English Lit Exam 1
Dickinson Because I could not stop for Death Stanza 2: Describes the interaction between the speaker and "Death." How are they getting along?
Slow, mutual respect, comfortable with each other
Dickinson I taste a liquor never brewed
Stanza 1: The opening stanza offers a clear comparison between Alcohol (the kind distilled or fermented in vats) and a "liquor never brewed." Stanza 2: In the first two lines, we learn the sources of the speaker's inebriation: "air" and "dew."
Dickinson I heard a fly buzz- when i died- Stanza 1: Describes the occasion and atmosphere. What has happened? What is it like there?
Still/calm
Dickinson Some keep the Sabbath going to Church Stanza 2: How does the speaker compare her attire to a clergyman's attire? What does the image "Wings" suggest? What does the speaker's image of herself suggest about Dickinson's ideas concerning the "individual?"
Surplice- formal word for clergyman's attire, wings suggests angel, anywhere can be a place of worship, specific place or experts not required, being in public or among others is not required, exalts herself above regular churchgoers and clergy
Whitman Section 48 How do you think Whitman hopes to affect the reader in this section?
giving another interpretation, God is available to the reader, importance/focus on the self, self-awareness is awareness of God
Lucille Clifton What idea and/or emotion is the speaker trying to communicate?
guilt, lack of understanding of weight, lack of self-worth (all lowercas/no punctuation, overwhelmed
Ginsberg What is the effect of the repetitious line "I'm with you in Rockland?" (the asylum Carl Solomon is in)
he's not physically there anymore, but in spirit and idea connected to Carl highlighting treatment of mental illess, shows compassion, sense of community/shared experience
Ginsberg After reading the poem, how does the title "Howl" inform the content, purpose, and appearance of the poem? (does "Howl" remind you of any other poem we've read this semester?)
"A shout/call" "yawp" (Whitman) uncivilized/barbaric
Ginsberg Describe the people in this poem. What kind of experiences do they have in the world? Do they seem to be longing for something?
longing for connection, unconventional ways of seeking (drugs), sense of urgency, going against the norm, homosexuality portrayed, ohysical desire, outlaws, against expectations, marginalized individuals, seeking spiritual understanding or fulfillment that they don't find in the existing culture
Plath's "Morning Song" and "Lady Lazarus" "Morning Song": What images stand out in the poem? What mood is created by the images? Consider how the speaker refers to the child, "new statue," and herself, "cow-heavy and floral."
mood-tired sad distant images- new statue, cloud that distills a mirror, blankly as walls
Plath's "Morning Song" and "Lady Lazarus" What is the depiction of parenting, especially motherhood, in this poem?
not completely positive, complex psychological experience (against cultural expectations), biological process
Clifton The second stanza reveals information about the reality the child would have been born into. How would you characterize this reality? The concluding stanza establishes a conditional scenario ("if i am ever...let the rivers pour").What attitude or emotion do you interpret in the concluding stanza of "the lost baby poem?"
not one for raising a child, bleakm literally cold (winter) less than her best, if she's not ready now she fails, regretful
Ginsberg Focusing on the figure Moloch, what social constructs, institutions, norms, etc. are addressed in the poem? How does the speaker feel about them? Is there any resolution to the speaker's conflict?
obliterated by Moloch, footnote on Moloch- god who was worshiped by child sacrifice, Moloch- people falling in line, being corrupted, soullessness vs. vauling people as people, having their own spiritual experiene, Moloch also reoresets city, serving the system vs. individuality (Romantic tradition) resolution- line 86 "Moloch whom I abandon"
Plath's "Morning Song" and "Lady Lazarus" Does this poem confess anything?
unease at being a new mother, bringing this topic into the public (unusual especially at the time) distance and disconnection
Paul Laurence Dunbar How does Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask" embody Du Bois's idea of double-consciousness? Locate at least one textual example from the poem to support your claim.
uphold a certain presence, has to hide Self (first stanza), adjusting behavior based on others (last two lines)
McKay Harlem Dancer How does the speaker "view" or "see" the dancer?
3rd point of view, not the youths, not the dancer herself, uses descriptions like "perfect" "beautiful" "gracefully and calm" "proudly-swaying palm" "lovelier", identifies with the dancer more than the youths, notices resiliance, ART in her dance
Dickinson Because I could not stop for Death Stanza 3: The images in this stanza suggest various stages of life. How do you interpret "Children" "Fields of Grain" and "Setting Sun?"
