RESPONSES
The first poem I read for today's blog posting was Robert Frost, After Apple-Picking. This poem was a tad bit confusing, and it took me several times of reading it to get an understanding. I think that Frost uses apple picking in this poem as a metaphor for his own life. Lines 3-4 describe "barrels" that haven't been filled. I think these lines are symbolic of things in Frost's own life that he was not able to do, or goals he did not achieve. To me, Frost seems to be drowsy or tired: "Of apple picking: I am over tired." I think the main message of this poem that Frost is trying to convey is that of eventual human mortality. I think Frost wants to make sure people get the most out of life.
The next set of poems I read were by Emily Dickinson. The first poem, Some Keep the Sabbath, was about Dickinson's personal views about organized religion. I think that Dickinson was not too fond of organized religion, although she did view herself as a Christian. In this poem, Dickinson writes how some people are very strict about their religion and their customs. I feel that Dickinson was more relaxed about religion. The second poem was, I taste a Liquor Never Brewed... I think the theme of this poem was Dickinson comparing be inebriated and its affects to her own enjoyment of nature: "I taste a liquor never brewed" Dickinson feels her own "alcohol" (nature) is better than man's brewed alcohol (lines 3-4). The last poem I read by Dickinson was, There's a Certain Slant of Night. I think that this poem was about death. Dickinson feels that sometimes death can be oppressive, but it does not have to always be negative. I think her attitude towards nature is that if admiration and understanding. Dickinson really relates to nature and uses it to symbolize the many phases of life.
The last work I read for today was the short story, "A White Heron", written by Sarah Orne Jewett. This short story was about a young girl named Sylvia and her love for nature. Sylvia lives with her grandmother in the country. It is evident in the story that she loves the outdoors: "... and she never should wish to go home." While out with the family's cow, she meets a stranger who is hunting for birds. At the dinner table, the stranger describes his longing quest to catch a white heron. Sylvia knows where to find the nest of the white heron, but does not tell the hunter. As the hunter and Sylvia go out in to the woods, she develops a crush on him: "...the woman's heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love." Throughout the remainder of the story, Sylvia battles with her own childlike crush and her love for nature. She feels that she has a special relationship with the heron, and does not want the hunter to kill it. This story conveys Jewett's own love for nature and her respect for it. Nature plays a big role in Sylvia's life and ultimately wins her heart.
QUESTIONS
- Why do you think Dickinson had a negative view of organized religion?
- Why does Sylvia keep the location of the heron's nest a secret? Do you think her grandmother knows that she knows where the bird lives?
CONNECTIONS
- Protecting the environment is a very important topic in today's society. Why do you think human's love and appreciation for nature has declined?
I don't think that Dickinson view is necessary negative. I think she is trying to prove that just by going to "church" on Sunday and doing good deeds wont get you into Heaven. Also I think she is saying that you just don't have to go to church to be able to have a good relationship with God. I think that the grandmother in fact knows that Sylvia knows where the birds nest is and Sylvia makes it her job to keep it a secret because if she gives it up then she knows death will take the bird.
ReplyDeleteDickinson's poems confused me a lot. I don't know if it was the way she worded things but I think there can be so many interpretations of her work whether it is negative or positive. Did anyone have a hard time understanding her poem "I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed"?
ReplyDelete@Ashley I agree with your post. I do think Dickinson viewed a personal relationship with God over simply going to church.
ReplyDelete@Jasmine Dickinson's poems confused me as well. It was hard for me to get a true sense of her opinions on organized religion. I think that in her poem "I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed" she is comparing the effects of being drunk to how nature makes her feel.