English 4
Literary Analysis

Assignment: Choose two poems; establish and explore a thematic connection and include relationship to poetic devices.

[Instructor comments appear in bold, italic font within brackets below.]

Life

Life is often associated with games. The reason for this has to do with the fact that like games, life brings obstacles and new challenges, wins and losses, new friends and new opponents. There are always choices to make, and different paths to choose from. There are those who live their lives to the fullest, learning and experiencing all the things they can, while others live their lives as bystanders, wasting their potential on nothing and no one. The two poems "We Real Cool" and "Sadie and Maud" by Gwendolyn Brooks share the common theme of the importance of living life completely, taking each moment to learn or experience something new. However, the poems differ a great deal, for although they both have many similar poetic devices such as rhyme, speaker, and line length, the poet applies many different techniques to articulate and express the main ideas of the poems. [Clear intro and thesis.] 

Despite the fact that both poems were written by the same poet, the techniques used in the poems are quite different. One of the most obvious differences would be the significance of diction and syntax in the poem "We Real Cool," which isn't as crucial in "Sadie and Maud." The diction brings a sense of realism to the poem, for lines such as "We Real Cool. We/Left school..." (1-2) allow the reader to sense the attitude and the confidence of the uneducated speakers. Syntax is also used throughout the poem, and at the end, " ...Jazz June. We/Die soon” (7-8), the technique emphasizes the importance of the pool players' death due to the absence of the expected word "we" at the end of the line. In “Sadie and Maud" however, Gwendolyn Brooks uses a symbol and a refrain to accentuate the essential aspects of the poem. The symbol, "a fine-tooth comb" (4) shows Sadie's belief in going through life and experiencing everything to the fullest, even when it seemed unorthodox to those around her. The disapproval Sadie had to face due to her choices in life was apparent in the lines "Sadie bore two babies/under her maiden name./Maud Ma and Pa/Nearly died of shame./Everyone but Sadie/Nearly died of shame" (9-14) because it shows she received no moral support from her loved ones when she gave birth to children out of wedlock. Despite their belief though, Sadie had no regrets about what she had done, showing the importance of following one's belief over others. From these lines, the reader also has the refrain "nearly died of shame" entrenched in their minds [Repetition, too, is used as a device here.] because it was used to exemplify the central idea, that regardless of what society deems as normal and proper, one should live life the way one believes is right. [Yes.]

To further express this opinion [Word choice? Perhaps “world view” or “philosophy” – something bigger.], Brooks changes the length of the stanzas in "Sadie and Maud" to focus the reader’s attention on the theme of the poem. Starting out with quatrains, the stanza in the middle of the poem is altered into a sestet. Altering the stanza length in the middle of her poem purposely focuses the reader's attention on it, because within the sestet is the ideology that the speaker feels all one's beliefs should revolve around, being "...one of the livingest chits" (7) by genuinely trying to live life. "We Real Cool" on the other hand is written in couplets with internal rhyme, which give the readers the impression that the speakers are self-assured and smooth, unafraid and really "cool" people. The rhyming supports what the speakers claim themselves to be, fearless teenagers that "Strike straight...sing sin...(and) thin gin” (4-6), allowing the readers to believe in the speakers of the poem, because the technique gives them an authentic quality. In "Sadie and Maud," the rhyming is meant to bring attention to the lines that emphasize the differences of living life “With a fine tooth comb” (4) and like "Maud, who went to college,/Is a thin brown mouse./...(and) is living all alone..." (19-22). Comparing two different people in this poem is also a distinctive quality this poem has, because the speaker clearly contrasts the life of a person who lived as others dictated to someone who lived more unconventionally. The speakers of the two poems also differ a great deal, for in "We Real Cool," the tone of the pool players is one of attitude and suavity, whereas in "Sadie and Maud," the tone of the speaker is similar to one who is telling a narrative without a distinctive style. [“Style” might not be the best word choice here. Voice? Perspective?] Despite these differences though, the poems do have a few similarities. 

