Create a Critical Log response using the format in the Romantics and the Victorians Web section. Make sure you provide direct quotes which support the key elements of analysis. Due Monday, Jan. 28
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Ashley
1/27/2013 05:15:54 pm
In this piece William Hazlitt discusses going on a journey and how it is best to travel alone as well as discussing all the things that can be gained and observed in doing so. To discuss these topics Hazlitt utilizes many literary devices, including irony when he states “puns alliterations, antitheses, agreement, and analysis… I sometimes had rather be without them” (110). Hazlitt makes use of paradox in his first paragraph when explaining why he prefers to travel alone; “I am never lass alone than when alone” (109). He then uses metaphor to describe what is gained by journeying alone; “Contemplation may plume her feathers and let grow her wings, that in various bustle of resort were all too ruffled, and sometimes impari’d” (109). He then continues to describe the daily antithesis one feels in societal life; “to talk or be silent, to walk or sit still, to be sociable or solitary” (110). All of Hazlitt’s metaphors, antithesis, paradox, and other literary devices combine to portray his attitude on society, nature, contemplation, and perspective. Hazlitt, like many Romantics of the day, sees peace in nature, travelling, and solitude. He also, however, recognizes man’s need for kinship; “I should… like well enough to spend the whole of my life in travelling abroad, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend afterwards at home” (117).
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Ms. M
1/27/2013 09:58:31 pm
Nice Use of the Text, Ashley.
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Hayle S.
1/28/2013 12:23:32 am
In William Hazlitt’s “on Going on a Journey” he talks about the important aspects of the journey itself. One of his main points is that it is always better to journey alone. He claims “out of doors, nature is company for me”. He goes on to talk of how he loves the solitude he finds when he goes out alone just to enjoy the country. Hazlitt also says that “the soul of a journey is liberty” and that while on a journey the goal should be to just do whatever you please, leave everything else behind and just go. This is another reason why he believes you should not bring a companion along, because then you must try to keep a conversation going and the feelings of contemplation you have while on a journey are not always meant to be or able to be communicated. Hazlitt doesn’t want his thoughts with awkward silences or attempts at wit; he cherishes that “undisturbed silence of the heart”. Hazlitt uses devices such as rhetorical questions when he says, “Is not this wild rose sweet without a comment? Does not this daisy leap to my heart set in its coat of emerald?”. He also alludes to quotes from other men such as “Mr. Cobbett” and “Coleridge”. Hazlitt also uses a variety of metaphors and analogies in his piece to help develop his ideas of society and the peace that he finds in nature, like most romantic writers of the time. His main point is that when he goes on a journey, he leaves himself behind and goes out alone without any expectations of what might happen along the way, and that is a true journey.
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Christian Gray
1/28/2013 03:21:49 am
William Hazlitt is, simply put, tired of life with others around him. He finds bliss in being alone on a journey. “I can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, nature is company for me.” He also states “I cannot see the wit of walking and talking at the same time.” Bliss in walking alone through the forests or woods, journeying by yourself is better because of the nonsense talk that a pair or group would have while doing the former. Being alone William Hazlitt says, helps one on a journey to view the landscape better, to be alone with your thoughts, to basically take in life on your move.
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Grace
1/28/2013 06:46:29 am
William Hazlitt is the author of "On Going on A Journey", a piece in which the main point of discussion is the "soul of a journey" (109). Hazlitt is a firm believer in the beauty of "solitude" and freedom of "all inconveniences" (109). In order to convey his points, Hazlitt utilizes literary devices such as personification, allusion, alliteration, and rhetorical questions. He personifies flowers by asking rhetorical questions about their actions, such as the comment of the "wild sweet rose" (110). This allows for him to portray nature as the only companion necessary for journeys, as he had earlier stated. He also alludes to numerous locations such as China, France, Athens and even Old Rome to discuss some locations that require companionship, and others that are for solitude.
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Sarah S.
1/28/2013 07:14:22 am
In "On Going on a Journey, by William Hazlitt, the author explains how "One of the pleasantest things in the world is going on a journey; but I like to go by myself" (109) His main point is that being on a journey should be something one does by himself so that he can focus and enjoy nature without feeling like he has to say something to the other traveller. Then he can enjoy forgetting himself while he is abroad. He is very passionate about what he writes, and structures the piece as if it were a conversation. It is full of his opinions and thoughts. "Yet these I love to cherish, and sometimes still fondly clutch them, when I can escape from the throng to do so" . (111) Hazlitt writes about his own experiences and friends. "My old friend Coleridge, however, could do both. He could go on in the most delightful explanatory way over hill and dale a summer's day, and convert a landscape into a didactic poem or a Pindaric ode," which shows how he had a positive attitude towards the subject (111). His purpose was to explain why he likes being alone with nature and to give insight as to how the reader can enrich his life by escaping it during travels abroad. He uses quotes from different poets as evidence to explain his love of nature. He also talks about how his "old friend Coleridge" "talked far above singing" before he gives an example of such a work (111). He uses a lot of Pathos, by saying heartfelt things like this: "yet these I love to cherish, and sometimes sill fondly clutch them, when I can escape from the throng to do so" (111). Hazlitt also uses logos when he says, "if you only hint what you feel in a kind of dumb show, it is insipid: if you have to explain it, it is making a toil of a pleasure. You cannot read the book of nature without being perpetually put to the trouble of translation it for the benefit of others. " (110) He makes a statement and then explains it in order to more thoroughly explain his thesis. Hazlitt uses antithesis when he says "I like to be either entirely to myself, or entirely at the disposal of others; to talk of be silent, to walk or sit still, to be sociable or solitary" (110). He gives the main idea in the first sentence, then proceeds to go into an extended discussion with lots of detail as to how and why. "One of the pleasantest things in the world is going on a journey; but I like to go by myself" (109)
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Christian, Patrick, De'Jean
1/28/2013 04:38:33 pm
"I can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, Nature is company enough for me."(109)
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Monica B
1/29/2013 01:04:55 am
On Going on a Journey basically consists on William Hazlitt’s experiences from one of his journeys. He describes the beautifulness of the country he is it. Hazlitt goes out of his town to forget it his everyday-self and the people surrounding his daily lifestyle. He claims that travelling is much better if you are alone since if you have a companion it could interrupt it. He thinks that the purpose of a journey is to be free, free to think, feel, and act without having the pressure to conform the normal self and manners. He has the constant feeling to translate his feelings into words, he thinks that this interrupts and does not let the people observe a beautiful scene. He also claims that certain feelings and thoughts cannot be communicated or shared with the outside world. Basically throughout the whole essay he exposes the idea that a person cannot concentrate into the beautifulness of life if there is a companion within the journey.
