Journal # 41: Emily Dickinson poem "I stepped from plank to plank"

The poem that I chose to read was "I stepped from plank to plank." Line one, "I stepped from plank to plank" (Dickinson), which is also the title of the poem, seems to be, at face value, just walking on planks. What comes to mind is someone carefully stepping around, trying to avoid touching the ground, or falling through. It could be that the person walking is very careful, and wants to take their time, least they fall through. "So slow and cautiously"(Dickinson), the second line seems to reinforce this idea. If they fail to be cautious, perhaps death could await them, or some other fate.
"The stars about my head I felt, about my feet the sea"(Dickinson), follows. It brings to mind a peaceful night on the ocean, but it could also be danger. Night is the setting for many horror movies, and in the water one could easily drown. "I knew not but the next would be my final inch" (Dickinson) seems to be writing about the dangers that face her. This poem is a metaphor for life. Someone can't know when they are going to die, or what life has in store for them. "This gave me that precarious gait some call experience" (Dickinson) is like the end of her life. She knows that only at the end of life, she knows that only at the end of life are you able to know enough to be confident in life. She describes it as a "precarious" gait. This could mean that she isn't choosing to be walk with a gait, but it just happens because of experience. Someone who has experience knows that they have lived life most of the way through. Experience really only comes with age. She, in her old age, has become experienced by living through life. She is writing how, no matter how careful you are, or how ever far in life you get; we all die. It's kind of like a "dust in the wind" thing. Even though life is a beautiful thing to live through, eventually you will fall into the ocean, no matter how experienced.

Dickinson. "The Poetry of Emily Dickinson. Complete Poems of 1924. Bartleby.com." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. .

Journal #35:War Correspondent

I'm sitting next to a young man. He looks to no older than nineteen, still a child. He has a look of fear on his face, knowing what awaits him, but not knowing when it will come. We are in a complex system of trenches, about thirty miles outside of the nearest town. There are men yelling a few meters away, but John, for that's what he says his name is, doesn't seem to notice. He looks around, but doesn't seem to see anything. I ask him again, this time he seems to snap out of his thousand meter stare.
"How long have you been here? The Wagner Defensive line, that is? (This is the main defense against the Alliance).
"I'm not sure anymore. It seems like it's been years, but that can't be right."
"OK, next question then. Where did you come from?" (For the readers who have been under a rock for the last five years, there are multiple countries in the Multi-National Defense Force).
"I was in Canada, I think. At least that's where I was when I was called into service. But as to where I was born, I'm not sure."
"You're... not sure? I'm sorry, I don't understand."
"And you never will." He starts to get defensive. "The war destroyed my home and we fled to North America before we were killed by the men who were called the police. Then the MDF called on everyone to join up, so I did. What choice did I have?" He starts to yell. "You don't know what it's like. You're a reporter, you don't fight. You just write about it." He looks down, the anger draining from his voice. "Sorry. What's the next question?"
We continue for ten more minutes, when an air raid siren sounds. John gets a look of fear on his face. Before I can ask him anymore, he sits up and runs down the trench. He knows what's about to happen. I can hear a low buzzing sound now. In a few seconds it turns into a scream. I hear a man holler, "Incoming! Get your heads down!"
Before he can get the word "heads" out, a formation of three planes come falling out of the sky, and let loose their deadly cargo. The bombs hit the ground, an explosion throws dirt into the air. Men scream, and the cry of "medic!" echos all around. Now rifles start to fire, their quick staccato sound makes my ears ring. The sharp crack of the more powerful rifles punctuate the symphony of the battle. A machine gun opens up, adding even more noise a chaos to the battle. The burning smell of gunpowder fills my nose.
As I write this, dear readers, hell on earth surrounds me. I walk through the trenches in a daze, seeing the horror, but strangely not hearing anything. I look down to my left. Laying on the ground, is a man, missing his right leg, and a gaping hole in his stomach. I read the name on his uniform. PFC DOUGLASS. I don't recognize the name, but as I stand there, staring, he makes a noise, a gurgling sound. I see his face, burned and covered in black, his face partially charred away. I don't see anything at first, but then I realize I've seen his face before. It's John.
I can now tell what he is mouthing. Water. I look around for a canteen, in not finding one I try my best to convey my regret that I cannot grant his dying wish. I bend over, and grasp his hand. It's covered in blood. He smiles, and closes his eyes forever. I let his hand fall, but in my hand is a picture. It is somehow only partially burned. I looks like a young woman. On the back it says something, but I cannot tell what. My hearing comes back to me, a man is shouting at me to get down and crawl over to him. To safety. I do, and now I sit in a reinforced bunker, safe from the hellfire that consumes the ground above me.
This is war. This is what happens. This is what is happening now, as you sit on your couch, or eat your lunch, or watch t.v. Young men die in the thousands on the bloody fields of Hades. This is the pure, unadulterated truth. Remember the boys who keep you safe. Don't forget their names. Remember the sacrifice they made for you, and the freedom that you enjoy.

