What does The Wasteland mean (Lol)?
OK, well, let's unpack that:
1. How has it been interpreted? Use citations.
2. What are some of its key features?
3. In what ways has it been influential??
PoMo
1. What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named?
2. On what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended?
3. In what ways are Beat poetry and rap linked?
4. How was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
5. What kinda protest song/rap/other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
1. How has it been interpreted? Use citations.
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous amounts of interpretations of ‘The Wasteland’ out there and if you’re like me you’ll want one that’s nice and easy to understand. I came across a rather simple summary of ‘The Wasteland’ which tackles the poem as objectively as possible to get the gist of it across.
The link for this is here: http://www.shmoop.com/the-waste-land/summary.html
While this is just a summary and it goes further in depth later on in the article, it is still curious to note that it cannot remain completely objective because to give a summary of such a complex piece of text you would need to be able to interpret it with some form of lens. For this summary it has interpreted the text in a colloquial and very simplistic manner, explicitly explaining the imagery as it comes “The poem's speaker talks about how spring is an awful time of year, stirring up memories of bygone days and unfulfilled desires.” This is because it is directed at an audience which is trying to get a quick fix understanding.
However in contrast we get some analysis that cover a broad range of disciplines, outside of literature, psychology would be an example of this. According to Vikramaditya Rai (1965) Elliot was very much aware of the scientific movements throughout the world, Anthropology and Psychology in particular. This is because these disciplines both emphasised the questions on the origins of human connections and mythological origins. Within this there are the beliefs that nature and supernatural are one, something reflected in the imagery of the text.
On some other hands the poem has been interpreted as a form of self expressionism by Elliot after his experiences through the war. “The poet lives in a modern waste land, in the aftermath of a great war, in an industrialized society that lacks traditional structures of authority and belief, in soil that may not be conducive to new growth.” (Lewis, 2011) Within this we can see that the interpretation is focused on the links between Elliot’s history of war and failed marriage and the imagery that he depicts in his poetry.
References:
Lewis , P. (2011, April 18). The Waste Land - Modernism Lab Essays. Retrieved from http://modernism.research.yale.edu/wiki/index.php/The_Waste_Land
Rai, V. (1965). The waste land: A critical study (2nd ed.). Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass.
Shoomp (2013, May 24). The Waste Land Summary. Retrieved May 24, 2013, from http://www.shmoop.com/the-waste-land/summary.html
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DeleteYaaay!! This one's short and your right, it was easy to understand unlike everyone else's Golden Globe awards Speeches below. I liked your subtle approach you took, trying to explain the the depth and complexity of the poem. I enjoyed your insights into the poem like the outside of literature contrasting analysis, I found that very interesting. Also I admired your Look at the poem as being interpreted as a form of self expressionism by Elliot after his experiences through the war. Cool beans man.
Delete5. The rap song I wanted to discuss was "Fuck the Police" by N.W.A (1988) .N.W.A's genre of hip-hop was commonly called Street Knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI know it’s not in the past decade but I really think this song really depicts their views of the police and what they really think of the police. This protest song can be considered as the sub-genre of conscious hip-hop, “conscious rap is,rap that is socially aware and consciously connected to historic patterns of political protest and aligned with progressive forces of social critique” (Dyson, 2007) Cited from Forman (2010).This usually takes away from your normal themes in a hip hop song such as girls, money and cars a song like this has a political agenda. In this case this song is about the injustice in south central LA.
This song was reference to the crack epidemic and how the blacks were treated by the police. Ice Cube a fellow member of N.W.A raps about "Fuck the police comin straight from the underground A young nigga got it bad cause I'm brown and not the other colour so police think they have the authority to kill a minority" Ice Cube was pretty much saying ,because he's of a darker complection. And in this line there obviously a spirit of protest against the police. In the hook it pretty much states "Fuck The Police" over again to kind of separate the verses. This song refers to the police and how they mistreat other hoodlums.
This song is still heavily referenced in Hip-Hop by artists in today. This song has some narrative structure similar to how Bob Dylan or Bruce Springston song would be. The narrative structure was MC Ren another member of N.W.A introduces the song"[MC Ren as Court Officer]Right about now, N.W.A. court is in full effect Judge Dre presiding In the case of N.W.A. vs. the Police Department; prosecuting attourneys are: MC Ren, Ice Cube, and Eazy-motherfuckin-E [Dr. Dre as The Judge] Order, order, order…”
The ending of this song depicts Dr Dre stating the verdict of the police man. Dre] The jury has found you guilty of bein a redneck, white bread, chicken shit motherfucker[Cop] But wait, that's a lie! That's a god damn lie![Dre] Get him out of here![Cop] I want justice![Dre] Get him the fuck out my face![Cop] I want justice![Dre] Out, RIGHT NOW![Cop] FUCK YOU, YOU BLACK MOTHER-FUCKERRRRRRRRRRRRS! Fuck the police!".
