1st generation vs. 2nd generation of writers (poets)
Everything we do in life, there is a phase or generation assigned to it. Even in the 1800s you had a generation of writers. The first generation consisted of William Blake, William Wordsworth, and Samuel Coleridge. The second generation consisted of Lord Bryon, Percy Shelley, and Keats. In this blog, I want to focus on differences and similarities between the 1st generation and 2nd generation.
What ideas inspired these generations? The first generation’s writings were inspired by the Battle of Bastille and the French Revolution. Their writings were based on liberty and equality. Their writings were based around the ruling of the citizens by kings and queens and the elite ones running the government. The second generation’s writings were inspired by more modern day issues such as politics. The second generation writings were more straight forward and easier for me to relate to. The writings of the second generation were more social driven as well as writing about changing the government.
What approaches did each generation take to inspire their writings? Blake used evil verses good. Wordsworth and Coleridge used imagination which involved the mind. They both used nature as a way to portray happiness as well. Bryon used storytelling. He used social issues as his approach to his writings. An example would be his use of his failed marriage to inspire some of the entries in his writing Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. Shelley also used a similar approach. Keats’ approach involved morals and social issues as well.
What values did each generation take into account in his writing? I truly feel that the values of both generations were very similar. The differences were few. I feel that both generations made valid points about the upper class compared to the lower class. Of course the emphases on these values were portrayed more in the 1st generation writings compared to the 2nd generation. I feel that the 2nd generations values were based more along family lines, but I must say the failed marriages in the 1800s shocked me. It’s hard for me to say that they valued marriages, but they valued love. Also, I sensed the value of money in the 2nd generation. It seems that in the introductory readings on the writers lead me to believe that money was more important in the 2nd generation. They traveled more in the 2nd generation which gave them more insights into other parts of the world to write their poetry on.
No matter what generation you side with, they both had valid ideas, approaches, and values. Each generation had a different way of approaching their writing. Either way, I am thankful that I am able to read their writings today to see things as there were in the 1800s. Reading through the works of both generations has given me a different perspective of what romantic literature is all about. I would have never thought in a million years that I would be telling my co-workers that romantic literature is interesting. Go figure!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Samuel Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge use of imagination
Samuel Coleridge was an inspiring writer. I feel that his challenges in life lead him to be a great writer. For starters, he started off in college but veered off to enlist in the army. How many of us today start off as a college student and get off the path to try other things? Or better yet wait four or five years and try college again for a second time like me. Samuel was also challenged with failed marriages and drug abuse. I would have never thought that in the 1800s, individuals were faced with drug problems. To me, I view these as challenges. I feel that challenges lead individuals to be more than conquerors in whatever those are set out to be. Coleridge had the challenges to lead him to be an inspiring writer with full of imagination.
Some of Coleridge’s writings helped me to better understand the definition of romantics. Romantics can be defined as imagination. Well Coleridge took it and ran with it. On page 326 in the footnotes, Burnet states, “I can easily believe that there are more invisible creatures in the universe than visible ones.” When reading Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, I sensed a lot of imagination. At times the story was had to follow. I couldn’t figure out if the mariner was a sheriff, a ghost, a boat or an old man.
When I read The Rime of Ancient Mariner, I focused on Part the First and Part the Seventh. I wanted to see how the beginning and the end compared to one another. Part the First started off as a real wedding would. It stated the guests, feasts, groom and bride. Then a storm was mentioned. My first inkling was a guest had interrupted the wedding. Within Part the First it also mentioned an ancient man and a ship. When I reviewed Part the Seventh, it seemed happier to me. There were citizens from other countries. On page 340, it talks about the bride and bridesmaids singing. On page 341, it spoke of the Mariner with bright eyes and a beard and turning away at the bridegroom’s door. This made me think of the Mariner as an older man, maybe a grandfather at the wedding. To me having a grandfather or great grandfather at a wedding smiling and bidding farewell to the bride and groom is a wonderful thing. With me comparing the Part the First and Part the Seventh put my mind into a world of imagination!
