Romanticism in American Literature Essay Example for Free

Romanticism in American Literature Essay Within this paper will be an explanation of the ideals of Romantic writers in Early American Literature. We will also look at some aspects of Romanticism that were uniquely understood by the writers and artists in the United States. There will be a brief discussion of â€Å"bright† and â€Å"dark† Romantic writing and it is there that we will look at the lives, and one poem each, of Henry David Thoreau, a â€Å"bright† romantic writer and Edgar Allan Poe, a â€Å"dark† romantic writer. Romanticism began in Germany sometime around 1770. From there it spread to the rest of Europe including England and then finally to the United States. In the late Eighteenth Century people’s ideas about themselves, their religion, their world and the art and literature in it were evolving rapidly. This was mostly due to a re-examination of priorities and beliefs because of constant new scientific discoveries and an enthusiastic embrace of the uniquely human abilities of storytelling using ones imagination and a kind of rejection of reason and logic. For the first time since the concepts of religion and rulers began to regulate the spirit and creative energy of humankind people looked more to nature and within to define themselves and their humanity rather than to their Churches or to their Kings. The Romantic period of American Literature is from about 1830 to 1860 and it interestingly overlaps the period which is said to be Victorian (1830 to 1880) in the United States. Romantic writers believe in the natural goodness of man and also that what is special in a particular man should be highly valued. They indulge heavily in introspection and self-analysis. Some finding their deity within themselves while others found their religion in the beauty of nature. Nature was food for the soul that provided their inspiration and was a resource for their wisdom. Indeed, for some of the Romantic writers nature was their muse; however, others found their inspiration in the dark corners of their human desires. As mentioned above the citizens of the United States were in a unique position to embrace the tenets of Romanticism through a political movement that focused more on the individual. By shedding the oppressive monarchy of old England they were well on their way to forming what Emerson called â€Å"a Nation of men† who were following Jacksonian democracy. â€Å"By most historical accounts, (President Andrew) Jackson is seen as largely responsible for effecting this political and cultural transformation of the United States from a republic, governed by an elect few, to a democracy. Jackson persuaded Americans that sovereign power resided in them—that they would control the governing process by deciding questions of constitutionality, law, and representation through the ballot box. Many writers, philosophers, and activists were also convinced by Jacksons rhetoric of democracy, believing that more concern for the rights of common individuals would yield a more inclusive political and cultural environment receptive to the ideals of a younger generation of Americans,† (Didion). One can easily see why the material that writers in the United States were putting out fell into line with the musings, literature and poetry of Romantic writers all over the world. By being exposed to the political aspects of the culture here they were in a position where their art reflected the lives of their patrons. Why, though, were some of the writings about the nature all around us and bright beauty found within it and some of it was about the dark nature of mankind and the sorrow found there? Bright Romantics used a merging of science and nature to allow both to work together. Meanwhile they would put emphasis on the individual’s ability to take themselves out of society to live in nature away from the rat race. A good example of a bright Romantic writer would be Henry David Thoreau. He is famous for having written, among many other works, Walden which is about living simply in nature. Thoreau was an abolitionist and his essay Civil Disobedience is a piece that inspired Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. to engage in peaceful civil disobedience to protest unjust governments. He also wrote Nature, a poem we will look at more in depth later in this paper. Henry David Thoreau (born David Henry Thoreau) lived from July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862. He was attending Harvard during Andrew Jackson’s second inauguration. He was a freelance writer who tried but was unsuccessful at becoming a fulltime professional writer. Having not been quite as successful at his dream of writing as he is posthumously was a bit of a disappointment to Henry. He had grown up the son of a storekeeper and liquor salesman in respectable poverty and had his share of other sorrows as well having seen two of his beloved siblings die. His brother John died of typhus which he got while shaving. His younger sister Sophia died in 1846 at the age of 36 of the same affliction that would claim Henry’s life, tuberculosis. Thoreau loved the outdoors and would rather live of the land than any other way. He enjoyed waling in the outdoors so much he had said while hunting never did he find his rifle to be too heavy. He held many odd jobs to support himself while traveling and writing but he was very well known in his father’s later business of pencil making. Biographer Robert Sullivan writes that while in the employ of the pencil company â€Å"Thoreau studied various graphite hardnesses [sic] and invented a machine that manufactured a finer grind. The centerpiece was a cylinder, in which the finer graphite settled to the bottom for ready collection. The new invention pushed the company ahead of its rivals,† (142). While his dreams of being a professional writer went mostly unfulfilled he found great joy and contentment as mentioned above in nature. He was well thought of in his life but revered as a writer after his death. In The Life of Henry David Thoreau, Sanborn writes, â€Å"Thoreau had various missions in this world, some of which he fulfilled, and passed beyond them; others he did not live long enough to complete, and only approached perfection at remote intervals. Versifying was one of these latter; though the poetic perception and ideal nature was not only brought to a high point of excellence in his last twenty years, but he exhibited in his youth and early capacity for good writing, which his devotion to the art developed into what may easily pass for perfection in his best passages. † (51). Dark Romantics wrote about how a person views their world and how their mind has the power to change the world they live in. They have a tendency to reject science for fiction and be very involved in the macabre. They are also very introspective. Arguably the best Dark Romantic writer was Edgar Allan Poe who lived from 1809 to 1849. Born December 9 to thespians David and Eliza Poe, who would both die two years later in 1811, Edgar was raised by John and Fanny Allan of Richmond Virginia. John and Edgar never got along due to John’s disdain for how he viewed Edgar’s existence. Until John inherited great wealth, which he eventually kept from Edgar, he viewed Edgar as a drain on his hard fought earnings. Poe faced a lot of tragedy at a very early age and lived a life that was filled with challenges, some self-imposed. He had a lot of unrequited and lost love; therefore, women in some form or another filled pages of his poetry. â€Å"Poe believed that the goal of literature was not to mirror reality but instead to pursue Beauty in its highest and widest sense. As Poe put it, ’A poem in my opinion, is opposed to a work of science by having for its immediate object, pleasure, not truth,’† (27) writes James Hutchinson in his book Poe. For Poe writing was at the very center of his existence. He wrote for some time before becoming celebrated but it did happen while he lived. Poe did make his living through words though poetry prose and becoming the chief editor at several monthlies as well as writing pieces for magazines. Later Hutchinson notes that â€Å"The Raven was an instant success and Poe woke up to find himself famous. † (165). Though famous he seemed forever tragic. Peter Ackroyd writes of his alcoholism saying that after a particularly strong binge in PA, Poe acknowledges that â€Å"the whole experience in Philadelphia became for him a phantasmagoria of suffering, brought on by what he described as ‘mania-a-potu,’ or alcoholic madness. It is the first indication that he realised [sic] the nature of his true condition. † (185). Although feverish Poe had left Richmond VA to visit friends in Baltimore MD, days later, he was found unconscious in a tavern in Baltimore. His previous whereabouts were a mystery and Poe died in a hospital on October 7, 1849 at the age of forty, reminiscent of one of the characters in his works. Both men died young and that was all too common in those times. Their lives were quite different. It is not a surprise that both men lived what they wrote, for Thoreau of the beauty of the outdoors and the nature there was his refuge from life and he died enjoying the Woods at Walden that he enjoyed so much. Although he married the daughter of his paternal Aunt when she was just thirteen, for Poe the love he searched for he never really found. It was maternal in nature and he would never fill that void through drugs and alcohol. The tragedy of his writing was told in his biography. The following are one poem each by Thoreau and Poe. They are similar in their rhythm and their rhyme scheme; however, their symbolism and mood are very different. Poe’s poem is about a beautiful valley where many people died in battle and they haunt the valley still. Thoreau writes about the beauty of the outdoors and how he longs only to commune with his beloved nature and pass his days in the great outdoors. One does not need to be told who wrote which poem that is obvious by their content.

