Postmodern Discussion Reflection 2/19/20
After this week’s discussion post, I have had to decide on my final perceptions of the stories we’ve read and a stancepoint declaring the ways they were intended to be interpreted. I thought differently about White Noise after having to decide what was intended behind the concept of existentialism that is tied into it.
Also I did a very deep analysis of the character Jack and his true fears. I picked up on things about him much later on and was able to connect his different attributes to eachother. I truly did relate to his fears in some respect; especially after thinking harder about it. I feel like this week I have read unprecedented works specifically regarding their topics of existentialism, technology, and the interrogation and tearing apart of a middle class American.Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton Postmodern Discussion Reflection 2/19/20Edit Postmodern Discussion Reflection 2/19/20
4/15/20 Initial reflection
Don Dellilo focuses on the loss of direction in America in the post modern times. He criticizes politics and authority through his writing. I deeply connected with “White Noise” in a strange way. I do not necessarily have a fear of death to the extent that Jack does, but given those circumstances I could understand why he would. What I do understand is having a fear to the extent that Jack does; having a fear that will not let go of you and that constantly exists like noise. Fear truly is like noise. The setting of this story almost paralleled America today. I drew a lot of comparisons to how people are responding to the “airborne toxic event” to the different approaches of the people around me to the Carona virus. Some, like Jack’s wife are holding strong for other people and not letting it show that they are truly scared themselves, releasing this fear privately and in their own means. Others, like Jack seem to only exist in this perpetual abyss of thought pattern that they are going to die and so are the people around them. Some people I know are responding like Heinrich, endlessly analyzing and being skeptical of reality. He seems to constantly be on top of his father. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 4/15/20 Initial reflectionEdit 4/15/20 Initial reflection
Prompted Blog 4/5/20
I will be comparing Anne Sexton to modernist poetry, specifically HD. Both poets are similar in that they sought a deeper meaning and they wrote with a deeper intent. Although this is true, confessional poetry and modernist poetry are very different. One aspect where they are similar is that they both wrote about feminine aspects of life in their different time periods.
Their backgrounds are very different because HD grew up in a nonviolent home and a father whom she was the favorite of and lived vicariously through her, wanting her to be successful. HD’s parent’s had a prestigious life laid out for her. She actually did not even want to follow it; she wanted to be an artist. Anne Sexton grew up in a violent home to an alocholic father with a very conventional life laid out for her. Anne discovered writing on her own, through therapy and she sought classes out, because it was her only way of connecting and truly expressing herself. This being said, I think this shows in their writing. There is a difference between someone who creates from the heart and because they need to vs. someone who creates from their mind and because they want to. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton Prompted Blog 4/5/20Edit Prompted Blog 4/5/20
Blog post Confessional poetry: Anne Sexton and John Berrymore
Material: https://poetryarchive.org/poet/john-berryman/
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/151109/an-introduction-to-confessional-poetry
https://poetryarchive.org/poet/anne-sexton/embed/#?secret=PrK62GE34r
Introduction: There is an uncanny resemblance between John Berry’s and Anne Sexton’s lives. They both experienced extreme trauma in their most developmental years. Tragically, both of their lives started in similar ways and ended in the same way.
Throughout their writing growth, they began to use their success as a coping mechanism to the pain inside. It’s ironic that they used the success they received from their writings that are so raw, honest, and dark to sustain their illusion that their success/writing in general would fix their pain. This seems to work fine for both of them until something catastrophic stops them from continuing on in their illusion. Anne Sexton got a divorce and this triggered her deppression and reliance on drugs, leading her to turn her car on with the garage door closed. John Berryman relied on alcohol and became to a slave to depression, eventually leading him to jump off of a bridge.
In the introduction to confessional poetry, it is described as writing where the “mask is taken off”. Although both of these writers do write about very honest details of their lives in a way that is unprecedented in history, the way they release it into the world is with a mask on.
Consider Anne Sextons’ raspy seductive voice she uses as her disguise as she speaks her soul out. John Berryman detached from his words by using unnatural shifts in tone. On top of this, both of them refused to identify with their characters, writing in third person for the majority of the time. They also both did not like being identified as confessional writers.
