The story of Rasselas represents Samuel Johnson's attempt to explain a vital component in human nature--mankind's continual, often frustrating, search for personal happiness. As we complete a semester of English 205, let's take the opportunity to recognize that we have been studying not only British history and literature, but also the written record of a number of thoughtful, intelligent English men and women through the ages who have tried to understand and explain what it means to be human. While you are reviewing for the final exam, think back on what we have read. Did you read anything this semester which made you think, "Yes, that's what people are like!" or "I know someone like that"? Nominate your favorite piece of early British lit and explain why you like it. Thank you for your comments! I have enjoyed reading them and incorporating them into the course.
Out of everything we have read so far in class, I can say that my favorite piece of early British Literature was a poem called “The Flea,” by John Donne. In this poem, the speaker tries to convince his lover to make love with him. The speaker tries to persuade his lover to make love with him through an argument. The poem begins with a depiction of a flea sucking the blood of the speaker, and his lover. He compares their love for one another to a flea. The flea is a symbol of their unity. “And in this flea our two bloods mingled be” (line 4). The speaker wants to maker love, but his lover does not want to engage in premarital sex. The speaker makes an argument. He says to his lover that even though the flea bit you it’s not a sin, shame, or loss of virginity. The speaker implies that making love would be as innocent as the flea bight. His lover tries to kill the flea, but he claims that if she kills it that she will be killing him, herself, and the flea. “Though use make you apt to kill me, let not to that, self-murder added be, and sacrilege, three sins in killing three” (lines 16-18). The speaker also claimed that she would be destroying the institution of marriage. His lover kills the innocent flea. She claims that his comparisons make no sense, and that she is still afraid to lose her virginity. The actions of the speaker in this poem remind me of those of young men today. Some young men, in today’s society, are only after one thing and will say any thing to a woman in order to get it. I liked how the speaker’s lover, in this poem, stood her ground and did not fall for temptation.
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to agree with Ambitious_Heart when they say that the speaker in John Donne's "The Flea" is similar to young men today. With only one thing on their minds most of the time and saying anything that makes sense in their heads to try to talk to the girl into it. However this was the only piece of British Literature that we read this semester that I think could easily relate to people today. While I think that "The Flea" was the only easily related piece we read, "King Lear" by Sir William Shakespeare was 100% my favorite piece of British Lit. For me and I'm sure some others, this course was very difficult. The old english language and writing style were very hard to understand, making them hard to want to read. "King Lear" was easier for me personally to understand and follow. It kept my attention because it was easy to read and it had an interesting plot. There was a lot going on in this piece and was very action filled. I loved it and it was the best thing we read in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Frdmizntfree911 in saying that King Lear was my favorite. It was a very interesting and easy piece to read. Within the text of King Lear, I believe that there were multiple character types that are reflected upon today's society. And with that being said, I believe that is why it was so easy to read. We as students could understand what was going on because we could easily relate to the characters and their actions and beliefs. However I do not believe that that was the only piece that we read that was a mirror to how people are today. I believe that The Canterbury Tales was a mirror image of how some people are in today's time. With each story that a person told I could see someone I knew, or knew of within the text. I believe that with this story it will be harder for people to admit that they relate to the people because the stories that were told gave light to the person’s faults. We as people do not like to admit our faults or either acknowledge them majority of the time so while reading The Canturbury Tales, in class discussion we were all so judgmental without taking the time to actually sit and think and realize that those people are who we are today. So overall, King Lear and The Canturbury Tales were my favorite two pieces and they were the two pieces that I thought related to how people are today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Frdmizntfree911 about the Flea. It is reflective of young men today. I think they will always have a preoccupation of the carnal kind. My favorite piece we have studied though is The Book of Margery Kempe. I am drawn to strange works, and Margery is definitely strange. We will never know if she was insane or actually did talk to God, but I find it fascinating that people back then had as hard of a time believing her as we would today. And if we look past all of the crazy things Margery did, we find strength there. She gave up sex with her husband and walked away from her family to follow something completely. That must have been a difficult thing to do. I think we can all identify with Margery’s fit pitching too. I am sure we have all not gotten our way and thrown a tantrum. We would not do that in a church, but we have pitched fits for our own reasons. I also think about the family she left. They must have experienced a loss. It was like families today. This was like a couple who divorced for other reasons. Her husband was left to tend to the children alone. I am sure those children resented the fact their mother left them. And Margery might never have thought that in doing what she did to follow God she might make others stray from the faith. I am sure at least one of her children blamed God for her disappearance from their lives. I just find Margery story to be compelling, and I would like to know more about her and other mystics.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved the many poems we have read through out this semester. Along with all of the comments above I thought “The Flea,” by John Donne was a great example of how we tend to think the typical young man act in our society.
