifts are mostly seen stanza divisions -clear shift in tone in first stanza with the word "yet"; nature goes from faithful confidant to claiming your body on death -topic shift in second stanza where poem glorifies and naturalizes dying, describing what awaits -final stanza has a final shift as the speaker has a meditative tone and compels readers to live their life and not fear death when it comes

Parallelism

similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses kind of repetition with words/phrases in the same grammatical form to connect ideas ex. Is life so dear, or peace so sweet

First Snowball Simile "How the flakes were folding it gently,/ As did robins the babes in the wood (Lowell 19-20)."

simile for how the snowflakes progressively formed layers upon his daughter's grave similar to how robins will care for their babies by covering them in the winter

Catskill Mountains

smaller part of the Appalachian Mountain Range, located in eastern New York State dubbed as "America's original frontier" many works of art and literature were inspired by those mountains and the territory from the artists own explorations there serve as the setting for Rip Van Winkle

The audience of "Thanatopsis" is

someone who is afraid of dying and needs comforting humanity in general as they are advised that death should not be feared, as it is a natural process that will inevitably occur for us all

Loose Iambic Pentameter

sometimes a second unstressed syllable is used that doesn't fully follow the pattern tries to make the poem have a more conversational tone to emulate how people talk

Overall Message of Thoreau's "Spring"

spring brings not only warmer weather to Walden Pond, but it also represents a sense of renewal and spiritual rebirth.

Hard Evidence

support for an argument using facts, statistics, testimony, surveys, polls, or other evidence the writer finds ensure sources are reliable, help with majority opinion, ensure statistics aren't manipulated to look a certain way

What patriotic items confused Rip in the 1819 story?

symbols of the newly created US of America confused Rip believing their still under the rule of King George III when he comes back to town -raised American flag -portrait of George Washington which replaced King George III

Transcendentalist View of Nature

take in nature to find a deep connection, and looking within, a spiritual connection to ourselves, and that we are one with nature, heightening our senses and giving us clarity

What is the historical context of "Ain't I a Woman"

takes place before the Civil War (Antebellum period), in which women's rights and emancipation were ongoing vocal movements in the USA, the speech's opening cites the uproar that women and blacks are having in the US, as well as citing slavery's existence

Transcendentalist Movement

the Transcendentalist movement was an era opposite of the Age of Reason. They focused on the spiritual sense of nature and valued intuition over reason. Transcendentalists grew from the Romanticism movement and leisure time allowed more time for literature, art, and music. Famous transcendentalists include Emerson and Thoreau. Emerson wrote "Nature," "Self-Resistance" and many more and was the founder of the movement. Thoreau advocated for civil disobedience and refused to pay his poll taxes. He wrote "Walden" and "Civil Disobedience" and led people to infuse themselves in nature.

persuasive rhetoric

the art of using language to argue effectively for or against a set of beliefs or course of action, and to convince others to adopt a position or act in a certain way

Innocent Eye Narrator

the character telling the story may be a child or a developmentally disabled individual; the contrast between what this narrator perceives and what the reader understands may create dramatic irony.

Diction

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing made by the writer or speaker includes vocabulary and arrangement of words -formal or informal -common or technical -abstract or concrete

Antithesis

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast expresses contrasting ideas in parallel grammatical structures ex. Give me liberty, or give me death!

Why isn't the Usher "family evil" elaborated?

the family evil that has afflicted the Usher twins isn't elaborated, cause it's worse than than reader could possibly imagine

Why was it okay for everyone in the House of Usher to die?

the family-home-evil-malady was all connected the bloodline died so the home had to die too as it collapsed in on itself everyone who lived in the home had been "evil" too, which probably would have afflicted the narrator if he didn't leave, which is why they all had to die too

"Spring" Simile "As it grew darker, I was startled by the honking of geese flying low over the woods, like weary travelers getting in late from southern lakes..." (Thoreau).

the geese flying over the woods are compared to travelers coming home late. He uses this to connect nature to human experiences, showing how nature reflects our own experiences and causing the reader to feel more like a part of nature.

What is the theme of The Barefoot Boy?

the innocence and carefreeness of childhood is brief, so enjoy it while it lasts. -Nature versus man -childhood memories -life -Throughout the poem, the speaker heaps blessings on the barefoot boy, who is tasting the fruits of a carefree life

Climax

the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex. 1. main character receives new info 2. main character accepts this info (doesn't agree with it necessarily) 3. main character acts on this information

Walden: Conclusion Allusion "I do not say that John or Jonathan will realize all this; but such is the character of that morrow which mere lapse of time can never make to dawn"

the names John and Jonathan are used to represent England and America originating from brothers John and Jonathan Bull.

Where was the narrator's room located in the House of Usher?

the narrator had his room right above Madeline's coffin in the dungeon

third person omniscient

the narrator knows all of the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in a work

Falling Action

the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved

Point of View

the perspective from which a story is told

Rhyme Scheme of "The Barefoot Boy"

the poem uses iambic tetrameter. It is a series of four beats of unstressed to stressed syllables. Additionally it maintains a rhyme pattern of AABB, "From my heart I give thee joy,/ I was once a barefoot boy!/ Prince thou art, -the grown-up man/ Only is republican." (Whittier Lines 9-12). The pattern has some inconsistencies throughout, with three endings rhyming or just a case of there not being a rhyme.

"I looked out the window, and lo! where yesterday was cold gray ice there lay the transparent pond already calm and full of hope as on a summer evening, reflecting a summer evening sky in its bosom" — Thoreau (Spring 333)

the quote is related to "spring" in a sense that even though winter is ending, a different type of beauty arises from the new season. The mindset the speaker of the quote has is similar to Thoreau's opinion on the beauty of all seasons as in "spring" he goes into detail about the beauty of winter, the beauty in the ending of winter and the beauty in the new season; spring.