As you can see the way this song is written has a narrative structure to it with each of the rappers in the group telling their story of what they think of the police.
References
Forman M (2010) Conscious Hip-Hop, Change, and the Obama Era American Studies Journal Number 54 Retrieved from: http://www.asjournal.org/179c166.html
I really enjoyed your take on the Song, especially a song with such "vivid" vocabulary LOL. The idea of the rap taking a form of narrative, I thought was very interesting and presented to me a lot of imagery like the part you described about the court of law and the rappers them selves appearing as different characters in the narrative. i also enjoyed that comment you made about "conscious rap is,rap that is socially aware" which i feels gives the rap a more gritty down to earth perception of society (at the time)and of the Autho
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: Post modernism:
ReplyDeleteBeat Generation originated in the 1950s, a group of American post World War II writers. "Beats" originally meaning “weary,” but later also connoting a musical sense, a “beatific” spirituality, and other meanings (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013).
Beat Poets wanted to free poetry from academic precocity and “bring it back to the streets.” The main elements or common qualities that beat literature shares included “social problems, they advocated personal release, purification, and illumination through the heightened sensory awareness that might be induced by drugs, jazz and sex” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013).
An example of just a few lines from one well-known beat literature is Howl by Allen Ginsberg (1956):
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by
madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn
looking for an angry fix,
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly
connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night,
who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat
up smoking in the supernatural darkness of
cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities
contemplating jazz,
who bared their brains to Heaven under the El and
saw Mohammedan angels staggering on tenement roofs illuminated,
who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes
hallucinating Arkansas and Blake-light tragedy
among the scholars of war,
who were expelled from the academies for crazy &
publishing obscene odes on the windows of the skull,
who cowered in unshaven rooms in underwear,
burning their money in wastebaskets and listening
to the Terror through the wall,
who got busted in their pubic beards returning through
Laredo with a belt of marijuana for New York,
who ate fire in paint hotels or drank turpentine in
Paradise Alley, death, or purgatoried their
torsos night after night
with dreams, with drugs, with waking nightmares,
alcohol and cock and endless balls,
incomparable blind; streets of shuddering cloud and
lightning in the mind leaping toward poles of Canada & Paterson,
illuminating all the motionless world of Time between,
Peyote solidities of halls, backyard green tree cemetery
dawns, wine drunkenness over the rooftops,
storefront boroughs of teahead joyride neon
blinking traffic light, sun and moon and tree
vibrations in the roaring winter dusks of Brooklyn,
ashcan rantings and kind king light of mind,
who chained themselves to subways for the endless
ride from Battery to holy Bronx on benzedrine
until the noise of wheels and children brought
them down shuddering mouth-wracked and
battered bleak of brain all drained of brilliance
in the drear light of Zoo, (Panloss.com, 2013)
By reading Ginsbergs Poem I think this type of literature has influenced music we have today such as rap, very informal but is relatable by how it talks of everyday living. It was also a step away from a very formal world in the 1950s were everything had to be clean bold and expressive. Beat was very influential as post war, students in universities were starting to question the rampant greediness of their society. It is said that Beat was never serious art, but created to grab your attention (Literature network,2000)
The rest of the poem can be found here: http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/Ramble/howl_text.html
References:
Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc.(2013). Beat Movement. Retrieved May 27, 2013, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/57467/Beat-movement
Ginsberg. A (n.d) Howl, retrieved from http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/Ramble/howl_text.html
Literature Network. (2000). Beat Generation. Retrieved May 27, 2013 from http://www.online-literature.com/periods/beat.php
Kisa!! this is too long LOL I can't Believe i Read this whole thing. I admired your Explanation of the Beat Generation and how they had originated in the 1950s, a group of American post World War II writers. I also Liked your look at the Beat Poets and how Beat Poets wanted to free poetry from academic precocity and how they wanted “bring it back to the streets.” (sounds like a Dancing hip hop Movie title) I also found your insight into the main common qualities that beat literature shared was very interesting.
Delete2. What are some of its key features?
