American Literature • A Growing Nation Parts 3 & 4 – Flashcards

Moby Dick was written by

Moby Dick was written in

Herman Melville was next door neighbors with

The original manuscript for Moby Dick fit in a

Moby Dick is an

Was not a success until rediscovered in the 1920's

large sweeping story, lot of characters, great amount of time covered, and very basic themes (1. Characters are beings of national importance and historical or legendary significance; 2. The setting is grand in scope, covering nations, the world, or even the universe; 3. Action consists of deeds of great valor and courage; 4. Style is sustained in tone and language; 5. Supernatural forces interest themselves in human action and often intervene directly.)

Moby Dick was rediscovered by a student at ___, and he showed a professor who then realized an American masterpiece had been overlooked.

Set on board the Pequod

Melville's ship of the world

Captain Ahab is a very ___ character

Captain Ahab's struggle is between

The Pequod is very symbolic and represents

How many mates were on the Pequod

1st mate on the Pequod

2nd mate on the Pequod

3rd mate on the Pequod

Only character to not get caught up in the Captain's determination

How many harpooners were on the Pequod

South Pacific harpooner on the Pequod

Native American (Eskimo) harpooner on the Pequod

African harpooner on the Pequod

The number ___ is significant in Moby Dick. In the Christian faith there is the ___.

Captain Ahab is trying to find some

By striking out at Moby Dick, Ahab can "___ ___ ___ ___" to try to find some understanding of the universe

Name of the real whale Moby Dick was named after

Opening line of Moby Dick

Ishmael used to be a ___, and now he wants to learn about whaling.

To learn about whaling, Ishmael decides to board the Pequod with the harpooner ___.

1. Ahab will die only if he sees two hearses on the ocean, one not made by man's hand, the other made of American wood (Moby Dick and the boat); 2. Only if Fedallah dies first; 3. Only by hemp (rope; Ahab killed by his own rope; dies on the whale in a shape of a cross; "sacrificial lamb")

Nature is neither good, bad, nor indifferent, but relative to the perceiver

For Melville, nature is ___.

The whale represents the ___ of everything.

Believed that there was one soul in the world that connected God, nature, and man called the Over-Soul

There could be no ___ in nature since nature's soul is shared with God

With Moby Dick, Melville was trying to ___ the ideas of transcendentalists because he did not believe in them

The ending of Moby Dick is unclear because Ahab dies because of ___ (Moby Dick).

In the end Moby Dick intentionally rammed into the Pequod, so is there evil in nature?

Moby-Dick has many ___ ___.

The Biblical connections in Moby-Dick are obvious. In particular, the ___ ___.

I Kings 21; Hebrew ruler who was a king; Worshipped idols, one of Israel's most powerful rulers; Wanted Naboth's vineyard & took care of it, Jezebel set up Naboth and accused him of a crime, Naboth ended up getting stoned to death & ___ got the vineyard; In the OT there is a prophet named Elijah who prophesied he would die and dogs would lick up his blood; Our character wants something that is not his; Willing to fight for something that is not his

the wanderer; Ishmael and Isaac were Abraham's sons; Sarah (wife) let husband sleep with house care-keeper because she was not able to get pregnant; However, she had Isaac; Ishmael and house care-keeper were kicked out; Ishmael started Muslim descendants

the prophet; the one who cursed King Ahab; one man in Nantucket who says blood will be spilled and will bring down all of crew

the white whale; Jonah and the whale; likened to this whale; at the church Father Mapel is in a ship-looking pulpit and is giving a sermon about Jonah and the whale; Jonah couldn't obey God because he couldn't disobey himself; parallels our Ahab

Minor character; the comforter of Jobe (horrible plagues, locus attacks)

minor character; angel, one of crew-men, warns not to go to Pequod

Jonah

Matthew

Abraham

the captain who swings over onto the Pequod; has lost an arm to Moby Dick

What does Ahab offer to the crew member who spots Moby Dick?

What happened to Ahab in his previous encounter with Moby Dick?

