Leaves of Grass #5

"I am the hounded slave...I wince at the bite of the dogs,
Hell and despair are upon me...crack and again crack on marksmen.
I clutch the rails of the fence...my gore dribs thinned with the ooze of my skin,
I fall on the weeds and stones,
The riders spur their unwilling horses and haul close,
They taunt my dizzy ears...they beat me violently over the head with their whip-stocks."

For many of the poems, Whitman has been the observer. However in this section, he has become the things that he is observing. He becomes the wife, then the man, and finally the slave. By him becoming them, he understands who they are and what they have to go through. This gain of understanding is what Whitman has been looking for and in a sense is his epiphany because he now has the awareness he's been looking for.

The passage above begins with him finally realizing the place of a slave, which is the harder for him to understand because it's the farthest to what he was. He has understand the position so much that he can feel the pain that a slave feels. "My core dribs thinned with the ooze of my skin" is an example of his realization. After, he says, "I do not ask the wounded person how he feels... I myself become the wounded person. In this area, he syntactically favors describing himself, follow by an ellipsis, and then something occurring to him. This has an interesting effect because it parallels the slave or his characteristics with what is occurring with it, but at the same time dividing them. This paradox expresses the complexity of the social issues at the time and the tough life of a slave.

Leaves of Grass #4

"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journeywork of the stars,
And the pismire is equally perfect, and a grain of sand, and the egg of the of the wren,
And the tree-toad is a chief-d'ouvre for the highest,
And the running blackberry would adorn the parlors of heaven,
And the narrowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery,
And the cow crunching with depressed head surpasses any statue,
And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels,
And I could come every afternoon of my life to look at the farmer's girl boiling her iron tea-keddle and baking shortcake."

In this segment of Whitman's poetry begins a trend of repetitive syntax. In the first sentence, Whitman expresses his opinion on his title. Because he says "no less" he is expressing the magnitude of something so simple. A leaf of grass is but one piece in an entire field. No one notices it, except for Whitman who notices all the little things around him. He wants the reader to understand what he feels, so he compares it to stars orbiting around in the solar system. The line is juxtaposition between the simplicity and minute size of the grass verses the complexity and large size of the star. Also, the mentality that grass is at people's feet and diminishes its view, while stars are above the heads and gives that larger than life effect plays a role as well.
Then Whitman goes into the repetitive syntax. In this segment, he brings up the motif of nature and the theme of things being more than they appear. Whitman gives aspects of nature, human qualities. What I find so interesting is that nature has human qualities, but Whitman enjoys nature far greater than humans themselves and their actions. This give nature equality to humans, but at the same time superiority to them. The repetitiveness expresses the tone of the speaker has it keeps encountering this idea more and more and it makes the reader feel overwhelmed by the continuous usage.
Then after all that with nature, Whitman says, "And I could come every afternoon of my life to look at the farmer's girl boiling her iron tea-keddle and baking shortcake." Whitman discusses how much better nature is compared to humans and their artifical machinary, yet he says how much he loves seeing a girl using the machinary. This ironic statement either says that Whitman is a hypocret and cares more about what goes on in his pants than in his head or he wants to show that everyone including him is flawed and this increases the connection between him and the reader rather than him saying how the reader is a terrible person.

Leaves of Grass #3

Has any one supposed it lucky to be born?
I hasten to inform him or her it is just as lucky to die, and I know it.

I pass death with the dying, and birth with the new-washed babe...
and am not contained between my hat and boots,
And peruse manifold objects, no two alike, and every one good,
The earth good, and the stars good, and their adjuncts all good.

I am not an earth nor an adjunct of an earth,
I am the mate and companion of people, all just as immortal and
fathomless as myself;
They do not know how immortal, but I know.


Before the passage, Whitman repeatably brings up the motif of grass and dark. The author appears to be referencing the life of a slave. He is watching their lives unfold and the terror they had to go through. The reference to the grass could refer to the work slaves do on the field as well as a symbol for life, in which it is dying as he says, "This grass is very dark."

Whitman is doing several things here as he is doing throughout his poems. He is exploring his own self, his individuality and his personality. He is examining democracy and the American nation with its achievements and potential. And also he is expressing his thoughts on aspects of life like birth, and death.