Question:
After taking a closer look at Anne Sexton and John Berryman,
Does vulnerability make a person stronger, weaker, or is it ineffective in an individual’s healing? Why? Do you think they are still technically being vulnerable if they do not identify publicly with their vulnerable words? Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton Blog post Confessional poetry: Anne Sexton and John BerrymoreEdit Blog post Confessional poetry: Anne Sexton and John Berrymore
3/15/20 Prompted Blog
-Techniques used to analyze texts, which include the ability to synthesize and evaluate information and ideas from multiple perspectives, including characters, authors, and audiences whose roles and assumptions are different from their own.
- —-This is a concept that I believe I have grown immensely in. In the pieces of literature that is selected, it is almost forced upon the reader to understand many different perspectives, within each individual text as well as texts from the same time period that we have compared to eachother. We are given multiple perspectives for each context we are given and it is our job as the reader to dissect that, and I have never done that to this degree before.
- Proper usage, and appropriate style, language, strategies and resources to formulate coherent, well-supported arguments that demonstrate effective critical reading, discussion, and analysis of American literature; write about literature, culture, and texts in cogent, compelling prose.
- —- I believe I did this is something I am still growing in and always will be but I believe I did this well in “A streetcar named Desire”.
- Concepts and knowledge gained from the study of American literature to discover connections between the disciplines and real-life applications; demonstrate their awareness of multiple perspectives when exploring issues, interpreting texts, and studying conflicts in literature.
- — When studying the Harlem Renaissance and writers of the South, it definitely picked at my brain to read different works from people with the same struggle but who all have chosen different reasons and different ways to create their work.
- The historical and cultural context which produces American literature as well as the political, economic, and ethical implications of the texts studied and their aesthetic qualities.
- — It has been very interesting to me to learn about different cultures and time periods such as the Harlem Renaissance and Naturalism etc. I have come to appreciate the history that has produced the work we’ve read.
- Standards of interpretation and contextual information necessary to the study of literature and to incorporate these standards into writing, using primary and secondary sources responsibly, legally, and ethically.
- — This is something I never understood the importance of until this class. I think I would not be able to distinguish from the poetry and other works that we were reading if not for a research on every writer, what their background was, and an in depth research of the time period. When I do come to find a standard I trust, I do use it as my right hand tool for reading the work.
- Discuss and explain some of the major literary figures, trends, and issues of American literature from 1900 to the present.
- — I definitely feel like I have an understanding for writers of big names such as Faulkner and Langston Hughes that I have heard for a long time but did not know about.
Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 3/15/20 Prompted BlogEdit 3/15/20 Prompted Blog
Initial reflection 3/11/20
When I read through Yusef’s poems, I felt as though there was a realist and pessimistic voice narrating it. His words seem to not be scared of the harsh realities of life and what life truly is. It was not until afterwards that I read that he was in the Vietnam War. I made the connection pretty quickly after that and understand where his words were coming from. I am quite familiar with the Vietnam War, or rather how people who were apart of it were molded by it. With an experience like that, it changes a person forever and changes their world around them entirely. My grandfather was in the Vietnam war and also went to college with the GI bill. His experience at Vietnam and all that he had seen had made him become nothing but a realist about life. After experiencing and participating in matters he never thought he would be, it changed him forever and cut out all “fluff” in life. Everything became cut to the chase for him from that point on. He cusses like a sailor, says the truth, and does not take crap from anyone. I am grateful to have someone in my life who can show me the way that an experience as such shapes a human being and because of that I have a deep understanding of Yusef’s words and why he chooses to write the way he does. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton Initial reflection 3/11/20Edit Initial reflection 3/11/20
Prompted Blog
I have definitely been expanding my mind by reading these selected works. It has definitely broadened my ideas of every type of genre. For example “Cane” was very interesting to me because I suppose it would be considered a novel but it was very different in the way that it was structured. I think the dynamics of it adds so much value to it. It gave opportunity to hear from different perspectives all in first person which gives the opportunity to intimately connect with every character.
