Canto XIII
Line 9--"the repellent harpies make their nest"
this line introduces another monster from classical liturature. The Harpy is a femle monster that shrieks and torments men. This goes along with the many other classical beasts found in hell.
Why is violence against ones self before violence before god and after violence to others? it seems that it would be lesser ring of the 7th level.
Canto XIV
lines 38-52--The man, copaneus, seems to pay no heed to the falling fire and the souls around him. Even in death he is to proud to not hate god. This shows true ignorance on his part and is a comment by Dante on the nature of kings who think themselves above god.
The figure that produces the rivers from each type of metal in its body is an interesting symbol. Each type of metal represents a different society in the history of man.(the bronze age, gold age, iron age...) This is interesting because many of these ages were before christianity and therefore they produce the rivers of hell. If a new age dawns will another river appear? As society devlopes is Dante hinting that more evils will be produced?
Canto XV
Brunetto was Dantes mentor...this fits in that dante is discovering his past in a way and finding all of the souls that he had once known in life. Dante the poet is condemning those souls to hell. This is an interesting person to condemn because Dante seems fond of him.. Why is this?
line 90--"i am prepared for Fortune to do her will"
This fits with the theme of fate and acceptance. Dante is ready to allow whatever fate is destined to be his. He asks of his future knowing that he cannot change it. This is a good trait. dante gives his character this to make him seem more noble.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Cantos 9-10
Cantos IX
Lines 39-43--"he fierce Erinyes,; He said, who knew those handmaids of the queen...Megaera...Alecto...Tisiphone."
The three fate plus medusa and hectate, the queen of hell, gaurd thecity of Dis. The three, again following the theme of threebeing a holy number, are monsters who seduced men. The placing of them here could be a testament to womens seductive nature and that women at that time werent very good and therefor deserved hell.
Lines 70-73--"a thousand souls of the ruined; Flee before one who strode across the Styx; Dry-shod as though on land. With his left hand; He cleared the polluted air before his face."
Their are many important keys in this quote. First is that the evil souls flee before him, this shows the obvious dominance of heaven over hell. It also shows how powerful heaven is. Second is that he strode across the river without getting wet, possibly an allusion to the bible. Third is that with his "left" hand he cleared the pollution. This shows that it used very little effort since the right hand is considered stronger.
Canto X
Lines 21-25--"Your way of speakin in so courteous a fashion-;...shows that you were born; in the same noble fatherland: there where; I possibly have wrought excessive harm."
This, firsty, reinforces the theme of Dantes glorification of himself. He uses the character to show that he is of a great place and speaks very eliquently. Secondly, it goes along with the idea that all of Dantes enemies are in hell. This man attcked Dante's homeland, and therefore he is labled as a non-believer and setenced to hell.
The people in the burning coffins who id not believe in the afterlife are sentenced to only be able to see the past and the future. They cannot live in the present because that was their flaw in life, they only believed in the now, they did not believe in the future afterlife. This goes along with the rest of the book in that the condemned suffers what they did wrong in life.
Lines 39-43--"he fierce Erinyes,; He said, who knew those handmaids of the queen...Megaera...Alecto...Tisiphone."
The three fate plus medusa and hectate, the queen of hell, gaurd thecity of Dis. The three, again following the theme of threebeing a holy number, are monsters who seduced men. The placing of them here could be a testament to womens seductive nature and that women at that time werent very good and therefor deserved hell.
Lines 70-73--"a thousand souls of the ruined; Flee before one who strode across the Styx; Dry-shod as though on land. With his left hand; He cleared the polluted air before his face."
Their are many important keys in this quote. First is that the evil souls flee before him, this shows the obvious dominance of heaven over hell. It also shows how powerful heaven is. Second is that he strode across the river without getting wet, possibly an allusion to the bible. Third is that with his "left" hand he cleared the pollution. This shows that it used very little effort since the right hand is considered stronger.
Canto X
Lines 21-25--"Your way of speakin in so courteous a fashion-;...shows that you were born; in the same noble fatherland: there where; I possibly have wrought excessive harm."
This, firsty, reinforces the theme of Dantes glorification of himself. He uses the character to show that he is of a great place and speaks very eliquently. Secondly, it goes along with the idea that all of Dantes enemies are in hell. This man attcked Dante's homeland, and therefore he is labled as a non-believer and setenced to hell.
