Thus far I've really enjoyed reading your entries for week 14. It really pleases me that you are taking the time to write such thoughtful, creative responses (thanks!).
For our final blog question, I'd like you to continue using your analytical thinking skills. However, this time, we will looking at a different type of creative expression: poetry.
Next Monday we will briefly discuss a short poem written by Gary Snyder (a famous American poet heavily influenced by Eastern spirituality). Snyder's poem deals with the world and more specifically, the environment/wild places.
In this week's blog response, we will look at a poem by Henry David Thoreau (a famous 19th centry writer), who was, no doubt, an influence on Gary Snyder's work. Because Thoreau wrote in the mid-19th century, you'll notice that his English is a little different than the English used today (can you figure out what 'tis and 'twill mean?) Despite this, if you read the poem 4-5 times, you should be able to get at the basic meaning. If necessary, use a dictionary.
First, go to the link below and read the poem. Then, answer the questions below. Like week 14's question, try to write a more formal response to this, our final blog entry. Enjoy!
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/epitaph-on-the-world/
Questions:
1) The title of the poem is "Epitaph on the world." An "epitaph" is a short statement on someone's tomb or gravestone in memory of the person buried there. Why do you think Thoreau gives his poem this title?
2) Thoreau mentions three types of metal: gold, silver, and iron, in that order. What do you think each metal represents in the poem?
3) In your opinion, what is Thoreau main message in this poem? Do you agree or disagree with this message?
Thanks to you for all of your entries. I've read and enjoyed each and every one. Have a great holiday.
Josh
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I have no clue what this poem is referring to. My best guess is that what Thoreau refers to is dead or is dying in his point of view, and that’s why he gives this title to his poem.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem, I think the three types of metal are in the order of their value. It may refer to the object’s age when it lived such as the gold would be prime time: youth, the silver: adult or middle age, and iron: old. In the order, it refers to men’s overall capacity, creativity, ability, or energy and it is somewhat similar to the value of the metals.
Last, I would guess that he wrote this poem to mourn the nature/earth we live within/on. He tries to tell that human has created so many so-called civilized products or constructions that have made our lives much easier and convenient. However, the more we have made our lives better the more the nature has suffered. The cost of that is becoming more prominent and profound each day. It can be observed by what the tides have been bringing to us- needles, tires, icebergs, dead fishes etc. Still, just like the last line of his poem, we can change the fate of our nature/earth because we are the devil/angle of our nature/earth; who can make it dies forever or make it rises again; and I agree with him.
First,in my opinion,Thoreau explains that people change their mind about the departed.In other word,when time passes,people will think the grave which is in the departed just epitaph like the grave which is in an acient great person,it's not a person.
ReplyDeleteSecond,three types of metal: gold, silver, and iron represent a person's hole life:Gold may mean young days because the youth have future,and the time brights everytime like gold.Silver may mean adult hood and iron may mean the latter half of the life:I mean,they experience more than young people and have their own strong identity like iron.
Finally,I think main message in this poem is people's feeling will be changed when time passes as I mentioned first.It is hard to understand,but I agree with it.For instance,when I exprience someone's death,I will think about a lot of things like why,when, and even remember his or her memories and feel sad.However,I will not be sorrowful forever and I can face the fact someday if the time passes.Moreover,If people see grave of someone who they don't know,actually they will not think that when did this person pass away and it is just epitaph which is in the body rather than in a person.
At first, what I guess at most is the title of this poem refers to dying. In other words, all humans death can be described from gravestones or tombs.
ReplyDeleteAs to materials, they are represented the age. Golden is refered to youth due to the fact that the character of gold is wonderful, brilliant and marvelous. Silver is a character of adult because silver is less beautiful than gold. The end of life is iron because of rusty color.
Finally, in my opinion, Thorean's message is the death. With materials, this poem says the live of the start, the live of process and the live of the end. In addition, he described the things related to the end of life like hell, the body, fate and so on. This poem doesn't say in positive way. Therefore, it sounds pessmisitic to the death. However, i disagree to the message because the death makes people's life changed. If parents die, their children are likely to be extremely but they can be independent. That's why I disagree to the poet's message.
Actually, this poem was difficult for me to understand the meaning. First, in my opinion, epitaph represents the death, in other words, the end of life. After people died, their bodies are buried in the tombs and we can not see them again; but, epitaph can show us where they were buried, and it can reminds us the person’s memory by the short statement on it. So, I think Thoreau gives the poem this title.
ReplyDeleteSecond, three types of metals represents each age of the life. Gold is the most worth and bright metal; it represents the bright youthful days. Silver is the secondry to gold and it has the velvety and quiet brightness; it represents the manhood, which goes so fast and we can live calmly. Iron is a dull black, and looks hard and cold; it represents the last of the life facing at the ’death’.
Finally, I think Thoreau main message in this poem is that each person has his/her own different life and the most important thing is just that the person had been lived on the world as him/herself. We can see the short memory or information of the departed on the epitaph; however, it is only the one of the part of his/her life. This world is made up of our each lives. We should not forget that every people had a important life , and we should keep the most important memory for you in order to make a better world.
It's too difficult to understand. Actually, I've avoided to read a poem even though it's Korean. Anyway, I think that he wanted to express "DEATH" from "Epitaph", and the metals might be our life. For example, a gold is our childhood, a silver is our adulthood, and an iron is our old age. As he wrote this poem, he wanted to tell us that the transience of life. In other word, our life is vanity. In my opinion, I agree with him because I think if we will be dead, there is nothing left in our society despite the fact that we lived life well.
ReplyDelete