As a way for each of you to evaluate were you are personally in terms of understanding the content in this unit, this reflection is relatively general. I want each of you to discuss some places in the literature were you have seen your topic represented (disasters, government, neoclassicism, etc). Remember your rubric for this blog. (Hint: You will want to refer to some quotes from the literature)
Remember to include your name at the end of your comment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
My group's topic is neoclassicism. This topic can be very broad. It contains elements of similarities between ancient Rome and England, weariness of war, and the enjoyment of life. When using this style, writers often modeled their works on old Latin classics. I'm excited to be able to work with this topic because it has more variety than the others and will also be something I have never studied before.
ReplyDeleteAlexander Pope was known as a neoclassical poet because of his original works. He used very new, fresh characteristics within his writing. In "Heroic Couplets," I found several statements that would support the ideas behind neoclassicism. I very much enjoyed the couplet found within "An Essay on Criticism" lines 474-475 that says, "Be thou first true merit to befriend; / His praise is lost, who stays till all commend." It's a powerful statement, which mocks those who do certain things in order to receive praise from other people. True commendment should be in the reward of doing something out of selflessness. This represents neoclassicism because it might have stepped on the toes of the people in the clergy or the rich. This is also neoclassical because it is in the form of an antithesis.
I also enjoyed the excerpt from "An Essay on Man" in which Alexander Pope says, "Alike in ignorance, his reason such, / Whether he thinks too little, or too much." Many people were very concerned with studies. They prided themselves on being of the most knowledgable. However, Pope satirizes them within this essay by putting it into perspective. He identifies that men can never have the same knowledge that God has and that men are truly ignorant beings. Pope wanted men to accept God as the divine one and not rely on their own understanding.
Victoria Tindol
While searching these texts for poverty, I assumed my group would have a quite simple topic with several examples from each selection. As we began reading, I realized our topic is somewhat difficult to find examples on within the three authors we have studied thus far.
ReplyDeleteSeveral examples have been very evident, though. Jonathan Swift provides the most examples in his "Modest Proposal". He describes Ireland's streets as being filled with "beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms." He seems to convey that everywhere these poor families are crowding the streets and begging for any money that people passing can spare. As Swift continues, he claims children will only grow up to be beggars, thieves or soldiers for unworthy causes. He refers to these children's lack of a future as "a very great additional grievance" in the "present deplorable state of the kingdom." Pope shows how the rich treat the poor without any kind of regard for humanity when he tells that "hungry judges soon the sentence sign,/ And wenches hang that jurymen may dine" (Canto III, 21-22). Pope shows that the well-being, innocence, or even the life of the poor is not of any higher concern than what the judges and juries will eat for lunch.
As we finish the next two weeks of the project, I am hoping the next four authors we review and study will provide more insight into the lives and treatment of poor people in 18th century Britain. The project his been a very difficult one in keeping up with the immense amount of reading required, but I feel that the group has done very well in keeping up with the game plan and in trying hard to contribute and truly learn and understand the literature.
Katie Cheek
My group's topic is poverty and it has to do with the large amount of poor people that cannot support themselves. There are too many poor people in the country and they cannot live on their own.
ReplyDelete"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift has the most reference to poverty. Swift always likes to talk about how rich people are better off than the poor people. Swift says that the poor people and the hungry children are the reason that the country has such a poverty issue. Swift has a solution to this madness; he proposes an idea to all the people that are poor. He suggests that the rich people should eat the young babies. Swift says, "That the remaining hundred thousand may at a year old be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune through the kingdom."
I don't like Swift's proposal because he talks about eating other human beings and that is not right. Swift uses of satire to prove his point about the treatment of poor people. He doesn't think that the rich people should put themselves in a position above the poor.
Chris Macke
My group’s assignment is over class distinction. Class distinction is upper, middle, and lower class citizens. For instance, in "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift, talks about the majority of the people being poor. “These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling, to beg sustenance for their helpless infants, who, as they grow up either turn thieves for want work.” In the Lords eyes, rich or poor, every mother and father must love their children. The parents need to provide protection and food for their child.