Animal Farm: Comparing The Book To The Movie :: Animal Farm Essays

The novel†¦no†¦no†¦it’s not really a novel, it’s more of a fable. The fable by George Orwell†¦no†¦no†¦George Orwell isn’t his real name. His real name is Eric Blair. He wrote under a pen name to save him and his family embarrassment from earlier books he had written. The fable, by Eric Blair is a cute story how animals take over a farm. Well, actually the farm and the animals are just symbols. The fable by Eric Blair is political satire on the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the events that followed. The whole story is filled with symbols and irony. All of the characters in the story are symbols of real life people. The pigs as a group represent the Bolsheviks. Old Major represents Karl Marx, the founder of Marxism. Both speak out on how they feel. Napoleon represents Lenin in the beginning of the story, but as he gains more power, he becomes a Joseph Stalin. Snowball represents Leon Trotsky who was also banished from his land. Squealer represents propaganda and is a Party Hawk. Boxer and Benjamin represent the heroic working masses of Russia. They do most of the work but get none of the credit. The dogs represent the KGB, or the secret police. They take orders from Napoleon and do as he says, right or wrong. Moses represents the Orthodox Church as his name alone makes you think of religion. Mr. Jones represents a filthy capitalist. He is only concerned about money for himself. The book goes greater detail than the video. The book explains the characters better and gives more exa mples of their symbolism. The point of view in which the story is told in is ironic. The point of view is told from the lowly animals prospective. An example is when Boxer is â€Å"treated at a hospital.† Benjamin realizes that the truck is for horse slaughtering but Squealer convices Benjamin and the rest of the animals that hospital just didn’t have time to re-paint the truck. A couple of paragraphs later, the pigs hold a party in honor of Boxer and suddenly have acquired money to buy whiskey. Once again, the book goes into greater detail and has more examples of irony. A The book and movie are surprisingly not that far apart on many levels, although there are some venial differences.

