...“America preaches integration and practices segregation” Malcom X his quote is reflected in Langston Hughes’ poem “I Too Sing America” however Walt Whitman’s poem does not mention the segregation issues X and Hughes do. Both of these poems reflect America’s proletariat; however Hughes brings up the uncomfortable issue of racial inequality. Hughes poem focuses on the injustice suffered by African American workers, line 2” They send me to eat in the kitchen/when company comes,” This metaphor reveals in a symbolic way the racism in American society. Whitman’s poem seems to forget the race issue because the poem celebrates each workers individualism. For example, each line begins with a worker’s title: “Mechanics,” “Carpenters” and “Masons”...
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...Compare and Contrast In Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing,” and Claude McKay’s “America” the poets present dissimilar perspectives of America. The two focus on life in America and that is the exact point where the similarities of the two poets begin to fade away. Whitman’s view of America is positive, focusing on life of everyday people in America. Where McKay’s view of America is much more negative and focusing only on the hate and racism in the country. In some ways he appears to be angry towards life in America but also can not love the country. They both use various literary tools to portray their self view on America. In the poem, "I Hear America Singing" Walt Whitman shows many different ways of positive living in the everyday life of American citizens. In this poem, Whitman uses phrases like "strong melodious songs" to show the gratitude towards the ability to working hard labor and well support a family. It also shows how hard working men use their imagination and physical strength of well mixing the beauty and happiness with the songs that they sing. The "varied carols" refers to the culture and life of America.The attitude that Whitman has towards America is that he sees it as his way of the ideal part of human life. Claude Mckay's poem "America" expresses the hardship of living in a country full of hate and Mckay acknowledges this by using words like "bitterness," "hate," and "sinking." "Sinks into my throat her tiger's tooth, stealing my breath of life"...
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...Everyone thinks that America is successful, fearless,and the land of opportunity. Particularly, Walt Whitman's poem” I Hear America Singing and Langston Hughes poem “Let America Be America Again” are expressing their views of their two different world. Even though the poem” I Hear America Singing” and “Let America Be America Again” have many similarities they have many differences too;one of those differences is how their races affect their points of view. America's legacy of freedom has been questioned though slavery and segregation. These two subjects have been a problem for generation separating races and giving two different views of america. Though between these differences there are similarities that we see eye to eye with. For example Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes are both famous poets, but Walt Whitman's america is different from Langston Hughes because he grew up as A white and Langston Hughes grew up as a black-sadly affecting their views. Even though they're both talking about the american dream “I Hear America Singing” Expresses america as the dream it was supposed to be, then “Let America Be America Again” shows that the american...
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...An America of white sings louder the the rest. This is a rough interpretation of how Langston Hughes and african American writer took the meaning of the I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman. Langston Hughes decided to write a rebuttal to the poem in which he name I, Too. This poem challenge Whitman's poem basically saying you forgot the Black from your poem. Langston almost puts it as a revised edition or a part that went missing for the original publishing. I, Too was a big statement piece for the African American community and publically reaching out and saying there is a problem in America and it needs to be solve. All men are equal and that what all the founding fathers agreed on yet still Blacks were looked at as lesser. There are two big points made in both Whitman's I Hear America singing, and Hughes I, Too. First is Whitman's poem I Hear America Singing, this is a power piece of the American pride. This displays the hard work all American endure and the struggle they had to go through. It was what makes the America such a great nation. In Whitman's poem it says, " The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam, The mason singing his as he makes ready for work. " (lines 5-6). This continues showing examples in which white men pride themselves...
