home

**By: TJ Baylor meow **
 * Wiki Project 2010 **

“To a Waterfowl” by William Cullen Bryant Whither, ‘midst falling dew, While glows the heavens with the last steps of day, Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way? Vainly the fowler’s eye Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, As, darkly painted on the crimson sky, Thy figure floats along. Seek’st thou the plashy brink Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide, Or where the rocking billows rise and sink On the chafed ocean side? There is a power whose care <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Teaches thy way along that pathless coast, -- <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The desert and illimitable air, -- <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lone wandering, but not lost. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">All day thy wings have fann’d <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">At that far height, the cold thin atmosphere; <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Though the dark of night is near. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">And soon that toil shall end, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Soon shalt thou find a summer home and rest, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Soon o’er thy sheltered nest. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thou’rt gone, the abyss of heaven <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hath swallowed up thy form; yet, on my heart <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou has given, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">And shall not soon depart. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">He, who, from zone to zone, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the long way that I must treat alone, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Will lead my steps aright. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Poem Analysis: William Cullen Bryant was raised by his father in the backwoods of Massachusetts. His father was a strict Calvinist. This may have sculpted Bryant into the writer that he was. His writings often focused on emotions that lead the reader to have a certain viewpoint on issues. This poem by William Cullen Bryant talks about the various aspects of a bird’s flight that the speaker it witnessing. Bryant is inspired by this sight and begins to ask questions to reveal the true path that this bird may be taking. He says in the second stanza “Vainly the fowler’s eye might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, as darkly painted in the crimson sky, thy figure floats among.” Meaning that since night is drawing near the bird may be in danger of a hunter seeking him out in the sky. Also in the fourth stanza Bryant speaks of a “Power” that is guiding the bird’s flight when he says “There is a Power whose care teaches thy way along the pathless coast, the desert and illimitable air, lone wandering, but not lost.” Bryant believes that although the bird may be flying alone, that there is an underlying force driving the bird to its destination. Bryant reconfirms this in the last line of the poem by saying, “In the long way that I must tread alone, will lead my steps aright.” Being alone can ultimately be what sends the bird in the right path because he doesn’t have to depend on other birds to follow. I believe this poem is also a great comparison to life. All individuals will encounter their ups and downs in life but it’s how we overcome those obstacles that defines us as our own individual. The fowler in the poem can be compared to these obstacles in life because we never know when they may strike just as the bird is oblivious to its hunter. After reading this poem I can now better see what Bryant may be alluding to in his writing. Something such as simple as a bird’s flight through the sky can hold so much more meaning than most individuals realize. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Video: [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Alone <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">By: Edgar Allan Poe <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">From childhood's hour I have not been As others were; I have not seen As others saw; I could not bring My passions from a common spring. From the same source I have not taken My sorrow; I could not awaken My heart to joy at the same tone; And all I loved, I loved alone. Then- in my childhood, in the dawn Of a most stormy life- was drawn From every depth of good and ill The mystery which binds me still: From the torrent, or the fountain, From the red cliff of the mountain, From the sun that round me rolled In its autumn tint of gold, From the lightning in the sky As it passed me flying by, From the thunder and the storm, And the cloud that took the form (When the rest of Heaven was blue) Of a demon in my view. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Poem Analysis: Poe expresses some of his true emotions that he has felt since his childhood in the poem “Alone”. Through his writings we can see his distinct different style of writing. His writing style was influenced by his tough life and having to deal with the death of women in his life. Traumatic experiences can influence an individual’s lifestyle and furthermore cause a sense of lonesomeness. In the beginning of this poem Poe recalls his childhood as being his first episode of feeling alone when he says, “From childhood’s hour I have not been as others were—I have not seen as others saw.” As a child one would expect them to be happy, outgoing and full of energy but for him these things did not come naturally. The word alone does not solely mean being by yourself at the moment because although he could be surrounded by others, he still felt as if he was different and no one was like him. These characteristics remind me of an individual being autistic; characterized by social interaction impairment, and communication. Could Edgar Allan Poe possibly have been autistic? The lines “From the thunder, and the storm—And the cloud that took the form (When the rest of Heaven was blue) of a demon in my view” shows me that Poe had an underlying gloomy tone to his writings which is obvious throughout his works. He felt that even in the best of conditions there was always something about him that prevented him from finding that true happiness in life. With Poe being a very famous writer, his style of writing portrayed to his readers how he felt throughout his lifetime. This propelled him into being a very successful writer and although he expressed his true feelings thorough his many works, only Poe knew the true extent of having to deal with these tough obstacles in his lifetime.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">To Helen <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">By: Edgar Allan Poe <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, The weary, way-worn wanderer bore To his own native shore.

On desperate seas long wont to roam, Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, Thy Naiad airs have brought me home To the glory that was Greece, And the grandeur that was Rome.

