In class, we talked about Jacobs’s narrative as having the potential to think about what is now commonly referred to as “intersectionality”: that is, the idea that individuals are subject to a number of interconnected social categories (race, gender, sexuality, class, etc.), which bring complex and overlapping possibilities of oppression or disenfranchisement. In Jacobs’s case, her way of writing about the specific trials of an enslaved woman meant that many readers weren’t quite sure how to respond to her narrative, even concluding that it was fictional—indeed, well into the twentieth century.

For this assignment, you’ll write a post of your own that considers Jacobs’s narrative alongside two prominent statements from her historical moment: the Seneca Falls Declaration, delivered in 1848 (an early statement demanding rights for women); and Frederick Douglass’s speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”, delivered to the Rochester Ladies Antislavery Society in 1852.

After finishing Jacobs’s narrative, read/watch the other two documents as well, thinking both about 1) the historical connections between them (for example, the writers of the Seneca Falls Declaration are northern abolitionist women, and this group also makes up the audience for Douglass’s speech), and 2) the stylistic and rhetorical techniques that the writers use.

Seneca Falls Declaration

What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? (read by James Earl Jones)

In your post (of around 500 words), make a case for the distinction of Jacobs narrative in contrast to these two other powerful historical documents, both of which speak to concerns Jacobs clearly shares. What can Jacobs’s narrative contribute that the other documents cannot? What narrative or stylistic techniques must she use to advance her unique arguments? In making your case, be sure to use detailed evidence from the book to support your claims (and cite that evidence when you use it).

I’ll have the readings for Monday up on the course blog (under readings) by Thursday, and I’ll send out a quick email alerting you once they’re up.

Hope you’re enjoying this dud of a snow day!

Poetry is a writing form with loose guidelines, making it the perfect vessel to share abstract ideas without the restraints of proper formatting.  Romantic poets used this form of writing in attempts to translate their personal experiences.  The unrestricted nature of the form allowed them to write figuratively rather than literally, and allowed them to create vivid descriptions of images that are more powerful than their literal counterparts.  The role of the reader is also changed.  Rather than mere observers of a story, readers minds are replaced with that of the author’s.  In addition to the image that the author presents to them, they are also given the eyes in which to see this image.  Not only is the reader given “what” to experience, they are also given the “how”.

Tu Fu’s Spring Prospect and The Opening of The Koran both use poetry as a way to place the reader in a higher state of consciousness.  However, each piece does so in their own unique way which defines the perspective in which it is to be read and experienced.  Tu Fu sets the perspective of his poem by giving the reader an omnipotent view of the current state of his country. “The nation shattered, hills and streams remain (Line 1)”.  By removing his writing from the first person perspective, the reader must experience the piece from a perspective outside the limits of his own body(a bird’s eye view of the world).  The Opening of The Koran also changes the way in which the reader views the world.  However, instead of viewing the world from above like in Spring Prospect, the reader views the world from below.  “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate(Line 1).”  In this piece, the reader is belittled and humbled by the presence of an almighty God where in Tu Fu’s piece, the reader transcends his own literal reality to that which might equate to a god.  While both pieces change the reader’s perspective in different ways, both pieces are highly effective when it comes to shifting the reader’s mindset.  To fully understand these pieces is to fully immerse oneself into each and every word written on the paper and both pieces have paved this road for the reader to walk on.  This is the “how” to experience.

While the images that the words convey are to be read and visualized literally, the meanings of them are not.  Instead, each visualization’s purpose is to create emotion and feeling within the reader.  “Feeling the times, flowers draw tears(Line 3)”.  Here, Tu Fu personifies the sadness he feels in the image of dew on flower pedals.  While he does not explicitly say he is feeling negative, he turns the feeling itself into a character.  Instead of just knowing that Tu Fu is experiencing this feeling, the reader has to live it in this form.  “It is You whom we worship and You whom we ask for help. Show us the upright way (Lines 5-7)”.  In The Opening of The Koran,  the reader asks God for guidance.  As the reader recites these lines, he becomes humbled by the idea of God.  Interestingly enough, there is no image in this particular passage.  One might even add that God is “sublime” and this lack of an image immerses the reader in complete fear.  This is the “what” to experience.

