Thoughts on Victorian Poetry

The topic I chose, along with my group, for the English Project was the Victorian poets between the 1860s-1890s. Many major changes were occurring during this time period, and this greatly influenced the poets. 

My group and I have found some inconsistent things about Victorian poetry. Some sources say it is very whimsical and is funnier than romantic poetry. Other sources say it is made of nonsense and has a somber or even gruesome tone. I attribute these two largely different views of Victorian poetry to the diversity of the poets. Poets of this time period ranged from adamant atheists to dedicated Christians. The contrast in religious and philosophical views could account for the mixed reviews of the Victorian poems.

Poetry in this time period also varied because it was a transition period between the Romantics and the Modernists. Towards the beginning of the Victorian era, the line is blurred between Romantics and Victorians. The end of the time period also has a blurred line between the Victorians and Modernists.

One main Victorian poet is Lord Alfred Tennyson; he is in the picture on the right. We have studied some of his poems in class such as Crossing the Bar. Before starting this project, I had a difficult time understanding Tennyson's poems. After completing the project I feel I can somewhat understand what his poems.

San Fran Here I Come!! :)

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, at 5:00 I say goodbye to Lexington, KY and travel to San Francisco! I absolutely cannot wait to get there. Once I heard that the senior trip was to San Francisco, I knew that I had to go. The farthest west I have ever been is Las Vegas. My dad took me when he had a business trip, but I was only five so I don't remember much about it.

We have so many exciting things planned! The thing I am most excited for is touring Alcatraz at night. Some other activities that will be awesome are visiting the Redwood forest, going to a San Francisco Giants baseball game, and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge (of course). We also get to go to many museums and walk around the wharf. I am also interested in eating in some of the specialty restaurants located in San Fran. I am actually a very picky eater, but since I probably won't go back to California anytime soon I think I will, at the least, try everything. 

My mom toured around Europe for a month during college and had an amazing time. She said told me that she felt more worldy and mature after her trip. Obviously this trip isn't anything like that, but I think I will learn lots of new and interesting things while in San Fran. This will be the third time I have ridden in a plane, and the first time where I will be able to remember what happened (the other two times I was 4 and 5, so I don't remember much).

Hopefully this trip will be fun, and educational!

Beowulf: The Hero of The Geats

Over Spring Break I finished my third outside reading book, Beowulf. This book was very interesting because it is not actually a book but an epic poem. The poem follows the journey of Beowulf beginning with him killing the monster Grendel. His next heroic feat was when he attacked Grendel's mother in her cave and killed her. Beowulf's final battle was fought against the dragon fifty years after defeating Grendel and his mother. Beowulf lost his life in this battle.

Beowulf has many heroic qualities explicitly and implicitly stated in the poem. His brute strength and stamina is blatantly mentioned multiple times. One specific example is when Beowulf partook in a swimming competition against Breca. Beowulf stayed in the ocean for five days fighting off sea monsters, while Breca swam away. His ability to rule the kingdom after the king dies prematurely is more implied. The poem focuses more on the battles Beowulf went into, rather than the fact that he ruled the Geats for fifty years.

It was evident to me while reading the book that Christian beliefs played a major role in the Anglo Saxon culture. Any deadly mythical creature or monster mentioned was said to be descendant of Cain. Before Beowulf began any fight he made a formal boast, praised God for his abilities, and asked for God to bless him. Beowulf also put all of his faith in God throughout his battles.

Another thing that I noticed was how the men lived by a code of honor. They would much rather die in a fierce battle than of old age. Beowulf and his companions often bragged about the heroic feats they had accomplished. The soldiers and captains who had fought in fierce battles were just as respected and loved as the royalty. The Anglo Saxon culture is quite different from our culture today!