ReplyDeleteIn "Epistle to Miss Blount" by Alexander Pope, talks about how things can look so clear to you but in a blink of an eye it will fly away. “Before you pass the imaginary sights of lords, and earls, and dukes, and garter’d knights. While the spread fan o’ershades your closing eyes, then give one flirt, and all the vision flies.” Even though the vision flies from your sight, it does not erase it from your memory.
"Gulliver’s Travels" had very precise class distinctions of government officials. “It is alleged indeed, that the high heels are most agreeable to our ancient constitution: But however this be, his Majesty hath determined to make use of only low heels in the administration of the government, and all offices in the gift of the Crown, as you cannot but observe; and particularly, that his Majesty’s Imperial heels are lower at least by a drurr that any of his courts.” My Pastor at my church wears a white collar, to distinguish him from the congregation. Just as my Pastor, people can tell who is in higher rank from how tall their heels measure.
Tabitha Howell
The topic of my group is neoclassicism. During this time, many authors would choose to model their works after latin writings. People new these writings better than they knew their own english ones. Neoclassicism has been a bit of a rough topic to look for through out our literature.
ReplyDeleteI would an example of Neoclassicism when reading through Alexander Pope's literature. Alexander Pope is a great example of a Neoclassical writer. In one of his "Heroic Couplets" he states,"Be thou first true merit to befriend; / His praise is lost, who stays till all commend." This means that people should be proactive and do things for the good of others as well as themselves.
Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift have written many works which relate to the neoclassical period. I look foreword to learning more about this topic.
The topic of government appears throughout the work of seventeenth century authors. For the past week my group has read the works several seventeenth century authors such as Swift and Pope in search for any satirical reference to government. At first, the search was difficult; we took each piece at face value and found no direct reference to government. It wasn’t until we dissected each piece and researched the background that we found the satirical reference to government.
ReplyDeleteAccording to The Diary of Samuel Pepys, the country had recently gone through a transition of governments. The former king Charles I was executed in 1649 and the country underwent a series of new political figures. Finally the country returned to its formal monarchy on April 23, 1661 with the coronation of King Charles II. The Diary of Samuel Pepys accounts to the magnificent ceremony and procession of the event. “The King in his robes, bareheaded, which was very fine. And after all had placed themselves-there was a sermon and the service,” (Pepys, 544). This diary account of Samuel Pepys gave my group a good bearing on the time period, customs, and politics of the government in 1661.
The tales of Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift gives his satirical view on the trivial issues that divide political parties and people. In part one, Reldresal tells Gulliver of the domestic divisions within Lilliput. He says, “…there have been two struggling parties in this empire…from the high and low heels on their shoes, by which they distinguish themselves,” (Swift, 493). He continues to say that the hatred between the two parties is such that “they will neither eat nor drink, nor talk with each other,” (Swift, 493). The mundane controversies between the two groups in Lilliput were used to satirize some of the silly things that divided Swift’s country during his lifetime.
Halli Spraggins
My group's topic is disasters. Disasters come in all shapes and sizes. In Jonathan Swift's poem "A Description of a City Shower," ther is some disaster. He describes London as dirty and smelly. He says, "Returning home at night, you'll find the stink/ Strike your offended sense with double stink(lines 5-6). Also, a woman who is abused by her husband walks the streets, "The tucked-up sempstress walks with hasty-strides,/ While streams run down her oiled umbrella's sides(lines 37-38). In Swift's other stories, he also mentions starvation and overpopulation.
ReplyDeleteAlexander Pope also shows disaster in his writings. In his story "Rape of the Lock," Belinda gets a lock of her hair cut off and she is very upset about it. Pope says, "The peer now spreads the glittering forfex wide,/T' enclose the lock; now joins it, to divide...The meeting points the sacred hair dissever/From the fair head...Then flashed the living lightning from her eyes,/ And screams of horror rend th' affrighted skies(lines 75-84). During this time period, hair was very valuable to women, so for someone to cut some of her hair off was horrific and disasterous.
