Blog Post #16

Rose was helping Edward all along, and this finally seals the deal. She is "The One." Even though I don't particularly care for Fergus, I feel sorry for him (not to mention Evan!!). It's an awful way to die, and to impale their heads on stakes--well, that's just gruesome. Somehow since everything else works out so neatly, it almost seems that this is what Sir Walter Scott thought was just. Everyone gets what they deserve, in a way. There is a happy ending for Sir Everard, and Edward gets a nice domestic wife...as opposed to a wild, untame one? like Flora. The comparison is similar to that of a house cat and a lion. Scott says in the postscript which should have been a preface that he wants the new generation to remember how things were by writing a sort of record of the times.

Is Byron's full name Lord George Gordon Byron? If so, why do(es) his first name(s) appear before his title? I mean, it does sound better that way, but it doesn't make sense to me. Apparently Lords and Sirs are vastly different...I think in Lachin y Gair, the speaker is comparing England and Scotland and Scotland comes off by far the better of the two. The valley of Loch na Garr reminds the speaker--Byron? of his ancestors.

Blog Post #15

A lot has been happening in Waverley lately. Edward's father is dead, and Fergus doesn't seem to care...he is remarkably self-centered. Naturally Fergus gets bent out of shape when he thinks Edward is a threat/obstacle to winning Rose's hand in marriage. Thank goodness the Baron put a stop to Fergus's challenge of a  "fight to the death" over Rose. Also, there was a plot to kill Edward that went awry? Talk about a heap of trouble for one clueless guy to handle.

I also wanted to talk about the poems for today. I thought "The Wee, Wee German Lairdie" was extremely insulting throughout, so it achieves its purpose well in that respect. There is also a garden metaphor and a bit about thistles (which I believe represent Scottish nationalism). Are thistles the national weed? They're so prickly...menacing, I suppose--like a proper mascot should be. I really liked "The Thistle's Grown aboon the Rose" for some reason. I honestly can't explain why, and I'm not even sure I understood it. Ok, yes, I liked the rhyme, rhythm, and meter. I thought the language was beautiful, especially in the first two stanzas. Somehow, it is very satisfying to read. Maybe this is the case because everything is so exact and follows the constructed pattern with some variation in the third stanza.

Blog Post #14

In some ways, the Highlanders seem to be the secondary heroes in Waverley. They rescue Edward, and Alice (and Janet) help him to recover in safety. Then when he's captured by Balmawhapple, Fergus makes plans to rescue Edward from prison...however, it is also true that E promises to join F's cause. Did the Highlanders mainly support the Tories? It is interesting to me that Scott includes Prince Charlie in this story (blending fact with fiction). I think Edward should give up on trying to win Flora's favor. He's getting a little pathetic--the way he's throwing himself at her, it's no surprise she hasn't fallen for him. No usually does, in fact, mean no. Edward seems to be adrift in the political sea, not really knowing where he stands. This makes complete sense when you consider his background, though. And poor Gardiner and Balmawhapple!

Why is "Lochiel's Warning" spoken by a wizard? Does it refer to wizard in a magical sense, or is it some sort of title? I thought it was frightfully graphic and also tragic, especially towards the end. At least it didn't try to glorify war.

Blog Post #13

Sir Scott's names never fail to amuse (or at least that has been the case with me). I liked Ebenezer Cruickshanks and Mucklewrath particularly. Those are just not names you hear everyday. Anyways, Edward seems to be getting into a lot of trouble lately and I really wonder what will become of him. Flora doesn't love him, his father has fallen out of favor, and he has been kicked out of the army--although maybe that last one should be considered fortunate seeing as he didn't know what he was doing there in the first place. And to top it all off, it sounds like he's being carted off to prison for shooting a man. So much for the tabula rasa.

I really liked Oliphant's "The Heiress." It's such an "I'll show them!" sort of poem--she's such a refreshing character. So hats off, I say. I would like to hear more about the storyline of "Will Ye No Come Back Again?" I'm a little confused about why Charlie is being prosecuted by the British or if that's really what's going on. I also liked "The Land o' the Leal," especially the reminder that "this warld's cares are vain." And I have to add that I can't read Oliphant's name without thinking of elephants.

