Media Log 1
Sandburg, Carl. “Cool Tombs”. The Poetry Foundation, Cornhuskers. 1918
“Cool Tombs” by Carl Sandburg is a poem about how different historical figures like Abraham
Lincoln and Pocahontas all end up in a grave. The theme of this poem is that death is the equalizer
of man, meaning that we are all equal in death.
The theme is conveyed through diction. Abraham Lincoln was a very loved president that was met
with a lot of respect. The use of the word “shoveled” would be inappropriate to be use when
speaking about someone so highly regarded. This shows how in death, our achievements will not
save us from a cool tomb, no matter how great they were. The words “shoveled into the tomb,” in
connection with Abraham Lincoln, who is seen by most as a great president and true hero, seem
inappropriate; the word is more frequently associated with getting rid of the trash than with burying
heroes.
The poem presents a harsh reality. There is no mention of passing into a new life or any other
religious undertones. I liked that there is no fluffy explanation and that the poem got straight to the
point in a perhaps shocking way.
Media Log 2
De Maupassant, Guy. “The Vendetta”. 1883.
In “Vendetta” Guy de Maupassant tells the story of an old mother relentlessly avenging her son's
death and the moral implications that her actions impose. The theme of this story is that revenge is
satisfactory.
The characterization of the old woman conveys the theme. At the beginning of the story, the
woman is devastated at her son’s death but as she gets revenge for it she becomes happier and “can
finally sleep”. Her mood shifted from depressed to extatic and peaceful all because of revenge.
I enjoyed this story because the had, in my opinion, a happy ending. The widow’s success in
avenging the death of her son was rewarding because I was rooting for her throughout the story.
Media Log 3
Nabakov, Vladimir. The Stories of Vladimir Nabakov. Vintage International, New York. 2002
“Razor” by Vladimir Nabokov tells the story of a former captain, Ivanov, who moved from
Russia to Berlin to become a simple barber. In the middle of the story a man approaches the shop,
which Iwanow instantaneously recognizes as his captor. Ivanov begins to intimidate the man by
telling him his razor could slip and kill him. The man was horrified as he remembered Ivanov and ...