"I Will FIght No More Forever"

"I Will Fight No More Forever" is a speech that was written by Chief Joseph, who is of the Nez Perce tribe. Usually, the Nez Perce tribe tended to be somewhat inclined to fight, and therefore was one of the more warlike tribes. This speech, however, is about how Chief Joseph is giving up the fighting that he and his people went through. He says he wants to have time to look for his children and see how many he can find. This is a Realism speech mainly because the events in the speech actually happened. Also, because Chief Joseph wrote this as a speech, it was written in the vernacular with the intent to be devilered to an audience oraly. There is not really any form of Regionalism present in this speech, and there are not any defining characteristics of Naturalism. I really do not see how speeches are supposed to be able to be classified into Realism or not. Obviously if you are going to give a speech, you would be talking about realistic events. So one could come to the conclusion that all speeches would have to be at least somewhat Realistic.

This speech showcases what it was like emotionally, physically, and mentally for these proud people who had been reduced to running because it was their only other option. It really had become a sad state of affairs and I am not above blaming the feds. This speech was their formal complaint, delivered in a way so diplomatic that any outsider who heard it would not have realized what the subtext had meant. They were truly a devious people, something lacking in today's world. Realism is all about being true to the world around you and so on and so forth. Realism is really what is in this speech, real pain, real loss, real grief and sadness, written down and given to others as a way to share their grief and deal with their losses. It is almost never pretty and hardly ever will be. Real life sucks, that is just the way it is, and no one can change it. Realism is dealing with the hand you were dealt, not trying to cut a deal with the dealer or trying to buy your way out of anything. It won’t happen. Realism is the acknowledgement and acceptance of fate.

Chief Joseph's speech was a sad speech yet it was also inspiring in a way. Had he said that we will fight one more battle and hope that we all die instead of facing captivity as their no longer wanted pets, all of his people would have taken up weapons and faced the troops, taking as many as they could to the rainbow god. He talks about how everyone they loved is dead and how that they are running out of leaders who possess the wisdom that is needed in times like these (Chief). He goes on to talk about how sad and tired he and his heart are (Chief). Fighting is never relaxing on a body or mind. He just keeps emphasizing the point that his heart is tired and he knows what he must do to preserve the life of his people (Chief).

Edwin Arlington Robinson – "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy"

The two poems written by Edwin Arlington Robinson titled "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy" both display the common characteristics that come along with Realism. The characters in the poems are fairly average and are really nothing special or amazing, which is a large part of Realism. The writing styles of the poems are also very simple and the thoughts conveyed are very to the point and easy to understand.

Problems with society are present in both of these stories because the other people, whether in the town or in dreams, push each character into the ending of both stories. Cory commits suicide because of the envy the townspeople have over him and Cheevy can only dream of the places he could be because society has dropped him off at the bar, probably leaving him no money source or anything else to do all day. Once again, religion and government have nothing to do with either of these poems from Robinson. Nature is unimportant, also, even though it touches it briefly in "Richard Cory." Human nature, however, is important in both stories. Richard Cheevy is driven to the point of madness because of the suppressing atmosphere in which he lives. He is admired by so many people because of the things he had, but he does not like it or want it to continue; in general, huaman nature is difficult to describe.

The focus on the setting, the simple style, and the theme that comes from the focus on the setting combined with the characters are what make this a great work of Regionalism. The story of the people of a small, Midwestern town is the perfect way to display the characteristics of Regionalism as there are many things particular to the Midwest that can add to create a setting that embodies the entire theme of the story.