Romantic poets and their poetry teach us new ways to view the world.  While these perspectives may not always be practical, there is much wisdom and insight to be gained when one is fully immersed in these writings.

In the poems between the Chinese and Japanese writer, there are multiple similarities, yet at the same time differences. When it comes to the Japanese poem, the author uses very specific imagery to express what they are currently trying to say. For instance when it comes to describing the location of where they are the Japanese poem tries to paint a very specific scene so that you can understand the situation that he is in. The picture he is trying to paint shows how he missed his wife and the distance between them. In the Chinese poem the author is attempting to show him missing his old country. This was because at the time in China there were multiple political wars being waged.  The Japanese poem however highlights the people of Japan and how they were feeling. This is because at the time the Japanese people were trying to avoid conflicts when it came to politics and instead focused on themselves. This is where the similarities tie in. In both poems they are crying out for help and trying to save something. In the poem by the Chinese author they are trying to cry out about how old they are and how little they can do to try and save their own country from falling into political turmoil. This is from “white hairs, fewer for the scratching, soon too few to hold a hairpin up.” This shows that because his hair is growing white, along with the fact that he is beginning to lose his hair, that he is growing old in age. In the Japanese poem the author is showing how they had lost their wife. The author shows how he was chasing after his wife, yet because she disappeared, he will never be able to truly be reunited with her. This can be found in the line “Disappears, leaving me full of regret, So vanishes my love out of sight;” Another similarity they have is the relation nature. In the Japanese poem it states “Oh, yellow leaves falling on the autumn hill.” along with the line before of “But because of the yellow leaves
Of Watari Hill, Flying and fluttering in the air”. In the Chinese poem it relates to nature by stating “feeling the times flowers draw tears; hating separation, birds alarm the heart.” In both of the poems they have the events that are affecting the author, effecting the nature and world around them as well. These poems relate to romanticism by painting what the author is seeing at the time. Without the knowledge of the time period’s current events these poems would be much less meaningful. However with the knowledge we are able to see how the authors were feeling at the time, and the way they were viewing the world around them.

What I found captivating about the “English lyric” by John Keats and the “Arabic lyric by The Koran is, they both  believed in a higher power. They are affirming the  presence of God. God is the creator of the heavens and earth.  In contrast, they both testify of what and who God is. Keats seems more in tuned with nature such as the sun , the trees , the flowers and the bees. He links nature with God for example in stanzas 1-6 he says ,

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core. 

These are all images of God through nature. The maturing son gives testimony to the existence and care of God but Keats seems not to acknowledge him. He doesn’t realize that nothing can hide from the sun and nothing can hide from God.  In stanza 13 he says ,

Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find

Whatever you search for , you will surely find it. Keats in this stanza seems to be searching for Autumn . By sitting down waiting for something to be handed to you is impossible, you must go out and get what you want. At the same time, it is impossible to look for a season, you simply have to wait until it arrives.

In the “Arabic lyric” by the Koran acknowledged and spoke the word of God. He praises and worships him realizing he controls everything with unlimited and uninterrupted power . He  keeps  the universe constantly in motion. God keeps everything moving without having to exert any physical force whatsoever. It is whom that everyone needs. In stanzas 5-6 he says ,

It is You whom we worship

and You whom we ask for help

When in need it is God who we should seek for guidance and his presence though he is not always with us . Seeking God is a setting of the heart and mind.

In conclusion , the Arabic lyric and the English lyric, both have their ideas about God .