The two poems share many poetic devices that were used to gain different results, but there are also a few elements which are used to achieve the same purpose. Both poems have a plot and specific individuals. After being introduced to the characters, the reader then is shown what happens to them as a result of their choices in life. Another poetic device shared by both poems is the importance of the line lengths. The lines are short, and are used to help the reader achieve the specific reaction Brooks wanted. For “We Real Cool,” the length of the lines maintains the idea that the teenagers are uneducated and terse, not at all like intellectual students who could easily speak at great lengths on most subjects. This brings a realistic sensation into the poem that causes the reader to draw a greater emotional response, because their death then seems real and not such an impossibility.[Yes.] In "Sadie and Maud," the length of the lines stops the poem from seeming as if it were an analysis, but more like a conversation, where the speaker is a matter-of-factly telling the reader the consequences of letting others dictate one's life. [Good close analysis of this device]. This causes the reader to feel as if a companion is speaking, telling the reader of the mistake of another and making sure one doesn't commit the same error. 

Although the two poems share the same theme, Gwendolyn Brooks uses them to express her opinion on life in two different ways. In "Sadie and Maud," the theme is that one should go through life doing what one believes is right. Listening to others’ opinions is important, but one should never make the mistake of altering one's beliefs to fit the standards and expectations of others. In "We Real Cool," the theme impresses upon the reader that one shouldn't follow in the footsteps of the speakers, for living an uneducated life full of danger and alcohol only results in death. One's life then becomes wasted, with no accomplishments and experiences of any worth. This poem also implies that one should never choose the road to death when life is a choice, and that education and achieving goals in life is important. However, in relation to "Sadie and Maud," one shouldn't just learn, go through college, and forget to live after becoming ensconced in the future stresses and problems that family members and occupations often bring. [Yes, as if going through motions.] Experiencing life completely is one of the most important factors of learning and maturing, and nothing should impede one from doing this. 

There are too many people in our world today who are overly concerned about amassing wealth and raising their status that they no longer remember the simple joys in life. In contrast to this would be those who had long given up the struggle to succeed and spend their days listlessly watching the days pass as they do nothing to help themselves. These are two features that the two poems "Sadie and Maud," and "We Real Cool," tell readers to avoid. Both pieces by Gwendolyn Brooks are concerned about the way one should live life, and although the poetic devices and techniques used within them are rarely similar, the poems achieved the poet's ultimate goal: to let readers relate their own lives to the ones the characters have in the poems. Both poems then become extremely beneficial, because when linking the meanings of the poems together, they tell the reader that one should live, and while doing so, do it to one's fullest ability, experiencing and learning all.

Instructor end comment:

[Well done! You’ve approached these poems (and this assignment) in a thorough and sensitive way. My notes and suggestions are at the level of detail I consider polish; your content, development and clarity are all in good shape.]

** Minor mechanical errors/typos have been corrected by the creators of CHARLIE

English 4
Literary Analysis

Assignment: Choose two poems we have not discussed in class, and establish a connection between them based on either theme or style/technique. Compare and contrast the poems, using an analytical approach.

[Instructor comments appear in bold, italic font within brackets below.]

Committed to a Cause

“John Brown’s Body” (an excerpt only) by Stephen Vincent Benet is a poem full of powerful imagery that delves deeply into the emotional state of a man whose life mission was the abolishment of slavery. Benet creates vivid visual imagery that captures the spirit and commitment of John Brown through his trials and tribulations. By contrast, “The Master” by Edwin Arlington Robinson, takes a more abstract route into President Lincoln’s intellect. One eventually comes to know this great man as he tenaciously handles the challenges that constantly confront him. Both Benet and Robinson use the narrative format as the framework for their poems. However, it is the creative use of different poetic devices that highlight Brown’s and Lincoln’s determination to hold to their ideals in the face of adversity. [Good introduction and clear thesis.]

The speaker in “The Master” appears to be a collective group of critics who scrutinize and judge Lincoln’s motives and actions at every turn. Their tone is one of ridicule and skepticism that eventually changes over time to respect and admiration as emphasized early in the poem “To be reviled and then revered” (1:4). The imagery is mostly abstract in form: we must conceptualize the verbal debates that raged around Lincoln in his efforts to unify our nation. Robinson gives us a picture of Lincoln as a patient leader deeply pondering over issues that divided our nation.

