Emerson on Death, Slavery, and the Poet's Embodiment of the Trinity

We didn't get a chance to discuss Ralph Waldo Emerson's views on Death and Slavery, although we did cover most of the major topics concerning Emerson I wanted to make sure we got to.

Both of these negative aspects are addressed by the following quote:

"For, as it is dislocation and detachment from the life of God, that makes things ugly, the poet, who re-attaches things to nature and the Whole, -- re-attaching even artificial things, and violations of nature, to nature, by a deeper insight, -- disposes very easily of the most disagreeable facts."

The basic idea here is that the "life of God" is a unified life -- one that sees connections, as opposed to separations, in the universe. Thus, in response to the separation of death that came from the passing of his son and his two brothers in the same year, Emerson thought that there was a deeper, universal spiritual reality of God in his son's soul, and that his own soul was somehow connected to this soul. This thought indicates that those that "die" are, in a very real way, still connected to us because they, like us, are connected to God (God, in Emerson's configuration, being the diviness of all nature, which makes the human soul and the entirety of nature one).

To Emerson, slavery is wrong for similar reasons. Before he clarified his position during the 1850s, some actually used Emerson's principle of individualism as an excuse to assert their authority over other human beings in the form of slavery. Emerson corrected them using the following reasoning:

Laws, for Emerson, had a responsibility to reflect nature -- they do not form it. Lawmakers were to discover, not create, the natural order of the universe. For Emerson, the natural order is divine unity, not separation -- and the practice of slavery was based on separation. Although Emerson believed in the divine nature of the individual spoul, he also believed that this soul embodied the entirety of the universe. Because this soul embodied the entirety of the universe, it was also connected to the divine nature of all souls. For Emerson, an individual's concept of slavery, especially race based slavery, was erroneously based on the belief that an individual's own soul was not an embodiment or manifestation of the divine nature of other souls, and was therefore wrong. Thus, slavery was an inaccurate representation of the natural order that the law should strive to represent, and should, therefore, be strongly opposed.

Do these conceptualizations work for you? Do you think Emerson's philosophy is sufficient for helping people through the most difficult losses of their lives? Furthermore, do you think Emerson's view on the law is a good one to go by in your own dealings with politics and everyday life? Why or why not? Feel free to discuss below.

I also want to clarify something regarding the "the Father, the Spirit, and the Son" passage on page two of the reading. I stated that Emerson's argument here is that all three of them are working together, implying that they all work together in the poet. I realized this might be a bit confusing, because in the very next paragraph, Emerson clearly states that "the poet is the sayer"-- which, if you follow the parallel comparison here, would correlate with "the Son." Although this is true, notice that in the second to last paragraph on the page, Emerson states that "words are also actions, and actions are a kind of words," thus blurring the lines between "Saying" (associated with Christ) and "Actions" or "Doing" (associated with the Spirit). The last paragraph on the page argues that the poet "knows and tells" and that his ability to be the Sayer is dependent on his ability to know -- which makes this Sayer a Knower (associated with the Father). So, in essence, he is strongly implying that the poet is the Father, the Spirit, and the Son -- three in one. Or, in other words, that poets are (in his own words later on) "liberating gods."

Do you give this much creedence to the poet? Why or why not?

Emerson and Eliot Reading

Ralph Waldo Emerson's "The Poet"

And T.S. Eliot's "Tradition and the Individual Talent"

With my commentary (including questions and clarification)

Is HERE

Give it about five minutes to fully load -- Google Docs has to work hard to pull it and all the comments up.

If you have any reactions to these readings or to the questions/clarifications that I put on them, this is a place to share them. Comment below.