ReplyDeleteA vast majority of analysis on ‘The Waste Land’ looks at Elliot himself and his mind-set at the time of writing the poem. Given that he just came from World War I he perceived the world in an essentialist manner which meant he didn’t see any significance in life. The Waste Land and its title alone reflect this mind-set. Semy Rhee (2012) in their thesis “Post-War Europe: The Waste Land as a Metaphor” talks about ‘The Waste Land’ being representative of the post war eras mind-set. Within this it talks about how The Waste Land is a metaphorical representation of the condition that Europe was in. The metaphor alluding to the ‘disillusionment of the generation’ and how people have lost much faith in what they used to believe in. Another aspect which Rhee talks about in their thesis is that the complexity of the poem and the confusion it causes to the reader are representative of the fact that “truth and reality are uncertain and ultimately unknowable”. This is interesting to note since the poem is vastly obscure and complex perhaps the intention was to deter the reader from understanding the poem since his essentialism would dictate there would be no point in doing so, rather one could simply find pleasure in the composition itself.
Moving onto composition something I found interesting in an article was as follows:
Prof Rainey argues in Revisiting 'The Waste Land' that Eliot wrote the poem between January 1921, and January 1922, and that the poet did not follow a plan in its composition. Instead, Eliot improvised to stitch together more than 50 drafts.
"When The Waste Land was published, its defenders insisted that the poem was planned from the beginning and that it was a poem of extraordinary unity. Now that we can trace the processes and the choices that Eliot is making, the poem turns out to be something quite different," Prof Rainey said.
This bold statement suggests that Elliot did not plan the composition of The Waste Land rather it was constructed from several drafts and placed together. To the normal reader this would be solid evidence for The Waste Lands’ scattered composition and difficulty to make sense of since it would take the reader’s effort just to piece it together let alone extract any meaning from it.
On the other end of the spectrum for the literary critics who believe that The Waste Land was composed with purpose, a criticism by Michael North (2001) suggests that Elliot’s original intentions were different to the final result. The first and second parts were to be a reference to Elliot’s own experiences involving the war and the world after. However throughout the process he had many cases of writers block and attributed many of his procrastinations to ‘psychological issues’. By the time he reached 1921 the many instances of putting it off changed his perspective of the poem from internal monologue to the ‘voices of the society’.
References:
MacLeod, D. (2005, June 21). How The Waste Land was done. Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/jun/21/highereducation.research
North, M. (2001). The waste land: authoritative text, contexts, criticism. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Oxford Dictionaries Online (2013, May 28). Definition of essentialism in Oxford Dictionaries (British & World English). Retrieved May 28, 2013, from http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/essentialism
Rhee, S. (2012). Post-War Europe: The Waste Land as a metaphor. Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1285&context=honors
5. What kinda protest song/rap/other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
ReplyDeleteWhen considering modern rap songs there are many, particularly coming out of the USA, which could be seen and forms of protest. Like Hitesh’s political example of opposing the police. Also, Eminem is widely known for his verbal protests against discrimination. In the 90s rap was a common “form of social protest” (Eisworth, 1996), particularly in regard to racial equality. However, perhaps the most interesting recent example is Macklemore’s “Same Love”. The song was released late last year and received international recognition. It bravely takes on the issue of same-sex marriage, speaking out against the rules that prevent it.
“The right wing conservatives think it’s a decision, and you can be cured with some treatment and religion”.
Particular emphasis is placed on the negative attitude of the church.
“God loves all his children, is somehow forgotten, but we paraphrase a book written thirty five hundred years ago”.
“Growing up in the Catholic Church, I saw first-hand how easily religion became a platform for hate and prejudice”. (Macklemore, 2013). However, the main idea behind the song is that everybody should be treated equal.
“Human rights for everybody there is no difference”.
As most protests do, the release of the song stirred all kinds of different reactions. Understandably, the rapper Macklemore became something of a hero, not only among the gay community, but the general public too. “He genuinely cares about civil rights, but he also understands how deeply embedded inequality is” (Burra, 2012). His actions even created a kind of snowball effect among the hip-hop public now that “a number of major stars have spoken out against homophobia” (Kaufman, 2013)
I think this proves that the spirit of protest is still very much alive. If anything, it is stronger than it has been in the past, with the presence of the internet making it easier for people to share their opinions and make their protests known. Popular music is clearly a very successful means of protest.
