Reading Notes W10: The Woman Who Makes Swell Doughnuts & The Eggs of the World, PART A

Citation: "The Woman Who Makes Swell Doughnuts" and "The Eggs of the World" p583-589

Both short stories are written in a first person perspective. It makes the stories feel believable, but also puts readers in the narrators shoes. It helps picture the situation better.

The Woman Who Makes Swell Doughnuts

The author is appreciating the mundane in his life. He is grateful for his community and the people that acted as a family. He paints a vision of "home." The woman is like a second mother, and can be why she is nicknamed "Mama" by those who know her. She puts love into everything that she does. 

-Quote: "I say to them, play, play hard, go out there and play hard. You will be glad later for everything you have done with all your night." I think this is a great example of what kind of person she is. Mama tells life messages in subtle ways. She tells her grandkids to put 100% into everything they do, that way they can always be proud that they put their efforts in, a great moral, formed by the experiences in her life. With all that she's done and accomplished, she is a happy and appreciated woman, and she wishes the same for those around her.

Mama welcomes strangers and finds peace and love in her everyday life surrounded by those she cares for. Her home is almost a safe haven. 

The Eggs of the World

This story confused me a little bit. Just like the author says, its actually hard to decipher whether Matoi was drunk or sober. Either he can be babbling, or he can be genius. If he isn't babbling, he's trying to say something about people..... a metaphor...
I'm not entirely sure what he truly means, but perhaps he is trying to say that people aren't fully aware of their surroundings, that they are in their shells, and that for him, drinking is what opens his mind to the world. Obviously Mr. Matoi is far past the intelligence of his peers, but its intriguing none-the less.

Week 9 Project Action Plan #2: The Historical Significance of Fiction Works

For my next project I would like to focus on the prompt:

Choose one short story or novel excerpt. Write a piece in which you explore the following:

1. In what ways could this story be considered an artifact of history? 
2. What does this story teach us about history? 
3. How does a story teach us about a time or place differently than a history book? 

For this prompt I decided to focus on the Angel Island and Chinatown Letters and my focus is to argue the importance of incorporating fiction into textbooks as they can be a reflection of the times they were written. I will use the answers to the questions as supporting evidence for my thesis:

1) These letters were physically written on the walls and doors and structures of Angel Island detainment areas. They are physical artifacts on the walls, but even if written on paper, its documentation of the events going on around them. 

2) The letters teach us the Chinese perspective on the immigration practices as well as how it impacted them. Textbooks can tell us what happens, but often they tell us either from a biased opinion, or a third person point of view. We may have learned that the Chinese immigration was disliked by Americans, but were we told how it effected their families? These letters show us their perspective.

\3) Like my answer to #2, textbooks can be one-sided. By reading these letters we can see a viewpoint that is often overlooked. Also we don't just get facts and numbers, we get feelings. From these letters we can see loss of hope and depression, we see people missing their families. We can visualize what its like. Can numbers from a textbook do that? They may say that families are torn apart, but do they say how the Chinese individuals felt about that? Not usually. Textbooks state actions, not thoughts and feelings. *maybe talk about how events can be mentioned indirectly in a story but still talk about the life of that time cite other texts as examples but still draw focus on current text*

Thesis: ? *may change to suit paper* Textbooks should incorporate fiction pieces and writings into their pages as reflections of what it was like from a more personal perspective.

Week 9 Progress

1. Review
I'm pretty confident with my progress so far. I am on track and, from my understanding, ahead due to the extra credit I did in previous weeks. In terms of favorite projects, I liked the EC Wiki Trails, I just haven't had the time to try another.


2. Look forward
I would like to take advantage of the extra credit opportunities some more and possibly even get ahead. It's easier said than done, but I would like to try. I also want to continue to be thorough in my analyses.

