American Literature RC 2002 - Unit1t05

5 Two New American Voices
What does the word voice mean to you? Is it simply the way you sound to
others, or is it more than that? Is it the most essential ideas you would like
to express? Is it the unique way you express your ideas? In this theme, you’ll
explore some possible answers to these questions as you read the works of
two writers who express their unique voices through poetry. One tells of the
people and places around him—of war, suffering, and hard work. The other
looks inward, expressing deeply personal thoughts and feelings.
THEME PROJECTS
Listening and Speaking 3. Put on a one-person show in which you play the
A Voice Like Your Own As you read the poems in poet. Use props, costumes, and makeup to help
this theme, try to decide which writer’s poems create the image of the poet. As the poet, tell
express ideas that are closest to your own. about each event you chose and explain how
1. Choose three poems from this theme that most the event might have influenced the writing of
closely express your own views. Then choose that poem.
three poems that express ideas most unlike
your own.
2. Read each poem to a small group of class-
mates. Read expressively. Explain why you feel
the poems express ideas similar to or unlike
your own. Invite group members to give their
opinions.
Investigate and Report
You Be the Poet Choose one of the two poets
in this theme to role-play in a one-person show.
1. Review the biographical information about
the poet in Before You Read. Then do further
research on the poet’s life. As you research,
take notes and write an outline of the
poet’s life.
2. From your outline, list three major parts of the
poet’s life. For each item on your list, choose a
poem that was clearly influenced by an event
from the poet’s life.
Blockade on Broadway,
c. 1880s. Taylor and Meeker.
Hand-colored woodcut.
THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 397

Literature F O C U S
Poetry
Poetry is a type of literature that shares intense experiences or unique insights
through the imaginative use of language. Poets rely on the form of their writing
to convey meaning, using lines and stanzas rather than sentences and paragraphs
as the basic units of composition. Understanding these and other basic elements
of poetry will help you analyze the poems you read.
ELEMENTS OF POETRY MODELS
Speaker
Every poem has a speaker, or voice, that talks to the The speaker in “The Raven” is a man
reader. Like a narrator in prose, the speaker of a poem who has just lost his beloved Lenore.
is not necessarily the author. The speaker can be a
fictional person, an animal, or even a thing.
Rhythm
Rhythm is the pattern of sound created by the arrange- F
or the r r
are and m
adiant whom
aiden the
ment of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line.
angels
n ame L
enore—
Rhythm can be regular or irregular. Meter is a regular
from “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe
pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that sets
the overall rhythm of certain poems. The basic unit of
meter is the foot, which typically is made up of at least
one stressed and one unstressed syllable. Stressed
syllables are marked with () and unstressed syllables
with ( ). Rhythm gives poetry a musical quality and
may help convey a poem’s meaning.
Rhyme
Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds in words Judge Tenderly—of Me internal
rhyme
that appear close to each other in a poem. from “This is my letter to the World”
• Internal rhyme occurs within a line of poetry. by Emily Dickinson
• End rhyme occurs at the ends of lines. How statue-like I see thee stand, end
• Slant rhyme refers to words that almost rhyme, but The agate lamp within thy hand! rhyme
not quite. from “To Helen” by Edgar Allan Poe
• Rhyme scheme, the pattern of rhyme formed by Who took the Flag today
end rhyme, is identified by assigning a different slant
Can tell the definition
letter of the alphabet to each new rhyme. rhyme
So clear of Victory
from “Success is counted sweetest” by Emily Dickinson
398 UNIT 3
Other Sound Devices
Sound devices contribute to the musical nature of a While I nodded, nearly
alliteration
poem and help emphasize certain words. napping
• Alliteration is the repetition of similar sounds, most
often consonant sounds, at the beginning of words. And the Raven, never
• Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel flitting, still is sitting, still assonance
sounds. is sitting
• Consonance is the repetition of similar consonant Some late visitor entreating
sounds within words or at the ends of words.
entrance at my chamber consonance
• Onomatopoeia is the use of a word or phrase that door.
imitates or suggests the sound it describes.
tapping, rapping
onomatopoeia
from “The Raven”
Imagery
Imagery is descriptive language that evokes an And the silken, sad, (appeals to the
emotional response in readers and appeals to the uncertain rustling of senses of touch,
hearing, and sight)
senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. Some each purple curtain
images appeal to more than one sense at the from “The Raven”
same time.
Figurative Language
Figurative language is language that is used for Helen, thy beauty is to me
descriptive effect and is not meant to be read literally. Like those Nicean barks simile
Usually, figurative language expresses meaning of yore
beyond the literal level. from “To Helen”
• A simile is a figure of speech that uses words such

as like or as to compare seemingly unlike things. [the grass] is the handker- metaphor
chief of the Lord,
• A metaphor compares or equates seemingly unlike from Song of Myself by Walt Whitman
things by stating that one thing is another.
Metaphors do not use like or as.
The agate lamp in “To Helen” is a
• A symbol is a person, place, or object that has classic symbol of immortality
meaning in itself and also stands for something
other than itself. Poets often use symbols to
Quoth the Raven
suggest something without actually stating it. personification
“Nevermore.”
• Personification is a figure of speech in which an from “The Raven”
animal, an object, or an idea is given human
characteristics.

Newspaper Article
Walt Whitman was truly a new
American voice during the 1800s. He
remained a significant figure through-
out the 1900s, as shown by this story of
thievery and an FBI investigation.
Stolen Whitman Papers Surface After 50 Years

by David Streitfeld and Elizabeth Kastor—Washington Post, February 18, 1995
F our long-lost notebooks

by Walt Whitman, stolen
from the Library of Congress
chosen to remain anony-
mous. He told the auction
house that his father had
selling them he was stunned
and I think slightly depressed,
as I think anyone would be.
a half-century ago, have received the material as a gift On the other hand, he was
been recovered, Sotheby’s about 30 years ago. The FBI, incredibly cooperative. . . .
auction house said yesterday. which investigated the case He feels he has done his part,
Found by a man among his in the ’40s, is once again pur- and his role is ended.” No
late father’s papers, the note- suing it, according to the money is changing hands in
books will be returned to the Library of Congress. the return of the papers.
library. If the notebooks were not The rediscovered note-
“This is definitely the stolen material, they would books include essays on per-
most important literary have brought a presale esti- ception and the human
material we could have mate of $350,000 to senses, names and addresses
hoped to recover of anything $500,000, said Selby Kiffer, a of friends, and drafts of Civil
known in American litera- vice president in Sotheby’s War poems. Whitman also
ture,” said David Wigdor, books and manuscripts kept notes about some of the
assistant chief of the library’s department. wounded soldiers he tended
manuscript division. The man who approached in Washington [D.C.] in
Six Whitman notebooks Sotheby’s with the docu- 1862. “bed 15—wants an
are still missing. The 10 ments was “stunned” when orange . . . bed 59 wants
stolen volumes were part of a he was told what he had, some liquorice . . . 27 wants
total of 24 donated to the Kiffer said. “When he real- some figs and a book,” he
library in 1920 by Thomas ized that he wouldn’t be wrote. Next to some of these
B. Harned. jottings were crosses, suggest-
The man who brought ing the nameless subjects
the notebooks to Sotheby’s had died.
in New York has
Analyzing Media
1. Why, in your opinion, would the
notebooks of a nineteenth-
century poet be so valuable?
2. What more would you like to
know about this story? Why?
Before You Read
Whitman’s Poetry
Meet content. One poet, John

Greenleaf Whittier, was
Walt Whitman
even said to have thrown
As a young man, Walt his copy into the fire.
Whitman loved to wander Ralph Waldo Emerson, on
through the streets of the other hand, wrote to
Manhattan, absorbing their Whitman: “I greet you at
“fascinating chaos.” As he the beginning of a great
walked, he recorded in a career.”
notebook his impressions of Through the years,
the city’s sights, sounds, and Whitman revised,
intriguing cast of characters. rearranged, and added new
Using these notes, Whitman poems to Leaves of Grass,
created a revolutionary kind publishing a total of nine
of poetry that celebrated the editions. He imagined the
democratic spirit of his work as one long poem that
native land. expressed his all-embracing view of the world.
Whitman lived almost his entire life in Long Despite the acclaim from Emerson and others,
Island, Manhattan, and Brooklyn, New York. A Whitman had to publish the first five editions of
great believer in gathering a wide range of experi- the work at his own expense and lived all his life
ences, he held a number of jobs, working as a close to poverty. Today, the 383 poems included in
schoolteacher, office boy, journalist, editor, printer, the final edition of Leaves of Grass (1892) are read
house builder, and nurse. He also traveled down and celebrated throughout the world for capturing
the Mississippi River, soaking up the voices and the colorful speech and brash, optimistic spirit of a
sights of America. vital young nation.
In 1854, when Whitman was in his mid-thirties,
he began to devote more of his energy to writing
poetry. By this time he had moved back in with his “You cannot really understand America without
parents in Brooklyn. “Walt,” his mother later said,
“had no business [during this period] but going out
Walt Whitman, without Leaves of Grass.
”
—Mary Smith Whitall Costelloe
and coming in to eat, drink, write, and sleep.”
Little did she know that her supposedly lazy,
unfocused son was at that time composing what
would be one of the greatest books in American
“ I think of art as something to serve the peo-
ple—the mass: when it fails to do that it’s false
literature—Leaves of Grass.
In long, unmetered lines called free verse,
to its promises.
”
Whitman celebrated the diversity, energy, and
“theThegreatest
United States themselves are essentially
turbulence of nineteenth-century American life.
No subject was too commonplace for his atten-
poem.
” —Whitman
tion: not the mechanic or the prisoner or the
lowly blade of grass. Many people were shocked
by the poems’ unconventional style and by their Walt Whitman was born in 1819 and died in 1892.