This poetry selection thus far has also expanded my mind about what poetry can be and what it should be. I truly don’t think I understood poetry at all before this semester. I now understand the way that it is intended to be read, instead of reading it like a novel and wandering why I can’t get anything out of it.Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton Prompted BlogEdit Prompted Blog
Initial reflection 2/4/20
Reading “A streetcar Named Desire” has given me a mix of many different thoughts and emotions. For one thing, the character Blanche is a textbook narcicisst. She does things like not giving people an opportunity to talk and then getting upset that the other person hasn’t been engaging and asking her questions. She also has very toxic traits like projecting, and not being able to understand anyone else’s perspective. Everything is egocentric for her. Observing her character has triggered many of my own deepseated emotions because she reminds me of my father and grandmother. That might be too much information but that was my honest response.
I am also very interested in the culture of New Orleans during that time period. I think it is heart warming that Stella broke away from her victorian lifestyle and made a new life for herself that is entirely different from everything she has ever known. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton Initial reflection 2/4/20Edit Initial reflection 2/4/20
2/26/20 As I Lay Dying initial reflection
I definitely gather that he is committed to accurately depicting southern lango. It is a huge element of the character of the whole novel. I feel as though I can hear their voices speaking to me.
I can tell that Faulkner was not scared to reveal a deeper look at life in the South and that he was willing to write about aspects that others were not such as what happened with Dewell’s abortion etc. I think it is incredibly special that he himself grew up in a town in Mississippi and that was the foundation he built his writing upon for “As I Lay Dying”.
There is a sense of melancholy throughout the whole writing. It is dark and it feels somewhat hopeless, but it feels very real. On this basis, I can gather that his hard past must also incorporate into his writing specifically with his baby that died at a week old. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/26/20 As I Lay Dying initial reflectionEdit 2/26/20 As I Lay Dying initial reflection
post reflection
I think it is so interesting the way that Hugh rhymes and creates rhythm. and the fact that his poems could be put to music. What I truly appreciate about Langston Hughes is that he chose to be completely authentic and not just choose one particular image of African Americans he wanted the world to see but rather he just came to his pen as his complete authentic self. I also think it’s interesting he read his poems out loud to audiences more so than any other poet in American history. That tells me a lot about his poetry and I read it differently, understanding that.
I love his honesty about having parents who are two different races and that he writes his honest thoughts about both of them in “Cross” in that he feels sorry for mistreating them regardless of the color of their skin. He then gets deeper in that poem and explains that he fears he does not identify with either race. This makes me understand his other poems better because it makes me understand the internal place he is writing from. In his poem “Daybreak in Alabama”, he writes that if the opportunity arises that he becomes a composer, he will write music about people of all colors joining hands. I think that is so special because he gives a message of hope, instead of a message of fustration. Another thing that makes him special is that he uses humor and language that comes from his culture. A good example of that is in his poem “Hard Luck”. He also writes poems that have nothing to do with being African American with topics such as God being lonely, and the importance of having dreams and what it’s like to be lonely. I also understand and see through his writing that he did not have political views, just moral views. The way he writes is that he makes every party responsible for the caos and does not just make one side the victim; he makes every side just as responsible as the other.
Claude Mckay is different in that he takes pride in his race and his experiences of racism is what triggered his start to poetry. He is very open about his feelings of being victimized. He refers to himself as a man machine and a slave. I am sure that his background of being a slave in Jamaica as well as New York have a lot to do with his upfrontedness about his pain that he experienced in his writing.Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton post reflectionEdit post reflection
Prompted Blog 2/23/20
I have been watching the netflix series “Riverdale” for some time now and I believe a primary cultural aspect that particular sticks out in that show is Social Class. The marginalized are continually victimized and manipulated. The wealthy and powerful continually take advantage of their power.
