"It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably everyday for lack of what is found there"-William Carlos Williams; Asphodel, That Greeny Flower
Poetry has fallen out of the good graces of the popular culture of today. It was once the life and breath of the court and in its time ruled both men and women. Poetry is emotional and involving; it tells the truth of human emotions and exposes the people who write it. However, what use does it have today? People no longer hold it in such reverence and it is really only studied in literature classes. People no longer have an interest for it. They would rather read a news story or magazine, something that will not require thought or emotion from them. In his poem “Asphodel, That Greeny Flower” William Carlos Williams mentions this exact dilemma. In the quote above he states that it is difficult to get news from poems and I completely agree with him. You really cannot get up to date news from poems but I don’t believe that we should discount and eradicate them because of this. I also agree with the line’s second point that men die every day from what is found in poems. People in the world are dying from broken hearts, depression, and many other issues dealing with emotion. People no matter who they are, what they are interested in, or what they do are always going to be emotional in some way. As long as people have emotions there will always be a need for poetry because it is an emotional outlet and a comfort for those who are suffering.
In Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus,” Faustus is a man who is extremely intelligent and well educated. If a man such as this lived today, most people would deem him as living the “perfect life.” But I believe we should focus on how Faustus’ seemingly perfect life ultimately became a tragedy.
Basic Passage:
Mephastopholis: Now Faustus, what would’st thou have me do?
Faustus: I charge thee to wait upon me whilst I live, To do whatever Faustus shall command, Be it make the moon drop from her sphere, Or the ocean to overwhelm the world.
Correlation:
Early on, Faustus looks for ways to use the power he hunts for. He envisions having an immense amount of prosperity, and wants to understand the unknown parts of the world. Some of his visions may not be appealing to us, but Marlowe introduces Faustus in such a way that we almost have an understanding Faustus’ ideas and sympathize with him. But once Faustus commits himself to the Devil and gets what he thinks he wants, everything starts spiraling downward. It seems all Faustus has to do is ask for mercy. But as time moves on, Faustus chooses to remain devoted to Hell, rather than repenting to Christ. In the end, Faustus finally cries out for forgiveness, but it is sadly too late to receive pardon. This world is unfortunately caught on the hook of living the “perfect life” and wanting immense power. People hunger for fame and fortune, but there are not many people who live a rich and successful life. Ultimately, Faustus did not gain power or happiness. If only people would look at long time results rather than dwelling on temporary satisfaction.
“Are not thy bills hung up as monuments, Whereby whole cities have escaped the plague, And thousand desperate maladies been eased? Yet art thou still but Faustus, and a man.”
What Marlowe is touching on here is typical of many stories throughout the ages. The structure of these epics are quite intricate, with moral and ethical influences throughout. However, the basic structure goes like this: Man is greedy and gluttonous. He is never satisfied with the knowledge, power, wealth, or success that has come upon him; He is only concerned with the greener grass on the other side. During our adolescence, we are taught that life is about balance and that too much of a good thing is never a good thing. The stories like The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and Icarus exemplify why we should never allow ourselves to be consumed with that which is unobtainable. This is not to say that I believe man should be satisfied and never strive to improve himself or his life, but to find a good balance somewhere in between. An example of one extreme is found here with Faustus as he is completely obsessed with his thirst for knowledge as it ultimately destroys him. Likewise, the other extreme is a man who has become completely content with himself and wishes to progress no further. The lesson that should be learned here is that we must always recognize and appreciate what we have and how far we have come, while at the same time looking forward to the future. It is this balance that we must find in ourselves in order to find happiness and grow to our full potential.
Passage: Doctor Faustus - Marlowe’s major dramas, Tamburlaine, The Jew of Malta, and Doctor Faustus, all portray heroes who passionately seek power – the power of rule, the power of money, and the power of knowledge, respectively.
Response: Learning/reading new things, becoming more knowledgeable can lead to sin. In Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Faustus desire for knowledge does lead to sin. In 1597 Sir Francis Bacon wrote the Meditationes Sacrae in which he stated “Knowledge is Power.” Bacon was referring to “drawing knowledge from the natural world through experimentation, observation, and testing of hypotheses.” In the context of his time, such methods were connected with the occult trends of hermeticism and alchemy. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy states “Knowledge is power, and when embodied in the form of new technical inventions and mechanical discoveries it is the force that drives history – this was Bacon’s key insight.” To take the place of the traditional collection of Scholasticism, humanism, and natural magic, Bacon proposed an entirely new system based on experience, observation, and inductive principles and the active development of new arts and inventions, this system’s ultimate goal would be the production of practical knowledge for “the use and benefit of men” and the relief of the human condition.”
Knowledge is power and how you apply that knowledge is what determines if it is sinful or not. Children, due to non-exposure of worldly ways, are considered to be innocent and sheltered. As children get older and more knowledgeable, they can become less innocent and more self centered. Modern technology and medicine comes from someone striving to be more knowledgeable and applying that knowledge to the good of man kind not just their own self satisfaction. However, narcissistic/self-centered people tend to lie or manipulate society to get what they want.
Basic Passage “It is difficult to get the news from poems, yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there.” – William Carlos Williams
The discussion in class in which Mr. Alford presented this passage by William Carlos Williams later led us to discuss the importance of literature and poetry. I recently read in a magazine article that poetry has been written off on several counts such as it is not a mass-market “product”; it doesn’t get sold on airport newsstands or in grocery store checkout lines. The article went on to explain that poetry is too difficult for the average mind and too elite.
Poetry makes you think. It makes you feel emotions about things that you would never think that you would. A poem can describe the sky in the most beautiful way or it can express the anguish and hurt one may feel over a loved one’s death. What is the importance of going to school? The last time I checked it was to learn and to be educated. Poetry does that and literature forever will be an important subject in my eyes.
Personally, I enjoy reading more modern poems and there are times when I am feeling emotional and will sit and jot lines on a piece of paper describing current situations going on in my life, but I find myself also enjoying older poetry as well. There is something about the romance in them that captivates me.
There is another quote by William Carlos Williams that I like, “Times change and forms and their meanings alter. Thus new poems are necessary. Their forms must be discovered in the living language of their day, or old forms, embodying exploded concepts, will tyrannize over the imagination.”