Before You Read
Reading Focus
What kind of spirit do you see in the people you know? For example, do you think
they feel mostly optimistic or pessimistic? Why?
Think-Pair-Share Think about these questions on your own for a few minutes.
Then discuss your responses with a partner. Finally, share your responses with your
classmates and briefly discuss whether people in the United States seem generally
optimistic or pessimistic.
Setting a Purpose Read to find out how Whitman views the spirit of his
country and its citizens.
Building Background
Whitman and the War
In 1862 Whitman’s brother was wounded in the first
battle of Fredericksburg, and Whitman traveled to the
battlefront in Virginia to care for him. Deeply moved
by the suffering he encountered and finding his
brother’s condition stable, Whitman went on to
Washington, D.C., to work as a volunteer nurse in
army hospitals. There he comforted and cared for
both Union and Confederate soldiers, dressing their
wounds, writing letters for them, and bringing them
items they needed, such as apples, oranges, and
books. Writing about this experience, Whitman
noted, “I supply often to some of these dear
suffering boys . . . that which doctors nor medicines
nor skill nor any routine assistance can give. . . . There
is something in . . . the magnetic flood of sympathy
that does, in its way, more good than all the medicine
in the world.”
The Time and Place

Following the Civil War, the United States experienced Civil War surgeon’s kit
tremendous economic growth and social change. Railroad
construction and a series of new technological advances, creation of labor unions and political organizations serving
such as the telephone, the typewriter, and the automobile, workers’ needs.
led to a burst of industrial activity. Great social and political In this growth and turmoil, Whitman saw common people
change accompanied this growth. For example, many people coming alive and asserting their freedom as individuals. He
moved from farms to cities, the number of immigrants imagined Americans, in contrast to Europeans, breaking free
increased dramatically, and the country expanded westward. from conventional ways of life and following their own
While some individuals profited greatly from these changes, visions. Recalling this time, Whitman said, “My Book and
many others suffered. Deplorable working and living condi- I—what a period we have presumed to span! those thirty
tions in the cities led to labor disputes and eventually to the years from 1850 to ’80—and America in them!”
402 UNIT 3
Wa l t W h i t m a n
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe° and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
5 The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat,
the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning,
or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work,
or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
10 The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows,
robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.
2 Blithe means “lighthearted” or “cheerful.”
Cradling Wheat, 1938. Thomas

Hart Benton. Tempera and oil on
board, 31 x 38 in. ©T.H. Benton
and R.P. Benton Testamentary
Trusts⁄Licensed by VAGA, New
York⁄The St. Louis Art Museum,
St. Louis, MO.
Viewing the painting: Look
closely at the people in this
painting. What words might
Whitman have used to describe
them in “I Hear America
Singing”? Explain.

Twilight #4, 1997. Peter Sickles. Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in. Private collection.
When I heard the learn’d astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause
in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.
404 UNIT 3
Active Reading and Critical Thinking
Responding to Literature
Personal Response
Which of these poems by Walt Whitman did you prefer? Why? Jot down your response in your
journal and then share your thoughts with a classmate.
Analyzing Literature
Recall and Interpret
1. What occupations does the speaker say represent America? What do these occupations tell
you about Whitman’s view of his country?
2. According to line 9, what does each laborer sing about? What do the laborers’ “songs”
suggest about the work they do?
3. What does the speaker suggest happens at night? Why do you think the poem ends the
way it does?
Evaluate and Connect
4. What catalog, or list of images and details, is included in this poem? What effect does the
catalog have on your reading of the poem?
5. Look back at your responses to the Reading Focus on page 402. On the basis of this
poem, do you think Walt Whitman would agree or disagree with your ideas and with the
conclusions drawn by your classmates? Explain.

6. What techniques does the astronomer use to present information? What does this suggest
to you about the astronomer’s approach to his subject?
7. What does the speaker do in lines 6–8? What conclusions can you draw about the speaker
based on these actions?
8. How does the speaker’s method for “studying” the stars differ from the astronomer’s
method? What does this difference imply about the speaker’s values?
9. How does the use of parallelism (see page R11) reinforce the message of the poem?
10. What might be some advantages of viewing the stars as the astronomer does? as the
speaker does? Which way of viewing do you prefer?
Extending Your Response

Creative Writing Interdisciplinary Activity
Interview What would you like to ask Whitman about the Astronomy: Your View In “When I Heard the Learn’d
themes and distinctive features of “I Hear America Singing” Astronomer,” Whitman expresses one opinion about
and “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”? With a partner, astronomy. Form your own opinion by researching the
create a list of questions for Whitman and then write answers field. Report your findings to the class.
from his point of view. You may wish to role-play the inter-
Save your work for your portfolio.
view for your classmates.

A sight in camp in the daybreak gray and dim,
As from my tent I emerge so early sleepless,
As slow I walk in the cool fresh air the path near by the hospital tent,
Three forms I see on stretchers lying, brought out there untended lying,
5 Over each the blanket spread, ample brownish woolen blanket,
Gray and heavy blanket, folding, covering all.
Curious I halt and silent stand,

Then with light fingers I from the face of the nearest the first just lift the blanket;
Who are you elderly man so gaunt and grim, with well-gray’d hair, and flesh all sunken
about the eyes?
10 Who are you my dear comrade?
Then to the second I step—and who are you my child and darling?
Who are you sweet boy with cheeks yet blooming?
Then to the third—a face nor child nor old, very calm, as of beautiful yellow-white ivory;
Young man I think I know you—I think this face is the face of the Christ himself,
15 Dead and divine and brother of all, and here again he lies.
Civil War soldiers awaiting medical treatment, 1864.

The Wounded Drummer Boy, 1871.
Eastman Johnson. Oil on canvas,
40 x 36 in. The Brooklyn Museum,
New York.
Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!

Through the windows—through doors—burst like a ruthless force,
Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation,
Into the school where the scholar is studying;
5 Leave not the bridegroom quiet—no happiness must he have now with his bride,
Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering his grain,
So fierce you whirr and pound you drums—so shrill you bugles blow.
Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!

Over the traffic of cities—over the rumble of wheels in the streets;
10 Are beds prepared for sleepers at night in the houses? no sleepers must sleep in those beds,
No bargainers’ bargains by day—no brokers or speculators°—would they continue?
Would the talkers be talking? would the singer attempt to sing?
Would the lawyer rise in the court to state his case before the judge?
Then rattle quicker, heavier drums—you bugles wilder blow.
15 Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!

Make no parley°—stop for no expostulation,°
Mind not the timid—mind not the weeper or prayer,
Mind not the old man beseeching the young man,
Let not the child’s voice be heard, nor the mother’s entreaties,
20 Make even the trestles° to shake the dead where they lie awaiting the hearses,
So strong you thump O terrible drums—so loud you bugles blow.
11 Speculators are people who engage in risky business ventures hoping to make quick or large profits.
16 A parley is a conference between enemies to discuss terms of a truce or an agreement. Expostulation is the act of reasoning
with a person to correct or dissuade him or her.
20 Trestles are structures in which a beam is supported by four diverging legs.

Personal Response
Which image or idea from these two poems stands out in your mind? Why do you find that
image or idea distinctive?
1. According to the first stanza, what does the speaker see at daybreak? What item does the
speaker describe in lines 5–6? Why do you suppose the speaker might have focused on
this item?
2. Describe the first two soldiers. What do the speaker’s questions imply about his feelings
toward the soldiers?
3. To whom does the speaker compare the third soldier? What does this tell you about the
speaker’s emotional reaction to what he sees?
4. What does each soldier add to your understanding of the poem’s message?
5. How do you think you might have reacted to the situation described in the poem?

6. What instruments are mentioned in this poem? What do you think the instruments might
represent?
7. What kinds of activities do the instruments interrupt? What does the variety of activities
suggest to you about the speaker’s message?
8. According to the third stanza, what should the instruments ignore? What message does
this stanza convey? Explain your answer.
9. To whom is the poem addressed? How does this add to its impact?
10. Whitman wrote this poem in 1861 in response to the defeat of the Union army by
Confederate forces during the Civil War battle of Bull Run. What attitude toward war does
this poem express? Support your answer with details from the poem.

Creative Writing Interdisciplinary Activity
A Story Gray and Dim Write a short story based on Music History: The Sounds of Drums and Bugles
“A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim.” Think of Research Civil War drums and bugles. What did these
this brief series of encounters as the beginning of the story. instruments look like? What did they sound like? What roles
Begin by making a character list and an outline of future did these instruments play on the battlefront? Report your
events. Then complete the story and read it aloud to a group findings to the class.
of classmates.
408 UNIT 3
Before You Read
from Song of Myself
Reading Focus
Have you ever felt “connected” to nature or to all of humankind? What would it take
for you to have such feelings?
Discuss As a class, have a brief discussion of what it might mean to feel
“connected” to nature or to all of humankind and about what might make someone
feel that way.
Setting a Purpose Read to learn of the speaker’s feelings of connection to
the natural world and to all of humankind.
Building Background
Literary Influences Authors Among Ourselves
When Whitman was young, he read Homer’s classic epic In the 1840s and 1850s, the most popular novelists among
poem the Iliad while “in a shelter’d hollow of rocks and readers in the United States were the Scottish writer Sir
sand, with the sea on each side.” He felt that only the Walter Scott and the English novelist Charles Dickens.
“presence of Nature” prevented him from being completely Although Whitman admired these two authors, he deplored
overwhelmed by the experience of reading this poem. For what he described as the “tinsel sentimentality” of much of
that reason, he preferred a natural setting whenever he read European writing at that time. He asked in one of his essays,
great works of world literature. “Shall [Nathaniel] Hawthorne get a paltry seventy-five dollars
Several years later Whitman would create his own epic for a two-volume work—shall real American genius shiver
poem—Song of Myself. As in the Iliad, this poem describes with neglect—while the public run after this foreign trash?”
the journey of a hero. The hero in this poem, however, is the He urged his fellow citizens to cast aside the “unwhole-
poet himself, not a fictional or historic character, and his some reading from abroad” and look for authors among
journey is in part a spiritual one. As the poem progresses, “ourselves.”
the poet attempts to connect with the spirit of the reader, of
the American landscape, of
the American people, and,
finally, of the universe itself.
Song of Myself encour-
ages each reader to share
the poet’s journey and to cel-
ebrate his or her own heroic
spirit. In writing this work,
Whitman tries to show that
his fellow citizens are as
heroic as the “god-like or
lordly born characters” of
ancient Greece.
Eaton’s Neck, Long Island, 1872. John Frederick Kensett. Oil on canvas, 18 x 36 in. The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York.

