Sonnet By James Weldon Johnson Analysis

Sapp John Sapp Hensley English 11/ Fourth Period 05 February 2018 Part 12: Rough Draft “Babylon Revisited” is a very detailed and well written story that has many ups and downs bound to leave the reader on the edge of their seat. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many different types of writing techniques in “Babylon Revisited” to make this story grab the reader’s attention even more so than some of his previous works. Fitzgerald’s style portrays one of the most important aspects of this book by far, setting the tone for this story giving you more details throughout.

The epic poem “Beowulf” exemplifies the claim made by Joseph Campbell regarding the hero's call to adventure. The hero Beowulf and the hero from call to adventure both go through tremendous trials. In both stories the hero's struggle with life or death decisions. If they make one wrong move they are dead.

He becomes often associated with the image of a perfect, almighty warrior, able to prove his fame in any situation. However, the foil characters can do more than purely illuminate his positive values. With the contrast they provide, Beowulf’s faults are revealed and criticized as well. Although foil characters often point out the greatness of Beowulf, they also serve to highlight Beowulf’s flaws, teach him lessons, and allow him to change, as seen in his interactions with Unferth, Hrothgar, and the dragon.

Norman Schwarzkopf once said, “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” When an ordinary person sacrifices something to save another, they go through mental obstacles. The ordinary people who help others are considered heroes, and they persevere through those challenges with bravery and courage. Heroism is being selfless and saving others in times of desperation, meaning that these heroes will not run away from obstacles, but will push through them.

However, ultimately this act of kindness led to his death. When Robert fires at the German soldier, the idea of killing someone who has done nothing wrong beings to haunt him. Thus, the idealistic truth of war deceives his purpose in life, due to overcoming the harsh reality. At this point of his journey, his only purpose in war is to survive and return safely back to “the ordinary world”. In comparison to the journey of the hero, Robert “exhibits characteristics germane to the hero's journey, a quest for knowledge integral to a process of healing” (Rowlandson, 17).

Being remembered, in death, is a very immense part of the Anglo-Saxon code, and with that, Beowulf seemed to believe that defeating Grendel’s mother would grant him more fame than he had previously received. As explicated in the epic, “So fame comes to the men who mean to win it and care about nothing else!” (Lines 507-509) Beowulf cared about his name, and with that, he knew it was in him to fight for that name and to make it heard through his life and generations afterward. After understanding what it means to be truly glorified, and what it means to be remembered, years after one’s death with fame, one can recognize the reasoning behind Beowulf’s actions.

As Douglass said in the seventh chapter in his book, he had learned of the word abolition and how it related to freedom and liberty. He learned of this by listening to other conversations about slaves who had run away, murdered their masters, or the like and heard it was from the ‘fruits of abolitions’. Douglass speaks about this instance because of the ferocity of the actions of those who would risk their lives to escape to the freedom of the north and the possibility of starting a new life. A consequent instance of Douglass speaking of his liberty is in chapter ten, in which, he prays to God as well as giving God a small damnation. In this section, Douglass criticizes God for cursing him and the African Americans to the hell that they must endure, but Douglass also begs him to save him, and he wished that, “... I were on one of your gallant decks, and under your protecting wing”( Douglass, 10).

In terms of values, their point of view can be a bad view for us. Beowulf provided us information about the expected values before. A person can be heroic if he shows bravery. A brave man that can conquer and defeat the enemies without feeling scared. Bravery is still evident now but only with some people and the definition of bravery changed from the man who will conquer all to the man that will do the right things.

With Whitman’s depressing tone, several quotes build on the depressed theme that he tries to imply. Whitman speaks of the Union Army and how although victory was accomplished, loss was still apparent. “But I with mournful tread, walk the deck my captain lies, fallen cold and dead”(O Captain, 22-24). This quote was based on the loss of former President, Abraham Lincoln, who led the Union Army to victory, but in the end, had tragic misfortune. Whitman also

Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems.” Whenever one thinks of authors who have written on humankind, nature, God, and the cosmos in numerous works of poetry and prose, one often comes across one of the most fecund writer, Aurobindo. With a cardinal theme of

1. What purpose does Unferth serve? Unferth served the purpose to show a secondary antagonist against Beowulf. Grendel represent the evil envy creates in the world 2.