Basic Passage: It’s like with the Protestants you have to work for your salvation. They don’t believe it’s as simple as accepting it. –Statement made in class by the professor
Response: To say that Protestants in general believe that you have to work for your salvation is a bit stereotypical. I understand that I only attend one church and am therefore not qualified to be a spokesperson for the entire Baptist denomination. However, my preacher does not preach that you have to earn your salvation and to think that a preacher would contradicts the foundations that our beliefs are built upon. My favorite translation of Ephesians 2:8 comes from the New Living Translation Bible, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” My preacher reminds us constantly that we can only be saved through accepting Christ and to try to work our way into heaven is naïve. We are taught that once you are saved you should do everything in your power to glorify God and to help build his kingdom. I believe when an individual accepts Christ into their heart there should be a very evident change in their life. Protestants teach the importance of works not because we believe that you have to work for or earn your salvation but because Jesus paid the ultimate price for us by laying down his life. Therefore, as a Christian you should strive to exalt him in every aspect of your life. This is not to earn your salvation but rather to show a merciful savior how truly thankful you are for the love that led him to endure the ultimate sacrifice.
Alex Newton Correlation: Poetry is no longer as powerful and meaningful as it used to be. People used to just sit down and read or write poetry to make them feel better. In today’s world all people want to do is turn on the television and forget about all the wonderful and humbling things that poetry can do. When you go to a doctor’s office or at an airport you do not see any works of literature or poetry lying around anywhere. All you see is magazine about how to look better or how to be a better girlfriend. The main reason for this is because of money. People now do not want to spend money on works of art instead they just want to waste money on junk that does not help you at all. Poetry brings out the better moral characters out of people. It lets people express themselves their true inner being, and how they feel about everything. People that used to appreciate poetry like doctors and lawyers do not even read it all. They say that it is because they do not have time to read any of that anymore, which I think is untrue. I know that they are busy but, they have time to read their magazines so why not something that is worth us. The poem that has stuck with me my whole life is The Road Less Traveled by Robert Frost. I have loved this poem my whole life, and this is why I still read it today. Basic Passage: “It is difficult to get the news from poems, yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there” William Carlos Williams
Passage: John Calvin "God, that he doth not without difference adopt all into the hope of salvation but giveth to some that which he denieth to other"
How do you fight a culture that is based out of the love of money and celebritism? The advertising culture, mass media, and government has replaced the role the church played in past times. Calvin's ideas began a theology that may be a major catalyst for the United States current moral decline and skewed priorities. The so-called "American Dream", does not bring happiness because Americans are on more anti-depressants than any other nation not to mention our high rates of suicide, homicide and infant deaths that sky rocket above other modernized countries. The problem lies in the principals the nation was founded upon, the rise of the protestant work ethic. This philosophy was the result of people's fear of their unknown spiritual destiny after death because of Calvin's theological teachings. People had no choice but to look to material gain as a material "calulator" of their spiritual standing. This mentally strained people to work long tedious hours to ensure salvation through, material gain-MONEY. Once a few people started believing these ideas it changed the modern world, with the start of the Industrial Revolution, factories stayed open 24 hours 7 days a week and the 'mom n' pop' stores closed. They unknowingly changed their decendants lives forever, forcing us into a culture that craves the material.
Societies Vision of Poetry Basic passage: "It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably everyday for lack of what is found there"-William Carlos Williams Correlation: In today’s society poetry, or any form of literature, seems to have little or no importance to the people of America. In America people’s opinions are changing and new ideas appear every day. There is always a new fad being advertised on television every day and this influence makes writing poetry in today’s time almost pointless. Poetry is about a person, an author’s, feelings and opinions and nowadays people get upset to easily and are caught up with the politically correct way of things. People in America choose not to read poetry or literature because the writings may not have to do with the new “it” topic or disagrees with the cultures main point of view, usually their view on politics or religion. There are thousands of literature pieces printed out every second but the main problem with that is that most of them aren’t poems. Fictional novels and magazines fly off the shelves every day because people are fixed on the entertainment value of everything. Poetry is on demise because in most cases it talks about someone’s emotions or teaches life lessons. Most people now don’t want to face today’s current life with the present downfall and also with today’s morals going out the window learning about life lessons in poetry is not societies main interest.
Basic Passage::Sidney called his poetry "Unelected Vacation," and keeping with the norms of his class, he did not publish any of his major literary works himself. His ambition, continually thwarted, was to be a man of action whose deeds would affect his country's destiny." Sir Philip Sidney, who was a Renaissance poet, before Shakespeare, was a knight, soldier, friend, patron, friend, but above all else a poet. Sidney wrote, "Thou Blind Man's Mark," meaning for one to seek the greater good, and not to seek the negative or bad in each and every situatiion. For there is something great in every bad situation.He alo once stated that books can and should be read.. for they could possibly change ypur life. Today we focus on whats popular at the moment and maybe not so much on what is morally useful. Sidney even composed a song and had it sung while he was on his death bed. Sir Philip died at 32, quite a young age, but he lived a life full of passion and poetry. In which a passion for poetry is definately something that has become the past. Today's generation is way too caught up in whats popular for the moment, or some ort of new technology, or simply jus cont slow down to take the time to read and enjoy the beauty of poetry. William Carlos Williams, was another passionate poet. He once wrote, "It is difficult to get thr news from poems, Yet men die miserably everydayfor lack of what is found there." This short exert from William's poem explains greatly the way in which todays society lives. In translation Williams is aying, that people die everyday mierable because they worry only of money, entertainment, and high dollar luxuries instead of one's mind, body, and soul. William Williams intended for poetry to be useful but some people do not view poetry as useful. It is quite sad, to me, what our world and lifestyle has come to. We worry sometimes about all the wrong things and definately should just take a simple, short time out every once in a while and enjoy the beauty of the world we live in. Sir Thomas Moore wrote about a magical place, Utopia, where it i even here poets could not even be found. It was said that they stirred up unworthy emotions. Which led to people of Utopia saying "lust" is an unworthy emotion.
correlation: In my opinion I believe poetry was once a very passionate useful expression. But I also poetry as a hobby and way of living one's life is a way of the past. It is quite sad to say butr our generation now has no time for poetry. We are way too busy keeping up with technology and society itself that we cant enjoy the little things in life.
"it is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there." -William Carlos Williams
This exert from the poem "Asphodel, the Green Flower", is right. It is difficult to get news from poems. Nowadays it is almost impossible to even find a poem in magazines or newspapers. Most of the literature in todays society consists of health adds, lives of celebs and commercials trying to sell us something. This cant even be called art. A reason for the lose of poetry is because people have tv and the internet to keep them entertained. They dont want to read something when they can watch it. Many people in the past and present think poetry is a wast of time. The famous philosopher Plato was one of these people. They argue how it is usless and how many wars have been caused by something that someone has written like a poem. Although others argue how poetry is important and that it can help people. They express there feelings and how they feel through poetry. Whether or not poetry is useless one thing can be concluded about it. That it is a lost art in todays society.
“That a man might better spend his time, is a reason indeed; but it doth (as they say) but petere principium. For if it be as I affirm, that no learning is so good as that which teacheth and moveth to virtue; and that non can both teach and move thereto so much as: then is the conclusion manifest that ink and paper cannot be to a more profitable purpose employed.”