1
I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
I loafe and invite my soul,

5 I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.
My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air,
Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,
I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,
Hoping to cease not till death.
10 Creeds and schools in abeyance,°

Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,
I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,
Nature without check with original energy.
A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands;

15 How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he.
I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.
Or I guess it is the handkerchief of the Lord,

A scented gift and remembrancer° designedly dropt,
Bearing the owner’s name someway in the corners, that we may see and remark,
and say Whose?
20 What do you think has become of the young and old men?
And what do you think has become of the women and children?
10 In abeyance means “suspended” or “in a state of being undetermined.”

18 A remembrancer is a reminder.
410 UNIT 3
Haymaking, 1864. Winslow Homer. Oil on canvas, 16 x 11 in. The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH.
Viewing the painting: In what ways does this painting capture the mood of the poem? Explain, using
details from both the painting and the poem.
They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it,
25 And ceas’d the moment life appear’d.
All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,

And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.
16
I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise,

Regardless of others, ever regardful of others,
30 Maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man,
Stuff’d with the stuff that is coarse and stuff’d with the stuff that is fine,
One of the Nation of many nations, the smallest the same and the largest the same,
A Southerner soon as a Northerner, a planter nonchalant° and hospitable down by the
Oconee° I live,
A Yankee bound my own way ready for trade, my joints the limberest joints on earth and
the sternest joints on earth,
35 A Kentuckian walking the vale of the Elkhorn in my deer-skin leggings, a Louisianian
or Georgian,
A boatman over lakes or bays or along coasts, a Hoosier,° Badger,° Buckeye;°
At home on Kanadian snow-shoes or up in the bush, or with fishermen off Newfoundland,
At home in the fleet of ice-boats, sailing with the rest and tacking,
At home on the hills of Vermont or in the woods of Maine, or the Texan ranch,
40 Comrade of Californians, comrade of free North-Westerners, (loving their big proportions,)
Comrade of raftsmen and coalmen, comrade of all who shake hands and welcome
to drink and meat,
A learner with the simplest, a teacher of the thoughtfullest,
A novice beginning yet experient of myriads of seasons,
Of every hue and caste am I, of every rank and religion,
45 A farmer, mechanic, artist, gentleman, sailor, quaker,
Prisoner, fancy-man, rowdy,° lawyer, physician, priest.
I resist any thing better than my own diversity,

Breathe the air but leave plenty after me,
And am not stuck up, and am in my place.
50 (The moth and the fish-eggs are in their place,

The bright suns I see and the dark suns I cannot see are in their place,
The palpable° is in its place and the impalpable is in its place.)
33 Nonchalant means “showing a lack of interest or enthusiasm.” The Oconee is a river in Georgia.
36 Hoosier, Badger, and Buckeye are nicknames for natives or residents of Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio, respectively.
46 A rowdy is a rough, disorderly person.
52 Palpable means “able to be touched or felt.”
412 UNIT 3
17
These are really the thoughts of all men in all ages and lands, they
are not original with me,
If they are not yours as much as mine they are nothing, or next to nothing,
55 If they are not the riddle and the untying of the riddle they are nothing,
If they are not just as close as they are distant they are nothing.
This is the grass that grows wherever the land is and the water is,
This is the common air that bathes the globe.
46
I know I have the best of time and space, and was never measured and
never will be measured.
60 I tramp a perpetual journey, (come listen all!)

My signs are a rain-proof coat, good shoes, and a staff cut from the woods,
No friend of mine takes his ease in my chair,
I have no chair, no church, no philosophy,
I lead no man to a dinner-table, library, exchange,
65 But each man and each woman of you I lead upon a knoll,°
My left hand hooking you round the waist,
My right hand pointing to landscapes of continents and the public road.
Not I, not any one else can travel that road for you,
You must travel it for yourself.
70 It is not far, it is within reach,

Perhaps you have been on it since you were born and did not know,
Perhaps it is everywhere on water and on land.
Shoulder your duds° dear son, and I will mine, and let us hasten forth,
Wonderful cities and free nations we shall fetch as we go.
75 If you tire, give me both burdens, and rest the chuff of your hand° on my hip,
And in due time you shall repay the same service to me,
For after we start we never lie by again.
This day before dawn I ascended a hill and look’d at the crowded heaven,
And I said to my spirit When we become the enfolders of those orbs, and the pleasure and
knowledge of every thing in them, shall we be fill’d and satisfied then?
80 And my spirit said No, we but level that lift to pass and continue beyond.
65 A knoll is a small, rounded hill.

73 Duds are personal belongings.
75 Chuff of your hand refers to the fat part of the palm.

You are also asking me questions and I hear you,
I answer that I cannot answer, you must find out for yourself.
Sit a while dear son,

Here are biscuits to eat and here is milk to drink,
85 But as soon as you sleep and renew yourself in sweet clothes, I kiss you with a good-by kiss
and open the gate for your egress hence.°
Long enough have you dream’d contemptible dreams,

Now I wash the gum from your eyes,
You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life.
Long have you timidly waded holding a plank by the shore,

90 Now I will you to be a bold swimmer,
To jump off in the midst of the sea, rise again, nod to me, shout, and laughingly dash with
your hair.
85 Egress hence means “departure from this place.”
The Sand Team, 1917. George Bellows. Oil on canvas, 30¹⁄₂ x 44¹⁄₄ in. The Brooklyn Museum, New York.
Viewing the painting: In your opinion, what spirit of America does this painting convey? How is it similar to or
different from Whitman’s view of the American spirit?
51
The past and present wilt—I have fill’d them, emptied them,
And proceed to fill my next fold of the future.
Listener up there! what have you to confide to me?

95 Look in my face while I snuff the sidle of evening,°
(Talk honestly, no one else hears you, and I stay only a minute longer.)
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
100 I concentrate toward them that are nigh,° I wait on the door-slab.
Who has done his day’s work? who will soonest be through with his supper?
Who wishes to walk with me?
Will you speak before I am gone? will you prove already too late?
52
The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he complains of my gab and my loitering.
105 I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,

I sound my barbaric yawp° over the roofs of the world.
The last scud° of day holds back for me,

It flings my likeness after the rest and true as any on the shadow’d wilds,
It coaxes me to the vapor and the dusk.
110 I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,

I effuse° my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,

If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,

115 But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filter and fibre your blood.
Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,

Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you.
95 Snuff the sidle of evening means “to put out the last light of the day, which is moving sideways across the sky.”
100 Nigh means “near.”
106 A yawp is a loud, sharp cry.
107 Scud refers to wind-driven clouds or rain.
111 Effuse means “to pour out or forth.”
Personal Response 13. An epic poem recounts the adventures of a hero. In
How did you react to the speaker in the poem? Explain your opinion, is the speaker of Song of Myself a hero?
your answer. Explain your answer with details from the poem.
14. Think back to the ideas you discussed for the Reading
Focus on page 409. Then use a chart to compare
Analyzing Literature Whitman’s ideas about being connected to nature and
humankind with yours.
Recall 15. What would you like to say to the speaker after reading
1. What is the main topic of section 1? What is the speaker this poem?
saying in lines 10–13 about his past learning and his
future?
2. What does the speaker say about death in lines 20–27? Literary Criticism
3. A paradox is a statement that seems to contradict itself,
One of Whitman’s contemporaries writes the following about
but may actually be true. What paradoxes does Whitman
Leaves of Grass: “What we thought ridiculous in the title is
list in section 16?
eclipsed in the pages of this . . . mass of egotism . . . .” Do
4. Summarize the speaker’s advice to his “son” in lines
you think the reviewer’s comment applies to this excerpt
73–91.
from “Song of Myself”? Write a brief critical review
5. Briefly state what the speaker is saying in sections 51
explaining your answer. Use details from the poem for
and 52.
support.
Interpret
6. How does the speaker seem to view himself in relation
to nature and to the rest of the world?
7. What do lines 20–27 suggest about the speaker’s ideas Literary ELEMENTS
of life and death?
8. What, in your opinion, do the paradoxes in section 16 Free Verse
reveal about the speaker’s feelings toward humankind? Whitman is famous for using free verse—a type of
What do these lines suggest about Whitman’s attitude poetry that has no set meter, line length, stanza
toward himself? arrangement, or rhyme. Though free verse lacks a
9. In your opinion, what is the deeper meaning of the regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, it
advice the speaker gives? Explain your answer using does not lack rhythm. Whitman used free verse
details from the poem. because it echoes the rising and falling cadences of
10. What do sections 51 and 52 suggest to you about the everyday speech.
speaker’s attitude toward the relationship between his
1. With a partner, read one of Whitman’s poems
physical body and his spirit? between humankind and
aloud, paying close attention to its rhythm. Do you
nature?
find the rhythm of the poem similar to everyday
Evaluate and Connect speech? Explain.
11. How does Whitman’s use of catalogs in this selection 2. In what ways might Song of Myself have a different
help get across his message? (See Literary Terms effect if it were written in a regular rhythm pattern?
Handbook, page R3.)
12. Which of Whitman’s ideas about nature, death, or • See Literary Terms Handbook,
people do you find most interesting? Explain, using p. R7.
details from the poem.
416 UNIT 3
Literature and Writing
Writing About Literature Creative Writing
Details, Details In Song of Myself and other poems, Celebrate! Write a short poem celebrating your America.
Whitman uses specific details to enrich his poetry. Choose Use free verse and other devices Whitman used to create
one of Whitman’s poems and list the details in that poem rhythm in his work, such as repetition and parallelism (see
that you find most powerful. Then write a few paragraphs pages R11 and R13). Begin the poem with one of the
explaining the effect those details have on the poem. For following lines:
example: Do they bring out the meaning more clearly? Do “I celebrate myself, and sing myself.”
they make the images more memorable? Be specific in “I hear America singing.”
supporting your explanations.

