Critical Appreciation Of Leaves Of Grass

Slavery was a time of despair and great pain for many African Americans. Americans today hold a much different view on slavery than all of their ancestors. Slavery is not only suggested but it is illegal completely and very immoral. Back then, blacks and some whites fought to end slavery. The 246 years of black enslavement finally came to an end on December 6, 1865. Many people used art, writing, and music as a way to express themselves during this hard time. Walt Whitman, an American poet, used idealism to show his feelings during this period of time. Another poet by the name of Langston Hughes, who was a black man, who invented a new form of jazz poetry that incorporated both his own style of poetry and gave him a chance

1. Splendor In The Grass: A Semiotic Outlook on Genious Anatolian Film Director Elia Kazan’s Dramatic Work of Art, M.Nurdan Oncel Taskiran, Assis.Prof. PhD, Internet - http://akademikpersonel.kocaeli.edu.tr/nurdan/bildiri/nurdan08.12.2010_19.03.09bildiri.pdf

Louise Halfe’s “Body Politics” challenges the qualities and behaviour of the idealized feminine woman by contrasting the stereotypical “city woman” with a more masculine “real woman.” The poem’s speaker describes her mother’s opinion of what it means to be a real woman, which is seen through “Mama said.” Throughout the poem, the speaker uses vivid imagery to create a stark contrast between the idealized feminine “city woman” and a “real woman” who does not conform to the feminine gender norm. To begin with, the title of the poem itself can be viewed as an obvious critique of the feminine ideal. By definition a body politic is a group of people “considered as a collective unit” (Merriam-Webster). This is significant because in Butler’s theory, she emphasizes that a person’s gender can vary depending on a given situation, and therefore women cannot be grouped together and defined exclusively by their feminine qualities. Instead, she argues that women should be viewed as individuals capable of possessing both masculine and feminine behaviour. This belief relates directly to the poem’s title, as Halfe is clearly making a statement on the manner in which patriarchal societies expect women to conform to a singular feminine ideal. Moreover, it illustrates how women’s bodies become a political site for the masculinist culture to impose feminine gender on. With consideration to the title’s reference to a homogeneous group of women, it is interesting that stanzas two through four all

The phrase “art imitates life” can be used to describe many works of literature. Authors and the stories they write are often influenced by the changing world around them along with the evolution of new perspectives and ways of thinking regarding a subject. While this may sound simply like a common literary trope, it is of great importance and significance in many genres of literature. None has this been more apparent than in both the anti-slavery and women’s empowerment movement of the early to mid-1800s. Two major influence authors in their respective subjects, Frederick Douglass and Fanny Fern, were heavily influenced by the changing societal trends of the time of which they expressed through their writing. Douglass’s speech in particular “What to a Slave is the 4th of July?” was heavily influenced by Douglass’s own personal experience as a slave as well as the rising prominence of the abolitionist movement in the United States. By referencing the contradictory nature of the Constitution relegating personal freedoms exclusively to white, property owning males, Douglass bluntly references the systematic inequalities faced by people of color in the United States. Never would the works of an African American author, especially one challenging the established institution of slavery, gain so much attention if not for the anti-slavery movement and shifting perspectives surrounding it.

Although slavery has long been abolished, there is no doubt that there were important pieces of literature being produced at this time. The most significant pieces of literature were those against slavery. Anti-slavery writings gave people a closer look into what it is was like to be a slave. Two writings in particular played an essential role in expressing the mistreatment of slaves and the African American race itself. The Narrative of Frederick Douglass and David Walker's Appeal, explained the problems slaves has in learning, hypocrisy in Christianity within the slave owner, and the action slaves should take.

In the years leading up to the Civil war, many anti-slavery abolitionists spoke out on their feelings against slavery. New Christian views, and new ideas about human rights are what prompted this anti-slavery movement. Abolitionist literature began to appear around 1820. Abolitionist literature included newspapers, sermons, speeches and memoirs of slaves. Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass were two abolitionist writers. They were similar in some ways and different in others (“Abolition”).

  “Slavery proved as injurious to her as it did to me. When I went there, she was a pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman. There was no sorrow or suffering for which she had not a tear. She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach. Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness.”