The voice of an anonymous speaker presents an overview of Brown’s life events like an attorney’s closing argument. Facts are laid out, asking the reader to draw a conclusion and render a verdict. This is a clever presentation of the setting, which is just after Brown’s trial while he awaits the consequences of a botched plan that shouldn’t have gone wrong.

Robinson structures “The Master” as a ballad in eight stanzas / eight lines / eight syllables per line. With alternating lines of rhymes, the scheme is ab, ab, cd, cd, ef, ef. Word choices have rhyming sounds that vary the texture but have cohesiveness through employment of assonance with at least 4 lines of each stanza carrying similar ending vowel sounds. [Does this have an impact on the poem’s effectiveness? If so, how?] Now consider Benet’s structuring of “John Brown’s Body.” It falls beyond the convention of any one poetic form. Its narrative framework most closely resembles traditional blank verse as Benet creates a conversational tone with the reader through a device he calls “a long rough line”. [Direct quotes like this should have a citation in MLA format]

Robinson reveals Lincoln’s fortitude through his ability to withstand a hostile, political climate, “sneered” (1:2) and “jeered” (1:7) by those who doubted his leadership ability. At times, “when days were perilous” (1:9), he held steadfast in his consideration of weighty matters before him; he was at peace with the decisions made – “reconciled” (1:12) so to speak. “He knew devoutly of what he thought” (1:21). Personification is used to contrast Lincoln’s mild temperament as being “untamable” (1:14) like some unreasoning animal. His opponents imply he couldn’t be reasoned with to follow their preferred course of action. His faith in his principles, regardless of how he was attacked, was unshakable. His understanding of everything at stake is shown through use of a simile likening the “gentlemen who jeered” (1:7) to “little children in a school” (1:24). [Very nice.]

Benet’s strong use of imagery brings Brown’s dedication and commitment alive. John Brown had the gift of leadership. [The transition from the last paragraph could be a bit stronger.] Benet uses an allusion to Jesus’ ability to draw people to him when he states “He had the shepherd’s gift” (1:11). Brown was a passionate advocate against the institution of slavery, that “polar star” (1:36), with a mindset so clearly defined that his ardor and conviction was often taken as fanaticism. “And with a certain minor-prophet air, / That fooled the world to thinking him half-great” (1:28-29), he motivated people to take up the cause to fight against slavery with the use of arms. This was a new, bold and challenging stand contrasting the prevailing practice of pacifist abolitionism. He was a “cloudy apostle” (1:24) who moved people to action and away from a passive intellectual position.

Strong symbolism portrays Lincoln as “The saddest among kings of earth” (1:45). He came to the presidency with wisdom and understanding of human nature that implies he was born “ancient” (1:44); he didn’t age under the strain of his office. What continually mystified his critics was although his “crown” (2:46) was bitter and vexing, he managed light-hearted decorum. He was “(l)aconic and Olympian,” (2:48) handling the matters of the executive office with a concise, lofty detachment.

Benet uses a type of reverse personification by ascribing to Brown various stone-like qualities. He calls Brown “A stone eroded to a cutting edge” (1:18) by his life experiences. Brown suffers bankruptcy. He challenges state governments on their right to establish slave states. He is involved in what many classify as one of five key events that led to the beginning of the Civil War, when he assumed the alias of Shubel Morgan and led the Pottawattomie Massacre expedition (which took place in Lawrence, Kansas in May,1865). [An MLA citation should go here, too] Benet further incorporates repetition and the use of metaphors in a continued examination of Brown’s resolve that became the impetus for social change:

Sometimes there comes a crack in Time itself.
Sometimes the earth is torn by something blind. (1:33-34)

No one believed that the actions of this one man would have such an impact on our nation, but everyone in “every State in the Union” (1:56) now knew John Brown. Metaphorically, Benet called Brown’s resolve “God or Fate” (1:39), “it was a force (that) exists and moves” (1:41). Even after his execution, his spirit was a catalyst to “change the actual scheme of things” (1:45). He was committed to his cause in spite of his failures in life. He was committed when he was his only “advocate” (1:31).

