In class, we are transitioning into realism, regionalism and naturalism by concluding with a couple of poems by Walt Whitman. Please choose one of the poems and prepare for class on Tuesday by completing one set of questions, which will be collected at the beginning of class.Below is a copy of the material handed out in Monday's class.
In addition to the poems, vocabulary 9 has been handed out. This is due Monday 7 February. If you are absent, please send along the list of words. AS ALWAYS: 10 points off per day.
Choose one of the following two poems and respond to the questions that follow.
When I heard the Learn’d Astronomer
By Walt Whitman
Note: Free verse is verse that has irregular meter and line length. What Whitman’s use of free verse reflects his belief in freedom, democracy and individuality
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 the 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; 5
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.
1. What visual aids does the astronomer use during his lecture?
2. How does the speaker respond to the lecture?
3. Where does the speaker go when he leaves the lecture? What does he look up at from time to time?
4. How is the speaker’s attitude toward the stars different from that of the astronomer?
5. The word mystical means “spiritually significant.” Why do you think Whitman chose this word to describe the moist night air in line 7?
6. Who do you think is more ‘learn’d” in regard to the stars? Explain.
7. What is the theme of the poem? How does Whitman’s use of parallel structures in the first four lines reinforce the theme?
8. In approximately 50 words, respond to the following: How would this poem be different if it were written in verse with regular meter and line length?
A Noiseless Patient Spider
A NOISELESS, patient spider,
I mark’d, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated;
Mark’d how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;
Ever unreeling them—ever tirelessly speeding them. 5
And you, O my Soul, where you stand,
Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing,—seeking the spheres, to connect them;
Till the bridge you will need, be form’d—till the ductile anchor hold;
Till the gossamer thread you fling, catch somewhere, O my Soul.
1. Where is the spider standing when the speaker first sees it?
2. How does the spider explore its “vacant vast surroundings”?
3. Where is the speaker’s soul standing? What is it doing?
4. What similarities does the speaker see between his soul and spider?
5. With what do you think the speaker’s soul is seeking connection? (lines 8-10)
6. Like the Transcendentalist, Whitman believed that the human spirit was mirrored in the world of nature? How does this poem reflect this belief/
7. In approximately 50 words, respond to the following. Whitman presents a paradox, or apparent self-contradiction, in line 7, when he describes the soul as being “surrounded” and “detached.” Why do you think this paradox might be used to describe the position of the poet in society?
Vocabulary 9
1. acclamation (noun) – a shout of welcome; an overwhelming verbal vote of approval; ovation, cheering,
plaudits
2. bucolic (adj) – characteristic of the countryside, rural, relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral; rustic
3. calumniate (verb)- to slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously; defame, libel
4. chary (adj) – extremely cautious, hesitant or slow; reserved, diffident; wary, skittish
5. collusion (noun) – secret agreement or cooperation; conspiracy, plot, connivance, cahoots
6. dilettante (noun) – a dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an amateurish, trifling way;
superficial; amateur, trifle
7. imperturbable (adj)- not easily excited; emotionally steady; unflappable, unexcitable, serene, unruffled
8. increment (noun) – an enlargement, increase, addition; accretion, gain
9. mandate (noun)- an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; directive
(verb) – to issue such an order
10. paltry (adj) – trifling, insignificant; mean; despicable; inferior, trashy; measly, meager, piddling, trivial
11. paroxysm (noun) – a sudden outburst; a spasm, a convulsion; fit, seizure
12. pedantry (noun) – a pretentious display of knowledge; overly rigid attention to rules and details; nit-picking, hairsplitting, pettifoggery
13. peregrination (noun) – the act of traveling; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign country; journey, wandering, odyssey
14. redolent (adj) fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura; evocative,
reminiscent, aromatic
15. refulgent (adj) – shining, radiant, resplendent; luminous, splendid
16. unremitting (adj) – not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up, relentless, constant, incessant
17. tyro (noun) – beginner, novice, one with little or no background or skill, neophyte
18. shibboleth (noun)- a word, expression or custom that distinguishes a particular group of persons from all others; a commonplace saying or truism
19. vacillate (verb)- to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will
20. vituperate (adj)- harshly abusive, severely scolding, abusive, scurrilous, insulting
Vocabulary 9, exercise 1 Use the correct form.
