Give a picture
of the moral situation in which the characters find themselves. LITR 4232: American Renaissance
Sample Answers to the Final Exam, spring 2001
Below are the essay
questions from the final exam, followed by complete or excerpted copies of
outstanding answers, which were extracted primarily from the emailed exams.
These samples have not been edited; therefore, they may retain occasional errors
committed in the heat of a timed composition.
Essay Question 1.
Describe the characteristics and significance of
the Gothic as well as some of the variations on it that we've
observed in our course readings. To what different purposes do the
various authors use the Gothic? (Objective 2, the Gothic)
Briefly refer
to Irving and Cooper
Refer more
extensively to Poe and Hawthorne
Additionally
refer to at least one other text or author (in these additional cases the
Gothic may appear only briefly or tangentially, and we may not have gotten
around to discussing these manifestations thoroughly in class, but there are
plenty of examples in our readings).
As a conclusion,
consider the purposes or significance of the Gothic.
[complete answer]
The Gothic novel is a
stylistic mode or genre that uses a set of conventions to instill a feeling of
fear, or uneasiness in the reader. These conventions could include, but are not
limited to haunted spaces, light and dark, pointed architecture, and masks.
Gothic novels traditionally used Europe as their setting, as we will see with
Poe, but throughout the course we had the pleasure to see it imported to
American towns, woods, and even the human mind. In this mode, the Gothic can
work towards setting the mood of the reader towards the works as a whole, or
more importantly, we saw that it can be used to help us examine our own haunted
spaces. As you mentioned several times in the class, we all have our secrets and
we all wear our masks. Good writing helps us to see beyond our own masks.
We were introduced to the
Gothic very early in our reading. Washington Irving used the gothic throughout
both "The Legend of Sleep Hollow", and "Rip Van
Winkle." When viewing Irving as a popular writer who was adopted into
the world of classical literature, I would guess that Gothic exists in his work
simply to enhance the setting. While RVW may be viewed as a statement on his
society, I wonder how political he actually meant it to be. On page 1369 we are
given a scene that is very Gothic. Ichabod has made his way into the woods on a
dark and lonely night. During this trip he recalls stories of ghost and goblins.
He eventually makes his way to the tulip tree and sees its twisted and knarled
form. The tree actually moans at him at one point. Again, this type of writing
does well for setting the mood but I did not find that it urged me to think or
examine myself. I do not mean to speak ill of his works, they used the Gothic
well and have obviously withstood the test of time.
The second reading that we
saw the Gothic in was The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper.
Cooper used the Gothic heavily in both the setting, as a wilderness gothic, and
as a very important tool where the Gothic worked to show the returning past as
repressed. Throughout the novel we often visit ruins that are "quietly
crumbling in the solitude of the forest, neglected, and nearly
forgotten…(125)" there are also several graves that appear. During their
adventure we are often reminded that horrible actions have taken place in the
past. (I’m getting bogged down so let me be more general.) We are also show
Gothic of a matter of light and dark. This applies to both physical lighting and
the shades of skin. Cooper uses Gothic for describing physical locations. For
example, the cave in Glenn’s falls we see the secret doors and its jagged
edges. Again, this usage of Gothic by Cooper shows the past being revisited and
demonstrates the ghost-like state of the Indians. He uses Gothic to explain the
situation of a particular group of people.
When one thinks of Gothic,
Poe is often the first writer that comes to mind. Because of his writing style,
he is often perceived as demented or insane. This is due to the fact that people
easily mistake Poe as a writer using the Gothic, with the "I"
character he inserts into his works. As I mentioned earlier, Poe often wrote
with the traditional Gothic setting, Europe. However, his use of the Gothic as a
mode extends past settings or establishing an attitude in the reader. He uses
the Gothic as the subject of his works. When Poe includes a Gothic space in his
writing, for example a house, it usually parallels or corresponds with the
unconscious mind of the reader or the characters in the works. One page 1461 in
"The Fall of the House of Usher" we see that the house has
vacant eye-like windows and on 1462 we are presented with the fact that the
house is identified along with the family. This technique of twinning is another
common occurrence in the Gothic. Once this convention is identified, the reader
can see that whatever the family is going will be reflected on the house and
likewise. Twinning also appears with the Roderick and Madeleine twins. There
seems to be almost a supernatural connection between the individuals (if they
are indeed that). With Poe we do also get the generic Gothic. In the "City
in the Sea" (1507) we are presented with decaying towers. Again, Poe seems
to use the traditional European gothic but in a way that comments on the
psychological state of the characters and the reader.
Hawthorne contains most of
the Gothic conventions named earlier but he seems to most use the Gothic as a
commentary on the degrees of guilt and innocence possessed by all humans. He
uses the light and dark to represent good and evil. He also makes it clear that
even in the Gothic there does exist shades of gray. Unlike the other writers,
Hawthorne sets his works in the Puritan times. This choice allows him to take
advantage to the ideas of traditional good and evil and to interject his
exploration of the subject in a way that shows there is no absolute right and
wrong. Like Cooper and Irving, he often writes in the wilderness Gothic. One
2208 Goodman Brown takes a "dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest
trees of the forest…" but this also ties into Poe’s use of Gothic in
that the road taken corresponds to his actions. Hawthorne most uses the
"Puritan Gothic" where is customarily making a walk to the graveyard
to reflect upon live. In the Minister’s Black Veil he uses the veil as
a mask to cover his sins. The reference to secret sin is very strongly in turn
with the Puritans. Even the wilderness gothic is provided for under the puritan
thinking in that the wilderness is considered heathen (2211). He was also very
good at connecting correspondence as a Gothic convention. On page 2222 the use
of a cloud and the sunshine correlates to sin and sorrow.
