Emily's First Lines

READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY!
To complete this assignment, you must click on the title of this post. When you click on the post you will be taken to a website that lists many of Emily Dickinson's poems by the first line. Choose a first line that sounds interesting to you, and read the poem. After reading the poem, attempt to translate it in the comment section. You may copy and paste the poem, or just include the title. Only one person per poem. Happy reading!!!

Emily Dickinson - death Death

Why would a person who lives in solitude become so preoccupied with death? Hypothesize an answer to this question in the context of Emily Dickinson's biography.

Make them say Hmmm.

*****UPDATE - Joyce Carol Oates responded to an email that I sent to her. She is eagerly awaiting your letters. I'll tell you more in class.****************

After listening to a plethora of Thoreau's quotes, what new insights on life have you gained? In a quote of your own, summarize your outlook on life, love, liberty, conformity, technology, or society. Come up with a quote that taps into the minds of your peers, but is truly from the core of your heart.

Thoreau's applicability to life -CORRECTION

Which quote from Thoreau is most applicable to your life? Write the exact quote, punctuate correctly, and write a one paragraph reflection on why it is applicable to your life. (5 sentences at the least)

EXTRA CREDIT

Please give me some feedback about the online homework blog. Answer each question for the extra credit.

1.What can we do to make it better?
2.What are some things you like about this format?
3. What are some things you dislike about this format?
4. Would you like to form a blog of your own to use for longer assignments, or responses to your comments?

Any other feedback is welcome.

Modern Conveniences

Explain what you think it would be like to live in the woods without modern conveniences. Give positive and negative details of living this way.

The Ceremony

Today we participated in a "ceremony" to mark the crossover from Emerson to Thoreau. There were a few people missing from the class today. Briefly describe some highlights from the ceremony or reflect on a quote that you heard today. Reflect on the "light" and share.

Emerson's Definition of Transcendentalism

Read the following quote, and give an explanation of how this philosophy about transcendentalism appears in one of the three works that we read by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Make sure that you read the comments before yours, so as not to repeat any thoughts.

In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his 1842 lecture The Transcendentalist:
"The Transcendentalist adopts the whole connection of spiritual doctrine. He believes in miracle, in the perpetual openness of the human mind to new influx of light and power; he believes in inspiration, and in ecstasy. He wishes that the spiritual principle should be suffered to demonstrate itself to the end, in all possible applications to the state of man, without the admission of anything unspiritual; that is, anything positive, dogmatic, personal. Thus, the spiritual measure of inspiration is the depth of the thought, and never, who said it? And so he resists all attempts to palm other rules and measures on the spirit than its own....
Ralph Waldo EmersonThe Transcendentalist, 1842

Essential Questions Related to Transcendentalism

Choose one of these questions to reply to in a comment. Make sure you indicate which question you are choosing.

1. Do you agree or disagree with this statement, "Good men must not obey the laws too well?" Why?


2. How can studying the world of nature reveal anything about the human spirit?

3. Do you agree or disagree with this statement, "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist?" Why?

4. Why is it important to challenge an author's assertions? Why is it important to challenge any text that you read?

Transcendentalism

From your text book: Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes page 362 - Transcendentalism was an intellectual movement founded by Emerson that affected most of the writers of his day.

The core beliefs of the Transcendentalists were:

- Human senses can know only the physical reality.
- The fundamental truths of existence lay outside the reach of the senses and can only be grasped through intuition
- Humans must be attentive to the human spirit
- Humans must observe nature because the human spirit is reflected in nature
- God, nature, and humans are connected/ united by an Oversoul which is a universal soul.

******Do you have any questions about these core beliefs? ******