Blog Post #12

Oh, dear. Waverly was more confusing this time--possibly because of all the details about the Jacobite Rebellion and political references. I think it would be helpful if I knew more about the history of the rebellion, so I'll look it up if I get the chance. This particular set of chapters was also alarming what with the cattle and sheep (not to mention people) being abducted by Highland mauraders. Edward seems to be mixed up in a love triangle of sorts with Rose and Flora, but Fergus might be able to simplify matters. "The Lay of the Last Minstrel" seemed lonely and depressing to me. Does it literally mean the last surviving minstrel, I wonder? And are bards synonymous with minstrels? I liked "The Lady of the Lake" better, which I know is one of Scott's most famous poems. I liked the first section the best although it also confused me the most. Did the Lady ever make an appearance in the poem? I read a lot abou a Harp...is she the one who plays it? On the whole, the readings for today were more challenging than some of the previous ones.

Blog Post #11

I like Edward Waverly as a character and can identify with him in some ways. I don't think that Scott is hard to understand, but his style seems to me to be unnecessarily frilly and formal (somehow he manages both at the same time although they don't normally go together). I read an interesting quote by Beethoven regarding Scott's writing. Beethoven threw the novel across the room and shouted, "Why, the fellow writes for money!" Also Scott had good taste in names (Aunt Rachel, for example). I liked both of his poems for today as well. Now that I know more about Scott, I can see why he would write a poem like "Lochinvar." He loved romance and studying about the past. "Proud Maisie" was more mysterious. For example, I am confused as to how Maisie's marriage and death are linked. Maybe she thinks she's too good for anyone...I'm not exactly sure.

Blog Post #10

This set of poems was more confusing than the last. I got a bit lost with "Tam o' Shanter," but what I did understand reminded me of a mixture of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Young Goodman Brown. It also has a moral, which is amusingly enough: Don't get drunk. I loved the line "Gathering her brows like gathering storm." How descriptive! The other poem I had some trouble with was "Is There for Honest Poverty." I kept getting distracted by the line 'For a' that, and a' that' and subsequent 'a' thats' which repetition did not serve to elucidate (much to my dismay). Fie! "Ae Fond Kiss" and "A Red, Red Rose" were pleasant, although "Oh Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast" was decidedly more original. Not many love poems reference plaid, after all...I also liked "John Anderson My Jo."

Blog Post #9

I think I like Burns's poetry. I especially liked the first bunch: "Mary Morison," "To a Mouse," and "Address to the Deil." I had already read "To a Mouse," but I liked it better this time since I know more about its Scottish context. "Address to the Deil" was interesting because it appears that Burns chose to see the Devil from the same perspective as Milton. It seems to end on a sympathetic note, suggesting that even the Devil deserves some pity. On the whole, I would rate his poems as very easy to read, and I think I may have understood some of them. It's very hard to get to the true meaning of poetry, and I'm sure I missed some of the fine points, but I enjoyed this. I didn't like "Holy Willie's Prayer" quite as much because it seems to be as much a prayer for revenge and the desired smiting of Hamilton as for praise and gratitude. The poem (or song?) from "Love and Liberty" was very confusing to me and I had no idea what Burns was trying to say. Also, "To a Haggis" was very foggy...I would hazard a guess that it has something to do with Scottish nationalism, but I'm not at all certain.

Blog #8

Caller Oysters
I started to get a little confused when it got to the part about not needing to pay doctors for "their stinkin potions." It sounds like oysters have medicinal purposes and can cure headaches. Fergusson also says that oysters cure heartache, but I'm not sure this is credible since he seems to favor and idealize them so much. Also I can hardly imagine anything more repulsive than liquor mixed with oysters. It must be an acquired taste.

To the Principal and Professors
This poem took away my appetite, so I'm glad I waited to read it until after supper. All that talk about greasy soup and hundreds of baked snails and frogs...and then as if that weren't enough, haggis and singed sheep's head. Not exactly my idea of a "Superb Treat." It took me a while to realize that Samy referred to Samuel Johnson, and I wouldn't be surprised if he did scream when presented with the white and bloody puddins. I also thought it was interesting that "secundo" meant secondly, since segundo in Spanish means much the same thing.