The people in the burning coffins who id not believe in the afterlife are sentenced to only be able to see the past and the future. They cannot live in the present because that was their flaw in life, they only believed in the now, they did not believe in the future afterlife. This goes along with the rest of the book in that the condemned suffers what they did wrong in life.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Dantes Inferno Cantos 7 & 8
Cantos 7
Lines 40-41--"At the circle's facing points, that mark devision: Between opposite faults"
The fault he speeks of is hoarding and excessive spending. These are opposite sides of greed. The soenders want to find all of the new comforts whereas the hoarders find comfort in as much money and possesions as they can have. In the book the two people run against eachother crushing the other with rocks. This shows the conflict between the two sides.
Lines 101--"these are the souls whom anger overcame"
The fourth level of hell is also reserved for those people who allowed anger to control them. They were destined to fight and attack eachother forever, others were trapped in the black-purple water of the land.
Cantos 8
Lines 58 and 63--"Come get Filippo Argenti" and "i leaned forward to peer out intently"
the first quote is another of the author dante's attacks on one of his rivals or enemies. He portrays the man as a man destined to hell that gets ripped apart. The second quote depicts Dante watching the carnage of the man intently and being happy about it. He says that he gives god thanks for allowing him to watch it. This is implying that Dante is above the normal person. He has just willed someone to die and he believes that he will be fine and remain vertuous. This idea that Dante is better than the others recurs many times.
Line 88-89--"You remain here, who have guided such a one: Over terrain so dark." You Judge, O reader"
This is spoken by the gaurds of the City of Dis. They want Virgil to stay but not Dante. This could be because Dante knows how to get to the lower regions of hell which they want to protect from good people. Also they do not want Dante, who in Dantes perspective is a virtuouus and good man, to pass on through the gates. They are afraid of everything good.
Lines 40-41--"At the circle's facing points, that mark devision: Between opposite faults"
The fault he speeks of is hoarding and excessive spending. These are opposite sides of greed. The soenders want to find all of the new comforts whereas the hoarders find comfort in as much money and possesions as they can have. In the book the two people run against eachother crushing the other with rocks. This shows the conflict between the two sides.
Lines 101--"these are the souls whom anger overcame"
The fourth level of hell is also reserved for those people who allowed anger to control them. They were destined to fight and attack eachother forever, others were trapped in the black-purple water of the land.
Cantos 8
Lines 58 and 63--"Come get Filippo Argenti" and "i leaned forward to peer out intently"
the first quote is another of the author dante's attacks on one of his rivals or enemies. He portrays the man as a man destined to hell that gets ripped apart. The second quote depicts Dante watching the carnage of the man intently and being happy about it. He says that he gives god thanks for allowing him to watch it. This is implying that Dante is above the normal person. He has just willed someone to die and he believes that he will be fine and remain vertuous. This idea that Dante is better than the others recurs many times.
Line 88-89--"You remain here, who have guided such a one: Over terrain so dark." You Judge, O reader"
This is spoken by the gaurds of the City of Dis. They want Virgil to stay but not Dante. This could be because Dante knows how to get to the lower regions of hell which they want to protect from good people. Also they do not want Dante, who in Dantes perspective is a virtuouus and good man, to pass on through the gates. They are afraid of everything good.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Cantos 5-6
Cantos V
Line 19--"Don't Be deceived because the gate is wide."
This is a comment not only on the obvious situation in the book but also on society. Minos is warning Dante to be cautious of wanting to go deeper into hell even though the door seems wide and welcoming. However, this is also true in society, some things arent as they seem or are worse than they seem to be.
In Cantos V Dante describes many of the people in the second layer of hell which is dominated by those with lustfull thoughts. However, almost all of the people that he describes are women. Cleopatra, Helen, and Dido were all women. He does mention a few men such as Achillis and Paris, but the first names he speaks of are those of women. This could be a comment on the nature of women or how men viewed women.
Cantos VI
--The description of the third circle of hell is quite graphic and shows some humor on Dantes part. The people of the third ring are the gluttons. This is humorous because the gluttons are forced to glut themselves on crap and dirt. THey have excess of rain and snow and hail and are in general in a filthy condition which is opposite of what they had lived in during life.
Line 68-76--"For the triple sparks of envy, greed, and pride...If they feel Heaven's Sweetness, or Infernal poison...among the blackest in Hell,"
This is a foreshadow into the deeper circles of hell. Dante asks what has become of people who he knew in life. They were the leaders of the rebellion in Italy in Dantes town. He will most likely meet them later on in the story, deeper in hell. This could be a comment against the people who had bannished him. He could be condemning them to his hell.