Week 9 Analysis: Literary Analysis on "The Maltese Falcon"

For this week's analysis I would like to do a literary analysis of "The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett. In this particular story, the author uses point of view and highly descriptive imagery to highlight the mysterious feel of the story and to emphasize the main character's role in the story as a private investigator. In this story, I noticed two themes, corruption and secrecy. Both of which are typical characteristics of "mystery" genres of fiction stories. In connection to history and culture, the author actually connects this work of fiction to real life.

The story starts off as main character, a private investigator, Sam "Spade" meets with wealthy performer Joel Cairo. Understanding that Spade is a PI, it is assumed Cairo is paying him for his services as early on Spade warns him about a young man following him around. After the meet. Spade travels throughout the city and tries to lose the following mystery person. Eventually, he does and returns to his apartment, where Brigid O'Shaughnessy waits. She too has hired Spade and, in her case, its for protection, most likely witness protection. In this next scene we are introduced to corruption, and after talking, the two head down to the lobby for a taxicab to meet with Cairo. A woman Iva is waiting for Spade and so is the same mysterious man.

Hammett uses very descriptive language and to paint elaborate details of setting and characters. An example of which would be that of the suspicious stalker who is described many times as "an undersized youth of twenty or twenty-one in neat grey cap and overcoat" (430 & 435). It is also shown in the narrators description of character actions as well. upon questioning Brigid, we can sense her worry and nervousness as she abruptly "got up from the settee and went to the fireplace to poke the fire. She changed slightly the position of an ornament on the mantelpiece, crossed the room to get a box of cigarettes from a table in the corner, straightened the curtain, and returned to her seat." (432-433) While it may seem normal to a reader, this actually draws more attention to herself as she tries to make herself busy to hide her anxiety from Spade. This not only shows her personality, but also emphasizes the mysteriousness of the situation and describes in detail the setting of Spade's room. All this plays a key role in connection with Spade and the genre of mystery. Being that Spade is an investigator and that this is a mystery novel, it is only natural for the characters, settings, and actions of others to be analyzed and described with utmost detail. 

Also, commonly in this genre of writing it is common to see secrecy and corruption. Crime stories often involve some form of secrecy and can occasionally have corruption in the form of crimes itself or "bad cops". This is also true for "The Maltese Falcon". Initially we don't coin Spade as a bad cop, however, he does approach Brigid, a paying customer and tells her that he may have to reconsider their situation as he has gotten a better offer *one of $5,000* against her. She then is forced to try to change his mind in which she offers selling her body since she has no money left. In this and other aspects of the story is also secrecy, both in the story level, and on the writing level. In the story it seems that characters are hiding grave details. This is shown in how Brigid's nervous actions, but also in Spade's lack of insightful conversation. While he notices a lot around him, he doesn't alert others in detail. Another example would be of Iva Archer, supposed lover of Spade who meets him outside his building. She wants to tell him something, but wont flat out say it and he himself is hiding details of who Brigid is from her. He also doesn't let her know why he's avoiding her and that he is being followed. This secrecy can be described in two ways, either secrecy to protect the welfare of others, or maybe to protect one's self.

On the writing level, Hammett actually uses point of view to add to the suspicious feel. The point of view is told from a third person objective standpoint. It can be descriptive, however, by keeping the thoughts of the detective unknown and remaining third person, readers are still missing a great deal of the story and thought-process. This plays into the mystery genre of writing as it keeps readers intrigued as the attempt to solve the mystery in their minds or forces them to continue reading to have the solutions presented to them.

Mystery writing is characteristic of Dashiell Hammett's many writings. This is probably because he himself was a detective. He worked jobs as a Pinkerton Agent in San Francisco until his illness forced him to stop. He then took on writing, in which he was able to "writ[e] stories based on his experience" (429). Interestingly enough, after some research I found that the character Joel Cairo was based on a real-life criminal Hammett arrested for forgery in Pasco, Washington in 1920. The character of Spade I initially thought was a representation of Hammett himself, however, he is actually considered  "a dream man" with "no original". He was the detective people of the time wanted to be.

