A Wild Night
http://books.google.com/books?id=Af4EAAAAYAAJ&dq=later%2Blyrics%2Bhowe&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=a4FCdWRefT&sig=JI8C5IkIq2yCDb-ToO3e0YFGTIQ#PPA256,M1
1. Julia Ward Howe was a writer, activist, and abolitionist. She was born in 1819 and died in 1910. She composed many of her writings during the time of abolition and the Civil War. In her poem A Wild Night, Howe creates a battle scene not with guns and cannons, but with the forces of nature. It seems as if the land itself is being affected by the war, as the sea, sky, wind, and clouds are all in a state of chaos. I think that Howe chose to write her poem this way to show how the war influences everyone, not just the soldiers who are fighting on the front.
2. The rhythm and rhyme of the poem help to make it more powerful. Howe uses a lot of imagery and makes the reader feel like the are experiencing the scene themselves. The feeling that I believe the reader feels the most is despair. In the poem, God is just looking down at all of the dark events that are happening and seems to be almost powerless to stop any of it. The speaker prays for protection, but is not certain that their prayer will be heard.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day_Proclamation
Howe's Mothers Day Proclamation was a speech against violence, especially the two wars which had recently occurred, the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. Howe believed that women had an obligation to society to maintain peace. She says that women should not praise men who love war or glorify their actions. Her message is very different from those who view soldiers as brave and heroic. As a reader, I found this viewpoint very interesting and unique.
4. Julia Ward Howe's works are very American because they strongly reflect the social and political issues of her time. Abolition, pacifism, and equal rights for women were very common themes in the period when most of Howe's works were written. The imagery she uses is also very American because it describes the land of the nation.
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I read the two poems you picked and I enjoyed both of them. I found that I also had some similar ideas about what she was trying to portray to your ideas. You also influenced me to find out more about her after reading this. I read some more of her poetry and enjoyed them as well.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading through your post. I never herd of this poet, but it seems that i would have enjoyed this if i chose it.Your description of the poem was very accurate and after i read threw it i found that we had some similar reactions to this piece.Good job.
ReplyDeletewell first off one of the reasons i love how you write is because of how you are able to express yourself with short but very effective paragraphs. it's very easy to read your work and i found u had a great understanding of what you were talking about. Second i really enjoyed the poems you choose and enjoyed reading about them.
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