The last writer that I will
cover (briefly) is Melville. In Billy Bud we have Claggart as the gothic
character. He is the darker of the characters in appearance and nature. He seems
to like Billy but is drawn to harm him. The powers of his actions are out of his
control. On page 2543 Claggart is described as having manifestations and a
subterranean fire that was eating away at him. In his writing, Melville seemed
to use the gothic in relation to a single person and not the society as a whole
or even the setting of the novel. This is an example of a very focused Gothic.
[DG 2001]
[complete answer]
The characteristics of the
Gothic include its stylistic conventions of a haunted place with an emphasis of
the interplay of light and dark. The sublime is an optional aesthetic effect
that is sometimes found with the Gothic. For the reader, the sublime is a
combination of pleasure and pain, beauty and terror. It strikes the reader
emotionally, but the sensation is not unwelcome. An example is the reaction Cora
has when she first sees Magua. She is both horrified and awed by his appearance.
Another convention of the Gothic is a decaying old building, such as the
blockhouse in The Last of the Mohicans and the house in "The Fall of
the House of Usher." Perhaps a very important aspect to the Gothic
conventions is that it symbolizes the feelings we suppress, like revenge, lust,
and power. Similarly the Gothic is also used to symbolize the returning of the
past, like a secret or suppressed feeling. Finally, the Gothic is popular so
that it appeals to the average reader, but it also intrigues others as the
Gothic is also used in classical and representative literature.
While the Gothic derives
from a European background, writers like Irving and Cooper have adapted the
Gothic to fit a society that has not yet developed enough to have old decaying
and haunted homes. Instead, they use the wilderness to symbolize a dark, savage
place that threatens a person’s sense of security. For example, Cooper uses
the wilderness to demonstrate that it encloses danger and an uncivilized life.
Examples that Cooper use include Magua and the scene at the fall, in which the
security of the hidden cave is attacked by the "wild" Indians. Irving
also uses the Gothic to describe the woods as "gnarled and fantastic"
in "Sleepy Hollow." Irving also uses the wilderness to demonstrate
that it is dangerous when Rip meets the strange men who alter his future by
having him sleep through most of it.
Poe, on the other hand,
remains with the European Gothic in his works. He uses the concept of haunted
places in several of his works. An example is the house in "The Fall of the
House of Usher." However, Poe goes beyond just having a haunting looking
place. He uses the house in "The Fall of the House of Usher" as a
twinning device. In other words, a physical object, like the house, mirrors what
a person feels inside. For instance, the house has a fissure, which is related
to the splitting of the twins in the story and the decaying of the mind of Mr.
Usher. Also, Usher describes "both family and the mansion" (1463). Poe
is again using twinning to describe a physical and mental state. Poe’s use of
twinning is characteristic of the psychological qualities of the Gothic. For
example, the setting is projected onto the characters so that the visitor sees
the house and is immediately filled with gloom.
Poe also uses the Gothic
characteristic of light and dark. Most of his works maintain a theme of having a
dreary, dull, gray setting or atmosphere. Towards the end of the work though, a
hint of color is introduced, which is usually red. For example, in "The
Fall of the House of Usher," the moon is blood-red and Mr. Usher is covered
with blood. In "Ligeia," the narrator sees a red liquid being poured
into a man’s drink.
Poe also uses the concept of
love and loss in a Gothic style. For example, in "Ligeia" the couple
is very much in love, and the woman struggles to fight death. Literally, she
dies and comes back to life over and over again. In "Annabel Lee," the
narrator misses his love and sleeps with Annabel in her coffin. These examples
exemplify Poe’s sublime use of the Gothic in that it shocks the emotions.
Hawthorne, on the other
hand, uses Irving’s and Cooper’s approach to the Gothic in that he uses the
wilderness. Like them, Hawthorne shows the wilderness to be wild and untamed: a
host to evil. He uses the wilderness in "Young Goodman Brown" to show
a man walking into darkness and meeting people that challenge the conventions of
a civilized society.
Hawthorne, like Poe, uses
the Gothic mixing of light and dark. For example, Hawthorne uses the Gothic as a
correspondence between the moral mixing of good and evil. The black veil in
"The Minister’s Black Veil" symbolizes the sins and immorality that
is within everyone. It is shocking to the reader and the characters because they
are confronted with physical proof of what they try to suppress inside. Also,
the characters in "Young Goodman Brown" are seen as faces flickering
in and out of the light. Hawthorne uses this gothic characteristic to symbolize
how truth can not always be clearly seen, and evil can not always be seen
clearly either.
