Cold Mountain

The setting for Cold Mountain is in the state of North Carolina during the Civil War time period. Most of the key events happen in Cold Mountain. Inman tries to go back to Cold Mountain because Ada's home is near Cold Mountain. When he reaches Cold Mountain he can go to Ada's home. The plot of Cold Mountain is to reunite Inman and Ada. Inman deserts the Confederate army a few years after the start of the war, and he tries to go back to Cold Mountain where he can find Ada's home. On his way to Cold Mountain Inman faces many challenges. Some of the challenges he faces are: 1. He has to hide from the home guard so they can't capture him and take him back 2. He has to hide from federal raiders so he won't get killed on his way back 3. He has to find food and shelter everyday The challenges stated above are just some of the challenges he faces, he faces many more challenges that I have not mentioned above. Also on the way to Cold Mountain Inman meets many different people. Some of these people help Inman and others just endanger his life. Ada & Inman Difference, and similarities are the things that make relationships interesting. Having different points of view, different believe keeps the people involve in relationships busy trying to learn a little bit from each other. In relationships similarities are used as a balance. Similarities keep the relationship from being all disagreement. Having similar goals, hobby, interest keep the relationship healthy. In the novel Cold Mountain the author Charles Frazier portraits two characters Ada and Inman, that have both differences and similarities which enhances their relationship in to a balance more interesting one. Ada and Inman are the main characters of the novel. This two characters have many differences in their life. The first difference came in their childhood. Ada as a child was a responsible student that strobe for academic excellence. In the other hand the only knowledge given by the author of Inman in school is when he drop out of it because he was afraid for a punishment his teacher was going to enforce upon him, because he threw his hat out the window (pg5). The second major difference comes in the form of Cold Mountain. This place is seen by Inman as a beautiful place he can go to forget, relax, and to be reborn. He believe this thanks to his Indian friend Swimmer who tells Inman that Cold Mountain is the closes thing to the heavens (pg19). Adas view of Cold Mountain is on the opposite side of the spectrum. Adas sees Cold Mountain as Visible moisture- light haze, dense valley fogs, tatters of cloud hanging like rags on the shoulders of Cold Mountain (pg35). The third major difference is found the way they feel about small town life. Ada comes form city life. She lived in Charleston before moving to the country there for she had a view of the country that was not in the positive side (pg53). In the other hand Inman sees the country as his home. A place were every body is kind and peaceful. He is deeply attach to his small town life. But not everything where differences between the characters of Ada and Inman. There were also some similarities between them. The first similarity is found in their believe of the supernatural. Their characters both see superstition as a last resort for hope. Ada sees a man coming to town in a reflection in a well (pg49), this image she believe is the image of the person that’s going to solve her problems. Inman’s supernatural believe is the hope that Cold Mountain is a magical place were he can be reborn (pg23). They also agree in the thought that they need some one to help them continue their life. they need companion ship and some to express their feelings and believe to. One of the major points of the novel is the believe that nature is a the perfect shelter to protect them self from harm (pg66). In Ada’s case from the harm of public opinion, and in Inman’s case from the harm of war. This couple have well balance characteristics. They both agree on some and disagree on others. Through out history, the most common problem that couples face has been just plain boredom. This leads to infidelity because the spause is looking to fill the hole the partner leave open in the relationship. To avoid boredom a couple should have a balance, well rounded relationship. And to achieve balance the most important factors that should be present are similarity, and deference. Something that the main characters of this novel have in perfect in perfect harmony.


