I really don’t think Bartleby would want to participate in facebook. The concept of broadcasting information about yourself over the Internet would not appeal to him as he is a very reserved, private, and mysterious person. Bartleby would rather disappear into the brick wall that he so carefully studies than share any personal information with others in such a public forum. Bartleby is a man who “never [speaks] but to answer,” “never [goes] out for a walk,” and even has Ginger Nut bring him ginger nut cakes and cheese so that he may stay completed isolated within the office (p 175). He is so repulsed by the idea of participating in the world that it is nearly impossible for me to believe that this individual would willing share any piece of himself with an online community.

If Bartleby’s boss told him that he must create a facebook because all the employees are to have one he would probably respond, “I would prefer not to.” And if asked again the next day his answer would be the same. But if the boss dramatically changed his methods and attitude toward dealing with Bartleby’s passive resistance, than he would no longer just ignore Bartleby’s failure to cooperate and would bring in the authorities to force Bartleby to create a facebook identity. Bartleby would quietly comply once the authority figure was present but his facebook would be created under duress. The picture would be a front view of Bartleby taken by the boss and would closely resemble a mug shot. His friends would be Nippers, Turkey, and Ginger Nut because those would be the people his boss told him he must include. Bartleby would not put up any additional information unless directed to do so, but Nippers would put a comment on Bartleby’s page that reads, “I’d prefer not to. lol lol lol!!!”

Final Draft - Paper 1

What is the Point?

Is there a greater “design” that dictates and explains the events occurring in the universe? Or is every action and subsequent reaction uncircumstantial – the results of merely chance events? Design can be defined as “purpose, planning, or intention that exists or is thought to exist behind an action, fact or material object” (Dictionary). In Robert Frost’s sonnet, Design, these questions are asked of the reader as the poem is brought to a close. After describing the killing of a moth by a spider Frost comments, “If design govern in a thing so small” (Line 14). This essay seeks to convince its readers that Frost is not really asking us if there is a greater design but in actuality he is providing evidence that design exists in our world. Frost demonstrates proof of this design through the dissection of an anomaly in nature and the symbolic importance of witches’ broth.

Design begins with the vivid description of a “dimpled,” “fat,” “white” spider. The words chosen here are intended to evoke the images of a baby and of innocence – images uncommonly associated with spiders. In the next line Frost describes that the spider is located on a “white heal-all.” A heal-all is a flower, normally blue in color, fabled to possess the ability to cure any disease (Antiques Digest). Atop the heal-all is a white moth, rigid in death. This scene is an anomaly in nature, the unusually white flower failing to heal the moth and the innocent white spider preying on the dead white creature. In the second half of the octave, Frost uses adjectives with a happy connotation to contrast dark reality. The “snow-drop” spider, the light and airy “froth” of a flower, and the wings “like a paper kite.” The reality is of a spider weaving an unseen net of destruction, a flower aberrantly changed, and a moth rigidly dead.

The elaborate image of white death painted in the first eight lines of the poem functions as the scene Frost dissects in the following sestet to prove the existence of design. The whiteness of this event may be a tactic employed by the poet to highlight the circumstances and illuminate for the reader the importance of a seemingly unimportant occurrence. Why was the flower white instead of blue? What was the spider doing on that particular flower? How did it come to pass that the moth flew over that exact flower at that precise time in order to be caught in the spider’s web? The circumstances of the three living things in this scene had to align perfectly for the killing of the moth to occur. If a breeze had blown the moth East or the spider had ascended a different flower this event would never have happened.

Why did the destinies of the flower, spider, and moth perfectly align? To be clear, these three things aligned in time, space, and color. In line six Frost refers to the spider, flower, and moth as “ingredients of a witches’ broth.” The broth is symbolic here as it represents something that was purposefully created and developed. The ingredients, when combined and then treated with the right conditions (appropriate heat, time, etc) will produce a soup. The soup when accompanied by bread may be part of a larger meal. Frost is showing us that everything is connected. The spider, the flower, the moth, the death of the moth, the meal for the spider, are all part of a larger system – a design that is interconnected and dependent on all constitutes.

The poet further emphasizes the existence of a greater design by describing the soup as a “witches’ broth” (line 6). Witches are commonly defined as “women thought to have evil magical powers” (dictionary). The concept of a supernatural being creating the broth correlates to the idea of extraordinary control of the universe and those of us in it. The witch is significant in that she may be interpreted as having evil powers and ill intentions. This is appropriate in the context of Frost’s poem because the event he highlights for us is that of dark death despite the brightness of the scene.

