Walt Whitman Song of Myself - 1260 Words

January 20th, 2012 It’s Only Natural: Racial and Gender Equality in Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Song of Myself† In the opening line of Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Song of Myself,† it becomes immediately evident that his song is not about himself, but about the entire human race: â€Å"I celebrate myself, and sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume, / for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you†. His poem extols the mundane aspects of everyday life that a traditional poet of his day would not have considered worthy of poetic material. The meaning of his poem is best expressed in a quote from the Declaration of Independence: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain†¦show more content†¦Having worked through some of the conditions of perception and creation, Whitman arrives, in the third key episode, at a moment where speech becomes necessary. In the twenty-fift h section he notes that â€Å"Speech is the twin of my vision, it is unequal to measure itself, / it provokes me forever, it says sarcastically, / Walt you contain enough, why don’t you let it out then?† Having already established that he can have a sympathetic experience when he encounters others (â€Å"I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person†), he must find a way to re-transmit that experience without falsifying or diminishing it. Resisting easy answers, he later vows he â€Å"will never translate [him] self at all.† Instead he takes a philosophically more rigorous stance: â€Å"What is known I strip away.† Again Whitman’s position is similar to that of Emerson, who says of himself, â€Å"I am the unsettler.† Whitman, however, is a poet, and he must reassemble after unsettling: he must â€Å"let it out then.† Having catalogued a continent and encompassed its multitudes, he finally deci des: â€Å"I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, / I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.† â€Å"Song of Myself† thus ends with a sound—a yawp—that could be described as either pre- or post-linguistic. Lacking any of the normalShow MoreRelatedSong Of Myself By Walt Whitman1795 Words   |  8 Pageschemical also released during sex and eating. In his gutsy poem to America, Song of Myself, Walt Whitman uses repetition to make music that will bring pleasure to his readers and also shape how they perceive the world. Whitman begins his poem by boldly stating that he celebrates himself. Like the chorus to a song he repeats the word â€Å"I† throughout the entirety of the poem. The meaning of the word transitions from â€Å"I† being Whitman himself, to the people reading his book, and then ending with the readerRead MoreSong of Myself by Walt Whitman2251 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"I celebrate myself, and sing myself / and what I shall assume you shall assume† (Whitman 1-2). These lines not only open up the beginning of one the best poems of the American Romantic period, but they also represent a prominent theme of one of this period’s best poet, Walt Whitman. In Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself, Whitman deals with his time period’s most prominent theme of democracy. Whitman tells readers that they must not only observe the democratic life but they must become one with it. AsRead MoreThe Song Of Myself By Walt Whitman And Howl1353 Words   |  6 PagesBoth â€Å"Song of Myself† by Walt Whitman and â€Å"Howl† by Allen Ginsberg are important pieces of American poetry. â€Å"Song of Myself† was written in the 1850’s and â€Å"Howl† was written about a century later. Both poets were part of groups that wanted to change America – the Transcendentalists and the Beats. Transcendentalists believed in the goodness of people and nature. Th ey believe that people are at their best when they are truly independent. The Beats rejected standard values and materialism. They experimentedRead MoreAnalysis Of Song Of Myself By Walt Whitman1451 Words   |  6 Pagesself-wisdom, discovery and betterment – is the ground-breaking poet, Walt Whitman. In his poetry, Whitman explores the surreal and cosmic, relating the supernatural to the mundane .With an emphasis on oneness with nature, Whitman’s celebratory attitude of the human soul in all of its complexity, beauty, and contradictions is most noted in his extensive poem titled â€Å"Song of Myself†, and is developed further in his poem â€Å"Kosmos†. Moreover, Whitman pioneers the future of modern poetry while incorporating hisRead MoreSong of Myself by Walt Whitman903 Words   |  4 Pagesultimate threat to the United States at the time, Whitman wished to mend Americas social and political demands through his poetry. Throughout Whitman’s wo rks, the reader can evidently observe the widths and basis of his social and political philosophy and the layers of various circumstances that exist within his American culture – which is an essential part of his democratic vision. Many of Whitmans poems, including major works such as Song of Myself, can be studied with this tidbit, but yet theseRead MoreWalt Whitman s Song Of Myself1191 Words   |  5 Pages Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Song of Myself† Walt Whitman was an American poet born in May 31, 1819 in New York, and he died in March 26, 1892 in New Jersey. He grew up going to school in separate facilities from people of color, so he was growing up along with the nation. He was self-taught by exploring things for himself, for example, going to the museums when he could. Whitman as a young boy alternated from being in the city to being in the countryside with his grandparents. He was exposed to be beingRead MoreSong of Myself by Walt Whitman Essay1343 Words   |  6 PagesIn his first anthology of poems entitled â€Å"Song of Myself†, Walt Whitman reveals some of his views on democracy through the use of symbolism and free verse poetry. His use of symbolism and free verse poetry creates indeterminacy, giving the reader hints rather than answers about the nature of the poem. In the sixth part of â€Å"Song of Myself†, a child asks the narrator of the poem, â€Å"What is the grass?† (Whitman). Instead of simply giving an answer, the narrator cannot make up his mind, and stumblesRead MoreWalt Whitman - Song of Myself822 Words   |  4 PagesWalt Whitman has neither related his biography nor glorified himself in the poem as the title suggests. Infact, the apparent indication of the title is here of no importance. The poem is the song of celebration of every object of nature in general where a question put to the poet by a little child triggers off a philosophical trend of thought relating to death and the meaning of death. In the poem, he has celebrated his own idea (that nothing collapses due to death but instead life moves on) andRead MoreAnalysis Of Walt Whitman s Song Of Myself1178 Words   |  5 Pagesa Poem Using the Same Ideas from Another Person The idea that the artist is a single individual coming to stand and speak for the masses is one of Emerson’s main transcendentalist ideas. Walt Whitman met Emerson’s ideal artist description as he spoke as one man for the multitude in his poem, â€Å"Song of Myself†, which openly demonstrates Whitman’s faith in the imperative indivisibility of self-reliance. He shares many of the same ideas as Emerson, such as the importance of the self and views on religionRead MoreAnalysis Of Walt Whitman s Song Of Myself Essay2414 Words   |  10 Pages The prevalence of Hegelianism in Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Song of Myself† is indisputable, yet a consensus on the meaning remains elusive, and therefore, insidious to the democratic progress Whitman attempts. Whitman uses Hegel to support his ideas about the dialectical theory of consciousness, the spiritualization and importance of art, and America’s manifest destiny. I later elucidate on these catego ries and break them down into more precise ideas. I use a variety of scholars for evidence of structural