1. It is very rare for a presidential candidate to be nominated by _________________________ from the convention floor.
2. Since so many funds had been spent with so few results, they were _________________________ about appropriating more money.
3. After returning from my ________________________________ throughout South America, I began writing a book about my experiences.
4. The billionaire was so greedy that he contributed only a _______________________ sum of money to charity each year.
5. My grandmother’s kitchen was always _____________________________ with the smells of baking.
6. Someone who __________________________________ in a crisis should not be in a position of leadership.
7. Many people dismissed the poster artists of the 1960’s as mere _____________________________ with nothing serious to say about life or art.
8. The fussy music professor was distinguished more for her __________________________ that her true scholarship.
9. You cannot expect a mere ________________________ to perform like a veteran in his first season of major league play.
10. By the time Election Day finally rolls around, most voters are tired of hearing the same old slogans and ________________________________________.
11. The Elizabethans who wrote of shepherds in ideal country settings were imitating the Greek __________________________ poets.
12. The children greeted the clown with a ________________________ of laughter when he began making his funny faces.
13. The peacekeepers were sent into the war-torn country under a UN _____________________________ to protect minority populations.
14. The social laws in Edith Wharton’s novels are _______________________; they are interminable.
15. The swift-flowing stream beside our house was _______________________ in the morning light.
16. The _____________________________ speech in which she blamed others for her own mistakes may have cost her the election.
17. Employees were added to the work force in ____________________________ of five to save money on training costs.
18. The witness remained _______________________________ throughout the grueling cross-examination.
19. Years later, it was discovered that senior members of the company had been in _______________________ with the enemy.
20. Not only did the artist’s enemy seek to discredit her while she was alive but tried to ________________________ her memory as well.
Vocabulary 9, exercise 2
1. As we waited through the long night for the arrival of the rescue party, we _________________________
between hope and despair.
2. However long and hard the struggle, we must be ____________________________ in our efforts to wipe
out racism in this country.
3. She may have great musical talents, but she will get nowhere so long as she has the casual attitude of the
_____________________________________.
4. The painting shows a restfully _____________________________ scene, with some cows grazing placidly
in a meadow as their shepherd dozes under a bush.
5. I had expected a decent tip from the party of six that I waited on early that evening, but all I got was a(n) _______________________________ two bucks.
6. The scene may seem ordinary to you, but I find it _________________________ with memories of happy
summers spent in these woods.
7. Since Lincoln is now considered a great national hero, it is hard to believe that he was bitterly
_______________________________ when he was President.
8. The contractor was suspected of having acted in __________________________ with a state official to fix
the bids on certain public works contracts.
9. “The overwhelming victory I have won at the polls,” the governor-elect said, “has given me a clear
__________________________________ to carry out my program.”
10. As a(n) _____________________________ summer sun sank slowly in the west, the skies were ablaze
with color.
11. In a series of searing orations, filled with the most _____________________________ language, Cicero
launched the full battery of political invective against the hapless Mark Antony.
12. Every time I sign a new lease on my apartment, my rent goes up, though the
__________________________ are not usually large.
13. I thought I was unexcitable, but she is as _______________________________as the granite icons in
front of the public library.
14. Even the merest _______________________ in the use of firearms knows that a gun should never be
pointed at another person.
15. Since Lucy had expected no more than polite applause, she was delighted by the ________________________________ she received from the audience.
16. The Pledge of Allegiance is no mere _________________________ to be recited mechanically and
without understanding like some advertising jingle.