How does Starbuck interpret Ahab's obsession with Moby Dick?

Why does Starbuck obey Ahab even though he disagrees with him?

What does Ahab believe exists "behind the unreasoning mask" of all visible things?

What happens to Ahab, Moby Dick, and the Pequod in the end?

What does the final paragraph indicate about the relationship between humanity and nature?

How does Moby Dick react when the Pequod first approaches his flank?

How does Moby Dick's reaction illuminate the differences between the whale in reality and in Ahab's imagination?

In Moby Dick, out of the 145 chapters the whale is only in ___ of them.

What omens appear as Ahab's boat pulls away from the Pequod?

What omens appear when Moby Dick surfaces?

In the paragraph in the first section from Moby Dick that begins "Hark ye yet again,..." to what does Ahab compare Moby Dick? What does this symbolism tell you about Ahab's obsession?

Toward the end of Moby Dick, reread the paragraph that begins, "I turn my body from the sun." What message is Ahab communicating in this paragraph?

If the crew of the Pequod symbolizes humanity and Moby Dick symbolizes nature, what do you think the ship's voyage symbolizes?

The color white is often used as a symbol for innocence, as well as for absence and death. What contradictory symbolic meanings does the whale' whiteness convey?

a person, place, or thing that has its own meaning and also represents something larger, usually an abstract idea

The main symbol in Melville's great novel - the ___ - is complex and gives the novel its name

Reflect. Moby-Dick is enormous and powerful.

Reflect. Moby-Dick seems unpredictable but is controlled by natural laws.

Reflect. Moby-Dick seems immortal and indifferent to human suffering.

Made from the jaw bone of a sperm whale; A sperm whale took his leg so it was his revenge

the white whale (whale represents nature); traditionally innocence; in this case death

represent all of humanity, every nation is represented; the ship of the world, the Pequod is humanity

3 year voyage (Ahab wouldn't let them stop at a port because his crew would bale); Humanity's journey of trying to learn how to control nature

harsh and cold, has been through prisons and wicked places, cannot see but feel it, can be gracious or create a storm, they depend on it for their travel, it will blow them to their deaths or to Moby Dick; Captain Ahab's fate (they would never have found Moby Dick if this hadn't blown them there)

Considering the journey's symbolic meaning and its terrible outcome, speculate about the novel's overall theme, or central idea.

Two main foils in Moby Dick

stubborn, determined, slightly insane (his obsession makes him appear mad), compulsive, and thoughtless in respect of the crew VS religious, sane, smart, controlled, reasonable, practical, compassionate, and protective of the crew (considered mutiny and drew a knife on Ahab), obedient to the captain, reasonable

Good vs Evil

the first philosopher of the American spirit (came from a good background)

Born in Boston, the son of a Unitarian minister

Graduated from Harvard Divinity School

Became pastor of the Second Church of Boston (7th generation in his family)

The most popular church in the 19th century (no Methodist yet)

Believe in God and that Jesus existed, but he was a prophet, not a Savior (good works will get you to heaven)

Resigned from the pulpit after three years, disillusioned and dissatisfied with the "spiritual restrictions" (his wife died and he decided he couldn't preach something he didn't believe)

After visiting in Europe, settled in Concord

Became a popular lecturer and essayist

Ralph Waldo Emerson did not create a religion, he created a ___

a way of thinking about something, not something you worship

Ralph Waldo Emerson studied many ___ from all over the world and he started to believe in something similar to the Hindu faith

Published Essays (1841)

Published Second Volume (1844)

Published Representative Men (1849)

Published The Conduct of Life (1860)

he considered himself primarily a poet

Published Poems (1847)

Published May-Day and Other Pieces (Poems, 1867)

Founded Transcendentalism, an intellectual movement

Drew his ideas from many places (the world worked as a machine, everything natural could be explained)

Main accomplishment of ___ was to overturn the 18th century ideas of nature as a machine and God as the master mechanic