Response:
This is a question that has no more a definitive answer today than it did in the past.
Percy Shelley wrote in "A Defense of Poetry", “Poets…are not only the authors of language and of music, of the dance and architecture and statuary and painting; they are the institutors of laws, and the founders of civil society, and the inventors of the arts of life,…”
I researched some internet blogs and found contrasting views on this topic. Those that believe poetry is useful have responses such as; it enlightens the soul, provides freedom, is an outlet for personal expression and a way to express feelings. Those that do not find a use for poetry have said: that poetry is for people that lack other skills, namely people skills; and my personal favorite “Poetry is boring and I don’t understand it.” Interestingly the responses that I found either loved it (those that write & understand it) or they hate it and find it to be a waste of time (those that don’t understand it).
There was no one that said, “I don’t understand it, but I am trying too.” This is common in every other issue in today’s society. If we do not understand or are afraid of something then we immediately hate it and find fault with it. No matter what the issue, instead of taking our time to learn and research and practice patience, we become superior to the idea and think that it is not useful to us.
Literature, the Newest Member of Club “Old School” Basic Passage: It is difficult to get the news from poems, yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there.” – William Carlos Williams Correlation: Literature in American society today has become but a mere shadow of its’ former self. The days of poetry being quoted and being a “must know” for aspiring Casanovas is long gone. There are many reasons why Literature, especially poetry, is dying in America. The first and maybe the most important is America’s education system. Students of America spend multiple years of studying Literature in school. The basics of it is, too much of anything can turn a person off to it. Another reason why literature is in decline is that many people view it as a waste of valuable time. People today only want to read about subjects they have to, or that will help them improve their knowledge of a subject. Reading poetry and literature has fallen deeply into leisure time, and since there are things such as HD television, vibrating massage recliners, and the Bowflex, literature is going to have to be the tiny Tim. The only way that literature will live on will be through schooling, which would probably make the social status of it even worse until it’s made a subject separate from English in grade school. Literature does have one thing to look forward to though; maybe it will have a chance for a Brittany Spears like comeback if the economy makes a turn for the better.
Passage: “ Now that I have described to you as accurately as I could the structure of the commonwealth that I consider the best, but indeed the only one that can rightfully claim that name. In other places men talk very liberally of the commonwealth, but what they mean is simply their own wealth; in Utopia, where there is no private business, every man zealously pursues the public business.”
Response: Mostly in Book 2 it comes to light that the Utopians are in my opinion truly living in a communistic society. The population of Utopia, do not decide anything for themselves. They are told where they will live, what they will eat, what they will wear, what they will do for a living, and even if they will have slaves or not. Those that are slaves, they as well as their heirs will be slaves, with no way to upgrade their life standing, no matter how hard they work, or how good of a person they are. Most of the laws are dictated by the governing bodies of the Church.
From all of this, in my opinion, only stifles free thinking, which will lead to the reduction of new inventions and new ideas. Would the citizens of Utopia ever be able to travel to the moon for exploration of the universe? Would they be free to explore other religions, in order to make a choice of religion which fits their life? I really do not think they would. I do not believe that every citizen is as happy as Sir Thomas Moore writes. I do not believe that it is part of the human spirit to only follow what someone else tells them to do. The human spirit and the human mind needs to be constantly challenged, it is through these challenges that we grow as individuals. Not one man is alike, we all are different. What is Utopia to one person, may be hell on earth to another.
Basic Passage: " Because they think nothing to be less reasonable than of the common multitude of men some to be foreordained to salvation, other some to destruction."
Are people judged at birth? Are some people chosen to have a peaceful afterlife once they die? Are some people chosen to suffer in the pits of the underworld? John Calvin who was trained as a lawyer, also required a knowledge of Hebrew which helped him develop a study for the Bible in many different languages. Calvin wrote The Instituion of Christian Religion in Latin and expressed many of his opinions and views in it. One such view he had was that no matter what, God will always be there for people. Possibly the strongest belief that he shared was the Calvinistic Doctrine. This idea was heavily taken from the idea of Predestination. In fact, the definitions of the two are virtually the same. The Calvinistic Doctrine said that at birth God decided where a person's soul will go when they die. The basic passage I listed above is a good example. Some people were chosen to have a happy and prosperous afterlife whereas some were cursed and were chosen to have their souls float in agony and suffering in Hell. However are the people that are cursed at birth able to change their fate? If they live their life preaching the word of God will they be able to change their destiny and be accepted into Heaven? Whatever the case, I do not agree with the whole idea of Predestintion. I feel that before people are judged by God they should at first live their life. They should be given a chance to have a crime free and religious time while on Earth. If they are good samaritans then they should have access to the gates of Heaven. If not then God should be the judge of where they will end up because in the end, The only person that can judge us is God. If the Calvinistic Doctrine and Predestination are really the way God decides our fate then so be it.
Christopher Marlowe, in Doctor Faustus, examines the idea of a fairly common man selling his soul to the Devil in order that he might achieve some God-like status during his mortal life. The character Faustus does not consider the consequences of his deal with the Devil, which involves an eternity in hell, and ultimately becomes unbelievably repentant for his actions. The world of art, especially music and literature, has been a place where artists may be tempted to make a deal with Satan in order to live their dream, and ultimately usually regret the aftermath.
Basic Passage “…and make perpetual day, or let this hour be but a year, a month, a week, a natural day, that Faustus may repent and save his soul…”
According to legend, blues singer/songwriter Robert Johnson made a pact and sold his soul to the Devil in order to become the best guitar player in the world. Whether or not this is true obviously is doubtful, but Johnson was willing to sacrifice anything to become God-like. Coincidentally, Johnson would only achieve world-wide fame posthumously because his music became such a landmark influence on musicians like Eric Clapton and The Beatles. I’m sure Johnson would repent if he could have like Faustus’ attempt, he never really got anything substantial out of his deal. In modern times, literary artists have fallen on hard times. Creating literature has become an industry which only concerns itself with large profits. Authors can choose to sell their souls (work) to greedy publishing companies, but at what price, eternity in artistic hell? I don’t believe it’s worth it, alluring though it may be.
Basic Passage Sir Philip Sydney “Leave me, O Love, Which Reachest but to Dust
Leave me, O Love, which reachest but to dust, And thou my mind aspire to higher things: Grow rich in that which never taketh rust: Whatever fades, but fading pleasure brings.
