America is a nation of paradoxes. “Speak what you think today in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today.” (596) This quote, in my opinion is crucial to the view of America as a nation of paradoxes. Ralph Waldo Emerson, alongside encouraging general …
Category Archives: American Literature
Peer Review 4
Peer Review of Bruno Filletti’s “Crossing Brooklyn Bridge” Blog Post which can be found here: https://brunosliteratureblog.wordpress.com/2019/09/06/crossing-brooklyn-bridge/ Hey Bruno. This blog post was really interesting to read. The way in which you were able to draw out the major thematic concerns of Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Bridge”, alongside addressing your own personal connection to these themes, was …
Reflection on my First Blog Post
For this final blog post, I thought that I would reflect on the first blog post that I wrote for this subject. The topic was “From what you know about the USA has anything surprised you in the literature that has been introduced to you so far in this unit?” As I made quite clear …
Try to write an e.e.cummings poem using your own subject matter but sticking to his language and form.
I have taken inspiration from Cumming’s “in Just-“ for this poem, using the opening line to begin my own poem. in Just- the space between this and there hereandthat in Just that very spot the trees swoosh secrets the sky opens and closes open close open close openclose close closerthanbreath and when the Clock …
Peer Review 3
Peer Review of William Trinh’s blog post which can be found here: Blog 4 Hey William. This blog post was really enjoyable to read. It was truly insightful the myriad of meaning that you were able to draw from Ezra Pound’s “In A Station of the Metro”. It showed your immense understanding of the poem …
American Literature Peer Review 2
Comment on Ethan Hua’s “A Narrow Fellow in the Grass” blog post which can be found here: https://ethansopinion.home.blog/2019/09/01/a-narrow-fellow-in-the-grass/ This poem was really enjoyable to read. I really liked how you not only masterfully imitated Dickinson’s form, but also the complex subtleties that make her poetry so interesting. I particularly found your use of personification, for …
Write a letter to James Baldwin telling him what you think of the power of his writing. (In regards to “Going to Meet the Man”)
To Mr. James Baldwin. Having recently read your short story “Going to Meet the Man” I must admit that it took me aback. I had to take a few moments to reflect upon the story, especially the final, gruesome flashback. The vivid nature of your writing evoked a range of emotions within me, with jarring …
American Literature Peer Review 1
Peer Review of Gavin Tran’s “Art and Literature” post which can be found here:(https://gavintran.home.blog/2019/09/02/art-and-literature/) This was a really insightful blog post to have read, and it was really enjoyable to dig into your analysis of the relationship between literature and art. Your first sentence was far-spanning and was a really intriguing way to open the …
Whitman and Dickinson: Creative
I wrote this “imitation Whitman” poem below entitled “Babe of Optimism”, based on the opening line of the eighth section of “Song of Myself”. I really wanted to capture the freedom of his verses, imitating its formless nature, and lack of structure. “The little one sleeps in its cradle, head resting on soft pillows A …
Critical- From what you know about the USA has anything surprised you in the literature that has been introduced to you so far in this unit.
It must be said that my knowledge of the US is quite limited to that of very recent events regarding a certain Mr Trump, so in a sense everything that has been introduced to me in the unit thus far has been new. Perhaps the main thing that has surprised me is seeing the “adolescence” …
Cameron's Literature Blog 