There is a lot that goes on with the politics of this small town. Those who had wealth and worked their way up the social ladder had complete power over everything and even had the power to take away the land that belonged to the gangs. There is shady business that goes on in the dark and none of the authorities are who they truly say they are, but they still manage to monopolize Riverdale due to their fortunate hand dealt to them in life as well as their cunningness and ease of manipulating.
All of the characters are in highschool in a very small town and two of the main characters Jughead and Betty Cooper fall in love but of course, are from “opposite sides of the track”. Jughead’s dad is in a gang and Betty comes from a wealthy family. Jughead was always the kid that was mysterious and off the beaten path. Shortly after him and Betty start dating, he decides to join the gang of his dad because he felt he needed that sense of belonging as well as the protection that comes from the pact that’s made once joining. Betty wants to join the gang as well, but Jughead will not allow her. With her fierce determination, she joins the gang without his knowing because of her passion about it. She found that the nature of the gang was far more authentic and true than the dark realities of her own culture and parenthood that she had known her whole life. They have no influence in society anymore, but continue to dig at the mysteries of Riverdale and solve all of the dark mysteries on their own. They earn the right to be heard on their own. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton Prompted Blog 2/23/20Edit Prompted Blog 2/23/20
Harlem Renaissance initial reflection
I am having a very mixed first reaction to the material, as each poet took very different approaches to the problems at hand. What I really love is the aesthetic at the heart of the Harlem Renaissance that is portraid in different ways with each poet. I feel like I am being cultured as I read and a lot of their work feels musical and I think that is so unique. It feels musical whether it is because of the interesting wording, the rhythm or just the contemplative feeling that radiates from the words.
A lot of the poetry in this unit also hit me pretty hard in a few different ways. It warmed my heart but also felt melancholy to read the poetry that had the approach of not being very assertive about their struggles and mistreatment even though they completely had the right to. I found the poems that just related to life in general and had nothing to do with what they personally endured to be so authentic and enlightening. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton Harlem Renaissance initial reflectionEdit Harlem Renaissance initial reflection
Initial reflection
The harlem renaissance is a time period I am fascinated by and i am very interested in the different approaches to writing during this time period. Alot of powerful art came out of it. Reading some of the poems gave me more hardhitting reactions than others. Some writers were very passive and spoke nothing of the mistreatment at all, while others were very very assertive.Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton Initial reflectionEdit Initial reflection
2/21/20 Writing Prompt
Introduction: The Harlem Reinassance was a time of unprecedented overflow of African American arts. The urban centers were densely populated with African Americans who were enraged for being mistreated.
Cullen’s background and means of writing differs in the rest of the other poets because he has a mixed background of both white and African American culture and education. This ultimately inspired his whole means of writing. The foundation he wrote upon was a powerful one inspired by hope of unity. He tried to create peace between both races through his poetry. He believed art transcends race and the “oneness of art”. He believed that other writers during this time were “showcasing unpleasant realities that would but strengthen the bitterness of our enemies,”.
Question: Do you agree with his approach or do you believe it is passive and ineffective? What makes you feel that way?Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorized4 Commentson 2/21/20 Writing PromptEdit 2/21/20 Writing Prompt
2/16/20 post reflection
I had to do a bit of research to get a well rounded understanding of the novel. I read some of the sections after the text of Jean’s writing to other people and his heart behind it. In short, his goal is that African American’s would not succumb to conformity and lose their culture. He does not care about the fame and glory he would receive. He just cares that his message is received. He is not surprised when it is. This makes me appreciate the text even more. It makes me embrace and soak in every word.
I assume that if he had a choice, he would never identify himself racially to a cencus or anywhere else; he would rather be lost in a world of literature and what it means to be either race. But since he still did have to identify, the evidence adds up that he mainly wanted to identify as white and this could be for a number of reasons; perhaps to avoid epistemic injustice. Even though it shouldn’t be this way, he knew that he would get a better chance at his text succeeding if he identified as a white man.