Poetry and Emotion~Why the two go together
Poetry is seen as useless to most people. It can be hard to comprehend when read with the mind. Poetry is emotional…so if it’s emotional, then how does it need to be taken in? With the heart. Its purpose, in some way, is meant to be read with the heart. It speaks to the human spirit on so many levels. Each line of a poem has meaning….purpose. If the reader doesn’t look at poetry this way, it’s going to be very difficult to understand it. Which makes reading it almost impossible. Poems begin with a feeling and evolve into stories of the heart. Growing up in the 80’s, I thought “poetry” as a short song of sorts. I thought that every other line had to rhyme. As I grew older, I learned differently. Like I’ve said before, a poem is an emotion. It comes from the heart. Characteristics that come from something of the heart do not need to rhyme. Use of similes and metaphors can make understanding a poem a bit easier for the less thrilled poem reader. Just remember, when reading poetry, read from the heart. Imagine…imagine what the poet is conveying in each line…imagine it with emotion.
"It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably everyday for lack of what is found there" - William Carlos Williams
This is a load of garbage. Men die miserably if they don’t find happiness in life. Happiness in life comes from one’s own family, responsibility, values, and productivity. Poetry may entertain or please a reader who has a taste for this kind of literature, but it does little to give a man’s life meaning. Maybe the reason that poetry is so unpopular today is because it doesn’t produce anything that meets society’s needs. Poets are like artists: sure they create beautiful pieces to read or look at, but they don’t create anything that their fellow citizens find necessary to living. In society there are producers and there are consumers. Producers provide while consumers use. Poets and artists are little more than consumers in that their “production” can be argued as unnecessary. No wonder these bleeding hearts live poor (unless of course they have a more productive job on the side). Look at it in a tribal sense. When the hunter brings home a kill and time comes to dole out the meat, who do you think will get to enjoy more of it? Is it the hunter who spends his day tracking and killing the game, or the tribesman who spends the day painting the cave walls and playing bongos by the fire? Poetry is beautiful but it’s not necessary for happiness. A man’s existence is given meaning, thus creating happiness, through a few key aspects of life. His family provides love, support, and company; his responsibility gives him independence and the ability to provide for his family; his values supply him a guide to live his life by; and his productivity allows him to judge his worth and success. But then again, poetry can make a man cry.
“…. it (poetry) not being the an art of lies, but of true doctrine; not of effeminateness, but of notable stirring of courage; of abusing man’s wit, but of strengthening man’s wit..”
Response:
Masculinity is something that the majority of men aspire to; especially in areas, like the South, where femininity is like The Black Plague. In an environment where hunting, fishing, and owning the biggest truck is how you prove you are manly, poetry isn’t something that would earn extra points in this department. As a child, you would more then likely be sent to counseling. It seems that the poets of Sir Sidney’s days were in a similar predicament. Male poets, it seems, have been fighting to prove their masculinity since the beginning. It was a big enough factor that Sidney mentioned it in his work. In his Defense of Poetry, Sidney argues that a poet is not effeminate, but rather courageous and an intellectual comedian. Male poets show that they are true men by stirring up thoughts, emotions, and feelings that other would never attempt to awaken. They use the sharpness of their minds, rather their fists to get points across. While this image of masculinity may not correspond with today’s burley country boy, it definitely has the upper hand of appeal. The women of today, and I’m sure of the past, would be wooed much more easily by a sharp tongue then a hunk of deer meat.
Poetry Isn't Completely Irrelevant to Modern Times
Basic Passage: (Excerpt from an Article, "The Meaning of Modern Poetry" taken from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/4325389/The-meaning-of-modern-poetry.html)
"But music and movies are no substitute for what poetry can do as an art, and that is to display the life of language with wit and intensity. Barack Obama – who promises to be more attuned to the life of language than his predecessor – chose to have the poet Elizabeth Alexander read at his inauguration. Her definition of poetry identifies the characteristic curiosity of versified words about their own power: “Poetry (here I hear myself loudest) / is the human voice, / and are we not of interest to each other?”
Correlation: Many believe that modern poetry isn't as relevant to today's world and is of inferior quality compared to times long past. Concerning quality, I don't believe this is entirely true. There are plenty of review boards and awards for quality modern poetry. The only question is “who is reading it?” The answer is “the upper class” and those who take a unique interest in poetry, i.e. those to whom it is most relevant. Let us define "being relevant" as being sought after, enjoyed, and propagated throughout a society’s social circles. In the past, poetry was a luxury of the nobility and a comfort to the common people who sought ways to connect with each other. This ensured its cultivation through time. According to the above excerpt, it is obvious that poetry is still relevant to very high social circles, so perhaps it is only the modern "common people" to whom poetry seems less relevant. I would say this is because we are as a people distracted by other “connecting tools” such as the internet, cell phones, and video games. That need to feel “united” is filled in other ways, so poetry isn’t needed as much. In summation, I think poetry is equally relevant in some circles and less relevant in others.
The Pestilent Desire of the Siren's Sweet Sinful Fancies Today in America the value that was once placed on poetry and art is somewhat lost in the midst of popular culture. We still maintain our museums, public television and radio networks, but as popular as these things are in America are they as popular as they should be? Have poetry and art lost their meaning today in our commercially driven society?
Basic Passage: "it is the nurse of abuse, infecting us with many pestilent desires; with a siren's sweetness drawing the mind to the serpents tail of sinful fancies." (Sir Phillip Sydney)
Response: What use do we have for poetry in our society anyway; with corporate TV and radio filling our eyes and ears with pop-media of the plenty? Who has time to read a book anymore when there are 500 channels of immediate gratification to choose from? Plato felt that all poetry and art should be banned from the state for the fear that it would interfere with pursuits of the intellect. What would he would say if he could see our society; alienated in our living rooms, staring blankly and chuckling at the banal. I’m sure then he might find a plausible purpose for the poet. The truth is that we don’t live in a country that emphasizes the importance of poetry and the arts. Our public schools are terribly underfunded for their arts programs. While the sports programs are overfunded for pushing kids toward ideas of competition rather than communication and creativity, which is the essence of being human.
Comment: What passes for popular poetry and art in modern American culture is a shameful trick and a lie. Real value in art these days is placed upon how well you’re able to market yourself. To quote a modern American poet, Mr. Jello Biafra, “forget honesty, forget creativity, the dumbest buy the mostest, that’s the name of the game.” We as a people should call out these so-called artists for what they are, frauds, and stop jumping on every bandwagon that they drive up for us until they can produce something worthy of being called art.
Poems and Literature in Our World Today
ReplyDelete"It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably everyday for lack of what is found there"-William Carlos Williams; Asphodel, That Greeny Flower
Poetry has fallen out of the good graces of the popular culture of today. It was once the life and breath of the court and in its time ruled both men and women. Poetry is emotional and involving; it tells the truth of human emotions and exposes the people who write it. However, what use does it have today? People no longer hold it in such reverence and it is really only studied in literature classes. People no longer have an interest for it. They would rather read a news story or magazine, something that will not require thought or emotion from them.