These works do not display any qualities of Naturalism. This is due to the fact that they do not involve any science or Social Darwinism. These works also do not belong under the category of Regionalism. This is due to the fact that they have nothing to do with describing culture, landscape, or vernacular. These works reflect society rather well. This is because they state the general truth that everyone wants something they cannot have. These works do not involve government or religion. Both works also do not involve nature. These works do not involve any aspect of The American Dream, and there is also no defined hero throughout the two works.

Despite having a lot to do with the Realism period, neither of these two poems have much of a connection with the Naturalism part of Realism. There is nothing to do with science and analytical thinking or philosophy in the poems. Regionalism is definitely not a big presence in the poems either. There is nothing to do with the setting or the region the stories take place in. Society is a presence in the stories, however. Society plays a big part on how both Richard and Miniver feel about themselves. Human nature is brought into the poems because of what Miniver and Richard think and feel and how they handle their emotions.There are no substantial mentions of religion or government in the poems, and nothing about nature either. For Richard and Miniver, the American Dream to have something that is simply unattainable to either of them. There is no figurative, flowery language to soften up the story, nor are their happy heroes who get everything they want.

Masters, Edgar Lee. "Spoon Rivers Anthology." Bartleby: Great Books Online. 2011. Online. http://www.bartleby.com/84/index.html. February 15, 2011

Jack London — "To Build a Fire"

This writing by Jack London is definitely a realist work. It has large amount of detail written into it. It gives you the feeling of freezing to death, not very pleasant. The unnamed protagonist tries to fight nature, but he ends up dying. This is a characteristic of naturalism. Knowing what I do about Jack London, he writes in mostly this genre. This particular story takes place in what is now Yukon, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush. The protagonist is walking toward his stake, where his sons await him in the already built camp. He is a newcomer, and somewhat cocky at that. This is the attitude that pits him against nature, which is a common theme in all literature, but especially in the naturalism subset of literature. He knows that all he has to do is get to camp, and he'll be fine. Although he is a tenderfoot, he knows his stuff; he's not a novice. As he's walking along a creek that will take him to his camp, disaster strikes. He, up until now, had been careful enough to avoid the water that lay unfrozen, despite the negative seventy-five degree weather. But this patch lay well enough hidden to escape detection. He was only wet up to his knees, but in weather that cold that will kill very quickly. He stays calm, and successfully builds a fire, despite his growing numbness in his hands and feet. But once again disaster strikes when the built-up snow on a tree that he stupidly built his fire beneath falls on his infant fire, totally destroying it. He attempts to build a second, knowing that if he fails he will probably die. But because of his total numbness, he is unable to. Try as he might, he just can't do it. He remembers stories of men slaughtering their animals, and using their bodies for warmth. He even tries to kill his companion, a dog, but once again his numbness stays his hands from killing his dog. He tries to suppress the thought, but he begins to doubt himself, and he begins to think that he may not make it. But he isn't beaten yet, his stubbornness keeps him going, at least for a little longer . He runs for an unknown amount of time, trying to become warm, trying to get to camp, but ultimately he fails, and falls down into the snow. He finally accepts that he's going to die. That nature beat him. That he should have listened to the advise of the seasoned expert that advised him to not travel alone when it was colder than negative-fifty degrees. It ends like many naturalist works do, with man losing to nature. This story was written in the early 1900's, several years after the Klondike Gold Rush had started. This drew many unprepared miners to the north. This writing is fictional, but it could have easily been the story of one or many of the gold-hungry prospectors that flooded the Yukon valley in hope of striking big. This was the second large gold rush in America, and the one that had occurred fifty years earlier had left America hungry for more.


Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., and Douglas Fisher. "Regionalism and Realism." Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 603-15. Print.

