1. Paraphrase the poem: "Lines composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey."
Despite that these forms of beauty are not easily seen, they are unseen to me. The situation is just like that of a blind man, who cannot explain the appearance of a landscape. I am owed to them to them like a man in solitary in a quite room does to the middle of a busy city. I have owed to their familiarization for knowledge in my pure mind.
The goodness of a man is owed to pleasure and good acts. This quality is worth trustfulness irrespective of the burden of mystery which should characterize the heavy hearted in this meaningless world.
2. Discuss the main points Thoreau is making in the last three paragraphs of this excerpt, beginning with the sentence "I went to the woods because..." (Reading 27.7 "From Thoreau's Walden").
Thoreau is trying to put across the idea that simplicity is essential in human life. He wishes to make it understood that the most important thing is to realize oneself early enough and not until it is too late for one to realize the mistakes they cannot rectify. Thoreau further explains that this understanding would yield much more than the mere assumptions that people make about life’s requirements. He explains that nature will always understand as long as man does not cause lament upon which fatal consequences would result.
3. Romanticism is well-represented in American writing by Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself."
a) Choose a line (or short passage) that particularly amazes or amuses you and quote it.
“I loaf and invite my soul; I learn and loaf at my ease observing a spear of summer grass” (227) is the passage I find most amusing.
b) Explain how the selected quote ties into the attitude or spirit of Romanticism. (See page 210 for a quick definition of what constitutes Romanticism as a style, attitude, and cultural movement.)
This passage relates much with the romantic period in which the poem was written by the American poet, Walt Whitman. This passage is descriptive of the attitude of self freedom and the appreciation of one’s own power in relation to nature, a feature characteristic of romanticism. As a cultural movement, this passage portrays defiance to the ideas presented by religion regarding exclusive praise upon a Supreme Being.
4. Choose THREE of the "romantic heroes" discussed in this chapter and discuss them in terms of how they match up with the special characteristics of the romantic hero, namely:
- egocentric, brooding, melancholic
- individualistic, nonconforming
- rebels against authority
- places high value on the imagination
- champions the oppressed, the underdog
Heine is one of the “romantic heroes” addressed in the chapter, and who portrays various characteristics of the romantic hero in the poem, “you are just like a flower”. He portrays individualism when he proclaims “I feel I should be holding my hands upon your hair” (28). It is also elaborate that this romantic hero places importance upon the power of imagination from the title of the poem and from the first line and second lines of the poem; “you are just like a flower, so fair and chaste” (28).
Goethe is also identified as one of the romantic heroes who greatly impacted on poetry. In his work, Faust, Goethe uncovers the strain between heroism and human limitations. Through this action, the poet proves himself a champion of the oppressed.
5. What do you find most interesting or surprising in the section titled "Romantic Love and Romantic Stereotypes" at the end of this chapter? How much and in what ways specifically are we in the 21st century still influenced by these 19th century attitudes and stereotypes when it comes to romantic love?
I find it surprising that poetry in the 19th century really appreciated attributes that are frequently overlooked in the present times. However, despite the fact that true love is rarely appreciated in works of art today, it still bears considerable significance in the lives of couples in relationships and is the main basis behind a successful marriage.
6. Compare/contrast two paintings in this chapter: Goya's "The Third of May" (Figure 29.1) and Delacroix's "Liberty Leading the People" (Figure 29.6). Note similarities and differences in subject matter, artistic style, and especially in theme (both are presented in the section titled "Heroic Themes in Art," but how do they differ in their message or impact?).
Two paintings “The Third of May” by Goya and “Liberty Leading the People” by Delacroix bear considerable comparable features in terms of subject matter and style. The style used on both pieces is realist, whereby objects are comparable with life components in appearance. Both pieces are paintings done using oil on canvas and the use of supplementary colors is evident on both. The subject on both is associated with violence.
The paintings contain definite differences in the subject matter and themes on focus. The main theme in focus on “The Third of May” is surrender, to elaborate the importance of ending violence. The main theme of “Liberty Leading the People” is the power of the weak parties, in this case women and children. The subjects also differ as both in the immediate meaning and hidden meaning. “Liberty Leading the People” portrays liveliness while “The Third of May” draws the sympathy of the audience.
Work cited
Chapters 27, 28, and 29