We all imagine at some point in our lives. Some of us imagine daily while others seconds and minutes. Some of us use our imagination to view a situation from a different perspective whether it is for the better or worse. I feel that if we allow the mind to get stuck in a mediocre state then we are limiting ourselves. So why not reposition your mind and spirit and life. I believe that this is what Samuel’s writings portrayed. It lead the minds to view things differently in a way to reposition an individual’s thoughts.
Samuel Coleridge was an inspiring writer. I feel that his challenges in life lead him to be a great writer. For starters, he started off in college but veered off to enlist in the army. How many of us today start off as a college student and get off the path to try other things? Or better yet wait four or five years and try college again for a second time like me. Samuel was also challenged with failed marriages and drug abuse. I would have never thought that in the 1800s, individuals were faced with drug problems. To me, I view these as challenges. I feel that challenges lead individuals to be more than conquerors in whatever those are set out to be. Coleridge had the challenges to lead him to be an inspiring writer with full of imagination.
Some of Coleridge’s writings helped me to better understand the definition of romantics. Romantics can be defined as imagination. Well Coleridge took it and ran with it. On page 326 in the footnotes, Burnet states, “I can easily believe that there are more invisible creatures in the universe than visible ones.” When reading Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, I sensed a lot of imagination. At times the story was had to follow. I couldn’t figure out if the mariner was a sheriff, a ghost, a boat or an old man.
When I read The Rime of Ancient Mariner, I focused on Part the First and Part the Seventh. I wanted to see how the beginning and the end compared to one another. Part the First started off as a real wedding would. It stated the guests, feasts, groom and bride. Then a storm was mentioned. My first inkling was a guest had interrupted the wedding. Within Part the First it also mentioned an ancient man and a ship. When I reviewed Part the Seventh, it seemed happier to me. There were citizens from other countries. On page 340, it talks about the bride and bridesmaids singing. On page 341, it spoke of the Mariner with bright eyes and a beard and turning away at the bridegroom’s door. This made me think of the Mariner as an older man, maybe a grandfather at the wedding. To me having a grandfather or great grandfather at a wedding smiling and bidding farewell to the bride and groom is a wonderful thing. With me comparing the Part the First and Part the Seventh put my mind into a world of imagination!
We all imagine at some point in our lives. Some of us imagine daily while others seconds and minutes. Some of us use our imagination to view a situation from a different perspective whether it is for the better or worse. I feel that if we allow the mind to get stuck in a mediocre state then we are limiting ourselves. So why not reposition your mind and spirit and life. I believe that this is what Samuel’s writings portrayed. It lead the minds to view things differently in a way to reposition an individual’s thoughts.
Friday, May 25, 2007
William Wordsworth
Williams Wordsworth
William Wordsworth started off with a pretty good life until his mother died. After his mother’s death, his family slipped into the middle-class way of life. It was stated in the readings that Wordsworth poetry was not meant for the upper-class. Out of all the readings thus far, I must say that Wordsworth reading has been more difficult for me to understand. However I was moved by his writing on Simon Lee and We Are Seven. These writings brought out messages to me that I could relate to. Simon Lee showed generosity and genuine support between younger generations to older generation. We Are Seven supported family.
Who was “Simon Lee?” Simon Lee was a young man that was a hunter who was well known and full of energy. Simon Lee was also an old man that grew to be slow and swollen and poor. This poem goes back and forth concerning a man that was full of energy and zeal to an older man. Simon Lee went from being a well-off man to a poor man. He had no children, so that meant he had no help being an old man. Within this poem, Simon Lee receives help from someone as mentioned on page 199, “You’re overtasked, good Simon Lee, Give me your tool…” This showed genuine support of the lower class by a neighbor or passerby. Now in the wealthy society, they would never have to worry about help because they had maids. So even if they were sick or just getting old or healthy; they always had a helping hand. I enjoyed this poem. I liked the way Wordsworth went back and forth from old to young within this poem, it kept my attention. We will all grow older at some point in our life. Some of us will lose our energy and zeal sooner than others but it will come upon us all.
