kWhite

=Kevin White's Stiki-Iki-Wiki= =Edgar Allan Poe=

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was born to actors Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe, Jr. However, one year after Poe's birth, his father David abandoned the family. One year later, his mother Elizabeth died during an acting performance in Richmond, Virginia. He was taken in to live with the family of John Allan, who began to raise Edgar as his own. Edgar was schooled in England as a child and later attended the University of Virginia. However, his tenure at UVA was short lived because of drinking and gambling problems. In 1836, Poe married his thirteen year old relative Virginia. However, Poe continued to struggle with alcohol and it showed in his works. His dark ways of living turned for the worse when Virginia died in 1847. Poe had two more loves after Virginia's death but neither prospered. On October 7, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe died and one of his final works "Annabel Lee" was finally published soon after.

"Annabel Lee"
In a kingdom by the sea,media type="youtube" key="BwGKeSy2Olw" height="272" width="444" align="right" That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me.
 * It was many and many a year ago,

I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea: But we loved with a love that was more than love - I and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her high-born kinsmen came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me - Yes! that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud one night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we - Of many far wiser than we - And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling -my darling -my life and my bride, In the sepulchre there by the sea - In her tomb by the sounding sea.**

In Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee,” a series of remarks for his love to the one Annabel Lee. He expresses their love and relationship as one that she “lived with no other thought/ Than to love and be loved by me” (678). This poem has many references to the thought and belief that Poe is suggesting that Annabel Lee is his late wife Virginia, who he married at a very young age. In the poem, Poe states that “I was a child and she was a child, ...But we loved with a love that was more than love” referring to his youthful romance with Virginia. Later in the poem, Annabel Lee dies of a chilling wind that came off the sea. However, it seems that even though death has split the two apart, their love remains as strong as it was when they were children. The repetition of Annabel Lee signifies his strong thoughts for her, never being able to stop thinking about her. Poe’s dark references to hell as “nor the demons down under the sea, /Can ever dissever my soul from the soul/ Of the beautiful Annabel Lee” (679). For Poe, the thought of Satan’s demons cannot even tear him apart from his love. To me, this poem signifies all that Poe cared about, his first wife Virginia, who he struggled to live without after her death. However, even though he took his frustration of her death out on drugs and alcohol, he never lost the same love that he felt when they were newlyweds years before.

=Walt Whitman =

Walt Whitman was born in West Hills, New York, on May 31, 1819. He was one of eight children to Louisa Van Velsor and Walter Whitman. His father was a farmer turned carpenter who eventually moved his family from the countryside to an urban part of Long Island. At the young age of eleven, Walt left school to become an office hand in a local law firm. This was the first of many numerous jobs he possessed throughout his life. Other jobs he held included an assistant at a newspaper printing office, a teacher at a couple of small town schools, writings on a literary weekly, hospital attendant during the Civil War, and even had a successful political career. His many life experiences through these jobs inspired him to write much of his poetry. Whitman's blue collar persona shined especially through in his poetry by "defying convention by aligning the poet with working people rather than the educated classes" (993). He compiled his poetry into a book which he copyrighted and titled //Leaves of Grass.// Walt's father died shortly after the book's publishing and he then had to cater to his mother and mentally challenged younger brother. As a friend of famous poets and writers at the time, Whitman was often complimented by the elite on his works and people such as Mark Twain and John Greenleaf Whittier even helped support him after a series of strokes that paralyzed him. Whitman compiled the final edition of //Leaves of Grass// in 1892 and died shortly after on March 26, 1892.

"Facing West from California's Shores"
Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound, I, a child, very old, over waves, towards the house of maternity, the land of migrations, look afar, Look off the shores of my Western sea, the circle almost circled; For starting westward from Hindustan, from the vales of Kashmere, From Asia, from the north, from the God, the sage, and the hero, From the south, from the flowery peninsulas and the spice islands, Long having wander'd since, round the earth having wander'd, Now I face home again, very pleas'd and joyous, (But where is what I started for so long ago? And why is it yet unfound?) **
 * Facing west from California's shores,media type="youtube" key="AxzpKOKE9sg" height="215" width="319" align="right"