In his poem “Asphodel, That Greeny Flower” William Carlos Williams mentions this exact dilemma. In the quote above he states that it is difficult to get news from poems and I completely agree with him. You really cannot get up to date news from poems but I don’t believe that we should discount and eradicate them because of this. I also agree with the line’s second point that men die every day from what is found in poems. People in the world are dying from broken hearts, depression, and many other issues dealing with emotion. People no matter who they are, what they are interested in, or what they do are always going to be emotional in some way. As long as people have emotions there will always be a need for poetry because it is an emotional outlet and a comfort for those who are suffering.
Temporary or Long Term?
ReplyDeleteCorrelation (Intro):
In Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus,” Faustus is a man who is extremely intelligent and well educated. If a man such as this lived today, most people would deem him as living the “perfect life.” But I believe we should focus on how Faustus’ seemingly perfect life ultimately became a tragedy.
Basic Passage:
Mephastopholis: Now Faustus, what would’st thou have me do?
Faustus: I charge thee to wait upon me whilst I live,
To do whatever Faustus shall command,
Be it make the moon drop from her sphere,
Or the ocean to overwhelm the world.
Correlation:
Early on, Faustus looks for ways to use the power he hunts for. He envisions having an immense amount of prosperity, and wants to understand the unknown parts of the world. Some of his visions may not be appealing to us, but Marlowe introduces Faustus in such a way that we almost have an understanding Faustus’ ideas and sympathize with him. But once Faustus commits himself to the Devil and gets what he thinks he wants, everything starts spiraling downward. It seems all Faustus has to do is ask for mercy. But as time moves on, Faustus chooses to remain devoted to Hell, rather than repenting to Christ. In the end, Faustus finally cries out for forgiveness, but it is sadly too late to receive pardon.
This world is unfortunately caught on the hook of living the “perfect life” and wanting immense power. People hunger for fame and fortune, but there are not many people who live a rich and successful life. Ultimately, Faustus did not gain power or happiness. If only people would look at long time results rather than dwelling on temporary satisfaction.
The Secret to Life is Finding a Good Balance
ReplyDelete“Are not thy bills hung up as monuments,
Whereby whole cities have escaped the plague,
And thousand desperate maladies been eased?
Yet art thou still but Faustus, and a man.”
What Marlowe is touching on here is typical of many stories throughout the ages. The structure of these epics are quite intricate, with moral and ethical influences throughout. However, the basic structure goes like this: Man is greedy and gluttonous. He is never satisfied with the knowledge, power, wealth, or success that has come upon him; He is only concerned with the greener grass on the other side. During our adolescence, we are taught that life is about balance and that too much of a good thing is never a good thing. The stories like The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and Icarus exemplify why we should never allow ourselves to be consumed with that which is unobtainable. This is not to say that I believe man should be satisfied and never strive to improve himself or his life, but to find a good balance somewhere in between. An example of one extreme is found here with Faustus as he is completely obsessed with his thirst for knowledge as it ultimately destroys him. Likewise, the other extreme is a man who has become completely content with himself and wishes to progress no further. The lesson that should be learned here is that we must always recognize and appreciate what we have and how far we have come, while at the same time looking forward to the future. It is this balance that we must find in ourselves in order to find happiness and grow to our full potential.
“Knowledge is Power”
ReplyDeletePassage:
Doctor Faustus - Marlowe’s major dramas, Tamburlaine, The Jew of Malta, and Doctor Faustus, all portray heroes who passionately seek power – the power of rule, the power of money, and the power of knowledge, respectively.
Response:
Learning/reading new things, becoming more knowledgeable can lead to sin. In Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Faustus desire for knowledge does lead to sin. In 1597 Sir Francis Bacon wrote the Meditationes Sacrae in which he stated “Knowledge is Power.” Bacon was referring to “drawing knowledge from the natural world through experimentation, observation, and testing of hypotheses.” In the context of his time, such methods were connected with the occult trends of hermeticism and alchemy. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy states “Knowledge is power, and when embodied in the form of new technical inventions and mechanical discoveries it is the force that drives history – this was Bacon’s key insight.” To take the place of the traditional collection of Scholasticism, humanism, and natural magic, Bacon proposed an entirely new system based on experience, observation, and inductive principles and the active development of new arts and inventions, this system’s ultimate goal would be the production of practical knowledge for “the use and benefit of men” and the relief of the human condition.”
Knowledge is power and how you apply that knowledge is what determines if it is sinful or not. Children, due to non-exposure of worldly ways, are considered to be innocent and sheltered. As children get older and more knowledgeable, they can become less innocent and more self centered. Modern technology and medicine comes from someone striving to be more knowledgeable and applying that knowledge to the good of man kind not just their own self satisfaction. However, narcissistic/self-centered people tend to lie or manipulate society to get what they want.
The Importance of Poetry
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage
“It is difficult to get the news from poems, yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there.” – William Carlos Williams
The discussion in class in which Mr. Alford presented this passage by William Carlos Williams later led us to discuss the importance of literature and poetry. I recently read in a magazine article that poetry has been written off on several counts such as it is not a mass-market “product”; it doesn’t get sold on airport newsstands or in grocery store checkout lines. The article went on to explain that poetry is too difficult for the average mind and too elite.
Poetry makes you think. It makes you feel emotions about things that you would never think that you would. A poem can describe the sky in the most beautiful way or it can express the anguish and hurt one may feel over a loved one’s death. What is the importance of going to school? The last time I checked it was to learn and to be educated. Poetry does that and literature forever will be an important subject in my eyes.
Personally, I enjoy reading more modern poems and there are times when I am feeling emotional and will sit and jot lines on a piece of paper describing current situations going on in my life, but I find myself also enjoying older poetry as well. There is something about the romance in them that captivates me.
There is another quote by William Carlos Williams that I like, “Times change and forms and their meanings alter. Thus new poems are necessary. Their forms must be discovered in the living language of their day, or old forms, embodying exploded concepts, will tyrannize over the imagination.”
Gratitude not Servitude
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage: It’s like with the Protestants you have to work for your salvation. They don’t believe it’s as simple as accepting it. –Statement made in class by the professor
Response: To say that Protestants in general believe that you have to work for your salvation is a bit stereotypical. I understand that I only attend one church and am therefore not qualified to be a spokesperson for the entire Baptist denomination. However, my preacher does not preach that you have to earn your salvation and to think that a preacher would contradicts the foundations that our beliefs are built upon. My favorite translation of Ephesians 2:8 comes from the New Living Translation Bible, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” My preacher reminds us constantly that we can only be saved through accepting Christ and to try to work our way into heaven is naïve. We are taught that once you are saved you should do everything in your power to glorify God and to help build his kingdom. I believe when an individual accepts Christ into their heart there should be a very evident change in their life. Protestants teach the importance of works not because we believe that you have to work for or earn your salvation but because Jesus paid the ultimate price for us by laying down his life. Therefore, as a Christian you should strive to exalt him in every aspect of your life. This is not to earn your salvation but rather to show a merciful savior how truly thankful you are for the love that led him to endure the ultimate sacrifice.
