This poem, dealing with two people who have been bitten by a flea is suggesting two becoming one. This poem by John Donne is about a man who is wanting a woman to give in to having sex with him. He is using a flea to persuade her to have sex with him. This is a metaphysical abstraction. He states that it is not a sin to be bittin by a flea, therefore it should not be a sin to have sex with each other. He does not want her to kill the flea because that will, in turn, kill him, her and the baby she is pregnant with. One of his arguments is that because they will die anyway, they mine as well die pleasing each other (Each climax was believed to be a "little death" taking away one year of your life). She winds up killing the fly, inferring that she wins, however, he truly wins the argument because she did not lose life by killing the flea, so therefore she will not lose honor or life by sleeping with him. This man builds an argument in order to persuade her into having sex with him. He is using his thinking and power he feels he has over her to persuade her into this. Gender in this poem is clearly playing a large role.
1. How does the culture play a role in this poem particularly (dealing with the fact that it was believed that every climax one had took away a year of one's life) ?
2. How does the man's "persuasive" argument suggest that the woman is the weaker sex and brain in the relationship?
3. Why is it that the woman in this poem seems to only be good for one thing according to the man's persistent for this one thing?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Theory Questions: "Blackbird"
When reviewing the play "Blackbird", I began to think about it from a Feminist perspective. We discussed in class and at our literary conference that Una's character differed quite a bit from reading the play to actually seeing her character acted in the play itself. When reading the play, Una was most often perceived as a girl that was completely taken advantage of and more than likely had no idea what was really happening to her at such a young age. Our culture suggests that any girl whom is that young would not know what they are feeling or doing when it came to "love", but Ray seemed to think differently. The way her character was portrayed in the play itself was much more abrasive and almost psychotic. This may be due to the director, but looking at it from a feminist perspective, it could be because her gender suggests that any issue dealing with love and intimacy provokes an "over the top" response because she is a woman. We see a bit of interdeterminacy due to the fact that we don't even find out if there is something deeply wrong with Una or if all of her issues are because of the events taken place at such a young age. The fact that Ray suggests that Una knew what she was doing and knew exactly what was happening when she was only twelve years old puts women into a mold in a way. I would venture to say that is the situation was reversed, and the "victim" was a twleve year old boy, that many would stray from assuming that he knew what was going on and knew what love was.
1. How does the author of this poem suggest that Una is a victim and a culprit at the same time?
2. Similarly, how did the director and actors of the play that we saw suggest this?
3. Although both are equally represented, is Ray's character considered secondary to that of Una's in the play because of the way he seemed to have carried himself?
1. How does the author of this poem suggest that Una is a victim and a culprit at the same time?
2. Similarly, how did the director and actors of the play that we saw suggest this?
3. Although both are equally represented, is Ray's character considered secondary to that of Una's in the play because of the way he seemed to have carried himself?
Close Reading-Spenser-Sonnet 37
Edmund Spenser's Sonnet 37 is written in iambic pentameter. It is describing a hunt which is the conceit of the sonnet, commonly seen in love sonnets. The metaphor in this sonnet is that the woman is the hunter. In line 3 of the sonnet Spenser makes the meter irregular, suggesting the woman is doing something sneaky. In the line 9 of this sonnet, Spenser spells "do" as "doe". He is personifying the word "do" into "doe", a female deer. He is suggesting that a man should not become a deer trapped in the "net" of a woman. We find the turn of the sonnet between lines 8 & 9, and the resolution in lines 9-14. In the sonnet, the woman is wearing a golden hair net and her hair is golden. This is suggesting that the hair is the bait, but one will always get caught in the net. Spenser writes about a woman catching a man with a golden snare in line 8. This is representative of a wedding ring. The sonnet has a feminine ending, having one extra, unaccented syllable. Spenser is implying that women are weak and add extra ornaments to beautify themselves, and only to trap men along the way.