Children- birth, beggining Fields of Grain- growth, sustaining Setting Sun- aging, ending, elder, could also suggest cycle (sun will rise again)
McKay vs. Hughes
Claude McKay and Langston Hughes both wrote about African American experience in the first half of the 20th century.
Lucille Clifton
Clifton's "the lost baby poem" is an example of the social "taboos," in this case abortion, that post-WWII poetry addressed. We might see it as a companion to Plath's "Morning Song" because it elicits some psychological and emotional experiences of womanhood and motherhood. This poem offers a progression of thought and emotion within each stanza. The first stanza concludes "what did I know about waters rushing back / what did I know about drowning / or being drowned (ln 4-6).
Dickinson I taste a liquor never brewed Stanza 3: Notice the connection between 'Landlords' and inns. Foxglove is a flower, and 'drams' are drinks. What is happening in this stanza?
Comparing herself to bees and butterflies, imaginative act, unlike a drunk, she will be able to keep indulging
Dickinson Some keep the Sabbath going to Church Stanza 1: The speaker immediately compares where she celebrates the Sabbath to the conventional place of worship. What do lines 3 &4 suggest about the speaker's church/ worship?
Outdoors or near outdoors, in natural world
Whitman Section 1 The second and third lines of the first stanza directly address the reader. What kind of connection does Whitman try to establish with his audience? What does he mean when he writes "assume?"
Parallel between himself and all Selves Taken as truth To take on a role/circumstance
Hughes "I, To" and "Freedom" Hughes's "I, Too" and "Freedom" seem to vary in tone, diction, and argument. What differences do you notice?
"I, Too"- passive, "tomorrow" is more promising, moral argument, accepts graduism "Freedom"- demanding, "tomorrow" is too late, rejects graduism
Ginsberg's Influence
"In the 1960s poets began to extend their subject matter to include more explicit and extreme areas of autobiographical revelation—sex, divorce, alcoholism, insanity" (1079). You might consider whether your own experience (lifestyle, desires, values) are in line with current mainstream American social norms.
Ginsberg's "Howl"
"The connection between these two volumes and the times in which they were written is direct and apparent. Their poems anticipated and explored the fissures in American social consensus that would erupt into the open conflicts of the 1960s and 1970s and shape American life for decades to come, with growing public unease concerning a broad range of issues: the uses of government and industrial power; the institutions of marriage and the family; the rights of racial minorities, women, and homosexuals; the use of drugs; alternative states of consciousness" (1079).
Whitman Section 48 Where does the speaker find God?
"in every object" "each moment" faces of men and women, my own face, everywhere, even outlasting his own experience
Dickinson I heard a fly buzz- when i died- Stanza 3: The speaker put her affairs in order. What is the "portion" of the speaker that is "assignable?" What portion isn't assignable? What is the speaker hinting at here?
(Fly) An annoyance/distraction, death on Earth(physical), Death itself, reminder of chaos, obstacle between destination (Light) Heaven, clarity about afterlife
Dickinson I heard a fly buzz- when i died- Stanza 2: Line 3 & 4 express the anticipation for "the King." Who might the "King" refer to?
God
Ginsberg What is the effect of the repetitious word "Holy!" in the Footnote to Howl?"
Adressig/combating idea of religious sacrifice, "holy" is avaliable for everything and everyone
T.S. Eliot
An American born, Harvard educated expatriate who lived most of his life in England Believed that Moderns must look back in time (tradition) to uphold high standards for literature/art as a way to prevent moral decay "What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow Out of this stony rubbish. Son of man you, You cannot say, or guess, for you know only A heap of broken images." (ln 19-21) His work is noted for its high literary allusions, fragmentation, and juxtaposition. ("Prufrock," The Waste Land, and Four Quartets)
Whitman Section 2 In Section 2, the speaker compares perfume to the atmosphere. Which does he favor?
Atmosphere
Whitman Section 48 Section 48 begins with the speaker equating soul and body, and by equating god and self, further demonstrating the transcendentalists' influence. Why isn't the speaker curious about God?