Whitman deals with death for most of the poems as a fact of life. Death in life is a fact, but life in death is a truth for Whitman. However in this case, it is giving it more meaning. He is considering death as an escape from the terrors of life. He sees the slaves dying in front of him and he wants to try and understand what they are going through and believes that in their case, although life is beautiful and offers so much, it would be better to die. Or possibly even not even be born, so that they did not have to suffer through what they had to which is why he asks, :has any one supposed it lucky to be born?" When he asks the question, he is directing it towards the slaves and wondering what they feel on life verses death.

In the passage, Whitman says, "I'm not contained between my hat and boots. The earth good, and the stars good, and their adjuncts all good." He is comparing his life to that of a slave and saying everything has been good to him. The repetition of good appears as an allusion to the bible as the adjective good was used a lot as well in that structure so Whitman could possibly be referring to the Book of Genesis and saying how his life is natural and as it is meant to be, while the slave's lives are not.

Leaves of Grass#2

"Urge and urge and urge,
Always the procreant urge of the world.
Out of the dimness opposite equals advance... Always substance and increase, Always a knit of identity...always distinction...always a breed of life.
To elaborate is no avail... Learned and unlearned feel that it is so." (pg.22)

The repetition of urge syntactically conveys a tone of annoyance in a sense as things, even flaws, remain the same and don't ever change. He says "always", it has always been that way and it always will be, which explains the speaker's mood and his annoyance. The speaker feels that change and communicating is good. He says, "opposite equals advace, always increasing." He's describng how people need to be with others and experience things to gain and learn from your mistakes. Always he describes learning from mistakes as a building to find who we are as a person. Syntactically, Whitman puts "always" in the front of a continuous group of phrases to sink deeper the idea that things don't change, but rather stay constant, for the worst, as time passes. The theme of things repeating and remaining the same is conveyed by his repetition fo always and displays a motif of time verses change. At the end, Whitman says, "Learned and unlearned feel that it is so," which refers to people that are eduacated and not educated. Even with the distinct difference of education, the different people both agree with his point. I find this interesting because he's showing that others see the same thing he does and because even the uneducated see it, it is very easy to see. Whitman puts the idea of time and natural occurrances throughout his writing shows his curiousity of what's suppose to happen and what isn't. Throughout, he focuses on syntax and diction to convey his message rather than imagery which is more common.

Leaves of Grass Post #1

The Americans of all nations at any time upon the earth have probably the fullest poetical nature. The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem. In the history of the earth hitherto the largest and most stirring appear tame and orderly to their ampler largeness and stir. Here at last is something in the doing of man that corresponds with the broadcast doings of the day and night. Here is action untied from strings necessarily blind to particulars and details magnificently moving in vast masses. Here is the hospitality which forever indicates heroes...Here are the roughs and beards and space and ruggedness and nonchalance that the soul loves. Here the performance disdaining the trivial unapproachable in the tremendous audacity of its groupings and the push of its perspective spreads with crampless and flowing breadth and showers its prolific and splendid extravagance. (pg. 3)

The book begins with an essay. It express the need for the United States to have its own new and unique poet to write about the country's vi trues and vices. Whitman acknowledged America as this great nation with little flaws. He uses his bias to not only show his opinion, but also describe the nation itself. The history is a metaphor of a poem. Whitman chooses his metaphor because it explains his love for America and poetry and the same time and thus are parallel. He then uses repetition and parallelism of sentence structure with here at the beginning of the sentence. This use of syntax and diction connects the sentences and conveys the many similar, yet different ideas that the history creates. He believes the history is natural and done in unison as he says, "the doing of man corresponds to the broadcast doing of the day and night." When he says, "action untied from strings" and "hospitality that forever indicates heroes", he is describing how America's separation from Britain was free willed and not selfish, but necessary and America as a whole is a selfless nation. His connection of America's history to nature and proper morals convey his opinion of the nation and makes the reader connect to him easier and what he is trying to say. Perhaps, his opinion is so bias because he is trying to convince the reader that America needs a need poet and he is using this tactic of "sweet-talking" to swede them.