Lyric poetry was commonly used and very popular during the Romanticism era. Romanticism focused on individualism, nature as well as just being more in touch or at least trying to be more in touch with your own feelings. Both Chinese Lyric (Tu Fu) and Arabic Lyric (The Koran) were poems written in this era, explains why they have some aspects in common. Chinese Lyric was written by Tu Fu when he was imprisoned by a group of people called the rebels. During the time, which was year 774, there was a lot of political chaos around him and he found that writing helped cope with his desire for the peace and the political chaos that he was surrounded by. In Spring Prospect, which is the name of the Chinese Lyric, he describes nature not in the beautiful scenery that you would love to imagine. Tu Fu describing that the flowers drew tears and the birds basically sensing that there was something on right because they alarmed the heart shows that the political change that was going on during the time was not affecting society in a good way and since this was also the romanticism era, it was all about getting in tune with ones feelings and nature and this lyric does both. Fu found this as a way of, in my opinion, letting the public know how much this is affecting us whether we see it or not. The poem ends with hair getting grey and falling out, which can be inferred that this has been going on for a while and it hasnt been addressed. Arabic Lyric, at first when you look at it, you dont really see how the poems have simailar aspects but when interpreted it can be seen. The Opening, is basically written in a form of a prayer. It talks about God being in charge and one having belief as we ask him for help and to help us down the right way. Getting back to the aspect of nature, this is a good example because religion is all about God and just being natural and pure in a sense. In order for you to say a prayer, especially when asking for help, something is going on. It could be that a simailar situation may be going on, and help is being asked for. This was written, just like the chinese lyric in order to write down emotion and feeling like a sense of relief may have came along. Although the structures of the poem are very much different, they can be linked in that sense. If we were to go into a much deeper interpretation, one can say that these poems are showing a sense of individualism because they are expressing themselves, which shows that they are being independent.

John Keats’ “To Autumn” and Tu Fu’s “Spring Prospect” are very different poems, even at a glance. The theme that unites them is their use of seasons to express different thematic ideas. More specifically, Keats uses autumn as a vehicle for a meditative exploration of the scenes and sensations of fall. Tu Fu’s poem is much darker in tone. It is interesting that Tu Fu uses the stark contrast of spring’s beautiful blossom and wartime scenes to fully depict the suffering of people around him. The scope of these two lyrics is also very different. For example, Keats expresses a focus on serenity and peace:

He uses images of the autumn breeze and references the calmness of his subject to paint an image of subtle happiness. In reference to the introduction to Tu Fu’s poem, Keats’ work falls well within the bounds of Western poetry’s focus on”imaginative fiction.”

On the other hand, Tu Fu attempts to express his own anxieties about sociopolitical conditions and war:

Beacon fires three months running,
a letter from home worth ten thousand in gold–

It sounds like Fu is profoundly worried about his loved ones in this situation. The mention of a precious letter from home, paired with the fires anouncing impending conflict are extremely ominous. In contrast to Keats’ poem, this lyrics takes on a much heavier subject matter. Tu Fu’s poem is very effective in its poignant portrayal of historically true events, and its imagery puts the reader in Tu Fu’s shoes during this situation.

The form and structure used by both poets also serves an important purpose in communicating the ideas contained within each lyric. “To Autumn” employs a somewhat rigid iambic pentameter form. The ten syllables in each line keep a constant rhythm throughout this poem, and the ABAB rhyme scheme emphasizes the song-like quality of Keats’ work here. This use of constant form and rhyming punctuation helps the reader fall into a sort of trance, bringing to life the images contained within the poem and creating a peaceful, lighthearted tone. Contrastingly, “Spring Prospect” delivers hard-hitting image of violence and calamity through its lack of constant rhythm. Tu Fu’s decision to avoid the lightheartedness of rhyme serves his purpose very well: this free verse conveys a general feeling of sadness and solemnity. It is also notable that, at least in the English translation, sharp consonant sounds dominate this composition, communicating a punchy seriousness very effectively. However, I think it is difficult judge Tu Fu’s poem in its translated form. As mentioned in the introduction, Chinese poetry makes heavy use of culturally-exclusive references which would be lost on Western readers. It would be interesting to see just how different this poem would feel when read in its original language.

