Essay Theses (and Question for the Class)

Before I post my theses I have a quick question for the class. I thought I remember someone mentioning they had a PDF of the Sedgwick criticism (on homosociality). I could be totally wrong but if someone does have it, if you could please email it to me (mje2123@columbia.edu) I would REALLY appreciate it. I am going to use it for my critical essay and all of the copies in the library are checked out, and I'd rather work with a PDF, that I can highlight, anyway. If anyone has the book that would be great too - I could photocopy it and return it right away. Thanks!

And here are my theses:

OED: Toomer embraces the blazon genre in order to draw attention to and ironize this objectification. He overgoes the blazon genre using the technical language of modern technology, such as “lamp-posts” (Toomer, line 2), “power-house” (6), and “wires” (7), to metaphorize the sensual woman, literalizing and ironizing the blazon’s tendency to make the sensual seem technical. Building off of this, he offers a critique of this tendency through his use of the words “insulate” (7) and “incandescent” (12), suggesting that perhaps the blazon genre is dangerously detached from a sensual reality. In fact, within his own poem, despite his technical language and metaphors, Toomer restores a feeling of sensuality.

Comparison: However, Housman’s use of forceful, declarative metaphors and a rhythmic, urgent meter stands in stark contrast to Larkin’s questioning similes and relaxed, regular meter. It becomes clear from these differences that while Housman forces a meaning onto nature, Larkin criticizes this approach by dismissing the idea that nature has an inherent meaning.

Metrical Analysis: This all leads up to an abundance of metrical deviations in the third stanza, which highlight, strengthen and enact Marvell’s final conclusion that even though one is powerless to stop time from causing physical deterioration, one does have the power to make time seem fleeting by having passionate sex.