John Brown and Abraham Lincoln were heroic men, possessed of determination and perseverance to their ideals. Their characters epitomized strength and fortitude. Their resolve is captured in the poetry that focused attention on Brown’s and Lincoln’s commitment. As poets, Robinson’s and Benet’s styles greatly differ but accomplished the same goal. These poems reveal the heart and spirit of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln standing fast in the face of extreme opposition. [This paragraph could be developed a bit more. What can the average reader learn from these poems?]

Works Cited

Benet, Stephen Vincent. John Brown’s Body. New York: Holt, Rinehart &
Winston, Inc., 1927

www.mhhe.com/socscience/history/usa/david/olc/200.html [Internet sources need a complete entry as well.]

Instructor end comment:

[You have done some very nice work here. Your introduction makes the thesis clear, and you stay on topic throughout the essay. You present a clear, self-assured voice and an engaging, thorough analysis.]

Playing with twisty puzzles is the best way of improving your dexterity and problem solving skills.

English 4
Literary Analysis

Assignment: Write an analytical essay exploring some portion of the short fiction we’ve read in the past few weeks. Your essay should have a tight, clear thesis and contain substantial evidence from your primary sources: the stories assigned in class. Be sure to focus on the formal literary aspects of the works such as characters, plot, setting, imagery, diction, narration, irony, etc. that helps convey meanings and feelings to the reader.

[Instructor comments appear in bold, italic font within brackets below.]

We Need Compassion

The story “Everything That Rises Must Converged” by Flannery O’ Connor shows us that even if we make mistakes, we need compassion. The relationship between Julian and his mother is about ignorance, innocence, violence, fantasy, anger, and guilt. Julian and his mother reflect the damaging effects of these last two feelings in our lives. As human beings we are born with the capacity to feel. As we have experienced, these feelings can be bad ones or good ones. They can be affected by events or people around us. In the case of Julian and his mother, we learn how sad it is when they develop bad feelings that make their lives miserable.

The personality of Julian’s mother is mostly shaped by the people who surrounded her since she was a little girl. According to O’Connor, she is the granddaughter of a former state governor who had a plantation and two hundred slaves (624-625). Then, that land was inherited by her father who also became a “prosperous landowner” (624). From these facts, we can deduce the kind of life she lived during her childhood. Since she mentions that Julian’s great-grandfather was a former governor, she lived among people who exerted power. This type of environment can create a feeling of superiority toward other people. But that is not the only factor that affected her life in a negative way. O’Connor also mentions that her family “had a plantation and two hundred slaves” (625).

Having a plantation means that she lived a bountiful life. Oftentimes living a bountiful life can have a negative impact on a person. It can cause a person to become very dependent on material things. As a result that person is going to suffer a psychological trauma if he/she loses his/ her possessions. And that is exactly what happens to Julian’s mother. When she loses her possessions, she keeps acting as if she still has them. Another factor that plays an important role in the formation of her personality is the fact that her family had slaves. The book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas says that “A slaveholder is a man-stealer” (37). The slaveholder is a man-stealer because “he robs a man of his body, soul, and spirit” (83). Although slavery can seem destructive to the slave only, the reality is that it destroys the humanity of the slaveholder too. Douglas narrates an example of this situation in the transformation of his former mistress Sophia Auld. He says that when he met Sophia, “she was a woman of the kindest heart and finest feelings who had never had a slave under her control” (63). But “slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities because under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness” (66). As we can see, slavery impacts negatively both the slave and the slaveholder. Naturally, the slave suffers more because he is subjected to psychological and physical abuse; the slave-owner is subjected only to psychological abuse caused by his/her own actions. But even if owning a slave causes only psychological damage, that damage is enough to make people unfit to function in a normal society. Julian’s mother is an example of this type of person. [Keep going. How is she “unfit” or damaged by slavery so that she can’t have good relationships with blacks?]

