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LITR 4232: American Renaissance  |
Final Exam Essays 2013 Sample answers for describe your learning about Romanticism as a term or concept . . . |
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Baisha
American
Renaissance at its Finest
Taking this course has taught me a more
in-depth perception of the American Renaissance. Growing up, I took multiple
classes introducing me to legendary authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Emily
Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and so many others. However, my previous classes had
never explored these authors (and others we have covered in class) and their
works to the length that we have over the semester. I truly appreciated
discovering and rediscovering my love for the renaissance, particularly the
poetry.
One of my favorite classes was when I lead
the discussion with “The Science of Rubbernecking” along with the article
discussing a Poe exhibition. Learning about Poe himself was truly an insight to
discovering where his inspiration for his work comes from. Every time I read
Poe, I immediately prepare myself for a gothic and melancholy poem or story,
which in most cases is true. However, this class broadened my horizon for the
term “gothic”. Yes, Poe is gothic in the sense of his dark and dreary stories,
but I have discovered it is so much more than that. Poe’s writing possesses an
eloquent darkness in his language that draws the reader in a trance. As I read
“Annabel Lee”, I was captivated by Poe’s choice of words that compelled the
story to embrace an almost spiritual aspect. Poe’s reference to Annabel made her
appear to be angelic to the reader, and his love for her translated as a love
beyond this world. Gothic is a term that can define a dark and possibly evil
story, however, in my perspective Poe correlated gothic with beauty.
“The Science of Rubbernecking” opened my
eyes to why people crave chaos; why we “can’t look away at a car wreck”. I
always wondered why I stop in the middle of traffic to witness the ambulance
pick up a wounded driver from a terrible accident. Once I do see the sight, I
don’t particularly like what I see; however I am appreciative that I saw it.
According to Rubbernecking, giving in to the side that desires chaos is healthy,
within reason of course. In discovering this, I feel I am more accepting of that
particular side of myself and I feel this lesson has an applicable application
to my life. I have always ignored my natural desire to properly express myself
when I become angry because I feel society has deemed it “inappropriate”. Now
however, when something bothers me, I speak up, and I feel more balanced when I
do so. Reading Poe also helped me learn to accept that expressing yourself, even
if you might be judged, is your best option psychologically.
In our studies, I learned that Poe went
through many difficult times, and therefore, his method for reflection and
dealing with the pain ended up in his work. As I had mentioned before, I had
never been taught about Poe so in-depth until this course, so what I have
learned about the history of Poe truly ties in to how his work is presented.
Reading Poe in the past drew me to conclusions that either something traumatic
did happen to him in the past, or he was simply messed up in the head. Once I
learned of the deaths of his loved ones and the difficulty of his peers
understanding him, the presentation of his work began to make more sense to me.
This class has taught me a wide array of
lessons regarding the American Renaissance, however what stood out to me the
most was the lessons we learned on gothic. Yes it is a popular topic for most
students, but I believe it is also the way you (Dr. White) present it in class.
The combination of the particular poems and stories read, in correlation with
the discussions in class, and the articles discussing the gothic elements
provide an overall compelling and informative presentation of the theme of
gothic. I truly appreciated learning about it.
1865 flag of the USA