Emilia, A Heroine of Shakespeares Othello Essay - 1305 Words

Emilia, A Heroine of Shakespeares Othello Shakespeare, in his tragedy Othello, presents a minor character who does great things in the final act. Her character is deserving of analysis. Kenneth Muir, in the Introduction to William Shakespeare: Othello, explains the motivation of Emilia through most of the play: Emilia’s character, too, is determined by the plot. In the source, the villain’s wife is privy to the nefarious designs. Shakespeare wisely makes her, like the other characters, ignorant of Iago’s character. She knows that she has lost his love, and her unhappy marriage drives her to cynicism about sex; but she tries to win back her husband’s affections by carrying out his wishes, even when this involves betrayal†¦show more content†¦She shows herself mentally unfit to fight off the verbal attacks of Iago, which are demeaning to her: â€Å"her tongue she oft bestows on me†; â€Å"chides with thinking†; â€Å"Bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchen / Saints in your injuries, devils being offended.† So Desdemona intervenes on Emilia’s behalf with: â€Å"O, fie upon thee, slanderer!† directed to Iago. She continues to critique the ancient’s answers to her questions: â€Å"These are old fond paradoxe s to make fools laugh i the alehouse† and â€Å"O heavy ignorance! thou praisest the worst best.† Desdemona is Emilia’s protectress against her husband. Unfortunately, later Emilia is manipulated by her husband. Iago, in planning his strategy following the dismissal of Cassio, says, â€Å"My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress; I’ll set her on†; and she shortly thereafter gives the lieutenant access to Desdemona: â€Å"I will bestow you where you shall have time / To speak your bosom freely.† Emilia is sheepish at times: She announces to Desdemona, who is with Cassio, â€Å"Madam, here comes my lord,† referring to the Moor. Emilia functions basically as a servant to Desdemona and a dupe for Iago. She freely gives him the handkerchief which he has asked her to steal, knowing quite plainly that the loss would pain her mistress: I am glad I have found this napkin; This was her first remembrance from the Moor. My wayward husband hath a hundred times Wooed me to steal it; but sheShow MoreRelatedShakespeare otherness in othello1349 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Michael Grey Paper #2 11/14/13 Shakespeare’s otherness in Othello Shakespeare when writing Othello uses many different underlying themes for the reader to try and pick up on. One of the biggest is otherness. Otherness is defined as the quality or condition of being other or different, especially if exotic or strange. Shakespeare throws at the reader some interesting topics to think about race, a handkerchief, feminism, and many more. All these different topics Shakespeare wants the readerRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello And Glaspell s Trifles995 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history great writers have brought women’s struggle under male dominance to light. Shakespeare’s Othello and Glaspell’s Trifles bring great female characters to the stage that share similarities. Both Glaspell and Shakespeare follow the same theme, while using both foreshadowing and irony to illustrate that Desdemona, Emilia, Bianca, Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Peters, and Mrs. Hale live under similar oppressive conditions. Both authors write about Patriarchal dominance. Shakespeare reveals hisRead More Feminine Roles in Othello Essay1310 Words   |  6 PagesFeminine Roles in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   A variety of roles have women in them in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello. Let us in this essay examine the female characters and their roles.    