Believes Self is more important, God is not understandable, life and senses are more important, liberates God, better to focus on life
Paul Laurence Dunbar The speaker in "We Wear the Mask" suggests the world should not be "overwise" to the grief and suffering, "tears and sighs," experienced by the African American community, "we." One might argue such concealment is a mode of empowerment. How do you interpret the speaker's position?
Deception for Self's good, frustrated, defiant, strong front, acceptance of state/determination to rise above, voice of the community
Dickinson I taste a liquor never brewed Stanza 4: The speaker claims to continue indulging until "Seraphs" and "Saints" witness the behavior. What do you think the speaker hopes to prove/demonstrate to these heavenly figures?
Desire (could be sexual), she is worthy to be with them or witnessed by them, ecstasy of physical world, knowing the divine through physical world
Hughes Theme for English B Lines 25-33 suggest the inherent connection between race, identity, and expression. These lines also claim that people (regardless of race) are a part of one another, which is "American." What is this poem's stance on being "American?" How does Hughes's "Theme for English B" embody double-consciousness?
Despite differences, we are all part of each other. It's common ground. Joined by status as "American" nut seperate in their levels of freedom. Concerned by Prof's perception.
Dickinson Because I could not stop for Death Stanza 4: The poem turns here as time (sun) "passed us." The speaker turns cold, and her clothing decays. What is do these images suggest?
Entering into death
Whitman Section 1 What do we learn about the speaker in Section 1?
Everything that comprises him Personal urgency 37 years old and in perfect health
Dickinson Because I could not stop for Death Stanza 5: The carriage has arrived at its destination. What image is evoked by the description in this stanza?
Grave, coffin in the ground, burial site, "Ground" repeated, end of the ride
Whitman Section 52 In the 4th stanza Whitman undergoes a transformation from a physical body to a diffuse presence. In the 5th stanza he returns us to the grass, his conceit for eternal life, and tells us we can always find him there, "under [our] boot-soles." What is Whitman trying to communicate to the reader?
He will return to dirt and earth in death, emphasis on cycle, eternal life in the physical world, sense of humility, comment on how he will persist in his words, "underneath bootsoles"- double meaning, referring to introspection, "waiting for you" - some sense that his self will persist (through voice, presence, ideas)
Dickinson I heard a fly buzz- when i died- "Windows" seems to have a double meaning in the poem. What might they represent?
Heart, eyes, literally seeing
McKay Harlem Dancer What do you think McKay means when the speaker says "I knew herself was not in that place?"
Her "true beauty" was somewhere else, she doesn't really want to be there, she is there because it is her job, her own inner feelings and not reflected by her "falsely-smiling face", although she is objectified she is resisting by having her own inner dignity, not embracing the way the audience sees her, exploitation of emotional labor (pretending to smile)
Li- Young Lee
Lee's work in haunted by the memory of his father and his father's influence on his life. Lee offers readers a unique perspective about how memory connects the living and the dead. In Lee's poetry there is acceptance and contentment juxtaposing the clear absence of a person and, by extension, a way of life. Lee's poems are written as if to ask readers to surrender the notion of grief and and embrace the presence of life that is fluid and continual in memory experience (much like in "Persimmons" when the father had painted the fruit after becoming blind, still knowing the "texture" and "ripe weight").
Whitman Section 6 Section 6 solidifies "grass" as a key image in the poem. In this section grass takes many forms and meanings, beginning with "flag of my disposition." Such a description suggests a connection between humans and nature (particularly that nature reflects human emotion). What are some other images and ideas the grass represents in this section?
Like a child Uniform hieroglyphic (indiscriminate) Rebirth/reincarnation Multiple meanings/dependent on view Lack of death Comparisons to God
How would you describe Whitman's poetry to a stranger? How does Whitman's work compare to examples I provided of Lowell's and Longfellow's work?
Loves nature Celebrates Self Multiple meanings in his statements Blasphemous Descriptions Not much of a rhyme scheme Sensual (engages senses)
Compare the style and structure of the poems of Claude McKay and Langston Hughes. What are some noticeable differences?
McKay "Harlem Dancer" clear rhyme scheme (actually an Elizabethan sonnet), more European form Hughes writing with less restraint, influenced by jazz, storytelling, improvization
Dickinson I taste a liquor never brewed What general entity do you suppose affects the speaker?