Literature Groups Performing
Nature, Death, and Spirit Debate whether or not Sing “a Song” With a group of classmates, prepare a
Whitman succeeds in reaching today’s reader. Consider, for choral reading of a section of Song of Myself. First decide on
example, whether his ideas about nature, death, the spirit of a portion of the poem to read. Then decide who will read
America, and the human spirit are still relevant, and whether each line or stanza: an individual, a pair of students, or the
his style remains fresh. Summarize the group’s responses entire group. Also decide when a line should be read loudly
and share the results with the class. or softly, quickly or slowly. Practice your lines on your own
and rehearse as a group until your reading sounds fluid and
Internet Connection natural. Perform the choral reading for your classmates or at
Where’s Walt? Search the Internet for sites devoted to a school assembly.
Whitman. Determine your favorite site and present a short
review of it to your classmates. Include the address, the Save your work for your portfolio.
options at the site, and any interesting facts you discovered.
VOCABULARY
SkillMinilesson
• The Latin Root pos
Latin roots form the basis of many English words. The PRACTICE Define each word below, using a
root is usually combined with a prefix, a suffix, or both. dictionary if necessary. Then discuss with a partner how
The meaning of the English word is usually related to the meaning of the Latin root pos contributes to the
the meaning of the root it contains. For example, the meaning of each word.
words disposition (line 16) and supposed (line 27), from 1. deposit 4. position
Song of Myself, contain the Latin root pos, meaning “to
2. oppose 5. expose
put” or “to place.” Disposition can be interpreted as “the
3. transpose
way a person’s temperament or mood is arranged or
placed”; suppose can mean “to place under belief.”

Before You Read
The Useless and The Butterfly Dream
Meet present-day province of Anhui or Henan. His

given name was Chuang Chou. The title Tzu,
Chuang Tzu
meaning “Master,” was added to honor his role as
“ I know about letting the world alone, not
interfering. I do not know about running things.
a founder of the way of thinking that became
known as Taoism (douiz´əm).
Letting things alone so that men will not blow Philosophers Chuang Tzu, Lao Tzu, and Lieh
their nature out of shape! Not interfering, so Tzu are considered the founders of Taoism—a phi-
that men will not be changed into something losophy based on the principle that happiness and
they are not!
” — Chuang Tzu
tranquility can be achieved by understanding one’s
own true nature and living in harmony with it.
Chuang Tzu (zhwan dz¯¯¯
oo) was born more than “Tao” is the name given to the powerful, invisi-
two thousand years ago into a world of war and ble reality believed by Taoists to be the source of
chaos. From the 900s to about 220 B.C., China was everything in the universe. Followers believe that
embroiled in civil war, as warlords fought for power if they live by Taoist principles they will eventu-
and land. In search of peace and stability, Chuang ally become good and enlightened beings. Chuang
Tzu and other philosophers tried to show China’s Tzu believed that an individual gains freedom by
rulers a better way to govern. Great thinkers living a life of purity and simplicity. In his writings,
sought to create a society in harmony with nature. he described politics, fame, and fortune as threats
Little is known of Chuang Tzu’s life. According to health, freedom, and integrity.
to one Chinese historian, Chuang may have been
born in the town of Meng, somewhere in the Chuang Tzu was born c. 369 B.C. and died c. 286 B.C.
Reading Focus New

Event 1 Event 2 perspective
Think of a time when something
made you look at your life from
an entirely different perspective.
Maybe the new view was spurred
Building Background
by a dream, an experience, or advice
from a friend. Ancient Words
The book that shares its author’s name—Chuang Tzu—is considered a masterpiece of
Chart It! Use a flow chart like
Chinese literature and philosophy. Only the first seven chapters, or “Inner Chapters,”
the one shown at the right to
are attributed to Chuang Tzu. The other writings have been added or edited over the
describe the chain of events that
centuries and contain a wide variety of stories, essays, and legends that deal with
led you to look at life from a new
Taoist philosophy. Many legends about the life of Chuang Tzu appear throughout the
perspective.
book, although historians do not consider them to be reliable.
Setting a Purpose Read to
discover the new perspectives One Legend
Chuang Tzu offers. One account of Chuang Tzu’s life says he was once offered a prestigious political
position. He flatly refused saying, “Go away! Don’t mess with me! I would rather
enjoy myself in the mud than be a slave to the ruler of some kingdom. I shall never
accept such an office, and so I shall remain free to do as I will.”
418 UNIT 3
WORLD LITERATURE
Chuang Tzu
Tr a n s l a t e d b y M a r t i n P a l m e r

Hui Tzu said to Chuang Tzu:
“All your teaching is centered on what has no use.”
Chuang replied:
“If you have no appreciation for what has no use
You cannot begin to talk about what can be used.
The earth, for example, is broad and vast
But of all this expanse a man uses only a few inches
Upon which he happens to be standing.
Now suppose you suddenly take away
All that he is not actually using
So that, all around his feet a gulf
Yawns, and he stands in the Void,
With nowhere solid except right under each foot:
How long will he be able to use what he is using?”
Hui Tzu said: “It would cease to serve any purpose.”

Magical Butterfly. Wang Wu (1632–1690) and Da Chongguang
Chuang Tzu concluded: (1623–1692). Ink and color on paper. Private collection.
“This shows
The absolute necessity
Of what has ‘no use.’ ”
Chuang Tzu
Tr a n s l a t e d b y M a r t i n P a l m e r

ONCE UPON A TIME, I, Chuang Tzu, dreamt that I was a butterfly,
flitting around and enjoying myself. I had no idea I was Chuang Tzu.
Then suddenly I woke up and was Chuang Tzu again. But I could not
tell, had I been Chuang Tzu dreaming I was a butterfly, or a butterfly
dreaming I was now Chuang Tzu?

Personal Response
What do “The Useless” and “The Butterfly Dream” leave you thinking about? Share your thoughts
with a classmate.
1. What statement does Hui Tzu first make to Chuang Tzu? What do you think the
statement means?
2. How does Chuang reply to Hui? What example does Chuang use to support his reply? Is
the example, in your opinion, an appropriate response to Hui’s statement? Explain.
3. What is Chuang’s final conclusion? Restate this conclusion in your own words and explain
what Chuang seems to be saying.
4. Did Chuang’s argument convince you? Why or why not?
5. A paradox is a statement that seems to contradict itself but may actually be true. What
effect does paradox have on your reading of the selection?

6. What does Chuang Tzu say he once dreamt? Why do you think he would want to relate
the story of such a dream?
7. During the dream, what does he have “no idea” of? Why might he have added this state-
ment to the story of his dream?
8. What does Chuang Tzu wonder when he wakes from the dream? What does this tell you
about his way of thinking?
9. What do you think the butterfly might symbolize? Do you think it is an effective
symbol? (See Literary Terms Handbook, page R16.) Explain your answer with details
from the selection.
10. What lesson, or moral, do you gain from this story? Explain your conclusion.

Personal Writing Literature Groups
Your Own Dream In your journal, write about an interest- New Views With your group, discuss the question: Do
ing and unique dream you have had. Tell what lesson you “The Butterfly Dream” and “The Useless” cause you to look
might learn from that dream. You might try to write your at life in a different way? If so, how? Review your answers to
dream in the style of Chuang Tzu. Also look for symbols in the Reading Focus on page 418 to help you. Share your ideas
your dream—like the butterfly in Chuang’s dream. with other groups.
420 UNIT 3
Critical Thinking
COMPARING
selections
and and
COMPARE IDEAS
Imagine Walt Whitman and Chuang Tzu in conversation. In a group, discuss questions
such as the following. Support your discussion with details from the selections.
1. What questions might each want to ask the other? What answers might they get?
2. What else might they talk about?
3. About what might they agree? About what might they disagree?
4. Do you think the two of them could become friends? Why or why not?
Have two group members improvise a discussion between the writers
for the class.
COMPARE IMPRESSIONS
Create illustrations that convey your impressions of Song

of Myself, “The Butterfly Dream,” and “The Useless.”
Sketch two illustrations, one for Song of Myself and
another for one or both pieces by Chuang Tzu. Then share
your work with a partner and discuss similarities and differ-
ences in your impressions.
COMPARE CULTURES Magical Butterfly. Wang Wu (1632–1690)

and Da Chongguang (1623–1692).
Whitman was influenced by an American movement known as Transcendentalism.

Chuang Tzu was a founder of an Asian way of thought called Taoism.
• Use an encyclopedia to research Transcendentalism and Taoism.
• In your own words, write five to ten sentences that tell the basic ideas of
Transcendentalism. Do the same for Taoism.
• Then write an answer to each of these questions: If Whitman had lived in China
in the time of Chuang Tzu, might he have been a Taoist? If Chuang Tzu had lived
in the United States when Whitman did, might he have accepted the ideas of
Transcendentalism? Explain, using details from your research and from the
selections.