Words: 801

Caliban's Nature

Caliban’s Nature When looking at Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” one can find an underlying themes of civilization verses barbarism. The characters that are created represent symbols of nature, and their actions build their symbolism. Through the actions we get a view of Shakespeare’s ideas on civilization and the uncivilized, as well of letting the reader form their own opinions. Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, after being removed by his brother, arrives on an island. He frees a spirit named Ariel from a spell and in turn makes the spirit his slave. He also enslaves a native monster named Caliban. These two slaves, Caliban and Ariel represent the theme of nature verses nature. Caliban is considered the illustration of the wild, a beast of nature. During the first meeting, Caliban comes across as very savage and immoral. Prospero, when approaching Caliban’s lair, says disdainfully, “...[he] never/Yields us kind answer,” meaning Caliban never responds with respect. Once Prospero reaches the cave he calls out and Caliban harshly retorts, “There’s wood enough within.” This short reply reveals the bitterness he feels from leading his life as a slave. This attitude makes Caliban appear to be an valueless servant. There is also an extreme anger on the part of Caliban towards Prospero. When he is requested to come forward, Caliban answers, “As wicked dew e’er my mother brushed/With raven’s feather from unwholesome fen/Drop on you both!...And blister you all o’er!” Although his actions may be justified they are still considered improper for a servant. Previous to Prospero’s arrival on the island, Caliban was his own ruler. His mother, Sycorax, left the island to him. Regardless, Prospero took charge of the island and imprisoned Caliban. “...Thou strok’st me...I loved thee...” is a portion of a quote that portrays the relationship Caliban felt towards Prospero prior to be enslaved. Prospero was his teacher, he taught Caliban to speak and in return Caliban showed him the island, “The fresh springs, brine pits, barren place and fertile...” Rightfully so Caliban regrets helping Prospero, near the end of his speech he says, “Cursed be I that did so!” Caliban’s imprisonment his why he feels this way. However, the attempted rape of Prospero’s daughter, Miranda, is the direct cause of the enslavement. This crime appeals to the reader as a good cause for punishment, but Shakespeare also illustrates that Caliban deserves sympathy, instead of disgust. Caliban committed a crime that deserved punishment, but he was not raised in society so therefore did not know what he did wrong. The only way of life he knew was to follow and do what he feels. Caliban does not know right from wrong based on society’s standards. Due this aspect there is a degree of sympathy towards Caliban because he is oppressed due to conduct he could not control. Prospero comments, “A devil, a born devil, on whose nature/Nurture can never stick...” which explains why despite the teachings of Prospero, Caliban reacted on his instincts. Caliban is helpless among the civilized because is a way of life he could never fully understand. Even though Caliban is a man of a nature he should not be considered less honorable than any character from civilization. Citizens of society picture nature as ugly and unrefined, so this is how Shakespeare portrays Caliban, as a hideous beast. His appearance is meant to illustrate the immoral animal nature within him. Despite this immorality, Caliban posses purity and innocence, something that no man of society can claim he has. Caliban does not act to please others, rather his own pleasure is top priority. Shakespeare gives Caliban some fine poetry, “...Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not./Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments...” With this quote Caliban states that nature can be equally as charismatic as society. Caliban portrayed as evil, but he is not as soulless as Antonio, Prospero’s brother. Antonio is from the civilized world, yet he produces corruption and ugliness far worse than that of Caliban’s nature. Basically, Caliban behaves disgustingly in the eyes of civilized society. Nevertheless, his background and environment which he grew up in accounts for these actions and justifies them. Shakespeare uses the character of Caliban to represent nature and to show readers that nature is not as bad as it appears to be at face value. Through Caliban readers can gain an understanding of those individuals who were not raised in the same atmospheres we were. With this awareness, a feeling of great sympathy is inflicted on the readers for those who are less fortunate. Shakespeare show that our perception of others is not always an accurate picture.


Words: 767

Analysis Of One Perfect Rose

In her poem “One Perfect Rose,” Dorothy Parker misleads the reader throughout the first and second stanzas into believing this poem is a romantic tribute to a tender moment from her past through her word choice and style of writing. However, the tone of the entire poem dramatically changes upon reading the third and final stanza when Parker allows the reader to understand her true intention of the poem, which is a cynical and perhaps bewildered view of the memory. And, with this shift in the tone in the third stanza, there is a shift in the meaning of the entire poem, leading the reader to believe that the first two stanzas were not, in fact, sweet but instead a sarcastic and bitter account of this past moment. In the first stanza, Dorothy Parker uses specific words to create a double meaning. She uses words like “tenderly,” “pure,” and “perfect” to describe both the rose and it’s sender. The words directly influence the reader’s initial reaction to the poem, as does the way in which she writes the poem. The stanza has four lines with every other line rhyming (ABAB format). It is short and sweet with a melodic quality in it’s reading. This musical quality definitely helps to lull the reader into the belief that the poem’s intention is to come across as a romantic recollection. However, in reading the poem through a second time, equipped with the knowledge of it’s true bitter notions, the reader sees what is purposely hidden but directly affects the overall tone. Parker mentions first and foremost the fact that this gentleman sent her “a single flow’r” and ends the stanza with the phrase “one perfect rose.” There is a repetition here that at first the reader passes off as her noting the delicacy of the solitary flower. Upon reading the last stanza, it is realized that she is actually pointing out the fact that the only thing she received was one flower-that’s it. And, although there is a melodic quality to the rhythm to this poem, this rhythm accentuates the abruptness of her speech. She cuts lines off and speaks in short fragmented sentences. This, again, is something that is not noticed in the first read-through, but it does stand out after this initial reading. It almost seems as if Parker could not be bothered to spend too much time on the poem: it’s as if it was not worth the time or the effort. The second stanza is similar in content to the first. There are words Parker uses to deceive the reader at first- “fragile,” “heart,” “love,” and “perfect.” There are again four lines to the stanza with the odd and the even lines rhyming. And, of course, there are those words that the reader misses the first time reading it through. Her use of the word “floweret” is a perfect example of this. She cunningly makes a show of the fact that this is one, single flower by itself, but because the word rhymes with the word “amulet” two lines down, this mocking goes unnoticed. As does her the true meaning of the line “Love long has taken for his amulet”. Using this rose as the unknown gentleman’s call sign at first seems cute. Superman has his “S,” this gentleman has his “One perfect rose.” The reader comes to realize that this symbol is not an honorable one. In the third and final stanza, Parker really shines the light on her true intention for this poem. She continues with the same format as the previous two stanzas, four lines with every other line rhyming and short, fragmented lines. However, her real feelings come out loud and clear in this stanza where they did not in the first two. She did not want that one, singe rose. She wanted more, perhaps “one perfect limousine.” Here not only does she inform us what she wanted; she mocks what she did receive. Each line ends with the line “One perfect rose,” including the last stanza. And. In using the phrase “one perfect limousine” she makes her feeling completely obvious. The rose was unnecessary and unwanted. Using it three time over in the same phrase still did not have the same effect that using the word “limousine” once in the same phrase did. Parker is clearly trying to say that if this gentleman was going to make an effort, he should have made it for something worth her time. And by reading this poem, the reader can assume that a rose is not worthy. This poem is deceptively worded and simple in design. The author, Dorothy Parker, obviously is trying to achieve some shock value for the reader and succeeds in doing so. Her intention is to create an incorrect tone and give the reader a false sense of security in the poem’s initial innocence so that when she does reveal the true tone and persona, the reader will see it immediately and understand it thoroughly. Had she droned on about her cynical and bitter recollection of this memory, the reader would have lost interest in the whining. Instead, she sneaks up on the reader with the true nature of her feelings and it makes the poem and the reader’s understanding of it truly dynamic


