Lifelong Learner. What does this mean to me?

The Educator: Continuously exploring the world through the eyes of others and allowing that to challenge and grow my own perceptions. I love learning and it has fuelled my passion for teaching to the individual learner. It has brought me to Paolo Freire’s concepts of co-learning; incorporating Universal Design for Learning into how I approach teaching; exploring cross-curricular ideas from STEAM to Forrest Schooling; and now into exploring the educational possibilities of AI.

The Artist: I believe the purest expressions are those of our children. They show you the world as it is in their hearts: authentic, whimsical, joyful, and amazing. They’ve taught me to strive for that purity of expression in my art practice. I’ve spent a lifetime that purity of expression through a vast diversity of materials and methods; words and semantics; and continuously through the photographic lenses of my cameras.

45 thoughts on “My Great Why?”

  1. Regarding your Jan. 16 review of “The Raven,” Edgar Allan Poe had nothing whatsoever to do with the writing or premiere publication of that poem, and his claim to it was merely a scam. He scooped the real author by three days, replacing the pseudonym with his own name, and publishing it in his daily newspaper. The real author had been Mathew Franklin Whittier, the brother of the famous Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier. Mathew wrote it, substantially from a real-life event, in grief for his wife Abby who had passed a few months earlier. Mathew would have written it in December of 1841, unwisely sharing this unpublished work with Poe in a private meeting the following month, in January 1842.

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    1. I have never heard anything about this before, so I did a call-out through some of my academic circles. The following is an aggregation of answers from those whom I judge as having a greater understanding of the matter than I.

      The statement provided is not supported by historical scholarship. It is a fringe theory primarily promoted by a single independent researcher, Stephen Sakellarios, who claims that Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous works were actually written by Mathew Franklin Whittier.
      Claims and Origins of the Rumor
      The theory posits that Poe “scooped” the real author and engaged in “19th-century identity theft”. According to Sakellarios, the following narrative explains the “truth” behind the authorship of “The Raven”:
      The “Real” Author: The theory names Mathew Franklin Whittier, the younger brother of Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier, as the true author. It claims he wrote the poem in late 1841 as an expression of grief for his wife, Abby Poyen, who died earlier that year.
      The Meeting: It is alleged that Whittier unwisely shared a manuscript of the poem with Poe in January 1842 during a private meeting.
      The “Scoop”: The rumor states that when Whittier submitted the poem to the American Review in early 1845 under the pseudonym “Quarles,” Poe (who was then working for the Evening Mirror) saw an advance copy and rushed his own version to print three days early to claim it as his own.
      Silence of the Author: The theory explains Whittier’s lack of public defense by claiming he was involved in dangerous undercover anti-slavery work and could not afford the public exposure.
      Historical Reality
      Academic and historical consensus remains firmly that Edgar Allan Poe is the author of “The Raven”.
      Composition: Poe provided a detailed, though sometimes questioned, account of the poem’s creation in his 1846 essay, “The Philosophy of Composition”.
      Inspiration: Scholarly evidence shows Poe was inspired by the talking raven in Charles Dickens’ 1841 novel Barnaby Rudge and the rhythm of Elizabeth Barrett’s poem “Lady Geraldine’s Courtship”.
      Lack of Evidence: Critics and historians note that Mathew Franklin Whittier never claimed to have written the poem during his lifetime, and the “evidence” for this theory relies largely on subjective stylistic interpretations and speculative “coded hints”.
      In his 1846 essay “The Philosophy of Composition,” Edgar Allan Poe claimed that “The Raven” was written with mathematical precision rather than through a single moment of inspiration. However, he and literary scholars have identified several key influences:
      Charles Dickens and “Grip” the Raven
      Poe was heavily influenced by Charles Dickens’s 1841 novel Barnaby Rudge, which features a talking pet raven named Grip.
      Literary Review: Poe reviewed the novel twice in Graham’s Magazine (1841 and 1842), noting that the raven was “intensely amusing” but should have played a more “symbolic, prophetic purpose”. He later achieved this more sinister tone in his own poem.
      The Meeting: In March 1842, Poe met Dickens in Philadelphia while Dickens was touring the United States. Dickens had brought a portrait of Grip with him, and Poe was reportedly fascinated by the bird.
      Textual Similarities: In Barnaby Rudge, a character hears a noise and asks, “What was that—him tapping at the door?” to which another replies, “‘Tis someone knocking softly at the shutter.” This phrasing directly parallels the “tapping” and “rapping” at the chamber door in Poe’s opening stanzas.
      Elizabeth Barrett Browning
      Poe dedicated the 1845 collection The Raven and Other Poems to Elizabeth Barrett (later Browning), whose work he deeply admired.
      Rhythm and Meter: Poe acknowledged that the complex trochaic octameter of “The Raven” was largely inspired by the rhythm and internal rhyme in Barrett’s poem “Lady Geraldine’s Courtship”.
      Imagery: Specific details, such as the “purple curtain” in Poe’s poem, also appear to be borrowed from Barrett’s imagery.
      Other Influences
      Thomas Holley Chivers: A contemporary of Poe, Chivers claimed his poems “To Allegra Florence” and “Isadore” served as the basis for the “Nevermore” refrain and the poem’s unique meter.
      Mythology and Folklore: Poe drew on classical and religious references, including the “Bust of Pallas” (Athena, goddess of wisdom) and the “Balm in Gilead” from the Bible.
      Poe’s transformation of Charles Dickens’s prose into the rhythmic, gothic verses of “The Raven” is one of the most famous examples of literary adaptation. Scholars point to a specific scene in Chapter 5 of Dickens’s
      Barnaby Rudge as the direct structural blueprint for the poem’s opening.
      Textual Comparison: Prose to Poetry
      The following table illustrates how Poe adapted Dickens’s description of a mysterious visitor into his own signature style:
      Source
      Specific Textual Parallels
      Charles Dickens(Barnaby Rudge)
      “What was that—him tapping at the door?” … “‘Tis someone knocking softly at the shutter.”
      Edgar Allan Poe (The Raven)
      “Suddenly there came a tapping, / As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.”
      Poe’s Transition
      “Let me see, then, what thereat is… ‘Tis the wind and nothing more!’ / Open here I flung the shutter…”

