Monthly Archives: September 2014

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Letters and Words

I found the anti slavery alphabet to be extremely interesting. Clearly it was meant to convince children of the time to be against slavery and the fact that it is written as a poem appears to make it easier to memorize and recite to others. If you are looking for an air of whimsy in this alphabet however, you shall find none. It is presented in a somewhat grim manner for children as seen in many instances: the mother in the jail, the whipping post… Though arguably there are a few letters that are less intense than others there is still this strange sense of grimness. This does actually make the alphabet a success. It’s easy to memorize, seems engaging to read, and communicates the abolitionist message in an easy way. I found two other things that were somewhat curious however.

Number one was the depiction of the letters. What I mean is why did the letters have to have those diamonds with those circles in the middle of them. Why couldn’t they have just been printed as colored letters without any symbols in the middle? I guess one can say that they are just meant to be designs to keep children’s interest but personally I actually found the symbols to be very similar to a clock. The diamonds are the two hands and the circle in the middle is the gear. Now as to what that would mean I have no idea but that was just the way I saw it…

Number two was the letter x. One can guess that X is hard to find a word for, however I’m not exactly certain what Xerxes has to do with anything. I had to look up who he was on the internet and I found that he had been the king of Persia in biblical times. This would explain the use of his name if we’re accepting the assumption that all/most children were raised religiously and would recognize Xerxes as the former king of Persia. I also actually found a website that discussed the letter x in 19th century alphabets (although the anti slavery alphabet wasn’t included in the list), It’s pretty cool as well if anyone is interested.

http://kandelsmith.com/2013/11/07/letter-x/  

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The Anti-Slavery Alphabet

The Anti-Slavery Alphabet was very interesting to me. The fact that such a political piece was directed at children and attempting to catch their attention is interesting. The author seems to want to influence the younger generation, which is something many do now. By using language the author attempts to both entice the child reader as well as make sure they understand the basic principles of what an abolitionist is standing up for. The rhyming of the poem also makes the grim topic somewhat enjoyable for the child reader, which is important.

 

” ‘E’ is the eagle, soaring high; An emblem of the free; But while we chain our brother man; Our type he cannot be.”

” ‘I’ is the Infant, from the arms of its fond mother torn, And, at a public auction, sold with horses, cows and corn.”

” ‘L’ is the Lash, that brutally he swung around its head, threatening that “if it cried again, he’d whip it till ’twas dead.”

 

These quotes all stood out to me. The first seems to be calling upon the child’s sense of humanity. The fact that the symbol of the country is the symbol of hope and freedom, however there are people who are no different then themselves who are not able to enjoy this freedom. The next two were some that I found to be a very harsh reality to be in a children’s “alphabet” book, however it was probably quite effective. To bring up the selling of children from their families, mothers in particular, this puts the children reading this in the shoes of those who is living this. The power in these last two quotes makes it apparent how important and urgent the author felt this issue to be.

I would really love to learn more about this book, I never knew about it before this and would love to get more of a background on it.

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The Seeds of the Anti-Slavery Alphabet

While reading this alphabet, I definitely knew that children were the intended audience for this. The author used the alphabet as a method of connecting to the intended audience. Since language is one of the first things they learn, it makes sense to use it. The author uses poetry for each letter’s description, as well. I believe this is a good idea because it has such a lyrical feel to it. Personally, I had a bit of difficulty getting the rhythm of the poem down, but that’s besides the point. Another peculiar thing I found is that the author didn’t really sugarcoat the situation of the slaves. He used poetry and the alphabet to draw in the children, while also educating them about the ideas of anti-slavery.

When I went back towards the beginning, I noticed that I missed something. “In the morning, sow thy seed.” I think that’s when it finally clicked for me. This poetic alphabet wasn’t just about educating children about the unfair treatment of the slaves. It was also a way for the anti-slavery movement to gain power. Children are impressionable at their young age. If they can be convinced to accept a certain idea, they will grow up believing in it. Those people leading the anti-slavery movement discovered this and used Children’s Literature as a way of “sowing the seeds.” So when the children grew into adults, they would be more than likely to support the fair treatment of slaves.