Line 19--"Don't Be deceived because the gate is wide."
This is a comment not only on the obvious situation in the book but also on society. Minos is warning Dante to be cautious of wanting to go deeper into hell even though the door seems wide and welcoming. However, this is also true in society, some things arent as they seem or are worse than they seem to be.
In Cantos V Dante describes many of the people in the second layer of hell which is dominated by those with lustfull thoughts. However, almost all of the people that he describes are women. Cleopatra, Helen, and Dido were all women. He does mention a few men such as Achillis and Paris, but the first names he speaks of are those of women. This could be a comment on the nature of women or how men viewed women.
Cantos VI
--The description of the third circle of hell is quite graphic and shows some humor on Dantes part. The people of the third ring are the gluttons. This is humorous because the gluttons are forced to glut themselves on crap and dirt. THey have excess of rain and snow and hail and are in general in a filthy condition which is opposite of what they had lived in during life.
Line 68-76--"For the triple sparks of envy, greed, and pride...If they feel Heaven's Sweetness, or Infernal poison...among the blackest in Hell,"
This is a foreshadow into the deeper circles of hell. Dante asks what has become of people who he knew in life. They were the leaders of the rebellion in Italy in Dantes town. He will most likely meet them later on in the story, deeper in hell. This could be a comment against the people who had bannished him. He could be condemning them to his hell.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Dantes Inferno Canto III and IV
Canto III
Line 30-33--"This is the sorrowful state of souls unsure...neither honor or bad fame..neither rebelious to god nor faithful to him."
This ties into a theme of indecision. Even the souls who didn't choose Heaven or Hell but led a good life were still sent to the outskirts of hell. They are punished by having bugs eat at them . This is strange because the souls who did not choose are shown as having a worse fate then those who did not have a choice. Indecision is therefore a sin, or the lack of complete faith in god, but parrallel lack of faith in satan, is a sin.
Line 89-90--"There demon Charon beckons them, with his eyes of fire;"
Charon, the ferryman accross the Acheron River in hell is a demon. He taunts and abuses the souls of the indecisive. He is either commanded by God to punish these souls who did not choose christianity, or he is controled by Satan who torments everyone.
Canto IV
Line 25-27--"They did not sin;...without: baptism, portal to the faith you maintain."
Virgil is describing the souls of the first circle of hell. The people of this ring either were never baptised or were born before christianity and did not have a choice. They have a "paradise" here and these are the only people that Virgil feels bad for because he belongs to this group. This state of this ring of hell is a statement on the compasion and acceptance of God. he allows these people who never accepted him, to rest in a nicer part of hell.
Line 86--"Onward toward the light i made a sixth"
Dante here is walking with Virgil, Homer, Horace, Lucan, and Ovid. All of these men are stuck in the first circle of hell because they were born before christianity. However, they are all brilliant minds of their times. Dante calls himself a sixth to this group. He is classifieing himself with the greatest poets of history.
Line 30-33--"This is the sorrowful state of souls unsure...neither honor or bad fame..neither rebelious to god nor faithful to him."
This ties into a theme of indecision. Even the souls who didn't choose Heaven or Hell but led a good life were still sent to the outskirts of hell. They are punished by having bugs eat at them . This is strange because the souls who did not choose are shown as having a worse fate then those who did not have a choice. Indecision is therefore a sin, or the lack of complete faith in god, but parrallel lack of faith in satan, is a sin.
Line 89-90--"There demon Charon beckons them, with his eyes of fire;"
Charon, the ferryman accross the Acheron River in hell is a demon. He taunts and abuses the souls of the indecisive. He is either commanded by God to punish these souls who did not choose christianity, or he is controled by Satan who torments everyone.
Canto IV
Line 25-27--"They did not sin;...without: baptism, portal to the faith you maintain."
Virgil is describing the souls of the first circle of hell. The people of this ring either were never baptised or were born before christianity and did not have a choice. They have a "paradise" here and these are the only people that Virgil feels bad for because he belongs to this group. This state of this ring of hell is a statement on the compasion and acceptance of God. he allows these people who never accepted him, to rest in a nicer part of hell.