ENGLISH 20503 Syllabus

ENGL 20503 Major American Writers:

An Overview of Intersections between

Gender, Race, and Spirituality from the Mid-19^th Century to the Present

Mr. Mosley

Office Hours: M 10-12pm, W 1-2pm, and by appointment

Official Office: Reed Hall 402

Office Hours Held At Mary Burnetts Library Cafe

Class Time: MW 3:30-4:50

Class Room: Reed Hall 331

COURSE INTRODUCTION

This course will focus on intersections between gender, race, and spirituality from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Because so many of these writers were influential in shaping the time period they wrote in, strains of their views can be found throughout our current thought. In the interests of discovering these strains, this course will seek to contextualize these writings and explore different methods of interpreting their works, while at the same time highlighting the relevance these writings have to our current cultural, communal, and personal environments. A major theme in this course will be the tension between materialism and humanism/spirituality – a tension that includes the question of whether materialism and humanism/spirituality belong on opposite sides of the spectrum. We will frequently try to determine how the energy from this tension in the modern age affects conceptualizations of gender and race.

COURSE OUTCOMES

• Core Outcomes
  

  This class is a TCU Core Curriculum Humanities (HUM) class. The class also satisfies TCU CC overlay requirements for Literary Traditions (LT).
  

  • HUM 1: Be able to analyze representative texts of significance and to practice critical analysis of work at the center of the humanities.
    
  • HUM 2: Demonstrate a critical ability to analyze questions about the nature and value of human life as embodied in the traditions of the humanities.
    
  • LIT01: Demonstrate an understanding of literature as it impacts and/or reflects society and the individual.
    
  • LIT02: Demonstrate an understanding of how literature also constructs human cultures.
    
• Subcore Outcomes:
  
  • Demonstrate through the completion of analytical writing assignments and/or exams knowledge of American literary history encompassing a variety of literary periods and a variety of literary genres.
    
  • Demonstrate various strategies for reading, interpreting, and engaging with works by major American authors through the completion of analytical writing assignments and/or exams.
    
• Section Outcome:
  
  • Be able to recognize the struggles of nineteenth and twentieth century Major American Writers to interact with race, gender, and spirituality in the face of war, industrialization, poverty, discrimination, and modernization, and to connect these struggles to the present culture.
    

REQUIRED TEXTS

Lauter, Paul, ed. The Heath Anthology of American Literature: Concise Edition. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2004.

Course Handouts

GRADE BREAKDOWN

FORMAL PAPERS

Submission: Put in Dropbox. If Dropbox is down, you can let me know, but please SEND YOUR DOCUMENT AS AN ATTACHMENT to the email so I know that you finished the paper in time.

Returned: By hand

Literary Criticism Piece 1 (15%):

This will be 3-4 pages long. It will cover a course-related aspect of the readings in the first part of the schedule, and it will be due on March 7^th, the class period before the first exam. A list of prompts to get you thinking about a paper topic will be given a few weeks before the exam.

Literary Criticism Piece 2 (20%)

This paper will be 5-6 pages long. It will address a work from the first part of the course, but will also need to address a work from the second part of the course. It is a larger part of your grade than the first paper because the first paper because, by this paper, you will be more aware of how work is graded in this class. It is due April 27th.

QUIZZES:

Submission: If done by hand, submit by hand. If done on computer, submit in dropbox.

Returned: By hand.

Before-Class Quizzes (15%)

These quizzes are closed-book quizzes and will end no later than fifteen minutes after class begins. You may use your computer to type answers to quiz questions. PLEASE BE LEGIBLE IF YOU WRITE YOUR ANSWERS DOWN. Your two lowest before-class quiz grades will be dropped at the end of the semester.

This is to ensure you come to class prepared. Do what you need to do to be familiar with the material – take notes, talk about it with friends, have a study group, use flash cards, or simply rely on superhuman retention abilities. Whichever way works best for you, somehow ensure that you come to class knowing the material fairly well.

After-Class Quizzes (15%)

Questions in these quizzes are open-note and open book, and will cover material in the lecture and discussion that is not in your book. You will have ten minutes to finish these quizzes, and they will typically contain 3-4 short-answer questions. Most of the time, I'll give these without warning. Your two lowest after-class quiz grades will be dropped at the end of the semester.

EXAMS

Submission: Preferably submitted into online dropbox, but handwritten submissions also accepted by hand.

Returned: By hand.

Midterm (15%):

This covers material in the first half of the course. You will choose three out of eight essay questions, and a few multiple choice questions. You will have an hour-and-a-half to complete this midterm.

