Henry James 1845-1916

Henry James was an American novelists, who spent most of his life in England. some of his books are centered around his experiences and environment there. In this excerpt, James does a great job of capturing the consciousness of a young girl who is divided into half amongst her parents that were getting divorced. I like how he is able to capture the child's thoughts in the excerpt, "What Maise Knew" "The greatest effect of the great cause was her own greater importance, chiefly revealed to her in the larger freedom with which she handled, pulled hither and thither and kissed, and proportionately greater niceness she was obliged to show." (p826) This child just like so many others, are aware of their environment and know how to mask their true emotions in order to survive in the situation that they live in. "The word stuck in her mind and contributed to her feelings from the time that she was deficient in something that would meet the general desire."(p.826)

I think that this excerpt reveals some forms of abuse that children are subjected to, as well as the turmoil they endure for the sake of the judicial system as well as yhe price that is paid in order to meet the requirements to see the desired parent.

Oscar Wilde 1854-1900

Ocar Wilde a witty Aesthetic, who was flamboyant and creative, was an Irish poet,essayists, lecturer, and playwriter who believed in self expression. He was known for his for witty talks and lectures.He was an artist that was accepted in the U.S.but rejected by his own because of his alternative lifestyle. His works were expressions of his outlook on life and the things that inspired him from his environment.

"Impression du Matin"

The Thamas nocturne of blue and gold

Changed to a harmony in gray

A barge with ochre- coloured hay

Dropt from the wharf: and chill and cold

The yellow fog come a creeping down

The bridges, till the houses' walls

Seemed changed to shadows and St. Paul's

Loomed like a bubble o'er the town.

Then suddenly arose the clang

Of waking life;

the streets were stirred

With country waggons: and a bird

Flew to the glistening roofs and sang. But one pale woman all alone,

The daylight kissing her wan hair,

Loitered beneath the gas lamps' flare,

With lips of flame and heart of stone. I think that this poem speaks of a gloomy period in Wilde's life, when he may have been searching for love or acceptance. He describes the environment which surrounds him to help paint the mood and emotions that were lurking in the air. If I must be honest, I struggled with his works and went to several websites to see if I could interpret any of his other works.

Siegfried Sassoon 1886-1967

Siegfried Sassoon was a solider and a poet during World War I. He was recognized as hero in his efforts with helping a wounded soldier to safety while he to was wounded. While recuperating he began to write letters about the war being prolonged, and refused to return to the battle. He was was returned later to battle and was wounded again. After the war, he began writing poetry that gave a realistic view of the soldiers encounter and thoughts. He didn't paint a picture of commitment but one that is horrifying and gruesome sight for any creature to behold. .He paints a picture of one that is real in the eyes of the soldiers that lived this experience, survived the battle and now have to deal with the repercussions or the after thoughts of this walk. Here's an example of his writing.

"Glory of Women"

You love us when we're heroes, home on leave,

Or wounded in a mentionable place.

You worship decorations; you believe

That chivalry redeems the war's disgrace.

You make us shells. You listen with delight,

By tales of dirt and danger fondly thrilled.

You crown our distant ardors while fight,

And mourn our laurelled memories when we're killed.

You can't believe that British troops "retire'

When hell's last horror breaks them, and they run,

Trampling the terrible corpses- blind with blood.

O German mother dreaming by the fire,

While you are knitting socks to send your son

His face is trodden deeper in the mud.

Craiglockhart, 1917

I feel that he expresses the sentiments of all veterans of war. Know one honestly knows of all the horrible things soldiers have endured for the sake of a country's freedom, and yet we are quick to forget them while they laboring and fighting on the battlefield or even when or if they return home. Let's not forget about the troops!

T. S. Eliot 1885-1965

Thomas Stearns Eliot was a major component in English- language poetry of the twentieth century. His poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock was about a "crazy love story."

I am no prophet-and here's no great matter;

I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,

And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,

And in short, I was afraid.

And would it have been worth it, after all,

After the cups, the marmalade, the tea,

Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me,

Would it have been worth while,

To have bitten off the matter with a smile,

To have squeezed the universe into a ball

To roll it towards some overwhelming question,

To say: "I am Lazarus, come from the dead,

Come back to tell you all, I shall tell all"

It seems to me, that Eliot was describing someone who wanted to take a chance on love but was afraid that the love was one-sided or wasn't worth the risk of opening up one's heart for heartbreak. It feels as if the person has admitted to himself that he's really just afraid to truly love somebody. We can all relate to these feelings at one time or another. How wants to risk their heart being broken.

James Joyce 1882-1941

James Joyce was one of the persons responsible for bringing novels into the modern era. A native of Dublin, Ireland most of his writings consisted of his homeland in some way. Joyce wrote that he planned the volume to be a chapter of Ireland's "moral history" and that in writing it he had "taken the first step towards the spiritual liberation of my country." pg. 1131 "After the break-up at home the boys had got her that position in the Dublin by Lamplight laundry, and she liked it. She used to have such a bad opinion of Protestants but now she thought they were very nice people, a little quiet and serious, but still very nice people to live with. Then she had her plants in the conservatory and she liked looking after them. She had lovely ferns and wax-plants and, whenever anyone came to visit her, she always gave the visitor one or two slips from her conservatory. There was one thing she didn't like and that was the tracts on the walls; but the matron was such a nice person to deal with, so genteel." I think that these are just a few of the qualitiese that Joyce began to realize existed in his enviroment, when he began to write. I think that it's wonderful when a person can begin healing when you realize that the first step, is to deal with the issues that deem as the source or the root of your problem. To evaluate the elements that contributed to the hurt, and realize that at the time it may have felt horrible and appeared impossible, really weren't place in your life to destroy you, but were put there as stepping stones or the things that have helped to make you the person that you are. These things are designed for you to always remember who you are and where yuo came from not, not to destroy you , but to stregthen you.

William Butler Yeats 1865-1939

William Yeats is responsible for the acknowledgement for all modern Irish writings. He wrote poems of romance. "Yeats is, among his other distinctions, a great poet of unrequited love." pg.1115 His poetry consisted of his love and loneliness for a woman that he desired.

No Second Troy

Why should I blame her that she filled my days

With misery, or that she would of late

Have taught to ignorant men most violent ways,

Or hurled the little streets upon the great,

Had they but courage equal to desire?

What could have made her peaceful with a mind

That nobleness made simple as fire,

With beauty like a tightened bow, a kind

That is not natural in an age like this,

Being high and solitary and most stern?

Why, what could she have done, being what she is?

Was there another Troy for her to burn?

Here's a man with a hurting heart, who yearns for the love of a women who he considers as beautiful as a bow, she was perfect in his sight except for that fact that she doesn't return the affection that he has for her. He assumes that there must be someone else that she adores since he can't seem to spend time with her.We have learned through experience that when one doesn't respond to your advances, that their must be someone else that they desire, and refuse to accept this fact and for some reason we can't move on because we have fallen for someone that doesn't feel the same as we do.

George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950

Bernard Shaw was known for his ideads of political plays. He combined his democratic ideas and with an unsentimental views of human nature. He was a person who believe in human equality. The " Shavian" element of all the plays, and of Shaw's essays and reviews, resides in an unwillingness to propose a simple answer to social problems,or to establish a clear-cut "right" and "wrong." (Dettmar and Wicke, pg. 1003) In his plays their were no villians or heroes but they consisted of characters that challenge the issues of capitalism. The fact that he was able to address issues that plagued his era, paved the way for other playwriters to address issues that consumed their time. I feel that its a creative approach to reach an audience that may not receive the info or deal with the current issues any other way.