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Analysis on The Star of Freedom


  After reading the poems from “The Star of Freedom book, I noticed that every poem/short story I’ve read has a theme that its shameful to be a colored slave, and that no good comes out of being colored. They feel that they aren’t deserving of  life in general which sparks a wave of emotions as I read these poems and short stories dealing with anti-slavery. They all have a very depressing, and upsetting tone to each piece that I have read, making it seem not only sad but also feeling like they are stepping foot in the day of what a slave had to go through. The poems are very detailed in terms of how they  are trapped, especially how the younger slaves weren’t able to act like normal children and play otherwise they will be punished because they aren’t deserving of that kind of freedom, nor do they know what freedom will ever feel like.

 

I personally think one of the sadness parts was the poem called “The Little Dead Slave” because even though its a very short poem, its very detailed in how the passing of this young boy makes his mother happy because she is content knowing that her own son won’t have to continue  going through the hardships and cruel reality of what it feels like to be a slave like herself.  She is content knowing he is better off in Gods hands because if he continued living as a slave, then he wouldn’t be deserving enough to get to heaven. I can only imagine how hard something like that must be for a parent at that time, but at least it gives us enough insight to feel the sadness as we read on into this book and that’s what makes me interested to know more about a certain poem/story is gives me a visual in my mind of how those tough times were like for people. It also makes me curious to know why the author remains anonymous, perhaps maybe they have a connection to something similar that they refuse to share but either way I enjoyed the book.

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The Anti-Slavery Alphabet

While reading The Anti-Slavery Alphabet, I found myself both enjoying and dreading the next words. I enjoyed how this poem flowed smoothly, the words easily rhyming with one another, yet at the same time carrying a great amount of sadness and warning in them. In the beginning of the poem, the author comments on the age of the children, stating that “you are young, ’tis true, but there’s much that you can do”. From this quote, I could tell that the intention of the author was to encourage young children to help take up the stand against slavery.

By associating each letter of the alphabet with an important word, the author not only teaches young children the alphabet, but also of the importance that each word carries to slaves. For example, the author connects the letter ‘S’ to the word ‘Sugar’. Sugar is something that the slaves have had to toil hard to make, in order for people to put in their pies and tea. However, for something as simple as sugar, slaves have had to endure much hardships and pain, something that people who eat that sugar never think of. Despite the sadness that the poem carries behind each letter, there are also whispers of hope. For example, the letter ‘U’ is associated with ‘Upper Canada’, a place that slaves can find freedom and rest. The author includes this in order to show children that there is hope for slaves, in spite of the odds being against them.

I found this poem easy to read and more importantly it was a lesson I enjoyed learning. Many children would feel the same I would think. By teaching children about the harshness that is slavery, but also providing them with small glimpses of hope, the author is encouraging change and action. Targeting this work towards children is a great way to teach them about history and to show them that with action comes results. This poem effectively both informs children to the pain and suffering that slaves have gone through and teaches them how they can make a difference in this world.

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Anti-Slavery ABCs

The Anti-Slavery Alphabet is a piece of literature written for children to explain the evils of slavery. It is important for the writer to convey the everyday experience of a slave, an experience that would move anyone into wanting to abolish the practice. I particularly appreciated the fact that the piece of literature was a poem. Because it was not a lengthy, wordy piece of text, I believe that it worked very well in explaining to children what slavery was and how it needed to be stopped. Furthermore, while its content was of a serious matter, the rhyme scheme made the poem fun to read, something that many children in our society today need present in a piece of literature in order to enjoy it.

What I found particularly interesting with the piece is the fact that the poet uses each letter of the alphabet to explain to readers what she’s trying to convey. Through this use, not only do children become aware of what slavery is, but also, learn the letters of the alphabet at the same time. While I’m not quite sure this was the poet’s intention, it can definitely be seen as a way to introduce the alphabet to beginning readers. She, as the saying goes, killed two birds with one stone.

I greatly enjoyed what each letter represented, but I greatly enjoyed what the “Y” stood for. It’s always been told to me that the youth of a particular time are the future of our country and all its endeavors. What is being mentioned with the “Y” is that the youth are an essential part of the war against slavery. They will be the ones who have the opportunity to change the evil practices that exist so that future generations do not have to experience them. As it was said in the poem, “And think not it can ever be too early to begin”, it surely is never too early for anyone to make a difference in the world.