References:
Burra, K (2012) Macklemore 'Same Love': Hip-Hop Artist Releases Pro-Gay Single For Marriage Equality. Huffington Post. Retrieved 29/05/2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/macklemore_n_1684116.html
Eisworth, J. P (1996)Rap Music as Protest. University of Nevada, Las Vegas, ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing. (Abstract only) Retrieved 30/05/2013
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/docview/304328488
Kaufman, G (2013) Jay-Z, Macklemore, ASAP Rocky Lead Gay-Rights Shift in Hip Hop. MTV News. Retrieved 29/05/13 http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704448/gay-rights-hip-hop-jay-z-asap-rocky-macklemore.jhtml
Mea, D (2013) Same Love. Faithbook NZ. Retrieved 30/05/2013 http://faithbook.co.nz/2013/01/07/same-love/
Wilt, J (2013) Stealing the Show: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Protest Music. Retrieved 29/05/2013.
http://www.protestmusic.org/tag/gay-rights/
This was a great post, nice to see you have some hip hop knowledge and its also good to see using a current hip hop song as an example. Macklemore is a great political rapper and really likes to discuss some personal reflection. Great Work
DeleteI agree with Hitesh this post was a really good example of some protest music that has recently come out like with your example of Macklemore who is someone that has blown up and has the power to influence protest in others because of his music especially if its a issue of same sex marriage that has recently been approved in our society of New Zealand.
DeleteWowzers I'm impressed Laura I liked alot of this post. what I found interesting was the use of modern rap songs today that could be seen as forms of protest. similar to what Hitesh’s post about opposing the police in which he drew from the infamous Rap song "Fuck the Police" by N.W.A.. Another element to your post I liked was the insights from Eminem as being widely known for his verbal protests against discrimination and also the historical look from a 90s rap stand point and how common it was for Rap to used as a form of social protest. I Could go listing the elements i enjoyed about your post (seriously I could, you know I'm not joking)but I think I should stop here. Nice post.
DeleteQuestion 4: How was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
ReplyDeleteWow this is a very powerful and moving song. Reading the lyrics, I personally found a few of the lines very dramatic and they work well at making a strong point and impression. Possibly the most powerful lines in this song are in stanza seven:
"I think you will find/ When your death takes its toll/ All the money you made/ Will never buy back your soul."
I have found a few different books online that mention this song and the way it has been received. The first book (Hillstrom, 1998) addresses the fact that the song was not received well by everybody. Some people were inspired by this song and some were deeply offended. This author describes the song as "a startlingly blunt attack on America's military-industrial complex." It is obvious that this song would prove controversial as not everyone shares this view of America's military. Those who supported America and the military's actions in the Vietnam war were obviously the ones who opposed this song. However, there were many people who agreed with the opinions that Dylan expressed in this song. This book quotes him saying in an interview, "There were thousands and thousands of people just wanting that song, so I wrote it up."
This songs doesn't only protest against the war that was happening at the time that it was written, but it protests against war in general. A different book, (Perone, 2001) describes the song as an 'anit-war' song. Dylan does not hide his opinions by using metaphors in the song, instead he is very blunt about the way that he feels. This book says, "The songwriter states that there will be no forgiveness from on high for these warmongers when they die, and he expresses the hope that he will get the chance to see their deaths and burials." It is easy to see why this song would have been controversial when it was first released.
DeleteI agree that it's easy to see why it was controversial. Just looking at the lyrics, you can sense the powerful hatred and emotion that's being expressed. (“I hope that you die, and your death’ll come soon”, verse 8). When the song was released in the early 60s, America was divided between those who supported the war, and those were adamantly against it. Dylan was striking out against the people in power who were initiating it. (“You that hide behind desks”, verse 1)
He holds nothing back when expressing his negative opinion. It was a brave protest. Despite knowing there would be many who shared this view, he was still speaking out against government decisions and widespread discomfort. He’s confident in the fact that his objections are justified. " 'I' and 'you' are clearly established and 'you' are clearly wrong." (Harvey, 2007).
References:
Harvey, 2007 Masters of War retrieved 04/06/2013 via
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_War#cite_ref-16
http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-detailed-recording.do?recordingId=24048
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bobdylan/mastersofwar.html
Continuing from your trains of thought I believe the protest was against politicians who initiated and drove people to war at the time. In particular the quote "You that hide behind desks" is a way of saying that the initiators were people who sent others to fight their wars. The song doesn't stop there however, it continues to berate the 'rich and powerful' people who continue to feed the war by sending in more youths through the drafts as well as through fear.
DeleteThe biblical references such as "Jesus would not forgive" and "like Judas of old" reference the American government and the presidents, who would usually say the cause was in God's name, and these references point out the irony in saying that it is God's wish.
How this comes to controversy is that as it can be seen, this song spoke out against not only war as you have both mentioned but also at the politics and the politicians behind this war. When it comes down to this it alerted many people to the fact that war was just a smokescreen for the real villains behind the war, and that they were not foreigners as Bush would suggest but they were the politicians in their own country.