A philosophy that asserts that knowledge of fundamental reality is beyond the reach of a person's limited senses and is derived through intuition rather than sensory experience

Includes the idea of the Over-Soul - man, nature, and God share a soul and therefore we know things about the world and have the ability to answer the "great truths" with our intuition; we transcend our senses to go beyond; impossible to define and ever-evolving

basic questions we have about the world

1) The human spirit can intuitively comprehend the fundamental truths of the universe; 2) The human spirit is reflected in nature (we do not see God - we see his creation which is nature, the visible face of God); 3) All forms of being are spiritually united in a universal soul, or Over-Soul

a tool or technique poets and fiction writers use to describe things; when a writer describes something in terms of something else "the painting was as blue as the sky"

word pictures that appeal to the senses

comparison between two or more unlike things with or without the use of the word like or as

a detailed portrayal of something in words

the use of one part of something to stand for the whole

Wrote "Nature"

The year "Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson was first published

Was the foundation of the Transcendentalist philosophy

is an essay and a book (essay is in " " and book is italicized/underline)

Urges readers to avoid blindly conforming to the ideas and behavior dictated by society

Urges people to think and act independently

Written in 1836 for the unveiling of Revolutionary war monument

Emerson praises the bravery of the minutemen who fought at Lexington and Concord

Conveys the message that people who make great sacrifices for noble causes such as freedom will never be forgotten

Wrote "Concord Hymn"

What event took place by the "rude bridge" ("Concord Hymn")?

Explain the image "the shot heard round the world ("Concord Hymn")."

What has happened to the bridge ("Concord Hymn")?

How does the poem's organization reflect a sense of the passage of time ("Concord Hymn")?

Who does the poet address in the last stanza ("Concord Hymn")?

In what way does this direct address reflect the Transcendentalist belief in an Over-Soul ("Concord Hymn")?

"Concord Hymn" was not his best poem, but it is the one he is most remembered by

Wrote "Self-Reliance"

Under what circumstances, does "mean egotism" vanish? What is "mean egotism" (Nature)?

When does Emerson become a "transparent eyeball"? In what ways does this description reflect the Transcendentalist belief in an Over-Soul (Nature)?

What does Emerson means when he says that "Nature always wears the colors of the spirit" (Nature)?

What is Emerson's main point in this essay (Nature)?

What does Emerson means by describing nature as both comic and melancholy (Nature)?

What terms does Emerson use to describe society (Self-Reliance)?

What is society's main purpose, according to Emerson (Self-Reliance)?

According to Emerson, what do Pythagoras, Socrates, Jesus, Luther, Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton have in common (Self-Reliance)?

What evidence does Emerson use to support his claim that "to be great is to be misunderstood" (Self-Reliance)?

According to Emerson, what role does the "divine" have in determining each person's circumstances (Self-Reliance)?

What would Emerson say is each person's reason for living (Self-Reliance)?

What is the central idea of Self-Reliance?

Ralph Waldo Emerson published both of these in the same Year

Identify one metaphor in each essay. Explain the abstract idea each metaphor helps Emerson express in concrete terms. "Nature."

Identify one metaphor in each essay. Explain the abstract idea each metaphor helps Emerson express in concrete terms. "Self-Reliance."

Explain Emerson's use of synecdoche in this passage: "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string."

Does the image of the "transparent eyeball" effectively convey the Transcendentalist idea of a universal Over-Soul?

In "Nature," Emerson describes the woods as the "plantations of God." What type of figurative language is he using?

In "Self-Reliance" Emerson describes "that divine idea which each of us represent." How does that phrase and the one noted in question 4 represent similar ideas about the relationship of God to nature and people?

"Nature is a setting that fits equally well a comic or a mourning piece. In good health, the air is a cordial of incredible virtue." A. The human spirit can intuitively comprehend the fundamental truths of the universe. B. The human spirit is reflected in nature. C. All forms of being are spiritually united.

