SHAH ABDUL LATIF UNIVERSITY, KHAIRPUR

INSTITUTE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

1st Semester Final Test Online Examination 2020

Subject: American Literature Max. Marks 50

Class: BS-IV (Literature) 9th September 2020 due date 11th September 2020
Note:- Attempt any two questions. All questions carry equal marks. The originality of thought and
literary language with textual evidence will be preferred during assessment. The answer must not
be less than 500 (five hundred) words.

Q. 1. Discuss Whitman as the poet of America and democracy.

Q. 2 Emerson is known as a poet philosopher and philosopher poet. Justify the statement in the
light of Emerson's essay The Poet.

Q. 3 Compare and contrast Robert Frost and Wordsworth as the poets of nature.

Q. 4. Critically analyse any two of the following poems.

a. Rhodora b. Road not taken c. Captain O! My Captain d. Animals.

The End

Name : Sarang Unar

Roll No : En-0116-86
Class BS 4 Literature

Q. 1. Discuss Whitman as the poet of America and democracy

Ans :
Did you, too, O friend, suppose democracy was only for elections, for politics, and for a party name I say
democracy is only of use there that it may pass on and come to its flower and fruit in manners, in the
highest forms of interaction between people, and their beliefs — in religion, literature, colleges and
schools — democracy in all public and private life…. (Whitman, Democratic Vistas)

Thus speaks Walt Whitman on how everyday life is democracy to him. “Whitman conceives of democracy
as freedom from restraint, as liberty to do as one pleases” (Ford, Conception). The very idea of
democracy is not for politics but for the people themselves in everything that they do, say, or even feel.
By examining Whitman’s works we can see his democratic theory constantly portrayed throughout them
and how in his lifetime it altered with major events like the Civil War and him coming face to face with
the iniquities of war.

Walter “Walt” Whitman born 1819 was an American poet and is often called the father of free verse.
Whitman’s own admiration for democracy can be at least attributed to his parents, who showed their
own admiration for their country by naming Whitman’s younger brothers after their American heroes. At
the age of 17, Whitman decided to teach and then in 1841 He decided to set his sights on journalism
becoming interested in the working of political democracy. He started off with a weekly paper and then
later became an editor in New York. In 1848 Whitman moved to New Orleans to be an editor for a
magazine, while he was there for only a short time he saw the horrors of slavery and fully understand the
depravity of it. In 1862 he moved to Washington, D.C. and helped with wounded veterans, all the way
contemplating on the Civil war (Walt Whitman. Bio.com).

Whitman celebrates democracy in many of his works and his idea of the individual relative to democracy
is a nation as a unified whole made up of unique but equal individuals. In the poem One’s – Self I Sing
(Whitman, Leaves of Grass) Whitman celebrates the unique individual but also “the word Democracy,
the word En-masse”. This poem emphasizes and praises the value of the individual living within
democratic society

ONE’S-SELF I sing-a simple, separate Person;

Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-masse.

Of Physiology from top to toe I sing;

Not physiognomy alone, nor brain alone, is worthy for the muse-I say the Form complete is worthier
far;
The Female equally with the male I sing.

Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power,

Cheerful-for freest action form’d, under the laws divine,

The Modern Man I sing.

The relation to a democracy is that if founded on human rights is, as noted by Edward Dowden in The
Poetry of Democracy “The essential thing which gives one the freedom of the world is not to be born a
man of this or that rank, or class, or caste, but simply to be born a man” is what gives life worth living
for. The second stanza focusing more on the subject of Whitman’s poem and following poetry in Leaves
of Grass, speaking of “The Female equally with the male and “Physiology from top to toe I sing” saying
how Whitman will use everything to “sing” the individual and democracy. Whitman references his critics
of saying that the common person is not a subject of poetry with multiple statements of “ONE’S-SELF I
sing-a simple, separate Person” making note of the praise of a simple man and then “the word En-
masse” showing the brotherhood of the mass of people that are subjects worthy of poetry. Another
portion of the second stanza in One’s-Self I Sing Whitman writes “Not physiognomy alone, nor brain
alone, is worthy for the muse-I say the Form complete is worthier the “Form” is the unity of everything
from the mind, the soul, to the beauty of the individual. He ends the poem by completing his reference to
the common man by stating “The Modern Man I sing”

“I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,

The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,

The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at
sundown,

The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,

Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,

The day what belongs to the day-at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,

Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs” (Whitman. Leaves of Grass).

This beautiful poem by Walt Whitman titled I hear America Singing speaks volumes of Whitman’s pride
in the common man and in democracy itself. In the first line “I hear America singing, the varied carols I
hear” Whitman is hearing many versions of the songs of the people. While he doesn’t state whether the
singing is joyous or sorrowful or just for the sake of singing, he is referencing on how America is a diverse
culture or has many faces and stories thus having “varied carols”.

Q. 3 Compare and contrast Robert Frost and Wordsworth as the poets of

nature.

Basic information about Robert Frost and William wordsworth

Robert frost (1875 -1953) is one of the most on poet of America he has being called by Robert great voice
of America ,he has received numerous price and award for lease outstanding work as poet. Even
Jawaharlal Nehru inspiration with his poem.

While William Wordsworth (1770- 1850) was English romantic poet. Wordsworth was Britain laureate
from 1 843 until he is death from pleurisy on 1850. Wordsworth was called by Shelly 'Poet of nature'. He
too called himself 'A worshiper of Nature'.

When we compare both poets purpose, it is completely differ from each other. Because Robert Frost
concentrates on the dramatic conflict happened in the natural world. His poems usually begin with an
observation in nature and proceed to situation. According to Frost is not only the source of pleasure, but
also inspiration for human wisdom. While Wordsworth believed people lose the humanity, purity and
nobility of their souls because they are corrupted by the artificial society in the cities and become
immortal when they distance themselves from nature by living in cities. That why both poet theme are
also something differ and some of is same.

