From past to future

The most apparent parallel that I observed was actually referenced from the exact author that I myself did my presentation on. William Cullen Bryant made the observation that people had lost an appreciation for poetry and aspired towards new found things such as the popular dime novels like "Little Women". I would agree that this mentality of being bored with the old and aspiring to have the new, whether it is actually of better quality or not , is ingrained in us as consumers. A good example of this occurring in present time would be the constant need that people have to own the newest i-phone. Often it is proven that the first release of a product such as the i-phone is not the best because all the bugs have not always been worked out of such a device but that never stops people from flooding the Apple stores to get their hands on the item.

Another thing that I wanted to point out was that the shift in literature at this time has held true throughout history all the way up to present day. People for the most part still prefer to read novels over poetry, they have just been deemed more pleasurable or an "easy read", where as poetry takes more thought, and passion regarding the piece.

Journal #8

I have chosen to compare the poem The Death of Lincoln by William Cullen Bryant and A diary from Dixie by Mary Chestnut. I believe these two pieces show the different views of Lincolns death and the entire slavery abolitionist movement during the 19th century. The Northerners were very rough and brutal towards the South as this time as they were predominantly supportive of Lincoln in his movement to abolish slavery. I am going to speak from a Northern perspective as I analyze what I would think of both the pieces listed above.

I was very passionate and saddened as I was reading of Lincolns death. "pure was thy life" of the man who devoted his life to the saving of others. He will always be remembered as we northerners will continue his legacy by coming down hard on the south to stop their inhumane ways of torturing people on their plantations. "he bear thee to an honored grave" as he is buried and we feel sorrow.

Now I am going to analyze A Diary From Dixie in the Northern perspective.

I was offended how this woman was speaking about the northerners. How we were "Hanging over [over] us like a sword of Damocles". I am outraged in how this woman speaks about Lincoln and how "He will not be the last President put to death in the capital" What kind of thing is that to say. Is that her way of threatening our Presidents?