Beloved III/ Modern Medea/ Black Frankenstein

Did you have a chance to look at the Kara Walker images? This is a reminder. Second short Beloved, etc. response here...

Beloved II

post short responses to others' comments / secondary reading/ Beloved here.

Whitman "A Boston Ballad"

A Boston Ballad

by Walt Whitman
(1819-1892)

---

To get betimes in Boston town I rose this morning early,
Here's a good place at the corner, I must stand and see the show.

Clear the way there Jonathan!
Way for the President's marshal--way for the government cannon!
Way for the Federal foot and dragoons, (and the apparitions
copiously tumbling.)

I love to look on the Stars and Stripes, I hope the fifes will play
Yankee Doodle.
How bright shine the cutlasses of the foremost troops!
Every man holds his revolver, marching stiff through Boston town.

A fog follows, antiques of the same come limping,
Some appear wooden-legged, and some appear bandaged and bloodless.

Why this is indeed a show--it has called the dead out of the earth!
The old graveyards of the hills have hurried to see!
Phantoms! phantoms countless by flank and rear!
Cock'd hats of mothy mould--crutches made of mist!
Arms in slings--old men leaning on young men's shoulders.

What troubles you Yankee phantoms? what is all this chattering of
bare gums?
Does the ague convulse your limbs? do you mistake your crutches for
firelocks and level them?

If you blind your eyes with tears you will not see the President's marshal,
If you groan such groans you might balk the government cannon.

For shame old maniacs--bring down those toss'd arms, and let your
white hair be,
Here gape your great grandsons, their wives gaze at them from the windows,
See how well dress'd, see how orderly they conduct themselves.

Worse and worse--can't you stand it? are you retreating?
Is this hour with the living too dead for you?

Retreat then--pell-mell!
To your graves--back--back to the hills old limpers!
I do not think you belong here anyhow.

But there is one thing that belongs here--shall I tell you what it
is, gentlemen of Boston?

I will whisper it to the Mayor, he shall send a committee to England,
They shall get a grant from the Parliament, go with a cart to the
royal vault,
Dig out King George's coffin, unwrap him quick from the
graveclothes, box up his bones for a journey,
Find a swift Yankee clipper--here is freight for you, black-bellied clipper,
Up with your anchor--shake out your sails--steer straight toward
Boston bay.

Now call for the President's marshal again, bring out the government cannon,
Fetch home the roarers from Congress, make another procession,
guard it with foot and dragoons.

This centre-piece for them;
Look, all orderly citizens--look from the windows, women!

The committee open the box, set up the regal ribs, glue those that
will not stay,
Clap the skull on top of the ribs, and clap a crown on top of the skull.
You have got your revenge, old buster--the crown is come to its own,
and more than its own.

Stick your hands in your pockets, Jonathan--you are a made man from
this day,
You are mighty cute--and here is one of your bargains.

Beloved I / Andy Warhol Presents Flesh For Frankenstein

Please post your longer responses here, and feel free to incorporate any of the secondary readings from last week (especially "How Deep is Your Goth?" if you're responding to the film), as well as Shelley's novel, the Hoffmann tale, etc. etc. if you like. If you'd like to stick to the respond to one sentence format, feel free, though I'd like these longer responses to be structured around a provisional argument or claim. 

Frankenstein II

So for Thursday, I ask that you look closely at Safie's story in pages 98-102. You are welcome to respond to it here, but you can also write about anything we read in class today, or the secondary readings for Thursday. You could also repeat the "respond to one sentence from Frankenstein" prompt. I asked you to think about two questions as you continue reading, one of which was to do with how Shelley negotiates her relationship to her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley in the Preface (1818) and Introduction (1831). Does anyone remember the other question? That is a real query...I don't! 

Late Espoused Saint

On his Deceas’d Wife

Methought I saw my late espoused Saint
Brought to me like Alcestis from the Grave,
Whom Jove’s great Son to her glad Husband gave,
Rescu’d from Death by Force though pale and faint.
Mine as whom wash’d from Spot of childbed Taint
Purification in the old Law did save,
And such, as yet once more I trust to have
Full Sight of her in Heav’n without restraint,
Came vested all in white, pure as her Mind:
Her Face was veil’d, yet to my fancied Sight,
Love, Sweetness, Goodness in her Person shined
So clear, as in no Face with more Delight.
But O as to embrace me she inclin’d
I wak’d, she fled, and Day brought back my Night.

Frankenstein I