"Spring" Metaphor "It is glorious to behold this ribbon of water sparkling in the sun..." (Thoreau).

the reflection of the sun's light in the water is compared to a ribbon, causing the reader to visualize what it must look like. This adds to Thoreau's emphasis of the beauty of nature and he really tries to explain this sight to see as best as possible.

What is the point of the song Roderick Usher plays?

the song depicts the House of Usher as once radiant but now evil and sorrow have decayed the family leaving them no smile but laughter (of madness)

The Barefoot Boy Imagery "Cloudy-ribbed, the sunset bent, / Purple-curtained, fringed with gold, / Looped in many a wind-swung fold;" (Whittier Lines 74-76).

the speaker reflects on his own childhood memory, taking in the beautiful sunset, associating it with a vast, royal curtain. Shows how much he appreciates nature as he talks about all the different colors he remembers about the sunset and how they mix together to form a delightful portrait.

Rip Van Winkle - Interest in the Supernatural

the strange people playing nine-pins in the mountains that had the liquor that brought Rip to a long sleep Hendrick Hudson kept returning to the river ever 20 years with his crew the sounds of thunder are from the men playing bowling

Stream of Conciseness

the style of writing that attempts to imitate the natural flow of a character's thoughts, feelings, reflections, memories, and mental images, as the character experiences them

Third Stanza of "The Barefoot Boy"

the third stanza goes on to depict how the speaker loved his time as a boy. He was one with nature, always waiting for it, and respecting its beauty. His deep connections and fun times with the animals and sight states how much nature gave to him, and as he takes in its expanse, realizes how much more nature can provide, and how perfect it is for one's childhood.

The worst wheel of a cart makes the most noise

the weakest aspect of a system usually demands the most attention in order to be up to par with everything else the weakness will have the largest impact to the system's detriment

"Society is a joint-stock company in which the members agree for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater." - Emerson

the world is structured so that people may forego their own principles and identities simply to obtain basic necessities; society seeks to benefit itself as a whole though it sacrifices individualities *Personal Note: however some order is still beneficial

Edgar Allan Poe's Works

themes included madness, untimely death, and obsession Poe's deranged narrators were reflections of the state of his own mind, due to his troubled life brilliant and controlled stylists, whose theories of art championed rigorous structure, careful language use, and creation of a single calculated effect macabre fascination equaled by interest in logic exemplifies deepest divisions of the self: the conflict of beautiful ideals and dark impulses

What was a possible theory about the Usher family's lineage?

they were stuck within one singular line of descent and didn't branch out anymore -implied incest -wealth, charitable, love the arts, high culture, well respected - something happened over the years - possible genetic, physical, or mental illness passed down via incest

What is the perspective of Rip Van Winkle?

third-person omniscient narrator, humorous and all knowing of the tale of Rip Van Winkle, the Catskill mountains, and the Dutch village it is a fictional character who is meant to be a historian of sorts, Diedrich Knickerbocker, created by Washington Irving

James Russel Lowell

united states educator and president of harvard university (1856-1943), united states astronomer whose studies of mars led him to conclude that mars was inhabited (1855-1916), invented a weaving machine and made factories. he started the industrail revolution, ranks as one of america's better poets, he was a distinguished essayist, literary critic, editor, and diplomat, he is remembered as a political satirist in his "biglow papers", massachusetts man who lamented massachusetts' involvement with the mexican war

Pathos in Writing

use emotion to show readers you sympathize with their experiences sensitive issues in a sensitive tone personal experience to connect to readers

auditory imagery

use of language to represent an experience pertaining to sound emulated with onomatopoeia and alliteration

Kinesthetic Imagery

use of language to represent an experience pertaining to the movement of muscles, tendons, or joints full body sensations, akin to exercise, pounding heart, rushing water, flapping wings

Ethical Appeals (ethos)

uses values or moral standards that are widely accepted as a way to persuade an audience ex. "all men are created equal"

Dark Romanticism Theme of "The Minister's Black Veil"

we're humans, not prefect and completely capable and escaping our faults, as we always stick to the negative of our actions

When to question an argument further?

when it is entirely based on emotion or speaker's authority rather incorporating Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

"Ain't I a Woman?" Sojourner Truth

written by Sojourner truth at the 1851 women rights convention in Akron Ohio she delivered this speech which is now recognized as one of the most important abolitionist and women rights speeches in American history. -Talks about how she isn't treated as like white women -she can do what a man can do -says that Jesus came from a Woman and God and that man had nothing to do with it -Says that she should be given her rights, even if they are small in measure compared to others.

A Psalm of Life

• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Written shortly after the death of his first wife as he thought about how to make most of life • Gives advice on how to live life; every stanza has its unique message. • Aphorisms: short phrases packed all of meaning. (ex. "Things are not what they seem." "Let the Past bury its dead!") • Much more optimistic than Tide. About death, but very different from Thanatopsis. • "Tell me not" (in first stanza): directive - a command. • Dust to dust biblical allusion: rejects this idea (different from Thanatopsis). • Themes: Live a balanced life. Act so that you learn and grow each day (so that you get further than the day before). Make Art (impact) that persists after we die and inspires others. Life is like a battlefield; we are not to just follow, but to act. Live in today, do it now (don't worry about the past, and there might not be a future). Be open to all possibilities and learn to work but also have patience for the result (don't be anxious).

Letter to John Adams

• Written by Abigail Adams to her husband, this letter provides an intimate look at how the wife a leading American statesman of the Revolutionary period felt about and was affected by the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. • It shows that politics and the shape the new nation might take were issues that concerned women of the period, too, not just men. • She reminds John that the wives can easily take over the power in family. • Feminist; points out that women needed freedom as well as the nation.