Thanatopsis By William Cullen Bryant

All But My Life, by Gerda Weissmann Klein, is an absolutely amazing autobiography. Gerda tells about her childhood and how she grows into an adult in many German labor camps. Gerda’s home town has been taken over by the Germans during the holocaust. Her wealthy jewish family is forced to live like slaves until they are separated and moved to different German camps. Gerda tells her story like the reader is there with her. Gerda makes and loses many friends and finds her true love. All but my Life will make you laugh and cry. This book is best for anyone over the age of 11. All But My Life is a terrific page turner.

‘The Farmer’s Bride’ was written in the 19th century in what, today, would be seen as a misogynistic and patriarchal environment; Charlotte Mew uses this to induce the female audience as they are able to empathise with the farmer’s bride, who may be seen as a symbolic representation of all women in the era, when the poet tells us the farmer ‘chose’ her as his ‘maid’ in the first line. This informs us that the young girl had no choice in her marriage already conveying her as powerless and through the use of ‘maid’ the audience assume, due to the time period, that the farmer is much older than his bride perhaps depicting the girl as vulnerable, weak and innocent, therefore,

I agree with Karl Shapiro’s statement: “The poet really does see the world differently, and everything in it. He does no deliberately go into training to sharpen his senses; he is a poet because his senses are naturally open and vitally sensitive. But what the poet sees with his always new vision is not what is " imaginary"; he sees what others have forgotten how to see."

In William Cullen Bryant’s “Thanatopsis,” Bryant speaks of death, saying that it is just a part of nature, as if he is trying to tell us that we should not be afraid of dying. When analyzing Bryant’s “Thanatopsis”; I find that there are many different ways that Bryant’s poem can be interpreted, and I can see that the shift, attitude, connotation, and meter are all big factors in his poem.

Two scholarly writers brilliantly conveyed nature in their own opinion, an essay written by John Miller called, ”The Calypso Borealis," and a poem by William Wordsworth called, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” Both authors created work that acquires their idea of the beauty of nature while showing their compassion and love for nature. They each endured the essence in their own way. Each author also used their memory as descriptive imagery to creative share the scenery and amazement of their experience. Each individual has their own personal opinion about nature and how they decide to express their feelings can be diverse, and both authors, John Muir and William Wordsworth, expressed their compassion and love for nature in their own way.

The poet of Beginning and many others, James Wright, was born in 1927 in Martins Ferry, Ohio. In 1954, a year after his first child, James studied at the University of Washington (James).Unfortunately, James had a short life but, yet, got recognized to one of America’s finest contemporary poets (Brunner). Grievously, in 1979 he was diagnosed with tongue cancer, but could not pull throught. James died March 25, 1980. During his lifetime, he was successful with his poetry, my favorite being Beginning. This poem, written by James Wright, makes you really think about the reason the speaker’s life was so depressing to live().

Bryant is discussing the afterlife of a human and what they will endure. He explains, “Thine individual being, shalt thou go To mix for ever with the elements, To be a brother to the insensible rock” (0000) Bryant perceives death as a glorious finale to an individual's life. In his poem, nature is connected with human beings in her never ending cycle. Bryant also provides examples of sensational writing in his poem. He says, “Rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun,—the vales Stretching in pensive quietness between;The venerable wood” (0000). Bryant’s descriptions of natural things are incredibly detailed,and packed full of sensory. Bryant’s poem contains strong sensory prevalently throughout the poem. Connection humans and nature, and writing with strong sensory allow Bryant’s poem to awaken the reader.

John Muir states “It seems wonderful that so frail and lovely a plant has such power over human hearts” (Muir). These words create a spiritual mood and make me feel the power of nature. The words “rejoicing”, “glorious” and “cried for joy” add to the mood of the story because they really create the feeling of having joyous revelation when someone is in harmony with nature. Wordsworth, on the other hand, states that “A poet could not but be gay, /In such a jocund company” (Ln 15-16). These words create a happy mood and make me feel comforted. The words “dancing” “pleasure fills” and “glee” add to the mood of the poem because they construct a feeling of optimism and

‘’Thanatopisis’’ like one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.’’ This quote is describing how he laid down and died peacefully, Feeling death is a welcoming gift. ‘’Devil and Tom Walker’’ emotion in this poem is in my opinion is considered wicked. ‘’He leaped for joy; for he recognized his wife’s apron.’’