I now deeply understand the content so much more after reading that article about his racial identity as well as the letters after Cane.Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/16/20 post reflectionEdit 2/16/20 post reflection
Amnesty Plan
Assignments that do not line up with the B contract:
1/25: “Drieser discussion response”: incomplete
1/17: “plan for success”: I did not allow viewing access
2/7: “Modern Poetry 2 Discussion Responses”: incomplete
2/14: “Cane/Toomer discussion responses”: I only completed 3 when I needed to complete all four
2/26: “Drieser Post Discussion Reflection”: incomplete
Revision to my plan for success: As soon as the assignments for each week are posted, I will look at them right away so I know what material I need to prepare myself to read, and I will start reading them as soon as possible even if I have not finnished that week’s assignments.
I will begin the discussion questions on Thursday’s at 5 when they open up as opposed to Friday night because I never do them as thouroughly as i would like to I do them last minute. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton Amnesty PlanEdit Amnesty Plan
2/16 Prompted Blog
Our perception of ourselves heavily effects what we create. At the root of everything we do and create is the lense through which we view ourselves. I believe an author’s perception of their identity effects their work because it determines what they are passionate about. When an author decides/finds their identity, they have an internal location through which every word they write comes from.
If one is deeply conflicted and confused about their identity, this is somewhat of a unstable foundation to create from but their work can reflect their internal journey and wounds that have caused their deep dissonance. Toomer going back and forth his whole life about his racial identity causes me to believe that the different scenarios he faced truly did cause him to have so many different thoughts about it that would never be resolved. When he wrote “Cane”, I imagine him to be writing from a place of deep fustration of people trying to put him in a box of his race.
The way we read is also absolutely influenced by our perception of our identity. Sometimes I believe that when it comes to taking in information and learning about the world, it’d be best to of course always feel secure in your identity, but to remain so open to the outside world that it is as if we have not found our identity yet. I believe those who are most secure in their identity are able to learn about anything and those who are unreasonably defensive over their views are actually the most insecure in their identity. I find it very easy as a reader to miss out on information and content that could be so valuable because I’m too stuck in my own ways and just assume that content does not pertain to me. When I let go of walls I’ve built up and the protection of my identity, I discover so much beauty in content that is unfamiliar to me.Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/16 Prompted BlogEdit 2/16 Prompted Blog
2/12/20
Modernist times is a time of experimentation, especially in a literary sense. It was the time to do what you want artistically. This text is an experimentation in many ways; in it’s structure and in it’s subject. He formatted it very interestingly. It is the make up of poems and short stories and it is very dynamic. It is unique in it’s subject in that he spoke into the times of the Harlem Renaissance in a way that is unprecedented. All the different outlets he utilized in “Cane” gave him opportunity to experiment with his feelings about it in many different ways. He speaks about many different types of prejudices and consequences of being African American and he does it artistically. He also uses religion to explain his points further and to create spiritual sounding short stories that I personally believe impact deeper. Here is one that I felt like he was really trying to make a point on; “God would not dare to suck black red blood,” (Toomer 41). He does not believe this himself but he is speaking about the arguments the people around him make. He interestingly begins the whole text with a borderline provacative short story called “Karintha” and uses such provactiveness to tackle a whole other unspoken element of the mistreatment of African Americans. I perceived the whole text as a whole to be a stream of consciousness.
There is a lot of evidence that Toomer was deeply conflicted about his racial identity, going back and forth about his identity many times. I read his letters to Waldo after the text and he repeated tells him that he is not Negro. He resoluted that he is “neither black or white, but is American”. He uses the Kabnis and other literary figures to explore this. I think what truly helps me understand. Another piece of background is that he grew up in a white neighborhood but was schooled in an African American school. Evidence such as this leads me to the thought that his main concern is not racial identity, but cultural identity. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/12/20Edit 2/12/20
2/9/20 Post Discussion Reflection
After re-reading the poems and looking at the extra material that was provided, my understanding has definitely gotten deeper. Especially in the writing prompts from my classmates and reading my classmates responses. There are so many different things my classmates thought of that I did not think of at all, for specific poems. People drew an emphasis on specific lines of poems that I did not pay much attention to at all. Also, people had many different perspectives on each poem and what they thought it meant and it certainly changed my mind a few times. Here was how my mind evolved about “The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock,” after the discussion post about it.