Words: 881

Analysis Of Critical Analysis Of Leaves Of Grass By

Alex Perez Perez 1 Mrs. Michels 05/00 Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman In the twentieth century, the name Walt Whitman has been synonymous with poetry. Whitman’s most celebrated work, Leaves of Grass, was the only book he ever wrote, and he took a lifetime to write it. A large assortment of poems, it is one of the most widely criticized works in literature, and one of the most loved works as well. Whitman was unmarried and childless, and it has been noted that Leaves of Grass consumed him greatly; James E. Miller Jr. writes: “…he guided his poetic offspring through an uncertain, hesitant childhood, a lusty young manhood, and a serene old age…it is difficult to write the life of Whitman without writing instead of the life and times of his book…Whitman was the kind of parent who lives his life through his child.” (Miller 15) The “poetic offspring” that Miller writes of is of course Leaves of Grass. Whitman poured his soul into the work, as he questioned himself and observed his demeanor through his writing. He “fathered” the tome, as after its initial publishing Whitman went on to release revision after revision as time progressed. Miller goes on to reflect on Whitman’s methods, as he tells the reader of Whitman’s curiosity towards life, particularly curious about his own meaning in the world in which he lived. “Like any individual of depth and complexity, Whitman was continuously curious about who he was…(he had) a lusty enthusiasm, a hearty relish for life lived at all times to its fullest intensity.” (Miller 17) The life Whitman lived “to its fullest intensity” started in West Hills, Long Island, May 31, 1819. He was one of nine children to Walter and Louisa Whitman, his father a farmer and his mother a devout Quaker. Quakerism was the only religious inheritance the Perez 2 family passed on to Walt, and, as Miller notes, could also be seen later in his famous “sea-poem”. “Out of the cradle endlessly rocking, Out of the mocking-bird’s throat, the musical shuttle, Out of the Ninth-month midnight… Passage to more than India! Of secret of the earth and sky! Of you o waters of the sea! O winding creeks and rivers!… O day and night, passage to you!’ (Whitman 180-294) …His use of ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ in his poetry, his reference to the months by their sequential number (‘ninth month’ for September), and his instinctive adoption of the inner light—all of these Walt could trace back to his Quaker background.” (Miller 17) This Quakerism also contributed to the style of Leaves, told with certain closeness and a certain emphasis paralleling that of a preacher. Miller comments on this style: “His was a day of evangelism and oratory. As a child he was no doubt frequently exposed to both. The passionate intimacy and pleading of many lines in Leaves of Grass could…have been used by an itinerant preacher…” (Miller 43) Aside from his Quaker traces, Leaves of Grass has been criticized as being an extension of Whitman’s life. Just as Miller described the work as Whitman’s child, John Kinnaird comments on the great level of importance at which Whitman held his masterpiece: “…Leaves of Grass suggests so much of the original existential Whitman that criticism must continue to recover and understand, particularly since this is the first poet who ever insisted that his book was in reality no book.” (Kinnaird 24) Kinnaird reinforces the criticism of Miller Jr. as he emphasizes the autobiographical and introspective nature of Leaves. It seems that Whitman used this work as a release, and Perez 3 had a marvelous interpretation of life in general. He also had a unique estimation of poetry itself. In his introduction to Leaves of Grass he writes: “The power to destroy or remold, is freely used by him (the greatest poet) but never the power of attack. What is past is past. If he does not expose superior models and prove himself by every step he takes he is not what is wanted.” (Whitman 8) The introduction from which the passage was taken is one of great length, with elaborative and expressive sections, in which Whitman further explains the muse behind his book, the “child” he conjured up at the time, as he was without any family of his own. James A. Wright comments on the introduction and his poetic brilliance: “Whitman’s poetry has delicacy of music, of diction, and of form…I mean it to suggest powers of restraint, clarity, and wholeness, all of which taken together embody that deep spiritual inwardness…which I take to be the most beautiful power of Whitman’s poetry…He knows that the past