Samuel Pepys also describes disasters, including the Great Fire of London and a plague that hit London. In "The Diary of Samuel Pepys," he describes the fire of London. "...Jane called us up,about three in the morning, to tell us of a great fire they saw in the City...By and by Jane comes and tells me that she hears that above three hundred houses have been burned down...." (pg.549) He goes on to say, "The churches, houses, and all on fire and flaming at once, and a horrid noise the flames made, and the cracking of houses at their ruin.(pg. 552-553) In the handout on Pepys, he writes about a plague that affected London. He says there are dead corpses in the streets that are yet to be buried. He describes the people as "sick of the sores." Also, he goes on to talk about many individuals he knows who have either suffered from the plague, or who have had loved ones suffer from the plague. All in all, disasters are evident in the writings of the 18th century.
Leah Robbins
My group’s topic is Class Distinctions. Class Distinctions is a range of the Upper Cass (the royals) the Middle Class (the workers with well pay) and the Lower Class (the peasants.) In the literature we have been reading as a group I have already learned how the life of a royal man and woman varies form the Peasants.
ReplyDeleteIn the story “Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift, Swift is in a nice way, making fun of the royal class by showing how self centered they where. He writes that if they where hungry enough they could always eat babies and little children. He says, “I have reckoned upon a medium, that a child just born will weigh twelve pounds, and in a solar year if tolerably nursed increaseth to twenty-eight pounds.” Swift says this to make a statement that the older the child the more meat one will be able to eat. This story was told to mock the Higher class in say that they would be willing to buy the peasants children and use them or eat them for there pleasure.
In Samuel Pepys excerpt from “The Diary of Samuel Pepys” he writes about a couple of years in his life. Throughout the story he tells about spending time with the Royals and getting drunk; however, he also speaks of the plague that hit there town and the fire that burned it down. In the story he describes the royals having to gather up all there goods when leaving town because of the fire. He writes, “About four o’clock in the morning, my Lady Batten sent me a cart to carry away all my money and plate.” Pepys, even though he was rich and spent time with the higher class, still had to deal with uncontrollable struggles.
In Jonathan Swifts “A Description of a City Shower” he writes about both the Upper and Lower classes and how each act when there is a rain fall. He writes how the peasants see the rain as a wonderful experience to play, get wet, and clean themselves, where as the Royals see it as dirty, muddy, and stinky water. He writes about the royals saying, “Triumphant Tories and desponding Whigs/ Forget their feuds, and join to save their wigs.” He is saying that the royals would rushed into buildings to save there “wigs” from getting wet.
In reading I have learned a lot about the peasant’s view of life and the royal’s view of life. I am very proud of my group and my topic and I can’t wait to read and learn more about Class Distinctions.
-Bryan Lewis
My group's topic is Goverment. Goverment has not been directly disussed in any of the works that we have read so far, but the authors have placed their opinion of the Goverment casually in their writings.
ReplyDeleteIn "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift, Swift take's it upon himself to find a solution to the problem of child poverty in Ireland. Swift a few makes comments about the goverment in this story including, "I think it is agreeable by all parties, that this prodigious number of children . . . is in the present stats of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance." Swift show that he does not think very highly of his goverment or think that it holds much power.
In "The Diary of Samuel Pepys", Pepys shows mixed feeling towards his King. On October 13, Pepys discusses having the chance to see his king beheaded and to see the first bloodshed as his revenge. Pepys later writes on April 23, 1661, about the coronation of King Charles II. Pepys explains the whole night in detail and speaks of wishing the King sucess, "and they laid hold of us and would have us drink the King's health upon our knee."
Taylor Landeros
in gullivers travels it talks about the high heels and the low heels this is an example of neoclassicism. it's when you talk about something without really stating it. when he talks about this he is talking about the different political groups so the high heels represent one political party and the low heels represent another.
