Thesis Statements

Here are my (albeit sloppy) proposed thesis statements for W;t. There are many important formal elements in this poem, but these are the ones that stood out to me.


[Policy]: Vivian's formal diction shows her complete devotion to her work, but she finds that words fail her when it matters most because she regrets not having worked with compassion and love.

[Definition]: Although it is not a prominent part of the play, the minimalist setting is a medium for major character development for Vivian, as shown through internal monologues and meaningful conversations.

[Comparison]: It is true that Vivian and Susie are very different characters at the beginning of the play, but the characters of both Jason and Susie show different aspects of Vivian's character as her progression is shown through flashbacks and conversations.

[Evaluation]: Each of the characters went into their careers because of their passion for the work, but Vivian and Jason through their selfishness and Susie through her compassion show that the most meaningful careers are created when done with love and goodness.

[Causal]: Although she found pride in her career, Vivian came to see at the end of her life that true joy comes through her relationships with others as she began to form and cherish true relationships.

Writing Plan and Record: Nicole Anne Ratliff

The beautiful thing I find about poetry, as well as all other forms of literature, is its ability to be read and re-read it thousands of times with new meanings created each time. Although it took me longer to start this assignment, once I was immersed in the literature I felt at home. Taking into consideration what was discussed in class as well as in the last blog posts, I found it completely mind blowing how these pieces seemed to change right before my eyes.

 Unfortunately this time around I lent my whiteboard to a friend and so my scatterbrained thoughts were written directly on the poem and in my handy dandy notebook. Not as much fun as using different colored expo markers, but it does the job just fine!

1/19/2016- 10:53am 

I realized that while reading these poems, there were a few points that really stuck out for comparison. Those included the differences between genres- lyric and ballad- as well as how these genres influenced my expectations of what was written as well as how it was given. As well as the language used, such as the repetition in both poems of the words "two" and "one," "souls," as well as the point of a "refin'd" love. I also noticed how each poem brought in the metaphysical concept of how a temporal love turns eternal and where those lines meet.

1/19/2016- 12:46pm

Listening to the audio, brought a whole new experience to the poetry. It's so interesting to notice how different the words sounded in my head, in my own voice, compared to another's. For A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, the speaker brought the poem to life. I felt almost a reverence while listening to his soft but firm words and could imagine Donne speaking the same way. It was smooth and gentle but portrayed a certain level of passion and firmness that he really meant what he was speaking. For The Ecstasy, Burton spoke as if he was still in the moment, as if the poem were a dream like moment. His voice was smooth and had a musical, almost lulling like quality. As the explanation of the metaphysical world comes about in the poem, his voice rises and one can hear as the passion increases. He is articulate in his pronunciations which adds to the delicate but also unyielding tone of the poem.

1/20/2016- 11:30am
Well that was a lot harder than I thought... I had an idea of what I wanted to do but this time around I really felt as if though I couldn't put my thoughts on paper! Maybe it was the topic of sappy love poetry or maybe it was because I didn't really know what I was supposed to be saying, but I couldn't help but be reluctant while writing this #thereasonwhyIprocrastinated... On a more serious note, it took me about 2 hours to write, but I have never felt so unsure and lacked so much confidence in a paper before. While writing though, I did realize that it was nice to talk to my coworkers and roommates about my ideas and sort a few of the things out in the jumbled mess I call my thoughts.

Long- Distance Relationship To-Be

This is the "preliminary formal analysis" of John Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning." 

Genre: This has characteristics of a metaphysical poem.  Firstly, it is a poem about love. There are also unusual or obscure metaphors, such as the comparison of their love with the movement of two compasses. He explains that because they are in love, they both “[make] no show/ To move, but doth, if the’other doe.” It is a sonnet, with 36 lines broken into four-line stanzas written in an ABAB pattern.

Narrator: A man, assumingly John Donne, leaving his love as he goes on a trip. He cares deeply for this woman and softly proclaims their love to be “so much refin’d” and not limited by physical distance.

Setting: The setting of the sonnet is ambiguous; what we do know is that the two lovers will be in different places—“moving of th’ earth” – very soon (since this is a poem for a moment of parting). If we assume that the narrator is John Donne, then the author’s setting is most likely late 16^th- early 17^th century England.

Characters: There are two characters in the poem. One is the narrator, who is leaving on a trip. He seems to be a man of conviction who is very much in love. He gently discloses to his lover with a certain amount of pride that their love goes beyond a “dull sublunary” love so that they are “two soules…which are one,” even when they are separated by distance. Readers can assume that this woman returns the speaker’s love and “hearkens after [him].” They both seem young and clearly devoted to each other.

Plot: There is no immediate plot during this poem. It gives the sense of being on the edge of an event, perhaps an event about to begin, which is the man’s trip away from his love. There is more focus on the emotion of the scene, with the narrator comforting his love to not “sigh-tempests move” as he travels away, but to be assured that he will return “where I begunne.”

Diction: Donne uses figurative language to paint a picture of the relationship shown in the piece. There are many metaphors, such as their love being  “like gold”—most spread out but still precious and beautiful—and their souls being like compasses, always pointing in the same direction. He even starts the work with the imagery of “virtuous men [passing] mildly away” to assure his love that she should not fear, but should be happy and have hope in a bright future together.

Tone: Generally, the piece is tender and reassuring. The tone shows a quiet but complete confidence in his (the narrator’s) relationship. He is familiar and affectionate with his lover, with whom he shares a love he describes as “much refin’d.”

Rhetoric: The narrator is using a primarily persuasive tone. It is gentle but encouraging as the speaker tries to convince his lover that they truly are meant to be, and that this distance will never hinder their love. He wants this for her, so she will not weep "teare-floods" as his absence, and also for himself and his piece of mind as he is away and upon his return.

Visual Design: Again, the poem is split into nine four-line stanzas. The ABAB pattern is laid out in the format. Each stanza is also separated to make the piece more reader-friendly.

Textual Awareness: There are no direct references to other poems or pieces of literature. There are certainly comparisons made, but nothing to connect this piece directly to another work.

...Well, I tried!