Blog #6

"They thought they had only a girl to deal with and that, therefore, they could ride roughshod over her. But she would show them their mistake. They wouldn't have dared to have treated her like that if she had been a man. But she would see that her daughter got her rights: she wouldn't be fooled." (A Mother)

Mrs. Kearney has pursued the organizers of the concert, reminding them that Kathleen must be paid in full despite the changes in the amount of performances. Here she expresses her determination in seeing the contract fulfilled. She fixates on the gendered context of the situation. All of the organizers, who have been dodging Mrs. Kearney's inquires, are men. Therefore, Mrs. Kearney sees her treatment as biased and manipulative. Mrs. Kearney wants to “show” the men their poor judgment of her ability. Following up with the agreement of the contract isn't enough, she must publicly point out their mistake by leaving the stage with her daughter. This is a selfish act because she's only doing this to make a point, not considering her daughter's feelings of the situation. The theme of men verses women or "natural power" comes into play, but it seems Joyce uses Mrs. Kearney to illustrate how women are inferior to men and when women try to show their ability, they fool themselves.
The parallel construction of this quote illustrates on a formal level a confrontational, competitive approach that both helps and weakens Mrs. Kearney's attempt. The first sentence begins with “they,” followed by a sentence that begins with “but she.” This move from the party of men to Mrs. Kearney, a move repeated in the third and fourth sentences, evokes Mrs. Kearney's defensive mindset. “They” may do this, “but she” will counter. This use of diction and syntax puts the reader in her head and acts as a rallying cry for Mrs. Kearney, yet it also serves to undercut sympathy for her character. The repeated call for revenge highlights Mrs. Kearney's self-concern that overrides concern for Kathleen. Like “an angry stone,” Mrs. Kearney will not soften to the circumstances and reconsider. Like other characters in Dubliners, she will continue to live according to her own routine. Her character is similar to Mrs. Mooney in "The Boarding House" as they are both female protagonists who challenge the reader to consider their point of view and see things differently.

Blog #5

"When he gained the crest of the Magazine Hill he halted and looked along the river towards Dublin, the lights of which burned redly and hospitably in the cold night. He looked down the slope and, at the base, in the shadow of the wall of the Park, he saw some human figures lying. Those venal and furtive loves filled him with despair. He gnawed the rectitude if his life; he felt that he had been outcast from life's feast... He felt that he was alone." (A Painful Case)

Mr. Duffy is a man who doesn't like change and lives a life of consistincy and plainess. His first real relationship that he has is with Mrs. Sinico, but he doesn't realize the benefits of it, just the uncomfortable situations he put him in. After learning that she dies of a broken heart, he's walking in the park and see these lovers. They are not really specific people, but rather human figures that make the scene universal. It conveys the theme of love and its bitter woes and sweet highs. Seeing the lovers reminds Mr. Duffy of his self-imposed exclusion from companionship. The diction of this quote articulates Mr. Duffy's relentless spite for physical expression with others. The words describe the situation as sort of fleshly and secretive as the lovers are in the shadows. The theme of life and death and their cycles is displayed. Mr. Duffy sees the living, is reminded of the dead Mrs. Sinico by the lovers, and thinks about his own life. Mr. Duffy's circular thoughts bring back all the repetitve things that comprise his life and that made no space for the sharing of feelings.

The imagery of eating in this quote suggests the importance of reciprocity and union that is so absent in this story. The physical act of eating is an activity that Mr. Duffy tries to control. Yet Mr. Duffy must "gnaw on his rectitude" because he has nothing else and because his rectitude is the root of his exclusion. In living in such a restrained way, he can't tolerate the change that love brings or the emotional output that is demanded. As a result, Mr. Duffy must watch others feast and share in the consumption of the many things the world has to offer, while he remains alone.

Blog #4

A very sullen-faced man stood at the corner of O'Connell Bridge waiting for the little Sandymount train to take him home. He was full of smoldering anger and revengefulness. He felt humiliated and discontented; he did not even feel drunk; and he had only twopence in his pocket. He cursed everything. He had done for himself in the office, pawned his watch, spent all his money; and he had not even got drunk. He began to feel thirsty again and he longed to be back again in the hot reeking public-house. He had lost his reputation as a strong man, having been defeated twice by a mere boy. His fury nearly choked him. (Counterparts)

The root of Farrington's violent and explosive behavior is the circular experience of routine and repetition that defines his life. Farrington's job is based on duplication as he copies documents. His experiences at the pub where he was hoping for an escape only further symbolized routine. He repeats the story of the confrontation with Mr. Alleyne to his friends, who then also repeat it. Following the “round” tradition in which each person in a group takes turns buying drinks for everyone, he keeps spending money and consumes more alcohol. The presence of Weathers, who takes advantage of this system, makes Farrington realize how such tradition and repetition literally rob him. Joyce uses Farrington as a microcosm of what the people of Ireland are facing. He symbolizes the anger that is growing from their dull, receptive lives. Mr. Alleyne symbolizes the British and their demanding rule that’s the catalyst of all their problems. Joyce displays what occurs with all this frustration as Farrington beats his son at the end of the story.