"The currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God." A. The human spirit can intuitively comprehend the fundamental truths of the universe. B. The human spirit is reflected in nature. C. All forms of being are spiritually united.

"The greatest delight which the fields and woods minister is the suggestions of an occult relation between man and the vegetable." A. The human spirit can intuitively comprehend the fundamental truths of the universe. B. The human spirit is reflected in nature. C. All forms of being are spiritually united.

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit." A. The human spirit can intuitively comprehend the fundamental truths of the universe. B. The human spirit is reflected in nature. C. All forms of being are spiritually united.

"The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what it is which he can do." A. The human spirit can intuitively comprehend the fundamental truths of the universe. B. The human spirit is reflected in nature. C. All forms of being are spiritually united.

"Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string." A. The human spirit can intuitively comprehend the fundamental truths of the universe. B. The human spirit is reflected in nature. C. All forms of being are spiritually united.

"Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of our own mind." A. The human spirit can intuitively comprehend the fundamental truths of the universe. B. The human spirit is reflected in nature. C. All forms of being are spiritually united.

Figurative language: "In good health, the air is a cordial of incredible virtue."

Figurative language: "I become a transparent eyeball."

Figurative language: "For nature is not always tricked in holiday attire, but the same scene which yesterday breathed perfume and glittered as for the frolic of the nymphs is overspread with melancholy today."

Figurative language: "Society is a joint-stock company in which the members agree for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder."

Figurative language: "He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness."

Figurative language: "He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall."

Figurative language: "Here once the embattled farmers stood / And fired the shot heard round the world."

Figurative language: "Down the dark stream which seaward creeps."

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential fact of life."

Very odd young man who was a life-long resident of Concord and looked homeless

Middle-class man with teacher parents who hadn't traveled much

Latched onto the idea of mankind and nature being one thing; Emerson became his mentor (actually rented him an apartment)

on July 4, 1845, he moved 2-3 miles outside of Concord to the shore of Walden Pond (owned by Emerson) where built a house from wood (only thing he bought was the tools)

Lived at Walden Pond for 2 years 2 months and 2 days; looking for a way to refresh the spirit; published "Walden"

Walden is more popular

thought society was too much of a distraction

An eccentric who followed the teachings of Emerson

Dedicated himself to testing the Transcendentalist philosophy

From July 4, 1845, to August 1847, he lived alone at a cabin that he built himself at Walden Pond

From this experience, he wrote his masterpiece, Walden, in 1854

Expresses Thoreau's belief that society has become too complex and fast-paced and that people should do everything possible to simplify their lives

a response to the American Industrial Revolution

believed the Industrial Revolution and the notion of progress have corrupted mankind, and he advocates going back to a simpler, more self-sufficient life before it is too late

resulted in people leaving farms, child labor, big cities with lots of smoke and dirt, and factories

stresses the need to resist conformity and to follow our own inner voices

built a very small cabin; didn't take any books because they reflected society and he wanted to watch nature

suggests that by following our inner voices, we can experience a spiritual awakening (not physical; Over-Soul!)

"I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." (a.k.a. viewed living at Walden as a success)

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

"Cultivate poverty like a garden herb . . . Do not trouble yourself much to get new things . . . Turn the old; return to them . . . Things do not change; we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts."

"Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul."

The manner in which a writer puts his or her thoughts into words

Wrote "Civil Disobedience"

A 20-page essay in which Thoreau advocates the deliberate and public refusal to obey laws that violate one's personal principles.

