Tu Fu
Romanticism is strongly associated with lyric poetry as a literary form. The Romantic investment in emotion and in an individual’s personal experience found expression in a poetic form that emphasized the first-person perspective and the attempt to capture fleeting impressions. These poems tend to rely on powerful sense imagery rather than narrative. (That is, while they may contain an implied story, the story is not central to the poem’s effects.) Lyric existed long before Romanticism, and it still exists today (just think of song lyrics, though not all share these stylistic features).
For this assignment, due Thursday, I want you to get a taste of the breadth of lyric poetry. All of the readings you’ll need are found online at the following links; because they were designed for Great Works students, you may need to log in (with your usual email username and password) to view them.
Japanese lyric (Kakinomoto no Hitomaro)
First, read through these four posts to get a sense of each poem and its context (these are from both very different cultural contexts and time periods). You do not need answer the discussion questions, but I recommend that you look them over as they may help guide your thoughts for your post.
In a post of your own (of around 500 words), compare and contrast two of the four poems. You also have the option, in you prefer, of comparing and contrasting one of these poems to another lyric poem of your choosing (this could include a song). If you choose this second option, just be sure to include or link to the full text of the poem or song.
Try to be as specific as possible; there’s no need for broad generalizations. Quote judiciously from the poems themselves (cite specific line numbers), and pay attention in your analysis both to the content and to the form of the poems. If you draw on the introductions to each poem (and you should feel free to do so), just be sure to cite them.
For Monday, read the first half of Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (pages 1-83); I also recommend reading the introduction. Please be aware that this book, which documents first-hand experience with the horrors of slavery, contains scenes that may be disturbing, including sexual assault. If you know that such depictions will be difficult for you to read, make sure to give yourself enough time and take care of yourself. Email if you’d like to discuss the reading or ask questions.
You’ll also be submitting your first formal essay on Monday, so try to think ahead and manage your time well.
Keats