One key role for the heroine of the drama, Desdemona, is to support the general. David Bevington in William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies states the hero’s dependence on Desdemona:    Othello’s most tortured speeches (3.4.57-77, 4.2.49-66) reveal the extent to which he equates the seemingly betrayingRead MoreShakespeares Criticism Of Feminism1864 Words   |  8 PagesShakespeare’s works had few females because women were not allowed to act in London in the late 1500’s into the early 1600’s. He however disregarded the standards that were imposed on women of this time. Shakespeare created these daring, strong-willed, quick witted female characters that went against the norm of society. Shakespeare lived during a time person in which the world was essentially male dominated, women weren’t their own people. They were objects that had no freedom to do what they wantedRead More Othello and the Force of Love Essay3011 Words   |  13 PagesOthello and the Force of Love  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The William Shakespeare tragedy Othello features various types of love, but none compare to the love we find between the protagonist and his wife. In this essay let us examine â€Å"love† as found in the play.    In her book, Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack comments on the love that exists between the hero and heroine:    Magical in my view, though I know how far opinions differ on this point, as a wayRead More Othello’s Female Roles Essay1945 Words   |  8 PagesOthello’s Female Roles  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Let’s look at the roles of the three lady-characters in the Shakespearean drama Othello. Their roles are not marginal, but are rather vital to the tragedy.    In the Introduction to Shakespeare’s Othello: The Harbrace Theatre Edition, John Russell Brown summarizes the role of the heroine of the play:    When considered functionally, Desdemona’s role may be seen to be every bit as demanding as those of the principals. The fact that she has far fewerRead MoreEssay about Shakespeares Othello - Desdemona the Wonderful2444 Words   |  10 PagesOthello: Desdemona the Wonderful  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The innocent and charming personality of the wife of the general in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello can hardly be rivaled – and yet she died the victim of a horrible murder. Let’s consider her case in this essay.    Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar in â€Å"The Engaging Qualities of Othello† comment on the virtue within the innocent wife of the Moor, and how pain came into her life:    Desdemona is warmhearted, tender, faithfulRead More Othello and the Virtue of Love Essay2758 Words   |  12 PagesOthello and the Virtue of Love  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  The love of the protagonist and his wife in William Shakespeare’s trgedy Othello can not stand up against the repeated assaults of the sinister Iago. Let us in this essay search for and comment on the examples of love found in the play.    Helen Gardner in â€Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune† highlights the love between the hero and his beloved:    The love between Othello and Desdemona is a great venture of faith. He is free; she achievesRead More Othello: Emilia’s Metamorphosis Essay example1209 Words   |  5 PagesOthello: Emilia’s Metamorphosis  Ã‚        Ã‚   In his tragic play Othello, Shakespeare endows the minor character Emilia with some important functions. Her character, which changes dramatically in several ways toward the finale of the play, is the topic of this essay.    A.C. Bradley, in his book of literary criticism, Shakespearean Tragedy, defines the character of the ancient’s wife:    Few of Shakespeare’s minor characters are more distinct than Emilia, and towards few do our feelingsRead MoreThe Beautiful Character of Desdemona in Shakespeares Othello2743 Words   |  11 PagesOthello and the Beautiful Character of Desdemona  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The good character of Desdemona in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello meets a wretched end because of the sinister treachery of an ancient. In this essay let us analyze the beautiful character of Desdemona.    Valerie Wayne in â€Å"Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello† comments on the proper manner of interpreting Desdemona’s body as referred to by an irate Othello:    Desdemona’s body before her supposed adultery