“We Are Seven” on page 200 also supports the introduction of Wordsworth writings not being pleasing to the upper-class. Wealthy families tend to fight and bicker over material things and power. The poor families base their foundations off of loving and supporting one another. “We Are Seven” represented a family of love and support. I say that because on page 201 it states, {“How many are you then,” said I, “If they two are in Heaven?”… “O Master! We are seven.”}. Even with the two dead and two at sea, the family still spoke of the family consisting of seven.
The main point that I gathered from Wordsworth writing was his reflections of the poor families. He spoke of happiness and joy in spite of the situation. He even used nature to help reflect happiness in his poem “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey.”. If you are poor, you don’t have money to buy material things to keep you happy; therefore meditating on nature should give you a sense of peace and happiness.
William Wordsworth started off with a pretty good life until his mother died. After his mother’s death, his family slipped into the middle-class way of life. It was stated in the readings that Wordsworth poetry was not meant for the upper-class. Out of all the readings thus far, I must say that Wordsworth reading has been more difficult for me to understand. However I was moved by his writing on Simon Lee and We Are Seven. These writings brought out messages to me that I could relate to. Simon Lee showed generosity and genuine support between younger generations to older generation. We Are Seven supported family.
Who was “Simon Lee?” Simon Lee was a young man that was a hunter who was well known and full of energy. Simon Lee was also an old man that grew to be slow and swollen and poor. This poem goes back and forth concerning a man that was full of energy and zeal to an older man. Simon Lee went from being a well-off man to a poor man. He had no children, so that meant he had no help being an old man. Within this poem, Simon Lee receives help from someone as mentioned on page 199, “You’re overtasked, good Simon Lee, Give me your tool…” This showed genuine support of the lower class by a neighbor or passerby. Now in the wealthy society, they would never have to worry about help because they had maids. So even if they were sick or just getting old or healthy; they always had a helping hand. I enjoyed this poem. I liked the way Wordsworth went back and forth from old to young within this poem, it kept my attention. We will all grow older at some point in our life. Some of us will lose our energy and zeal sooner than others but it will come upon us all.
“We Are Seven” on page 200 also supports the introduction of Wordsworth writings not being pleasing to the upper-class. Wealthy families tend to fight and bicker over material things and power. The poor families base their foundations off of loving and supporting one another. “We Are Seven” represented a family of love and support. I say that because on page 201 it states, {“How many are you then,” said I, “If they two are in Heaven?”… “O Master! We are seven.”}. Even with the two dead and two at sea, the family still spoke of the family consisting of seven.
The main point that I gathered from Wordsworth writing was his reflections of the poor families. He spoke of happiness and joy in spite of the situation. He even used nature to help reflect happiness in his poem “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey.”. If you are poor, you don’t have money to buy material things to keep you happy; therefore meditating on nature should give you a sense of peace and happiness.
William Blake
William Blake
William Blake and his family had hardships. I first admired him when I read that his father could not afford tuition for him to receive a proper education. William Blake had the zeal to be an engraver, sketcher, painter and writer! William Blake was a great writer. I loved the way he used the terminology “innocence” and “experience” to relate “peace” and “darkness”. He uses the same technique when he wrote the Chimney Sweeper and his writings on infants.
Using “peace” and “darkness” are my words of describing what I felt when I read through his poems. Milton’s words were “Paradise” and the “Fall”. I must first say that when I read the “innocence” poems I really felt the peace and happiness. When you think on the word “innocence” you do think of children. Children are filled with innocence and happiness and peace when they enter into the world. Parents are supposed to nurture them to keep them happy. On the counterpart, some adults and certain situations robbed children from innocence, happiness, and peace. On page 77, it states, “...childhood is a time and a state of protected “innocence,” but it is qualified innocence, not immune to the fallen world or its institutions.”