ReplyDeleteSara Kate Luttrell
My groups topic is Class Distinctions. The Class Distinction is mainly divided in upper class or royalist, and lower class or peasant. Each author expresses their opinion of the royalist and peasants. In "Modest Proposal," Jonathan Swift mocks the royalist by proving outragous solution to problems. For example, Swift expresses that the royalist would actually skin human babies and use them for clothing, "Infant's flesh will be in season throughout the year, but most plentiful in March..." Swift shows how hearless and selfish the royalist but using human skin as fashion. Also in one of his poems, "A Description of a City Shower," he shows the distinciton between the royalist and the peasant when rain comes. The royalist have their nice homes where they can stay out of the rain because they are not use to such conditions, but the peasants see this as a oppourity to become clean. Swift expresses how the royalist or upper class reacts to the rain, "He damns the climate and complains of the spleen." The royalist would rather be in their homes eating than being outside where it smells terrible. In poem he shows how the peasants take advantage of the rain, "Brisk Susan whips her linen form the rope while the first drizzling shower is borne aslope." The peasants see the rain as a oppourity to wash their clohtes and to bathe.
ReplyDeleteIn Gullivers Travel and A Voyage to Brobingnag,Swift's allows his reader to understand both classes. At first in Gullivers Travel,the reader understands how it feels to be important and needed, how a royalist feels, bacause Gulliver was twelve times bigger than everything. The "litle people" provided his evey need, "They brought me a second hogshead,which I drank in the same manner, and made signs for more." In this quote, Gullivers is seen more as a upper classman because he is being catered to by everyone around. Fortunately, Gulliver also gets to experience how it feels to be a lowwer classman or "little person" in A Voyage to Bordingnag. In this story, Gulliver is able to observer the royalist while he is serving them. He,Gulliver, conveies his opinion of how the royalist act by sayin, "I should have bee strongly tempted to laugh as much at them as ths king and hsi grandees did at me." Gulliver understands how it feels to be at the bottom and to be servant instead of being served. Jonathan Swift strongly expresses his opinion of the middle and upper class.
In Alexandar Pope's poem "Epistle of Miss Blount," he tells the story of a peasant girl who works hard day in and day out. She is a young girl that sows and works very hard for her money. She continues to pray throughout the day, "To starve and pray for that is the way to Heaven." Pope expresses that peasants are more religious than the royalist through this young girl. She also fantasizes about being a royalist and being around lords "Before you pass the imaginary sights of lords, and earls, and dukes, and garter'd knights, while the spread fan o'ershades your closing eyes, then give one flirt, and all the vision flies." Alexander expresses the longing to a peasant girl has to be a royalist and to be seen as beautiful infront of powerful men.
I am excited to continue to learn about Class Distinctions within my group and how we have a successful presentation
Lenora Taylor
Our group is doing Class Distinctions. This subject matter has been fairly easy to locate in the literature which we have been assigned.
ReplyDeleteIn “Gulliver’s Travels” for instance, it is clear even for an outsider to see who is considered in charge of things. He sees a clear distinction of class by the behavior of the different citizens. In “A Modest Proposal,” satire is used to express the way that the upper class feels about those among poverty. “A Description of a City Shower” creates a setting to clearly contrast the behavior of the different classes. The upper class will stay off of the filthy wet streets - “If you be wise, then go not far to dine,” – while the peasants don’t mind the weather conditions as much.
I believe because of the time period we are studying, distinction between classes will be a prominent theme in the rest of the literature we will study.
Bekah Tomlin.
My group’s topic is class distinction. Class distinction is about royalty and rich upper classmen, and lower class and peasant. Class distinction has appeared throughout “Modest Proposal,” “A Description of a City Shower.”
ReplyDelete“A Description of a City Shower”, by Jonathan Swift, talks the different reactions between upper classmen and peasant during a rainfall. “If you be wise, then go not far to dine; / You’ll spend in coach hire more than save in wine” and “Triumphant Tories and desponding Whigs / Forget their feuds, and join to save their wags” express that upperclassmen will stay indoor during a rain. In contrast, “Brisk Susan whips her linen from the rope, / … Flirts on you from her mop” expresses peasant sing, play, and enjoy the rain.
“Modest Proposal”, also by Jonathan Swift, talks about the dreadful living of lower class people. “… when they see the streets, the roads, the cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importing every alms” talks about the difficulty of earning money by peasant. “… They are everyday dying, and rotting, by cold, and famine, and filth, and vermin” talks about the terrible situation living by poor people.