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...Proud to be an American It is easy to believe that Langston Hughes’s “I, Too” is written in response to Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing,” although the content of both poems are similar. It would appear that the poets wrote them together though they were written at different times. An analysis of these poems reveals a common theme, similar language and different narration aspects. The theme of both poems is patriotism, as evidenced by both poets using the words “I sing.” In “I Hear America Singing,” Whitman portrays a list of different occupations and people who are happy with their jobs in America while Hughes portrays one person that is happy. Hughes’s version states “I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother” (line 1-2). It appears to be written by a slave that is happy about being in America. Whereas Whitman’s poem portrays a group when it states “Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,” (line 9) it suggests that it is about non-blacks, especially after reading Hughes’s poem. The main idea of both is to say that though those that make up the melting pot of America are different in race, color and background, everyone has a role to play in making this country great. The context of the poems are almost identical. Both are written in free verse and do not have a pattern or rhyme. They are also both written in an upbeat, happy tone. Whitman uses words like “carols,” “blithe,” “robust” and “melodious” in his version to describe how content...
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...After careful consideration, I elected to write my final paper on the works of author, Walt Whitman. The reason I selected this author is because I have travelled to the Atlantic coast and driven over the Walt Whitman Bridge numerous times, never knowing who he was, or what he did. When I saw his name in the textbook, I was intrigued. I decided I wanted to educate myself and analyze his work. The first poem I studied by him was “Beat! Beat! Drums!”. In this poem he speaks of bugles and drums, and the sounds that originate from them. In the first paragraph, he states “Through the windows-through doors-burst like a ruthless force, Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation, Into the school where the scholar is studying;” I interpreted this to mean the sound of the bugles and drums carry through windows and doors and interrupt those that are around them. They hear the sounds being made, and cannot shut them out. He continues by saying “Make no parley-stop for no expostulation” (Whitman, para 3). To me, this means that that he wants the sounds to keep coming, regardless of any complaints from elsewhere. I am thinking that this has something to do with the military, and the bugles and drums that are being played are a way to express to everyone that it is happening and unavoidable regardless of pleas from mothers and children. The second poem I read by Walt Whitman was “I Hear America Singing” (Whitman, 644). This poem talks of different labored...
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...People would usually use the term “American” to refer to someone who simply lives in America, but there is more to this word than just that. When I think of an “American” I think of someone who is free to do just about whatever they want, someone who is patriotic and loves what their country stands for, and someone who has the opportunity to acquire a job and work in order to provide for their family. John McCain explains this idea in his short story, “Veterans Day”. Walt Whitman also backs up this definition up in his poem, “I Hear America Singing”. In “Veterans Day,” the author, John McCain tells us a story about his days in Vietnam. He introduces a fellow named Mike Christian who “didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13.” He met Christian at a P.O.W. Prison where they were cellmates along with a group of others. When the soldiers are allowed to receive some care packages Mike Christian gets his hands on some cloth and a bamboo needle and begins sowing an American flag on the inside of his shirt. Eventually, one of the guards finds the flag and Mike is beaten. When he returns from his punishment his eye is almost swollen shut, but he whips out his bamboo needle and starts constructing a new flag all over again. It's easy to see that he takes being an American very seriously and loves his country. This is supported by the quote, “He was making the flag because he knew how important it was for us to be able to pledge allegiance to our flag and country.” And also by McCain...
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...Outline: The topic is contrast between the city life and the country life, and the contrast is based on self experience I used to be. The city life: busy, pressure, hard work, achievement, convenience, shopping, movie, entertainment, the air pollution, the busy mass transmission system, my parents, my siblings, coldness between people, everything is complex The country life: my old and stubborn grandpa, my tender grandma, the nostalgia, the tangerine garden, the old house, living on the mountain, fresh air, comfortable atmosphere, the life without worry, get up early, quiet, seldom going to the town, no many shopping store, do not have to worry about the relationship between people, simple food for every meal Possible idea for contrasting: complex relationship to people versus simple relationship to people, the convenience life versus isolated life on the mountain, the irregular and regular work and rest life Text: Everyone has her own image to the city life and the country life; therefore I have my own idea to these two kinds of life style. To me the city life is quite different to the country life, and the comparison sources are my life experience and my memory. I lived with my grand parents in the country in my childhood; after I finished my first year in the elementary school, I came to live with my parents in the Taipei County. From then on, I go back to my grandparents’ old house when it is summer or winter vacation. Under this situation, the differences between...