Understanding Prefixes and Suffixes
One way to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word is to analyze its parts. If you recognize
the root, or base of a word, you are well on your way to understanding the new word’s meaning.
By learning the meanings of prefixes (word parts attached to the beginning of a word) and suf-
fixes (word parts attached to the end of a word) you can decipher new words. For example, here
is how you might analyze the word expostulation from Walt Whitman’s “Beat! Beat! Drums!”
ex postulat ion
Prefix Root Suffix

The prefix ex- The root postulate The suffix -ion
means “out of.” means “to assume or means “the act of.”
assert the truth.”
The word expostulation means “the act of reasoning with someone to correct or dis-
suade”—that is, the act of trying to talk someone out of an idea. Although a word’s parts usually
add up to its meaning, it is a good idea to confirm your interpretation with a dictionary.
Adding a prefix or a suffix to a root word creates a new word with a new meaning. For
example, some prefixes reverse the meaning of a root word; suffixes may change a word’s part
of speech. Here are some frequently used prefixes and suffixes and their meanings:
Meaning Examples
Prefixes
il-, im-, in-, ir- without, not illegal, incomplete
trans- across translate, transport
Suffixes
-able, -ible capable of laughable, visible
-ical related to symmetrical, geological
EXERCISE
Use prefixes and suffixes from the lists to help you complete the following sentences.
1. A transcontinental airline flight would fly 2. A hierarchy can be a classification of people based on
a. across a continent. their status. So, in a hierarchical society, people would
b. between more than two continents. a. all have the same status.
c. from one continent to another. b. all be related to one another.

c. be divided by their status.
422 UNIT 3
Before You Read
Dickinson’s Poetry
Meet passionate inner life. She was a poet

far ahead of her time, a poet of
Emily Dickinson
keen awareness and startling
“Forgive me if I am frightened; I originality. She created her own
never see strangers and hardly distinctive style, experimenting
know what I say,” Emily with grammar, capitalization,
Dickinson said to Thomas punctuation, rhyme, and
Wentworth Higginson the first meter—and heartily confusing
time she met him in her home in the few critics of her day who
Amherst, Massachusetts. Higginson actually saw her poems. Many
was a well-known critic, with whom years would pass before most read-
she had been corresponding for eight ers came to fully understand the
years but had never met. Indeed, genius that spoke from her poems.
Dickinson didn’t see strangers often: she No matter how common or ordinary the
rarely went out into the world or received visitors occurrence, Dickinson could find meaning in it.
in her home. A ray of afternoon sunlight coming through her
The photograph on this page is the only cur- window, a bird hopping down a walk, a long
rently authenticated image of Dickinson. In 1862 shadow on the lawn; in just eight, twelve, or six-
when Higginson wrote to ask her for her picture, teen lines, she could turn the everyday into the
she replied, “I had no portrait, now, but am small, miraculous, and the apparently meaningless into
like the wren; and my hair is bold, like the chest- the deeply meaningful. After reading Dickinson’s
nut bur; and my eyes, like the sherry in the glass, poems, critic Allen Tate rejected Dickinson’s
that the guest leaves. Would this do just as well?” description of herself as “frightened” and the
Dickinson lived almost her entire life in her world’s assessment of her life as quiet or barren.
family’s home, watching the life of Amherst from He said, “All pity for Miss Dickinson’s ‘starved
her second-story bedroom window and writing life’ is misdirected. Her life was one of the richest
poetry. She composed approximately eighteen and deepest ever lived on this continent.” So it is
hundred poems, though only seven were published that the “facts” of Dickinson’s outer life seem to
during her lifetime. After Dickinson died, her tell one story, but the proof of Dickinson’s inner
younger sister Lavinia discovered a number of life, her poetry, tells an entirely different story.
Dickinson’s poems in a dresser drawer and became
the principal agent of their publication. Dickinson
enjoyed a close relationship with Lavinia and with “forToother
live is so startling, it leaves but little room
her older brother Austin, but felt distant from her
occupations.
”
mother and intimidated by her stern, but loving,
father, who was one of Amherst’s most distin- “ and when I try to organize, my little
I had no monarch in my life, and cannot rule
myself;
guished citizens.
As she neared the end of her life, Dickinson
force explodes and leaves me bare and charred.
—Dickinson
”
hardly ever ventured downstairs, instead sending
little notes to visitors who waited below.
Dickinson’s quiet exterior, however, disguised a Emily Dickinson was born in 1830 and died in 1886.

Before You Read
Reading Focus
How important are your friends to you? What are your views of death? What is
success? What is wisdom?
Freewrite Spend three or four minutes freewriting to explore your response to
one of the questions above.
Setting a Purpose Read to learn one poet’s views of relationships, death,
success, and other topics.
Building Background
Dickinson’s Dashes Dickinson was also innovative in her use of capitalization.
and Capitalization Like most poets of her day, she capitalized the first letter of
Much of Dickinson’s poetry features her characteristic use of each line of a poem and all proper nouns. Additionally,
dashes. The dashes serve as interrupters. They signal pauses, however, she capitalized many common nouns, thereby
but more than that, they call attention to the words they calling attention to them and emphasizing their importance.
enclose. They may break off a line or thought suddenly; they
may call attention to a shift in meaning or action; they may Literary Influences
interrupt the rhythm; or they may draw attention to the Books, Dickinson once said, were her “enthralling friends.”
moment of silence they create in an oral reading of the She particularly enjoyed reading William Shakespeare, Ralph
poems. To understand these poems, you need to think about Waldo Emerson, and women writers of her day, including
not only the words but also the dashes. Each one is carefully George Eliot, Charlotte and Emily Brontë, and Elizabeth
placed, and each one affects the reading of the poem. Barrett Browning. Dickinson’s interest in the complexity and
turmoil of the human soul and in humankind’s relationship
to nature drew her to these writers. Dickinson also steeped
herself in the Bible, particularly the Book of Revelation. Her
poems refer to various religious concepts, such as heaven,
hell, sin, and immortality.
Technically, Dickinson’s poems owe much to the hymns
she heard in childhood, whose rhythms she adapted to her
poetry. Many of her poems consist of alternating six- and
eight-syllable lines. This is the most popular form of rhythm
in old Protestant hymns.
Research
Use library resources or the Internet to research Emily
Dickinson’s life. For starters, try the links related to Dickinson
on the lit.glencoe.com Web site. What makes her such a
unique and compelling figure in American literature? As you
read Dickinson’s poems, consider how your appreciation for
them is enhanced by your knowledge about her life.
Dickinson Homestead, Amherst, Massachusetts.
424 UNIT 3
Emily Dickinson
If you were coming in the Fall, If certain, when this life was out—
I’d brush the Summer by That yours and mine, should be
With half a smile, and half a spurn, 15 I’d toss it yonder, like a Rind,
As Housewives do, a Fly. And take Eternity—
5 If I could see you in a year, But, now, uncertain of the length

I’d wind the months in balls— Of this, that is between,
And put them each in separate Drawers, It goads me, like the Goblin Bee—
For fear the numbers fuse— 20 That will not state—its sting.
If only Centuries, delayed,

10 I’d count them on my Hand,
Subtracting, till my fingers dropped
Into Van Dieman’s Land.°
12 Van Dieman’s Land is the former name for Tasmania, an

island that is part of Australia.
Waiting, 1885. Clement Rollins Grant. Oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in. Private collection.
Emily Dickinson
My life closed twice before its close—

It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me
So huge, so hopeless to conceive

As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.
Emily Dickinson
The Soul selects her own Society—
Then—shuts the Door—
To her divine Majority—
Present no more—
5 Unmoved—she notes the Chariots—pausing—

At her low Gate—
Unmoved—an Emperor be kneeling
Upon her Mat—
I’ve known her—from an ample nation—

10 Choose One—
Then—close the Valves of her attention—
Like Stone—
426 UNIT 3
Personal Response
What questions would you like to ask the speakers of these poems? Make a list of these questions
in your journal.
1. What periods of time does the speaker suggest in each of the first four stanzas? What
action does the speaker take in the first four stanzas? Why, in your opinion, do the periods
of time change from stanza to stanza?
2. According to the fifth stanza, what is the speaker uncertain about? Why might she com-
pare this uncertainty to a bee’s sting?
3. Would you call this a love poem? Why or why not?
4. In this poem, what might Dickinson be saying about the nature of waiting? Do you agree?
Explain.

5. What has already happened twice to the speaker? To what kind of event might the speaker
be referring?
6. What does the speaker say about parting? How, in your opinion, do partings affect the
speaker?
7. Have you ever seen a life close before its close? What form did that closing take? Explain
your response.
8. Only one dash is used in this poem, and only one word is capitalized that isn’t at the
beginning of a line. What effect, in your opinion, do the dash and capitalized word have
on the meaning of the poem? Explain your answer.

9. What does the soul select? From among how many does the soul choose just one? What
does this suggest about the soul?
10. According to the second stanza, what things fail to “move” the soul? In your opinion, why
are the examples of what the soul is “unmoved” by significant?
11. What words does the speaker use to refer to the soul? From these words, what can you
infer about the speaker’s relationship to the soul?
12. What image do you see in your mind’s eye when you imagine the soul closing “the Valves
of her attention”? How does the use of this metaphor affect your understanding of the
poem? (See Literary Terms Handbook, page R9.)

Emily Dickinson
Much Madness is divinest Sense—
To a discerning Eye—
Much Sense—the starkest Madness—
’Tis the Majority
In this, as All, prevail—
Assent—and you are sane—
Demur°—you’re straightway dangerous—
And handled with a Chain—
7 Demur means “to hesitate” or “to protest.”
A Day Dream, 1877. Eastman Johnson. Oil on paperboard, 24 x 12 in.

