Friday

Boudinot Stockton vs. Wheatley

I found both Annis Boudinot Stockton and Phillis Wheatley to be somewhat similar in theme, as both wrote to George Washington. However, Stockton is writing to him two years later than Wheatley did, as her poem is dated in 1757, and Wheatley’s is 1755. I also think that Wheatley’s poem is a bit easier to read than Stockton’s writing.
First off, “venal bards a despots brown adorn,/In every wreath they find a rugged thorn/And praise a Satire proves-?” The first part of this poem seems to make sense, but I’m tending to doze off after this part. She seems to go on and on about the soldiers and the war, whereas Wheatley is ten lines shorter and manages to praise and exult this hero with fewer words.
Secondly, I am just not a huge fan of her writing style. She seems much wordier than Wheatley, as I’ve said, but also I just don’t like it. There’s something about it- maybe her choice of words or her dressing it up- that drives me nuts. Wheatley’s seems to me to be far more peaceful at the beginning and begins to make a cry for charge at the end. Stockton’s praises and goes through all of the battle glory and then calms down at the finis of the poem. Hmm…
Thirdly, Wheatley’s composition just seems much more interesting to me. The momentum seems to build throughout the poem and goes into a musical crescendo at the end, whereas Stockton’s seems to drag, then speed up, then drag again. I feel her poem could use some more speed and oomph, but that’s just my opinion.

Thursday

I'm Very Bad with Titles

Anyway, I can't post a blog, because I've been using the online syllabus, and now it won't work. Wait an hour or two and I'll have a new one up.