The witch is also valuable to the poem as it brings in a human element. Although the scene depicted in the octave strictly describes nature, the witch, if defined as “a follower or practitioner of modern witchcraft or an ugly or unpleasant old woman,” refers to humanity. Specifically it refers to human manipulation of the natural world. Humans have altered the natural state of things to fit into designs created by us. But this event, the strange color of the flower and the death of the moth, is untouchable by humans. We may observe it but we cannot explain it, we cannot create it, and we cannot prevent it. There are forces beyond our grasp at play here. Forces that influence our own lives as well.

When unexpectedly something drastically wonderful or dreadfully terrible occurs in your life do you ever find yourself wondering why? Was it merely due to chance or was there a greater design at play? Maybe this event in not happenstance; maybe it is part of a larger interconnected web of events that shapes your life, the lives of those around you, the lives of future generations, and even the very existence of life on this planet. As Frost has hopefully proved to us, design governs in the scene of the spider, flower, and moth depicted in his poem. He compels us to realize that design occurs not only in small natural events but in bigger more significant events as well. Frost accomplishes this by leaving us to contemplate the question, if design regulates in such a small event as a moth being consumed by a spider then does design act in the natural world, in human life, and the universe at large? If a greater design, a greater purpose does not exist in and govern our world, then what is the point?





Works Cited:

“Flowers- Self-heal, Heal-all or Brunella.” Old And Sold Antiques Digest. 1916. 20 Oct 2008 <>

McKean, Erin. New Oxford American Dictionary, Second Edition. United States: Oxford University Press, May 2005.

Essay 1 Draft

What is the Point?

Is there a greater “design” that dictates and explains the events occurring in the universe? Or is every action and subsequent reaction uncircumstantial – the results of merely chance events? Design can be defined as “purpose, planning, or intention that exists or is thought to exist behind an action, fact or material object” (Dictionary). In Robert Frost’s sonnet, Design, these questions are asked of the reader as the poem is brought to a close. After describing the killing of a moth by a spider Frost comments, “If design govern in a thing so small” (Line 14). This essay seeks to convince its readers that Frost is not really asking us if there is a greater design but in actuality he is providing evidence that design exists in our world. Frost demonstrates proof of this design through the dissection of an anomaly in nature and the symbolic importance of witches’ broth.

Design begins with the vivid description of a “dimpled,” “fat,” “white” spider. The words chosen here are intended to evoke the images of a baby and of innocence – images uncommonly associated with spiders. In the next line Frost describes that the spider is located on a “white heal-all.” A heal-all is a flower, normally blue in color, fabled to possess the ability to cure any disease (citation). Atop the heal-all is a white moth, rigid in death. This scene is an anomaly in nature, the unusually white flower failing to heal the moth and the innocent white spider preying on the dead white creature. In the second half of the octave, Frost uses adjectives with a happy connotation to contrast dark reality. The “snow-drop” spider, the light and airy “froth” of a flower, and the wings “like a paper kite.” The reality is of a spider weaving an unseen net of destruction, a flower aberrantly changed, and a moth rigidly dead.

The elaborate image of white death painted in the first eight lines of the poem functions as the scene Frost dissects in the following sestet to prove the existence of design. The whiteness of this event may be a tactic employed by the poet to highlight the circumstances and illuminate for the reader the importance of a seemingly unimportant occurrence. Why was the flower white instead of blue? What was the spider doing on that particular flower? How did it come to pass that the moth flew over that exact flower at that precise time in order to be caught in the spider’s web? The circumstances of the three living things in this scene had to align perfectly for the killing of the moth to occur. If a breeze had blown the moth East or the spider had ascended a different flower this event would never have happened.

Why did the destinies of the flower, spider, and moth perfectly align? To be clear, these three things aligned in time, space, and color. In line six Frost refers to the spider, flower, and moth as “ingredients of a witches’ broth.” The broth is symbolic here as it represents something that was purposefully created and developed. The ingredients, when combined and then treated with the right conditions (appropriate heat, time, etc) will produce a soup. The soup when accompanied by bread may be part of a larger meal. Frost is showing us that everything is connected. The spider, the flower, the moth, the death of the moth, the meal for the spider, are all part of a larger system – a design that is interconnected and dependent on all constitutes.

The poet further emphasizes the existence of a greater design by describing the soup as a “witches’ broth” (line 6). Witches are commonly defined as “women thought to have evil magical powers” (dictionary). The concept of a supernatural being creating the broth correlates to the idea of extraordinary control of the universe and those of us in it. The witch is significant in that she may be interpreted as having evil powers and ill intentions. This is appropriate in the context of Frost’s poem because the event he highlights for us is that of dark death despite the brightness of the scene.