Line 86--"Onward toward the light i made a sixth"
Dante here is walking with Virgil, Homer, Horace, Lucan, and Ovid. All of these men are stuck in the first circle of hell because they were born before christianity. However, they are all brilliant minds of their times. Dante calls himself a sixth to this group. He is classifieing himself with the greatest poets of history.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Cantos I
Line 25-29--"a leopard, near the place: The way grew steep...Blocking the path...she made me turn about: To go back down"
The Leopard, according to the notes in the book, symbolizes lust. However, i view it as the only of the three animals that doesnt threaten Dante. The lion roars and frightens him, the grey wolf stalks and scares him, however, the leopard only made him turn back. She acts more like a "gaurdian" than a "gaurd", that is, she is there more to warn the oncomer than to scare them away. Also, she appears in the "early morning" while the "fair sun rising", this is more of a good sign.
Line 55--"Of the false gods who lied."
This is the first true statement by the author that christianity is right and paganism was wrong. He is referring to the pagan gods who lied about the afterlife and all of religion.
Cantos II
Line 49-50--"my friend-No friend of Fortune-"
In these lines, Beatrice the Lady of Heaven is speaking to virgil and trying to persuade him to go and guide Dante through Hell. However, there is also an allusion to Lady Fortune who represents fate. Dante the author is saying here that he did not come upon good fortune or fate in his life. this could be a coment on his exile.
The three ladies and even God are shown in an interesting way in this Canto. God passes on the order to help Dante to Lucy who passes it to Beatrice who passes it to Virgil. This could either be a comment on comradary, or laziness. Why do they pass it on so many times?
Line 25-29--"a leopard, near the place: The way grew steep...Blocking the path...she made me turn about: To go back down"
The Leopard, according to the notes in the book, symbolizes lust. However, i view it as the only of the three animals that doesnt threaten Dante. The lion roars and frightens him, the grey wolf stalks and scares him, however, the leopard only made him turn back. She acts more like a "gaurdian" than a "gaurd", that is, she is there more to warn the oncomer than to scare them away. Also, she appears in the "early morning" while the "fair sun rising", this is more of a good sign.
Line 55--"Of the false gods who lied."
This is the first true statement by the author that christianity is right and paganism was wrong. He is referring to the pagan gods who lied about the afterlife and all of religion.
Cantos II
Line 49-50--"my friend-No friend of Fortune-"
In these lines, Beatrice the Lady of Heaven is speaking to virgil and trying to persuade him to go and guide Dante through Hell. However, there is also an allusion to Lady Fortune who represents fate. Dante the author is saying here that he did not come upon good fortune or fate in his life. this could be a coment on his exile.
The three ladies and even God are shown in an interesting way in this Canto. God passes on the order to help Dante to Lucy who passes it to Beatrice who passes it to Virgil. This could either be a comment on comradary, or laziness. Why do they pass it on so many times?
Dantes Inferno
-canto 1--Introduction to all three books.
33 parts to each book
Virgil is the guide
All of these people went to hell and returned
Aeneas--Roman Empire
St. Paul--Papacy--Roman who was blinded by a vision of christ--represents the pope
Odysseus
hercules
Thesseus
33 parts to each book
Virgil is the guide
All of these people went to hell and returned
Aeneas--Roman Empire
St. Paul--Papacy--Roman who was blinded by a vision of christ--represents the pope
Odysseus
hercules
Thesseus
Friday, March 12, 2010
Literary Terms
Antimetabole- A verbal pattern where the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the words in revers grammatical order.
"He cared for nobody, no not he, and nobody cared for him."
Asyndeton- writing style that omits conjunctions between words, phrases or clauses.
"they dove, splashed, floated, splashed, swam, snorted."
Chiasmus- a verbal pattern in which the second half of the expression is balanced against the first.
"nice to see you, to see you, nice!"
Conceit- an elaborate comparison of vary different things.
Didactic-a literary form that teaches a specific lesson
Epanalepsis- a rhetorical term for the repetion at the end of a clause or sentence of the word or phrase that began it.
"Rejoice in the lord Always: and again i say, Rejoice."
Epithet- an adjective that is frequently used to describe a person or thing.
"bloodred sky' stone-cold heart"
Hypotactic-a sentence which uses connecting words between clauses or sentences.
"It is hot because the sun is out"
Juxtaposition- when unassociated ideas are placed next to each other to surprise the reader.
Parable- a short story that teaches a life lesson.
" the legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools."
"He cared for nobody, no not he, and nobody cared for him."