Final (20%):

This covers material in the second half of the course. You will choose three out of eight essay questions, and a few multiple choice questions. You will have two and a half hours to complete this midterm.

TECHNOLOGY POLICY

I've decided to let you use technology to your heart's content, as long as you are not a major disruption in class. Do what you need to do to concentrate on the material. You're adults, you're intelligent (or else you wouldn't be here), so you know – or, through further experience, can quickly figure out -- how you learn best. I care very little what you are doing on your computers, as long as you are engaged in what's going on in class (a quality that the after-class quizzes will assess) and aren't a major distraction to your classmates.

If a classmate is engaging in any activity (online and otherwise) that I can't see that makes it difficult for you to concentrate in class, I urge you to let me know ASAP so that I can take appropriate action. I will keep your name anonymous.

Keep in mind that, to recognize your engagement with course content, 30% of your grade will be quizzes. Some of these quizzes will be given before the lecture – these will be based on the readings. Some of these quizzes will be given after the lecture – these will be open-book quizzes based on the lecture and, at times, perceptive comments from students.

ATTENDANCE

Because you will have frequent before and after class quizzes that will make up a total of %30 your grade, and because before-class quizzes end fifteen minutes after class begin, your decision to come to class or not and your tardiness or lack thereof will mainly be reflected in your quiz grades. However, if you miss class for three weeks (or six class sessions), I will have grounds to fail you for the course. I will not give any penalties – outside of missed quizzes – for any absences leading up to this three week mark.

HONESTY POLICY

Cheating in a quiz will result in a 0 for your quiz grade (15% for a before class quiz or 15% for an after class quiz). Plagiarism of any other assignment will result in an F for the assignment at the very least, and will more likely result in an F in the course – although the Director of Composition, along with the English Department Chair, may decide to expel the plagiarizer from TCU. No matter how difficult it is to get that assignment done in the time you have available, don't risk cheating or plagiarism; it's not worth it. If you're overwhelmed with work and school and are having trouble getting an assignment done on time, DON'T PLAGIARIZE – come talk to me and present your case.

ADVICE

• CHECK YOUR EMAIL FREQUENTLY! It's my main mode of communicating with you outside of class.
  
• Read a sample page of each reading well ahead of time so that you have an idea of how long each reading will take you.
  
• As you read, focus on a course-related aspect of the reading that interests you – this will improve your concentration, comprehension, and speed.
  
• Use your peers to hold you accountable.
  
• Take advantage of the knowledge base you share with others in the class.
  
• View paper/exam/quiz comments carefully so that you know how to improve on future assignments.
  
• Visit the Center for Writing before turning your papers in.
  

Course Policies and Procedures:

TCU Center for Writing: The William L. Adams Center for Writing is an academic support service available to all TCU students. Writing specialists and peer tutors are available for one-on-one tutorials from 8 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Disabilities Statement:
Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities. Eligible students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Student Disabilities Services in the Center for Academic Services located in Sadler Hall, 11. Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations. Further information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at (817) 257-7486.

Academic Dishonesty: Refer to the TCU Undergraduate Studies Bulletin at http://catalog.tcu.edu/undergraduate. The following examples apply specifically to academic misconduct in composition courses:

Plagiarism: The appropriation, theft, purchase, or obtaining by any means another's work, and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as one's own offered for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of another's work without giving credit therefore.

Collusion: The unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing work offered for credit.

Fabrication and falsification: Unauthorized alteration or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. Falsification involves altering information for use in any academic exercise. Fabrication involves inventing or counterfeiting information for use in any academic exercise.

Multiple Submission: The submission by the same individual of substantial portions of the same academic work (including oral reports) for credit more than once in the same or another class without authorization.

Complicity in academic misconduct: Helping another to commit an act of academic misconduct.

All cases of suspected academic misconduct will be referred to the Director of Composition. Sanctions imposed for cases of academic misconduct range from zero credit for the assignment to expulsion from the University. This policy applies to homework and drafts as well as final papers.

Class Schedule PLEASE NOTE: This syllabus is tentative.