Unique to Hawthorne is that
he uses Puritan Gothic. The Puritans had a strong belief in original sin and
self-examination. Hawthorne used these qualities in "The Ministers Black
Veil" to demonstrate how the Gothic use of a black veil reminds people they
are in a brotherhood of sin. He also used the veil to demonstrate that people
should examine their own sins and confront them more rather than hiding them.
Like Poe, Hawthorne uses
physical images to have greater or several meanings. While it is not exactly
twinning, the images do have a significant impact. The veil is more than a piece
of material. It symbolizes that we hide aspects of ourselves in darkness. The
physical images provide a Gothic aspect in that they display what we try to
suppress.
Another writer who uses the
Gothic is Melville. He uses light and dark to compare his characters like
Claggart and Billy Budd. Claggart is dark in physical characteristics that make
him seem evil, while Billy is light with blond hair and blue eyes. This makes
Billy seem good and pure. He is also like Hawthorne in that the truth is
fleeting because these characters are neither completely good or bad. Melville
also uses descriptions like "mania of evil" and "hidden
nature" to use Gothic conventions that are psychological.
In conclusion, the gothic
provides us with enjoyment by shocking our senses. As all these authors suggest,
evil is part of all human lives. By using the Gothic in their works, readers are
allowed to explore this aspect of their lives. They are given a chance to
release what is usually suppressed, and they can confront some truths to their
lives in a safe way. [AA 2001]
[excerpt]
The characteristics of
gothic are that it focuses on the magical and mysterious. The setting is usually
dark and foreboding. The use of buildings with pointed arches is classic gothic
style. Dark passageways, uncontrolled nature and the supernatural are all
aspects of the gothic. Shadows, valleys, churchyards and gloom are detailed in
the gothic style. The story line is one that involves a curse from the past with
a doomed hero. . . . [JH 2001]
****************
Essay question 2.
A constantly-changing society like America—where,
like Rip Van Winkle, each of us wakes up every day to a new world with new
fashions, new values, and new rules—constantly stimulates questions of
appropriate moral insight and behavior.
The most standard or
reflexive reactions to the shock of change are simplistic solutions,
either moralistic--"A woman’s place is in the home,"
"It’s their fault," and "Just say no"--or amoral:
"Live and let live," "You are not the judge of me," "As
long as you feel all right . . . ."
In contrast, a quality that
seems consistent in classic writers like Hawthorne, Whitman, Dickinson, and
Melville or in great leaders like Lincoln is the complexity or
ambiguity with which they represent moral situations.
Referring to writings by at
least two of these five writers (and to any others for comparison or
contrast), describe how human problems of good and evil are depicted
vividly but without a simple, reductive moral judgment of who is right or wrong,
or innocent or guilty.
Give a picture
of the moral situation in which the characters find themselves.
What does a
reader potentially learn from the moral situation, and what pleasure
or benefit may a reader take from such a scene or story?
What are the
responsibilities and risks of studying morality in public schools as we do here?
[complete answer]
In every culture, society
has a tendency to formulate a set of morals and values based on the needs of the
majority. These morals provide a base of comparison used to judge the actions of
the people within the society and outside of the society. Furthermore, the
morals of a society allow situations to be assessed on the appropriate course of
action, and what significance that action places on the person and the society.
In popular literature the morals and values of the society are represented, and
the outcome to the moral situations posed is one that society shares as an
appropriate conclusion. In representative literature the morals and values that
the dominant society shares are represented (sometimes showing how those morals
harm the culture being represented), and the conclusion of the story tries to
cause awareness in the dominant culture and change. However, in classical
literature moral situations arise, but the author does not wrap the outcome of
these situations into a socially appealing package. Classical literature
presents moral situations with ambiguity and judgments of right and wrong are
not made. Hawthorne and Melville are two classical authors that approach moral
situations with complexity and/or ambiguity.
Hawthorne presents moral
situations with ambiguity and demonstrates that right and wrong can not neatly
be defined. Hawthorne’s characters, much like society, embody traits of both
good and bad. There is not a real sense of this is the hero and this is the
villain because the characters can be either based on the reader’s
assumptions. Many times in Hawthorne, the main character is faced with a moral
situation and has to decide the appropriate course of action. The method of
resolving the situation that the character takes is usually one that is not
morally accepted by society. As a result society becomes a judge for the main
character and tries to mold the main character into a socially appealing member
of the group. Sometimes, as in The Scarlet Letter, society does not have
a place for the character and the result consist of the society trying to figure
out how to regain stability in the culture (in this case the punishment of
Hester). Throughout his stories, Hawthorne remains true to the classical
tradition and never lets the reader know if the main character is in the right,
or if society is in the right. The truth is that they are all both right and
wrong. The main character is right for behaving to the situation in a manner
that will bring him/her happiness, and/or he/she feels is morally correct by
their own standards. Society is right because they are acting according to the
conventions of the group and are trying to maintain balance within the group. In
the same sense both groups are wrong because they are at odds with each other.