Expresses his belief (Henry David Thoreau's) that government has been no more than an impediment to the productivity and achievements of the American people

What advice does Thoreau offer about the ownership of land? (Henry David Thoreau's Walden)

What advice does Thoreau offer to those who live in poverty? What is his definition of true wealth? (Henry David Thoreau's Walden)

According to Thoreau, by what is our life "frittered away"? (Henry David Thoreau's Walden)

What does Thoreau mean by his advice to "Simplify, simplify"? (Henry David Thoreau's Walden)

Explain how the paragraph on simplicity in Walden demonstrates the following elements of Thoreau's style: a conversational tone (Henry David Thoreau's Walden)

Explain how the paragraph on simplicity in Walden demonstrates the following elements of Thoreau's style: figurative expression, such as metaphor and analogy (Henry David Thoreau's Walden)

What did Thoreau hope to achieve by living at Walden Pond? (Henry David Thoreau's Walden)

Did Thoreau believe that his time at Walden Pond was well spent? (Henry David Thoreau's Walden)

Thoreau used a climactic style of writing. Refer to the paragraph on simplicity in Walden. Explain how the paragraph demonstrates Thoreau's tendency to make sentences build to a climax. (Henry David Thoreau's Walden)

Uses figurative language, etc., and builds up to the most important thing; "We do not ride upon the railroad, it rides upon us."

How we write; first sentence is the topic sentence

Explain the analogy near the end of the selection about the "strong and beautiful bug." What is Thoreau trying to say? (Henry David Thoreau's Walden)

When was the Mexican War fought?

What was the cause for the Mexican war?

Why did Thoreau spend a night in jail?

Why did Thoreau write "Civil Disobedience"?

What motto does Thoreau accept? (Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience")

How would he like to see that motto implemented? (Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience")

What does Thoreau say is the best possible kind of government? (Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience")

When does Thoreau say Americans will get the best possible kind of government? (Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience")

What is Thoreau asking his readers to do? (Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience")

Why did Thoreau go to Walden woods?

When did Thoreau go to Walden woods?

What did Thoreau want us to do with our lives?

What did Thoreau think about slavery?

What was the relationship between Emerson and Thoreau?

To whom did the land belong where Thoreau went at Walden?

How long was Thoreau there (Walden Pond)?

Describe the house he built for himself. How much did it cost?

What does Walden symbolize? A balance between ___ and ___.

Why did Thoreau go to jail?

Where was Thoreau born?

What is the Walden Woods Project?

What was "God's Drop"? (Thoreau, Walden)

What is the "Simplicity Project"?

What does spring symbolize in Walden?

Why did Thoreau leave the woods?

How long did it take Thoreau to put the book together?

Of what did Thoreau die?

Why does the origin of our national parks begin with Thoreau?

What is the legacy of Walden?

choice of words, length of sentences, type and structure of sentences, rhythm, use of literary devices (we looked at this mainly with Thoreau's Walden)

One of the two most powerful poets of the 19th century (the other one was Walt Whitman)

an innovative, brilliant writer who really has only one picture taken of her (people didn't smile because it took a long time to capture the images on a piece of metal)

Over her lifetime, wrote 1775 poems. Only 7 of them were published (had a hard time getting published while she was alive).

Chose to live most of her adult life in isolation.

Only ___ of Emily Dickinson's poems were published with her name during her life. It was not as common for women to be writers at that time and people tried to edit her poems.

A deeply energetic, intense person

Devoted most of her time to writing poetry

she loved playing with words and scribbled words down everywhere

It was not until 1955 that Thomas H. Johnson published an edition of her poetry that attempted to present the poems in their original form

Emily Dickinson often did not ___ her poems so people began to number them - then it was decided to title them by their first line

Used unconventional style for her time

Punctuation, Irregular meter, Irregular rhyme

Occurs when two words have identical sounds in their final accented syllables Example: room/ broom

Occurs when the final sounds are similar but not identical Example: room/ brim

Dickinson added ___ rhyme, multiplying the supply of rhyme words many times over; same vowel sound but different consonant sound Example: room/ bruise

Seemingly contradictory statements that actually present a truth Examples: "The Brain - is wider than the Sky" (When you realize the capacity of the brain, you can see the truth in the statement)

Common meter is also called

• a poetic meter consisting of four lines which alternate between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter • rhymes in the pattern a-b-a-b • syllable count of 8-6-8-6 • seen in "Amazing Grace," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and "House of the Rising Sun"

a poetic meter consisting of four lines which alternate between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter

rhymes in the pattern a-b-a-b

syllable count of 8-6-8-6

seen in "Amazing Grace," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and "House of the Rising Sun"