Mark Twain – "Two Views of the River"

Realism and Regionalism are the main components of this work. Realism is present in the more analytical style of writing and the use of unembellished words. Fortunately, Realism is not as unadorned a writing style as Puritanism, but it is less flowery than Romanticism. Also a noteworthy characteristic of Realism that is present in "Two Views of the River" is the use of figurative language. Twain consistently compares his plight to that of a doctor. He no longer sees the beauty of the river, while a doctor cannot see the beauty of a woman for all the medical information running through his head. "Are not all her visible charms sown thick with what are to him the signs and symbols of hidden decay?" (Twain 505). This memoir by Mark Twain is a bit depressing as he goes on to describe how his favorite thing in the world, the river, has lost all of its magic and all the charm it once held for him as a boy. He has become embittered by it and no longer sees the beauty of life all around the river and the small ever-changing ways of a river (Twain). He remembers a sunset he once saw and remarks upon how beautiful he saw it one time, he remarks upon each feature of the scene, a dead tree, a floating log, a small whirlpool, an area of circling water, and the color of the sun (Twain). He then mentions about how he would remark if he saw the same scene today, he would merely look at it from a pilot's point of view, the log meaning a rising river, the sun's color meaning wind for the next day, the dead tree not going to be there as a friendly landmark much longer, and the circling of the water meaning it is starting to shoal up there and the whirlpool, a dissolving of a sand bar creating a change in the currents. Twain begins speaking about how he had once viewed nature as wonderful and beautiful; however, he had been naive and had not experienced many of the events he now had experienced (Twain 505). Now, instead of simply seeing the wonders of nature as beautiful and exotic, he now saw them for what they really were. Instead of taking nature for granted and not really thinking in depth about how or why things came to be, he had just accepted them as they were. Now, instead, he is beginning to see things for what they really are scientifically and realistically. This story captures parts of Realism in a view different ways. Twain kind of becomes hardened by his work on the boat, which is something that is very common. People really do not appreciate all that they have until they realize they do not have it anymore. This practical loss makes the story seem easier to relate to and more plausible (Campbell "Realism"). Twain is upset about what he is missing out on, and that is something that happens to everyone at some point in their lives. We all lose litte parts of ourselves along the way, but those losses make us what we are today. This story can be classified as a piece of Realism simply because it documents the very common loss of youthful innocence that people go through in life

Twain, Mark. Two Views of the River. Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Amerian Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 504-05. Print.

Paul Laurence Dunbar – "Douglass" and "We Wear the Mask"

In "Douglass", Dunbar basically illustrates the grief that has fallen on so many African Americans during this time. The lines "We have fall'n on evil days", "the awful tide that battled to and fro", "for thy strong arm to guide the shivering bark", and "to give us comfort through the lonely dark" are some of the stronger lines that really depict how African Americans at this time are being horribly oppressed and are in need of a strong force to help them through these dark times. Although Dunbar is focusing on the troubles of this era, his poem is written as to give those who read it motivation and strength to persevere and survive. Though is poem is very figurative, it still depicts the time as it really is and the manner in which African Americans are suffering. The only Naturalism quality these poems possess is that they are both narrated by a person who is apparently African American, making them a lower class person in a horrible situation. Regionalism is not in here at all, seeing as how a specific region is not mention, nor is that region described in detail. Realism is not a factor here either. Some characteristics could be found in a roundabout way, but they would be so insignificant to the overall tone of the poem. These two works does not possess any Regionalism either. Neither poem is attempting to promote one area or a certain regain, in fact specific places are not even mention in detail. These works reflect society. They reflected society throughout the warped perspective of the author. This perspective is rather bitter. There is nothing in these works regarding religion either. There is also little to no mention of government. There is also no mention of nature. There is not a whole lot of description throughout both poems. The American Dream was mentioned briefly. The American Dream mentioned is the wish for slavery to be abolished completely. There is also no hero involved or present in any of these works. Along with being pretty realistic, the poems both also have a tone of sadness. While they are very much a part of Realism, I do not think they can really be classified as Naturalism poems. There is no real scientific or analytical thinking involved, but there is also not a lot of emphasis on God or the idea of religion in general. They are both also emotional and they are in the moment, not looking toward the past or the future. Society plays a part in the two works, because they are portrayed in a couple of different ways. In "We Wear the Mask", society is not really reliable because everyone is apparently being fake in some way and not to be trusted. There was also no real connection to Regionalism, because Dunbar does not talk about specific places or settings, which is actually pretty common in poems like "We Wear the Mask" and "Douglass". The author does not place any significance on the setting, so the reader can infer that it is not important. Religion and government do not play a real part in the works either, except for a couple of mentions in "Douglass" because of the political part of abolitionism and women's rights.

Dunbar, Paul L. ""Douglass"/"We Wear the Mask"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 568-71. Print.