In The Minister’s Black
Veil, Hawthorne continues the classical tradition of viewing moral
situations with complexity. The minister begins to wear a black veil because he
is disturbed by a sin he has committed, and he feels that he has to wear the
veil to repent for his sin. This makes the character both good and bad—bad for
committing a sin and good for accepting punishment for that sin. However, the
veil begins to effect the outside world. Nature becomes dark (be it because of
his perception through the veil or a literal darkness such as night) to
correspond to his dark soul. Furthermore, the veil begins to effect the
townspeople. The veil makes them uncomfortable because it reflects their own
secret sins and causes them to sin. The town begins to gossip about him and
judge him, thus becoming sinners themselves. However, the town is unable to
openly admit their sin and repent for it. The minister’s veil then becomes
repentance for the entire town’s sins. This creates an ambiguity to the town
because they are not wearing the veil so they are in a sense innocent. At the
same time they are guilty because they also sin, but do not repent for their
sins. The town both fears the minister and at the same time looks towards him
for guidance. The veil then becomes a tool that at time separates the community
and at other times brings the community together. Hawthorne’s ambiguity to the
moral situation in The Minister’s Black Veil, puts the reader into a
very strange situation. Since, Hawthorne will not make the judgments, the reader
has to try and fit the story into social norms. However, this cannot be done
because Hawthorne is causing the reader to assess moral norms and see that all
people are both right and wrong. The reader benefits from a story like The
Minister’s Black Veil because the story causes critical thinking about
society, and allows the reader to decide what they truly believe is right and
wrong—or if they even believe right and wrong exist.
Melville also remains true
to the classical style and presents moral situations with ambiguity.
Melville’s characters are both good and evil. Usually, the antagonist start
off as a good man, but something becomes an obsession for him and causes him to
behave in bad ways. The protagonist of the story gets wrapped up in the
antagonist’s obsession and has to make a moral judgment. The judgment can lead
to the threat of mutiny on the ship and this is something that is never to
happen on a ship. Therefore, the actions of the protagonist cause a threat of
evil to the balance of society, or the ship in this case.
Melville exemplifies the
complexity of moral situations in Billy Budd. Billy is the protagonist of
the story and he embodies everything that is good according to society. However,
Billy does have a tragic flaw, he stutters, and this leads to his downfall.
Claggart is also on the ship, and he is a good worker and well liked by the
crew. He becomes obsessed with Billy and decides that he has to cause Billy’s
downfall. When Billy is confronted by the captain, his stutter causes him to not
be able to express his innocence. Therefore, he hits Claggart and kills him. The
punishment for this is death, and although the captain likes Billy he has to
punish him to keep mutiny from occurring. Melville does not judge the characters
for their actions. Claggart is a good man with an evil nature, and his obsession
with Billy causes him to behave badly. Billy is a good man, but his tragic flaw
of the stutter causes him to strike Claggart with a fist instead of words to
prove his innocence. Both Claggart and Billy are punished for what they did
wrong. Claggart is punished by an individual, and Billy is punished by societies
norms to keep order. In this story all of the characters are both good and bad.
Claggart was good but obsession and envy cause his downfall. Billy was good,
even in the end, but his inability to speak and anger caused his downfall.
Society is good and tries to maintain order, but they also behave badly because
they have to kill Billy in order to keep the norms of society, the ship, intact.
Like with Hawthorne, the reader cannot make moral judgments because Melville
never reveals who is right, and who is wrong. The reader benefits from
Melville’s approach because they realize the same things as in
Hawthorne—everyone is both good and bad, right and wrong. The reader realizes
that society’s values may not be right, and this opens the readers mind to
objectively viewing moral situations.
There are many
responsibilities and risks to studying morality in public schools. One of these
risks is that society is not really ready to challenge the moral norms they have
decided upon. Therefore, challenging those norms in public school through the
discussion of literature opens the teacher to social persecution. Society does
view things in right and wrong, and they will do anything to maintain order.
However, it is important to open students’ minds to become critical thinkers
and decide on their own values. This is where the teacher has to responsibly
represent the literature. The teacher has to carefully direct the students into
thinking about these moral issues, without openly bashing society’s norms. The
goal of education is to create independent learners and critical thinkers.
However, teachers have to do this without threatening society. [EG 2001]
[excerpt]
Classic writers use moral
ambiguities to work out in literature the absolutes of society against the moral
dilemmas each person faces in everyday life. It is the pursuit of morality that
becomes important and not the easy answer to difficult questions. . . .
Each reader can learn that
mankind has a shared experience in living. The questions of right and wrong are
ambiguous and can only be determined through thought and reflection. The
literature provides a means for that thought and reflection to occur. The
authors do not seek to preach to the reader but only illustrate the experiences
that mankind has undergone throughout history. Teaching morality within school
becomes difficult because of the differing belief systems within each family and
person in a community. However, I do believe presenting good literature can
cross those boundaries if done with meticulous thought and consideration of the
needs of the students. [Anon (blue) 2001]
[excerpt]
The problem with studying
morality in public schools like we do here is that many children have different
backgrounds. In the university setting we have more freedom to express ourselves
than in public schools, there the students have to worry about violating someone
else’s feelings or beliefs. It is also a very blurry line between promoting a
particular belief and just discussing ones feelings on it. In public schools the
students may not be mature enough o handle the subject matter objectively, but
they may instead take the things to heart and be either offended or persuaded in
a direction that their parents may find objectionable. [CJ 2001]
[excerpts]
Herman Melville and
Hawthorne present conflicts with complex characters and situations, inviting the
reader to carefully analyze events in their stories. Not presenting simple
truths, they demonstrate characters’ actions in an ambiguous manner, in part,
by qualifying their purposes and impulses.