Examples of food and their correspondent personality Essay

Person who prefers vanilla flavor are said to be full of colors, they usually depend on another person and they are said to be needy, they are also said to be an idealistic person and they always tend to take risks (RYCKMAN, 2006). They are also said to be a person who loves an intent or very close relationship with other people, either partner or friends (RYCKMAN, 2006). Double chocolate chunk A person who prefers this type of flavor is said to be enjoying whenever he/she is the attention catcher. This person is also said to be charming and yet has the personality trait of being flirt (RYCKMAN, 2006). This person also loves and prefers novelty types and is said to hate routinely activities because they are bored by it (RYCKMAN, 2006). 3. Strawberry A person who prefers strawberry flavor is those who are contented being just on of those who follow rather than to be a leader, they prefer working behind the spotlight (RYCKMAN, 2006). They also prefer working being just a part of the team and not as an individual (RYCKMAN, 2006) 4. Coffee a person who prefers this flavor is said to be a dramatic one, hence he/she is flirtatious (RYCKMAN, 2006) They prefer to live with what they have and what they can do in their present situation rather than that of thinking what they could have or what they could do in the future (RYCKMAN, 2006). 5. Banana cream pie A person who prefers this kind of flavor is said to be an easygoing problem, a person who is said to be well-adjust (RYCKMAN, 2006). Is said to be having the trait of being empathetic (RYCKMAN, 2006) 6. Chocolate chip A person who loves this certain flavor is said to be full of ambitions, they tend to do everything to get what they wish to have (RYCKMAN, 2006). They are also said to be a good competitor. They love competing with others (RYCKMAN, 2006). 7. Butter pecan A person with this preference on food flavor is said to be a person who has his/her principles, they also tend to be always abiding rules and they are said to be intelligent (RYCKMAN, 2006). They are also conscientious, they follow people’s morality and they are also said to be a perfectionist person. Sometimes they tend to compete with others but they are also the ones who tend to criticize their selves (RYCKMAN, 2006). Conclusion I’ve learned that there is indeed a relationship between a person’s personality trait and his/her preference to food flavors but this is only probabilities. It is said that different flavors reflects person of who they are, like extravert persons who prefers sweet and is said to be active or hyper. On the other hand, extraversive people do not have any relationship with savory foods. Meanwhile neurotic people are the ones who preferred savory foods rather than that of sweet tasting foods hence there is a weak correlation between them, on the other hand neuroticism personality is said to be very inclined with their emotions whether in a positive or in a negative way. Therefore as the time passes, there is a lot of evolution that has happened with regards in figuring out personalities of a person, and now, the flavor of food preference can even tell our personality. References Center, P. T. (2000 – 2007). Power Tests [Electronic Version] from http://www. personalitytest. net/power/index. htm. John Davis, P. D. (1997). CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH METHODS [Electronic Version] from http://clem. mscd. edu/~davisj/prm2/correl1. html#5. KFC. (2005). YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT?THINK TWICE AMERICA, YOUR FLAVOR PREFERENCE SAYS A LOT MORE ABOUT YOUR PERSONALITY THAN YOU KNOW [Electronic Version] from http://www. kfc. com/about/pressreleases/090905. asp. RYCKMAN, L. (2006). Pretzel logic: Researcher claims food choices reflect people’s personalities [Electronic Version] from http://seattlepi. nwsource. com/lifestyle/267289_foodsigns20. html? source=mypi. Srivastava, S. (2006). Measuring the Big Five Personality Factors [Electronic Version] from http://darkwing. uoregon. edu/~sanjay/bigfive. html#whatisit.

What Is Deliquescence in Chemistry

The process in which a soluble substance picks up water vapor from the air to form a solution. In order for deliquescence to occur, the vapor pressure of the water in the air must be greater than the vapor pressure of the saturated solution.