Dickinson Idea of Wilderness

Had I not seen the Sun

I could have borne the shade

But Light a newer Wilderness

My Wilderness has made.

 

 

 

 

This is saying that now that She has seen the wilderness she has a whole new thought about it. The way she sees wilderness has changed. the sun has given her a whole new persepective.

 

 

 

Womens Rights!

The fact that some people even compare the way people are treated now compared to when the were slaves sickens me. Women are free and live there lives the way they want to. Although men in the workforce may have more power and are paid more that doesn't mean that we have it how slaves do. We are not forced to do things that we do not want to do. No matter what happens to women I believe that it will never get to the point of slavery. Yes we allhave gender roles and we are expected to cook, clean, and care for the children,but men are also expected to go out and provide for the family and do all the heavy lifting. It sadens me that people actually think that the way women are treated today is like the way the were treated in slave days. We have come a long way and we will continue on that path.

Contradictions in Literature

Throughout literature there are many different opinions which create contradictions. One contradiction we read about was in the captivity tales. Mary Rowlandson despised being in captivitiy and being away from where family. While de Vaca didn't enjoy being held in captivity he did embrace it. Another exampleIs the contradictions in the thoughts of slavery. you have one lady who didn't mind it because she was educated by her slave owner and another who would fight and do anything to end it.

Benjamin Franklin

Would you agree or disagree with this statement: 

Ben Franklin’s ideas about virtue are the antithesis of the ideas about wilderness

that we have discussed in regards to the other readings. 

Use at least three quotes or specific examples from the text to back up your ideas. 

 

 

I have to say that I do agree that Benjamin Franklin's ideas about virtue are the antithesis of the ideas about wilderness that we discuss. Benjamin Franklin has a mind set of wanting everything to be perfect and in order. Everyone should have a set of guidelines to follow. He states, "It was about this time that I conceiv'd the bold and ardous Project of arriving at moral Perfection. I wish'd to live without committing any fault at anytime; I would conquer all that either Natural Inclination, Custom, or company might lead me into." To have such perfection would mean that you have someone who set it, and that is not being free. To be wild and have the wilderness we speak on would be to have no guidelines. To live how you wish, and to experience things that may not be perfect. The whole idea of the 13 virtues goes against the wilderness we speak on. We speak of living a life free and full of adventure. If you have to go through a list of things to perfect youself to a society's standard that is being a slave to society. Franklin says, "My intention being to acquire the Habitude of all these virtues, I judg'd it would be well not to distract my Attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time, and when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on till I should have thro' the thirteen." These virtues have you following strict guidelines which completely go against our idea of wilderness.  I also believe that when living in wilderness you are suppose to make mistakes and not regret them, but learn from those mistakes. Franklin seems to be ashamed if he makes mistakes, "I mark'd my Faults with a black Lead Pencil, which Marks I could easily wipe out with a wet sponge." To regret your mistakes would be to have done something wrong and in the wilderness anything goes. You have the freedom to make mistakes and lean from them not to be ashamed and regret them.

Anne Bradstreet and Wilderness

In Anne Bradstreets' poetry you may see some hints of wilderness, but it is only a few. The main poem you see nature is in her poem Contemplations. In this poem she says:

Then higher on the glistering Sun I gaz’d,

Whose beams was shaded by the leafy Tree.

The more I look’d, the more I grew amaz’d

And softly said, what glory’s like to thee?

 

This shows her amazement in the beauty of the sun and the shade provided by the tree. She then goes on to say what glory's like to thee which seems as if she is contemplating who gets the glory for this. She also says:

 

I heard the merry grasshopper then sing,

The black clad Cricket bear a second part.

They kept one tune and played on the same string,

Seeming to glory in their little Art.

 

This is showing the nature os the creatures and the sounds they make. Also all throughout this poem you see her faith and love of God. She goes to this place to escape and speak with God. To continue with her faith. That shows a different kind of wilderness. A wilderness through the mind. Ap place you go physical and then you mentally are able to escape into the wilderness.

Captivity Wilderness vs. Sylvia's Wilderness

In the captivity of Mary Rowlandson she sees the wilderness as unwanted. She was taken against her will and dragged through the wilderness with the natives. When you are doing something that you didn't want to do you tend to find yourself not liking what you are doing. Mary cannot find the beauty in the wilderness because it is done against her will. All she sees in being taken against her will is the negativity. Any person doing something against their will would find it hard to think of positive things.

Sylvia on the other hand took full advantage of the wilderness. She is very open to it and positive about it. She looks at it as beauty and something to imbrace where Mary did not. Mary found it to be a struggle to be there because it was against her will. Sylvia openly goes into the wilderness. She looks to it as a friend and something to welcome into her life. Sylvia lives for the wild, and if given the choice I think she may even live in the wild. Maybe, besides being alone, Sylvia would have enjoyed, and been open to being in captivity.

Indigenous people and wilderness

The indigenous people think that wilderness is all around them. They do chants and dances to escape their reality. This is part of their wilderness. They also believe that the nature around them is apart of them. The wild is in their soul and they live their lives in the wilderness. They also use wilderness in their stories to teach a lesson about why they should cherish nature and what nature has done for them.

Wilderness and Religion

To some you may find that your wilderness may be to read scripture to escape the world and go into your widerness. Others may find Religion as a widerness in a sense that it is foreign to them and they do not know it. Most would day that wilderness was created by religion. The wild and the state of mind, since humans were created by God. Religion is also a place you can go such as a church and a state of mind in the sense that you are religious and have faith in your mind. People find their wilderness and calming place in religion and focusing on it, others find it scary and think of it as a wild thing to them. an unknown place to go.

Wilderness in Owl Creek Bridge

Wilderness is shown in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bride" many times. One of the first times you see it in the story is the setting of the story. It takes place in the woods on a bridge which is right above a river. He uses the river to represent his live which I think also represents the widerness he has in his life. He show the river as flowing and passing him by, which in the same way is how he is seeing his life as it is at the end. He sees him life passing by him. Just like wilderness can be a place, it can also be a state of mind. A place in your mide where you go to escape. Peyton does this by instead of thinking of his death he escapes the reality of it and goes to another state of mind by thinking of his family and memories.

Wilderness.

I am starting the post by looking up the definition of wilderness. I thought it might be a good place to start, and then I could say what I thought it was and compare. This definition I am about to give was found online at the free dictionary website. The definition given is:

 

"1. An unsettled, uncultivated region left in its natural condition, especially:

              a. A large wild tract of land covered with dense vegetation or forests.

              b. An extensive area, such as a desert or ocean, that is barren or empty; a waste.

              c. A piece of land set aside to grow wild.

 

2. Something characterized by bewildering vastness, perilousness, or unchecked profusion."

 

 

Wilderness to me is a place that is untouched by man made things. I find myself to think that wilderness is more of a mind set. A place in your head to go where you are at peace. In order to do this you may have to go to the wilderness. Often I think of something surrounded by woods, or in a wide open field. A place where I may go alone with just me and my thoughts. I often find my wilderness through music. When I listen to music I think of the lyrics and where they take me. My mind goes to a calming state, where nothing but the music matters.

 

I guess you could say that I find wilderness to be more of a place your mind goes which could be the same as a state of mind. The definition that I found was more of a physical place you can go. Although, I do believe that places can be wilderness, I think of it more as a place your mind goes.