In "Billy Budd,"
Melville presents a moral conflict in which both characters, Billy Budd and
Captain Vere, might be right. In the story, a sailor kills one of his shipmates,
which would normally make the reader desire to see justice served. However,
Melville complicates the conflict by presenting the murderer as a virtuous,
innocent golden boy who never intended to kill and the victim as a scheming,
evil man who deserves at least some of the blame of his own murder. This golden
boy, Billy Budd, only struck out at Claggart because of his inability to speak
clearly, and would not have had to strike out at all if Claggart had not made
false accusations against him in the first place. Claggart is envious of Billy,
mainly because Claggart’s intelligence, complex nature, and innate evil
obstructs his ability to enjoy life. He is jealous of Billy’s ability, with
his simple and innocent nature, to be happy, virtuous, and well liked. Although
Claggart is "the only man in the ship intellectually capable of adequately
appreciating the moral phenomenon presented in Billy Budd," he disdains
Billy’s innocence (2535-6). Claggart’s jealousy of Billy Budd and his false
accusations that spark the action must be taken into account when considering
the fairness of justice. Presenting the murderer as a sympathetic figure is only
the beginning of the ambiguity. He also presents the question of punishment in a
complex manner, offering no simple solution.
Whether or not Billy
committed the crime is never questioned—he clearly caused Claggart’s death.
The question is whether he deserves to die. On one hand, the reader understands
that rules must be followed, and the prescribed punishment for murder is death.
On the other hand, the reader is fully aware that Claggart set Billy up for a
fall and possibly deserves to die because of his actions. Captain Vere’s
stance as a father figure to Billy "is replaced by the military
disciplinarian." (2549). The Captain must perform his duty as captain of
the ship even though he acknowledges the injustice: "Struck dead by an
angel of God! "Yet the angel must hang!" (2549). The reader is left to
ponder the absence of mercy.
. . .
Melville and Hawthorne offer
no easy answers; instead, they require the reader to scrutinize the situations.
These stories offer the reader the opportunity to examine cultural beliefs about
justice and mercy, and sin and judgment. The benefit of these complex tales is
wisdom and a deeper understanding of human nature.
Studying morality in public
schools offers students the opportunity to examine their own value systems as
well as long-held cultural beliefs. Perhaps teachers have the responsibility to
share stories that illustrate moral ambiguity because life itself is complex and
ambiguous. Studying and thinking about fictitious ambiguous moral situations
will help students face life’s inevitable conflicts. The only risk involved
would be offending a public that may not understand or agree that students need
to learn to think through these types of intricate conflicts, insisting that the
world is black and white instead of the more realistic various shades of gray.
[JT 2001]
[excerpt]
Hawthorne is disturbed by
the level of judgment and guilt humanity imposes on itself. His readers are
unsettled by his probing of men’s evil side of nature. Through these stories
Hawthorne reveals that people cannot categorize themselves into neat
definitions. We are not all kind, compassionate, or understanding. Typically,
Hawthorne shows that the very people who proclaim they have such high ideals
about themselves are the very ones who sin the most. [KC 2001]
****************
Essay question 3.
On this page are two poems, one by Whitman and another by Dickinson. Read the
poems and identify which author probably wrote which poem (which shouldn't be
hard). Referring to these poems (and to others if you like), describe,
compare, and contrast Whitman's and Dickinson's unique styles and subjects. (Objective
1, "close reading")
Comment on what
aspects of the poem are characteristic of Whitman and Dickinson, and also
comment in what ways these poems may not be characteristic—that
is, in what ways may they surprise your expectations about Whitman and
Dickinson?
Identify
characteristic (or non-characteristic) subject matter and stylistic devices
on the parts of the two poets. Details and definitions are welcome, plus locate
in the poem.
Perhaps as your
conclusion, compare Dickinson and Whitman in relation to each other--What do you
gain, learn, or experience from one that you don't from the other, or vice
versa?
I Sit and Look Out
I sit and look out upon all
the sorrows of the world, and upon all oppression and shame,
I hear secret convulsive sobs
from young men at anguish with themselves, remorseful after deeds done,
I see in low life the mother
misused by her children, dying, neglected, gaunt, desperate,
I see the wife misused by her
husband, I see the treacherous seducer of young women,
I mark the ranklings of
jealousy and unrequited love attempted to be hid, I see these sights on the
earth,
I see the workings of battle,
pestilence, tyranny, I see martyrs and prisoners,
I observe a famine at sea, I
observe the sailors casting lots who shall be kill'd to preserve the lives of
the rest,
I observe the slights and
degradations cast by arrogant persons upon laborers, the poor, and upon negroes,
and the like;
All these--all the meanness
and agony without end I sitting look out upon,
See, hear, and am silent.