exists, and he knows that, as a poet and a man, he has a right to live. His duty is precisely this: to have the courage to live and to create his own poetry.” (Wright 88) The uncertainty that Wright speaks of is an oft-selected aspect of Whitman’s work. While it has been attributed to Whitman’s childhood and general disposition towards life, John Kinnaird selects a different facet of Whitman’s life, homosexuality. “Whitman’s uncertainty…was always sexual. The biographical evidence, (Leaves of Grass), in itself inconclusive, does seem to confirm what anyone may intuit from the poems: that Whitman was predominantly homosexual in his elementary responses, but never…in overt conduct and perhaps never in private relations.” While Whitman’s homosexuality has been recognized by various other critics, Kinnaird is unique in his explanation of its effect, the “uncertainty” to which he is referring. The Perez 4 homosexual undertone in Leaves has further been discussed by critics, as they have searched for the “explanation” for its writing. Whitman wrote a series of “Calamus” poems, named after the Calamus plant. James Miller interprets this as blatantly phallic, and suggests that the amity from which Leaves stems was with another man. “the ‘Calamus’ poems seemed like a different type of confession…suggesting that Whitman’s central inspiration experience was not a romance but a close male comradeship…ardent, turbulent, and ambivalent…the calamus plant is clearly phallic in its obvious symbolism.” (Miller 46) Perhaps the most cherished single poem within Leaves is “Song of Myself”. It is the opening poem of the work, and is probably the most often recognized poem of Whitman’s writings. It sets the tone as Whitman makes a profound reflective statement: “I celebrate myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me good belongs to you.” (Whitman 25) With this opening proclamation of his own life’s study, Whitman encompassed the reader into his life’s observation as he answers the question “What is the grass?” using long and descriptive stanzas to interject the feeling of wonder he had about his everyday life. James Miller comments on “Song of Myself”: “By far the best, as well as the longest poem…was the opening ‘Song of Myself.’ Like no other poem in American literature—indeed unlike any poem ever written before anywhere—this long self-centered and prophetic chant…seemed designed to shock and startle, surprise and disturb.” (Miller 47) As other critics have done, Miller describes Whitman and particularly Leaves of Grass as a prophetic work, visionary and predictive. However, critics have also taken the opposite Perez 5 viewpoint on the work. Some take the opinion that Whitman had a desire to be prophetic, but failed. Roy Harvey Pearce writes: “The hard fact—so its seems to me—is that Whitman fails as prophetic poet, precisely because he was such a powerfully humane poet…when he tried to write prophetic poetry, he came eventually to sacrifice man…” (Pearce 66) Perhaps the most appealing aspect of Leaves was Whitman’s style of discourse, as the American people could easily and willingly relate to it. Ezra Pound has described Whitman as “the only one of the conventionally recognized ‘American poets’ who is worth reading”. She goes on to articulate what seems to be the general sentiment among critics: “He (Whitman) is America…entirely free from the renaissance humanist ideal of the complete man of from the Greek idealism, he is content to be what he is, and he is his time and his people. He is genius because he has a vision of what he is and of his function. He knows that he is a beginning and not a classically finished work.” (Pound 8) In essence, Leaves of Grass was an extension of Whitman’s soul. He used his work as a vehicle in which he could convey his opinion of life, and he succeeded. D.H. Lawrence writes: “Whitman’s essential message was the ‘open road’. The leaving of the soul free unto herself, the leaving of his fate to her and to the loom of the open road. Which is the bravest doctrine man has ever proposed to himself.” (Lawrence 20) It is this “brave doctrine” that literary critics seem to be most attracted to, and they give high praise to Whitman for his courage in manufacturing this dogma. Literary criticism Perez 6 has been kind to Walt Whitman and Leaves of Grass, hailing his innovation and bravery in attempting to write such a book. Whatever the real reason behind Whitman’s brilliance, the fact remains that he was indeed brilliant. That virtuosity has shone through brightly in his masterpiece, Leaves of Grass, making it a classic. “Not bad” for a Quaker from Long Island.