References:
Marcel, J. (2003, March 21). Masters of War. Retrieved from http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0321-02.htm
Sing365.com (2013, June 6). MASTERS OF WAR LYRICS - BOB DYLAN. Retrieved from http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Masters-Of-War-lyrics-Bob-Dylan/A17B1E57D80048D0482569690027973B
Wikipedia (2013, June 6). George H. W. Bush - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved June 6, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_George_H._W._Bush#Presidency_.281989.E2.80.931993.29
Great points guys and I like how you guys
DeleteThis is a really political driven song, I love every part of it! But I think the controversy that this song had in particular with the George Bush was the fact that these students at their school talent quest were singing this song and also the secret services came to the school. In the article Socialist worker by Mass states that this and this controversy all began when the mother of one of the band members was on the radio and said she heard the band practicing and they were performing the Masters of War. The mother also said she heard her daughter say "George Bush, I hope you die, and I hope you die soon," and "I'll stand over your grave." It was also reported that the secret service talked to the principal,however the principal said the students were just expressing them selves.
References:
Mass, A (2004) Is Bush Afraid of a Bob Dylan. Socialist Worker.Org Retrieved from http://socialistworker.org/2004-2/521/521_02_DylanSong.shtml
I agree with all of you. Bob Dylans is "the best known as a protest singer from the 1960s" (Marcus, 2006). His song "Master of War" was really deep and quite shocking for people back in the 1960s and even till today with lyrics such as
DeleteAnd your death will come soon
I'll follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand over your grave till I'm sure that you're dead
Bob Dylan stopped singing "Masters of War" by 1946 (Marcus, 2006). Even though the song was made way before the time of George W Bush, It was reborn 2002, when Bush made plans to launch a second world war on November 11 against Iraq for the second time.
But adding to Hiteshes information of the student’s talent quest, that took place at Boulder High School in Colorado, was influenced by Bob Dylan who played "Masters of War" at the Madison Square Garden the day Bush made his intent to launch the war. And yes the lyrics of "I hope you die" replaced with "Die, Bush, Die" they even put a slide show together of George Bush, Hitler and Stalin and Iraq together (Marcus, 2006). This brought a lot of controversy and brought news trucks and even the secret service like Hitesh said.
The way that the song "Masters of War" went too far, I guess was the leverage or the way of giving permission to people to go that far to express themselves.
ricthuse. (2011, May 17).Bob Dylan's MASTERS OF WAR : by MOUNTAIN w/ Ozzy : LYRICS [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TabG5sYO_iI
Marcus, G. (2006). Stories of a Bad Song. Retrieved on June 10, 2013 from http://www.threepennyreview.com/samples/marcus_w06.html
By the time of George Bush I mean when he was running for president and all, hahaha not referring to his birth. :)
DeleteReferences for above post:
ReplyDeleteHillstrom, K., & Hillstrom, L. C. (1998). The Vietnam experience: A concise encyclopedia of American literature, songs, and films. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.
Perone, J. E. (2001). Songs of the Vietnam conflict. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.
MODERNISM
ReplyDeleteI’d like to pretend I understand the literary brilliance that is T.S Eliot, but admittedly the poem makes no sense to me. It appears like a bunch of disjointed ideas and images, a collection of grey characters amid various episodes of misery. “We cannot understand the poem without knowing what it meant to the author” (Menand, 1987), seems to sum it up pretty nicely. However, like all poetry, numerous meanings can be plucked from between the lines, depending on who’s reading it.
1. How has it been interpreted?
One interpretation suggests that the multiple viewpoints in the poem signify humans as a whole. “Points of view, though distinct, can be combined” (Levenson, 1984), perhaps meaning that the lack of named characters refers to a larger collective opinion. Prof. Cleanth Brooks interprets the work as a paradox, referring to the contrast between “two kinds of life and two kinds of death”. This is made clear, particularly in the first section with lines like
“Lilacs out of the dead land” and
“Under the brown fog of a winter dawn”.
It appears all of the interpretations come to the same morbid conclusion, that the poem is a rather melancholy reflection of human existence. (Sparknotes.com)
2. What are some of its key features?
The varying points of view, once again, are a key feature which affects how the reader responds to the poem. The lack of characterisation adds to the gloomy darkness that surrounds the words.
The ending could be loosely described as a denouement. Although nothing is really resolved, the repetition of the word Shanith portrays peace and understanding. (Shmoop.com). It’s sort of like the light at the end of the tunnel.