Close Reading: "Corinna's Going A-Maying"
"Corinna's Going A-Maying" - Robert Herrick
The May Pole in this poem represents re-generation and a new life. In the first stanza, the speaker (man) wants Corinna to wake up and get out of bed. As we read on we see that practices of "religious worship" are being acted out by nature, the birds and flowers. The man is taking something sacred, and making it profanation. He is attempting to convince Corinna that avoiding having sexual relations is actually a sin. This is obviously the opposite of religious truth when dealing with sex before marriage. In line 15 he tells her to put on her "foliage", making Corinna an embodiment of spring time itself. This poem is a carpe diem poem, suggesting that one can only have a certain amount of time for something. He uses dew in this case to suggest this because dew is only seen for a limited time in the morning. The entire day is focused on Corinna's rising out of bed, and he suggests that even the sun and universe wait for her, personifying the sun and universe. In lines 55 and 56 he speaks of keys and pricking, both metaphors for sex (key in lock, prick penetrates). The poem is A A B B A A etc. until the last couplet of each stanza, in which it ends with a word that rhymes with May or Maying and then the actual word of May or a-Maying.
The May Pole in this poem represents re-generation and a new life. In the first stanza, the speaker (man) wants Corinna to wake up and get out of bed. As we read on we see that practices of "religious worship" are being acted out by nature, the birds and flowers. The man is taking something sacred, and making it profanation. He is attempting to convince Corinna that avoiding having sexual relations is actually a sin. This is obviously the opposite of religious truth when dealing with sex before marriage. In line 15 he tells her to put on her "foliage", making Corinna an embodiment of spring time itself. This poem is a carpe diem poem, suggesting that one can only have a certain amount of time for something. He uses dew in this case to suggest this because dew is only seen for a limited time in the morning. The entire day is focused on Corinna's rising out of bed, and he suggests that even the sun and universe wait for her, personifying the sun and universe. In lines 55 and 56 he speaks of keys and pricking, both metaphors for sex (key in lock, prick penetrates). The poem is A A B B A A etc. until the last couplet of each stanza, in which it ends with a word that rhymes with May or Maying and then the actual word of May or a-Maying.
Introduction-"Gulliver's Travels"
1. Swift, Jonathan. "Gulliver's Travels." The Norton Anthology: English Literature. Ed. Julia Reidhead. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2006. 1831-2055.
www.sparknotes.com/lit/gulliver/
2. "Gulliver's Travels", written by Jonathan Swift in the 18th Century is a satire. Its purpose was to exaggerate the government and politics of the 1700s. At that time the government was divided into two parties, the Torys (much like our Republicans) and the Whigs (Democrats). Swift writes "Gulliver's Travels" (sounding similar to "gullible") beginning with Gulliver finding himself shipwrecked on an island. This island is the land of Lilliputs who are tiny people no more than six inches tall. The next land he finds himself on is the land of Brobdingnags who were giants. Next, he finds himself with the Yahoos (beasts) and the Houyhnhnms (horse like creatures). Each group of people represents the government and the people. Gulliver represented "every man" and the other tribes represented the government and the power they have over us, whether they should or not.
3. This text was extremely interesting. It was unlike anything I had ever read before and the metaphors were phenomenal. The way Swift used each different group of people as a representative of how we let people control us was very controversial, yet intriguing.
4. I would compare "Gulliver's Travels" to Anthony Hecht's "Spring Break". Again, this may be somewhat of a far fetched comparison, but it has similarities. Hecht speaks of a younger person as viewing older people as ancient and boring. Swift's point with the different types of people was that "every man" views the government as something that they may not be in reality. Yes, they have power, but he believed that we let them have more power that we should. Ultimately, Hecht is suggesting that even though older people may not be viewed as fun and exciting to a younger generation, they are needed because they have wisdom and information that the younger generation needs in order to grow. Swift suggests that we lose perspective when we let the government rule our thoughts and minds. The reality is, in my opinion, we need the government in order to keep our world functioning properly, much like the younger generation needs the older one in order to gain wisdom and knowledge for their future.
www.sparknotes.com/lit/gulliver/
2. "Gulliver's Travels", written by Jonathan Swift in the 18th Century is a satire. Its purpose was to exaggerate the government and politics of the 1700s. At that time the government was divided into two parties, the Torys (much like our Republicans) and the Whigs (Democrats). Swift writes "Gulliver's Travels" (sounding similar to "gullible") beginning with Gulliver finding himself shipwrecked on an island. This island is the land of Lilliputs who are tiny people no more than six inches tall. The next land he finds himself on is the land of Brobdingnags who were giants. Next, he finds himself with the Yahoos (beasts) and the Houyhnhnms (horse like creatures). Each group of people represents the government and the people. Gulliver represented "every man" and the other tribes represented the government and the power they have over us, whether they should or not.
3. This text was extremely interesting. It was unlike anything I had ever read before and the metaphors were phenomenal. The way Swift used each different group of people as a representative of how we let people control us was very controversial, yet intriguing.