#585
I like to see it lap the
miles,
And lick the valleys up,
And stop to feed itself at tanks;
And then, prodigious, step
Around a pile of mountains,
And, supercilious, peer
In shanties, by the sides of roads;
And then a quarry pare*
To fit its sides, and crawl
between,
Complaining all the while
In horrid, hooting stanza;
Then chase itself down hill
And neigh like Boanerges;
Then, punctual as a star,
Stop--docile and omnipotent--
At its own stable door.
*pare: to cut, divide
**Boanerges: "The Sons of Thunder," as Jesus named his
disciples James and John
[complete essay answer]
The poem I Sit and Look
Out is definitely a poem by Walt Whitman. The poem is written in Whitman’s
innovative free verse style and has his traditional long lines. Also, the poem
contains long lists of items that he is observing such as: "sobs from young
men, mother misused by children, dying, neglected, gaunt, desperate, jealousy,
unrequited love, battle, pestilence, tyranny, martyrs and prisoners, famine,
sailors casting lots, degradations cast by arrogant persons upon laborers, the
poor." Furthermore, the lines have a repetitive beginning, or parallelism.
For example: "I see", "I observe", and almost every line
begins with "I". Another characteristic aspect is the subject matter
of him observing society and the world outside of him.
Although, this poem was easy
to identify as Whitman, this poem is very different from his usually style.
There is not any use of the words "o" or "lo", which is
usually Whitman’s way of elevating the language and giving the poem a biblical
tone in secular subject matter. In this poem Whitman does not identify himself
with nature, and he never escapes to nature from society. When Whitman cannot
identify with what is happening in society, like in this poem, he escapes into
nature where life is free and inspirational. However, in I Sit and Look Out he
does not transcend into nature. Furthermore, Whitman absorbs nature and his
surroundings in most of his poems. Yet, in this poem there is no absorption, of
course who would want to be a part of the horrors in this poem. Another
traditional style of Whitman that is missing in this poem is his optimism.
Whitman begins his poems with optimism, then falls into confusion, and finally
works through to a conclusion. This poem begins with a melancholy tone and
continues it throughout. Also, this poem does not have a real conclusion. He
observes what is occurring around him, but he is silent and cannot comment on
the situation. The horrors of society are separate from him and he has no way of
concluding them into something positive. This is also uncharacteristic of
Whitman because usually he is both a part of society and separate from society.
This poem is untraditionally disturbing because he normally leaves a glimmer of
hope, and in this poem Whitman cannot find the bright side of this part of
society. Except perhaps that he cannot identify with it, so there is hope that
others will not be able to except it as well.
Poem #585 is definitely
Emily Dickinson. It has shorter lines and is written in quatrains or 4-line
stanzas. The end of the poem uses her trademark dashes and every line begins
with a capitalized word. Furthermore, this poem is a riddle poem, which is one
of her sub-genres. She uses nature as a symbol of spirit in this poem. Although
she is describing a train in this poem, she compares the trains characteristics
to a horse. Also, the train starts of wild and free like the spirit and then
becomes "docile and omnipotent" once it is settled in it’s holding
area. The idea of the train becoming omnipotent is another characteristic of
Dickinson—her intrusion of the infinite into everyday life. This poem is also
characteristic of Dickinson because she is observing something, but she is not
part of what she is looking at. This exemplifies the idea of Dickinson being
secluded, which comes from a fascination with her life.
Albeit this poem is
characteristic of Dickinson’s style and easy to identify as one of her poems,
it does contain elements that are not traditionally Dickinson. This poem does
not have a rhyme scheme, which Dickinson usually uses such as slant rhymes, half
rhymes , and off rhymes. An example of this is in poem #324 where Dickinson
writes:
Some
keep the Sabbath going to Church—
I
keep it, staying at Home—
With
a Bobolink for a Chorister—
And
an Orchard, for a Dome—
In poem #585, Dickinson does
not really exemplify her usual rhyme scheme. Some of the last words on the lines
end with the same letter, but this still does not constitute Dickinson’s
attempts at keeping a rhyme scheme. Another traditional aspect of Dickinson’s
poetry is a definite beginning and an open ending. This poem does not follow
this pattern. The beginning is definite, the train is moving from one point to
another. However, the poem does not have an open ending. The train goes into the
station and stops. Dickinson does not end this poem with her usually feeling
that action is taking place in the next line—if there were a next line. The
reader knows that the train is going to travel again, but her poems typically
leave the reader wondering what happens next. In this poem that sense is not
felt, the reader can just say, "Okay, the train stopped." Also, as can
be seen from the example of poem #324, Dickinson uses a lot of dashes. However,
in poem #585 she only uses two dashes. Another strange aspect of this poem is
that she does not break the quatrains in the middle of the poem. Traditionally,
Dickinson has a middle stanza that has five lines, or combines two quatrains to
make eight lines. This is her way of breaking the sing-song sound of quatrains
poetry. In this instance she does not, which could be credited to her trying to
make the poem sound like the rhythm of a train. Finally, this poem does not
contain her usual capitalization of words that she feels are important and need
to be emphasized. As was seem in poem #324, she capitalizes, Sabbath, Church,
Home, Bobolink, Chorister, Orchard, and Dome. In poem #585, she does not
capitalize any words except the first words of the lines, and Boanerges because
it is the name of a group and would be capitalized anyway.