Lo, in yon brilliant window-niche How statue-like I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand, Ah! Psyche, from the regions which Are Holy Land! <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Poem Analysis: Poe in the poem is inspired by such a beautiful woman. He compares her to many beautiful wonders of the world. Having such an interest in her leads me to believe that whomever this woman that inspired him to write this poem must have been of great importance and value to him. Poe usually writes to the tone of gloominess but this poem has more of an inspirational tone to it. Maybe this was Poe’s way of showing his multiple writings styles and not solely concentrating on one theme? Lines 4-5 read “The weary, way-worn wanderer bore, To his own native shore,” and this could be Poe’s way of saying that this beautiful woman will someday find her way to where she belongs. This subtle use of words leaves it open for the reader to draw his/her own conclusion about its true meaning. Poe also uses somewhat of a metaphoric comparison in lines 12-13 when he says, “How statue-like I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand!” He is ultimately comparing her beauty to that of the Statue of Liberty. The ongoing infatuation Poe has with this woman is very obvious. He continues to use these comparisons throughout his works. Poe seems to me to have been a dynamic writer but at times his readers may not have been able to see this. If an individual solely links Poe to the gothic writing style then they lose sight of the many various aspects that Poe incorporates into his writing style. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Reconciliation <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">By: Walt Whitman <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Word over all, beautiful as the sky, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Beautiful that war and all its deeds of carnage must in time be <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> utterly lost, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> That the hands of the sisters Death and Night incessantly softly <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> wash again, and ever again, this solid world; <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> For my enemy is dead, a man divine as myself is dead, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> I look where he lies white-faced and still in the coffin--I draw near, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Bend down and touch lightly with my lips the white face in the coffin. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Poem Analysis: Walt Whitman’s writing style seems to branch away from the traditional form and create his own prose-like writing. He often liked to focus on the properties of the individual. This led to him being a very influential writer to others. This poem talks about two individuals (one now dead) being able to resolve their differences. Whitman lets us know that the setting is at a funeral but we do not know whether the person attending the funeral is a family member, a fellow soldier, or even the individual who may have killed him. After first reading the poem I was led to believe the individual may have been his killer but after reading it multiple times and thinking about it I cannot be so certain. The line “Beautiful that war and all its deeds of carnage must in time be utterly lost” shows that the aftermath of wars need to be resolved in some way. Using the words “beautiful that war” contradicts itself. This technique can cause the reader to come back to reality and maybe revaluate their own morals. So many lives are taken and so much destruction is done throughout the process of a war. Whitman opposes the wars and wants individuals to see the horrors that they cause. He believes that all human being are equal and states this when saying, “For my enemy is dead, a man divine as myself is dead.” Whitman is upset with the fact that a man can kill another man and be alright with it. He even compares the dead man to himself and can’t understand why he is in the coffin because Whitman feels that he is no better than the individual in the coffin. Whitman wants all conflicts to be resolved to some type of manner but why does it have to be at a funeral. Whitman wants us to think about the things we could have done to prevent this from happening at a funeral. Reconciliation is something that many people need/want to do but cannot find a way to accomplish this, but don’t let the last chance you have be at a funeral. Life is too short for individuals to hold onto grudges. Whitman hopes for the world to maybe one day come up with better ways to handle certain situations but until that day comes we will continue to deal with the tragedies and grief of war.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Video: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">To Her Father with Some Verses <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">By Anne Bradstreet <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Most truly honoured, and as truly dear, If worth in me or ought I do appear, Who can of right better demand the same Than may your worthy self from whom it came? The principal might yield a greater sum, Yet handled ill, amounts but to this crumb; My stock's so small I know not how to pay, My bond remains in force unto this day; Yet for part payment take this simple mite, Where nothing's to be had, kings loose their right. Such is my debt I may not say forgive, But as I can, I'll pay it while I live; Such is my bond, none can discharge but I, Yet paying is not paid until I die. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Poem Analysis: Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan woman who expressed her true feeling through her many works. Although she was a Puritan she often began to show some resistance to the Puritan belief. She believed that women should not be relegated to women’s duties only. Therefore in her writings there seems to be two voices regarding the Puritan beliefs. In her poem “To Her Father with Some Verses,” Bradstreet is expressing her feelings about her father. She wants to live her life the best way she possibly can and also make her father proud. Her father instilled in her the passion to overcome obstacles and achieve her goals in life. For me the third line “Who can of right better demand the same, Than may your worthy self from whom it came,” lets me know that Bradstreet looks up to her father in so many ways. She is saying that her father is a worthy man and that he demands the same out of her. To live in such a manner would only carry on the legacy of her father in her everyday life. Bradstreet knows that if she fails to do so that things may not go to well for her and she expresses this in lines 5-6. If she handles herself poorly then her life may end up crumbling before her own eyes. Bradstreet views her family as people who are close to her and this is seen in her poems. She writes many of her poems directly to the people who are close to her. Bradstreet exemplifies an individual who is family oriented but also someone who is their own person. She doesn’t let her being a Puritan keep her from expressing her true feelings. Her writings will continue to inspire others and also have an impact in many lives.