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...Analysis of "A Nation's Strength" By Ralph Waldo Emerson "A nation's strength" is a poem written by Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1847. I can see that it is a poem from a line of similarities that this text has to/with a poem. A poem is characterized by the composition, the use of strong verbs and precise nouns, the use of rhythm, repetitions, alliteration, line breaks and the use of metaphors, similes or personification. Poems will often rhyme but they will not sacrifice meaning for rhyme. A poem has a focused purpose (paints a picture, recreates a feeling, tells a story, captures a moment, etc). In this poem the author uses vivid imagery and metaphors to convince the reader that the strength of a nation, is not in its wealth or military powers, but in its people. I would like to start off by explaining the structural composition of this poem. The form of this poem is a bit of a mix. It has both enjambments and full stops. The enjambment (stanza 1, verse 1, 2) is when one sentence is divided into two verses. A full stop (stanza 2, vers 1) is when there is a definite break/period. It has 6 stanzas and 4 verses in each stanza. The poem has an ab ab rhyme and an 8-6-8-6 rhythm. The ab ab rhyme tells us that the last words in the sentences will rhyme in pairs, every second line. For example the first stanza rhymes; high-defy and strong-throng. The 8-6-8-6 rhythm explains the number of syllables in each verse. For example stanza 1, vers 1, 2; what makes a nation's pillars high=...
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...semiautobiographical novel Black Boy, he fights against a powerful societal pressure to fall in line with the stereotypical Black stereotype: unintelligent and unquestioning. Being the exact opposite of this expectation, he constantly faces this opposition from both the white community and his own family. Encapsulating white expectations, Richard summarized that “the Southern White would rather have had negroes who stole, work for them than negroes who knew…the worth of their own humanity” (Wright). For Richard Wright, rebellion was who he was and what led him to never settle for how racist America was. Despite all of the opposition he faced, he fought back and ultimately became a successful writer and contributor to the Harlem Renaissance. Similarly, Langston Hughes represented the same rebellious spirit in “I, Too,” Reminiscent of Walt Whitman's “I Hear America Singing,” the narrative poem declares in the eyes of a house servant, “Tomorrow, / I’ll be at the table / when company comes. / Nobody’ll dare / say to me. / ‘Eat in the Kitchen’” (Hughes 8-13). Hughes represented the American Identity through his rejection of the white treatment of African Americans. Earlier than these two pieces, The Awakening exemplified the rebellious American spirit through the rejection of maternal expectations. Edna Pontellier lives...
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...You Dropped the Bomb on Me, Baby Feminism and gender studies have been described as having the ability to “challenge literary and culture theory to confront the difficult task of assimilating the findings of an expanding sphere of inquiry” (Contemporary Literary Criticism 567). This area of study has taken center stage during the last fifty years, not only in our society, but also in literary criticism. Although the terrain Feminism traverses can hardly be narrowed down to one single definition, the exploration of the genre can, at times, be the most intriguing feature of the criticism itself. While feminism has undoubtedly changed the way women and gender roles are considered in society today, it has also had an impact on the way that I, too, read literature, look at American culture, and view the world. Walter Ong suggests that “‘literature’ itself is the product of—or completely wound up and ‘imbricated’ in—the social contexts out of which it grows” (CLC 461). The social contexts that exist in our society have not only affected our societal systems themselves, but also have changed the way we view our class systems, gender roles, and sexual choices. Viewing society from a Marxist perspective can also help us decipher the unspoken rules that govern us. “Not only do Marxist critics want criticism to be constantly aware of history—both present and past history—in reading and literature, they also demand that the criticism become more overtly political or… ‘politically informed...
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...theory today A Us e r - F r i e n d l y G u i d e S E C O N D E D I T I O N L O I S T Y S O N New York London Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN © 2006 by Lois Tyson Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number‑10: 0‑415‑97410‑0 (Softcover) 0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number‑13: 978‑0‑415‑97410‑3 (Softcover) 978‑0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Tyson, Lois, 1950‑ Critical theory today : a user‑friendly guide / Lois Tyson.‑‑ 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0‑415‑97409‑7 (hb) ‑‑ ISBN 0‑415‑97410‑0 (pb) 1. Criticism. I. Title. PN81.T97 2006 801’...