Dickinson and Whitman have
many similarities and differences. Whitman uses long, free versed lines that
give a feeling of unrestraint. Dickinson uses short, rhyming lines which gives a
sense of order, but she does break tradition by manipulating the quatrains in
the middle of her poems. Both Whitman and Dickinson observe society and relate
to nature. But Whitman also identifies with society, whereas Dickinson remains
outside of society. From Whitman, the reader gains a feeling of self discovery,
and Whitman gives the reader a path to work out the confusions of the world. He
ends his poems with a conclusion and lets the reader find their own conclusions.
Dickinson, on the other hand, begins her poem with a definite starting point,
but leaves the end open. The lack of conclusion allows the reader to decide the
meaning for themselves with little guidance from Dickinson. The reader gains
some critical thinking ability with Dickinson and a sense of hope with Whitman.
Both Dickinson and Whitman benefit the reader because the reader leaves the poem
thinking about society and their (the reader’s and the authors’) lives. [EG
2001]
[excerpt from conclusion]
Whitman offers lengthy
details, seemingly leaving nothing out while Dickinson’s poetry is sparse,
seemingly carefully choosing each individual word. With Whitman, the reader is
invited to get involved with every person that has ever lived, while Dickinson
offers the reader only a miniscule moment in time with one horse, one bird, one
snake, or perhaps a person. Dickinson offers intimacy while Whitman offers
crowds—she invites the reader to experience an intimate moment, whereas he
invites the reader to experience the wide world. [JT 2001]
****************
Essay question 4.
Write an essay comparing the styles, values, and
appeals of classic, popular, and representative authors and literature
(Objective 1).
Define and
give examples of classical, popular, and representative literature from our
course. (Suggestions
for examples are given below. Don’t just rename them, but describe them in
ways that fit your definitions.)
Some authors may
fit more than one category.
What different
pleasures, benefits, and challenges does each category offer a reader in our
time? How were they received in their own time and by periods following their
publication?
For what
different purposes are these types of literature written?
What does one
learn from reading
across these different categories of literature?
What different
readers might be
attracted to the different categories?
Which category,
or which balance of categories, is most appropriate for a college literature
class like ours? What about other types of literature classrooms?
As usual in an essay like
this, you’re encouraged to do a lot of comparing and contrasting from start
to finish, for the sake of sparking ideas and weaving organization.
Examples:
(not an exhaustive list—you’re welcome to develop your own)
"Classic"
authors and texts: Herman Melville, Billy
Budd (2512-2570); Emily Dickinson, poems (starting on 2861); Nathaniel
Hawthorne, "Young Goodman Brown," 2207-2216. "The Minister’s
Black Veil," 2216-2224
"Popular"
authors and texts: Fanny Fern, Ruth
Hall; Frances Sargent Locke Osgood, "Ellen Learning to Walk"
(2708-2709); Washington Irving, "Rip Van Winkle" and "Legend of
Sleepy Hollow" (1342-1374)
"Representative"
texts and authors: "History of
the Miraculous Apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1531," 474-482;
"La Llarona, Malinche, and Guadalupe," 1328-1332; Juan Nepomuceno
Seguin, 2070-2078; Mariano Guadalupe Vellejo, 2078-2089; William Apess,
1866-1873; John Wannuaucon Quinney, 1873-1878; Sojourner Truth, 2045-2053;
Harriet Ann Jacobs, from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,
1837-1864. (In the second part of the semester we concentrated less on this
category, so your treatment of this category may or may not be equal in length
to the other two categories.)
*Also consider authors who
combine or cross categories: Edgar Allan Poe, Frederick Douglass, Harriet
Beecher Stowe, Washington Irving, Margaret Fuller.
[complete
answer]
The American Renaissance
includes several different genres of literature. Among these are classical,
popular, and representative literature. Each one of these has its own style,
characteristics, challenges, and audience.
Classical literature has
several recognizable characteristics. One of these is its deliberate
self-control and intellectual approach. Classical literature does not dissolve
into sentimentality or unchecked passion. Even as Frederick Douglass writes
about as emotional a subject as slavery, he maintains an elegant tone and argues
his point with logic, rather than histrionics. Another element of classical
literature is its tradition of cultural criticism. This can be seen in both
Washington Irving’s work and in that of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Irving expresses
his reservations about a society that is suddenly on the move both physically
and economically by planting his stories in still, sleepy Dutch communities that
seem to be isolated in time and space. Hawthorne applies his literary gift to a
critique of the narrow definitions of morality that he sees in his native New
England. Another aspect of classical literature is its compositional integrity.
It is possible to trace specific motifs throughout the writing. For example,
Hawthorne drops pink ribbons from beginning to end in "Young Goodman
Brown." Abraham Lincoln relies on biblical images to unite a deeply
divided, yet primarily Christian nation.