Elderly Driver Dangers Essay Research Paper What free essay sample

Aged Driver Dangers Essay, Research Paper What should be done to maintain aged drivers and others safe on the route? Equally society as a whole gets to be older and more older people are on the route, the safety for the older driver and the other automobilists is going a job we are all traveling to confront. The # 8216 ; baby boomer # 8217 ; coevals is acquiring older. There are many options to the job but which one is the best? We need to take safety for our roads and the rights of the older driver into consideration. Older drivers are equal to teens in the high figure of accidents they cause. With immature drivers it is rawness that causes accidents. With older drivers it is the rate of their reaction clip. We do non desire to know apart against the older driver. There are good and bad drivers of every age. Do we do safe driving an age issue or should we prove and develop all insecure drivers? There are three possible ways to implement a alteration. We will write a custom essay sample on Elderly Driver Dangers Essay Research Paper What or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page First, have the aged over the age of 65 renew their licences every two old ages. The driver can hold their eyes examined each clip of reclamation. It will besides maintain path of their accident rate or tickets they have received in the preceding interval. The 2nd manner of implementing this is to hold route trials at each reclamation. This alternate seems a small extreme and expensive for the motor vehicle section. With the figure of citizens going older it would be impossible to offer adequate drive trials. The discourtesies that aged drivers are being charged with are minor and are normally a inquiry of physiological reactions and eyesight non unsafe driving wonts. Therefore a mandatory-driving trial is remarkably rough merely to control the aged driver. The 3rd option is a combination of the first two. As drivers get above the age of 65 the licence could be renewed every two old ages, eyes examined and records checked. If the drivers were shown to hold insecure drive by commendation so the drivers who habitually are more unsafe would be given a impulsive trial. The aged can be offered a defensive drive class at a community college or at the DMV office. Merely a limited figure of drivers should be required to take route trials and if they do, it should be in their ain auto, and practising the moves that cause the most jobs for older drivers. As drivers get above 75 old ages old a compulsory defensive drive class could be required. The older driver could hold privileges taken off in a similar mode. As the driver’s seeing is decreasing, the limitation of lone daytime drive might be implemented. As privileges are taken away the cost of the licence should be reduced. If we as a society take away the rights of older drivers to drive, the older coevals will free some of their freedom. For some aged citizens, drive is merely manner for them to travel to the physician and to purchase food markets. A concluding option, like medical trials for older drivers has non worked. These thoughts have to be voted on by the populace and since the populace is acquiring older, it has been voted down. They would be voting to restrict their rights. The most frequent offenses reported by DMV are slow reaction clip and vision jobs ; these should be on a regular basis monitored and tested. Many older drivers may merely welcome the opportunity to brush up on their drive accomplishments. Many drivers learned to drive when many fewer drivers were on the route and the roadways were less complicated. We can non insulate aged drivers, for some it is the lone transit available to them. In decision, I think a combination of the options is the best manner to travel. Drivers over the age of 65 would regenerate their licences every two old ages and they can hold their eyes examined at that clip. An optional defensive drive class could be offered. As a driver reaches the age of 75 a drive this trial would be compulsory. A compulsory trial should be given for aged drivers between 65-75 with questionable drive records. These alterations can be implemented over the following four old ages. In order to see if these alterations are making good, statistics of senior citizens driving records from 2000-2004 can be compared to those of 1995-1999. If the figure of accidents and commendations has gone down the province authoritiess will cognize that the alterations have worked.

The Kite Runner Chapter Two Essay Example

The Kite Runner Chapter Two Essay During the early stages of any narrative there are certain expectations that, when met, typically form the basis on which a story can develop – expectations that Hosseini doesn’t seem to directly address within this chapter. Whilst we, as the reader, yearn for an insight into our protagonist’s thoughts and feelings, we are instead faced with an analeptic episode of facts and formalities. Founded upon dates, times, historic detail and directly quoted dialogue, not omitting the Farsi language sporadically woven throughout, this chapter creates an oddly formal tone. Embedded quotes such as, Baba always called it ‘fattening the pipe’’ only reinforce the report-style tone created by specific details ‘One cold winter day in 1964.' This detached writing style seems to reflect Amir’s attitude to the content of the chapter; perhaps he feels ashamed and wants to distance himself from any emotional accountability? The tone could therefore possibly foreshadow Hassan’s verbal abuse from the soldiers later in the chapter when Amir waits until, later, when they are, in the dark, to comfort his supposed friend. This, public versus private, motif develops throughout the text to highlight the cultural and hierarchical divides between Amir and Hassan. Only now with hindsight, the chapter is written in past tense, can Amir feel guilt about not openly defending Hassan so chooses to adopt a reporting tone to mask this guilt. Perhaps this whole mini-storyline is in fact constructed by Hosseini to further foreshadow the events of chapter seven. On both occasions Amir could have defended Hassan yet on both occasions he chose not to, yet there is a stark contrast in the tones of these two chapters. By chapter seven Amir cannot mask his shame anymore, no matter how much he may want to. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner Chapter Two specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner Chapter Two specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner Chapter Two specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The reinforcement of just how different Amir and Hassan are is certainly a key theme within chapter two; their respective lifestyles are the culmina