Joyce uses adjectives like heavy, dark, and dirty to describe Farrington. This diction helps the reader understand how much frustration and anger the character has. Joyce refers to Farrington both by his name and as “the man” throughout the story. Farrington, in a sense, acts as an exchangeable or general type, both a specific man and everyman. Joyce’s diction suggests the idea that what Farrington does is common and nothing unique.

Blog#3

"She was sure she would win. To begin with she had all all the weight of social opinion on her side: she was an outraged mother. She had allowed him to live beneath her roof, assuming that he was a man of honour, and he had simply abused her hospitality. He was thirty-four or thirty-five years of age, so that youth could not be pleaded as his excuse, nor could ignorance be his excuse since he was a man who had seen something of the world. He had simply taken advantage of Polly's youth and inexperience: that was evident. The question was: What reparation would he make?" (The Boarding House)





During this time, marriage was more about social relations and classes. Marriage acts a circumstantial paradox because at one hand it creates opportunity and open relations with new people, which will enhance experiences. However, it also ends life's freedom and limits you to only a few possibilities. For Mr. Doran, the latter is true and while making his decision, he thinks about what everyone will say about it. The Boarding House serves like a microcosm of the city itself as it consists of a diverse gathering of artists, tourists, and business men. Everyone seems to know what everyone else is doing. Mr. Doran discusses as his actions will be known by everyone and they will all formulate an opinion of him. Although these people are paying to live there, it doesn't seem like they can do whatever they want.
In the story, Polly sings a song to the guest:
I'm a...naughty girl.
You needn't sham:
You know who I am.
It seems Polly is essentially selling her dignity and pride. I view her actions as a paradox. She cares what people think of her and wants to get marriage to get into a higher class, so that people will know and respect her, yet she doesn't care what people think of her as an individual as she is willing to "make herself known" with these prostituted actions.
Mrs. Mooney serves as a symbol of mothers during the 19th to early 20th century as it is the mother's duty to get their daughter in a marriage that will raise their status. This reminds me of Pride of Prejudice where Mrs. Bennett works to do whatever she can to get her daughters married in a higher class. In that time, a woman of low class had no money to her name. In this short story, marriage acts like a fixture of life that can't be avoid. A hardship that must be gone through in the cycle of life.

Blog#2

"She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? She tried to weigh each of the question. In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had to work hard, both in the house and at the business. What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run away with a fellow? But in her new home, in a distant unknown country; it would not be like that. Then she would be married-she, Eveline. People would treat her with respect then."

Eveline desires to leave her home for a new lifestyle with her future husband, Frank. She makes the decision seem obvious by stating how your present life consists of caring for her abusive father and fufilling the duties of a mother, while her new life will consist of new experiences and respect. However, she constantly ponders what she should do. At first she's happy to leave her home, but then she is sadden by the idea of not achieving the promises of her mother.
The story illustrates the idea of change. Eveline desires change, but is unable to go through with the process. She holds the letter she had written to her family and recalls memories she has had, which are examples showing she can't let go of the past.
Eveline is the first woman protrayed in The Dubliners and her actions show why not as many women of the time created a new life for themselves when given the opportunity. Eveline is unable to accept change with Frank and stays at the docks "like a helpless animal". She losses all emotions and the motivation to move on. The diction at the end of the story suggest her transformation into a life without will and emotion, for her opportunity to advance has disappeared.

Blog #1

"This rebuke during the sober hours of school paled much of the glory of the Wild West for me and the confused puffy face of Leo Dillon awakened one of my consciences. But when the restraining influence of the school was at a distance I began to hunger again for wild sensations, for the escape which those chronicles of disorder alone seemed to offer me. The mimic warfare of the evening became at last as wearisome to me as the routine of school in the morning because I wanted real adventures to happen to myself. But real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought out." An Encounter

The passage and the short story reflect the idea of routines and repetition. The boy wanted to do something new, rather to engage in his usual day of school. However, the story teaches that although you can want change and adventure, routine is inevitable, and new experiences can be scary. The boy and his friends "encounter" an old man whose's really strange. This creepy figure serves as a symbol of routine and shows that repetition exists even within strange, new experiences. The man walks in circles and he mimics this action in his speech by repeating points already discussed.