Through readings on class distinction, I have learned about how people live in 18th century Great Britain. I am looking forward to learn more about them.
Caesar Tang
Government has been represented several times throughout our reading so far. In "The Diary of Samuel Pepys", Pepys discusses the beheading of his kings. There are mixed emotions about this. Some support the king and dislike what the are seeing while others are pleased with this decision.
ReplyDeleteAnother example of government appears in Gulliver's Travels. "...there have been two struggling parties in this empire..." (Swift, p.493) This story shows how even a small disagreement can divide people. This example is easy to relate to because this type of controversy is present in today's government.
Clouse
The topic for the group that I am in is disasters. What I have got out of these stories is that everyone has a different view of what a disaster is.
ReplyDeleteFor example, in "The Diary" by Samuel Pepy, he has a section dedicated to the plague and how horrible the plague was, which is surely a disaster. On the other extreme, some people take what seem to be very minor things roll into a disaster in their own minds, such as "The Rape of the Lock" where the girl finds that having a lock of her hair cut off a disaster and makes a big deal of it and it becomes a humongous battle of the sexes where the girl even threatens to kill a guy with her hair needle. So everyone has their own description of what they feel is a disaster.
As for other details in the story, I feel pretty confident just because I have read the stories and, for the most part, understand them. So I at least feel prepared for the quiz in the morning. Especially after discussing these stories with my group, in which I feel has been a success compared to what I thought it was going to turn out in the beginning (a time to be lazy and put off work because we can just act like we're doing stuff and get away with it.)
-Stefan Bushey
My group's topic was disaster. It was hard for us because literatures were pretty limited. There are many kinds of disaster, however, there are majorly about human disaster. And there are 2 outstanding poems by Alexander Pope that appeals disaster.
ReplyDelete'The Rape of the Lock' is my favorite. It's a story about two catholic families had fight. Sir Peter cut Arabella Fermor's hair and his wife and her family got mad and this little thing became a huge trouble. I observed this as Pope wanted to express human disaster about female's disrespectful and impatient characteristics and their ability to make small things into huge things. And also, all males are having desire to be heroes. I thought Pope did a great job writing this poem and express the vivid detail about problem.
'An Essay on Man' is my another favorite. He wrote man are so boastful and think too much that they are bringing more troubles in this world. Basically, Pope thinks men have evil in their mind naturally. But he's right about that and that's why his poems are my favorites!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy group’s topic is poverty. Unlike other topics, this topic is quite simple. In the beginning of the project, I supposed that I would not have any problems with it. As I went through some of the literatures, I found that they show strong examples of poverty, but the sources are quite limited to find various examples of it.
ReplyDeleteAmong all the authors that my group discussed so far, Jonathan swift gives the most prominent examples of poverty in this writing, “modest proposal”. He starts his pamphlet by describing the situation of how poor people live on Ireland. He says that the streets of Ireland is crowded with "beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms”. In here, he indicates that almost every street which people pass by is filled with baggers who are generally female with three or more children. Moreover, he says that those infants will be “…. Thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country to fight for the pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbados.” Swift shows that infants who are from poor family will not have the future. They are most likely to be thieves, or go to the war to fight for the king which I think the best scenario, or sell them as slaves. Furthermore swift gives more description of situation in Ireland by saying “Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound; of using neither clothes, nor household furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture” here swift tells what cause this poorness in Ireland. All the money that has, they cannot use it on both buying stuffs such as furniture for themselves and developing their economies. He continues, “of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury of curing the expensiveness of foreign luxury; of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in out women…” he says that all the money is not used for the those who earn, but it used for foreign country which is England to spend.
As we go through rest of the literatures, I am hoping that there will be more examples that show how poor people are treated or how bad their situation was. It is really hard as a foreigner to keep up with all the required reading, but I am exiting to learn and understand of English literature
While our group was working on our topics, government, we could not easily find the things we were looking for. By reading background and several authors’ works in the past two weeks, we started with a little bit of our way.
