The Open Boat,Stephen Crane

When reading this story I was intrigued from the very beginning!! It takes us through the lives of four men as they face an tragic boat wreck. Each one of the men do a certain job towards helping each other stay alive. They are faced with rough waters, sharks, seagulls, and a lonely dark night on the sea. However, this story teaches us that life is short and we should live it well. We never know when our last moment will be so we shouldn't live life with regret! One of the men on the boat basically says the same thing...he looks back on his life and reminisces. This story has a great moral to it and makes you evaluate your life.

Desiree's Baby, Kate Chopin

This story is about a young lady who was adopted. Later she marries into a wealthy family and has a child, only to find out that the child is mixed. After a happy marriage and a healthy child she is thrown out by her husband because the baby is mixed. Desiree has been faced with hardship her whole life, but still she keeps her heard up high and takes whatever life throws her way! This story shows how racist our country can be, and how much people judge someone based on their heritage! Even though the baby is mixed due to Desiree's blood line, her husband didn't take the time to investigate! This story made me frustrated, but also inspired me to be more like Desiree.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Gerard Manley Hopkins uses a lot of time focusing on the love of God and the importance of his presence in this world. In Pied Beauty, he talks about the beauty of the nature of God and all that he creates. Then we read The Kingishers Catch Fire, and this poem talks about how beautiful we are in God's eyes. Next, we read Carrion Comfort, which tells us how Hopkins was ready to give up on his life, but decided that God will bring him through. So, he decides not to give up, and puts his faith in God. Basically throughout all of his poems he completely focuses all his time and energy on making the readers realize how important God is in our lives.

Matthew Arnold

In his poem, Dover Beach, we are faced with many different ideas! At first, we witness the overwhelming beauty of a beach at night time, when everything is calm and peaceful. Then we are faced with reality, and realize that faith can be like the sea. It roles in and out with the tide and we never truly grasp hold of it. We can have it most of the time but loose it just as quick as the tide. It wasn't that Arnold was doubting God, he was doubting the church and Christians that are in it. I really think that we can be the same way in today's world, it can be so easy to gain and loose our faith with the blink of an eye!

The Victorian Period

When reading these sonnets it made me realize how much they resemble the circle of life. Each sonnet represents a phase/maturity we face as we live our lives. First, we read Ulysses, which discusses the excitements and success in lives. This poem is really like a recap of a life gone by, I envision it as a lesson about how we should learn from the success and fulfillments this poem discusses. Then we move onto My Last Duchess which expresses a fresh start and new beginning. This poem reveals marriage and the effects of it, then it shows us the wonderful second chance some are given. Also, in the assignment we read poems that discuss love, life, temptation, and death. Each one of these poems allow me to relate, because each holds a situation we all must face at some point and time.

Henry Thoreau

“Where I Lived and What I Lived For”

In this chapter of Thoreau's story I think we are able to see personality. What he lives for, longs for, and what he wants from life. We are able to see his favorite farm, which he visited often. He takes us through his house and describes the roof and boards. He goes on to explain an area near Walden, and it is here he discusses the stillness of the water. He tells us how important it is that he gets up every morning, admires the stillness of the water, and then takes a bath in it. At the end he relates his discussion to humans and the seriousness we take in life. It is here that he expresses the importance to be a kid and enjoy life.

“Conclusion”

As I read Conclusion I felt a sense of completion to Thoreau’s life. He urges us to view the vast creation that God has created. He tells us to see the seas, land, rocks, mountains, and all that nature has to offer. He also brings us back to the realization that God has created everything. Without him we would not have this beautiful earth we call home. After reading this chapter, you feel a true urge to get up and explore the outdoors.

“Economy”

In this chapter Thoreau discusses the importance of money, power, business, trade, wealth, and the condition of the poor. He expresses to us that if we want change we must do so in our lives. If we make the change in what we do, say, or believe then it will spill over onto society. He also discusses the importance of occupation in society. It is in this chapter that he introduces us into four part separated society. This chapter was certainly interesting and enlightening.

William Wordsworth

Tintern Abbey:

This poem is first introduced by saying that it has been five years since he has been to these cliffs and this landscape that he so desperately loves. He paints us a picture of this beautiful scene in nature and truly makes you feel like you are there with him. I also loved the way that he would need to recall this "Special" place when he was traveling. Even though he had not been there for years physically he was there everyday mentally! This was a beautiful poem!