The witch is also valuable to the poem as it brings in a human element. Although the scene depicted in the octave strictly describes nature, the witch, if defined as “a follower or practitioner of modern witchcraft or an ugly or unpleasant old woman,” refers to humanity. Specifically it refers to human manipulation of the natural world. Humans have altered the natural state of things to fit into designs created by us. But this event, the strange color of the flower and the death of the moth, is untouchable by humans. We may observe it but we cannot explain it, we cannot create it, and we cannot prevent it. There are forces beyond our grasp at play here. Forces that influence our own lives as well.

When unexpectedly something drastically wonderful or dreadfully terrible occurs in your life do you ever find yourself wondering why? Was it merely due to chance or was there a greater design at play? Maybe this event in not happenstance; maybe it is part of a larger interconnected web of events that shapes your life, the lives of those around you, the lives of future generations, and even the very existence of life on this planet. As Frost has hopefully proved to us, design governs in the scene of the spider, flower, and moth depicted in Design. He leaves us to contemplate the question, if design regulates in such a small event as a moth being consumed by a spider then does design act in the natural world, in human life, and the universe at large? If a greater design, a greater purpose does not exist in and govern our world, then what is the point?

"In a Station of the Metro"

Although untraditional, Ezra Pound’s work “In a Station of the Metro” is truly a poem. Pound creatively uses imagery confined within lines to convey meaning. If the title is included as one of the lines of the poem, each line delineates a single image. We move from an image of machinery (the Metro), to human beings (faces), to nature (flower petals). The layout of the poem draws parallels between these intentionally distinct and unrelated images. Throughout the lines of the poem each image becomes smaller, from the metro to the humans to the flowers. Pound emphasizes the image of “these faces” and the “wet, black bough” by slowing the tempo at these moments.

The word “apparition” has connotative power in this poem. It suggests the supernatural, immaterial, and a sudden unexpected experience. Apparition is often associated with ghosts and could elicit a sense of death. Death is reinforced by the “black” of the flower’s bough. However, there are also positive emotions demonstrated in Pound’s poem creating contradictory feelings: death and life, fragility and strength, and speed and stillness.

The observed stillness in the poem is due to the absence of verbs, rhyme, and meter. Lacking action words, “In a Station of the Metro” yields the impression of a moment caught in time. This static tone illuminates the contrast between the busy scene in the Metro station and the natural still depiction of the flowers on the bough.

Pound is careful to stress only nouns in the first line (apparition, faces, and crowd) while leaving all prepositional words unstressed. In the last line there is a triple stress on “wet, black bough” causing the reader to contemplate the image even after the poem has concluded.

Despite it’s unorthodox style and economy of words, Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro” is open to extensive interpretation in part due to its inherent simplicity.

Pictures for "In a Sation of the Metro"

Robert Frost's "Design"

In Robert Frost’s poem Design, the image of white is used repetitively. The word itself appears five times in this fourteen lined sonnet and the color is implied twice more through the description of the “snow-drop” spider and the flower comparable to “froth.” The significant images highlighted in white are the spider, the moth, and the flower. The other substantial, yet contradictory, image in this poem is that of death.

Frost uses opposing images in his Petrarchan sonnet Design to prepare the reader for contemplation of an ethical question. Design begins with the vivid description of a “dimpled,” “fat,” “white” spider. The words chosen here are intended to evoke the images of a baby and of innocence. In the next line Frost describes that the spider is located on a “white heal-all.” A heal-all is a flower, normally blue in color, fabled to possess the ability to cure any disease. Atop the heal-all is a white moth, rigid in death. This scene is an anomaly in nature, the unusually white flower failing to heal the moth and the innocent white spider preying on the dead white creature. In the second quatrain, Frost uses adjectives with a happy quality to contrast dark reality. The “snow-drop” spider, the light and airy “froth” of a flower, and the wings “like a paper kite.” The reality is of a spider weaving an unseen net of destruction, a flower aberrantly changed, and a moth rigidly dead.

In the sestet Frost begins asking questions about this event. In lines 9 and 10 the poet questions the aberration in the flower. Why is the heal-all white instead of blue? In lines 11 and 12 he ponders what led the spider and moth to it. In line 13 he asks if a design were revealed in this event, is it only a design of darkness to “appall” or horrify us? In the final line he reflects on the poem in its entirety and society itself by writing “If design govern in a thing so small.” If design exists in events as minor as the one so eloquently described in Frost’s poem, then it also must impact the lives of humans. However, if this event was just a coincidence, then there is no greater design dictating the course of human life and what occurs is merely happenstance.

Pictures for "Design"

Top: A traditional heal-all.

Bottom: A white spider on a white flower.