Although the story does not mention exactly the time when she loses her political influence, her land, and her slaves, at some point of her life she lost them because we see her living in poverty during the story. But even if she lost everything, her personality is that of a person who can’t let go, even if only in her imagination, what she possessed before. Her identity as an influential, rich, and powerful person follows her even when she has none of that anymore. [This is good.] At one point in her life she blocks her mind to keep inside the imaginary things that once were real. We see those aspects of her life in the way she behaves with Julian and the people around her. For her, other people “are not like us” particularly the black people who “were better off as slaves” (625). As is the case with bitter persons, she also tries to pass her bitterness to other persons. She tries to shape the character of Julian exactly like hers. She wants Julian to act superior to other people. She wants him to act as the descendent of a governor, the descendent of a landowner, and the descendent of a slave owner. But Julian refuses to accept the fantasies of his mother. [Good point.]

O’Connor says that he “created a mental bubble inside of him in which he established himself when he could not bear to be part of what was going on around him” (627). He formed something like a shield around his mind in order to reject the fantasies of his mother. O’ Connor tells that Julian created this bubble not because he did not wish those fantasies to be real, but because he knew that they were not real: “their house, which he saw as a child, appeared in his dreams regularly” (625). The fact that those fantasies are not real anymore seems to bother him a lot. It is hard for him to listen to his mother about how his ancestors had a plantation and slaves, when the reality is that he is living in an apartment and the slaves are free. She says that they are the descendents of a governor but the reality is that his mother wants to return the hat that she just bought and instead “pay the gas bill with the seven-fifty” (624). It also seems to bother him how his mother views him as a successful college graduate but the reality is that he is an unemployed young man with no future (624). All these fantasies of his mother and his sad reality saturate him with depression. The combination of these factors creates a tense relationship between mother and son. [This is great use of quotes from the text in this section!]

O’Connor shows how the relationship between Julian and his mother gets to a point where he does not treat his mother as a human being, much less as his mother. The climax of this tense relationship is when they get off the bus and his mother attempts to give an African American child a penny. The child’s mother takes that action as an offense and hits Julian’s mother to the ground. This event brings to light the hatred of most white people toward African Americans in the South during the time of the story. Slavery had been abolished at that time but a lot of discrimination toward black people still persisted. The slaveholders treated the slaves as “children” because they saw them as persons who needed somebody to depend on. Julian’s mother still has that paternalistic attitude toward African Americans, but that attitude is not tolerated anymore for the child’s mother. [A feeling of superiority yes, but hatred? Paternalism is a better word and resentments go both ways; White-Black.]

Julian’s mother is victim of her own ill feelings and is knocked down to the floor. Julian’s gets close to her but not to help her but to make her suffer more. Instead of giving her words of support, he tells her “you got exactly what you deserved.” “Now get up” (632). He continues: “I hope this teaches you a lesson” (633). Sometimes in life we receive many hard lessons but we don’t learn them until it is too late. Julian’s mother received her last lesson the hard way. She did not want to learn that respect toward others creates peace, and disrespect toward others creates violence. And Julian’s inhuman attitude toward his mother is another example of how the normal human feelings can deteriorate because when she needs his help, he denies her that help. It is horrible to get to the level of Julian’s attitude. It is horrible to see a human being down and jump on her own son. It is horrible the way Julian behaves toward his fragile mother. But since every action provokes a reaction, Julian’s punishment is to be left to live with other horrible companions: guilt and sorrow. O’ Connor says “The tide of darkness seemed to sweep him back to her, postponing for a moment to moment his entry into the world of guilt and sorrow” (634). O’ Connor does not say more about Julian’s behavior after that terrible experience. But one good part of life is that humans always have a chance to right their wrongs. Even a person like Julian can have that chance. There is a saying “While there is life there is hope.” If Julian was able to find redemption later in his life, he understood that no matter how bad a person is, they still deserve compassion because at the end we all are imperfect human beings. [Julian, how mother and the woman on the bus! You might bring the story title in here at the close, but this is a very clear, well-supported essay. Nice work.]

Works Cited

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Cheswold: Prestwick House/Literary Touchstone Press, 2004.

O’Connor, Flannery. “Everything that Rises Must Converge.” The Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007. 623-634.