3. In what ways has it been influential?
Apparently, the poem can be described as “one of the most important poems of the 20th century” (Motion, 2009). It is also said to be “the cause of more consternation and controversy than any other poem” of its time. (Haffenden, 2003)
Although Eliot himself was seemingly unfased by the reception of his work, referring to it as nothing more than “rhythmical grumbling” (Eliot, 1971); it is believed that he initially laid the foundations for “objectification in art”, meaning his impersonal approach to poetry transformed the style of the genre.
References:
Cleanth, B.(1939) `The Waste Land': Critique of the Myth, in his Modern Poetry and the Tradition. The University of North Carolina Press.
Haffenden, J (2003) A Companion to Eighteenth Century Poetry. Pg 381-383. Blackwell Publishing
Levenson, M (1984) A Genealogy of Modernism: A study of English literary doctrine. Cambridge University Press
Menand, L (1987) Discovering Modernism. TS Eliot and His Context. Oxford University Press
Motion, A (2009) Margate’s shrine to Eliot’s muse. The Guardian UK. Retrieved 31/05/2013
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jul/12/ts-eliot-margate-shrine
Schmoop. The Waste Land Summary. Retrieved 31/05/2013
http://www.shmoop.com/the-waste-land/summary.html
Sparknotes.com. Eliot’s Poetry. Retrieved 31/05/2013
http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/eliot/themes.html
3. In what ways has it been influential??
ReplyDeleteThe Waste Land is renowned to be the poem defining modernism as well as being a social criticism.
To begin with there is the side of modernism and cultural influence. The scattered nature of the poem as well as its ambiguity has been the subject of many critical reviews. It has become iconic for being much too difficult to understand by the common reader and only those who are highly literate are allowed to make a judgement on the meaning of the poem. Logan (2007) in “Symbolic References and Cultural Influence in the Wasteland” talks about how even critics get criticised on their analysis of the poem.
“The instant assumption by most readers is that Eliot's work is simply about "despair and disillusionment," (written by critic Edmund Wilson, who would in turn be criticized for hi inaccurate review) (Modern American Poetry- Cleanth Brooks.)”
This quote demonstrates two things which is that the subject of criticising the Waste Land is criticisable and that most high literates will not accept that The Waste Land can be simply explained as pessimism of the world.
On the other side there is the social criticism, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2013) states that “Eliot's criticism and poetry are so interwoven that it is difficult to discuss them separately.” In particular the phrase disillusionment comes up quite a bit throughout most analyses of The Waste Land which comes from Elliot’s experiences in the war. The other aspect is his criticism of modern Britain and how it is ‘The Waste Land’.
In terms of modernism which breaks from common traditions such as realism and adhering to traditional practise. Danis (2013) in his essay ‘The world of Eliot’s Waste Land’ talks about how Eliot’s work reflects the visual arts movements of the time such as futurism, cubism and surrealism; and how Eliot’s The Waste Land; in particular the abstract and sectioned nature; reflects these art movements in a literary manner. One thing he states which I believe to be very relevant is:
“Specifically, Eliot is advocating transcending a chaotic modern world and ordering it as the individual sees fit, neither being constrained by traditional philosophy and science nor subscribing to a particular moral narrative.”
From this factor we can see how The Waste Land is influential in its attachment to modernism and how it is a clear example of how to break from tradition and express what is truly felt by the author and in return when we look at its influence on literary review and social criticism how radically different a text of this nature can be interpreted.
References:
Danis, G. (2013, June 4). The World of Eliot’s Waste Land. Retrieved from http://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/issue-4/danis/
Encyclopaedia Britannica (2013, June 4). Eliot, T.S. The Waste Land and criticism. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/nobelprize/article-2088
Logan, C. (2007, May 22). Symbolic References and Cultural Influence in The Wasteland. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/symbolic-references-cultural-influence-the-350484.html?cat=38
2. On what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended?
ReplyDeleteThe case against ‘Howl’ was that it was lewd and indecent, something close to if not pornographic. In particular a line in the poem was brought to attention that emphasised this aspect which is as follows:
"who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy"
This graphic extract from the poem was the grounds for lewd and indecent since it referenced sexual acts of a homosexual nature, something of the time which was widely unaccepted.
On the grounds of defence this was said at the trial
From the Howl Obscenity Trial Transcript:
“There are a number of words used in "Howl" that are presently considered coarse and vulgar in some circles of the community; in other circles such words are in everyday use. It would be unrealistic to deny these facts. The author of "Howl" has used those words because he believed that his portrayal required them as being in character. The People state that it is not necessary to use such words and that others would be more palatable to good taste. The answer is that life is not encased in one formula whereby everyone acts the same or conforms to a particular pattern. No two persons think alike; we were all made from the same mold but in different patterns. Would there be any freedom of press or speech if one must reduce his vocabulary to vapid innocuous euphemism? An author should be real in treating his subject and be allowed to express his thoughts and ideas in his own words.”
