Culler says that literature is a paradoxical institution because “proofs” (or how he says it: formulas) of the topic that is going to be developed are needed to create literature and this also needs to follow some conventions. However, literature is sometimes about who expresses their limits, criticizes different points of view and own thoughts. That said, Culler may refer to this whole literature thing as somewhat paradoxical, as it contradicts itself a bit by saying that literature must have certain conventions and rules/formulas to follow, but at the same time you can observe literature outside of these parameters and it is still literature. Poems like Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, Parsley…

When it comes to instances where the writing requires interpretation , like in Emily Dickinson’s writing, its like solving a puzzle. One example could be when the author leaves certain details open-ended, allowing us to fill in the gaps with our own imagination. Another instance could be when the author uses metaphors, which indicates that they wish that we seek beyond the literal meaning.

What does Culler mean by the “paradox of literature” at the end of the chapter? Do any of the poems listed for this week’s reading exhibit the kinds of paradoxes Culler describes? Why?

The soul selects her own society By Emily Dickinson  When Dickinson mentions “Unmoved-she notes the Chariots-pausing at her low Gate” Dickinson presents an image of the soul observing chariot stopping at her humble gate. This made me think about the power of the soul to choose its own company. It suggests that the soul is discerning and selective in the people and experiences it allows into its inner circle. Another instance where Dickinson mentions “Then-close the valves of her attention-like stone.” Dickinson uses the metaphor of valves closing like stone to describe the soul’s ability to shut out distraction and focus entirely. It made me think about the soul capacity…

For “The Brain is —wider than the sky”: “The one the other will contain”; “The one the other will absorb.” As I read this, I questioned what the lines above meant in reference to the brain. The way I interpreted this was that the brain is such a wonder to the human body and its remarkable abilities. “The one the other will contain”, when comparing the sky to the brain, side by side, Emily Dickenson suggests that the sky is wide, yes but the brain has more potential to contain even more than the sky. “The one the other will absorb.”, suggests that the brain’s absorption surpasses the sponges. From…

Poem 1- ” The brain is wider than the sky” I see how it shows the brain is just more than the brain. All the abilities and capacities one’s brain has and how special it really is. The first paragraph of this poem states,” The brain is wider than the sky … the one the other will contain”, showing that the brain has a big capacity to contain in my opinion. She is creating the narrative between the brain and the sky showing their sizes. In that same poem it says,” the brain is deeper than the sea … the one the other will absorb”, make me believe that the…

”The Soul selects her own Society — and ”The Brain— is wider than the sky—Then — shuts the Door — For— put them side by side—”To her divine Majority —Present no more —” When it comes to reading poems they can be interpreted in many different ways by it’s readers. When reading these poems in order to get an understanding of just these small parts I have to reread over again to understand the entirety of the poems. Stanza 1 of “The Soul Selects her own society” to me means that she is opening up to let a person in but they are not up to par enough to let…