• Like common meter, has stanzas of four iambic lines • less regular and more conversational • does not necessarily rhyme both sets of lines • only the 2nd and 4th lines must rhyme

Like common meter, has stanzas of four iambic lines

less regular and more conversational

does not necessarily rhyme both sets of lines

only the 2nd and 4th lines must rhyme

gate/mat, nation/attention, one/stone, pausing/kneeling, society/majority

door/more

Explain why you think a poet uses slant rhymes (in "The Soul Selects Her Own Society").

Emily Dickinson probably tried to ___ people out by wearing white and opening doors in their faces when they didn't expect it.

"unmoved" by a chariot pulling up, unmoved by an emperor at her door, has closed the valves of her attention; this is from Emily Dickinson's

What is the speaker's attitude toward the self and other people in "The Soul selects her own Society"?

From Dickinson's "The Brain - is wider than the Sky": Why does the paradox seem contradictory? What truth is the poet communicating with the paradox you chose?

Dickinson's "Water, is taught by thirst": Dickinson constructs her thoughts the same way in each line. How does she communicate her ideas? What is she saying?

___ of Emily Dickinson's poems were about death

Emily Dickinson's bedroom window looked over a ___, so she watched funerals all the time

Emily Dickinson's dad was a ___ who was obsessed with keeping his family healthy; she became obsessed with the concept of death

the actual ___ of death that makes Dickinson nervous; the parts we can't see - caskets, burial...; she liked to be in control of her life

"Because I could not stop for Death" What three scenes does the carriage pass in stanza three?

"Because I could not stop for Death" In the first two lines, what adverb defines Death's actions?

"Because I could not stop for Death" How much time passes for the speaker in this poem?

"Because I could not stop for Death" Why do you think the speaker notes that the time "feels shorter than the Day"?

"Because I could not stop for Death" What does the speaker seem to feel about the experience of death in contrast with life?

"Because I could not stop for Death" How do the many slant rhymes in this poem reflect the content?

"Because I could not stop for Death" What is the message of this poem?

the fly in "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" was ___; the king was about to come and then she missed it cause of the fly; it is such a non-event that the fly interrupted, been waiting all her life; she is dying, she is probably in her room, the eyes around are with her (family/friends); ready, thought about it, focused

in "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died", she's made her ___, she gave away the portion you can give away, she is waiting for death when the king gets her

"I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" What do the speaker and those in attendance expect to experience when "the last Onset" occurs? What happens instead? Why is this ironic?

"I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" What actions has the speaker taken in preparation for death? Which "portion" of the speaker is "assignable," or able to be willed to others, and which is not?

"I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" In the final stanza, what adjectives does the speaker use to describe the buzzing of the fly?

"I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" What statement about dying is Dickinson making in this poem?

"I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" Find the lines in this poem that use exact rhyme. Do the same with slant rhyme. What is the effect of the exact rhyme after so many slant rhymes?

"I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" Explain how the first line is a paradox.

"There's a certain slant of light" - not on the outside, deep inside; no one can feel it for you

"There's a certain slant of light" - weight, burden, pipe organ playing slow music that feels like its pressing down on you

"There's a certain slant of light" - from the king, from the one in power

the mood of "There's a certain slant of light" is depressing (answer); depressed, like a burden, deep inside, heavenly hurt, not superficial on the outside; light comes in at a slant from the setting sun, depressing winter; serious, no humor; she feels depressed, so she writes a poem; cold, grey, winter afternoon before sunset (very depressing, people who are alone long afternoons/nights)

"There's a certain slant of light" - ___ is paying attention; "when it goes," not "if"; she has hope for tomorrow; like being separated from what death is, when sun is out I won't feel this way

type of rhyme: light/heft, afternoons/tunes in "There's a certain slant of light"

"There's a certain slant of light" According to the speaker, in what ways does the winter light affect people?