Walt Whitman’s poem “Facing West from California’s Shores” is the story of a man who has spent his life traveling the world and has seen many historic sights. The narrator tells of his journey around the world only to end up facing home once again. Whitman concludes the poem with the question in parentheses “But where is what I started for so long ago?/ And why is it yet unfound?” (1057). An endless search around the world for a certain something has brought him back to his roots and his home. However, he apparently has yet to find it and questions why he has not found it, yet he is still pleased and satisfied. This poem contains a strong paradox at the beginning of the poem when Whitman describes the narrator as “a child, very old” symbolizing the youthfulness still existing in his old body (1057). This poem parallels with Whitman’s life, in my opinion, as it was an endless journey for him to find love and acceptance. As a bisexual, Whitman feared scrutiny from the public. His endless search around the world has unfortunately come up empty for the search of acceptance, however it has shown him where he has love and protection which is at his home. This is a sad poem in the sense that Whitman was never able to be accepted in the public eye for his sexuality and even searched every aspect and corner of the globe. The poem does, however, show that Whitman was able to trust his family with his biggest problems and that he is even “pleas’d and joyous” after his search (1057).

=Emily Dickinson=

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. One of three children born to Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson, Emily attended a noble school for six years in the Amherst Academy. She later attended the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley but dropped out less than a year after enrolling. Dickinson's extreme homesickness and yearning for her lavish home were the main reasons for her withdrawal. She lived as a recluse from society in the family's spacious home seeing very few visitors and friends. Her best friends were her siblings, an older brother and younger sister. Her older brother Austin married one of Emily's only friends Susan Gilbert in 1856, one possible cause for even more depression in Emily's life. However, after Austin and his new bride moved into a home of their own next door to the Dickinson household, Emily and her younger sister Lavinia stayed lived in the same home until their deaths. Emily often read her family's magazine and newspaper subscriptions and came to admire many English and American authors and styles. She used this collaboration to develop her own unique writing style that is still not fully comprehended. Dickinson died in 1886 and thousands of poems unreleased by Emily herself were discovered in her personal belongings. These such poems were sometimes bound in home-made books and catalogs that were later published and finally gave Emily the fame and respect she wanted.

In Corners - till a Day The Owner passed - identified - And carried Me away - media type="youtube" key="XYdhzM8C20Q" height="251" width="308" align="right"
 * My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun -

And now We roam in Sovereign Woods - And now We hunt the Doe - And every time I speak for Him - The Mountains straight reply -

And do I smile, such cordial light Upon the Valley glow - It is as a Vesuvian face Had let its pleasure through -

And when at Night - Our good Day done - I guard My Master's Head - 'Tis better than the Eider-Duck's Deep Pillow - to have shared -

To foe of His - I'm deadly foe - None stir the second time - On whom I lay a Yellow Eye - Or an emphatic Thumb -

Though I than He - may longer live He longer must - than I - For I have but the power to kill, Without--the power to die--**

Emily Dickinson's poem starting with "My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun" entails the struggle of the narrator with a built up rage of some sort that is close to exploding. It begins with the metaphor that her life is a loaded gun placed in a corner until the owner took it away. The poem continues to use the loaded gun metaphor with sequences of hunting for doe, to protecting the owner of the gun at night, and concluding with the description that the owner’s foes see her as their own foe. Other comparisons in this poem include a reference to the echo a mountain gives when a gunshot is fired as well as comparing the blood gushing out of the doe to Mt. Vesuvius. Such strong references to death and killing imply a sense of anger built up in Dickinson, that she is maybe being used as a tool of some sort by a larger being. Whether or not she thinks this greater being is controlling her is arguable, though. To me this poem is a call for help from Emily, help for her fear of doing a horrendous act upon an innocent being, such as the doe. However, the poem does show that Dickinson did see her life as having meaning to it, even if it was to be used just for her works. At the beginning of the poem and her life, she felt meaningless and useless, like the “Loaded Gun – In Corners” (1218). Her next objective was to be used to kill the doe, and finally to lay at her owners side to “guard My Master’s Head” (1219). This could be referring to her loyal devotion to God, in a sense, that she rests at night protecting the holy word.