ReplyDeleteIn Swift’s “A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General,” he says “Behold his funeral appears, Nor widow’s sighs, nor orphan’s tears…” (Swift, 16-17) We can see people were not really sad about the king’s death at that time. And we also know that the Tories, one of the leading powers, had just won the power from the Whigs. Tories and Whigs "forget their feuds, and join to save their wigs." (Swift, 41) In Swift’s another poem, “A Description of City Shower,” it imitates and parodies Virgil's Georgics while addressing the theme of the artificiality of modern urban life. He says that when dust and rain are mixed, it just leaves a mingled stain.
In The Diary of Samuel Pepys, as searching more details, we found that he accompanied Montagu's fleet to the Netherlands to bring Charles II back from exile. In early of the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the war placed great pressure on Pepys. Pepys says that "We agreed on some orders for the prevention to see the funeral," “my meeting dead corpses of the plague,” and “three hundred houses has been burned down by the fire.” These all give us a bear look of the atmosphere of the city during the war, the Great Plague, and the Great Fire of London. By reading The Diary, our group can see what was happening of government and laws during that period of time.
my groups topic is disasters. in swifts a description of a city shower i see disaster because there has been a big rain storm that has caused a flood and has caused much damage to the city. he says that the city is nasty and floating with dead dogs. the the story a modest proposal the didaster is that he has come up with the idea to eat babies to help with the overpopulation and to help with feeding the remaining children. there is also a disaster in the rape of lock becasue a womans hair is cut off and that is considered a disaster. there is also a great disaster with a fire and a great plague in london.
ReplyDeleteMy group is discussing poverty. An example of this is in “A Modest Proposal” where Jonathan Swift describes the extreme poverty of the Irish people. “…crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alms.” This was his description of the poor people who crowd the streets and are followed by a multitude of children, which will have no future in their current state. They will likely become beggars like their parents or become thieves. Their state of being is why that Swift suggests eating the babies of the poor. “…and it is exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them in such a manner as instead of being a charge upon their parents or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall on the contrary contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many thousands.”
ReplyDeleteBlair
The topic of my group is neoclassicsm. Comparing to other topics, I think it is kind of hard for us, but we have the confidence that we can do a great job through this topic.
ReplyDeleteNeocalssocsm refers to the revival of the attitudes and styles of expression of classical literature. It is used to describe a period in European history beginning in the late seventeenth century and lasting until about 1800. In its purest form, Neoclassicism marked a return to order, proportion, restraint, logic, accuracy, and decorum.
I like Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" best. He decribes several fictional country in order to attack the all darkness and evil in England. It is a real amazing satire works.
Wayne Shen
ReplyDeleteMy group topic is poverty. We have read Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, and Samuel Pepys these three authors. At first, we had some difficulty to find examples of poverty. But afterwards we started to more understanding about it.
ReplyDeleteAll the things that we read, “A Modest Proposal “represented the most of the ideas about poverty. In 1729, Irish harvests were poor, so they sold their crops for paying the rents to the English landlords. The street was "crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children..." Since the poverty problem was getting serious in the society, beggars and starving children were everywhere. As the children "grow up either turn thieves from want of work, or leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain ors sell themselves to the Barbadoes." Therefore, they learned how to get money on their own ways. If they couldn't get it, they would steal it. The other way was going to the West Indies and work as indentured servants pay their passage. It showed the poverty problem in the society which was getting worse. In addition, Jonathan Swift suggested "a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled, it is no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or ragout.” He thinks cooking baby is the best way to get the free food and it tastes delicious. "A Modest Proposal" symbols those parents who couldn't afford their expense that they shouldn't give birth to so many children.
As an international student, it is hard for me to understand those poems because English is not my first language. But after reading them, I started to understand more about British Literature. What I learned is in the 18th century some of the authors like to criticize the society just like Jonathan Swift. And I am looking forward to learn and understand more about British Literature.
Emily
Our group's topic is Neoclasscisum.The first day of reading the articles of neoclasscisum,it's really hard for me to get through,since i'm not use to it. However, my teamates help me a lot,they will explain once if i 'm in need.i am very thankful for that .