"There's a certain slant of light" What does this light seem to represent to the speaker?

"My life closed twice before its close" How does this poem connect details of personal history to ideas about eternity?

"My life closed twice before its close" What is the third event to which the speaker refers?

"The Soul Selects her own Society" What leaves the soul "unmoved"?

"The Soul Selects her own Society" What happens after the soul makes her choice?

"The Brain is wider than the sky" What comparisons does the speaker make?

"The Brain is wider than the sky" What role does a surprising use of scale and size play in these comparisons?

"The Brain is wider than the sky" How is the brain wider than the sky? How is the brain deeper than the sea?

"The Brain is wider than the sky" How do the many exact rhymes suit the content of that poem?

"Water, is taught by thirst." What is the relationship between each line's first word and the following words?

"Water, is taught by thirst." What is the theme or message of this poem?

"Water, is taught by thirst." Each line of this poem expresses the same basic paradox. What is that paradox, and how can it be true?

exact rhyme/slant rhyme/internal rhyme/paradox: My life closed twice before its close - It yet remains to see If Immortality unveil A third event to me

exact rhyme/slant rhyme/internal rhyme/paradox: Or rather-He passed Us- The Dews grew quivering and chill- For only Gossamer, my Gown- My Tippet-only Tulle-

exact rhyme/slant rhyme/internal rhyme/assonant rhyme/paradox: None may teach it-Any- 'Tis the Seal Despair- An imperial affliction Sent us of the Air -

exact rhyme/slant rhyme/internal rhyme/paradox: I heard a Fly buzz-when I died-

Brought about a major turning point in American literature

understood the value of the image - carefully staged, trying to look like the common man (not Emerson)

no way to stress his significance enough

year Walt Whitman published a collection of poems called "Leaves of Grass" - changed how poetry was viewed in America

Year Emerson published Nature

Wrote without apology on subjects that had previously been excluded from poetry as ugly or shameful

started out as a blue-collar, middle-class guy; dad built middle-class homes (carpenter), he was a teacher and did a few other odd jobs, not highly educated formally

at 37, he read an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson called "The Poet" - called for a National Poet for the people, someone who speaks for the American people

___ have a gift to interpret the world around them for the average people

began working on poetry - published in 1855

not trained, not a scholar (no pinky in the air poetry); poetry for average American; rugged, average, not-highly-educated people

Walt Whitman's ___ were never done in the 19th century

Language of his poetry is vivid and exciting

poet who was often brash and confident

language is very energetic, there's a vitality to it

Wrote many great poems about the life of Abraham Lincoln including "O Captain,My Captain" and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" (three main symbols: lilac (purple flower royalty), star, thrush)

had a love affair (not really) with Abraham Lincoln; never actually met - devastated when he was assassinated

Celebrates the "divine condition" of being alive

Was the poet of the self

Celebrates all the senses

his very first picture was published with "Song of Myself"

wore scruffy old shirt, dirty, rips; common work trousers only farm hands wore

poet of the American people

Was speaking as the representative poet

Believed in the fulfillment of the promise of democracy for every individual

Its publication in 1855 brought about the turning point in American literature

original cover for Leaves of Grass - missing a name; he was the common man, universal person, no name associated; value the work, not the person

Appeared in the first volume of Leaves of Grass (1855)

52 verse poem

Celebrates the poet's individuality and self

one verse for each week of the year; read and understand who the author is; "I celebrate myself" - individual self, common man, not Walt Whitman

Poetry that has irregular meter and line length; Designed to re-create the cadences of natural speech; Whitman was the first American poet to use it; The perfect form for Whitman's individualism

