Why is the ability to read and write a statement about freedom?

October 23, 2016
I think the ability to read and write has a lot to do with someone's freedom. I think it relates directly to freedom of speech, if a person cannot write, I feel it really takes away part of their freedom of speech because they are not always able to speak their mind. Freedom of speech is so important, such an important right to have and it seems that when you can't write, it is somewhat diminished. The ability to read and write could lead to so many opportunities, opportunities people would not be able to have because they are so restricted from knowledge. Another way I see it is that reading and writing could be an escape for some people. It could be an outlet to get away, once again taking away their freedom and sense of independence. The freedom of people really traces back to many things, but I feel that being able to read and write could potentially give someone much more freedom.

How can slave families being separated affect the master and the slaves?

October 16, 2016
In the beginning of "A Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass" he talks a lot about who slaves are separated from their families a a very one age. In the beginning of the book, he talks a lot about how he him being separated from his mom as a young child really affected him. I think that slave masters would do this to try to keep all emotion from their slaves so they could potentially work harder. This could benefit the masters because since the slaves wouldn't have a real emotional connection, they wouldn't be distracted from doing their task. I think this could have really taken a toll on the slaves. It could really make the slaves feel detached or misplaced, almost as if they have no meaning, keeping in mind this is what the slave masters are wanting. In the book, Frederick Douglass talks about how it was hard for him having to grow up like his mother was a stranger to him.

“Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld” by Camille Corot

October 16, 2016

The piece of work I chose to write about was the painting “Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld” by Camille Corot. It was made in 1861 in France, which is in the era I've been studying, Romanticism. This painting was made towards the end of the Romantic Era but it is still extremely easy for me to see many characteristics from the era. The first characteristic is romanticism or emotion, in the painting it seems like a couple and just right when I saw it it reminded me of emotion and romanticism. The other characteristic is nature, this painting seems as it is in the woods, with lots of trees and nature surrounding them. Nature is a big characteristic in Romanticism and many of the poems have some sort of relation to nature. I could really easily see the similarities between the two and I think it’s really interesting how they are from the same time and are so similar.

How can sound devices affect a poem?

Poison Tree by William Blake

I was angry with my friend; 

I told my wrath, my wrath did end. 

I was angry with my foe: 

I told it not, my wrath did grow. 

And I waterd it in fears, 

Night & morning with my tears: 

And I sunned it with smiles, 

And with soft deceitful wiles. 

And it grew both day and night. 

Till it bore an apple bright. 

And my foe beheld it shine, 

And he knew that it was mine. 

And into my garden stole, 

When the night had veild the pole; 

In the morning glad I see; 

My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

    

Many poems use forms of rhyming or other sound devices to create meaning or depth in the poem. In Poison tree by William Blake he uses a couplet pattern of rhyming in the poem. For me personally I think this really creates meaning because it makes you stop and think about what's going on because you think about the rhymes. I think it adds to the way that the reader could read and interpret the poem. For instance this poem has a couplet pattern which could make the rhythm you read it different.

A lot of poems written in the Romanticism Era have reference to nature, as well as this one in the end. Romanticism originated during the end of the 18th century, I think that this really showed through the poem and the way it’s written.