Words: 1546

Alice And The Wonderland

To millions around the world, Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” is merely a childhood dreamland filled with riddles, fairy tails, and games without rules. However, to the trained eye, Alice’s world translates into much more than a child’s bedtime story. There are many undeniable patterns and connections seen throughout his story that are simply too radical to be mere coincidence. The story of Alice is both a mixture of contradictory patterns and a metaphor for growth. With the right train-of-thought and a little imagination, this otherwise straightforward fairy tale becomes a key to Carroll’s inner thoughts. Psychoanalysts have analyzed Alice in Wonderland since the early 1900’s. Psychoanalysis is,“ the theory of the talking cure.” In other words, it is used to help understand inner (subjective) meaning. Psychoanalysis was first used as a clinical practice to help people suffering from troubles without any organic cause. (Bokay 2) However, it has also proven very effective in uncovering subliminal motives in dreams, art, and literature. The following should not be looked at as definite concepts, but more like a key to help understand some popular interpretations of lewis’ text. If the whole of Alice’s journey may be read both as a passage from the surface to the abyss and as an achievement, a hard conquest from the abyss to the surface, the leaven, the ‘engine’ of this twofold passage is to be found in the series of events which are written in Alice’s body. (Roncada 2) To grasp the concepts and to fully understand underlying ideas in wonderland, it helps to think of wonderland as a real world with real rules. Non-law and a non-measure of Alice herself govern wonderland, which in turn results in a large amount of… nonsense. What is isn't, what isn’t is, a very hard concept for young Alice to grasp at first. Alice morph’s from tall to short, from small to big, and always maintains her psychological and biological age. Her body (the engine) is disconnected from her physical life. (Roncada 4) Her body goes through four phases throughout this trip: 1) and unexpected growth/decrease 2) a growth/ decrease openly driven by the other characters 3) a growth/decrease manipulated by Alice (with bits of mushroom) 4) the spontaneous, self induced growth without the use of any object (during the trial). (Roncada 4) This is the most obvious metaphor suggesting growth seen throughout Alice’s trip. Alice does not look for any explanation for her re-occurring metamorphic changes. To Alice, eating and drinking does not mean nourishment just as growing up does not mean maturing or getting old; it is only used for alteration. The use of food in this world is not incidental. In Wonderland there are many distinguishing factors between eating and drinking. The act of eating is not “ritual”, it is necessary for Alice’s metamorphosis, it is a prize at the end of the Caucus race, and a never-ending punishment at the mad tea party. The food never becomes a real meal because it is broken into several snacks. (Roncada 6) Food categories are separated into liquid and solid (which share the same result: grow shrink), raw and cooked, and sweet and salty. A fine example of this is during Alice’s first size change in the hall. When Alice drinks the liquid marked appropriately “drink me” she states, “ It had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavor of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast.” This part entwines a number of distinct patterns contradicting each other. First off, the liquid assumes the flavor of solid food. Sweet (cherry-tart, custard, pineapple, toffee) and salty (roast turkey and hot buttered toast) stay together. Inside the “sweet” category there are other contradictory patterns: toffee is solid and custard is non solid; cherry-tart, custard, roast turkey, and toffee are all cooked (or mixed) while pineapple is raw and natural. And finally, the tastes have been organized according to different culinary techniques: custard, toffee, and cherry tart are all made with low heat and turkey and toast are made with high heat. Roasted Turkey, hot buttered toast, and custard are all served hot while toffee and cherry-tart are served cold. ( Roncada 4) This seemingly innocent observation made by Alice contains too many patterns to have been plain train of thought. Perhaps Lewis had something else on his mind while he wrote it. In Wonderland everything has the potential to be food, even non-edible items. The characters form a simple, somewhat idiotic, pattern that combines food with whatever is at hand. For example, during the tea party the Mad Hatter’s watch is smothered with butter. This implies that WATCH=TOAST, which becomes clearer when the watch is dipped in the cup of tea. (Roncada 57) This begins a new pattern of events which could be formulated as-food on object-object is food. The Doormouse himself, who also has been in contact with food (tea had been dipped on his nose) is eventually dipped in the teapot as well. As the tea party continues, the relationship between food, objects, and characters mingle further until no definition of eatable and drinkable exist. This is seen finally as the Mad Hatter takes a bite from his tea cup. It is here that Alice begins to accept food as a factor able to influence one’s character: “Maybe it’s always pepper that makes people hot-tempered…and vinegar that makes them sour…and camomile that makes them bitter…and …barley-sugar and such that make children sweet tempered.” (73) There is a special pattern through which Alice treks through Wonderland. Her journey begins at the riverbank, she falls down the rabbit hole into a long narrow hall, and from