= Robert Frost =



Robert Lee Frost was born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco, California. He was born to parents Isabelle Moodie and William Prescott Frost, Jr., both teachers. Frost's father William was also a journalist who moved to San Francisco from New Hampshire to further pursue this career. In 1885, William Frost died of tuberculosis and was transported back with his family to be buried in Massachusetts, where his widowed family took up residence. Robert's love for reading, due to both of his teaching parents, continued to thrive with his mother taking up teaching again in New England to try to support her family. After completing high school top in his class, Robert enrolled at Dartmouth College only to drop out soon after he began. Campus life was not for Robert. He took up several jobs and in 1895, he married his co-valedictorian and high school sweetheart Elinor White. Together they had six children although their first child Elliot died when he was only 4 and their final child Elinor Bettina died only days after birth. To further the sorrows of these times, Robert's mother also passed away in the same year as Elliot's passing. After the family moved to England, Frost's poetry began to get noticed and he started to receive fame. The Frost family eventually moved back to the United States where they moved frequently from house to house, all the while taking in the beauties that nature offered them around their homes. Frost used this natural beauty in much of his work and began public speaking with his wife as his secretary. However, a series of deaths caused severe trauma for Frost when his daughter Marjorie died after giving birth in 1934. Soon after in 1938, Elinor died of a heart attack and two years later, his other daughter Carol committed suicide. This produced the darkness that flourishes in Frost's poetry and writings. On January 29, 1963, Robert Frost died in Boston, Massachusetts. He is remembered for being one of the greatest American writers in history and his legacy lives on in his works.

"Fire and Ice"
Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.**
 * Some say the world will end in fire,

Robert Frost's poem "Fire and Ice" is a seemingly debating poem arguing over the fate of mankind. It states some people believe the world will end in fire and some in ice, yet he believes the latter. Frost uses a few poetic devices in this poem to convey his overall message, which is ultimately up to the reader to interpret due to the poem's ambiguity. Alliteration is used throughout the poem with words such as "Some say" and "those who favour fire" as well as a rhyme scheme split into two lines. To me, this poem represents one's ultimate decision of heaven or hell, which will you choose? Is the world destined to be saved by the Lord after doomsday and have everyone's eternal beauty preserved as with ice? Or will the earth burn into a fireball and become just another spec in the solar system? The narrator mentions that if he must die twice, he would chose fire to destroy Earth then ice secondly. Frost mentions early in the poem “From what I’ve tasted of desire/ I hold with those who favour fire.” I take this line to signify that fire is the result of sin or desire, both of which Frost has dealt with in his life. The Earth ending in fire would mean that the world ends because of human kind’s sins, similar to how the Garden of Eden was taken from Adam and Eve because of their sin. Frost concludes the poem with “I think I know enough of hate/ To say that for destruction ice/ Is also great/ And would suffice.” I take this to mean that as for a natural destruction of Earth and man, the dark side of the world ending with ice would satisfy him. Ice would preserve and freeze Earth allowing a possible comeback of sorts if it were to ever happen. media type="youtube" key="BxQFYeS5DoI" height="286" width="462" align="center"

[[image:cow_pasture_tr.jpg width="495" height="354"]]
I'll only stop to rake the leaves away (And wait to watch the water clear, I may): I shan't be gone long. -- You come too. I'm going out to fetch the little calf That's standing by the mother. It's so young, It totters when she licks it with her tongue. I shan't be gone long. -- You come too.**
 * I'm going out to clean the pasture spring;

In Frost's poem "The Pasture," the narrator describes his task of going out to his pasture to clean it and rake the leaves. However, he mentions that he may "wait to watch the water clear" as well. In addition to cleaning the pasture, the narrator also plans to go and retrieve a calf that is so young it "totters when she (the mother) licks it with her tongue." In each task, the narrator mentions that he wont be gone long and that the reader should go along with him. I believe this poem is not quite as ambiguous as others I have mentioned, however, its interpretation is strictly subjective. I think that the narrator is speaking of his blue collar work that must be done on a farm. His daily work consists of setting a certain goal, this one being cleaning the pasture spring, and not really stopping for much. The narrator does state that he will stop along the way to rake leaves and that he may “wait to watch the water clear.” I think that this is referring to the fact that many times he may stop and take a break at what he is doing to observe and admire nature’s beauty. He invites his guest, who I am assuming to be the reader, saying that he wont be long but that the guest should go too. This is to show what goes into his daily work, though probably stressful, but beautiful all the while. The remainder of the poem focuses on the narrator going out to fetch a very young calf, where the guest is also invited and insisted to come. Considering a colon splits the two parts of the poem, this second part could be clarifying the first part. The leaves in the spring could symbolize the calf in the pasture; the leaves moving freely in the water while the calf totters when its mother cleans it. The water in the spring is the source of life for the leaves that have fallen from a tree, and the mother cow is the source of life for the baby calf.