Reading Notes W9: The Love of the Last Tycoon, PART B

Citation: From "The Love of the Last Tycoon"  F. Scott Fitzgerald p554-564

POV: First Person POV, told by Cecelia. The narrator also talks TO the audience directly as well, briefly She sometimes briefly stops telling the story and adds personal commentary here and there. I think it's to keep readres interested but also to incorporate them into the story as if they were a friend to Cecelia personally.

Characters:

Cecelia: 43 year old married woman who visits her father during a college break, NARRATOR

Cecelias Father: described as strong willed but shrewed, Irish, 

Robinson a.k.a "Robby":

Monroe: friend of Cecelia's father

Stahr: friend of Cecelia's father and theater's producer/director, described was built by luckMr. Boxley: novelist,

Setting: Like many stories so far, this also takes place in the city of San Francisco. It takes place in the summer,on Cecelia's birthday

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Reading Notes W9: The Maltese Falcon, PART A

Citation: From "The Maltese Falcon" -Dashiell Hammett p.429-436

Setting: Downtown San Francisco

Characters:

-Sam "Spade": private investigator for Cairo? and also paid by Bridgid for protection

-Joel Cairo: Wealthy Performer. Hired Spade for investigation of some sort?

-Brigid O'Shaughnessy: *unknown background* hiding from someone. Paying Spade to protect her?

-Iva Archer: Possible lover of Spade. Spade called her "precious" however, because of his situation, made her leave. I'm not sure if it was to protect her, to avoid the stalker and protect Brigid because that's what he is paid to do, or if he is starting to fall for Brigid and is cutting the relationship off with Iva.

Theme(s):

-Corruption: Spade was offered $5,000 and he almost turned in Brigid even though he swore to protect her

-Secrecy: There is a lot that Spade is avoiding to tell. He hasn't told Brigid of being followed and didn't tell Iva the situation. Ironically enough though, he keeps Joel Cairo posted on the situation, which seems sexist. Does he think the women can't handle it? Does he think that they wouldn't understand if he explained it? Are the women viewed by him as not trustable?

What stood out to me:

-Imagery: Imagery is used throughout the entirety of the work. The third-person narrator is very descriptive and I believe its to intensify the secretive nature and mystery of the situation. Being that Spade is a private investigator, it seems only natural that the details of the setting be descriptive as possible.

-P.O.V: The point of view is told from a third person objective standpoint. I think this was chosen as it can be descriptive, however, by keeping the thoughts of the detective unknown, when problems are solved, the solutions come as a shock. It adds to the heightened mystery as the reader is forced to either figure it out on their own, or wait until the case is solved.

-"I've given you all the money I have........."Can I buy you with my body?" Said by Brigid. Spades response was that he'll consider it. It just goes to show that money talks and so does sexual favors.

Topic Brainstorm: Part 2

As I read through the Project information for this semester I chose four topics that I currently think I could do well in. Each one I'm interested in due to knowing my strengths, weaknesses, and past readings.

Compare and contrast elements of two different texts. For example, explore the similarities and differences between two characters in the texst, or examine how one theme is handled in similar and dissimilar ways in two different texts. 

 You may choose from any of the readings we have done this semester including poetry, short fiction, and drama. You may also choose two texts from two different genres to write about (a poem and a short story, for example). 

I like the idea of analyzing a similar theme between two texts. I think a common theme among a few texts is "Starting New Beginnings" and i feel like I can tie it into a bigger picture. Can I only mention 2 or is it okay to pick a few?

Choose one short story or novel excerpt. Write a piece in which you explore the following:

1. In what ways could this story be considered an artifact of history? 
2. What does this story teach us about history? 
3. How does a story teach us about a time or place differently than a history book? 

Within many readings there were historical allusions, I think this is especially so for the poems written by Chinese Immigrants after the Great Fire mentioned in "The Californians"

Pick a subject: love, work, freedom, etc. Then choose two selections and discuss how that subject is discussed in those selections. Use literary devices to help frame your discussion.  