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...Proceeding for the School of Visual Arts Eighteenth Annual National Conference on Liberal Arts and the Education of Artists: Art and Story CONTENTS SECTION ONE: Marcel’s Studio Visit with Elstir……………………………………………………….. David Carrier SECTION TWO: Film and Video Narrative Brief Narrative on Film-The Case of John Updike……………………………………. Thomas P. Adler With a Pen of Light …………………………………………………………………… Michael Fink Media and the Message: Does Media Shape or Serve the Story: Visual Storytelling and New Media ……………………………………………………. June Bisantz Evans Visual Literacy: The Language of Cultural Signifiers…………………………………. Tammy Knipp SECTION THREE: Narrative and Fine Art Beyond Illustration: Visual Narrative Strategies in Picasso’s Celestina Prints………… Susan J. Baker and William Novak Narrative, Allegory, and Commentary in Emil Nolde’s Legend: St. Mary of Egypt…… William B. Sieger A Narrative of Belonging: The Art of Beauford Delaney and Glenn Ligon…………… Catherine St. John Art and Narrative Under the Third Reich ……………………………………………… Ashley Labrie 28 15 1 22 25 27 36 43 51 Hopper Stories in an Imaginary Museum……………………………………………. Joseph Stanton SECTION FOUR: Photography and Narrative Black & White: Two Worlds/Two Distinct Stories……………………………………….. Elaine A. King Relinquishing His Own Story: Abandonment and Appropriation in the Edward Weston Narrative………………………………………………………………………….. David Peeler Narrative Stretegies in the Worlds of Jean Le Gac and Sophe Calle…………………….. Stefanie Rentsch...
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...C h a p t e r 1 Prewriting GETTING STARTED (OR SOUP-CAN LABELS CAN BE FASCINATING) For many writers, getting started is the hardest part. You may have noticed that when it is time to begin a writing assignment, you suddenly develop an enormous desire to straighten your books, water your plants, or sharpen your pencils for the fifth time. If this situation sounds familiar, you may find it reassuring to know that many professionals undergo these same strange compulsions before they begin writing. Jean Kerr, author of Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, admits that she often finds herself in the kitchen reading soup-can labels—or anything—in order to prolong the moments before taking pen in hand. John C. Calhoun, vice president under Andrew Jackson, insisted he had to plow his fields before he could write, and Joseph Conrad, author of Lord Jim and other novels, is said to have cried on occasion from the sheer dread of sitting down to compose his stories. To spare you as much hand-wringing as possible, this chapter presents some practical suggestions on how to begin writing your short essay. Although all writers must find the methods that work best for them, you may find some of the following ideas helpful. But no matter how you actually begin putting words on paper, it is absolutely essential to maintain two basic ideas concerning your writing task. Before you write a single sentence, you should always remind yourself that 1. You have some valuable ideas to tell your reader,...
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...Bloom’s Classic Critical Views W i l l ia m Sha k e Sp e a r e Bloom's Classic Critical Views alfred, lord Tennyson Benjamin Franklin The Brontës Charles Dickens edgar allan poe Geoffrey Chaucer George eliot George Gordon, lord Byron henry David Thoreau herman melville Jane austen John Donne and the metaphysical poets John milton Jonathan Swift mark Twain mary Shelley Nathaniel hawthorne Oscar Wilde percy Shelley ralph Waldo emerson robert Browning Samuel Taylor Coleridge Stephen Crane Walt Whitman William Blake William Shakespeare William Wordsworth Bloom’s Classic Critical Views W i l l ia m Sha k e Sp e a r e Edited and with an Introduction by Sterling professor of the humanities Yale University harold Bloom Bloom’s Classic Critical Views: William Shakespeare Copyright © 2010 Infobase Publishing Introduction © 2010 by Harold Bloom All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For more information contact: Bloom’s Literary Criticism An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data William Shakespeare / edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom : Neil Heims, volume editor. p. cm. — (Bloom’s classic critical views) Includes bibliographical references...
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