Both of these poems are very good examples of nature being used to illustrate poetic ideas, and their contrasting styles highlight two very important methods of creating poetic expression through the use of seasonal imagery.

One of the common themes between the Arabic lyric “The Opening” and Good Charlotte’s “The River” is that of followers needing guidance.

In the beginning of the song, the vocalist expresses the journey one takes in the entertainment industry in L.A.  While one’s career may start out beautiful, life will inevitably present challenges.  This is demonstrated in the allusion “walking through the valley of the shadow of death.” Shadow and death, are symbolic for fears and painful emotional states common to the human experience.  After reflecting on his career and realizing how much he’s sinned, the vocalist wants to be “delivered” or saved from his sinful path.

Like the prodigal son, I was out on my own

Now I’m trying to find my way back home

In these two lines, he acknowledges he’s been lost this whole time and needs help finding his way back.

In The Opening, this is presented as follows:

It is You whom we worship

and You whom we ask for help.

Show us the upright way

Again, the follower is asking for guidance in life’s trials and tribulations.  Something interesting to point out is the different effect the pronouns used create.  By using the pronoun “I” in The River, the follower seems to take center stage while God recedes in the background.  In The Opening, “You” (referencing God) comes before “we” establishing a closer dialogue between followers and God, as compared to the song.

As we have seen, The River references the parable of the Prodigal son – the last in a set of three which focuses on redemption. In this parable, the younger of two sons returns home after wasting the inheritance his father gave him.  Instead of turning him away, the father celebrates his younger son’s return with open arms.  This angers the older brother since he has never wronged his father, and yet has never received anything for his devotion.

The way God is described tends to share similarities between Islam and Christianity.  The father represents God the Heavenly Father as he demonstrates his divine love, mercy, and grace.  The father explains to his older son, that he’s celebrating the fact that his brother returned to him, having realized his wrongs.  In the Arabic lyric God is also described as merciful, compassionate, and the authority on judgment day.

If the repetition of merciful and compassionate are meant to stress these two qualities, I am somewhat confused as to how The Opening’s God would show followers the upright way to everlasting life:

Show us the upright way:

the way of those whom You have favored,

not of those with whom You have been angry

and those who have gone astray.

The “upright” way seems rigid because it exclusively asks for those who God has favored.  While it could have stopped there, it didn’t.  The sura specifically excludes the way of those who’ve angered him or who’ve gone astray as upright.  It makes it seem that the Prodigal Son would probably be denied eternal life under this God, even though he is just as merciful and compassionate.

After reading the four poems, the one that stood out to me the most was the poem From The Manyoshu. The reason being that it’s a poem that is revolved around the concept of love. When it comes to the discussion of love and romanticism, in a way it has always interested me. Love, in my opinion, is such a big word and most importantly a big feeling that most people don’t know how to explain at times, which I find fascinating. Personally, I’m guilty of this because I’ve told people that I’ve loved them, but in reality, I never actually understood what love is or if I even felt it towards them. What intrigued me the most was how throughout this poem he manages to express his love by comparing it to things in nature.

With this said, love in this poem isn’t shown on a positive note but in a sad way. It demonstrates a love story that ended with people hurt because of the distance between them. In the poem, we can immediately see that he loves his wife especially when it comes to his words. He just proves how much he cares about her and the regret that he feels for leaving. For example, when he says ” Away I have come, parting from her…My heart aches within me…My wife waving her sleeve to me…But the sleeves of my garment are wetted through with tears.” (Lines 13-30) This just shows the pain that he’s going through because he’s leaving his wife behind that he even shows emotion because he begins to cry. I find this interesting because it goes against that famous saying that “Real men don’t cry” which in my opinion just shows how strong the power of love can be that it can break the manliness of man.