Alex Newton
ReplyDeleteCorrelation:
Poetry is no longer as powerful and meaningful as it used to be. People used to just sit down and read or write poetry to make them feel better. In today’s world all people want to do is turn on the television and forget about all the wonderful and humbling things that poetry can do. When you go to a doctor’s office or at an airport you do not see any works of literature or poetry lying around anywhere. All you see is magazine about how to look better or how to be a better girlfriend. The main reason for this is because of money. People now do not want to spend money on works of art instead they just want to waste money on junk that does not help you at all. Poetry brings out the better moral characters out of people. It lets people express themselves their true inner being, and how they feel about everything. People that used to appreciate poetry like doctors and lawyers do not even read it all. They say that it is because they do not have time to read any of that anymore, which I think is untrue. I know that they are busy but, they have time to read their magazines so why not something that is worth us. The poem that has stuck with me my whole life is The Road Less Traveled by Robert Frost. I have loved this poem my whole life, and this is why I still read it today.
Basic Passage:
“It is difficult to get the news from poems, yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there” William Carlos Williams
Capatalist's Culture
ReplyDeletePassage: John Calvin
"God, that he doth not without difference adopt all into the hope of salvation but giveth to some that which he denieth to other"
How do you fight a culture that is based out of the love of money and celebritism? The advertising culture, mass media, and government has replaced the role the church played in past times. Calvin's ideas began a theology that may be a major catalyst for the United States current moral decline and skewed priorities. The so-called "American Dream", does not bring happiness because Americans are on more anti-depressants than any other nation not to mention our high rates of suicide, homicide and infant deaths that sky rocket above other modernized countries. The problem lies in the principals the nation was founded upon, the rise of the protestant work ethic. This philosophy was the result of people's fear of their unknown spiritual destiny after death because of Calvin's theological teachings. People had no choice but to look to material gain as a material "calulator" of their spiritual standing. This mentally strained people to work long tedious hours to ensure salvation through, material gain-MONEY. Once a few people started believing these ideas it changed the modern world, with the start of the Industrial Revolution, factories stayed open 24 hours 7 days a week and the 'mom n' pop' stores closed. They unknowingly changed their decendants lives forever, forcing us into a culture that craves the material.
Societies Vision of Poetry
ReplyDeleteBasic passage:
"It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably everyday for lack of what is found there"-William Carlos Williams
Correlation:
In today’s society poetry, or any form of literature, seems to have little or no importance to the people of America. In America people’s opinions are changing and new ideas appear every day. There is always a new fad being advertised on television every day and this influence makes writing poetry in today’s time almost pointless. Poetry is about a person, an author’s, feelings and opinions and nowadays people get upset to easily and are caught up with the politically correct way of things. People in America choose not to read poetry or literature because the writings may not have to do with the new “it” topic or disagrees with the cultures main point of view, usually their view on politics or religion.
There are thousands of literature pieces printed out every second but the main problem with that is that most of them aren’t poems. Fictional novels and magazines fly off the shelves every day because people are fixed on the entertainment value of everything. Poetry is on demise because in most cases it talks about someone’s emotions or teaches life lessons. Most people now don’t want to face today’s current life with the present downfall and also with today’s morals going out the window learning about life lessons in poetry is not societies main interest.
Is Poetry as Meaningful Today as it Once Was..?
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage::Sidney called his poetry "Unelected Vacation," and keeping with the norms of his class, he did not publish any of his major literary works himself. His ambition, continually thwarted, was to be a man of action whose deeds would affect his country's destiny."
Sir Philip Sidney, who was a Renaissance poet, before Shakespeare, was a knight, soldier, friend, patron, friend, but above all else a poet. Sidney wrote, "Thou Blind Man's Mark," meaning for one to seek the greater good, and not to seek the negative or bad in each and every situatiion. For there is something great in every bad situation.He alo once stated that books can and should be read.. for they could possibly change ypur life. Today we focus on whats popular at the moment and maybe not so much on what is morally useful. Sidney even composed a song and had it sung while he was on his death bed. Sir Philip died at 32, quite a young age, but he lived a life full of passion and poetry. In which a passion for poetry is definately something that has become the past. Today's generation is way too caught up in whats popular for the moment, or some ort of new technology, or simply jus cont slow down to take the time to read and enjoy the beauty of poetry.
William Carlos Williams, was another passionate poet. He once wrote, "It is difficult to get thr news from poems, Yet men die miserably everydayfor lack of what is found there." This short exert from William's poem explains greatly the way in which todays society lives. In translation Williams is aying, that people die everyday mierable because they worry only of money, entertainment, and high dollar luxuries instead of one's mind, body, and soul. William Williams intended for poetry to be useful but some people do not view poetry as useful. It is quite sad, to me, what our world and lifestyle has come to. We worry sometimes about all the wrong things and definately should just take a simple, short time out every once in a while and enjoy the beauty of the world we live in.
Sir Thomas Moore wrote about a magical place, Utopia, where it i even here poets could not even be found. It was said that they stirred up unworthy emotions. Which led to
people of Utopia saying "lust" is an unworthy emotion.
correlation: In my opinion I believe poetry was once a very passionate useful expression. But I also poetry as a hobby and way of living one's life is a way of the past. It is quite sad to say butr our generation now has no time for poetry. We are way too busy keeping up with technology and society itself that we cant enjoy the little things in life.
Lost Art
ReplyDelete"it is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there." -William Carlos Williams
This exert from the poem "Asphodel, the Green Flower", is right. It is difficult to get news from poems. Nowadays it is almost impossible to even find a poem in magazines or newspapers. Most of the literature in todays society consists of health adds, lives of celebs and commercials trying to sell us something. This cant even be called art. A reason for the lose of poetry is because people have tv and the internet to keep them entertained. They dont want to read something when they can watch it.
Many people in the past and present think poetry is a wast of time. The famous philosopher Plato was one of these people. They argue how it is usless and how many wars have been caused by something that someone has written like a poem. Although others argue how poetry is important and that it can help people. They express there feelings and how they feel through poetry. Whether or not poetry is useless one thing can be concluded about it. That it is a lost art in todays society.
Is Poetry Really Useful?