One student drew an emphasis on the metaphor of the coffee measurer and how he was explaining his anxiety about his ultimate use of time. This most aligned to my understanding of the poem, but I still thought it was so intertesting that she has a particular interest in this specific line; it made me think even deeper about the concept. Another student brought out the line in the poem where he explains that he does not think the mermaids will sing to him. He used that to explain his interpretation of the poem that it was about his lack of confidence and ultimately a loss of connection to the self, which I also thought was so interesting because when I read that line, that was not my first interpretation.
Some students interpreted the poem as just an expression of his inconsistency and spotty emotions and thoughts. Other classmates thought it was about confidence and self esteem, pointing out that he seemed some what confident in the beginning, going out, and then spirals inward in to his thoughts. One classmate even brought up how he embodies the psychology term “spotlight effect” and that made so much sense to me and brought a whole new understanding for me. Many students expressed that they felt empathetic for him and could not imagine being in that internal state all of the time. That was also an interesting response to me because that was not my initial response; I think I moreso was just relating to his train of thought that spiraled inwardly and downwardly, it’s happened to all of us right? Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/9/20 Post Discussion ReflectionEdit 2/9/20 Post Discussion Reflection
2/9/20 prompt
I certainly see value in both oral poetry as well as written poetry. Specifically with poetry in the modernist age I believe it is best as written because it is so mysterious and it does not explicitly explain the meaning of the poem; it is behind what you are reading. This kind of poetry takes a lot of contemplating and piecing together like a puzzle and you need to have perpetual access to it, in order to figure it out. It can not be figured out in one reading. There is a lot hidden details, that one might simply skim over, if just listening to it. For example, it took me several read throughs of “The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock” to pick up on different details. In the middle of it, he was randomly talking about “scuttling across the ocean floors of silent seas” (paragraph 11) ,and I later realized that he was alluding to the ocean scene he talks about in the end.
I do also see the value in oral poetry though. Another big theme of modernist poetry is to write like a rolling stream of consciousness and this is much more effective orally, I believe. In “The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock”, I think there is a certain instinctual understanding of the poem that I would otherwise not have, due to the tone of his voice and which parts he slowed down at. At some points he sounded monotone and other parts his voice became very dynamic and almost musical. This definitely added to my deeper understanding of it; he seems to be going through very existential contemplations having to do with time and how he spent his life. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/9/20 promptEdit 2/9/20 prompt
understanding for me. Many students expressed that they felt empathetic for him and could not imagine being in that internal state all of the time. That was also an interesting response to me because that was not my initial response; I think I moreso was just relating to his train of thought that spiraled inwardly and downwardly, it’s happened to all of us right? Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/9/20 Post Discussion ReflectionEdit 2/9/20 Post Discussion Reflection
2/9/20 prompt
I certainly see value in both oral poetry as well as written poetry. Specifically with poetry in the modernist age I believe it is best as written because it is so mysterious and it does not explicitly explain the meaning of the poem; it is behind what you are reading. This kind of poetry takes a lot of contemplating and piecing together like a puzzle and you need to have perpetual access to it, in order to figure it out. It can not be figured out in one reading. There is a lot hidden details, that one might simply skim over, if just listening to it. For example, it took me several read throughs of “The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock” to pick up on different details. In the middle of it, he was randomly talking about “scuttling across the ocean floors of silent seas” (paragraph 11) ,and I later realized that he was alluding to the ocean scene he talks about in the end.
I do also see the value in oral poetry though. Another big theme of modernist poetry is to write like a rolling stream of consciousness and this is much more effective orally, I believe. In “The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock”, I think there is a certain instinctual understanding of the poem that I would otherwise not have, due to the tone of his voice and which parts he slowed down at. At some points he sounded monotone and other parts his voice became very dynamic and almost musical. This definitely added to my deeper understanding of it; he seems to be going through very existential contemplations having to do with time and how he spent his life. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/9/20 promptEdit 2/9/20 prompt
2/2/20 initial reflection
I am very interested in modernism and how these poets reflect this time period. It is so interesting to read poetry that reflect a time in America where all construct we had was obliterated. These poems are kind of calculated and there are many intentions behind many miniscule details and it is a lot to dissect.