      The Evolution of the Raven’s Character
      Poe’s primary critique of Dickens was that the raven, Grip, should have been more than a comic distraction.
      From Humor to Horror: In Dickens’s novel, Grip is “intensely amusing,” shouting catchphrases like “I’m a devil!” and “Nobody!”. Poe argued that the bird’s croaking should have been used “prophetically” within the drama.
      From “Nobody” to “Nevermore”: Dickens’s Grip often croaked the word “Nobody” when asked a question, providing a bleak but humorous response. Poe adapted this into the singular, inescapable refrain of “Nevermore,” transforming the bird into a symbol of “Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance”.
      The Role of Elizabeth Barrett Browning
      While Dickens provided the bird and the setting, Elizabeth Barrett Browning provided the “musical” structure.
      Rhythmic Template: Poe admitted in his correspondence that the rhythm of “The Raven” was inspired by the poem “Lady Geraldine’s Courtship”.
      Comparative Line: Barrett wrote, “With a low, melodious thunder, / through the shimmering leaves it came,” which Poe adapted into his heavy, hypnotic trochaic octameter (“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary”).
      Today, the actual taxidermied remains of Dickens’s pet raven, Grip, are on display at the Free Library of Philadelphia, where visitors can see the bird that served as the primary muse for both authors.
      In his 1846 essay
      “The Philosophy of Composition,” Poe detailed a rigid, step-by-step mathematical approach to writing “The Raven,” asserting that the poem proceeded to its completion “with the precision and rigid consequence of a mathematical problem.”
      Step 1: Determining the Effect
      Poe began by selecting a singular “effect” to achieve. He decided that the work should be “universally appreciable” and concluded that Beauty was the highest province of poetry. He then determined that the tone for the highest manifestation of beauty is Melancholy.
      Step 2: Selecting the Length
      Poe calculated that a poem must be short enough to be read in a single sitting (to maintain the “unity of impression”).
      He aimed for approximately 100 lines.
      The final poem is exactly 108 lines.
      Step 3: Designing the Refrain
      To anchor the melancholy tone, Poe decided on a refrain—a single, repeating word.
      The Sound: He chose a word with the “long o” as the most sonorous vowel and “r” as the most producible consonant.
      The Word: This led him to the word “Nevermore.”
      The Speaker: He realized a human could not reasonably repeat “Nevermore” without a motive, so he required a “non-reasoning creature” capable of speech, leading him back to the Raven.
      Step 4: The Climax and Reverse Construction
      Poe claimed he wrote the climax first to ensure the rest of the poem would build toward it with increasing tension.
      The Pivot: He wrote the stanza where the lover asks if he will meet his deceased Lenore in the afterlife (the “Aidenn”).
      The Answer: By establishing the Raven’s answer as “Nevermore” here, he ensured the preceding stanzas would progressively increase the speaker’s despair.
      Step 5: The Mathematical Formula
      Poe utilized a complex metric structure known as Trochaic Octameter. The rhythm follows a “stressed-unstressed” pattern:
      Formula:
      8feet×2syllables=16syllables per line
      8feet×2syllables=16syllablesperline.
      Structure: He combined acatalectic (complete) lines with catalectic (shortened) lines to create a “haunting” rhythmic break at the end of each stanza.

      Answer:
      Poe’s “mathematical” approach claimed that “The Raven” was not a product of intuition or accident, but a calculated construction designed to maximize emotional impact through the formulaic application of length, tone, and repetitive phonetics.