I chose this because in quite a few readings the idea of "nature" is portrayed in different ways. We have "Beyond the Breakers" and "The Coming Night" that describe it as beautiful, and we have "The Luck of Roaring Camp" where its an unbeatable and menacing force. We also have "The Oatcasts of Poker Flats" in which nature is beautiful, but also an uncontrollable force, showing balance.

Week 8 Analysis: Close Reading on Poem#1 of the Four Poems of Angel Island and Chinatown

In this week's analysis, I will be looking into one of the Angel Island and Chinatown poems written anonymously by Chinese Immigrants. The particular writing that I would like to focus on would be Poem #1 and how it compares to the other three. I would like to focus on the historical significance as well as the cultural-belief aspect of it also.

To analyze the poem, it is important to understand the historical time it takes place in. During this period, Chinese immigrants were looked at as a nuisance. After the start of the Gold Rush, people of many different countries began to immigrate into California in aims for building fortune. However, the opinions on Chinese were painted negatively as they came in multitudes and often stayed short-term. They claimed and sent their fortune back to China and often returned home after taking what they came for. This made Californians fear economic crash as the money wasn't being put back into the region. This resulted in the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1982, which prohibited immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years and dramatically reduced the Chinese population in the United States. Tensions began to decrease. In 1906 however, the Great Fire *the same fire and earthquake described in "The Californians" by Gertrude Atherton* had burned through municipal buildings destroying Immigrant documents. This started a surge of mass immigration and the emergence of "paper families" or falsified families. Many incoming applicants were detained for questioning and background checks for months on end in attempts to ensure legal immigration.

This poem describes that lengthy wait. Immigrants were kept on Angel Island and many wrote poems on the walls and doors of their dread, losing of hope, and often were "pining at the delayed progress" (line 2). The narrator says "What can one sad person say to another? Unfortunate travelers everywhere wish to commiserate" (lines 3&4), showing how many wrote on the walls as a form of communication and to journalize their feelings.

In the second half of the poem, we start to see the author's beliefs shine through. He/she begins to question the point. Why worry yourself more? We start to see the cultural belief of fate and destiny and the belief of deities as well. "How is one to know what is predestined?...Who is to say it is not the will of heaven?" (lines  5&6). The narrator even compares the struggles to how "heroes often were the first ones to face adversity" (line 9), giving a light at the end of the tunnel. The author is trying to remain hopeful and is also saying that struggles are experienced by great people, somewhat showing self-empowerment and letting other readers know to also be hopeful.

From this we can assume a few things about the author and compare it to the rest of the poems. In the next two poems we see how the losing of hope gets worse over the length of time they are detained. The second is about waiting years or more for loved ones and the third is of depression and complete loss of hope to the point of no will or motivation to live. From this, we can assume that the author of this first poem hasn't been detained long or perhaps has high confidence in his/her story or situation and is absolute that they will be granted citizenship. This is shown not only through the hopeful last line of the poem, but also in how he/she mocks the other people for writing so negatively and miserably.

Overall, this poem plays a great visual in showing the transition in morale when being detained as a Chinese Immigrant. Through this poem we also get historical allusion as well as a peek into the Chinese cultural beliefs of fate and a God of some sort.

Week 8 Reading and Writing

1. Looking Back:
I feel as though the reading assignments haven't interested me as much recently. I think this because lately the readings have been primarily of poems or of old English vernacular, so they can be harder to analyze as well as read. I think my favorite reading has to be "Moxon's Master" I was truly able to dig deep into the character and state my opinion on the mystery The mystery genre in general appeals to me, which is another reason why I preferred that read. My reading notes are thorough enough to write the weekly analyses, however, here and there, especially this week, I struggle to analyze in-depth. I really love my project paper and I also consider it one of my biggest accomplishments. I was happy with the outcome and effort I had put in, and my final comments by my peers heightened that feeling also.