there she enters an open pool. This “open outside to closed inside” pattern is a constant through Wonderland. (Brandt 4) Also, she is constantly separated from spatial objects by her size. In the hall, it is impossible for Alice to reach the garden because of her size. For a rational person, with an unstable body, transferring from the hall to the garden would be easy. However, Alice takes things as they come at this point in time and simply says “oh well” to the fact that she was the wrong size for the door, (as any child would). Her size control system at this point in time is bottle (liquid, wet) shrink vs. cake (dry) grow. The rabbit’s fan also turns out to be a shrinking operator. At this point in time Alice also looses linguistic control and begins speaking homophonic nonsense to insult the mouse, “tale…tail…not…knot”. (Brandt 5) The pool and the rabbit’s house are spatially connected, with the help of Alice running off. Here the growing system reverses: bottle (liquid) grow vs. cake (dry) shrink. Even in Wonderland Alice’s size control appears to be unique. This is seen when Alice grows too large for the rabbit’s house and her arm startles both the white rabbit and the lizard Bill. “An arm you goose! Who has ever seen one that size?” says the white rabbit. If size control were an everyday event in wonderland, Alice’s connection with the real world obviously still remains, as seen when she confuses growing large with growing old. While stuck in the rabbit’s house she says to herself “there’s no room for me to grow up anymore here” referring to her size in comparison to the house’s. “Shall I never get any older than I am now? That’ll be a comfort, one way-never to be an old woman.” Throughout her journey, each time she enters a house she sees and experiences something unpleasant. From the house to the wood, there is a second motory transition, Alice running off. Here she meets the caterpillar. He is sitting on a mushroom and smoking out of a hookah. Whether or not these two objects were placed purposely to represent the use of mind-expanding substances shall forever be left unknown. However, the idea of such subliminal messages should not be ruled out. Alice here finds it almost impossible to answer simple questions such as “who are you” and “why?” Here the caterpillar introduces a new growth system to Alice: right hand mushroom-shrink vs. left hand mushroom-grow. From now on Alice uses her growth system a bit more wisely and has wise rebuttals towards characters she comes across. She is slowly growing familiar with the ways of Wonderland. The second house she comes upon belongs to the Dutchess. Once again the house is a horrible place for Alice to visit. The Dutchess is a mean tempered woman. She is also considered by many as the most radical pole of madness. She is first aggressive towards Alice and then more conciliatory as their conversation proceeds. (Roncada 7) The deformed pig baby, which Alice holds, is another taste of the horror seen when Alice enters a house. Perhaps the violence of this scene (the Dutchess throwing pots and pans) sends the white rabbit now to the queen instead of the Dutchess: a significant switch between female characters. (Brandt 6) From this point on Alice will not enter anymore houses, they are too violent. Once again Alice walks off through the wood and to the final house, the Mad Hatter’s. Here they sit outside and she once again becomes frustrated by her company’s lack of sense. Alice walks through the wood, finds a tree with a door in it, and stands once again in a hall. Now, a more intelligent Alice, takes the key, nibbles the mushroom, and enters into the garden. She has now figured out how to use Wonderland’s resources for her own benefit, (the second obvious step in the growth metaphor). Finally Alice enters the long desired garden. However she finds this place to be anything but an area of refuge. The characters: an upset gryphon, a melodramatic Mock Turtle, a lesbian Dutchess and a murderous queen, and a ridiculous king. Here we see strange transformations of words, which do not apply to their general rule, but to their particular use in sentence. This is called legisign. An example of legisign is when the king of hearts fails to distinguish between the antonyms “important” and “unimportant”. “That’s very important” the king said, turning to the jury, when the white rabbit interrupted: “unimportant, your majesty means of course” he said. “Unimportant, of course, I meant” the king hastily said, and went on to himself in an undertone, “important-unimportant-important” as if her were trying which word sounded best. (Noth 15) In Wonderland, the phrase “Do what I mean, not what I say” really comes into play. At first the king is only confused as to which word to use. He eventually forgets totally the linguistic rules that distinguish both words as antonyms. Finally he concerns himself only with how the word sounds in the sentence. Alice now enters her final growth stage seen in Wonderland. During the trial, Alice becomes so furious that she accomplishes self-metamorphoses without the use of any outside substances. She grows until the deck of cards becomes, “nothing but”, and runs once again runs to the open outside, out of her “day dream”, and back to the riverbank. Humans in general tend to find interest in literature that they themselves posses some sort of relation towards. Alice in Wonderland pertains to all people; it signifies growth. The patterns seen throughout this story had obviously been carefully placed and thought out. Anyone that ties these patterns solely to coincidence should re-read Lewis’ text. Lewis Carroll had a message to get across and many believe that it lies within Alice’s Wonderland.

