Art and Lies notes: The short story comes into existence around 1800. In the current state of literature in education, the canon has been blown apart, and there is a huge rise in "cultural studies". People became aware of the politics of literature - teachers can exclude based on their personal preference or bias. Isn't this the basis of any study in history? The saying "history is written by the victors" is somewhat true, but a more accurate account would be "history is written by the academics in the field". Cultural studies people may have taken this too far - often suggesting there is no great art.
What makes art great? Ralph Waldo Emerson believes that when someone reads and adores authors, they get the return of their own alienated majesty: a projection; we're afraid to see how great or how bad we are. Attention is a limited commodity: this is the way we evaluate art.
A goal of class: when you don't initially like or understand something, maybe first blame yourself: "maybe I need to learn more..."
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
3/27 notes
Child and Flowers: This is an Ekphrastic poem: based on something visual, visualizing through the text. The poem seems to recommend living in the moment, instead of basing everything off of previous and future experiences. It says that the flowers could wilt and die soon, so enjoy them while you can, appreciate the aesthetic (not just flowers). I question whether or not this is truly possible - in many ways, who we are is based entirely off of our past experiences, good or bad. I don;t believe that we can fully live in the moment, because we view everything (unintentionally) through a lens of experiences.
Problems and benefits of visualizing text:
Visualizing text can be very time consuming, costly, often contains human error, and there could be differences coming through new formats of the text. In the positive, the text becomes not just text: visual cues are also important. Reading is not that much different from looking at images - text is a visual experience in itself.
Problems and benefits of visualizing text:
Visualizing text can be very time consuming, costly, often contains human error, and there could be differences coming through new formats of the text. In the positive, the text becomes not just text: visual cues are also important. Reading is not that much different from looking at images - text is a visual experience in itself.
Friday, March 20, 2009
3/20 notes
Never flinch,
But still, unscrupulously epic, catch
Upon a burning lava of a song,
The full-veined, heaving, double-breasted Age:
That, when the next shall come, the men of that
May touch the impress with reverent hand, and say
'Behold,–behold the paps we all have sucked!
That bosom seems to beat still, or at least
It sets ours beating. This is living art,
Which thus presents, and thus records true life.'
This is instructions to future poets: to never flinch, and write about "living art". The burning lava of a song is poetry itself, not the old still-beating bosom.
Define epic art: art that relates to a hero character, telling the story of their deeds
Define modern life: life in the present, not some dry historical time period, things that are relevant to the now
But still, unscrupulously epic, catch
Upon a burning lava of a song,
The full-veined, heaving, double-breasted Age:
That, when the next shall come, the men of that
May touch the impress with reverent hand, and say
'Behold,–behold the paps we all have sucked!
That bosom seems to beat still, or at least
It sets ours beating. This is living art,
Which thus presents, and thus records true life.'
This is instructions to future poets: to never flinch, and write about "living art". The burning lava of a song is poetry itself, not the old still-beating bosom.
Define epic art: art that relates to a hero character, telling the story of their deeds
Define modern life: life in the present, not some dry historical time period, things that are relevant to the now
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
3/18 notes
Thoughts on women from book one:
"I read a score of books on womanhood
To prove, if women do not think at all,
They may teach thinking, (to a maiden aunt
Or else the author)–books demonstrating
Their right of comprehending husband's talk
When not too deep, and even of answering
With pretty 'may it please you,' or 'so it is,'–
Their rapid insight and fine aptitude,
Particular worth and general missionariness,
As long as they keep quiet by the fire
And never say 'no' when the world says 'ay,'
For that is fatal,–their angelic reach
Of virtue, chiefly used to sit and darn,
And fatten household sinners–their, in brief,
Potential faculty in everything
Of abdicating power in it: she owned
She liked a woman to be womanly,
And English women, she thanked God and sighed,
(Some people always sigh in thanking God)
Were models to the universe."
"I read a score of books on womanhood
To prove, if women do not think at all,
They may teach thinking, (to a maiden aunt
Or else the author)–books demonstrating
Their right of comprehending husband's talk
When not too deep, and even of answering
With pretty 'may it please you,' or 'so it is,'–
Their rapid insight and fine aptitude,
Particular worth and general missionariness,
As long as they keep quiet by the fire
And never say 'no' when the world says 'ay,'
For that is fatal,–their angelic reach
Of virtue, chiefly used to sit and darn,
And fatten household sinners–their, in brief,
Potential faculty in everything
Of abdicating power in it: she owned
She liked a woman to be womanly,
And English women, she thanked God and sighed,
(Some people always sigh in thanking God)
Were models to the universe."