2. Looking Forward:

In future reads I hope to write more in-depth notes and hope they are interesting reads to complete as I will be more motivated to elaborate. This will ultimately help me with analyses and future project papers.

Reading Notes W8: Carmel Point, PART B

Citation: "Carmel Point" by Robinson Jeffers  -pg.413

Carmel Point is a short poem by Robinson Jeffers that highlights human destruction and environmental impacts on the coastal city of Carmel in Southern California. The poem itself doesn't have a characterizing rhyme or rhythm, but I believe it's choppiness adds to the idea that humans are destructive beings. A once harmonious and beautiful environment is getting covered and used up by humanity. He even says that before colonizing, Carmel was pristine; untouched by man. Vast landscapes of flowers are now "defaced with a crop of suburban houses"

Metaphor: Jeffers compares humanity to a tide. It comes and goes. This compares also to the first line "The extraordinary patience of things" as it seems that nature hasn't negatively rebounded on us yet. With all the harm we are doing, Jeffers remains hopeful that it will balance out.

Moral: the take away of this poem is blatantly stated by the author in the last three lines.

"We must uncenter our minds from ourselves;

We must unhumanize our views a little, and become confident..."

The author wants people to become less selfish and to realize the impacts of their actions. He wants humanity to notice how beautiful our environment was and how the beauty is in the products we make if we truly look into it and value it... "the image of pristine beauty lives in the very grain of the granite" It's almost a call to action, notice the beauty you were given and protect it.

Reading Notes W8, Four Poems of Angel Island and Chinatown, PART A

Citation: Four Poems of Angel Island and Chinatown by Anonymous Authors -p354-355

As you read the introductory pre-reading we see the four poems are written anonymously from Chinese immigrants that were detained for lack of legal documentation in which they were not at fault. After the earthquake and fire, these immigrants basically had to start the legal process over. This makes it easy to assume that the poems will characterize the negative impacts of the event, which is true for the first three poems.

Poem#1: This poem is by a bystander, it seems. He/she describes the hundreds of writings upon the walls and how people are sad about their situation. However, this writer still has hope as he/she mentions that even heroes go through difficulties before success.

Poem#2: This poem shows the losing of hope. This narrator has been counting her husband's detainment; almost a year. A young woman beside her is in grief, probably due to a similar predicament. This makes the narrator feel uneasy, as she to may one day face the same misfortune.

Poem#3: This poem is written by a bystander witnessing the depression of an old, dying man. This man sits with and arch and smokes a pipe. He lost all hope and lost all his fortune. "He won't even move if you drag him" showing he also has no will to continue.

Poem #4: This poem comes as an interesting twist. This poem seems "happy." It is about Chinese New Year and the celebration of fortune and wishing of fortune to others. While the predicament seems controversial to the celebration, Chinese still practice their tradition, in a way, to boost hope and morale.

Note: all poems don't have any ryme patterns or schemes. They are written as though they were notes/ conversations to oneself or to others,

Week 7 Analysis: Literary Analysis on "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz"

For this week's analysis, the story I have decided to evaluate is "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz" by L. Frank Baum. This fantasy is characterized by talking animals, imagery, and a somewhat surreal setting, explored by young children who stumbled across it on accident. From the story, it is easy to see a theme in Childhood Curiosity. I think Baum uses this fantasy to appeal to a young audience but to also bring forth a reminder to an older reader's younger, more imaginative self.

The story starts off with young Dorothy Gale meeting Zebediah a.k.a Zeb to visit the Hugson's Ranch owned by her Uncle Henry. Along the way, with the setting being near San Francisco, an earthquake strikes which causes a crack in the ground to split and for them and the horse-drawn carriage to fall into it. After a long fall, the children see six different-colored spheres floating, each sending a ray of light in its own color and also find their horse, Jim, talking. Upon landing, they are introduced to a magical land with cities made of glass.