Asyndeton- writing style that omits conjunctions between words, phrases or clauses.
"they dove, splashed, floated, splashed, swam, snorted."
Chiasmus- a verbal pattern in which the second half of the expression is balanced against the first.
"nice to see you, to see you, nice!"
Conceit- an elaborate comparison of vary different things.
Didactic-a literary form that teaches a specific lesson
Epanalepsis- a rhetorical term for the repetion at the end of a clause or sentence of the word or phrase that began it.
"Rejoice in the lord Always: and again i say, Rejoice."
Epithet- an adjective that is frequently used to describe a person or thing.
"bloodred sky' stone-cold heart"
Hypotactic-a sentence which uses connecting words between clauses or sentences.
"It is hot because the sun is out"
Juxtaposition- when unassociated ideas are placed next to each other to surprise the reader.
Parable- a short story that teaches a life lesson.
" the legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools."
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I, Too By Lagston Hughes
I, Too by Langston Hughes
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a movement to express themselves by the African Americans, who had migrated to better and freer conditions in New York. Much of the literature and art depicted the typical rural life of the old generation of African Americans. They used imagery to describe the conditions of their lives. Poetry hailed the larger black figures and accented the racism of whites. One popular form of poetry was jazz poetry which had a rythym like jazz and dealt with black problems.
Authors:
Langston Hughes
WEB DuBois
Countee Cullen
Claude McKay
Authors:
Langston Hughes
WEB DuBois
Countee Cullen
Claude McKay
Poem:
"I, Too" by Langston Hughes
On Time by John Milton
Fly envious Time, till thou run out thy race,
Call on the lazy leaden-stepping hours,
Whose speed is but the heavy Plummets pace;
And glut thy self with what thy womb devours,
Which is no more then what is false and vain,
And meerly mortal dross;
So little is our loss,
So little is thy gain.
For when as each thing bad thou hast entomb'd,
And last of all, thy greedy self consum'd,
Then long Eternity shall greet our bliss
With an individual kiss;
And Joy shall overtake us as a flood,
When every thing that is sincerely good
And perfectly divine,
With Truth, and Peace, and Love shall ever shine
About the supreme Throne
Of him, t'whose happy-making sight alone,
When once our heav'nly-guided soul shall clime,
Then all this Earthy grosnes quit,
Attir'd with Stars, we shall for ever sit,
Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time.
Call on the lazy leaden-stepping hours,
Whose speed is but the heavy Plummets pace;
And glut thy self with what thy womb devours,
Which is no more then what is false and vain,
And meerly mortal dross;
So little is our loss,
So little is thy gain.
For when as each thing bad thou hast entomb'd,
And last of all, thy greedy self consum'd,
Then long Eternity shall greet our bliss
With an individual kiss;
And Joy shall overtake us as a flood,
When every thing that is sincerely good
And perfectly divine,
With Truth, and Peace, and Love shall ever shine
About the supreme Throne
Of him, t'whose happy-making sight alone,
When once our heav'nly-guided soul shall clime,
Then all this Earthy grosnes quit,
Attir'd with Stars, we shall for ever sit,
Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Rennaissance
Rennaissance literature was characterized by a focus on humanism and realism. Renaissance authors such as John Donne, John Milton and Shakespeare display many of the characteristics of renaissance poetry. These characteristics include the use of classical allusion and an epic style for many poems. Also the themes of many poems reside in the realm of human feeling and life. Renaissance, or "rebirth" was a re-exploration of the human character and of the laws of the world.
Renaissance Authors:
Richard Barnfield
William Byrd
THomas Campion
George Chapman
Samuel Daniel
John Donne
WIlliam Dunbar
Sir Edward Dyer
Elizabeth I
Henry VIII
THmas Lodge
John Lyly
Thomas Nashe
George Peele
Sir Walter Ralegh
WIllim Shakespeare
John Skelton
Edmund Spencer
Thomas Wyatt
John Milton
On Time by John Milton
Renaissance Authors:
Richard Barnfield
William Byrd
THomas Campion
George Chapman
Samuel Daniel
John Donne
WIlliam Dunbar
Sir Edward Dyer
Elizabeth I
Henry VIII
THmas Lodge
John Lyly
Thomas Nashe
George Peele
Sir Walter Ralegh
WIllim Shakespeare
John Skelton
Edmund Spencer
Thomas Wyatt
John Milton
On Time by John Milton
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