Poetry that has irregular meter and line length

Designed to re-create the cadences of natural speech

Whitman was the first American poet to use it

The perfect form for Whitman's individualism

there can be a natural rhythm, but the poet didn't try to do it; conversational

first really successful poet to do this was Walt Whitman; he had the full package; Whitman: free spirit/individualism

tells a story about a hero whose adventures embody the values of a nation

1) All people of all times are connected by their shared experience of life; 2) Celebrates the common person and acknowledges that all human beings have a spiritual kinship with one another; 3) Focuses on the interconnectedness of all humanity

free verse, long lines, catalogues, Anaphora (type of parallelism), diction, Onomatopoeia

May reflect the idea being expressed, capture a broad scene, develop a complex idea, or string together a list of objects

Evokes the infinite range of elements that make up human experience; Create a colorful, inclusive parade of images; Suggests that each element is of equal worth

a type of parallelism; Involves the exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines of sentences

word choice

words that imitate their meanings

The Preface to the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass; What subject does Whitman address in the first paragraph?

The Preface to the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass; What does Whitman mean when he says "the corpse is slowly borne from the and sleeping rooms of the house"?

The Preface to the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass; What makes America different from other nations?

The Preface to the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass; What is the meaning of Whitman's notion that the United States is "a teeming nation of nations"?

The Preface to the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass; According to Whitman, what is the greatest of all poems? Based on this statement, how is Whitman redefining the idea of a poem?

The Preface to the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass; How does Whitman's use of catalog, or list, in the following line from the preface to Leaves of Grass help convey his epic theme: "Here are the roughs and beards and space and ruggedness and nonchalance that the soul loves"?

Song of Myself; From what does Whitman say his tongue and blood are formed?

Song of Myself; How does he view his relationship with nature?

Song of Myself; How does he view his relationship with other people?

Song of Myself; In Section 17, what natural images does Whitman use to communicate the idea that his thoughts belong to everyone? Which elements of these images convey a belief in the spiritual unity of all natural forms?

Song of Myself; In the second stanza of Section 51, where does the speaker use apostrophe? Who is he addressing?

Song of Myself; In Section 51 of "Song of Myself," what does the speaker ask of the listener?

Song of Myself; In line 5 of Section 51, do you think Whitman means exactly what he says? Why or why not?

Song of Myself; In Section 52, where does the speaker say readers can find him? What does he suggest will happen to his spirit and message after he is gone?

Song of Myself; What is his "barbaric yawp"?

Song of Myself; Note two ways in which his use of free verse in "Song of Myself" allows Whitman to express his ideas more effectively than would a formal structure.

"I Hear America Singing" What is the singing that the poet hears?

"I Hear America Singing" What occupations does Whitman attribute to Americans? What does his catalog of occupations suggest about his vision of America?

"I Hear America Singing" What word does Whitman use to describe all the workers' actions?

"I Hear America Singing" What does Whitman describe the laborers doing at night?

"I Hear America Singing" Based on both of these poems, what can you infer about Whitman's attitude toward other people?

"A Noiseless Patient Spider" In line three of "A Noiseless Patient Spider, what surrounds the spider?

"A Noiseless Patient Spider" In line 7, what are the "measureless oceans of space" with which the speaker's soul is surrounded?

"A Noiseless Patient Spider" What verbs does Whitman use to describe the spider's actions?

"A Noiseless Patient Spider" What verbs does he use to describe the activities of his soul? How are the two explorations the same, and how are they different?

"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer"; In "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer," what does the speaker do in reaction to the lecture? What do his actions reveal about his character?

"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer"; In what ways does the "perfect silence" in the last line contrast with the lecture?

"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer"; What is the speaker saying about the value of science versus a personal experience with nature?

"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer"; How does the use of anaphora in lines 1-4 of "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" reinforce the speaker's idea of the astronomer?

"By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame"; what is a bivouac?

"By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame"; In lines 3-4 of "By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame," what sights does the speaker look upon?

"By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame"; What is the procession to which he refers in line 2?

"By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame"; Where does the speaker's mind go as he gazes upon the scene before him?

"By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame"; Is the procession he refers to in line 9 the same one referred to earlier?

"By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame"; Whitman is known as a poet who celebrated life. What does this poem celebrate?