Blog 5

Sojourner Truth’s speech, “And Ain’t I A Woman?” was given at a women’s rights convention in 1851 in Akron Ohio (Sojourner). When people found out that she would be giving a speech that day at the convention, they were very angry and they all complained about it to the person who was in charge. Nobody wanted to hear the words of Sojourner Truth because they thought that since she was a black lady, instead of speaking about women’s rights, that she would speak about slavery and abolishing slavery.

When Sojourner approached the stage to speak, she was greeted with disapproval and people who did not want to hear what she had prepared. When Sojourner spoke, everybody’s mind was changed. Everyone became quiet and listened to what she was saying. Sojourner Truth’s speech was inspirational to everybody who heard it that day and it even brought tears to the eyes of the people in the audience. She shot down all the things that the men who were against women’s rights had been saying that day, including the thought that since Christ was a man, men should be superior to women.  “Whar did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothin' to do wid Him." (Sojourner).  The audience went crazy when Sojourner made her speech. She had said what all the women were thinking, but could not put into words.

Sojourner Truth believed in speaking her mind and saying and doing what she truly believes no matter what other people thought of her. For example, that day, even though she knew very well that nobody wanted to listen to her and nobody believed in her, she did what she came to do and she made her speech. I think that Sojourner and Emerson shared this belief. Emerson was a strong believer in individuality and saying and doing what is in your heart (Brugman). "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles." (Brugman). This quote from Emerson sums up how he feels about the importance of doing and saying what you believe and I think that this is a belief that Emerson and Truth shared.

Bibliography

"Sojourner Truth Speeches Menu." Sojourner Truth.org. Web. 11 Feb. 2012.

Truth, Sojourner. "Ain't I A Woman." Sojourner Truth.org. Web. 11 Feb. 2012.

Brugman, Patricia. "Individual and Society in 'Self-Reliance'." McClinton-Temple, Jennifer ed. Encyclopedia of Themes in Literature. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2011. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Blog 4

The three hymns “Swing low, Sweet Chariot”, “Go Down Moses”, and “Keep Your Hands On The Plow” were written by anonymous authors and were very popular during the time of slavery. They are all folk songs and are thought to be written by a community, instead of just one individual person (Galens). They were sang by slaves while they did their work, rested, and sometimes when they prayed (Galens). They are all religious and were inspirational to the slaves.


“Swing Low Sweet Chariot” is a very spiritual song that was one of the most popular songs sung by the slaves. The song can be interpreted as the slaves singing about wanting to go home back to Africa, or wanting to go to their real home in heaven (Galens). “I looked over Jordan, and what did I see? Coming for to carry me home, A band of angels coming after me, Coming for to carry me home.” (Swing). This passage is just one of the religious references in the hymn. It talks a lot about religious figures carrying them home. This is why I think that they are referring to their home as heaven, and not Africa.


“Go Down Moses” is a hymn about Moses freeing the slaves in Egypt. It is said that the hymn was sung by abolitionists to signal escape and rebellion (Galens). “The Lord to Moses what to do, Let my people go; To lead the children of Isreal through, Let my people go.” (Go). This hymn is talking about the story in The Bible when Moses is sent by God to force the Pharaoh to free the slaves. I think that the slaves probably sang this song because they wanted to be free too and they believed that God wanted them to be free.


“Keep Your Hands On The Plow” is another slave hymn. This hymn contains a lot of biblical references, like in lines 15-18, “Peter was so nice and neat Wouldn't let Jesus wash his feet Keep your hands on that plow, hold on” (Keep).


Each of these three hymns contain a lot of religious references. The slaves at this time were usually very religious. Their faith helped them keep hope when their situation was pretty hopeless. Each of these hymns have Christian references. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s philosophy of religion was “All writing comes from the Grace of God” (Cooke). He believed that religion is “a motive and a law of life”(Cooke). I think that Emerson was religious and did not like slavery, which is a philosophy that he shared with each of the writers of these hymns.


Bibliography


Galens, David. "Swing Low Sweet Chariot Study Guide - Anonymous - ENotes.com."ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans, and More. The Gale Group. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.


Cooke, George Willis. Ralph Waldo Emerson His Life, Writings, and Philosophy. Boston: J.R. Osgood and, 1881. Print.


"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Hymn." Hymns. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.


"Go Down Moses." Hymns. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.


"Keep Your Hands On The Plow - GospelSongLyrics.Org." GospelSongLyrics.org - Lyrics and Music to All Your Favorite Gospel Songs. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.


Galens, David. "Go Down, Moses Study Guide - Anonymous - ENotes.com." ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans, and More. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.

blog 3

Walt Whitman’s poem “Cavalry Crossing a Ford” was written in 1865 during the time of the Civil War. This poem describes a group of soldiers as they cross a ford, or a river. Walt Whitman may have written this poem from experience because he was a nurse for wounded soldiers during the Civil War so it is definitely possible that he wrote this poem after witnessing some soldiers crossing  over a ford (Constantakis).  

When Whitman is describing the scene, he makes it sound very calm and to me  it sounds like the soldiers are not in a hurry at all. They seem like they are just chilling right now and not really worried about anything. “Behold the silvery river--in it the splashing horses, loitering, stop
to drink” (Whitman). The soldiers are letting their horses splash around in the water and cool down and stop and get some water. Whitman describes the horses as “loitering” which means that they are just standing around so I do not think that they are in a hurry.