A Comparison And Contrast Of Nature

A Comparison and Contrast of Nature Professor Liberman 4-02-99 In the Nineteenth century Realism, Naturalism, and Symbolism were popular modes of expression by writers of that era. Such modes of expression were the use of nature in their writings. Two poets that really stand out among the rest are Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) and Paul Verlaine (1844-1896). Baudelaire was referred to by many as the first Modern Poet and the father of modern criticism. Verlaine like Baudelaire was a symbolist poet, he was also French and referred to as the Prince of Poets. Both these poets touch on nature in their poems. It was in Baudelaire's Song of Autumn I and Verlaine's Autumn Song that similarities and differences were most evident. Their views of autumn had melodramatic view of death and at the same time can contrast with one another. Throughout this paper I will discuss the parallelism and divergence between these two poems. In Baudelaire's first stanza of Song of Autumn I, he explains how the end of summer is near and the weather will become cold. He starts the reader off in the end of summer. Soon we shall plunge into the chilly fogs; Farewell, Swift light! Our summers are too short (line 1-2, pg. 1151). Baudelaire then begins to explain the chopping down of the trees to gather firewood. This idea of the rhythmic thump firewood being delivered is repeated throughout his poem. In Verlaine's Autumn Song, the first stanza is told in a very monotonous tone much like the first stanza of Song of autumn. Verlaine talks about long sobs and the feeling he has in heart, what he describing is the end of summer and begging of the gloomy season of autumn. This is exactly the same that Baudelaire describes in his first stanza. Verlaine difference in this stanza is that he starts the poem already in autumn whereas Bauderlaire starts his poem in the end of the summer. In the second stanza of Autumn Song, Verlaine discusses the feeling he has inside of him. Choking and pale when I mind the tale the hours keep(lines 6-9, pg. 1169). Verlaine then relates back to memories of the summer and this makes him cry. My memory strays down other days and I weep,(lines 10-12, pg. 1169). He also even makes references to idea of daylight savings time, the hours keep,(line 9, pg.1169). In that line he is saying that along with the gloomy aura of autumn there is now an extra hour. In Song of Autumn I, Baudelaire's second stanza follows the theme of Verlaine. Here Baudelaire like Verlaine explains his personal feeling of autumn. All of winter will gather in my soul: Hate, anger, horror, chills, the hard forced work;(lines 4-5, pg. 1151). Baudelaire however has a more cynical approach to his feeling; he describes in several adjectives the extent of his pain. Baudelaire's next two lines really personify his feelings, And. Like the sun in his hell by the North Pole, My heart will be only a red and frozen block,(lines 6-8, pg. 1151). What he is exemplifying in these lines is the strong hate that burns inside of him. Baudelaire seems to loathe everything that deals with autumn. As these poems progress there is an evident contrast in the tones of the poets writings. Verlaine has maintained a very slow and monotonous tone throughout, whereas Bauderlaire has been very boisterous about his feelings. Similar to a fire that has gasoline thrown on his fire his raging bigger and bigger with each stanza. In Song of Autumn I, stanza three, there really is no correlation between this stanza and the third stanza in Autumn Song. There is however a major contrast with this stanza and the whole poem by Verlaine. Baudelaire has kept a pattern of mentioning the idea of the chopping of firewood. He has kept it to an ever-other stanza pattern. Verlaine has no correlation between autumn and firewood. Baudelaire looks at autumn in a way that squirrel might. A squirrel spends autumn preparing for long haul of winter so the squirrel his constantly working through autumn. Baudelaire explains All of winter will gather in my soul, the hard forced work,(lines4-5, pg. 1151). He is saying the he has a lot of work to do to before the winter comes. In stanza three you see that constant chopping of logs is taking it's toll on Baudelaire. I shudder, hearing every log that falls; No scaffold could be built with hollower sounds,(lines 9-10, pg. 1151). It's almost as like Baudelaire is teetering on the brink of insanity with all the chopping of the trees. This stanza helps to really show how Song of Autumn I and Autumn Song, as similar as they are have differences. The last stanzas of both poems seem as though that they have no correlation, but underneath it there is a relationship between the stanzas and death. Verlaine looks at autumn in the last stanza as the final stand, he has still kept the monotonous tone throughout the poem. And I let me go where ill winds blow, now here, now there(lines 13-15,pg.1169). He goes to talk about how makes him feel like dead leaf being sent all over. Even as a dead leaf, anywhere,(lines16-17,pg.1169). Verlaine takes the approach that the autumn while carrying an essence of death, leaves one is a depressing state. Bauderlaire puts a spin on his poem; it seems that Baudelaire's writing has almost assumed the role of a half-crazed man. He has gone from a tone of hate and rage, to a tone of a man that has been consumed by the madness. It seems to me, lulled by monotonous shocks, as if they were hastily nailing a coffin today.(lines 13-15,pg.1151). Baudelaire the relates back to memories of summer Yesterday was summer. Now autumn knocks,(line 15,pg.1151). He then ends the poem with an idea of death. That mysterious sound is like someone's going away,(line 16, pg. 1151). I feel that Baudelaire in this line is describing that the change from summer to autumn is like losing someone you love. It is very understandable for Charles Baudelaire and Paul Verlaine to have similar poems. Both were symbolist's poets and from France, They live relatively close in time. That is why it is not that unusual for their styles of nature to be similar. The thing that makes these two writers so unique is the fact that they both can have such great similarities between their feelings on a certain part of nature, and at the same time both have such distant ideas of writing it. Both these writers had the same feelings when they look at autumn; it was dark desolate time of the year according to both writers. Baudelaire however seemed enrage with this time of year, the fact of saying goodbye to summer to bring on Autumn fuel a fire deep inside of him. Verlaine looks at the coming of autumn as a dismal time of the year and this was apparent in the melancholy tone he keeps throughout the poem. Charles Bauderlaire and Paul Verlaine showed that their poems had a lot similitude and differences of nature.