Baum uses imagery throughout as well as personification to make the story more magical and appealing to readers. He does this especially so after the children fall into the ground. While unrealistic as floating colored "suns" (color imagery) and a talking animal companion (personification) seemed, it al cohesively mixes to enhance the enthralling experience. Not only was the fall magical, but so was the world below too. It was described to be a "landscape with mountains and plains, lakes and rivers, very like upon earth's surface" except that it was "colored by the variegated lights from six suns" (353).

This captivated the children. Instead of fearing for their lives or wanting to find a way home, Dorothy is almost fearless and more curious than worried. She even tells Zeb after he became distressed by the fact he may never be able to return home that " we can't help ourselves now....and I've always been told it's foolish to borrow trouble" (353) meaning that it is unnecessary to worry, and consoled him by reminding him of how beautiful the area is. As they slowly landed, they marveled over the beautiful glass structures and colorful rainbow landscape.

From this,  it is easy to see how this story is a fantasy and how it primarily appeals to children due to the magical experiences it portrays. In addition to this, we can assume too that this appeals to adults, who can break free from their adulthood and reminisce on how their imagination and curiosity was as children and how they can compare to Dorothy.

Reading Notes W7, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, PART B

Citation: "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz" -L. Frank Baum pg.347-353

Setting: Hugson's Siding, CA somewhere near San Francisco on the way to Hugson's Ranch, and a magical world in the middle of the Earth

Characters:
-Dorothy Gale: worry-free, imaginative, curious, explorative
-Zebediah (ZEB) Hugson: scared, easily worried

Themes:
-Childish Imagination: While this book is targeted towards children, it does a great job feeding a readers imagination using color imagery, fantasy, and personification
- Childhood Curiosity and Fearlessness: upon safe landing, curiosity outweighed the fear of being in a new unknown and possibly never making it home. The kids just wanted to explore the magical world.

Literary Devices:
-Color imagery is used as the carriage falls through the earth and colorful spheres bounce rays of light to change the color of different parts of the children's and Jim's body.
-Fantasy: Soon after the initial fall it is easy to see that the fantasy starts. It initially starts with colorful floating spheres, then talking Jim, and upon landing, a mysterious world of all-glass cities and a landscape like earth but colorful from the light of the six colorful suns.
-Personification: Jim, the horse, was given the ability to talk, and at first it didn't even phase the kids. In fact, when they realized he could talk, it was more like a novelty to them. They weren't overly excited, but interested none-the-less.
-Point of View: The POV is third person limited. The author uses "they", "he", and "she", however, the author can also read into the thoughts of only Dorothy.

Reading Notes W7: The Californians, PART A

Citation: Chapter 6 of "The Californians" -Gertrude Atherton pg.311-320

Characters:
-Magdalena: born of wealth, well mannered, curious, innocent, respects her father, fears consequence, takes pride in her heritage, has a good conscience, honest
-Helena: trouble maker, wealthy, spoiled, curious, proud and cocky

Themes:
-Young Curiosity: shown when Magdalena decides to join Helena to watch a fire
-Peer Pressure: Despite reviewing consequences, Magdalena was urged by Helena to go with her.
-Ignoring Consequence: Magdalena ignored possible consequence over excitement for something new
-Young Rebellion: Both girls rebelled in a way. Magdalena rebelled by just sneaking away, but Helena seems to actively get in trouble.

Interesting Notices:
Laws at the time: The police officer arrested Helena for dressing in boys clothes, and Magdalena for posing as a greaser. Being that this is San Francisco, this is interesting as SF now is home to a multitude of different types of people with different fashion interests.