Nature source of pleasure, ectasy
Dickinson Because I could not stop for Death Stanza 6: Centuries have passed since the speaker arrived at her grave, but the speaker says it "feels shorter than a Day." What is the speaker suggesting about the afterlife/eternity. What might it mean that the final physical image is an earthly grave?
No transcendence of physical world, afterlife is different than we imagine, time happens differently here
Dickinson I'm nobody! Who are you? Stanza 1: The speaker calls herself "Nobody." What do you think that means? How does the speaker seem to feel about being "Nobody?"
Not self-aware, unnoticed, sense of nothingness/ego-loss, doesn't matter who she is
Dickinson I'm nobody! Who are you? Stanza 2: This stanza expresses the speaker's feelings about being "somebody." To what does she compare being "somebody?" What might the "admiring Bog" refer to?
Public, admiring people, forced into specific mold, jealous of her individuality
Whitman Section 11
Section 11 is most widely noted for its sexual imagery, particularly in the second half of the section. Part of Whitman's contribution to American poetry is his attention to personal sexual desire. The lady, and 29th bather, are often read as an extension of the poem's persona, which has prompted critics to project a homoerotic interpretation of this section. It's worth noting Whitman tells us he will "assume" some things.
Whitman Section 33
Section 33 offers an extensive catalog as the speaker magnifies his physical presence and attention/vision. Whitman tells us, "My ties and ballasts leave me, my elbows rest in sea gaps, I skirt sierras, my palms cover continents I am afoot with my vision."
Whitman Section 1 In the opening lines of the poem, the speaker claims to "celebrate" himself and "sing" himself. What kind of person (persona) do you imagine speaking these opening lines?
Self confidant Arrogant Grandiose Egotistical Selfish Pretentious
Dickinson Because I could not stop for Death Stanza 1: Establishes the occasion, characters, and setting of the poem. What happened? Who is there?
She died! Three characters in the carriage- the speaker, Death, and immortality
Whitman Section 33 From this grand vision of himself, the speaker witnesses and in some cases "assumes" various people, experiences, and locations: Why might it be important to include such a detailed and varied list of images and experiences?
Shows breadth of reach, glimpses of experiences/life, connection between ppl through various means, representation of freedom/opportunity, meld of nationality, becomes "godlike," not limited to singular path,
Dickinson Some keep the Sabbath going to Church Stanza 3: The speaker suggests that Heaven isn't some place she will eventually arrive because she is there "all along." Given the poem's celebration of nature, what do you think the speaker believes about Heaven? Do you recognize any similarities between Whitman's and Dickinson's version of the afterlife?
Similarity in finding God in here and now, ordinary experience, nature experience, no formality required, direct connection possible, Dickinson distances herself from conventional idea of Heaven, not certain that usual way of keeping Sabbath leads to Heaven, tone seems mocking, challenging Christianity as not connected to natural world (response to industrialization =, growth of cities) one can rely on one's own ideas and experiences to glimpse paradise
Dickinson I taste a liquor never brewed What might "inns of molten Blue" refer to?
Sky could be ocean
Whitman Section 52
The final section returns us to some crucial images and ideas present throughout the poem. In the second stanza, Whitman names his voice, his poetry, a barbaric yawp.
Whitman Section 6 What does it suggest about the speaker that he associates himself with these images and ideas?
The final two stanzas offer important information about Whitman's message. Note how the ideas of earth/life cycles and eternal life extend to sections 48 and 52.
Whitman vs Dickinson
Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson represent the two lines of American poetry, meaning we tend to categorize subsequent poets as influenced by either Whitman or Dickinson (though in many cases both). How does Dickinson's poetry differ from Whitman's? Consider the form (line, rhythm, and rhyme) and content of her work. Structure of the lines- Whitman writes long complex sentences, Dickinson writes shorter lines, fragments Dickinson seems more organized, focused Dickinson has rhythms and rhyme (or near rhyme) Cesura- line breaks are meaningful in Dickinson, focus on siles Tone of Dickinson feels darker
McKay Harlem Dancer How do the youths "view or "see" the dancer?
as entertainment, not as an equal, as a novelty, see her as a sexual object, "devoured her shape"- consumption, "tossing coins"- suggests commodity