Essay topic: Talk about a place of great natural beauty

It was the hour when the sun’s golden hue filled the horizon. I settled down comfortably on a huge rock jutting out from the foot of a cliff. It was a moment of joy as I watched the evening migration of the seagulls. I felt a strong urge to walk, and so I did. A strong craving for freedom arose in me as I walked on that lonely but nevertheless beautiful evening. My intention of visiting this place was to enjoy the peace and serenity that it offered. At the same time I longed to catch glimpses of the familiar yet extraordinary beauty of God’s creation. Indeed, I found that moment excellent for relaxing the stressful and tension filled minds of man who lives in this materialistic society.As I strolled along the beach, my rough feet touched the smooth white sand which seemed to gleam under the thin and dim rays of the setting sun. It was so gentle that I felt as if I was walking on a carpeted floor of a grand hotel. I looked ahead at the green, calm sea and my little heart was touched.The beauty, of which I was then the witness, was beyond description. I only wished that I was born an artist so that I could capture this wonder and preserve it in my paintings. Walking on, I was visited by ecstacy when the naughtily noisy waves splashed on my bare feet. Far along the other end of the beach were some fishermen busy preparing their fishing nets and touching up their boats before they resume their daily work in the open sea.Feeling tired after the long walk, I stopped and sat on a fallen coconut tree trunk. Even at this moment I could capture another aspect of the wonder of that evening. I was enthralled by the neat rows of coconut trees standing upright as if mocking the fishermen who were sweating and toiling to earn a living. The trees dancing and swaying to the music of the rushing waves made my heart sing to the matchless rhythm.As time passed, the sun was almost disappearing behind the horizon. Nevertheless, there was still a group of young boys, naked, playing police and thief and making sandcastles. They were happy in their innocence. The still evening air brought their laughter over the sands and into my ears. Somehow, within me glowed the strong urge to shout and tell the world the unsurpassable joy I was then feeling and to reveal my pleasure and gratitude to God, the Creator.Looking above me, at the clear blue sky, I could see tiny dots of stars beginning to appear jointly in the darkening sky. Then, my eyes caught the most beautiful sight. The beauty was inimitable. It was a group of long necked swans gently flying over the enormous ball of fire which was, a moment ago, shining in all its glory. The moon then appeared, taking the place of the sun. It was difficult to grasp the idea that the moon’s brightness is but a mere reflection of the sun’s light. This, to me, pointed to the harsh reality behind the beauty of man-made laws.As it was already dark, the fishing boats were out of sight and the children have gone home. Feeling lonely, I left the realm of all emotions, of love and trust and of life and death, which is the beautiful beach. The beauty will remain engraved in my heart for all eternity. This is the only place that narrates, on its own, the beauty of nature.