It is suggesting that words used within certain social and cultural contexts are not and should not be considered to be lewd and indecent since it is the right of the author to convey his message in whatever manner he sees fit. This argument leads on from the rights of free speech where no state or government can impede a person from the rights to their own opinions.
Considering the grounds of this case the Judge ruled in favour of Ginsberg on the grounds that the laws for such a case are not clearly defined and that by declaring him guilty would destroy the freedoms of speech and press.
References:
California State Superior Court (1957). People of California v. Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Retrieved from http://mason.gmu.edu/~kthomps4/363-s02/horn-howl.htm
Encyclopedia.com (2013, June 4). Howl Obscenity Trial. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3468301767.html
Wikipedia (2013, June 4). Howl - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved June 4, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl
Just to add to Kevins information within the century that Howl was being accused as obscene, according to Morgan and Peters (2006) they say that freedom of speech didn't extend to any writing that involved overtly sexual references. No matter if it was well or beautifully written or if it had a ethical point of view, any type of literature that contained sexual language or depicted sexual acts was seen as obscene and banned in the U.S which proves Kevins suggestion of certain words being seen as lewd in that society or community.
DeleteAlso defending Howl, then meant defending alienated cultural outlaws who condemned modern America, the same outlaws who pointed to a new vision of America yearning to be born. With Allen on the side line and Larry and Shig on the front line, the battle for Americas soul was about to begin. (Colling, Skover, 2013, p.256)
This suggests that America society was beginning to have open minds and that they were redefining what "obscene" really means. Maybe they were begginnin to ask themselves what is "normal."
References:
Colling, R.K.L., Skover, D. (2013) Mania: The Story of the Outraged and Outrageous lives that Launched a cultural revolution. Illinois: Top Five Books, LLC
Morgan, B., Peters.N. (2006) Howl on Trial: The Battle for free Expression. San Francisco: City Lights Books
That is really interesting and adds more to the understanding as to the reasons of the case. This makes the Trial Transcript make a lot more sense now and how much of a victory this was for Ginsberg given that the laws were quite strict about sexual language use.
Delete3. In what ways are Beat poetry and rap linked?
ReplyDeleteIf you look at a beat poet like Gil Scott Heron who is cited to be the early link of hip hop. If you listen to The Revolution will not be televised, it has the early essence of hip hop. I mean it may not rhyme all the time but Beat Poetry still links with a common voice that bounds those ideas together. In terms of the beat of this song in particular it sounds similar to something A Tribe Called Quest would produce and I'm sure Q-tip has been influenced by Gil's Sound. According to Micheal who suggest that beat poetry and hip hop are linked through characteristics "own philosophies of life, a new wave of artists is taking hip-hop to another level with expressive, message-filled rhymes laced over inventive beats that entertain and inform". If you listen to Yamsin Bey's "I don't Like remix" it is similar to a Gil Scott poem in the sense that Yamsin is just stating things he does not like in society.
Like I said above about the consious rap I think that is how it kind of originated from artists like Gil to help pave the way
Reference:
Micheal, G (2000) New hip-hop generation spreads socially conscious sound Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Retrieved from: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1683&dat=20000815&id=T74aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kjgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4773,4939836
I DISAGREE WITH EVERYTHING IN THIS POST!!!LOL no I don't. Can you imagine if i did ha. no but seriously I found this post very interesting. I admired your insight into the ways that Beat poetry and rap linked. I also liked your in look into one of the beat poet's (Gil Scott Heron) and his citation about beat poetry as being seen as an early link of hip hop. I thought this post was pretty cool.
DeleteOn what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended?
ReplyDeleteFirst off a little background info: "Howl" is a poem written by Allen Ginsberg in 1955, published as part of his 1956 collection of poetry titled Howl and Other Poems. Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s.
On June 3 Shig Murao, the bookstore manager, was arrested and jailed for selling Howl and Other Poems to an undercover San Francisco police officer. City Lights Publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti was subsequently arrested for publishing the book. At the obscenity trial, nine literary experts testified on the poem's behalf. Supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, Ferlinghetti won the case when California State Superior Court Judge Clayton Horn decided that the poem was of "redeeming social importance".