In the beginning, Slaves had no rights at all and could only work on their master’s field all day everyday and because the south had depended on slaves for manual labor, it was very hard to fight for anti-slavery..Although during the Antebellum period, A African-American man called Frederick Douglass had spoken out against this. Douglass had experienced the horrors of slavery and as a result had become an abolitionist. Both his newspapers and his speeches were very influential and had made many to believe in anti-slavery. Because of his efforts, he had helped add the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Bill of Right and had also been a major factor in creating the Emancipation Proclamation which had abolished all slavery. Because of this, Slavery had undergone a major change during the Antebellum period with many believing that all slaves should be free and working towards that goal. In addition to this, Religion was also changed during the Antebellum

This caused an increase in anti-slavery literature, with writers such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Ralph Waldo Emerson critiquing slavery for its crimes against human rights and democratic ideals. For example, in Document 2, Ralph Waldo Emerson stresses the need “to revise the whole of our social structure” highlighting the beginnings of a change for better democratic ideals in regards to human rights and equality. In addition, within the National Anti-Slavery Convention, William Lloyd Garrison poetically discusses the perils of the slave life, highlighting the less than stellar treatment of the slaves, as shown in Document 1. This further highlights the beginnings of the fight against slavery, leading up to the Civil

Whitfield became known at the age of sixteen for his works on African American colonization. He later moved to New York where he picked up the trade of barbering and used this trade as a source of income but still continued to write. He began to publish work in various African American newspapers, one of which was Frederick Douglass’ North Star. He teamed up with other black people who wanted to start their own society and together they encouraged African Americans to colonize else where. Whitfield lectured at several men’s conferences and even took a trip to Central America in hopes of finding a place to establish an African American community. Whitfield’s articles and poetry reflected his militant attitude and were often written with a bitter hostility towards the oppression of black people in America. A perfect example of Whitfield’s resentful attitude towards slavery is one of his most famous poems “America.”

This they would sing, as a chorus, to words which to many would seem unmeaning a jargon, but which, nevertheless, were full of meaning to themselves. I have sometimes thought that the mere hearing of those songs would do more to impress some minds with the horrible character of slavery, than the reading of whole volumes of philosophy on the subject could do. (262)

One of the best feelings that a person can get while sitting in class is that feeling of “when the light bulb goes on.” That moment happened last Tuesday in class, when Dr. Liu was giving us his overview of Turfgrass. When he explained about how the patterns in the turf are because of the direction that the grass is cut. All those years of playing baseball in middle school and high school came together and the light bulb went off. Learning that special patterns could be done with the help of a roller on the turf was very cool. It would have really awesome to have done a few unique patterns in the outfield in high school. My mind automatly went to the amazing baseball fields that are seen on TV or the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day every year.

Walt Whitman, one of the world's greatest journalist and poets, touched the lives of many different and diverse cultures through his many works in which he placed his feet in the shoes of everyday people and the experiences they faced. However, his attitude towards slavery and abolitionism were never permanent as if he was constantly torn between how he really felt or how others who did not agree with him would judge his views. As the saying goes, "your first teachers are your parents." Whitman grew up in a racist environment, in which he was a descendent of slave owners. Therefore, he grew up embodying white prejudice and coming to a conclusion that blacks were shiftless and ignorant. However, as he grew older and became more educated on the

While he waits “at a traffic light,” he “catches his eye [on] a tall girl in a black leather skirt” (Coetzee 194). She is mere stranger on the road, yet he is confident in being able to immediately hook up with her. The way he looks at women, reflects how they are displayed as animals and sexual bodies waiting for someone to catch them and because this occurs frequently, the idea of female bodies being dominated and constructed through male ideology becomes naturalized and accepted as a norm in society. It is evident that though all women do not become prostitutes because they enjoy the idea of it, there is this acceptance of the gender binary, where women choose to transform themselves into this sexualized character that seeks attention and is submissive to the man. Monique Wittig highlights the idea of categories in her text, “One is Not Born a Woman.” She agrees with Coetzee’s representation of the male and female roles and says that “for “woman” does not exist for [them]: it is only an imaginary formation” created by men (Wittig 15). Wittig explains that the category of “women” goes beyond the biological genes and outer appearance. It is something that is created not to make women feel good about themselves or to give them certain types of privileges, but it is a socially constructed idea that subject’s women into a certain type of character that benefits men. She goes on to say that “Once the class “men” disappears, “woman” as a class will disappear as well, for there are no slaves without masters” (Wittig 15). Consequently, the class of “women” is created in response to “men,” where if the category of “men” did not exist, then women would not be so restricted in the things that they are allowed to do and they would not have to live a life trying to satisfy men in order to

America experienced profound changes during the mid 1800’s. New technologies and ideas helped the nation grow, while the Civil War ripped the nation apart. During this tumultuous period, two great American writers captured their ideas in poetry. Their poems give us insight into the time period, as well as universal insight about life. Although polar opposites in personality, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman created similar poetry. Dickinson’s “Hope is a Thing with Feathers” and Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!” share many qualities.