Assignment # 1

Topic of Assignment: Colonization of America.

Subject: Introduction to American Literature.
Submitted to:
Prof. Faizan.
Submitted by:
Aitzaz Ahmed. L1f16bsen0037.

Section:
“A”

Submission Date:
08/04/2019.
 Colonized and Decolonized America

Question:
How far do Poe and Bryant manage to juxtapose reminisces of colonized America with the
portrayal of the newly decolonized/native American world?

Answer:
The basic colonization term is generated by the Europeans, They travelled to America just to
broaden up their value & wealth in accordance to world affairs. They start colonizing in the 17 th
century, Spanish & the England had the dominant presence. American colonies are stood as 13th
colony & it started growing as a part of United States. Till the independence of America. Native
Americans got their independence after so many sacrifices by fought in the several wars such as
battle of Thomas Paine and Bunker Hill.

When United States declared its independence, their writing had a great influence on country’s
future. American poetry & fiction is started to be exampled instead of the writings of great Britain.
The short stories, poems and novels began to depict American society, much stories on colonized
America, their effects of colonization and decolonized America. There are many poems which
actually portrays the image of colonized America such as “Annabel lee” by Edgar Allan Poe and
“Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant.

In the poem “Annabel Lee”, the poet used to describe his childhood love with Annabel Lee. Their
strong bond is coveted by angels in heaven and their jealousy led the cold wind chills Annabel lee,
she died and carried away to the grave by “high-born kinsmen.” Although physically they’re apart
but nature make their bond strong to his only love. He is always reminded of her beauty by the
sight of the moon and the stars, dreaming of her every night as she lays "in her tomb by the side
of the sea." This poems explains beautifully about the colonization & decolonization of America.
As Annabel lee symbolizes the American spirit. Before colonization every American have its own
have its own American spirit which made every native to love, respect, and help without any
discrimination of colour, creed and race. That spirit led them to be united, enjoyed every single
moment of life, freedom from all miseries & independent from everything. Then British invent
the colonization, they colonized the America into different colonies and killed every good thing
likewise the cold chill the Annabel lee. The American spirit and Annabel lee is dead now and being
buried by British people.

The poet also explains that either they took away my spirit from me but no one can separate me
from the love and affection I had, which is a part of soul and body, it won’t be finished. He used
to describe about angels & demons who took them to be separated from Annabel lee and
American spirit but he encourage the Americans to not to lose hope and be strong. The post
emphasis on this point in these lines, “And neither the angels in Heaven above, Nor the demons
down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul, of the beautiful Annabel Lee.” Each
native remembered the decolonized America and the sufferings they faced at that time was part
of them however, they changed their country into new one but the last lines of the poem
describes beautifully that the old things were never to be forget.

In the poem “Thanatopsis”, the poet used to symbolize nature to make us feel better by exploring
it because nature calm your nerves and took you towards the past good memories of colonized
America. According to poet nature can save a person from being dead or depressed as it freshens
your soul to live a good life because one d ay we had to die and buried into the earth, so earth
claims us back. Nature actually give evidence of our presence as one day we had to die and be in
the ground too. He advised us to be dead just like a happy, dream-filled sleep. In this way the
poet shows the actual picture of death and explains the aftereffects of death, so that, American
live freely and independently.

In the end, it results by analysing both the poem that the Native Americans has changed themselves
along with their spirits, America is still beautiful but also with the tombs of dead Americans.