There are many different backgrounds going into this week’s readings. TS has a philosophy background and writing with a search of meaning to life. William’s writings reflect his background of his parents drilling perfectionism into him. His writings reflect how he fought to not conform to that- he went to college to please them, but even then used it for his creative good, not for personal success. Many of his poems are fragmented and will cut off in the middle of a sentence to hop to a new one which obviously is intentional. I am excited to read over his poems again and study them more so that I can piece together all his intentions for why he places words where he does. Many of his poems resolute with a greater meaning I have realized, after reading them over a couple of times. Marianne’s poems reflect her keen interest in her surroundings and ability to observe. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/2/20 initial reflectionEdit 2/2/20 initial reflection
2/2/20 reflection
My understanding of the poets and the poetry itself has evolved a lot through this past week. I evolved into having a deeper understanding of imagism and that the ultimate goal of it is to create simplistic work that is easily communicated. I appreciated it even more after learning that it is the result of the disposing of the victorian era and romanticism.
Learning about Pound, lowell’s, and HD’s backgrounds was also the hugest factor that impacted the way I read their works. It was very interesting to read where they came from, what they did and why they did it. Especially when we took a deeper look into their personal definitions of imagism, I began to see the rules they’ve created for themselves in their own writing.
Reading my classmates responses and participating in the class discussions also added another tier to perspectives on what i am readins as well as validating my thoughts. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/2/20 reflectionEdit 2/2/20 reflection
2/2/20
I definitely had a different experience reading everything we’ve read thus far. The one I have enjoyed the most is Drieser. Partly because the plot was relatable to me and I think it was easier for me to digest than imagism poetry. I just genuinely enjoyed the way he crafted the plot and it was easy for my mind to follow. I think reading “Sister Carrie” demanded for me to connect emotionally in a way that the poetry doesn’t. The poetry demanded that I connect cognitively. Especially, Pound. It is difficult for me to understand his writing but I really enjoyed reading his biography and his method for the best imagism. I definitely agreed with HD’s theory for imagism the most. I have enjoyed reading Amy Lowell because for the most part I can piece together what she is saying and some of her poems are pretty deep. Overall, my experience reading the past three weeks have been better than I thought it would be. I think would help me even more is if I would do even more background research and actually gave myself more time to digest all the material. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 2/2/20Edit 2/2/20
11/26/19
Ezra Pound: It is highly admirable that he claimed such a high name for himself. It makes it very recognizable that he took time to help other poets in effort to boost their success. I truly enjoy his approach to writing because he does not leave anything abstract and he intentionally is specific. I also thought it was interesting that he includes french and Latin in his poems because it makes it very dynamic.
HD put a twist upon the poets that she had been reading from. She adds an air of feminism as well as deep words that resonate with a country who is on a search for new mentality after the war. She stands out because she wrote more than just poetry. She wrote very philosophically about human kind’s most existential questions.
It is especially interesting that Lowell put an even fresher spin on work from HD. She sounds as though she was a woman who knew exactly who she was, what she stood for and was not afraid to tell the world. It speaks volumes about her that she started her poetry career at age thirty. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 11/26/19Edit 11/26/19
1/26/20
I definitely draw many parallels between Sister Carrie and naturalism. One reason being that characters in naturalism are usually in pursuit of freewill but their circumstances limit them. The setting is often in an urban setting. In chapter one, we read about her adventure into the city which is the powermove she makes to escape the small town she grew up in and the bubble she feels was entrapped by. On her way there she is seduced by a man who reveals to her the wonders of the city life and she in turn falls prey to the appetizing appearance. So to say the least, she is definitely in pursuit of something new and something that the place she was living in before could never offer her, something only the city life could offer her.