In Blake’s poem, “The Lamb,” I felt a sense of security for the children. When looking at the painting on page 80, I saw the twining branches as a fence of protection around the child. Since the Lamb represents God, I can totally relate to this poem because he gives life, provides food, clothes, and shelter.
I admired the Chimney Sweeper because Blake went at this poem from both angles. The “innocence” version on page 81, gave a sense of hope to the children. This version spoke on the unpleasant effects of cleaning chimneys by children. Imagine a child sleeping in soot and having to shave his or her hair off just to get rid of the soot. He gave a sense of peace by talking of an Angel setting them (the children) free from coffins. The “experience” version on page 89, gave a sense of sadness for a child. There was a child crying for his or her mother and father. This child sang and danced to try to block out the sadness. Blake also did the same thing with “Infant Joy” on page 83 and “Infant Sorrow” on page 92. “Infant Joy” you had a happy and joyful baby by the name of Joy. “Infant Sorrow” there was weeping and signs of striving to survive and struggling. It was amazing to me to the way Blake wrote on the two topics such as chimney sweeping and infants in two different but similar works of literature!
William Blake and his family had hardships. I first admired him when I read that his father could not afford tuition for him to receive a proper education. William Blake had the zeal to be an engraver, sketcher, painter and writer! William Blake was a great writer. I loved the way he used the terminology “innocence” and “experience” to relate “peace” and “darkness”. He uses the same technique when he wrote the Chimney Sweeper and his writings on infants.
Using “peace” and “darkness” are my words of describing what I felt when I read through his poems. Milton’s words were “Paradise” and the “Fall”. I must first say that when I read the “innocence” poems I really felt the peace and happiness. When you think on the word “innocence” you do think of children. Children are filled with innocence and happiness and peace when they enter into the world. Parents are supposed to nurture them to keep them happy. On the counterpart, some adults and certain situations robbed children from innocence, happiness, and peace. On page 77, it states, “...childhood is a time and a state of protected “innocence,” but it is qualified innocence, not immune to the fallen world or its institutions.”
In Blake’s poem, “The Lamb,” I felt a sense of security for the children. When looking at the painting on page 80, I saw the twining branches as a fence of protection around the child. Since the Lamb represents God, I can totally relate to this poem because he gives life, provides food, clothes, and shelter.
I admired the Chimney Sweeper because Blake went at this poem from both angles. The “innocence” version on page 81, gave a sense of hope to the children. This version spoke on the unpleasant effects of cleaning chimneys by children. Imagine a child sleeping in soot and having to shave his or her hair off just to get rid of the soot. He gave a sense of peace by talking of an Angel setting them (the children) free from coffins. The “experience” version on page 89, gave a sense of sadness for a child. There was a child crying for his or her mother and father. This child sang and danced to try to block out the sadness. Blake also did the same thing with “Infant Joy” on page 83 and “Infant Sorrow” on page 92. “Infant Joy” you had a happy and joyful baby by the name of Joy. “Infant Sorrow” there was weeping and signs of striving to survive and struggling. It was amazing to me to the way Blake wrote on the two topics such as chimney sweeping and infants in two different but similar works of literature!
Burke, Wollstonecraft, and Paine
Views of Burke, Wollstonecraft, & Paine
France in the 18th century dealt with the social imbalance. The lower class was in the social standing that the elite people thought they should be. The lower class consisted of peasants, serfs, and industrial workers. The lower class was taxed more and earned the lesser income. In the 18th century, who was the society lead by? The elite kings and queens and the throne was known to be passed down through generations. In stating this, it brings me to viewing the different views brought about from Edmond Burke, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Thomas Paine.
