Thoreau on Eloquence

   
          "We love eloquence for it's own sake, and not for any truth which it may utter, or an heroism it may inspire." I had to read this more than once to get the full understanding of such a phrase. Eloquence can be defined as fluent or persuasive writing or speaking, and by saying that we love it for its own sake is to say that we love eloquence simply because of what it is, and not for its purpose. Eloquence may convert truths or inspire heroism, but we like it simply because of what it is. It is interesting that Thoreau would make such a bold statement when he himself writes with what can be considered eloquence. Perhaps by saying this he is telling his reader that although he writes with eloquence, he wants it to be known that his writing holds some truth, and should not be love solely for its fluency.
            I do believe that his statement is truthful, although not in all circumstances. There are plenty of amazing pieces of literature that are loved because of their eloquence, but their deeper meaning is much less appreciated or even noticed. Reading literature that was written with eloquence can sometimes be "wordy". The reader gets caught up in the writing style and leaves behind the true meaning of the text.
           In school, we read books that are famous for their eloquence, but we often miss their meaning. We eave behind the story because of the way it was written. The truth and purpose hides under fluency. It is a  problem that I have experienced myself. In government eloquence can be a major deciding factor. A man or woman who speaks well may be elected to an important position even though they have nothing to say. On the contrary, a person who has much to say may be ignored because they lack eloquence. Systems fall apart because no one truly understands, and instead they simply move to the one that "sounds nicer". People assume that if someone speaks with eloquence they have much to say, and that their words have meanings. They assume these things but do not actually confirm them. Eloquence quickly becomes a mask that people can hide their ignorance behind, and it is often a mask that many people like and trust. Are those who use eloquence the deceivers, or are people deceiving themselves by ignoring the truth and deeper meaning?

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The Declaration(s)

The Declaration of Independence is famous document known by most people. It stated that the people of America were free and had unalienable rights. It stated that America was independent from British rule. It is important to the American history. There is also a lesser known "Declaration" called the Declaration of Sentiments written in 1848. This declaration was written to give voice to the issue of women's rights during the time period. It is one of the first acts of feminism, though it probably wasn't called that at the time.
What I believe to be the best part about the Declaration of Sentiments is it's purposeful resemblance to the Declaration of Independence. The document is set up in almost exactly the same manner, even adopting most of the first two paragraphs of the D.I. This  was likely done to show the importance of the document, and also perhaps to mock the D.I. The Declaration of Independence does not exclude women from being created equal, yet for some reason they are not treated equally, and the D.S. wanted to make a point of this. Women want it known that they are tired of the unjust and reasonless oppression. The D.S. even goes as far as to bring up the problem that oppression towards women is not just a political issue but also a social one. Men can escape judgment from things that would deem women "improper" or "undesirable". The entirety of the Declaration of Sentiments has a tone of attitude in it, almost as if the women who participated in its creation saw the necessity of such a document ridiculous. After all, why would women be oppressed when the Declaration of Independence stated that all were created equal?
The strange bit about the Declaration of Sentiments is that some of the issues it addresses, are still relevant today. Women (and also men) continue to fight for equal treatment of the sexes. It's strange that this issue has not been resolved, even though it started so long ago.

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John and Abigail Adams

We haven't blogged in a long while, and to kick things off we have begun with some old timey writing:
In class today we read letters that were sent between John and Abigail Adams. Within the letters thy discussed what was happening at the time, as well as plans for the future of the country. However, the primary focus was not to be on the content of the letters but rather the stylistic aspects of the writing used. For example, many seemingly random words in the letters are capitalized, but this can be seen as a calculated choice. Important words and phrases are capitalized to show importance.
One piece of the letter from John to Abigail is particularly interesting. He says:
"Whenever Vanity, and Gaiety, a Love of Pomp and Dress, Furniture, Equipage, Buildings, great Company, expensive Diversions, and elegant Entertainments get the better of the Principles and Judgments of Men or Women there is no knowing where they will stop, nor into what Evils, natural, moral, or political, they will lead us."
This is obviously a lot, but taking a closer look allows its meaning to become clear. He is basically stating that over indulgence in material things can lead to what he describes as "Evil". John capitalizes the many things that lead to evil in order to emphasize their importance. His statement is astounding because of its truthfulness, as well as its ability to transcend time. It is indeed true that placing earthly wants above human principles leads to corruption, and John Adams realizes this and decides to mention it in a simple letter to his wife. John's words continue to be true today. What he says can be applied to any time period which makes its message even more meaningful.
The initial goal was to look at the stylistic choices of the documents, but the content ended up being the more interesting discussion.

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