The second paralell that can easily be drawn is that she indeed was limited by her circumstances that she can not change. Such as, being a woman. She walked from building to building with high hopes of building a new life for herself, but she was turned down employer after employer that were all men. She went to an urban place so that she would no longer be entrapped by her rural town, but now she is entrapped by her gender.
The third characteristic of naturalism that I foresee happening in Sister Carrie is that her circumstances are likely to get worse and worse. Not much has happened yet because the plot is just being set, but I can definitely see how some of her existing circumstances could be made much worse; such as the poor job she accepted as well as the suspicious attractive man she gave her attention to. I suspect the direction that the plot could potentially be heading towards. Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 1/26/20Edit 1/26/20
1/22 initial reflection
Reading the first and third chapter of “Sister Carrie” was very relatable to me. I felt most of every interaction that Carrie had with the world and I certainly share in her feelings. I think any reader could step into Carrie’s feelings. Carrie has given power to an illusion that the city life and independence is the missing piece to her uncultured rural self. Drieser writes about a concept that is very common still today, if we admit it. Most every human soul has come face to face with this; they feel as though something is missing from their life and materialism has drawn them in with its cunningness, forever keeping them entrapped in a vicious cycle. I suspect that it is leading to a harsh awakening that Chicago will indeed, not be the thing that makes her happy.
I believe I am able to relate to this specifically because of our circumstances being similar; I recently just moved out of my parent’s house for the first time. I beliebe it’s not just mine and Carrie’s situations that give me empathy for her; I believe it is also because Drieser’s style of writing. It draws me in and forces me to understand details about particular scenarios in a way I never would have before. I feel excited to read the rest.Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton 1/22 initial reflectionEdit 1/22 initial reflection
What I know about 20th century literature
My pre existing knowledge of 20th century American Literature is very limited, but I do have some. I have studied Hemingway as well as others in ninth grade as well as senior year in high school. I also just did some research, so that is where all of my understanding comes from, but I am very excited to become more educated about it.
Much of the literature depicts the disposition of the era. As far as the politcal scene goes for this time period it was post world war one. Woodrow Wilson had in mind a new age for America: the end of war. It had felt as though everything lost it’s meaning and that there truly was no answer; no correct algorithm that would fix the problems that we keep running into. There was an understanding that no matter how we construct our government and build a strong foundation as a nation, our self destruction was inevitable and perpetual. Many topics in 20th Century American literature center around meaninglessness, corruption, and injustice, making societal as well as philosophical statements.
Many of the modernist authors had become hard hearted and cynical and their works reflect that. Many people became realists. The modernist era is characterized by nonconformity. The Victorian era had come to an end and so now there was a void in what society’s values should be, as the old ones had been exposed. The modern era in short, equates to a new construct and the societal search for a new mold to fit into. Many philosophies were developed in this time period. This is also the time period where romanticism is born. Romanticism seeked to find ways to not deny the reality, but to transcend and understand it in a new way. Now was a time period where people began to ponder and contemplate much deeper than every before.
Frued and Jung came around in this time period and as I learned from my psychology class, they were concerned with the unconsciousness’s role in our conscience. They claimed that all of our experiences shape us and those experiences are exactly what we carry with us everywhere we go. They claimed that dreams depict what we have suppressed and shoved into out subcounscious. Clearly their influence was powerful, as we base majority of our psychology understanding based on their findings. This is a major concept in literature in this time period, reflected by authors such as Hemingway and Fauklner. This time period in America is a birth of individuals relying on their own understanding to completely rebuild their thoughts about life.
Citation
Baldwin, Marc. “20th Century Literature.” YouTube, YouTube, 20 Mar. 2013, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuyYaRcQtCo.Posted byKara FreemanPosted inUncategorizedLeave a commenton What I know about 20th century literatureEdit What I know about 20th century literature
1/17/19 — Kara’s Blog
As I have never taken an online course before, I will have to be strategic about my course of action for this class. I think the hugest factor for my success would be being proactive so I don’t have to worry about deadlines sneaking up on me. I have a tendency to do everything last […]
Kara's Blog 