Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Romantic and Victorian Poetry

Before the Romantic period there where to other known periods the first one that I learned was the Industrial Revolution. This took place in the 18th and 19th century. In this time period they work in factories that had large machines that did the major work for them. Also the gas was invented and put into machines a different way which made engines last longer. They made all types out machinery things such as all kinds of big machines to do labor work.

The next known period I read about was the French Revolution. This took place in the 17th and 18th century. This was the time period when people in France wanted to get away from having no rights to a country that gives their rights to people. They didn’t have many jobs to choose from and there were executions and repression. This time period had wars going on.

After reading about those two time periods I think that normal people either was scared and live under the rules and tried their best to live. Others either went out there ready to die and didn’t care what happened and tried to fight their way out of the whole situation and ended of dying. Personally I would have been scared to live in that time period because I would have been afraid of someone murdering me. And by my attitude yes it would have been bound to happen.

I think that the Romantic poets were trying to get out the point that they don’t ever find the true ending to something they just go with one thought and stick with it. They also try to persuade readers to argue their thoughts of judgement with other people who have a different thought. Another thing they try to express is the well being of nature. Most of their poems take place in the woods which expresses that they have a thing for outside plants such as trees.

William Blake- The Tyger
In this poem he talks about an animal in the forest at night and with hands and eyes that had the look of fear. I his eyes were evil that no one would dare bother. His hands and arms made so broad could make some ones heart twist. Then the rain came down and the tyger was happy for god was crying down on him and he was smiling. This gave a good example of what I was talking about with the forest and the belief of what you want to believe.

William Wordsworth- Composed upon Westminster Bridge in this poem he talks about talks about his belief that earth does not show anything fair. I guess he was talking about God when he said dull was he soul meaning the soul was not happy. He talk about the mornings and how the ships were beautiful and the morning was silent and how the theaters and the temples lay out in the fields which is the grass. This was also a match of what I said because he talked about the field which they loved the forest. Also he was stuck on a thought that he believe the earth didn’t show any fair.

John Keats- To sleep
In this poem he says that sleep is soft of the night. Your fingers are soft with no hard touch. Your eyes close away from the light. When sleeping you forget a lot of things. When sleep at night the things around your bed protect you. On his pillow is where many people lay. After reading this I notice he was talking about death and how people are place in silence and then the casket is sealed closed for burial.

The Victorian Period
In the Victorian period one of the two main events that happened during this time period was Japan opens trade to west, 1854. In this time America had four ships going into the harbor at Tokyo bay. Trying to re-establish from over 200 years. The reason they wanted to do this is because, for opening Chinese ports to regular trades and annexation of California. Also because they wanted to create an American port.

Another event that happened in this time period was the U.S Civil war begin in 1861. This was a war between the United States and the south slave states. The reason they where fighting is because the slave states declaring secessions from the union before Lincoln became president. And the union rejected it.

I think in this time period it was even more violent because they had new inventions. They used these inventions to make more and then got worse. This was a sense of people taking things to a farther extent. But they did live a better life than the previous time periods because they had newer technology for even greater reasons.

The difference between the two Romantic and Victorian time period poets were the Romantic period poets were more about believing in one thing and sticking to it and caring about the earth. Also the were really into the romance poems. The Victorian poets were similar to the romantic poets they just explained more about their time period. There really wasn’t a big difference.

The Victorian writers wanted to express what did stuff really mean. Like were certain things that were said in the romantic poems were they caused for saying. Was it meant to scare people during their reading? The really wanted to know what the reason was for a lot of stuff.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson- The Eagle; A Fragment
In this poem he gave you a brief description of an eagle. He grabs something with his crooked hands meaning his claws. Close to the sun which is something near the sky. Evidently he’s looking for something to eat in the water because the poem says he watches from his mountain walls and like a thunderbolt he falls. I guess he dives his head in the water or he either fly away.

Flower in the Crannied wall
In this poem it clearly states flowers in a crannied wall. This is a flower in a brick wall from the picture. I pluck you out of the crannies, which clearly says I take you out of the wall and hold you with your roots and all. The poet is trying to figure out what type of flower this is and just like he tries to figure out who people and God really are.

Matthew Arnold- Calm Soul of All Things
He clearly states that the calm soul should be his soul. To not feel anything wrong. Then it will bring a piece to his mind. This is what man can’t make of another man. He does not want to cry. He wants the power to feel what others give. He wants to be very calm and not in a calm way of him being dead. Before he has been able to live a happy life don’t take his life. This poem clearly states these poets expressions, because he wants to know why he can’t be calm.

Restoration

In the Glorious Revolution (The Bloodless Revolution) King James II over took his brothers job who was a Roman Catholic. The people did not want him to be the ruler, but the people didn’t know that he was going to hand his ruler ship over to the pope. Soon he had a son who could be ruler after him and they went off to France which ended the Glorious Revolution. After his Death his daughter took over the throne then she didn’t have kids so her sister took over after and then the list went on. If they didn’t have any kids the closets family members take over.
The reason I think this event was so important is because it was a time period when the Catholic people were big. It also was a time period when the rulers tried to abandon their country.

"Satire" The meaning to this word from my best of knowledge would have to be a form of literature that an imperfection or lack of understanding of sense. The word also stresses out the weakness than the weakness of the person. Also indicates indirectly dead judge ment. Examples of satire is Darkhorse Comic Art, Paris Hilton, Triumph Insult Comic Dog, and Political Satire.

In The Modern Proposal it was made to seem more like a satire by doing evil things. Such as he was saying that people should eat their children so there won’t be many people. Which he was trying to say with lesser people there won’t be much to pay for, but if you have children you then it would be more you have to pay for. Also he says something about women having abortions and murdering their bastard children. Which to my best understanding was satire be it’s such an evil thing to do.

The Diary of Samuel Pepys

The reason I chose to read Diary of Samuel Pepys is because I love reading diaries. Through out all the entries I only like two and understood them well. The first entry I got a good understanding out of was October13, 1660 "A Public Execution, A Private Explosion. In this Samuel was explaining how he was just taking a walk to meet Captian Cuttance but instead ran in to the General hanging with his flesh cut open for the people to see. He was very shocked by this. People were shouting to this scene. He said that the general once said that he was going to see christ shortly. Then he went home and took his anger out on his wife just because she had her items laying out on the floor and he kicked a basket that he had purchased for her and broke it.

The next diary entry I understood was the July 11, 1664 "A Bad Night" this was the night Samuel could not sleep. It was about eleven o-clock when this started he was sweating and could not sleep. He heard noises throughout the house and had a thought of someone breaking in the house. With the noise making he got into deeper thoughts of someone breaking in and stealing money from him because he was wealthy. He then was calling people and didn’t get an answer. ‘I RUNG." Then his wife soon awoke and realized it was the dog who wanted to get in bed with then. But he couldn’t and started making noises.

To me after reading so many stories from this time period made me think that these people were mostly about money. The reason I say this is be cause in the Modest Proposal he explain that people should eat their children so they would be more richer and there will be less poor people. Also they didn’t want people having more children because children cost. In the diary I read these people were always thinking people are out to get them for their money. So in this time period they were mainly about money. And from reading in a bible and knowing that money is a sign of evil then the whole time period was a satire period.