Robert Frost poem Central themes are men and woman, humanity, loneliness, isolation and use
background anti transcendental nature. He chose incidents and situations from common life as subject of
his poems. He fought against existing traditions of poetry, he wanted poetry to be as free and natural as
love. While Wordsworth poem Central theme are memory, morality, romanticism, represents humanity,
connectivity, religion and use nature background Transcendental thing.

Here I can try to justify both poet features of poetry and use of nature in his poem how both poet's poem
differ from each other.

William Wordsworth dealing with transcendental nature in his poem. Transcendental means surpassing,
or superior. being beyond ordinary or common experience, thought, or belief; supernatural. abstract or
metaphysical. This statement proved to his poem analysis like his famous poem Daffodils. This poem
related to nature which Wordsworth felt and wrote his experiences with nature.

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze

His poem described nature's beauty with mix of happiness and loneliness. In this poem Wordsworth
shown to be lonely but when he thinks back to the Daffodils dancing, he is happy and content. Through
the poem he represents position side of nature.

While Robert Frost dealing with Anti-transcendental nature in his poem. Anti- transcendental simple
means Transcendental opposite side of nature. It means dark side of nature. Unlike romantic styled
stories, anti- transcendentalism writers created stories or poem cruelty, guilt, and self- destruction were
the earmarks of human nature. Robert Frost follow this kind of nature which is proven to analysis his
poem Fire and Ice-

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favour fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice

In this poem displays two darkness traits of humanity that are the capacity of hate as ice and capacity to
be consumed by desire or lust as fire. Fire and Ice both are opposite thing of nature and both are dark
side of nature.

Both poet features like

Clarity and Simplicity

The first thing that strikes a student of Frost’s poetry is its clarity. His poem Clear and specific. Frost’s
verse does not puzzle. His poems are Clarity of expression and freedom from the charge of obscurity
always has to pay. His poems, one often finds layers of meaning.

For example- “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”- poem line

The woods are lovely, dark and deep

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep

And miles to go before I sleep.

This feature is same for both poem style because Wordsworth use clarify and simplicity shown in poem.
But one thing is also differ If we criticize Wordsworth's poems we can’t find layers of meaning. His poem
like simple and most of shown one meaning.

I listened, motionless and still,

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.

Universality and Depiction of Rural life

Frost may begin with geography, but he has the ability to take his poetry into an unmappable country.
He has caught the spirit of all country sides. Frost’s love of the New England countryside was couples
with his love of the simple rustic. His poem give real and living people image. His characters are real.
People like the overwrought mother in “Home Burial” who is well on the way to becoming nervous
because of the death of her child. Universities present to in his poem-Fire and Ice.

While Wordsworth poem also represents University of nature, he described nature as universe, poem
object is nature it is sign of University because nature beauty object is ever lasting Universality. He has
also caught the spirit of all country sides. His poem subject is same like Frost to depiction rural life. His
poems characters are also real. For example Solitary Reaper poem.

Realism vs Romanticism

Use method of realism. According to Frost there are two types of realists. – One who offers a good deal
of dirt with his potato to show that is real potato and there is the one who is satisfied with the potato
brushed clean. And he said Art does for life is to clean it, to strip it to form. Like “Stopping by the woods
on a Snowy Evening. A realism born of ordinary things. Use properties – Every day life never exotic. While
Wordsworth poems represents of romanticism because most of his poem like romantic, it means
described beauty of the nature so his use of method may be called shown artificial because nature has
not always beauty which Wordsworth described in his poem but nature has dark side of realism. So
Robert Frost's poem represents both side of nature positive and negative. While Wordsworth represent
one side of nature.

Both poet differentiation use of language

Frost used simple words and weaves into verse the actual tones of common speech. Word somehow
made to add to the mood I the poem. For example – Mending wall poem-

“My apple trees will never get across”

Versifier large number of metres . Not using crudeness and vulgarities but vernacular without ribbing it
of a savour.

To context of using language there both poet motif same because Wordsworth also used simple words
or common man speech. For example his some of poem Wordsworth like so simple, it can understand
without help of dictionary. His poem “My Heart leaping up”. Wordsworth use number of metres.

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky:

So was it when my life began;

So is it now I am a man;
Both poet's unique quality-

Frost has dramatic quality which he use some of poem. Poem like ‘Home Burial’, ‘Blue Berries’, The which
of Coos’. In the ‘Home Burial’ we have man and wife facing a crisis. Woman answering her husband ‘s
query –

Can’t man speak of his own child he’s lost?

Not you! Oh, where’s my hat? OH! I don’t need it!

Simplicity of Frost’s verse is misleading. Depth of his philosophy He was always a patient and
persistent seeker after truth. Steady search for truth has not made. He was grip or gloomy philosopher.
Examples his poems are dealing with philosophy – Mending wall poem.

While Wordsworth has uniqueness use to poetic diction. Wordsworth is best known for Lyrical
Ballads, co-written with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and The Prelude, a Romantic epic poem chronicling the
“growth of a poet's mind.” Wordsworth's deep love for the “beauteous forms” of the natural world was
established early.

Conclusion –

In short It sets out, first, to show William Wordsworth and Robert Lee Frost as nature poet with
all its ramifications of meaning. Obviously, William Wordsworth and Robert Frost both as a nature poet
can be thoroughly enjoyed and adequately understood only by those who have gained from close study
of their poems, a genuine respect for their intellectual genius. It is remarkable that Frost is a nature poet
but not like Wordsworth. Even Frost has often been called a nature poet, indeed, he depicts aspects of
nature accurately.