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage:
“That a man might better spend his time, is a reason indeed; but it doth (as they say) but petere principium. For if it be as I affirm, that no learning is so good as that which teacheth and moveth to virtue; and that non can both teach and move thereto so much as: then is the conclusion manifest that ink and paper cannot be to a more profitable purpose employed.”
Response:
This is a question that has no more a definitive answer today than it did in the past.
Percy Shelley wrote in "A Defense of Poetry", “Poets…are not only the authors of language and of music, of the dance and architecture and statuary and painting; they are the institutors of laws, and the founders of civil society, and the inventors of the arts of life,…”
I researched some internet blogs and found contrasting views on this topic. Those that believe poetry is useful have responses such as; it enlightens the soul, provides freedom, is an outlet for personal expression and a way to express feelings. Those that do not find a use for poetry have said: that poetry is for people that lack other skills, namely people skills; and my personal favorite “Poetry is boring and I don’t understand it.” Interestingly the responses that I found either loved it (those that write & understand it) or they hate it and find it to be a waste of time (those that don’t understand it).
There was no one that said, “I don’t understand it, but I am trying too.” This is common in every other issue in today’s society. If we do not understand or are afraid of something then we immediately hate it and find fault with it. No matter what the issue, instead of taking our time to learn and research and practice patience, we become superior to the idea and think that it is not useful to us.
Literature, the Newest Member of Club “Old School”
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage: It is difficult to get the news from poems, yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there.” – William Carlos Williams
Correlation: Literature in American society today has become but a mere shadow of its’ former self. The days of poetry being quoted and being a “must know” for aspiring Casanovas is long gone. There are many reasons why Literature, especially poetry, is dying in America. The first and maybe the most important is America’s education system. Students of America spend multiple years of studying Literature in school. The basics of it is, too much of anything can turn a person off to it.
Another reason why literature is in decline is that many people view it as a waste of valuable time. People today only want to read about subjects they have to, or that will help them improve their knowledge of a subject. Reading poetry and literature has fallen deeply into leisure time, and since there are things such as HD television, vibrating massage recliners, and the Bowflex, literature is going to have to be the tiny Tim. The only way that literature will live on will be through schooling, which would probably make the social status of it even worse until it’s made a subject separate from English in grade school. Literature does have one thing to look forward to though; maybe it will have a chance for a Brittany Spears like comeback if the economy makes a turn for the better.
Utopia for whom?
ReplyDeletePassage: “ Now that I have described to you as accurately as I could the structure of the commonwealth that I consider the best, but indeed the only one that can rightfully claim that name. In other places men talk very liberally of the commonwealth, but what they mean is simply their own wealth; in Utopia, where there is no private business, every man zealously pursues the public business.”
Response: Mostly in Book 2 it comes to light that the Utopians are in my opinion truly living in a communistic society. The population of Utopia, do not decide anything for themselves. They are told where they will live, what they will eat, what they will wear, what they will do for a living, and even if they will have slaves or not. Those that are slaves, they as well as their heirs will be slaves, with no way to upgrade their life standing, no matter how hard they work, or how good of a person they are. Most of the laws are dictated by the governing bodies of the Church.
From all of this, in my opinion, only stifles free thinking, which will lead to the reduction of new inventions and new ideas. Would the citizens of Utopia ever be able to travel to the moon for exploration of the universe? Would they be free to explore other religions, in order to make a choice of religion which fits their life? I really do not think they would. I do not believe that every citizen is as happy as Sir Thomas Moore writes. I do not believe that it is part of the human spirit to only follow what someone else tells them to do. The human spirit and the human mind needs to be constantly challenged, it is through these challenges that we grow as individuals. Not one man is alike, we all are different. What is Utopia to one person, may be hell on earth to another.
Judged at Birth
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage: " Because they think nothing to be less reasonable than of the common multitude of men some to be foreordained to salvation, other some to destruction."
Are people judged at birth? Are some people chosen to have a peaceful afterlife once they die? Are some people chosen to suffer in the pits of the underworld? John Calvin who was trained as a lawyer, also required a knowledge of Hebrew which helped him develop a study for the Bible in many different languages. Calvin wrote The Instituion of Christian Religion in Latin and expressed many of his opinions and views in it. One such view he had was that no matter what, God will always be there for people. Possibly the strongest belief that he shared was the Calvinistic Doctrine. This idea was heavily taken from the idea of Predestination. In fact, the definitions of the two are virtually the same. The Calvinistic Doctrine said that at birth God decided where a person's soul will go when they die. The basic passage I listed above is a good example. Some people were chosen to have a happy and prosperous afterlife whereas some were cursed and were chosen to have their souls float in agony and suffering in Hell. However are the people that are cursed at birth able to change their fate? If they live their life preaching the word of God will they be able to change their destiny and be accepted into Heaven? Whatever the case, I do not agree with the whole idea of Predestintion. I feel that before people are judged by God they should at first live their life. They should be given a chance to have a crime free and religious time while on Earth. If they are good samaritans then they should have access to the gates of Heaven. If not then God should be the judge of where they will end up because in the end, The only person that can judge us is God. If the Calvinistic Doctrine and Predestination are really the way God decides our fate then so be it.
A.W. Faris
ReplyDeleteOf Marlowe, Art, and Satan
Christopher Marlowe, in Doctor Faustus, examines the idea of a fairly common man selling his soul to the Devil in order that he might achieve some God-like status during his mortal life. The character Faustus does not consider the consequences of his deal with the Devil, which involves an eternity in hell, and ultimately becomes unbelievably repentant for his actions. The world of art, especially music and literature, has been a place where artists may be tempted to make a deal with Satan in order to live their dream, and ultimately usually regret the aftermath.
Basic Passage
“…and make perpetual day, or let this hour be but a year, a month, a week, a natural day, that Faustus may repent and save his soul…”
According to legend, blues singer/songwriter Robert Johnson made a pact and sold his soul to the Devil in order to become the best guitar player in the world. Whether or not this is true obviously is doubtful, but Johnson was willing to sacrifice anything to become God-like. Coincidentally, Johnson would only achieve world-wide fame posthumously because his music became such a landmark influence on musicians like Eric Clapton and The Beatles. I’m sure Johnson would repent if he could have like Faustus’ attempt, he never really got anything substantial out of his deal.
In modern times, literary artists have fallen on hard times. Creating literature has become an industry which only concerns itself with large profits. Authors can choose to sell their souls (work) to greedy publishing companies, but at what price, eternity in artistic hell? I don’t believe it’s worth it, alluring though it may be.
Basic Passage
ReplyDeleteSir Philip Sydney
“Leave me, O Love, Which Reachest but to Dust
Leave me, O Love, which reachest but to dust,
And thou my mind aspire to higher things:
Grow rich in that which never taketh rust:
Whatever fades, but fading pleasure brings.