ReplyDeleteNeoclasscisum is a very important period since it influences the following literature.i read not many poems . i recognize that the poet usually talks about the people,the wars that influence the society at that time.i pretty like the poet from Pope ,espectcially "at essay on man". "with too much knoeledge for the skeptic side,with too much weakness for the stoic's pride." the poet wants to express the feeling of ignorant on men.The poet use the ironical adjective to reflect the people's life at that time.
My group’s topic is class distinction. I think this is a basic topic for the literature of eighteen century. A lot works of this period have the class color, maybe is aristocracy, maybe is civilian class, but they all can show their society and background.
ReplyDeleteIn the “The Diary of Samuel Pepys”, Samuel Pepys talks several classes of his time. The aristocracy, such as Lord Montagu; the middle class, such as the author; and a lot people of civilian class. Pepys describes different kind of lives in the diary during that epoch. And different people of different classes has their style of doing thing or thinking. Pepys had a bad habit of alcoholism, he was rich and living with the higher class for many years, he ever could get more money and had a good job, there was still had a distance between him and higher class.
My group's topic is Government. In each article authors show their command for the government.
ReplyDeleteIn “Gulliver's Travels”, Jonathan Swift describe a scene that nations had serious battles around some little problem --- what side to eat eggs. Swift want to tell that there should always be agreement by all parties that parties should not focus on some little problem. They should set their eyes on some bigger thing such as the living standard of people. Also, when Gulliver went to Brobdingnag, he, as a voyage , introduced what government system in England was. However, the king did not believe his theory and pointed out many disadvantages in England system. What Swift wants to say here is that those disadvantages are truly assist in current government system.
In “A Modest Proposal”, people of Ireland can eat their own babies to pass through the famine, which was a satire to show how different between poor and rich people in Ireland. Because of the bad management of the government, people in Ireland are not living in good condition. Swift points out that holding huge power by government is not a good idea. Corruption will occur in the powerful government system.
My group’s topic is Disasters. Disasters occur in everywhere at some point and time. They are relevant to the location, condition, and how the disaster is perceived. The same is true in today’s world. Swift describes the disaster of poverty and despair in his work, “The Modest Proposal”. In the story, he proposes the sale of infants to the rich as a delicacy food item. He states that the skin of these children “will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.” While yes, this is satirical, there were some very crazy ideas and occurrences floating around at the time. This might poverty and despair might not register to some as a full blown disaster, but to those who it affected, it defiantly was.
ReplyDeleteSamual Pepys also discusses disasters in his Diary. He talks about the fire of London and the Bubonic plague. These were the biggest and most horrific things to wipe across the city. They both took many lives and destroyed lots of things. Pepys writes about the fire saying, “above three hundred houses have been burned down…” (Page 549). This incident was just at the beginning of the fire too. The fire went on to burn down the majority of London. It wrecked great havoc and completely changed thousands of people’s lives. This was by anyone’s definition a disaster.
Disasters come in many different forms, and appear different in vastness and importance to different people. This is well demonstrated in Pope’s work, “The Rape of Lock”. To most people, getting a haircut wouldn’t bring the world crumbling down around them, but this is not true for the rich lady in the story. She is completely crushed by the fact that her hair has been cut, and that it no longer permeates its former beauty. Disasters are greatly varied, and the literature of the 19th century documents this quite well.
Austin Cole
My groups topic is neoclassicism. I think this is the hardest topic anyone can have because it really doesnt have a concrete meaning. My opinion of neoclassicism is something they did back in the day that we still do in todays world.
ReplyDeleteA dictionary of the English Language is a good book that has some neoclassicism in it. "River- a land current of water bigger than a brook." that still means the same today.
My groups topic is neoclassicism. I think it is one of the hardest topics anyone has because it realy doesnt have a concrete meaning. I think neoclassicism means something that they did in the old days that we still do in todays world.
ReplyDeleteThe Modest Proposal is neoclassicism because the poor people still strugle to do stuff that the rich people have no problem doing. That is still happing in todays world. The rich think they control everything just because they have the money and the poor people dont.