Nineteenth Century

How does one’s subjectivity of experiences in his or her inner life construct reality? In the Nineteenth Century, there was a newfound focus on reality, harsh living conditions, and the lower class. With the lens turned upon realistic conditions, the works of literature, art, and music began to depict realistic inner lives. Instead of the melodrama and intense emotions of the previous Baroque and Romantic eras, inner life is conveyed as accurately as possible. Along with a focus on realism, there is an emphasis on the subjectivity of experience and the recognition of the limitations of any point of view. Experience is greatly valued and the focus is turned away from meanings that transcend individuals and the abstraction of reality. The poem, “Spleen,” by Baudelaire, Rigoletto (Act III) by Verdi, and A Bar at the Folies-Bergè by Manet all embody the concepts of realistic inner lives and subjectivity.

One thing that I had not paid much attention to prior to this lab was my usage of clear transitions. I felt disorganized while writing my interdisciplinary midterm exam essays so I do not think that my sentences and paragraphs flowed very well. I often feel overwhelmed with all of the information I want to make sure I will convey so instead of thinking rationally and forming coherent transitions, my sentences become too choppy. It felt like I was listing off facts and information instead of trying to convey my point. This time around, I tried my best to create a smoother flow in order to emphasize my two period concepts of “realistic inner lives” and “subjectivity.” I had trouble formulating a good question and thesis to tie together the concepts of the pieces.

As for note-taking, I have been diligent about taking notes in class because personally, I retain information better when I can refer back to my notes while writing blog posts, doing reading questions, studying for music and art analyses, and planning for my essays. This time around, I decided to print out the Baudelaire poems so that I can annotate the pages instead of reading off of my computer. Throughout class discussions, I have underlined and written notes in the margins and it has helped me gain a better understanding and retain the information better. I feel like the connections that we make in class can become crucial information when it comes time to start planning for essays. Instead of struggling to remember what concepts applied to the pieces, I can just refer to my notes and see which period concepts I have jotted down and elaborated upon.

Word Count: 430