ReplyDeleteI also thought "The beggars opera", by John Gay, showed how we view silly women when they are in love and how we tend not to think logically when we are in love (That's for men included). Yes "The Beggars Opera" was very dramatic and extremely over the top but it did have many realistic under tones when it came to how we tend to think of 'players' and how they act towards women as well as how parents want their children to thrive in life at any costs. Of course not many parents would go tot the lengths that the parents in this play did but pretty close. This play gave a very interesting example of the relationships between father and daughter, mother and daughter, and man and woman.
I do feel like a lot of the readings that we have done through out this semester have been dramatic in general but that is what most pieces of literature is like. When people tell stories even of their own life, we tend to make them more extravagant then they actually are. We like to think that our lives are more exciting or drama filled then they actually are. Most if not all literature can be an example of this.
Throughout this semester I have enjoyed most of the stories that we have read. What has been really interesting is the similarity between the way people acted and thought back then and how we act and think today. I agree with the previous bloggers in that “The Flea” definitely characterizes how males think and act today. But personally the story I had the most connection with is the story of Rasselas, by Samuel Johnson. The pursuit of happiness seems to be the ultimate goal for every human that ever lived. What more could one want in life than to be happy? On Rasselas’ journey to try to find happiness he encounters many different types of people with different lifestyles. All these lifestyles are supposed to supply happiness through different ways, but as Rasselas finds nobody seem truly happy. Johnson does a great job picking out the flaws in the way that humans are programmed, in which does not allow us to be consistently happy. In chapter 22 Johnson states’ “everyone was desirous to dictate to the rest, and everyone was pleased to hear the genius and knowledge of another depreciated.”(CH. 22, pg. 2708) This is one exert from all of the readings this year that I really appreciated. I interpret this as Johnson basically saying that the grass always looks greener on the other side, and people always want more power. I personally can relate to this in that all throughout my life I have always looked forward to the next chapter. For example, in high school I always thought well when I get to college I will be a lot happier, and now I think well when I graduate and make money, like all these people I see that are rich and look so happy, I will be a lot happier. But the truth is as a human we are programmed to always want more, or something different, and Johnson does a great job pointing out this human flaw in the story Rasselas.
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ReplyDeleteUp until I looked through everything we’ve read this semester, I was starting to think King Lear was my personal favorite. Although, after further review, I started to lean more towards the two tales that we read from the Wife of Bath and the Pardoner in the Canterbury Tales. I could not agree more with FlagDayismyBDay because he/she is right. Today’s society is still judgmental and it surprises me that it is still comparable to the Middle Ages. The Wife of Bath’s tale concerning what women want most is very accurate and still is today. When the knight tried seeking the queen’s answer to save his life, “Some saiden wommen loven best richesse; some saide honour, some saide jollinesse; some riche array, some saiden lust abedde,” (p. 277 Lines 931-932) . The money, lust, please, and honor would probably be the majority of women’s responses in society today as well. Actually, it personally reminds me of many of my friends; they would add clothes, shoes, and more money to the list if they could. I have a lot of respect for the old lady because she was able to give the knight a less conceded answer.
As for the Pardoner’s tale, I don’t think my friends would poison or kill anyone over money, but I do think they would do what they could to be greedy and get the most out of free gold. What I liked most about this tale was the way the Pardoner had the old man explain death. The old man had the men go looking for death, and they certainly found it. The Pardoner’s tale, out of everything we read, was my favorite because of the meaning behind it.
We have read many great pieces of work from various authors this semester. Out of everything we have read, I don’t know if I can pick a favorite. There were many poems where I could relate to the characters, and others I knew someone like one of the characters.
ReplyDeleteFor instance in the poem “The Flea”, by John Donne, like many of the previous comments, I too think it is still an accurate description of the young and old males in today’s modern society. The men usually only want one thing from a girl. They will use every trick in the book, tell her whatever she wants to hear, and do whatever possible to get what it is they want. Then once they get it, they are on to the next girl and challenge.
I also liked “King Lear”, by William Shakespeare. It had all of the elements that keep a reader interested in reading or watching a play. Two of Lear’s daughters only wanted to see his demise, the two he favored; the daughter that was in the shadows is actually the one that loved him the most. In “King Lear” there were all types of betrayal and conniving schemes against people, and people showing the utmost loyalty also.
The one poem that I could relate the most to would have to be “Sun Rising”, by John Donne. I know as hard as I try to ignore the sun on a daily basis, it just keeps shining through my blinds. I could be in the best of sleeps, but that is all ruined when the sun blazes through my eyelids. I feel where the speaker in the poem is coming from when he calls the sun names and asks why it is so busy. That poem would probably be the one that I connected with the most.
I have enjoyed this class and enjoyed reading most of the material. ☺