Poetry and Emotion~Why the two go together
Poetry is seen as useless to most people. It can be hard to comprehend when read with the mind. Poetry is emotional…so if it’s emotional, then how does it need to be taken in? With the heart. Its purpose, in some way, is meant to be read with the heart. It speaks to the human spirit on so many levels. Each line of a poem has meaning….purpose. If the reader doesn’t look at poetry this way, it’s going to be very difficult to understand it. Which makes reading it almost impossible. Poems begin with a feeling and evolve into stories of the heart. Growing up in the 80’s, I thought “poetry” as a short song of sorts. I thought that every other line had to rhyme. As I grew older, I learned differently. Like I’ve said before, a poem is an emotion. It comes from the heart. Characteristics that come from something of the heart do not need to rhyme. Use of similes and metaphors can make understanding a poem a bit easier for the less thrilled poem reader. Just remember, when reading poetry, read from the heart. Imagine…imagine what the poet is conveying in each line…imagine it with emotion.
Poetry is Useless
ReplyDelete"It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably everyday for lack of what is found there" - William Carlos Williams
This is a load of garbage. Men die miserably if they don’t find happiness in life. Happiness in life comes from one’s own family, responsibility, values, and productivity. Poetry may entertain or please a reader who has a taste for this kind of literature, but it does little to give a man’s life meaning. Maybe the reason that poetry is so unpopular today is because it doesn’t produce anything that meets society’s needs. Poets are like artists: sure they create beautiful pieces to read or look at, but they don’t create anything that their fellow citizens find necessary to living. In society there are producers and there are consumers. Producers provide while consumers use. Poets and artists are little more than consumers in that their “production” can be argued as unnecessary. No wonder these bleeding hearts live poor (unless of course they have a more productive job on the side). Look at it in a tribal sense. When the hunter brings home a kill and time comes to dole out the meat, who do you think will get to enjoy more of it? Is it the hunter who spends his day tracking and killing the game, or the tribesman who spends the day painting the cave walls and playing bongos by the fire? Poetry is beautiful but it’s not necessary for happiness. A man’s existence is given meaning, thus creating happiness, through a few key aspects of life. His family provides love, support, and company; his responsibility gives him independence and the ability to provide for his family; his values supply him a guide to live his life by; and his productivity allows him to judge his worth and success. But then again, poetry can make a man cry.
Poetry is for Pansies
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage:
“…. it (poetry) not being the an art of lies, but of true doctrine; not of effeminateness, but of notable stirring of courage; of abusing man’s wit, but of strengthening man’s wit..”
Response:
Masculinity is something that the majority of men aspire to; especially in areas, like the South, where femininity is like The Black Plague. In an environment where hunting, fishing, and owning the biggest truck is how you prove you are manly, poetry isn’t something that would earn extra points in this department. As a child, you would more then likely be sent to counseling. It seems that the poets of Sir Sidney’s days were in a similar predicament. Male poets, it seems, have been fighting to prove their masculinity since the beginning. It was a big enough factor that Sidney mentioned it in his work. In his Defense of Poetry, Sidney argues that a poet is not effeminate, but rather courageous and an intellectual comedian. Male poets show that they are true men by stirring up thoughts, emotions, and feelings that other would never attempt to awaken. They use the sharpness of their minds, rather their fists to get points across. While this image of masculinity may not correspond with today’s burley country boy, it definitely has the upper hand of appeal. The women of today, and I’m sure of the past, would be wooed much more easily by a sharp tongue then a hunk of deer meat.
Poetry Isn't Completely Irrelevant to Modern Times
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage: (Excerpt from an Article, "The Meaning of Modern Poetry" taken from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/4325389/The-meaning-of-modern-poetry.html)
"But music and movies are no substitute for what poetry can do as an art, and that is to display the life of language with wit and intensity. Barack Obama – who promises to be more attuned to the life of language than his predecessor – chose to have the poet Elizabeth Alexander read at his inauguration. Her definition of poetry identifies the characteristic curiosity of versified words about their own power: “Poetry (here I hear myself loudest) / is the human voice, / and are we not of interest to each other?”
Correlation:
Many believe that modern poetry isn't as relevant to today's world and is of inferior quality compared to times long past. Concerning quality, I don't believe this is entirely true. There are plenty of review boards and awards for quality modern poetry. The only question is “who is reading it?” The answer is “the upper class” and those who take a unique interest in poetry, i.e. those to whom it is most relevant.
Let us define "being relevant" as being sought after, enjoyed, and propagated throughout a society’s social circles. In the past, poetry was a luxury of the nobility and a comfort to the common people who sought ways to connect with each other. This ensured its cultivation through time. According to the above excerpt, it is obvious that poetry is still relevant to very high social circles, so perhaps it is only the modern "common people" to whom poetry seems less relevant. I would say this is because we are as a people distracted by other “connecting tools” such as the internet, cell phones, and video games. That need to feel “united” is filled in other ways, so poetry isn’t needed as much. In summation, I think poetry is equally relevant in some circles and less relevant in others.
The Pestilent Desire of the Siren's Sweet Sinful Fancies
ReplyDeleteToday in America the value that was once placed on poetry and art is somewhat lost in the midst of popular culture. We still maintain our museums, public television and radio networks, but as popular as these things are in America are they as popular as they should be? Have poetry and art lost their meaning today in our commercially driven society?
Basic Passage:
"it is the nurse of abuse, infecting us with many pestilent desires; with a siren's sweetness drawing the mind to the serpents tail of sinful fancies." (Sir Phillip Sydney)
Response:
What use do we have for poetry in our society anyway; with corporate TV and radio filling our eyes and ears with pop-media of the plenty? Who has time to read a book anymore when there are 500 channels of immediate gratification to choose from? Plato felt that all poetry and art should be banned from the state for the fear that it would interfere with pursuits of the intellect. What would he would say if he could see our society; alienated in our living rooms, staring blankly and chuckling at the banal. I’m sure then he might find a plausible purpose for the poet. The truth is that we don’t live in a country that emphasizes the importance of poetry and the arts. Our public schools are terribly underfunded for their arts programs. While the sports programs are overfunded for pushing kids toward ideas of competition rather than communication and creativity, which is the essence of being human.
Comment:
What passes for popular poetry and art in modern American culture is a shameful trick and a lie. Real value in art these days is placed upon how well you’re able to market yourself. To quote a modern American poet, Mr. Jello Biafra, “forget honesty, forget creativity, the dumbest buy the mostest, that’s the name of the game.” We as a people should call out these so-called artists for what they are, frauds, and stop jumping on every bandwagon that they drive up for us until they can produce something worthy of being called art.