January 10th

Course Introduction

January 12th

Contrast of American Literature Views

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Poet (Handout and Online)

T.S. Eliot

Tradition and the Individual Talent (Handout and Online)

January 17th: No Class, Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

January 19th

Another View of Nature: The Despair of Science

Edgar Allen Poe

The Fall of the House of Usher

1001-1013

Sonnet: To Science

1027

The Raven

1028-1031

January 24th

Emily Dickinson 1295-1317

January 26th

Kate Chopin

The Story of an Hour 1523-1524

Stephen Crane

The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky 1573-1581

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Yellow Wall-Paper 1597-1609

January 31st

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Yellow Wall-Paper 1597-1609 (Continued)

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

The Revolt of "Mother" 1644-1652

February 2nd

Theodor Dreiser

The Second Choice

February 7th

Robert Frost: 1799-1804

Wallace Stevens: 1954-1959

February 9th

Ernest Hemingway

Soldier's Home (Handout and Online)

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place (Handout and Online)

February 14th

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock 1901-1905

The Hollow Men (Handout and Online)

Sherwood Anderson

Winesburg, Ohio selections online at: http://www.bartleby.com/156/

The Grotesque (for this day, this is the only story you need to read)

February 16th

Sherwood Anderson

Winesburg, Ohio selections: online at:

http://www.bartleby.com/156/

Hands, Nobody Knows, Adventure, The Strength of God, The Teacher, Loneliness

February 21st

Sherwood Anderson

Winesburg, Ohio

An Awakening, "Queer," Death, Sophistication, Departure

February 23rd

Scott Fitzgerald

Babylon Revisited

1922-1935

February 28th

William Faulkner

Barn Burning

1962-1973

October 6th

March 2

John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath

2133-2140

March 7th

Exam Review Literary Criticism Paper #1 Due

March 9th

Exam 1

March 10th

Last Day to Drop

March 11th

Last day to make the class Pass/No Credit

Spring Break Starts

March 21st

Richard Wright

The Ethics of Living Jim Crow

2143-2150

March 23rd

W.E.B. DuBois

The Souls of Black Folk: 1749-1761

March 28th

Alain Locke

The New Negro: 1988-1996

March 30th

Jean Toomer

Cane: 1997-2006

April 4th

Langston Hughes

2008-2011

Additional Poems (Online and handout)

April 6th

Countee Cullen

2020-2025

Claude McKay

2043-2045

April 11th

Zora Neale Hurston

Sweat: 2035-2042

April 13th

Gwendolyn Brooks

2312-2319

April 18th

Elizabeth Bishop

"The Fish" 2301-2303

Flannery O'Connor

A Good Man is Hard to Find

2242-2252

April 20th

N. Scott Momaday

The Way to Rainy Mountain

Introduction Excerpt: 2438-2439

Leslie Marmon Silko

Lullaby

2514-2519

April 25th

Bharati Mukherjee

Happiness

2486-2490

Sherman Alexie

Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian Who Saw…2253-2559

April 27th

Tim O'Brien In the Field 2571-2578 Review Day –Last Class Period Literary Criticism Paper #2 Due

May 2nd

Final Exam

3:00-5:30

Introduction

This site serves three purposes. First, it is a stand-in for the eCollege site until that comes online, and second it is also a place where you can be honest with me about questions and concerns about the course. Simply leave a comment, and I'll address your concerns. If you're uncomfortable attaching your name a comment, you have the option of making it anonymous.

Finally, it’s also a place where I will try to make thought-provoking posts about the readings occasionally, to see if they spark some additional musings, discussion, or even a bit of controversy.

If you like this site, or if something on here gets you thinking, feel free to contribute. If not, that’s fine, too — I’ll be able to gauge that by the responses I get on it by the end of the semester. I want to underline that while this will contain course information until the eCollege site is up, your comments (or, of course, lack thereof) on here will in no way impact your grade.

I will say, however, that if you do chew on the posts I put on here, you will get more out of the readings and come more prepared for possible quizzes and exam questions. Occasionally, this site will contain clarifications of concepts that seem to rough in class. If you have a question or don't understand something, please say so on here -- chances are high you are not alone.

I've never tried this before. We’ll see how it goes…