Humanities Paper

NATURE, THE SUBLIME, AND ______________________

At the heart of Romantic art and literature is the idea that nature is not just a pretty scene or part of the background. Nature is an all-consuming idea in this period: it is the ground of our being; it is a representation of deep spiritual and human longing; and it is a reflection of the immanent presence of the divine in our material world. It is also a source of power in the world that is not only nurturing and sheltering, but threatening, destructive, and life-consuming. For this assignment, you are to examine the role of nature in a specific Romantic work listed in the choices below and discuss the meaning which the author/artist imbues upon it. To view the works we will study together in class, refer to the powerpoints on Blackboard.

• One of JMW Turner’s paintings (except Slave Ship) that we have not studied
• A work by Caspar David Friedrich that we have not studied
• A work by one of the Hudson River School painters (See chapter on Defining A Nation)
• A poem by Keats, Shelley or Wordsworth that we have not studied
• A passage from a work by Henry David Thoreau (See chapter on Defining a Nation), again that we have not studied
• A scene from Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Please follow the outline below:

• Paragraph 1: Write a good, interesting solid introduction providing an intriguing opening, historical context, and a strong thesis about your chosen work.
• Paragraph 2: Provide an enlightening discussion about your chosen artist/author, giving significant details about his/her work.
• Paragraphs 3: Explain the importance of Nature to the Romantic spirit and world-view.
• Paragraph 4: Discuss the ways your artist/author has portrayed Nature in your chosen work.
• Paragraph 5: Conclusion. Do not merely repeat yourself, but offer fresh insights.

Instructions:

This formal essay is to be computer-written, approximately 1,000 words, documented according to MLA, and fulfilling all the requirements of excellent college writing.

Please follow the time-line below:

 Sample MLA Works Cited page due Wednesday, March 1

 Complete copy of printed paper due March 8, 2017

 Blackboard submissions of electronic copy through SafeAssign due March 8, 2017

The following checklist will be used to assess the paper:

1. Does the paper reflect appropriate historical/cultural context?

2. Has the writer written full, substantial paragraphs, beginning with the introduction?

3. Does the paper smoothly synthesize the work of art with ideas, events, stories, etc.?

4. Has the writer consulted credible, reliable sources?

5. Has the writer appropriately documented the paper using in-text or internal citations, as well as a Works Cited page following MLA formal?

6. Are the ideas and points in the paper thoroughly supported with substantial evidence, illustrations, examples, etc.?

7. Has the writer identified significant historical and cultural developments that impacted the work?

8. Has the writer used varied sentence structure that is free of spelling and grammatical errors? –i.e. is this paper written on the college-level.