The Howl trial was less about law than about exposure. Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of free publicity that made Ginsberg a celebrity and his book publishing legend. As of 1993 it was in its forty-first printing, and some 850,000 copies had sold. The author and publisher were portrayed as libertarian spokesmen, symbols of First Amendment rights, and crusaders against ignorance and censorship. A spotlight was cast on professional literary criticism as well when Ehrlich called a parade of writers and critics as witnesses to elucidate the literary qualities of the book. They prompted less enthusiasm than the other principles, though.
After due consideration, the Honorable Clayton W. Horn found the defendant not guilty, because isolated words cannot be considered obscene, the effect of the work was not "erotic or aphrodisiac," and he found the poem to have redeeming value. He concluded his decision with the motto of the highest order of English knighthood: "In considering material claimed to be obscene it is well to remember the motto: 'Honi soit qui mal y pense' (Evil to him who evil thinks).
References:
James, S (N.D.)Digital Archive @ Found SF, The Howl Obscenity Trialhttp://foundsf.org/index.php?title=The_Howl_Obscenity_Trial
What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named?
ReplyDeleteTo be frank at first when tackling this question I had no idea what the qualities the so called “Beats” are, nor did I know why they would want to name themselves after a erythematic unit of Music however did have a sort of un clear idea of what they where based off everything I had observed from watching too much television. The Beat movement also know as the Beat Generation, An American social and literary movement that had originated some time in the 1950s and centred in the bohemian artist (Actors, Writers, Painters, Poets etc) communities. “By adopting an almost uniform style of seedy dress, manners, and “hip” vocabulary borrowed from jazz musicians” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013).
Some of the main common qualities I could find out about that beat literature shared was the amount of social issues such as Homosexuality and racism that was embraced and was accepted among most of the Beat community at the time.
References:
Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc.(2013). Beat Movement. Retrieved May 27, 2013, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/57467/Beat-movement
Question 5:
ReplyDeleteThere is still protests songs being made by modern bands. These protests against the rules and "norms" that have developed in today's society. An example of one of these songs is "animal" by muse. This song is described as a "slow-burning, clear-cut protest song" (Lynskey, 2012). The song attacks capitalism and includes brutal lyrics such as, "We're out of control/ Crush those who beg at your feet." In an interview about the album that this song is from, Bellamy explains ideas that are present in some of his other songs, saying that one of them, "looks at the other side of the coin, this adventurous spirit we've created that is now in question, because the planet is saying, 'I'm only so big and have this much'" (Fricke, 2012). The album contains protests against consumerism and capitalism and the pressures of today's society.
Another album that is clearly a protest album is Green day's "American Idiot." Again it's attack on society is evident through the lyrics: "Don't want to be an American idiot/ One nation controlled by the media." The album has been described as a: "politically charged concept album" (Pareles, 2009).
These are only a few examples of protest songs but it is obvious that they still exist in our world today. Music has always been a very powerful way of subtly portraying messages to the public. Through protest music, bands and writers are able to rebel against society and make their opinions and causes available to the public. Protest songs can be very persuasive: "Protest music should be viewed as a form of political persuasion since one function of many protest songs is the attempt to generate outside support for the critical views they express." (Mondak, 2008).
References:
Fricke, D. (2012, August 30). Muse's apocalyptic rock. Rolling Stone, 11(64), 15-16.
Lynskey, D. (2012, December 20). Ten protest songs for 2012 | 33revolutionsperminute's Blog. Retrieved from http://33revolutionsperminute.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/nine-protest-songs-for-2012/
Mondak, J. J. (2008). Protest music as political persuasion. Popular Music and Society, 12(3), 25-38. doi:10.1080/03007768808591322
Pareles, J. (2009, April 29). The Morning After 'American Idiot'. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/arts/music/03pare.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
ow was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
ReplyDeleteI am not exactly sure as to why their a controversy between Bob Dylan's song Master of War and Bush administration by through a brisk bit a of research i believe it might have something to do one night In the fall of 2002. w George W. Bush and the Bush administration had made plain his intent to launch a second Iraq war—on November 11, just after the midterm elections that Bush had used the specter of war to win—Dylan appeared at Madison Square Garden and again offered "Masters of War" as an answer record to real life. He had assembled three musicians huddled into a sphere, with everyone around him: playing acoustic guitars and a bass fiddle, seated on chairs, they looked like a coven. When Dylan was asked why, on this night of all nights, he chose to sing "Masters of War." Dylan had replied by saying "The war going on,".
References:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/1096/
http://mariepoetryofsong.blogspot.co.nz/2008/11/war-songs-masters-of-war-and-war.html