Whitman part II

       I still do not totally understand a lot of what Whitman is trying to say. He always listed endless examples to make his point, such as rivers, birds, and plants. I realize that he wanted to create a different kind of writing than that of the Europeans. He thought the American poets were responsible for giving the world something new. However, he knew that America contains too many things that it is impossible to write down by him only, but he will be the leading one. 
       This concept of Whitman is similar to that of Emerson's "minds of past." They both believed that the scholars/ poets are the leading figures who should show the new direction to the Americans.  
       Mr. Cook...can you clarify what Whitman thinks the poets (the elites) should do? thanks~

Whitman's "Preface of Leaves of Grass "

       I found it difficult to follow Whitman's idea of "America" even I read the text twice, but I will do my best to write down what I understand in the first three paragraphs. Please correct me if I am wrong.
       In the first paragraph, Whitman stated that America has been through a lot of things, and it "does not repel the past of what if has produced under its form or amid other politics of the idea of castes or the old religions." America has learned a lot from the lesson, and is ready to leave those things to find others that are appropriate for the present.
       He then acknowledged the great things in America in the second paragraph. He said that"The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem." America is a nation with patriotic people who cheer for their freedom and with good agricultural that can feed the people and their descendants.
       I think Whitman really emphasis the freedom in America. In the third paragraph. he said that America is the best not because of its "executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges or churches or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors," but the common people who are friendly, enthusiastic about the freedom in this new nation.
        However, I thought this idea contradict to Emerson's idea of the importance of the scholars/ poets that they are the central of the society? I am kind of confused.....

The American Scholar (Part III)

       I had a discussion with Mr. Cook and David today after the class about the purpose of Emerson's work. We concluded that he wrote this paper to address the importances of the scholars and to point out their flaws.
       Just like the beginning story of "body"and Mankind versus men, the people in the society is now separated from each other. Mankind should work as a system that includes every person and his profession. Emerson says the scholars are like the brain of the system, implementing knowledge to benefit the rest of the society. Likewise, the farmers, lawyers, teachers, doctors are using their profession not only to make a living, but also to give out what they have to the society. The scholars who are the leaders should emphasis this idea. In fact, they only sit around and "think" about philosophies alone without publishing to the society to benefit others. The purpose of Emerson's speech is to point out the significant of revealing scholars' influences to the whole society.
  

The American Scholar (Part II)

       Today in class, we talked about the "influences" that Emerson wrote in his American Scholar. I found it difficult to follow his ideas  while just reading it. Most of the time I have to read through a sentence more than two times and look up some words.

Emerson....and The American Scholar

       My first impression of Emerson is that...he is so smart!! How can a human being's mind function so well like his. Emerson emerged as an important scholar in the nineteenth century, and even now, his influence on the American literature is undeniable. At first, I can hardly understand his written work without help! However, after the class discussion, I found his ideas about American scholars interesting.
       During the class, we talked about the introduction and the first influence-Nature. Emerson believed that human beings should function as a large system. He explained it by starting out a story (a fable) comparing the system to human body. In the past, humans had been worked together, and they were all contributing to improve the public. However, he says that most people were focusing only on their personal accomplishment, but forget he/she was also a part of the body.Just like a hand that has a lot of fingers. If they work separately, then the hand itself will lost it's capability to function as a hand.
       In part one, Emerson was trying to emphasis the importance of nature that is associated with the mind. He states that the nature the human minds are connected with each other. Only by learning about circulation of the universe, can human fully realize how their minds work.

The Poor Indians....(Apess+Occom)

       Both passages illustrates the poor conditions of the Indians that are mostly caused by the white men. Although both Apess and Occom were educated unlike others, their points of view for the Indians were quit different.
       Apess stood up for the Indians and criticized the white men who had been living by the Christianity, but only followed the rules if they wanted to. He expressed the races equality; no one was better than any other. I found it interesting how he named his work as "An Indian's Looking-Glass for the White Man." He was sending the massage to the white men that they are just a bunch of fools in Indian's eyes. I was really surprised of his idea that Jesus was a colored man, such a slap in the white men's face. However, Occom who was also well educated wrote in a different tone. He showed his sympathy for the poor Indians. He acted like he is "white men produced," and now helping out his brothers.
       These two Indian men ended up differently after the same education background. Apess's work expressed much anger than the one of Occom; however, they both succeed illustrating the flaws of the white men.  

If Anne Bradstreet came out of the poems....

I am a woman. Is it a reason to be excluded?
I am a woman who is writing poems and even publishing them. Does that sound strange?

I grew up in an England castle where my father worked. I realized that I am very well educated compared to other young English girls. Neither I nor the girls go to school, but I spent much of my time learning in the castle library with eight tutors and my dear father, Thomas Dudley, who was always willing to teach me something new. I admitted that I am a very inquisitive person, so I always tried to satisfy my hunger for knowledge by reading others' works. Thanks to my father, I was privileged enough to have unlimited access to the great library where I embraced myself to the writings of many well known authors.

However, I traveled to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with my parents and husband in 1630. Now here I am, in the New World. Although I have suffered by my sickness, I still take care of my children and my house really well. There is no reason that I can't spend my own time doing my favorite thing -- writing, since I fulfill the "requirement" for a Puritan woman.

I love writing poems about Puritan and my faith. I express my emotion through the poems. (To My Dear and Loving Husband) Sometimes for my husband, my children, or even myself.

I am lucky to be educated, unlike those women around me. I disagree with the critics who put women into secondary category in the society. Women should not be excluded in the intellectual field; in fact, anything! (The Prologue) If a man can do it, a woman is always capable of doing so too.




first publication: The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up 

(NEW WORDS:hoist on your own petard)