“Some emerge on the opposite bank--others are just entering the ford--
while, Scarlet, and blue, and snowy white, The guidon flags flutter gaily in the wind.” (Whitman). In this passage, Whitman makes the scene sound very calm, especially when he describes the flags as fluttering “gaily in the wind”. I think Whitman includes this part to show how peaceful the scene is.

According to Randall Huff’s literary analysis of the poem, the flag described in this poem is the union flag. This flag represented the states that were opposed to slavery at the time. Since Whitman describes this flag and writes about these soldiers, I think that he was a supporter of the Union and that he was against slavery. Ralph Waldo Emerson was also against slavery. He believed that morals were very important and that everyone should use good morals and slavery was against his morals. Emerson believed that “slavery could only be gotten rid of by raising the moral standard, and by a larger appreciation of the human soul.” (Cooke).

 Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman both shared very good morals and they shared the same philosophies.

Bibliography

Cooke, George Willis. Ralph Waldo Emerson His Life, Writings, and Philosophy. Boston: J.R. Osgood and, 1881. Print.

Constantakis, Sara. "Cavalry Crossing a Ford Copyright Notice." ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans, and More. Gale Publishing, 2004. Web. 09 Feb. 2012.

Huff, Randall. "'Cavalry Crossing a Ford'." The Facts On File Companion to American Poetry, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007.

Whitman, Walt. "Cavalry Crossing A Ford by Walt Whitman." PoemHunter.Com - Thousands of Poems and Poets.. Poetry Search Engine. 31 Dec. 2002. Web. 09 Feb. 2012.

Blog 2

“The Gettysburg Address” was a speech given by Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg on November 19, 1853. It was a short speech that he actually wrote the day before he gave it. When Lincoln wrote this speech, he thought it would just be a short speech that would not be long remembered after it was given. In the speech, he said “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” (Lincoln).  He believed that people would not remember his words and that the speech that he was giving would end up being very significant to anyone at all. His speech was supposed to formally dedicate the ground of Gettysburg to the many men who had died fighting there in the Civil War. This speech is very important in history, and the date when the speech was given is still commemorated in Gettysburg each year as Remembrance Day.  Before Lincoln gave his speech, a man named Edward Everett had given a two hour long speech that droned on and on. Lincolns speech, right after that lasting only two minutes left the crowd of listeners speechless (Gettysburg Address Text). Abraham Lincoln was proud of the brave men who fought and died in the Civil War and he wanted everyone else to be proud of them as well and recognize the great things that those men did for their country and to preserve their freedom that this nation was built on.

Abraham Lincoln and Ralph Waldo Emerson shared some common philosophies. Ralph Waldo Emerson was at first agitated by the Civil War, but soon he started seeing it as a positive thing and as a “cleansing fire” for the country.  He saw Lincoln as the father of the country and he mourned him after he died (Porte) . They also had some philosophies that were different. Abraham Lincoln wanted all slaves to be free, and that is what the civil war was all about. Ralph Waldo Emerson also valued freedom and he wanted it for the slaves as well.

Bibliography

Porte, Joel. "Ralph Waldo Emerson." A Biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1802-1883). Web. 08 Feb. 2012

Lincoln, Abraham. "The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln." NetINS Showcase. 2012. Web. 08 Feb. 2012

Blog 1

Frederick Douglass’s “The Meaning of July Fourth For the Negro” was given by Frederick Douglass in 1852. He was asked to give this speech by citizens of Rochester, New York at a July Fourth celebration (Joe).  At the time when this speech was written, enslaved people in the south were not allowed to attend Fourth of July celebrations, because slave owners feared that it would give them ideas of freedom (Joe). The speech that Frederick Douglass gave was probably shocking and surprising to the citizens who were in attendance to the celebration. They probably expected him to give a speech that would celebrate the day, but instead he points out how unfair it is and how the slaves deserve to be free and have independence just as much as the white people. He expresses how his people are enslaved and not allowed the same freedom as white people in the following passage:

“Fellow-citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here to-day? What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?” (Douglass).

Frederick Douglass and Ralph Waldo Emerson share many common philosophies. Frederick Douglass believes that men should be free and he stresses it a lot in his speech “The Meaning of The Fourth of July”. He thinks that slavery is unfair and that all men should be free and have individuality. Ralph Waldo Emerson also believed in freedom and was against slavery. He believes very strongly in individuality and therefore, believes that men should not own or control other men (Brewton).

Frederick Douglass and Ralph Waldo Emerson both believe that men should be equal regardless of the color of their skin. In Douglass’s speech “The Meaning of July Fourth For the Negro”,  he argues that the enslaved men are not treated like they are even men.

“On what branch of the subject do the people of this country need light? Must I undertake to prove that the slave is a man? That point is conceded already. Nobody doubts it.” (Douglass)

He says that enslaved people are recognized as people and everyone knows that they are in fact people, but they are not treated like they are people. Douglass does not think that any man should be treated in the way that enslaved people are treated. Emerson also believes that all men should be treated equal.

“Let our affection flow out to our fellows; it would operate in a day the greatest of all revolutions.” (Emerson)

He believes that if all men were treated equally, everything would be better and it would be better than any revolution.

Douglass and Emerson share the philosophy that men should be equal and neither of the two like slavery.

Bibliography

Joe. "Frederick Douglass: The 1852 Speech on the Meaning of the Fourth of July :: Racismreview.com." Racism Review. 4 July 2011. Web. 07 Feb. 2012.

Brewton, Vince. "Emerson, Ralph Waldo [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 24 July 2003. Web. 07 Feb. 2012.

Douglass, Frederick. "The Meaning of July Fourth For the Negro." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Africans in America. Web. 07 Feb. 2012.