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      1. Yes, I’m familiar with all of these arguments. They don’t hold to close scrutiny, but there are too many to respond to, here. The assessment of my theory and evidence is severely “gas-lit.” I have written a lengthy paper exploring all of these points. If I post on a thread, it is only to make people aware that there is a challenge to Poe’s authorship. Poe’s “Philosophy of Composition” is so absurd, it speaks for itself. Many scholars opine that it was a hoax, inasmuch as he could not possibly have written the poem as described. But logically, it cannot have been a hoax, because he would have been satirizing his own method of composing poetry. The only explanation left is that of a scam. Pe never wrote any poetry of this quality or style prior to 1841. Mathew wrote several, which I have documented. Mathew did assert that Poe had stolen the poem from him multiple times, in literary code. The interpretation of that code is not speculative. As regards Barnaby Rudge, Mathew was a fan of Dickens and would have been reading this work in serial form at the time he wrote the poem. Mathew was also the author of “Lady Geraldine’s Courtship,” which is why two nearly identical lines appear in both poems. Mathew was unwisely sharing his unpublished work with literati at home and abroad in 1842, It made three of them famous. Mathew was an unseen and unrecognized force behind the literature of this era, which I have painstakingly documented, having identified and digitized over 3,000 of his anonymous published works. It’s just too much for anyone to believe; but the work has been done. I repeat–Mathew demonstrably has the track record, while Poe does not.

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      1. When I say ‘self-made’ I mean, with grit and determination, taking the help of inner potentials besides with active help from those working with that person – both subordinates and seniors. Self-made man possesses all the traits of positive attitude, positive manners, etiquette and has firm belief in himself/herself and his/her Creator.

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  5. Multipotentialite, will write it down whilst I practice.:) Thank you for your like on my blog. As usual I check the kind responder out and you seem full of enthusiasm for your sculpting and other Art forms.
    As you have seen I write poetry and prose about life. I also do paint in oils.
    Never tried sculpting although I watched sculptors and wanted to have a go.
    Will follow you and see what you do next. 🙂
    miriam

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    1. Thank you & Bless you, Miriam.

      I love creative people and people who inspire with their words like you do.

      If you are curious to learn more about multipotentialities here are a couple of links that will inspire you:

      Emily Wapnick is the originator of this term and she is both awesome and genuinely kindhearted.

      I was blown away by her Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/emilie_wapnick_why_some_of_us_don_t_have_one_true_calling

      She built an inspiring network of like minded people at The Putty Tribe: https://theputtytribe.com/email-waitlist/

      I also fiercely recommend reading The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1615190929?tag=renminds-20&camp=8641&creative=330649&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=1615190929&adid=1X85CXATF6XYJ7T5E14R&

      I look forward to growing with you.

      Wishing you an amazing week.

      M.

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      1. Thank you M for your kind and in depth answer.
        Multipotentialist ! I am excited, answers many questions for me.:)
        Have just listened to Emily Wapnik – Ted Talk. So clear she is and sweet as a person.
        I will continue tomorrow and check out the other links.

        An amazing week to you too
        Miriam

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    2. Dear MPerron and Miriam,

      I am certainly glad and grateful that we are all artists here conversing with each other enthusiastically, and seeing what others have created with passion!

      Also, as a lover, collector and connoisseur of art, I like to think about and comment on art when time permits and circumstance prevails. Here is one example distilled into a post that I published some years ago at https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/soundeagle-in-john-clinocks-art-rat-cafe/

      I would like to inform you that you might need to use a desktop or laptop computer with a large screen to view the rich multimedia contents available for heightening your multisensory enjoyment at my blog, which could be too powerful and feature-rich for iPad, iPhone, tablet or other portable devices to handle properly or adequately. May you enjoy the said post to your heart’s content!

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      1. Personally poetry and business marketing. I’m dabbling in affiliate marketing right now but honestly just testing the waters until I decide if I fully want to commit. I also run an online reselling business but that is more of a full-time job at this point.

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          1. Sure.

            I’m looking at Wealthy Affiliate in Regards to affiliate marketing. The price seems right and I like the community vibe to it.

            Currently I’m relaunching my ebay store so inventory is pretty low but will grow.

            ebay: http://www.ebay.com/usr/boardsnsuch

            Also have an entrepreneurial YouTube channel if that’s your thing:

            https://www.youtube.com/newbiethrifter

            Thanks for asking btw. Always happy to share. I like the idea of personal growth coaching. Seems like a fun career.

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            1. I tried Wealthy Affiliates for the same reasons. I stopped because it was becoming a full time job and felt like just another MLM.

              I haven’t embarked on eBay yet and I have a poor excuse in that I’m uncomfortable packaging my work for shipping.

              I will be having to do some work on YouTube soon for several companies I’m helping launch. That should be fun.

              I’ll check out your store and videos soon.

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              1. YouTube can be a ton of fun but frustrating compared to the blogging world, at least in my opinon. I have a vid with 20k views from laster year but didn’t even realize it until a year and half later. Basically starting over from scratch at this point.

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  7. Thank you for visiting my art blog site. Maybe blog is the wrong word as it is mostly kept as a private gallery of art works I have come across that I archive to revisit. Your handsome face in your avatar caught my eye. Best regards, ks

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  9. Nice term, successographer! I too am a multipotentialite, so pleased to meet you.. and thanks for dropping by my blog and following. Allowed me to be introduced to yours. I look forward to reading more.

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  14. Good post. I study something more challenging on completely different blogs everyday. It is going to all the time be stimulating to learn content material from different writers and practice somewhat one thing from their store. I edkgdcafdfca

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