Modernism:
What does 'The Wasteland' mean?
1) how has it been interpreted? (cite examples)
2)what are some of the key features
3) In what way has it been influential
Post-Modernism
1) What common qualities do 'the beats' share? Why 'beats'?
2) How is beat poetry linked to rap?
3) How was Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War' involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
4) On what grounds was 'Howl' accused of being obscene - grounds for the defense?
5) What kind of protest song/rap other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
What does 'The Wasteland' mean?
1) how has it been interpreted? (cite examples)
2)what are some of the key features
3) In what way has it been influential
Post-Modernism
1) What common qualities do 'the beats' share? Why 'beats'?
2) How is beat poetry linked to rap?
3) How was Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War' involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
4) On what grounds was 'Howl' accused of being obscene - grounds for the defense?
5) What kind of protest song/rap other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
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ReplyDelete“The Waste Land” written by Thomas Stearns Eliot released in 1922 is known to be one of the most important and influential poems of the 20th century. From my understand of “The Waste Land”, it refers to the emptiness and reality of the world. It carries the emotional decline of the social aspects from the consequences of the First World War. The way that this poem is written portrays dark images that supports the meaning of death and brokeness in society. Lewis, (nd) quotes that ”even as he describes the decay of modern civilization, he seeks power in the primitve resources of the English language.” The Waste Land is the brokeness in soceity and the way that soceity live, in a way it introduces the poem. It allows readers to capture a glimpse of what the poem and the words portray.
ReplyDeleteThis poem explores the idea of realism, that “civilisation has been reduced to a waste land and the land has lost its fertility and ability to bring forth life” (Interesting literature, nd). Because of the explicit language that Eliot has used, it has created literary allusions of the society. Creighton, (2010) believes that The Waste Land has brought “the crisis ridden state of the modern European world with wars, rumours of wars, the rise of fascism, the dominance of imperialism and the effect they had on the state of mankind were reflected.” Because of the indepth language used to portray soceity, it’s raised concerns of their world and the way people live. It’s opened their eyes to the decay and emptiness of their society and linking his words to the Waste Land that he has described. One example of this being “The river sweats, oil and tar” therefore, stating how polluted the rivers become. Eliot’s first line quotes that “April is the cruellest month”. The idea that plays in this sentence is that the April is the end of winter when plants spring to life, but Eliot doesn’t give anything on the festive season. The month is unfriendly and cold, and it deceives the thoughts of spring. He portrays the land to be lifeless through the winter in the line “breeding lilacs out of the dead land” (Creighton, 2010). The language that he has used shows the reflection of how the world is.
The key features within the poem contribute towards the idea of modernism as they make the movement of moderism. A disjointed timeline within the poem makes the poem quite different to follow. The poem talks about different themes such as death, rebirth, the seaons, lust and love. Because of the different aspects within the poem, there is a juxaposition of the past and present. Eliot uses plants to convey the message of death in his language. The language of death is portrayed though the dialogue “That corpse you planted last year in your garden, Has it bgun to sprout? Will it bloom this year?” The theme of rebirth comes from the christ image in the poem along with other religious metaphors. Eliot talks about the seasons and the seasonless of the waste land through his play of emotion in the words. Eliot talks about Lust as it centers around the poem, and love portrays love in a certain destructive twist. Personally I think many people find “The Waste Land” to be so influencial is because of the emotions that play through the words that Eliot has chosen to use. The realism and modernism within the text speaks to the people, allowing them to see through what the world has become.
Reference:
Creighton, A. (2010). The waste land: The most acclaimed poece of modern verse in English. Retrieved from http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/features/01/03/the-waste-land-the-most-acclaimed-piece-of-modern-verse-in-english/
Interesting Literature, (n.d). A very short analysis of T.S Eliot’s the waste land. Retrieved May 25 2017 from https://interestingliterature.com/2016/10/06/a-very-short-analysis-of-t-s-eliots-the-waste-land/
Lewis, P. (n.d). The waste land. Retrieved May 25 2017 from http://modernism.research.yale.edu/wiki/index.php/The_Waste_Land
Great use of research; good to see you referring to other writers. You have the ideas behind the poem pretty well worked out.