Although the other poems were interesting I felt that the song Right My Wrongs by Bryson Tiller related to this poem a lot more. This song is a love song as well, but it revolves around cheating and asking for forgiveness. Throughout the song, it’s clear that he talks about the multiple amounts of times that he’s cheated on his girlfriend and how he regrets doing so. With this said, he realizes how his wrong actions have caused him to lose someone who actually cared for him and how he wants her back for good. Which is why he has a repetitive chorus saying “Right my wrongs” because he wants to make things right and be faithful towards her and show her the love that she deserves. In this song, he also states “I’ve gotta right my wrongs, with you is where I belong, you’ve been down from the go, recognition is what you want, and it’s something that I should know.” This just shows the regret that he’s feeling for being a cheater and a liar and how he’ll do anything to get her back.

This song relates to the poem because it shows regret and the desire to have your loved one back. Both of these examples show regret because in the poem the husband regrets leaving his wife behind and being away from her and in the song Bryson Tiller realizes regrets cheating. It also shows regret because you can tell that both the husband and Bryson are miserable without their significant other’s presence. Both examples also show how they want their loved one back because in the poem he regrets not spending so much time with his wife and even cries about it and in the song, it shows that Bryson wants his girlfriend back because he promises many things to convince her to give him another chance. The only thing that is different between these two examples is that in the poem the couple, in my opinion, are still together they’re just far away from each other and it just shows how much he misses his wife. And in the song, Bryson isn’t with her and he actually did something significantly wrong which was cheating on her and he’s basically on his knees asking for another chance.

Keats’ To Autumn captures the beauty of the autumn through Keats’ eyes who gives the poem a classical touch that goes a long way in establishing the authenticity of the poem. Sticking to the traditional styles of poetry, Keats uses iambic pentameters to display the structure and style that is synonymous with the typical romantic poems. Looking at the landscape that is described by Keats, it’s easy to realize a typical rural English countryside. As a romantic poet, he uses nature as a tool for the promotion of his ideas. Several similarities and differences can be singled out from the two poems. First off is the fact that both poems focus on autumn, though to a varying degree, for Hughes, the autumn is given a negative connotation while Keats offers a more positive tone in his description, an element that can be associated with his romanticism context. For Hughes, the first line of the poem not only repeats the title of the pome but also conveys the intended message of the cycle of seasons. In other words, the reader is able to connect the progression of seasons from summer to autumn. He uses strong words such as wrung and plucked, indicating the seasonal transition to invoke strong imagery within the reader’s mind. This is proven in the quotation: “There came a day that caught the summer, Wrung its neck, Plucked it…..”

When compared to Keats’ “To Autumn” a striking difference can be found in the use of a sweeter and more appealing language, where Keats uses a more mellow voice in describing the same transition. For example; “Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;, Conspiring with him how to load and bless, With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run.” Additionally, both poems utilize personification as a way of creating an illusion with the changing seasons effectively. For Hughes, an example can be found in: “And what shall I do with the sun?, The day said, the day said. Roll him away till he´s cold and small’” and Keats example being; “And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; to swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells.”

While Keats’ poem offers the reader a more subtle, seamless and appealing transition from summer to autumn, for Hughes, the story of autumn can only be told through the violent events that indicate the death of summer. Assonance is another major similarity that springs up from both poems. Both poets utilize this style at the very end of each line in their poems, such as Hughes’; “Stuff them with apple and blackberry pie They´ll love me then till the day they die”, and in Keats’ poem: “And still more, later flowers for the bees, Until they think warm days will never cease.” The beauty of autumn can still be appreciated in both poems, though with differing perspectives influenced by the context and setting the writers chose.

Link:

http://a-poem-a-day-project.blogspot.co.ke/2015/09/there-came-day-and-his-name-was-autumn.html