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Taylor and Hayle
1/29/2013 04:34:57 pm
Group 1 Reasons to walk alone
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Monica B and Josh Y
1/29/2013 04:36:29 pm
On Going on a Journey
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MarcusR, MichelleH, DenizO
1/29/2013 04:37:24 pm
Group 2:
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Ryan P.
1/30/2013 09:24:11 pm
William Hazlitt’s is writing about how he’d like to leave town and experience nature on his own. "The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, and do just as one pleases. We go a journey chiefly to be free of all impediments and of all inconveniences; to leave ourselves behind, much more to get rid of others. It is because I want a little breathing-space to muse on indifferent matters". But a companion, while talking, drops a hint or so reminding him of his everyday existence that he wants to leave behind. The soul of a journey is liberty, to be free and explore at ones one accord. Talking to his companion though doesn’t allow him to explore though, because he is constantly reminded of his past, and what he’s leaving.
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DeJean Clement
2/1/2013 01:06:38 am
"On Going On A Journey" is written by William Hazlitts. In a jist, he covers his love for being alone with nature and having no one with him to sour its beauty. "Instead of an awkward silence, broken by attempts at wit or dull commonplaces, mine is that undisturbed silence of the heart which alone is perfect eloquence" which sums up that people are nothing more than a distraction of one's peace and focus; his fustration with telling the beauty of nature and what he sees is clearly stated that "You cannot read the book of Nature without being perpetually put to the trouble of translating it for the benefit of others." Only one person on the planet does William wish to go on a forest stroll together with to "so clothe my ideas in sounding and flowing words", and that person was his friend Coleridge. The poem remains in a repetitive message after that.
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Victoria B
2/3/2013 03:19:05 am
On Going a Journey, Written by William Hazlitt, is an essay about the beauty of nature in solitude. In his piece he stresses the fact that "One of the pleasantest things ... is going on a journey; but I like to go by myself." (109) Another way that he gives light to his opinion on getting away and enjoying nature is "I want a little breathing-space... that I absent myself from the town..." (109) Throughout his essay he stress his thoughts on observing nature and "going on a journey" in solitude to get away from the beastly needs of society. "Is not this wild rose sweet without a comment?... if I were to the circumstance... you would only smile." (110) In this part of the essay he is iterating what it is like to leave society and its calling for just a few mere hours and what it is to appreciate your surroundings; but within the same quote expresses his thoughts on having to enjoy it with someone else. He later goes to describe more troublesome aspects of traveling with other people, when you have to observe for your own pleasure, and better understanding.
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MichelleH
2/9/2013 08:43:37 pm
Hazlitt's "On Going On a Journey" is an essay about the reasons that a journey alone is better than with others. He states why journeys through the countryside are great and mainly focusses on why company on such journeys contradicts such journeys. He tells of how being with others means that you cannot relax. In Hazlitt's mind, a journey taken with company means that you will have to converse with them, and you cannot focus on the scenery and enjoy your surroundings. Simply put, if you take a journey, you should do it alone lest you be remembered of the place you wish to forget.
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Nick
2/21/2013 09:34:20 pm
Wiliam Hazlitt's "On Going on Journey" can be greatly described as a work based on the individual instead of the the race as a whole. He starts of by explaining how it would be to go on a journey, "but I like to go by myself," he announces. He believes that a partner or companion on the trip would be a waste of a perfectly time, "Instead of an awkward silence, broken by attempts at wit or dull commonplaces, mine is that undisturbed silence of the heart which alone is perfect eloquence." He believes his time on a journey would best be completed as a single mind rather than two people, with the only exception being of the company of Coleridge himself!
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Luke Narug
3/1/2013 05:47:39 pm
William Hazlitts "going on a journey" is an essay that explains his view on a journey. He explains that going on a journey is better to go alone because he wants to experience nature on his own. he states, "I can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, nature is company enough for me". He love to be outdoors and take in the whole feelings of nature. When going on this journey, hazlitt feels he finally has time to think, and getting away from his normal everyday life. He later goes on to describe how if traveling to other countries it is better to have a companion to shre the experience with.
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