The World is Too Much Without Us:

This poem basically sums up our everyday life! It talks about how we are too busy to enjoy the world around us!He makes a good point when he basically says that he would rather be pagan than to ignore the beauty that God has surrounded us with!


Exposition and Reply:

In this poem William Wordsworth's friend is trying to tell him that men should learn from books!


The Tables Turned:

This is more of a response to the previous poem. Wordsworth tells his friend that men should learn from nature and experience more that relying on books for education!

John Keats

Ode on a Grecian Urn

I found this poem to be very interesting! Keats is describing a Greek urn and is basically describing the joy and bliss that life brings us. He really uses his imagination to describe the story of two lovers. At the very end he does an amazing job summing up the importance of life. "Beauty is truth,truth beauty,-that is all." I think if we ever truly grip that quote our lives could be changed drastically!!

William Blake

As I started reading the Songs of innocence I realized that it was familiar territory! I remember reading those in high school. The poems were very enjoyable and easy to understand. In the songs of innocence there is almost a feeling of someone questioning life and all that is involved. However, when you make the switch to Songs of Experience the poems become really depressing and almost morbid. William Blake done a spectacular job making you realize that sometimes you must grow up and become an adult. He shows you the childlike side of life then quickly turns and shows you the responsibilities of being an adult. Somehow reading these poems made me want to stay a kid forever!! Being an adult is hard to adjust to sometimes. It's kinda funny because we grow up as kids wishing we were adults, but when we are adults we wish we were kids! I guess this proves that we as humans will never truly be happy and content!

Candide

From our reading my understanding is that Voltaire was heavely influenced by Pope. He had a respect for Englad but also poked fun at France and the mess they were in. Although this book is suppost to be somewhat commical I found myself feeling sorry for Candide and the different people he meet throughout his journey to happiness. Voltaire clearly states that the only thing that will help this world is hard work. He uses Satire to judge religion, morals, and the church!Voltaire clearly exspresses his opinion of Pope's claim that "Everything that is, is right" through Candide. He makes it known that this statement is not correct and he does not agree!!

Gulliver's Travel and Modest Proposal

We were recently assigned to read Gulliver's Travel for an online english class.When reading about the land of the Houyhnhnms the first thought that entered my mind
was, wow, what a great place to live! No lying, cheating,or war. A land of respect and
admirable living, but then I thought how boring! Often, we as humans, strive for that
picture perfect society. What we don't realize is that sometimes the hardships that we go
through makes us stronger individuals. We grow in character due to harsh situations like
war, lying, cheating,etc..However, the yahoos are certainly not a society that I would
want to be involved in. I saw the yahoo's much like our society that we live in today. I
really enjoyed the way swift makes you think about the different diversities. He makes
you understand that everyone lives in there own world, whether or not you choose to
participate in different society's is your choice! Then we were assigned to read "A Modest Proposal", and again Swift's quick use of satire threw me for a loop and was really disturbing. From the very beginning he catches your attention by letting you visualize starving women and children. He quickly points out the problem of poverty in Ireland! Then he drastically makes his proposal and suggest that the solution would be to buy and sell children's bodies. Swift constantly points out the advantages to his proposal and calls out to the members of authority to do something about this problem. He also challenges them to come up with their own solution to the problem, admitting that he has no children that he can get a single penny out of and his
wife is past her days of childbearing. If I were the British I would have got mad and
upset by the way he was suggesting the British treated the Irish. Swift certainly makes a
point, but at the same time I believe you must be careful when using satire. There is a
fine line you must walk and if you cross that line the problem could blow up even worse
than it already was!!

Who I am

My name is Janice Berry, I am from Luttrell, TN. and a sophomore at Carson Newman. I am a church music major, and I am involved in A Cappella choir and a music fraternity called Delta Omicron. I love spending time with the people who are closest to me! I feel that everyone enters your life for a reason, and most of the time they help you grow as a person. I enjoy talking to people and getting to know them on a more personal level, which is why I became an RA. I absolutely love my job, it has helped me grow as a person and develop a well balanced personality. It has also taught me necessary time management skills, which helps me a lot since I am a music major. I am looking forward to taking this class because I believe it will free up some of my busy schedule.