The poem “How I Discovered Poetry” by Marilyn Nelson presents the theme of finding an interest or passion for something. Also another theme that can be wrapped around this poem is the power of words. The speaker is Nelson who is in the classroom while her teacher, Mrs. Purdy is reading from her desk. Mrs. Purdy becomes one of the main influence of her finding her passion for poetry. Mrs. Purdy seems to be a very genuine and loving teacher who cares about her students. This is shown when she brings in a poem specifically for the speaker and asks the speaker to read it in front of her classmates. The speaker also seemed to be different than her classmates in a way where she is more attentive and studious than them. This is portrayed when the…
As I read selected Walt Whitman’s poems I felt as if I was reading unfinished work. For example in the poem, “When I Heard the Learned Astronomer” it was very clear on what he was talking about. However, it felt to me as if he had received writers block. The poem could have gone on for a couple of more stanzas. I am no poem expert, but I feel as if the poem could have gotten into more details about the stars, and the astronomer. However, that is just me. Another one of his poems, “I Hear America Singing” was another beautifully written piece. However, once again, I felt as if it was not finished. He goes through each occupation with ease and briefly gives an overview of what they “sing.” To me, Whitman would have made an intriguing poem if…
In the poem “When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer”, by Walt Whitman, the speaker “[becomes] tired and sick” of the learned astronomer's “proofs, [and] figures” used to observe the stars. While the others attending the lecture applaud the astronomer for his approach to the stars, the speaker, however, exits the lecture hall to enjoy the stars in his preferred method of going outside in the “perfect silence”. These contrasting scenes expose the dichotomous relationship of the speaker’s and the astronomer's approach to observing the stars. The use of structure, diction, and imagery reveal how the astronomer’s approach of observing the stars is far too mechanical and structured to truly see their beauty.…
found the poem “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” by Walt Whitman interesting. The poem was straightforward for the most part so I found it easier to read than many of the other poems. First, I found the use of the word gliding in the poem very strange. The speaker was in an astronomy lecture hall and he stood up and left in the middle of the lecture. When I imagine an individual standing up in the middle of a hall, I think of it being disturbing, loud and annoying. The choice of the words rising and gliding made it sound like the writer stood up smoothly and gracefully which I found strange in the context. Also, the line that says “How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick.” I understood unaccountable as in the author wasn’t feeling…
In the poem, “A Summer’s Evening Meditation”, Anna Barbuald uses rich imagery to depict a unique journey across the universe through the use of contemplation, the desire to know and questions that sparks the speaker’s curiosity. The desire that we as humans have to know is the aspect of what this poem highlights. Barbuald allows the speaker to contemplate through the creation of God to find that inner peace and strengthen her relationship with the divine. The speaker first contemplates, then asks questions and later on she wants to know new knowledge to surpass the old knowledge she already knows.…
One of the most credited poets throughout the Civil War period was Walt Whitman, who wrote about the hardships of war in his work. In particular, two of his poems are not only heavily intertwined based on topic, but in structure and used literary techniques. “Beat! Beat! Drums!” and “O Captain! O Captain!” both share many similar qualities among figurative, sound and structural devices that Whitman uses to help further enhance the theme of how negatively war can impact individuals.…
In Sarah Orne Jewett’s “A White Heron[comma]” Sylvia goes through a time of transition and experience to become her true self in finding what makes her happy, becoming a more mature female, and being truthful to herself.…
In the poem, the author describes the scene of birds singing early in the morning and how quickly the sereneness ends. The author uses diction and metaphors to describe the birds’ song.…
The White Heron depicts a story of a little girl who leads a life of respect and love of nature rather than that of fortune. Early on in the story, she meets a boy who is a self-proclaimed ornithologist, a scientist that studies birds. He is willing to pay ten dollars to whomever can show him the White Heron he had once seen. It is now up to Sylvia, the young girl, to make a decision either in favor of the ornithologist or the white heron. Ultimately, she will be making a decision to acquiesce to male dominance or not.…
This morning we went outside with the teachers and the children into the small playground. R wanted a cooking tool to knock these new homemade instruments, but he can’t (could not) find one. So (Therefore) when R asked me to help him to find a cooking tool, I told (asked) him “Can you wait for you turn as your friend M had first” I asked him that could he wait for the next turn because his friend M had it first, and he said “yes” (answered yes). After a short time wait, he found one cooking tool on the sandpit. Then, R played these instruments looks like a musician, and then, I asked R “shall we sing your favorite song together?” and he replied “yes, old Macdonald had a farm.” After singing song, child R glanced over his shoulder to knock the second pan and he listened what the sound of the pan makes. After a short time of period, he changed to use another hand to knock the second cooking pot again with highly concentration listened what the sound of pot makes. He showed a big smile face to me and carried on knocking the third cooking pot. When he knocked the third cooking tools, and he found that the sound was different from others, so he listened carefully.…
Walt Whitman was a great american poet that wrote about the CIvil War and life in general. In 1886, at the young age of 17, he became a school teacher and later became a journalist just five years later. In 1855 Whitman made Leaves of Grass, his first step toward poetry. He wrote this book of twelve poems and published it himself. Walt Whitman made, edited, and published many great american poems, including O Captain! My Captain! and Song of Myself, that he often included his views about transcendentalism and realism.…
“I sit and look out…I hear secret…I see in low life…” Whitman, “I Sit and Look Out”…
In Walt Whitman’s poem, Song of Myself, I found different key pieces of Whitman’s diction and language to be more in depth and not so cut, black and white. This poem really makes you think by giving you different perspectives of life to wonder about through the use of his words. I have gotten the impression that Whitman really values himself and his beliefs of a good world and being alive in the present is worthwhile to him. His words are very powerful, thoughtful and even strong enough to change somebodies view of how they see the world. Whitman includes inspirational, yet erotic views of how he feels for his soul and the life around him.…
Research has been extensive related to the brain and how it functions since early times. This abstract will explore the connection between the amygdala and a prominent legal case that happened in 1966 with Charles Whitman (Ledoux par 3).…
In “Song of Myself” Walt Whitman is trying to see self as a whole. He wants to find strength and beauty as to make self whole and to be unified with humanity and nature. While people are condemning him, because the expression of a sexual content and a connection that makes use body and soul as well as the shock value. Whitman’s friend Ralph Waldo Emerson decides to back him in his writing. Emerson’s letter to Whitman calling Leaves of Grass "the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed" saved Whitman 's self-published first edition from sinking into obscurity. Yet even more important, Emerson 's work as a whole helped to prepare readers for the liberal, post-Christian spirituality that pervades Leaves of Grass. (Insert my source). Whitman wants to bring…