Monday, March 16, 2009
3/16 notes
Rhythm of language: English has more of a Germanic rhythm of accented/unaccented, compared to French, where all syllables are equal.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born in 1806. Her mother died when she was about 20. She published her first book of poetry when age 22, and became so famous eventually that in 1850 (Wordsworth's death), she was considered a candidate for poet laureate. Browning's father kept her close, invalid, children could not date others, etc...she soon developed an addiction to morphine. Isn't it strange that certain things parents do (I feel that single parents may try to overcompensate) to help their children end up partially ruining them? In 1845, she met (by letter) Robert Browning. They eloped soon after, moved to Italy, and lived the ex patriot life; wild. They were in love until she died. During that time, she wrote some of the most famous love poetry.
Browning views human mind not as tabula rosa, but as palimpsest - paper written on, rewritten, etc. This concept compare human beings to more of a hide, not piece of paper.
Aurora Leigh: Her father is a man of property and money in England. His sister (aunt) is an important character: the defacto lady of the house. She has this status removed when father, as older man, marries. While in Italy, he sees a parade, and sees a young girl in a Catholic confirmation dress. He falls immediately in love with her and marries. They are in love, have a child, then she dies 4 years later. He is a man who is made uncommon, but never takes the next step towards becoming a free spirit, because his wife dies. He loves his daughter - teaches her knowledge of Greek and Latin, and a love of learning. She grows up feeling incomplete and out of touch with the rules of the "new order", and hungers for that "mother want" (deep unconditional love).
According to Laura, the three most important epic poems in brit lit are: Milton - Paradise Lost, Wordsworth - The Prelude, and Aurora Lee.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born in 1806. Her mother died when she was about 20. She published her first book of poetry when age 22, and became so famous eventually that in 1850 (Wordsworth's death), she was considered a candidate for poet laureate. Browning's father kept her close, invalid, children could not date others, etc...she soon developed an addiction to morphine. Isn't it strange that certain things parents do (I feel that single parents may try to overcompensate) to help their children end up partially ruining them? In 1845, she met (by letter) Robert Browning. They eloped soon after, moved to Italy, and lived the ex patriot life; wild. They were in love until she died. During that time, she wrote some of the most famous love poetry.
Browning views human mind not as tabula rosa, but as palimpsest - paper written on, rewritten, etc. This concept compare human beings to more of a hide, not piece of paper.
Aurora Leigh: Her father is a man of property and money in England. His sister (aunt) is an important character: the defacto lady of the house. She has this status removed when father, as older man, marries. While in Italy, he sees a parade, and sees a young girl in a Catholic confirmation dress. He falls immediately in love with her and marries. They are in love, have a child, then she dies 4 years later. He is a man who is made uncommon, but never takes the next step towards becoming a free spirit, because his wife dies. He loves his daughter - teaches her knowledge of Greek and Latin, and a love of learning. She grows up feeling incomplete and out of touch with the rules of the "new order", and hungers for that "mother want" (deep unconditional love).
According to Laura, the three most important epic poems in brit lit are: Milton - Paradise Lost, Wordsworth - The Prelude, and Aurora Lee.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
3/4 notes
Latimer in relation to Bertha: Latimer wants her so badly because he has a projected image of her from his thoughts on what she is. She is the one person who he can't read - she is an enigma. She leads on this possibility of deeper levels of thought through being cold and demanding, preying upon Latimer's weak self and constant need for encouragement. He wants to win through with sarcasm to attempt to earn her inclusive love. He feels that he is destined to feel the most pain of anyone...relating to Victor Frankenstein. I feel like this kind of "love" through unrealistic projections victimizes people fairly often. When one gets the idea in their head of the potential companionship of someone, they can become completely engulfed, and let their mind and hopes for perfection overcome reality.
Comparison:
Both men feel that they are something exceptional, destined for something amazing. At times, both feel that they are doomed to a life of pain. Latimer has a fatal attraction to Bertha, controlling his whole life and drive. Victor has a related drive: first to create his monster, then to try to destroy it, thinking that will redeem himself, or at least prevent further evil.
Comparison:
Both men feel that they are something exceptional, destined for something amazing. At times, both feel that they are doomed to a life of pain. Latimer has a fatal attraction to Bertha, controlling his whole life and drive. Victor has a related drive: first to create his monster, then to try to destroy it, thinking that will redeem himself, or at least prevent further evil.
stream of consciousness...
Woman on the right: I can't wait until my next movie comes out, oh my goodness, I have inspired millions of children to actually READ, hopefully they don't only see the movies, what the heck am I going to do with all of this money now? perhaps I'll donate some to charity...perhaps to help underprivileged children in school...fortunately for me, I already have my next series planned, so the money can continue to roll while I inspire children across the world!
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