17. In my various _______________________________ through that vast metropolis, I ran across many
curious old buildings that the ordinary tourist never sees.
18.I have learned from long experience to be extremely _____________________________ about offering
advice when it has not been requested.
19. Seized by a(n) _______________________________ of rage, he began to beat the bars of his cell with his
bare hands.
20.It is sheer _____________________________ to insist upon applying the rules of formal literary
composition to everyday speech and writing.
Vocabulary 9, exercise 3
Synonyms
1. evocative of old memories _______________________________
2. in cahoots with the competition _______________________________
3. kept up the constant pressure to surrender _______________________________
4. greeted with an overwhelming ovation _______________________________
5. bored us with his hairsplitting _______________________________
6. overcome by a fit of anger _______________________________
7. reluctantly ended her journeys ______________________________
8. seesawed in their commitments ______________________________
9. keeps repeating the tired old catchphrases ______________________________
10. slandered his rivals at every opportunity _______________________________
11. labeled a mere trifler by the experts _______________________________
12. an urgent directive from the President _______________________________
13. a scurrilous response to the question ________________________________
14. wary of flattery and favor-seekers ________________________________
15. painted a charming rustic scene _______________________________
Antonyms
16. is excitable when challenged __________________________________
17. a colossal amount of unpaid debts _________________________________
18. reported a steady loss in annual sales _________________________________
19. looked up at the murky dawn sky __________________________________
20. an expert in the art of fencing __________________________________
Vocabulary 9, exercise 4
1. Not satisfied with the slow (increment / peregrination) of his savings in a bank account, he turned to speculation in the stock market.
2. Are we to try to make a realistic analysis of our alternatives or let ourselves be distracted by slogans and (tyros / shibboleths)?
3. Perhaps he would be less lyrical about the delights of the (bucolic / redolent) life if, like me, he had grown up on a farm in Kansas.
4. It has long been known that some twisted and unhappy people derive a kind of satisfaction from (calumniating / colluding) others.
5. Once the senator’s nomination became a certainty, all opposition to him evaporated, and he was named by (vituperation / acclamation).
6. During the course of my (peregrinations / paroxysms) through the world of books, I have picked up all kinds of useful information.
7. The phrase “We the people” in the Constitution indicates that the ultimate (mandate / vacillation) of our government comes from the popular will.
8. Since she comes from a rural area, she expresses herself in language that is (redolent / paltry) of the farm and of country life in general.
9. It is easy to criticize him, but how can we overlook the fact that for 20 years he has worked (unremittingly / charily) to help the homeless.
10. Although he has been in this business for 20 years, he still has the sublime innocence of the most helpless (tyro / shibboleth).
11. A (paroxysm / pedantry) of indignation flashed through the community, and the streets filled with angry people ready to protest the proposal.
12. Clad in the (refulgent / dilettante) armor of moral rectitude, he sallied forth to do battle with the forces of evil.
13. How do you have the nerve to offer such a(n) (paltry / unremitting) sum for this magnificent “antique” car?
14. Isn’t it sheer (pedantry / refulgence) on his part to use terms like Proustian and Kafkaesque, when he knows they mean nothing to his audience?
15. The same difficulties that serve as a challenge to the true professional will be a crushing discouragement to the typical (mandate / dilettante).
16. If we (vacillate / increment) now at adopting a tough energy policy, we may find ourselves in a desperate situation in the future.
17. I’m not sure if Tom’s (imperturbable / collusive) spirit is due to toughness or to an inability to understand the dangers of the situation.
18. I am perfectly willing to listen to a reasonable complaint, but I will not put up with that kind of (bucolic / vituperative) backbiting.
19. The gambler’s predictions of the game scores were so incredible accurate that we suspected some form of (acclimation / collusion).
20. Because my teacher is usually so (chary / imperturbable) of giving compliments, I fest especially good when she spoke well of my essay.
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