The agony the writer is feeling about his son 's death, as well as the hint of optimism through planting the tree is powerfully depicted through the devices of diction and imagery throughout the poem. In the first stanza the speaker describes the setting when planting the Sequoia; “Rain blacked the horizon, but cold winds kept it over the Pacific, / And the sky above us stayed the dull gray.” The speaker uses a lexicon of words such as “blackened”, “cold” and “dull gray” which all introduce a harsh and sorrowful tone to the poem. Pathetic fallacy is also used through the imagery of nature; the

“There Will Come Soft Rains” is a short story by Ray Bradbury that was first published in the May 6, 1950 issue of the Collier’s. The story was later published in Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles, which was a collection of science fiction short stories. Bradbury enjoyed writing short essays on the arts and culture, however he used his fiction works to explore and criticize culture and society. Bradbury uses the short story “There Will Come Soft Rains” to address the uneasy atmosphere left by World War II. By 1950, Americans were afraid of the idea of a nuclear holocaust, and Bradbury uses this in his story to focus on the irony that the technology originally meant to be used to make life more comfortable could also bring about destruction. Ray Bradbury uses symbolism in “There Will Come Soft Rains” to express transcendentalist ideals that connect with the theme of the American Nightmare.

On Friday, March 3, 2017, the students at Montevallo High School had a special speaker visit. His name is Jesse Jackson. The name sounds familiar because Jackson worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Jesse Jackson was born on October 8, 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina. When his mother was sixteen he was born out of wedlock to professional boxer and well-known figure in the black community, Noah Louis Robinson. However, when his mother married, he was adopted by Charles Henry Jackson, his step father. During high school he experienced segregation and Jim Crow laws. After high school he attended the University of Illinois on a football scholarship. He then transferred to North Carolina A&T. At North Carolina A&T he became involved in local civil rights protests. He then attended Chicago Theological Seminary but dropped out to focus directly on the Civil Rights Movement. He worked closely with MLK Jr. and was even present when he was shot. After the assassination he made is his own Civil Rights operation named People United to Serve Humanity. He ran for president twice. Needless to say, he is a very remarkable and astounding man.

Dragons and magic, who doesn’t love the two? And if you do love the combination then you will love this book, Eragon, by Christopher Paolini. The book falls under the fantasy genre due to its main subject of magic and dragons, which by today 's standards, unfortunately, cannot happen, hence it being only a fantasy. The story takes place in the world of Alagaesia, a world that is filled with magic, but is staged in the medieval times, from the 5th century to the 15th century. The story is written in a third person limited point of view, with the main focus on Eragon. An example of a theme in the book is coming of age, this book displays it by showing how most of the challenges he faces are inside, with him faces insecurities and doubts, and as the story progresses he grows up and gets rid of those insecurities. In conclusion, for anyone who enjoys reading the Harry Potter books and likes the fantasy and imaginations the books create, then they would enjoy Eragon and the other 3 books in the series.

Nature is one of the most powerful and mysterious forces of the universe that influences man greatly. Philosophically considered, the universe is composed of nature and soul. It controls all the living, non-living, human, non-human, organic, inorganic and visible, invisible things. It rules over the universe like a monarch and man can’t escape from the influence of nature; he is influenced by both nature and culture. To man nature is the pure and original source of happiness. He forgets all his inevitable and depressing and sorrowful conditions in the delightful company of nature. It also developed man’s sense of beauty. It fills man’s heart with heavenly pleasure with he can’t get anywhere under the sun. In the presence of nature a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows. Every bit of alternation in the atmosphere in nature gives man happiness. At the same time, nature as a teacher teaches man to accept all the changes in life. It also motivates man. In the world of literature nature plays a very role to set the mood of the text. The creative artist uses nature to reveal both comic and tragic aspects of human life. Nature itself acts as one the most dominating characters in text which exercises its powerful impression upon the character. It helps to expose their inner and abstract feelings which can’t be understood by the common reader. It can repair all disgrace and calamity in the life of man. In the presence of nature all mean egotism of man vanishes