Classical literature
presents unique pleasures, benefits, and challenges to the reader. By its very
nature, classical literature stretches the boundaries of the mind. The writing
is rigorous, so it requires time and concentration to get through it. Upon
completion of a complex story like Herman Melville’s "Billy Budd,"
with its acrobatic sentence structure and poetic descriptive passages, the
reader feels a sense of true accomplishment. Classical literature also demands
repeated readings. New insights are gained with each re-reading. Emily
Dickinson’s poetry continues to reveal its layers every time it is examined,
and Hawthorne’s multiple meanings keep emerging each time his book comes down
from the shelf.
Authors have many purposes
for classical writing, but it is usually an elegant critique. For example,
Melville rails against a society that does not value the artist, venting his
frustration that mundane tasks interfere with his ability to create great
literature. Ralph Waldo Emerson uses his writing to urge the emergence of the
individual in a world that is becoming too homogenized. Douglass demands an end
to the cruelty and injustice that is slavery. With its inherent logic and
intellectual tone, classical literature is an ideal forum for dispersing
progressive ideas.
By its nature, classical
literature limits its own audience. Much of classical literature is confined to
anthologies and academia. This can be seen in Melville’s work, which employs a
very complicated style and insists on showing the prejudices that his audience
might prefer to keep hidden. Emerson’s highly logical style and intellectual
approach excludes readers who are outside the educated elite. By alienating
potential readers, classical authors keep an exclusive audience.
Popular literature, on the
other hand, reaches out to the masses. Popular literature enjoys widespread
success despite, and possibly because of, its lack of the rigid structure
characteristic of classical literature. Popular literature often has an airy,
sentimental feel that is sometimes described as out of control. Generally, the
pace is fast and the topics are current. A good example is Fanny Fern, who
writes humorous, sarcastic sketches about domestic affairs that originally
appeared in a daily newspaper column—with a looming deadline, something
Hawthorne or Melville could not imagine.
Popular literature has its
own pleasures and benefits. It is usually a fast, fun read that employs common
language and a simpler sentence structure. There is no question of Fern’s
meaning when she says, "Shouldn’t I like to make a bonfire of all the
‘Hints to Young Wives,’ ‘Married Woman’s Friend,’ etc., and throw in
the authors after them?" This is a savvy observation immediately
recognizable to a large audience, many of whom probably share her irreverent
view. Likewise, Frances Sargent Locke Osgood’s sentimental, accessible poetry
is immensely appealing to the segment of the public concerned with home and
family. These are the books that are talked about on street corners and in
elevators among strangers. Popular literature invites a large audience to
partake in a common experience, which unites its readers.
The reasons for writing
popular literature are harder to pin down than those of classical literature.
Many popular authors write to make a living or maybe even a fortune, if the book
is a best-seller. Others seek to outrage the establishment with irreverence and
sarcasm. Generally, popular literature does not aspire to any particular higher
calling.
As the name popular
literature implies, this writing appeals to many. It is widely read and enjoyed.
Because it does not possess the lasting polish of classical literature, popular
writing is often scorned by the critics and adored by the public. However, for
that same reason, it has a short shelf life. The best seller of today is
forgotten tomorrow. This is evidenced by the fact that Fanny Fern’s work was
out of print for over one hundred years, until it was rediscovered by feminist
scholars.
Representative literature
gives voice to the disenfranchised. Those normally excluded from society find an
outlet in this genre. Representative literature is commonly non-standard and
non-academic. A fine example is the work of Sojourner Truth. This uneducated
former slave refuses to be silenced by an intellectual elite, as she makes her
case against slavery, racism, and sexism.
The pleasures, benefits,
and challenges of representative literature cross the boundaries. Like popular
literature, representative writing allows a shared experience. Through these
writers, it is possible to hear a voice that has been formerly drowned out. This
allows a dialogue that can bring about change. This is evidenced by the work of
Truth and Harriet Jacobs, both seeking the abolition of slavery. Their success
highlights a benefit of representative literature. Because of its non-standard
style, a challenge of representative literature may be its literary obscurity.
Some representative authors are difficult to understand, due to illiteracy or
local dialect.
The audience of
representative literature is more specific than that of popular literature. Like
classical writing, representative literature appeals to a more narrow
readership, often limited to a local area where the author is known, or to a
group with an affinity for the issues raised.
While each of these genres
of literature has its own style and appeal, classical, popular, and
representative literature all deserve a place in the literary canon. It is
through exploring the offerings of all three together that we can gain an
understanding of the people who lived through the American Renaissance. [KK
2001]
[excerpt]
Representative literature
often shows its readers what has been repressed from common (or the dominant
culture’s) knowledge. This type of literature, like classic literature, often
challenges society and the dominant mode of thinking, but in hopes of changing
or exposing these wrongdoings, as opposed to classic works, which more often
represent an intellectual challenge.
Readers of representative
literature are often surprised by their own ignorance to these problems or
situations. . . .
Douglass also crosses and
blurs the boundary between popular and representative (even classic). His style
is that of a class writer, while his subjects were representative of
non-dominant thinking, all while retaining the readability and understandability
of popular literature. . . .
For a college literature
class, a survey of all types of literature is appropriate, with a stress on the
classics. One should begin with a popular piece such as Mohicans, work
through a few representative works, and settle into the classics for a better
understanding of the categories. It also leads itself from easier to more
difficult pieces, building off the previous works. . . . [WF 2001]