Each of the above individuals had different but similar points of view. First I will start off with Edmond Burke. Burke to me was a confusing writer because he was wealthy and he believed that the government needed changing but not necessarily the power taken from the elite.In the text when Burke is writing on the state on page 49, he makes a strong point about “happy effect of following nature”. Well I agree that you can not improve a society or a country without some type of improvement in the government. In our society today, things are forever changing and just think if we kept doing things in the norm. The same applies for the 18th century, how things can improve if you keep passing the power down from generation to generation in the elite society, speaking on the kings and queens as well as Burke’s family line. Are all men created equal? Well according to Burke, men were created equal in some areas but not in partnerships. I believe that if the men could share the power and authority of managing the government then why wasn’t the same weight carried over for the partnerships. I believe in being fair and all men should have been treated equal. Burke was very descriptive in describing the king and queen’s deaths. I couldn’t quite figure out if he was being comical or serious on this matter. I agree with Burke on yes society is a contract, because in the 18th century it was clear that if you were in an elite family then you were in the right contract.
Mary Wollstonecraft and Thomas Paine did not agree with Edmond Burke. Both believed in the fact that the lower class individuals needed to be treated with better respect. Wollstonecraft thought that it was unfair to keep the power in the hands of the elite ones. On page 62, Wollstonecraft states, “…if the poor are in distress…they will confer obligations, but not do justice.” The poor deserves to enjoy a pleasant life just as the rich. Thomas Paine makes a point that each generation should rule for itself. At every age and every season things change. Why not have new generations to think higher and better than the previous generations?
I will close this writing by stating that I truly side with Wollstonecraft and Paine because things should be done in a fair manner no matter the class standing!
France in the 18th century dealt with the social imbalance. The lower class was in the social standing that the elite people thought they should be. The lower class consisted of peasants, serfs, and industrial workers. The lower class was taxed more and earned the lesser income. In the 18th century, who was the society lead by? The elite kings and queens and the throne was known to be passed down through generations. In stating this, it brings me to viewing the different views brought about from Edmond Burke, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Thomas Paine.
Each of the above individuals had different but similar points of view. First I will start off with Edmond Burke. Burke to me was a confusing writer because he was wealthy and he believed that the government needed changing but not necessarily the power taken from the elite.In the text when Burke is writing on the state on page 49, he makes a strong point about “happy effect of following nature”. Well I agree that you can not improve a society or a country without some type of improvement in the government. In our society today, things are forever changing and just think if we kept doing things in the norm. The same applies for the 18th century, how things can improve if you keep passing the power down from generation to generation in the elite society, speaking on the kings and queens as well as Burke’s family line. Are all men created equal? Well according to Burke, men were created equal in some areas but not in partnerships. I believe that if the men could share the power and authority of managing the government then why wasn’t the same weight carried over for the partnerships. I believe in being fair and all men should have been treated equal. Burke was very descriptive in describing the king and queen’s deaths. I couldn’t quite figure out if he was being comical or serious on this matter. I agree with Burke on yes society is a contract, because in the 18th century it was clear that if you were in an elite family then you were in the right contract.
Mary Wollstonecraft and Thomas Paine did not agree with Edmond Burke. Both believed in the fact that the lower class individuals needed to be treated with better respect. Wollstonecraft thought that it was unfair to keep the power in the hands of the elite ones. On page 62, Wollstonecraft states, “…if the poor are in distress…they will confer obligations, but not do justice.” The poor deserves to enjoy a pleasant life just as the rich. Thomas Paine makes a point that each generation should rule for itself. At every age and every season things change. Why not have new generations to think higher and better than the previous generations?
I will close this writing by stating that I truly side with Wollstonecraft and Paine because things should be done in a fair manner no matter the class standing!
Monday, May 21, 2007
ENG264 Summer Online Introduction
Hello, my name is Mignon Clark. This is my 2nd semester at Mercer University. My area of study is business adminstration. I have 3 wonderful children ages 11 (girl), 4 (boy) , & 2 (girl). I am taking this online course because I have to satisfy an upper level English for my credits. I am also taking this online course because I took online courses at Dekalb Technical College and I love online courses. I expect to leave this course with a better understanding of english literature dealing with modern romantics. I really don't know if I have any anxieties concerning this course other than praying and hoping that my blog page will post to Professor Glance and my other classmates in this course. I look forward to having a great time in taking this course!
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