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John D.
Rockefeller III.
428 UNIT 3
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne’er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar°
Requires sorest need.
5 Not one of all the purple Host°

Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of Victory
As he defeated—dying—
10 On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!
Emily Dickinson 3 Nectar is a sweet liquid secreted by plants and used by bees
in the making of honey. In Greek mythology, nectar is the
drink of the gods that makes all who drink it immortal.
5 Purple Host means “winning army.”
Taps, c. 1907–1909. William Gilbert Gaul. Oil on canvas, 32³⁄₄ x 43 in. The Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL.
How does this painting enhance your understanding of Dickinson’s message in this poem?
429
Personal Response
What new insights or ideas did the poems give you? Share your thoughts in a discussion
with classmates.
1. According to the speaker, in lines 1–3, what is sense often confused with? Who does the
speaker say knows the difference?
2. What or who determines what “Sense” of the third line is? What might the difference be
between the “Sense” in line 1 and the “Sense” in line 3?
3. According to the poem, what does a person have to do to be considered “sane”? How
would you describe the poet’s attitude toward this concept of sanity?
4. How is a person regarded who disagrees with accepted ideas? What does the last word of
the poem, chain, suggest about what happens to such a person?
5. This poem is filled with dashes. What effect, in your opinion, do they have on the poem?
What words and ideas do they seem to emphasize?
6. According to the first stanza, who most values success? What analogy does Dickinson use
to further her point? Why do you think she makes her point this way?
7. What example of success is given in the second stanza? How well do those who succeed
in this manner understand success?
8. According to the speaker, who understands success better than the “purple Host”? How
does this person react to hearing the “strains of triumph”?
9. In your own words, state Dickinson’s viewpoint on success as expressed in this poem. Do
you agree or disagree with this view? Explain your reasons.
10. Why, in your opinion, did Dickinson choose war imagery (see page R8)? If you were
writing a poem about success, what kind of imagery might you include? Explain why you
think this imagery would be effective.

Listening and Speaking Writing About Literature
Subject to Interpretation With a partner, take turns Compare and Contrast Find one similarity in these two
reading aloud this pair of poems. Vary the rhythm (see page poems and one difference between them. Then write one
R13) by emphasizing different words or pauses. Discuss how paragraph describing the similarity and one describing the
hearing the poems read in different rhythms might affect difference.
your interpretations of them.
430 UNIT 3
Emily Dickinson
I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—
The Stillness in the Room
Was like the Stillness in the Air—
Between the Heaves of Storm—
5 The Eyes around—had wrung them dry—

And Breaths were gathering firm
For that last Onset—when the King
Be witnessed—in the Room—
I willed my Keepsakes—Signed away

10 What portion of me be
Assignable—and then it was
There interposed a Fly—
With Blue—uncertain stumbling Buzz—

Between the light—and me—
15 And then the Windows failed—and then
I could not see to see—
The Bustle in a House

The Morning after Death
Emily Dickinson
Is solemnest of industries
Enacted upon Earth—
The Sweeping up the Heart

And putting Love away
We shall not want to use again
Until Eternity.

Emily Dickinson
Because I could not stop for Death— Or rather—He passed Us—
He kindly stopped for me— The Dews drew quivering and chill—
The Carriage held but just Ourselves— 15 For only Gossamer,° my Gown—
And Immortality. My Tippet°—only Tulle°—
5 We slowly drove—He knew no haste We paused before a House that seemed

And I had put away A Swelling of the Ground—
My labor and my leisure too, The Roof was scarcely visible—
For His Civility°— 20 The Cornice°—in the Ground—
We passed the School, where Children strove Since then—’tis Centuries—and yet
10 At Recess—in the Ring— Feels shorter than the Day
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain— I first surmised the Horses’ Heads
We passed the Setting Sun— Were toward Eternity—
15 Gossamer is a light gauzelike fabric.

16 A tippet is a scarf for the neck and shoulders with loose
ends that hang down in front. Tulle is fine netting used in
8 An old meaning of civility is “a community of citizens.” Among making scarves and veils.
the more modern meanings is “courtesy.” Dickinson could 20 A cornice is the projecting, decorative molding along the
have had either or both meanings in mind. top of a building.
Personal Response
Which images from these poems did you find the most surprising and memorable? Why? In
your journal, jot down the most striking words and phrases from the poems.
1. According to the first stanza, what is the atmosphere in the room like? What effect does
the buzzing fly seem to have on the speaker?
2. In lines 5 and 6, what are the “eyes” and “breaths” doing? What do the “eyes” and
“breaths” await? Explain your answer.
3. According to stanzas three and four, what does the fly come between? What happens
next? In your opinion, what point about dying does the speaker make in this poem?
4. How does Dickinson’s account of someone dying compare with other representations you
have read or seen?

5. What words does the speaker use that suggest everyday household chores? In your opin-
ion, is the poem really referring to everyday household chores? Explain.
6. According to the second stanza, when will we again “use” the love we put aside on the
morning after death? What does this suggest about Dickinson’s religious faith?
7. In your opinion, is bustle helpful or burdensome in times of grief? Explain why you think
as you do.
8. An analogy is a comparison between two things to show their similarities. What analogy
does the speaker make in this poem? Explain whether this is an effective comparison.

9. According to the first stanza, why does “Death” stop? In your own words, describe how
“Death” is portrayed.
10. What places and things does the speaker pass while taking the ride with “Death”? What
might these places and things represent?
11. What revelation does the speaker make in the last stanza? Why? What can you infer from
this about the speaker’s attitude toward death?
12. If you were to write a poem on this topic, what places and things would the speaker pass
in your poem? How do you think the speaker would be dressed? Where do you think the
speaker would end up?

Elaborating on an Idea
Elaboration is the filling in of details that flesh out an idea. In “Because I could not stop for
Death,” Emily Dickinson elaborates on the carriage journey with specific details. For example,
when the speaker mentions passing a school, she describes the children at recess. Elaboration
not only enriches poetry, it also adds depth and clarity to prose. Forms of elaboration include
the following:
• facts • quotations
• statistics • reasons
• expert opinions • examples
• anecdotes • details
The kind of writing you do determines how you will elaborate. To prove a point, you might
elaborate by using facts and quotations. For example, in a letter to protest the loss of a
neighborhood park you might include
• the results of a poll showing that 150 preschool children use the playground equipment
several times a week.
• a quote from the former mayor: “Without Poplar Park, many community families will have
to travel several miles to get to a picnic area or sports fields.”
To describe someone or something, you might use vivid details.
Jonathan Marks finished the last bit of oatmeal in his

bowl, got to his feet, and ambled to the sink to wash
his dishes. He walked to the door, checked the empty
mailbox, and brought in the morning newspaper.
“Max,” he said to the old mixed-breed hound devotedly
following him, “wait until I reread this letter my niece
wrote last week. Then we’ll go for our morning walk.”
In your writing, be sure to use the type of elaboration that will best support your purpose.
ACTIVITIES
1. Use facts and expert opinions to elaborate for your parents on the reasons you need a laptop
computer (or some other item you desire).
2. Use examples and an anecdote to describe one friend to another.
434 UNIT 3
Emily Dickinson
There’s a certain Slant of light,

Winter Afternoons—
That oppresses, like the Heft°
Of Cathedral Tunes—
5 Heavenly Hurt, it gives us—

We can find no scar,
But internal difference,
Where the Meanings, are—
None may teach it—Any—

10 ’Tis the Seal° Despair—
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the Air—
When it comes, the Landscape listens—

Shadows—hold their breath—
15 When it goes, ’tis like the Distance
On the look of Death—
3 Here, heft means “heaviness.”

10 Here, seal means “emblem.”
Emily Dickinson
At the Window, 1870. Karl Harald Alfred Broge. Oil on canvas, 21 x 17¹⁄₄ in.
Private collection.
This is my letter to the World

That never wrote to Me—
The simple News that Nature told—
With tender Majesty
Her Message is committed°

To Hands I cannot see—
For love of Her—Sweet—countrymen—
Judge tenderly—of Me
5 Committed means “entrusted.”
436 UNIT 3
Personal Response
What reactions did you have while reading these poems?
1. When does the speaker observe the “certain Slant of light”? What effect does the light
have on the speaker?
2. In the third stanza, what words or phrases does the speaker use to name the slant of light?
What can you infer about the speaker’s feelings toward the light?
3. What happens when the light comes, and what happens when it goes? What might the
light symbolize, or represent?
4. Have you ever experienced the kind of winter afternoon light the speaker describes? What
might be different about the light or a person’s mood on a winter afternoon than at other
times of year or day?
5. What feelings does Dickinson evoke as she describes that “certain Slant of light”? Does she
bring out these feelings effectively? Use details from the poem to explain your answer.
6. Personification is the giving of human qualities or characteristics to an object, an idea, or
an animal. Identify two or more examples of personification in this poem. Explain how
they affect the poem’s meaning.

7. To whom is the speaker’s letter addressed? To what do you think the speaker is referring
with the words “my letter”?
8. What “News” does the letter contain? What, in your opinion, is the speaker’s relationship
to nature?
9. What plea does the speaker make in the second stanza? Why do you think the speaker
makes this plea?
10. Do you think this poem would make a suitable introduction to a collection of Dickinson’s
work? Explain your answer.
11. What new impressions of Dickinson did this poem give you?
12. If you could send a letter to the world, what would it say?
Literary Criticism
“Anything transient, particular, or small,” argues scholar imagination in “There’s a certain Slant of light”? What
Ruth Miller, “enlivens [Dickinson’s] imagination and ideas or emotions does the small thing seem to
leads to an intuition of a profound truth—regeneration, suggest to Dickinson? Discuss your answers with a
immortality.” What small thing enlivens Dickinson’s partner.

