“The Raven,” By Edgar Allan Poe is a poem about a man traumatized by the death of
his love—Lenore. As he is beginning to fall asleep, he is disturbed by tapping on the
door and window. As he opens the door, a raven comes rushing in. The man,
intrigued, asked the raven questions about Lenore and the afterlife. To which, the
raven always replies “Nevermore.” This infuriates the narrator and leaves him in
despair. I enjoyed the reading, because of its rhymes and archaic language.
Compared to the other articles, which are speeches and letters, this is a poem. I
appreciated the contrast that now we are reading a story or tale compared to
reading a speech that is directly intended as a conversation to an audience. Poe
maintained the themes of death and rational or irrational thought. These themes
are related, as the narrator, as a rational person, he understands the death of
Lenore is permanent, but his despair compels him to ask irrational questions to the
raven. The theme of irrationality is depicted when the narrator states, “Perched
upon a bust of Pallas.” This is an allusion to the Greek Goddess Athena, who was the
Goddess of practical reason. I believe this poem was well written. It utilizes
literary and poetic devices, including metaphors, allusion, and rhymes. It also
skillfully uses sensory details or imagery to express feelings of pain, grief, and
horror.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963. Dr.
King wrote this letter in jail in response to criticism of the nonviolent protests in
Birmingham, Alabama fro which he had been arrested for protesting without a
permit. He responded specifically to white clergymen, who condemned his actions.
He writes about the injustices black Americans have faced in Birmingham.
Justifying his reasons for being there, despite the backlash, stating that
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Dr. King maintained the
themes of racism and justice throughout his letter. I liked the reading. He
provides a comprehensive assessment of the racism rooted in America. He explains
how blacks have been dehumanized and persecuted. He also adds personal
anecdotes to depict the effect of racism on the psychological level of black
Americans. What I found most powerful is how he established the moral obligation
, to bring about change. The clergymen claimed that African Americans should just
let the immoral laws be and wait them out in the court system. In response, Dr.
King notes the importance of disobeying unjust laws. He argues that an unjust and
immoral law simply does not qualify as a law. This argument is strengthened by
mentioning that the actions of Hitler in Germany were also deemed legal. I think
this letter was beautifully written. Dr. King, after being placed in solitary
confinement, did not display any anger but remained friendly and concluded by
apologizing for the length of the letter.
Derek Udeoji
Hi Derek, I agree with the theme. Kennedy used this speech as a way to unify the
country. Also, it’s different reading or listening to this speech without the
historical background. So, Kennedy was seeking to unite all Americans because of
the threat of peace around the world because of mounting cold war tensions. His
theme of unity made me wonder what the theme would be for the next inaugural
address set for January of next year. I think, although the content will be
different, the theme should match Kennedy’s speech. During that time the country
had to unite in solidarity to maintain peace and defeat a common enemy—the
emergence of communism. This is similar to today’s circumstances, because of the
coronavic pandemic. I think the next inaugural address will focus on the same
theme of peace and unity/.
his love—Lenore. As he is beginning to fall asleep, he is disturbed by tapping on the
door and window. As he opens the door, a raven comes rushing in. The man,
intrigued, asked the raven questions about Lenore and the afterlife. To which, the
raven always replies “Nevermore.” This infuriates the narrator and leaves him in
despair. I enjoyed the reading, because of its rhymes and archaic language.
Compared to the other articles, which are speeches and letters, this is a poem. I
appreciated the contrast that now we are reading a story or tale compared to
reading a speech that is directly intended as a conversation to an audience. Poe
maintained the themes of death and rational or irrational thought. These themes
are related, as the narrator, as a rational person, he understands the death of
Lenore is permanent, but his despair compels him to ask irrational questions to the
raven. The theme of irrationality is depicted when the narrator states, “Perched
upon a bust of Pallas.” This is an allusion to the Greek Goddess Athena, who was the
Goddess of practical reason. I believe this poem was well written. It utilizes
literary and poetic devices, including metaphors, allusion, and rhymes. It also
skillfully uses sensory details or imagery to express feelings of pain, grief, and
horror.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963. Dr.
King wrote this letter in jail in response to criticism of the nonviolent protests in
Birmingham, Alabama fro which he had been arrested for protesting without a
permit. He responded specifically to white clergymen, who condemned his actions.
He writes about the injustices black Americans have faced in Birmingham.
Justifying his reasons for being there, despite the backlash, stating that
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Dr. King maintained the
themes of racism and justice throughout his letter. I liked the reading. He
provides a comprehensive assessment of the racism rooted in America. He explains
how blacks have been dehumanized and persecuted. He also adds personal
anecdotes to depict the effect of racism on the psychological level of black
Americans. What I found most powerful is how he established the moral obligation
, to bring about change. The clergymen claimed that African Americans should just
let the immoral laws be and wait them out in the court system. In response, Dr.
King notes the importance of disobeying unjust laws. He argues that an unjust and
immoral law simply does not qualify as a law. This argument is strengthened by
mentioning that the actions of Hitler in Germany were also deemed legal. I think
this letter was beautifully written. Dr. King, after being placed in solitary
confinement, did not display any anger but remained friendly and concluded by
apologizing for the length of the letter.
Derek Udeoji
Hi Derek, I agree with the theme. Kennedy used this speech as a way to unify the
country. Also, it’s different reading or listening to this speech without the
historical background. So, Kennedy was seeking to unite all Americans because of
the threat of peace around the world because of mounting cold war tensions. His
theme of unity made me wonder what the theme would be for the next inaugural
address set for January of next year. I think, although the content will be
different, the theme should match Kennedy’s speech. During that time the country
had to unite in solidarity to maintain peace and defeat a common enemy—the
emergence of communism. This is similar to today’s circumstances, because of the
coronavic pandemic. I think the next inaugural address will focus on the same
theme of peace and unity/.