4. I would compare "Gulliver's Travels" to Anthony Hecht's "Spring Break". Again, this may be somewhat of a far fetched comparison, but it has similarities. Hecht speaks of a younger person as viewing older people as ancient and boring. Swift's point with the different types of people was that "every man" views the government as something that they may not be in reality. Yes, they have power, but he believed that we let them have more power that we should. Ultimately, Hecht is suggesting that even though older people may not be viewed as fun and exciting to a younger generation, they are needed because they have wisdom and information that the younger generation needs in order to grow. Swift suggests that we lose perspective when we let the government rule our thoughts and minds. The reality is, in my opinion, we need the government in order to keep our world functioning properly, much like the younger generation needs the older one in order to gain wisdom and knowledge for their future.
Introduction-"Paradise Lost"
1. Milton, John. "Paradise Lost." The Norton Anthology: English Literature. Ed. Julia Reidhead. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2006. 1831-2055.
www.sparknotes.com/poetry/paradiselost/
2. "Paradise Lost" is an epic poem written in 17th Century. John Milton writes this poem in Pagan tradition, but makes it Christian, making the reader question whether it is a paratactic or hypotactic narrative. There are twelve books in this lengthy epic poem. Milton starts off the poem with an invocation to a muse, one of which he invents himself. This poem is extremely complex and controversial, but overall, it is about the fall of Satan and the fall of mankind, generally retelling the story of Genesis. Milton starts off the poem with a microcosm, telling us the entire story in short. He then begins to tell of Satan's fall from heaven instead of beginning witht he actual creation. He embellishes on the story of creation, God's talks with his Son, Adam and Eve, and Satan. This story is intriguing and extremely creative.
3. This poem kept me interested the entire time. Milton's descriptions and creativity blew me away. This poem is extremely controversial in my opinion so the fact that he wrote it in the 17th century blows my mind. The way things were in the past are obviously much different now, so I imagine that this work was not accepted in the way that it is today.
4. I would compare this work to Wordsworth's "Nuns Fret Not". I realize that this may be a far-fetched comparison, but this Italian sonnet is about nuns and how they follow a rigid set of rules, much like many felt Milton should have when writing "Paradise Lost" considering it is a Christian story, but instead he wrote with many Pagan undertones. Ironically, Nuns find freedom in a confined life style, and even the rhyme scheme and meter define this. Milton wrote his twleve books freely in order to show others his way of thinking, and he even suggests in the poem that "Paradise Lost" should be viewed as equal to the Bible. He follows no boundaries, freeing himself to write what he desires, keeping in mind the general theme of the book of Genesis,yet nuns follow boundaries, yet this is a freeing feeling for them.
www.sparknotes.com/poetry/paradiselost/
2. "Paradise Lost" is an epic poem written in 17th Century. John Milton writes this poem in Pagan tradition, but makes it Christian, making the reader question whether it is a paratactic or hypotactic narrative. There are twelve books in this lengthy epic poem. Milton starts off the poem with an invocation to a muse, one of which he invents himself. This poem is extremely complex and controversial, but overall, it is about the fall of Satan and the fall of mankind, generally retelling the story of Genesis. Milton starts off the poem with a microcosm, telling us the entire story in short. He then begins to tell of Satan's fall from heaven instead of beginning witht he actual creation. He embellishes on the story of creation, God's talks with his Son, Adam and Eve, and Satan. This story is intriguing and extremely creative.
3. This poem kept me interested the entire time. Milton's descriptions and creativity blew me away. This poem is extremely controversial in my opinion so the fact that he wrote it in the 17th century blows my mind. The way things were in the past are obviously much different now, so I imagine that this work was not accepted in the way that it is today.
4. I would compare this work to Wordsworth's "Nuns Fret Not". I realize that this may be a far-fetched comparison, but this Italian sonnet is about nuns and how they follow a rigid set of rules, much like many felt Milton should have when writing "Paradise Lost" considering it is a Christian story, but instead he wrote with many Pagan undertones. Ironically, Nuns find freedom in a confined life style, and even the rhyme scheme and meter define this. Milton wrote his twleve books freely in order to show others his way of thinking, and he even suggests in the poem that "Paradise Lost" should be viewed as equal to the Bible. He follows no boundaries, freeing himself to write what he desires, keeping in mind the general theme of the book of Genesis,yet nuns follow boundaries, yet this is a freeing feeling for them.
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