Literary ELEMENTS
Slant Rhyme
Slant rhyme, also called imperfect rhyme or eye rhyme, 1. Identify one other use of slant rhyme in “I heard a Fly
refers to the words at the ends of lines of poetry that buzz when I died.”
almost—but don’t quite—rhyme. Dickinson makes constant 2. Identify the two examples of slant rhyme in “The
use of slant rhyme in her poems. For example, in “I heard Bustle in a House.”
a Fly buzz when I died,” the words room and storm, 3. Identify two other examples of the use of slant rhyme
which appear at the ends of lines 2 and 4, almost rhyme. in poems by Emily Dickinson. Give at least one reason
Similarly, the words be and fly, at the ends of lines 10 and why Dickinson may have chosen to use slant rhyme in
12, are slant rhymes. In this case, the words do not almost each case.
rhyme; instead, they end with letters that sometimes • See Literary Terms Handbook, p. R13.
rhyme or may look as if they rhyme.
Literature and Writing

Writing About Literature Creative Writing
Identify Themes On the basis of the poems you have read Remodeling Job Take one of the topics expressed in
in the last four lessons, what would you identify as the Dickinson’s poems, such as “Death” picking up a rider and
themes, or central messages, of Emily Dickinson’s poetry? taking the rider to the cemetery, and present the topic in a
You might begin by jotting down notes about the theme of different form. For example, you might choose to create a
each poem in this lesson. Then write two or three para- cartoon, comic strip, diary entry, monologue, script, or
graphs in which you identify Dickinson’s primary themes and itinerary. Title your work with a relevant quote from
give examples of how she explores them through her poetry. Dickinson’s poetry.
Finally, compare Dickinson’s themes with the ideas you
expressed in the freewriting you did for the Reading Focus
on page 424.

Literature Groups classmates. Be sure to provide others with the Internet
Finding the Meaning With your group, go back over two address and a description of the options at the site. Describe
or three poems and identify words, phrases, and lines that those aspects of the site that make visiting it a worthwhile
you found difficult to understand. Discuss these passages experience or explain why you think the site falls short of
with one another and offer ideas on how to interpret them. expectations.
Build an interpretation of each poem based on everyone’s
combined input. Be ready to share your interpretations Performing
with the class. Play Charades Working as a group, choose an image or
scene from one of the poems to act out for another group.
Internet Connection See how quickly others can identify the poem. When you are
Visit Emily Dickinson On-line The life of this very private done, watch the charades of other groups and identify the
poet has become very public on the Internet. Conduct a poems they correspond to.
search to find Web sites devoted to Dickinson’s life and
poetry. Visit one site and present a short review of it to your Save your work for your portfolio.
438 UNIT 3
Web Page
Imitation, people say, is the highest
form of flattery. Does that statement
include humorous imitation, or par-
ody? The poems below placed first and
second in an on-line Emily Dickinson
Parody Poetry Contest.
Address: http://lal.cs.byu.edu/mlists/emweb/
Dear Emwebbers: 2nd Place Parody:

I have received several requests to post the Punctuations * My forte”-
prize-winning poems for the Emily Dickinson Its ^ importunate To me;
Parody Poetry Contest. The winning poems Tha’t > weve been taut t:articulate.
will now be submitted to the Emily Our ‘comma_s for a fee @
Dickinson International Society Bulletin to
be considered for publication: I—Dash—Around—Tween—Capitals—
—More—Trippingly—Than—Thee—
But [it’s} is Belladonna°
1st Place Parody: To all the World—but Me $
The Apple falls—its own Society—
Then—hits the Floor— Copyright 1996, Robert M. Hogge
On leafy fibrous Limb—on Tree— The contest was a success, so we plan to
Present no more—Soon but a Core— make it an annual event. You may begin
drafting your entries now, but they won’t
Unmoved—Core notes the maggots be due until early next year. Thank you for
come—Ceding your interest.
To their quick Gate—
Seeds slide down Slow—and bury deep
In Nature’s Mat— ° Belladonna is a poisonous plant, yet the word also
suggests a beautiful woman.
From one, Spring five—in glorious
Appellation—
The Five—too—Fall—All rotten to the
Core—
And not just Five beget—but More—
A Whole sweet Apple Nation.
Copyright 1996, Christopher Lund Analyzing Media
1. Do you think these parodies accu-
rately capture Dickinson’s “voice”?
Why or why not?
2. Do you think people involved in a
contest such as this one would
like or dislike Dickinson’s poetry?
Explain.
439
Writing Workshop
Expository Writing: Analyzing a Poem E VALUATION R UBRIC
By the time you complete this Writing
U sing relatively few words, poets can communicate vast meanings and evoke Workshop, you will have
deep emotions. How do they do it? They use rhythm, sound, form, figurative • clearly stated your interpretation of
language, and numerous other methods to get the most out of their words. a poem
As a reader, you try to understand the poem, and one of the best ways to • analyzed how the poet’s use of
understand a poem is to write an analysis of it. In this workshop, you will techniques helps convey the
analyze a poem by identifying its meaning and then writing an essay that message of a poem
explains how various techniques help create that meaning. You may choose • cited quotations from the poem to
a poem from this theme or any other poem that appeals to you. support your analysis
• presented an analysis that is free
of errors in grammar, usage, and
• As you write your analysis, refer to the Writing Handbook, pp. R62—R77. mechanics
The Writing Process

PREWRITING
PREWRITING TIP
Keep a dictionary Explore ideas
beside you as you read Choose a poem from this unit or any poem that has made a strong impression on you. For
the poem. You will example, you might want to write about a poem that gave you a surprising view of death, as in
need to understand the
Dickinson’s “I heard a Fly buzz when I died.” Or you might choose a poem that expresses your
meaning of each word.
own feelings about nature, as in Whitman’s Song of Myself. Then use the following steps to help
you get inside the poem.
• Read the poem once all the way through, noting how it makes you feel and any new insights
it provides.
• Read the poem again, highlighting sections you might not understand.
• Read it a third and fourth time, jotting down questions, thoughts, feelings—anything you
think of.
• Discuss the poem with a partner. Remember, though, that you don’t have to agree on
everything.
Choose an audience
You can write your poetry analysis for other high school students. Perhaps your class can even put
together a literary magazine with articles on favorite poems.
Consider your purpose

No matter who your audience is, you must explain your interpretation of the poem and show
how the poet conveys that meaning. To do this, you will have to identify the techniques the poet
uses and give examples from the poem.
440 UNIT 3
Writing Workshop
Make a plan
In the introduction to your essay, state your interpretation of the poem’s meaning. You will also
want to summarize the techniques that the poet uses to convey the meaning. Then, in the body
of your essay, you will devote a separate paragraph to each technique. The chart below will help
you plan the content of your essay.
STUDENT MODEL
Meaning Does the poem focus on an idea? Does it focus Song of Myself focuses on Whitman’s
on a feeling? ideas of freedom, diversity, and energy—
What message is the poet trying to convey? qualities that Whitman believes are
truly American. He makes me feel
enthusiasm for the country.
Form Do the poem’s form and content seem related? The flow of Whitman’s lines and his use
Has the poet done anything unusual with of alliteration and assonance create a
punctuation or capitalization? If so, how does rhythm and energy that reflect
that help communicate the poet’s message? Whitman’s beliefs about the American
character. His punctuation and
capitalization are pretty normal, which
makes his meaning clearer because they
don’t distract readers from his basic
intentions.
Meter Does the poem have regular meter, or is it Whitman uses mostly free verse, which
written in free verse? helps convey his ideas about America’s
Why might the poet have chosen one free, enterprising spirit.
pattern instead of another?
Language What images does the poet create? To what Imagery reflects his wish to be in
senses do the images appeal? harmony with Earth. Figures of speech
Does the poet use figurative language, such reinforce his connections with the
as metaphors or similes? natural world. For example, he uses
Does the poem contain any symbols? personification when he speaks of the
Do the imagery and figurative language help hawk’s accusing him. He also uses
you see new connections between ideas? metaphor to emphasize his connection
How do the imagery and figurative language to Americans from many regions.
help bring out the poem’s meaning?
Speaker Is there a definite speaker? If so, does the The speaker is a bold, individualistic
speaker’s identity affect the poem’s meaning? person—Whitman himself—who sees
himself relating fully to American
Remember you don’t need to discuss all the techniques mentioned in experience.
the chart. Focus on the ones that contribute to the meaning of the
poem you are writing about and discuss them in order of importance. Complete Student Model on p. R99.

Writing Workshop
DRAFTING
DRAFTING TIP
Keep your plan in mind, Draft openings STUDENT MODEL
but don’t be afraid to When drafting, you can
change it if you discover experiment with differ- FIRST OPENING SECOND OPENING
new ideas about the ent openings until you In Song of Myself, Walt Walt Whitman’s Song of
poem as you draft. Whitman attempts to write Myself is a truly American
find the best way to get
your readers’ attention. a poem celebrating those poem. Almost every aspect
One approach is to qualities he feels are truly of the poem—including the
begin your essay with a American. He employs a flowing lines, its imagery
provocative question. variety of techniques to and figurative language,
illustrate his belief that and its speaker’s voice—
Write your draft
America is a unique contribute to its
Elaborate on each point
country, characterized by celebration of American
you make by giving
freedom, diversity, qualities such as freedom,
examples from the
poem. For more help and energy. diversity, and energy.
with elaboration, refer to
Complete Student Model on p. R99.
Writing Skills page 434.
REVISING
REVISING TIP
Make sure the lines you Evaluate your work
cite from the poem are Let your draft sit for at least a few hours before you begin revising it. Then look for places where
stated correctly. you could have expressed your ideas more clearly. Using the Rubric for Revising as a guide,
TECHNOLOGY TIP
make revisions to your draft.
Use the cut-and- Talk it over R UBRIC FOR R EVISING
paste function
Read your essay aloud to a partner. Take notes on Your revised analysis of a poem
on your computer
to be sure your sen-
your partner’s comments and questions, and should have
tences and paragraphs consider his or her responses as you revise. an opening that clearly states
are concise. Cut out your interpretation
all words, phrases, a discussion of the poet’s techniques
and sentences that STUDENT MODEL
as they relate to your interpretation
are redundant or eve n p art i cu larl y quotations and examples from the
unnecessary. But without the really American poem to support your analysis
figu rat i ve
meter and the use of language, this a conclusion that summarizes your
poem’s truly American spirit would
main points
jus t Your revised essay should be free of
come through only from the
unsupported claims about the
speaker’s powerful voice. poem’s meaning or content
i n cre di bl y s t ro ng
grammatical errors or illogical
Complete Student Model on p. R99. thoughts that make the meaning
unclear
442 UNIT 3
Writing Workshop
EDITING/PROOFREADING
PROOFREADING TIP
When you are satisfied with the content and flow of your essay, proofread it carefully for errors in Use the Proofreading
grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling. Checklist on the inside
back cover of this book
to help you mark errors
that you find.
Grammar Hint
Nonessential appositives should be preceded and followed
by commas.
To see if an appositive is nonessential, ask yourself, “Does
the sentence still make sense without the appositive?”
Song of Myself, a poem first published in 1855, is a truly American
poem.
The appositive phrase, a poem first published in 1855, is
not essential to the meaning of the sentence and therefore
is set off by commas.
• For more on using commas, see Language Handbook, p. R53.
STUDENT MODEL
Complete Student Model
Leaves of Grass one of the greatest books in American For a complete version of the model
Literature is admired around the world. developed in this workshop, see Writing
Workshop Models, p. R99.
Complete Student Model on p. R99.
PUBLISHING/PRESENTING
PRESENTING TIP
If you are planning to put together a class literary magazine, agree on ways to make the essays Giving your essay an
look similar. For example, you might decide to use the same lettering and the same size head- intriguing title will help
ings. If you are presenting your essay to teachers or classmates, make the copy as attractive as focus your readers’
you can. Remember to check it one final time for mistakes. attention on what you
want to say.
Reflecting
Think about the writing experience you have just had. In your journal, reflect on other ways you
might use the analyzing skills you developed while writing this essay. What would you do dif-
ferently in your next analysis of a literary work?