Literary Terms:
POV Third Person Omniscient: The narrator tells the story as if he/she is watching the act, but also is reading the mind of Magdalena
Similes and Metaphors are used throughout the story to enhance Magdalena's feeling of the  excitement of the new  and growing curiosity.
Helena acts as a foil to Magdalena. She is a completely opposite character and this highlights Magdalena's innocence and respect for her culture and father.
Historical Allusion to the 1906 Great Fire Burning South of Market Street caused by Earthquake

Take Stock ECW6

It's been four weeks since I've taken stock of where I am in the course. I'm actually kind of impressed with the amount of work I've done and am proud I've stayed relatively on track. I still need to get in the habit of reading the announcements though. I wish I did read the announcements before though as I do have tech issues occasionally and wished I knew I could have asked before spending an hour trying to figure it out. Overall, I am proud of the work and quality of work I've turned in so far and will strive for improvements.

Week 6 Analysis: Close Reading on "The Coming Night"

For this week’s analysis, I would like to do a close reading on “The Coming Night” by William Nauns Ricks.

Within this short poem I would like to focus on the third stanza:

1.      In turn, the sun more splendid,

2.      Bathes land and sea in gold;

3.      A thousand colors blended,

4.      Toward the hills are rolled.

5.      There amethyst and violet,

6.      Where green and brown held sway

7.      With scarlet, form a triolet

8.      To deck the dying day.

Ricks uses this small section to paint a scene of a beautiful sunset in a transition to night.  He does this by utilizing imagery, rhyme, and rhythm, which work cohesively to tie into the theme of the beauty of nature. While this may seem like a mere fragment of an already short poem, the combination of devices are used to show a significant transition between day and night and can be described as the main event the narrator considers to be worth the walk up the hill to experience.

In this stanza, the author uses rhyme and rhythm. The rhyme scheme of which is A, B, A, B, C, D, C, D, and the rhythm is made by keeping the consecutively paired lines the same number of syllables (i.e. lines 1&3 have 7 syllables, and lines 6&8 have 6). The rhyme adds euphony, making it feel tranquil and serene, and the rhythm makes it flow smoothly, giving it an almost harmonious feel.

The narrator also describes the scene with colour imagery. He talks of the land and sea turning golden and the sky becoming a mix of colors. It is that reason that I can tell the narrator is describing the sunset and that this is the focus of the entire poem. This stanza was the most detailed as compared to the rest, and it is the final experience before his trek back down the hill, implying that it is the event he was actually waiting for.

This seemingly short passage holds a lot of importance to the narrator. It is the scene he waits for on his trek up the hill, and with the uses of rhyme, rhythm, and colour imagery, the author highlights the beauty of nature and its processes.

Works Cited:

http://mshenglishcourses.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/123178959/205%20ricks.pdf

Reading Notes W6: Beyond the Breakers & The Black Vulture, PART B

Citation: “Beyond the Breakers” and “The Black Vulture” -George Sterling pg.208-210

Beyond the Breakers:

The poem is addressed to James Hopper. It describes the boat arrival on the coastal town of Carmel and how the narrator felt at the time. With the background information we see that he stays in Carmel, and that from the start he saw glory in the area. It is composed of fourteen stanzas of four meters each. The author uses a rhyme scheme A, A, B, B, as well as rhythm to give the setting a beating flow. Almost like the crashing waves on the beach or strong the coastal breeze. It adds a sense of beauty, power, and glory to the ocean-side. Sterling also uses a lot of metaphor and personification. This is seen in calling the sea lonely, but also comparing it to a nurturing mother. The water and the power of it as well as its grasp was enticing to the author, and he marveled at its grace and balance.

The Black Vulture:

This is a very short poem. It is composed of only two stanzas, one with eight lines with rhyme scheme A, B, B, A, A, B, B, A, and the next with six lines and a pattern A, B, C, A, B, C. It has fourteen lines total, therefore it is considered a sonnet. While there is rhyme, there is a choppy rhythm and the rhyme scheme is inconsistent. This compares to the unpredictable nature and fierceness of a vulture or any bird of prey.

Both poems compare the life of the coastal region of Carmel. While the first poem is focused on first impressions, we can infer that the impression is lasting as, even in the second poem, the narrator describes the sea and things pertaining to it as strong and powerful but also a harmonious balance of beauty.