ReplyDelete'Personally I think many people find “The Waste Land” to be so influencial is because of the emotions that play through the words that Eliot has chosen to use.' This sentence is very vague and too general to say very much. You could say this of any influential poem.
Post-Modernism:
ReplyDeleteWhat common qualities do 'the beats' share? Why 'beats'?
Beat poetry began during the 1940s in New York City and later evolved during the 1950s in San Francisco. The word ‘beat’ is often known to mean tired or weary. By the end of WWII, many writers and poets, who would later spark the beat generation, began to question politics and culture. They were sick and tired of conventional society. They were “beat”.
The term ‘Beat Generation’ became a literary movement that was first introduced by Jack Kerouac. Formed around Kerouac and his social circle, the beats were a group of bohemian writers, artists and intellectuals that were well-known for their rejection of traditional narrative values and for not conforming to society, which would show in their work. Their art often encouraged a sense of freedom and personal release. This was heightened by the group’s experimentation with drugs, as well as meditation and exploring eastern religion.
Allen Ginsberg described the movement as this - “Everybody [is] lost in a dream world of their own making. That was the basis of the Beat Generation. That was the primary perception. The idea of transience of phenomenon – the poignant Kewpie-doll dearness of personages vanishing in time. Not a morbid interest in death but a realization of the mortal turn. Initially meaning tired or weary, ‘beat’ meant to think differently. Or that it was ok to be an outcast.
Reference List:
Beatdom. (n.d.). What is Beat? June 4, 2017 from http://www.beatdom.com/the-beat-generation/what-is-beat/
Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Beat Movement. Retrieved June 4, 2017 from https://www.britannica.com/art/Beat-movement
Poets Organisation. (2015). A Brief Guide to the Beat Poets. Retrieved June 4, 2017 from https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/brief-guide-beat-poets
Hi Sela, reading this gave me knowledge about the beats that i didn't already know. I was also just wondering, why do you think the movement was so influential ?
ReplyDelete5. What kind of protest song/rap other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
ReplyDeleteBob Dylan’s ‘Masters of War’ was released in 1963, as the military industrial complex in the United States of America was pushing to increase involvement in the Vietnam War. Their objective was to convince the American public that the war could be won, to keep demand of military machinery and ammo up; ultimately creating a higher profit. Bob Dylan referenced them directly in his songs first verse, “You fasten all the triggers for the others to fire, then you set back and watch when the death count gets higher”. This song revolutionized the concept that songs could be used to deliver messages of protest to the public, and has continued to be the iconic protest song that paved the way for other artists.
In light of ‘Master of War’, many artists have come out with their own forms of protest against hypocrisy. One modern group in particular that has captured large global attention, is the Russian band Pussy Riot. They are known for create songs of protest against their government, and has now recently began to include a broader scope to global news and issues. They have made headlines in major news networks for being incarcerated for their music, which created a flood of support for their release from supporters all over the world. This is due to the modernization and globalization of technology, and most importantly, the internet. With a large span of media coverage and types of news and information outlets, it has become easier to share and spread messages, ideas, as well as protest the global community. This is due to the way in which the new media operates: laterally. Users are able to share their content and ideas across to others easily, and in most cases, freely. In comparison, the government works in a vertical way, which moves power from the top to the bottom.
The spirit of protest has therefore increased, but not only in the way one is able to share one’s voice. Pussy Riot is a good example of people pushing the envelope, in which their rebellious attitude does not have as many limits that were present for Bob Dylan (and other artists in this time). It has become more socially acceptable to put oneself completely out there, and present more radical ideas. This could be largely due to the freedom one has on the internet, and the media holding the government accountable to act according to law when these forms of protest come out. During the incarceration of members of Pussy Riot, there was a span of media coverage of their arrest, as well as constant coverage on how they were being handled. With this type of attention, there is less fear from the government, and more desire to spread protest and action. Through these media platforms, this creates instant communication, which in turn can make it tough for governments to be repressive out of the public eye. Through this advantage, the spirit of protest has been able to expand, and allow for more voices to be heard, as well as take action.