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The Anti- Slavery Alphabet

“The Anti-Slavery Alphabet” by Merrihew and Thompson was first printed in 1847 during the anti-slavery movement in the United States. It was created as a children’s publication to teach children that slavery was wrong and should be abolished.

The goal of the piece was to create a way to help change the way children viewed slavery in order to help guide the path toward ultimately eliminating it. The publicists did a great job of targeting an audience specifically to children.  The children needed to be targeted in order to help put an end to slavery. By getting young people talking and thinking about the subject of slavery and how wrong it is then society can eventually begin to change.  The hope was that as the young grow and learn and see all the wrongdoing they can begin to put an end to slavery. Even though this publication might not have had the same impact that Uncle Tom’s Cabin had years later, it still would leave an impression on children at the time.

The perfect example of this method lies at the end of the alphabet.

“Z is a Zealous man, sincere,

Faithful, and just, and true;

An earnest pleader for the slave- Will you not be so too?”

After teaching the kids about the horrors of slavery they tell about someone brave fixing what is unjust and then demonstrating that a certain type of person needs to fix this travesty. Then they ask if the reader is that person. It is a terrific method used in order to help change the children’s view and make them realize that slavery needs to be ended.

By combining poetry and the alphabet the publication gauges the child’s attention so they are interested in reading the piece. This style makes the reading fun and easy for the children, at the same time plants the idea that slavery is wrong in their young minds, and that it needs abolished. Changing the minds of the younger generations assists in shifting society views and helps to move the United States towards the end of slavery.

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Little Annie’s Ramble: Two stories in one

Little Annie’s Ramble, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, on the surface appears to be a story about a little girls stroll through town with her adult neighbor, who is also the narrator.The two visit various locations that would attract a child’s attention such as a bakery and a toy store. The “ramble” comes to end when the town crier begins to alert the towns people of a missing girl and the narrator realizes he left with Annie without telling her mother.

This story can be interpreted from the perceptive of an adult man who gets so absorbed in a child’s world that he nearly forgets he himself is an adult at one point. The narrator in this interpretation is just a man who has more admiration for childhood rather than the child. The narrator ends up finding his own childhood in his ramble with little Annie. This could be what causes him to forget to tell Annie’s mother that he went on a walk with her.

The second interpretation is more dark since an adult could easily take the narrators jovial attitude towards Annie as perverse. There is one line in particular that makes the narrator look like a pedophile:“there are few grown ladies that could entice me from the side of little Anllie”. This line makes it sound like the narrator would prefer the company of a little girl over that of a grown woman. In addition, while the narrator claims to have forgotten to tell Annie’s mother he was with her, one could assume he did not tell her on purpose.

This is a rather conflicted text, at least for adults, since it can have various innuendos and interpretations.

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“Little Annie’s Ramble”

Little Annie’s Ramble, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is another outstanding example of a children’s story that can be  further appreciated and understood from an adult perspective.  Annie is a little girl that loves a good adventure.  So when she hears that exotic animals from all over the world have been shipped into her town she is immediately drawn in.  Annie and her neighbor, a much older man who has lost a child’s perspective on the wonders of life, head into town with expectations of the fantastic .  They explore the exotic animals, wonder in the colorful displays and each finds a sense of awe in their individual perspectives.

It isn’t until the town crier’s second appearance that the narrator, also the young girl’s companion, realizes that they had left home without notifying the child’s parents.  Each of them was so lost in the spectacle of the circus-she in the present, and he in the past- that reality had been displaced by the marvelous.

Unlike some of the other stories that we have read, I believe that the narrator’s intentions were very innocent.  The old man didn’t want to do anything creepy with little Annie, but instead sought to rekindle his own childlike sense of wonderment that he saw in the young daughter of his good friends.  It was a great bonding experience between an adult and a child.  And, it afforded an opportunity to revisit his own youthful spirit and take a break from his own dreary ponderings  of adulthood.