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH
Unit Assessment
Personal Response Evaluate and Set Goals
1. Which selection in Unit 3 made the strongest impres- Evaluate

sion on you? What created this impression—the events 1. What was the most significant thing you contributed to
of a story, the language and imagery of a poem, the the class as you studied this unit?
facts you learned, or some other element? 2. Which aspect of this unit was the most interesting
2. Which selection or selections taught you the most to you?
about our nation’s history? • What made it so interesting?
3. What new ideas do you have about understanding his- • In what ways could you pursue this interest
tory through different kinds of literature? further?
4. How did the poems in Unit 3 affect your feelings and 3. How would you assess your work in this unit using the
ideas about poetry? following scale? Give at least two reasons for your
assessment.
4 = outstanding 3 = good 2 = fair 1 = weak
Analyzing Literature 4. If you had another week to work on this unit, what
would you hope to learn? What would you hope to
Compare and Contrast A number of the selections in make or create? What skills would you hope to
Unit 3 focus on the topics of slavery and the Civil War. strengthen?
Choose one of those topics and then select two pieces of
literature from Unit 3 on that topic. (Count Whitman’s Set Goals
two Civil War poems as one selection.) Explain the ways 1. Set a goal for your work in the next unit. Try to focus
the two pieces are alike and different. For example, do on improving a skill such as writing or listening.
they provide similar or different viewpoints? Do they 2. Discuss your goal with your teacher.
convey impressions and lessons that are similar or 3. Plan specific steps to achieve the goal.
different? Which piece taught you more about the topic 4. Plan checkpoints at which you can judge your work.
you chose? 5. Think of a method to evaluate your finished work.
Build Your Portfolio

Select From the writing you have done for this unit, Reflect Include some explanatory notes with the port-
choose two pieces to put in your portfolio. Use the follow- folio pieces you have chosen. Use these questions to
ing questions as guides when choosing: guide you:
• Which taught you the most? • What are the piece’s strengths and weaknesses?
• Which are you likely to share? • What did working on the piece teach you about writing
• Which was the most fun to do? (or about other skills the piece displays)?
• Which was the most difficult to complete? • How would you revise the piece today to make it
stronger?
444 UNIT 3
UNIT ASSESSMENT
Reading on Your Own

If you have enjoyed the literature in this unit, you America Goes to War:
might also be interested in the following books. The Civil War and Its
Meaning in American
Culture
by Bruce Catton Catton
The Red Badge of Courage offers many interesting
by Stephen Crane A Civil War and useful facts and
soldier’s grand notions of glory insights into the Civil War.
abandon him as he faces the The author also relates the
slaughter of battle. Crane had no Civil War to more current
experience of warfare when he events in American and
wrote this novel, yet he successfully world history.
depicts the experiences, the terror,
and the bravery of an ordinary
soldier.
The Negro’s Civil War: How American Blacks Felt and

Acted During the War for the Union
by James M. McPherson This book reads like a well-written
diary with the addition of historical explanations. Numerous
quotations from letters, speeches, newspaper articles, and books
reveal the ideas and feelings of African American Union soldiers
in their own words. Photographs, songs, tables, and charts offer
a variety of additional source materials.
Rebel Private: Front and Rear

by William A. Fletcher In this memoir, a former
Confederate soldier tells of the harsh realities of the Civil
War. Fletcher describes many important battles, including
the Battle of Gettysburg. The book provides an interesting
perspective—that of an ordinary citizen and Confederate
soldier.

Standardized Test Practice
Directions: The following sentences test your knowledge of grammar, usage, diction
(choice of words), and idiom.
Some sentences are correct.
No sentence contains more than one error.
You will find that the error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. Elements of the
sentence that are not underlined will not be changed. In choosing answers, follow the
requirements of standard written English.
If there is an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the
sentence correct. Write the corresponding letter on your paper.
If there is no error, select answer E.
1. Despite the community’s urgent appeal, 4. The doctor omitted from his article any
A A
the city government decided to build a mention of subjects who had experienced
B B
new highway through the park and close adverse reactions to the medication
C C
the park for an indecisive period. No error prescribed for them. No error
D E D E
2. No matter how cautious mountain bikes 5. An administrator at the state university

A B
are ridden, they are capable of damaging announced that an extraordinarily high
C D A B
the land over which they travel. No error percentage of their fund-raising results
E C
directly from money donated to it by
3. People are sometimes employed to complete D
A generous alumni. No error
a small part of one process in one section E
of one company, and so having no sense 6. Many scholars have written about the
B A
of the process in its entirety. No error Renaissance, but never before has the
C D E B C
contributions of the painters been
so completely recorded. No error

D E
446 UNIT 3
Standardized Test Practice
Directions: The following sentences test correctness and effectiveness of expression. In

choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English; that is, pay
attention to grammar, choice of words, sentence construction, and punctuation.
In each of the following sentences, part of the sentence or the entire sentence is
underlined. Beneath each sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined
part. Choice A repeats the original; the other four are different.
Choose the answer that best expresses the meaning of the original sentence and write
the corresponding letter on your paper. If you think the original is better than any of the
alternatives, choose it; otherwise choose one of the others. Your choice should produce
the most effective sentence—clear and precise, without awkwardness or ambiguity.
1. Jean Louis David’s art depicts classical 3. For many a talented writer, being free to
figures and they were both historically create is more important than being highly
and stylistically accurate for the neo- paid.
classical period. (A) being free to create is more important
(A) figures and they were (B) having freedom to create is more
(B) figures that were important
(C) figures, being that they were (C) there is more importance in the
(D) figures, and making them freedom to create
(E) figures, they (D) freedom to create has more
importance
2. The community center, once about to (E) to have the freedom to create is more
close due to lack of funds, is now a busy, important
fun place to visit.
(A) The community center, once about 4. In most offices, employees keep copies of
to close due to lack of funds, is all documents, a focus on detail that is
(B) The community center was once important.
about to close due to lack of funds, (A) a focus on detail that is important
it is (B) inasmuch as they show a focus on
(C) The community center that once detail, it is important
having been about to close due to (C) this makes it important in showing
lack of funds is their focus on detail
(D) The community center, because it (D) an idea that is important in showing
was once about to close due to lack their focus on detail
of funds, is (E) which is important and it shows a
(E) The community center was once focus on detail
about to close due to lack of funds,
and it is

American Literature RC 2002 - Unit1t05

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5 Two New American Voices

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 397

ELEMENTS OF POETRY MODELS

• A simile is a figure of speech that uses words such

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 399

Stolen Whitman Papers Surface After 50 Years

F our long-lost notebooks

Meet content. One poet, John

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 401

The Time and Place

2 Blithe means “lighthearted” or “cheerful.”

Cradling Wheat, 1938. Thomas

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 403

Recall and Interpret

Extending Your Response

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 405

Curious I halt and silent stand,

Civil War soldiers awaiting medical treatment, 1864.

Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!

Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!

15 Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 407

Recall and Interpret

Extending Your Response

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 409

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

I loafe and invite my soul,

10 Creeds and schools in abeyance,°

A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands;

Or I guess it is the handkerchief of the Lord,

10 In abeyance means “suspended” or “in a state of being undetermined.”

All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,

I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise,

I resist any thing better than my own diversity,

50 (The moth and the fish-eggs are in their place,

The palpable° is in its place and the impalpable is in its place.)

60 I tramp a perpetual journey, (come listen all!)

70 It is not far, it is within reach,

65 A knoll is a small, rounded hill.

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 413

Sit a while dear son,

Long enough have you dream’d contemptible dreams,

Long have you timidly waded holding a plank by the shore,

85 Egress hence means “departure from this place.”

Listener up there! what have you to confide to me?

105 I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,

The last scud° of day holds back for me,

110 I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,

I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,

You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,

Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,

Extending Your Response

options at the site, and any interesting facts you discovered.

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 417

Meet present-day province of Anhui or Henan. His

Reading Focus New

Hui Tzu said: “It would cease to serve any purpose.”

THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH 419

Recall and Interpret

Extending Your Response

Create illustrations that convey your impressions of Song

COMPARE CULTURES Magical Butterfly. Wang Wu (1632–1690)

Whitman was influenced by an American movement known as Transcendentalism.