What does The Wasteland mean (Lol)?
OK, well, let's unpack that:
1. How has it been interpreted? Use citations.
2. What are some of its key features?
3. In what ways has it been influential??
PoMo
1. What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named?
2. On what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended?
3. In what ways are Beat poetry and rap linked?
4. How was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
1. How has it been interpreted? Use citations.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Simpson (2007), Eliot was the most influential poet in the 20th century, and he wrote “The waste Land” that was used as a critical poem in modern society and culture. Eliot said that he is living in the culture that is decaying and changing and will never stop. Eliot was a critic on the modern society after World War 1. Also, he thought of the past culture before WW1 and the positive things that the culture had, but Eliot thought that he was living in the discolored culture now. In my opinion, it was not the poem that includes how Eliot wrote about the bad situation that he had, but the poem that include all feelings of people who were living in the culture.
Reference
Simpson, A. G. (2007). Analysis of T.S. Eliot’s the waste land. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/analysis-ts-eliots-waste-land-594548.html
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ReplyDelete2. What are some of its key features?
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia (2013), in Eliot’s The Waste Land, he used various allusions and quotations from Shakespeare, Homer, Chaucer, and Dante etc. Also, he used many scriptural books such as Hindu, Buddha, and Bible extensively. In detail, he used over 56 works from over 36 old writers as his quotation or allusion, and he adopted his work into 6 languages except English.
Additionally, as Lewis (2010) mentions, the one of key features that Eliot liked to use can be collage of poetic fragments in “The Waste land”. This can be defined as what one situation is overlapped with another situation. This point played an important part in his poem and the point also was important in modernism. In my opinion, the meaning of the idea could be a vital part in modernism.
References
Lewis, P. (2010). The Waste Land. Retrieved from http://modernism.research.yale.edu/wiki/index.php/The_Waste_Land
Wikipedia. (2013). The Waste Land. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Waste_Land#Structure
3. In what ways has it been influential??
ReplyDeleteAccording to Lewis (2010), Eliot, the most important one of modernist poets, enhanced the artistic affectivity and the literary expression skills through “The Waste Land”. Also, this work influenced American modern poetries as well as other genres related to modernism. As the one of symbolism works that seek for the spiritual home at that time, the work expressed the most deep side of the world excessively and it contributed to the growth of English literature.
Additionally, as Wikipedia (2013) points out, Eliot made many writers impressed. “The Waste Land” seemed to be first piece of the literature that started to move into modernism. After establishing the work, Eliot became the father of a modernism poet and many writers did not afraid to write modernistic thought in their works.
References
Lewis, P. (2010). The Waste Land. Retrieved from http://modernism.research.yale.edu/wiki/index.php/The_Waste_Land
Wikipedia. (2013). Modernist poetry in English. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernist_poetry_in_English
Pomo
ReplyDelete1. What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named?
According to Parkins (2005), “The Beat Generation, also known as the beat movement, was a group of American writers who emerged in the 1950s. Among its most influential members were Gary Snyder, the radical poet Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac.” (para.6). They shared common elements of beat cultures such as other shapes of sexuality and experimentation with drugs, and also shared the opposition of materialism, Eastern religion, and the unexpurgated means of being and expression.
Additionally, as Wikipedia (2013) points out, the term “The Beat Generation” was introduced by Jack Kerouac in 1948 and it became a characteristic of the youth movement for anti-conformist in New York. The word “Beat” could mean “beaten down” or “tired” in colloquial speech, and it later was extended to add connotations such as "upbeat," "beatific," and the musical association of being "on the beat".
References
Parkins, K. (2005). The Beat Generation. Retrieved from http://home.clara.net/heureka/art/beat-generation.htm
Wikipedia. (2013). The Beat Generation. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_Generation
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ReplyDeletePomo
ReplyDelete2. On what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended?
As Vickers (2005) mentions, Ginsberg’s Howl included many things about illegal drugs or sexual practices that have both homosexuality and heterosexuality.
For example, as Sederberg (n.d) points out, in a line of Howl, "who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy", the saintly motorcyclist means a reference to one character of Marlon Brando’s. He also mentioned how capitalism is fatal and about capitalism in America. Howl was a subject of 1957 obscenity trials that asserted it by mentioning “filthy, vulgar, obscene, and disgusting language." Especially, Howl was really controversial about homosexuality. It was a reflection of Ginsberg’s bisexuality and it was published when sodomy laws made homosexual practice an illegality in America.
However, some literary experts supported it by proving the social value of it. Additionally, Clayton, Judge in America, advocated that Howl was not obscene by mentioning “Would there be any freedom of press or speech if one must reduce his vocabulary to vapid innocuous euphemisms?" (Sederberg, n.d).
References
Sederberg, J. (n.d). The Howl obscentity trial historical essay. Retrieved from http://foundsf.org/index.php?title=The_Howl_Obscenity_Trial
Vickers, C. (2005). Allen Ginsberg: Poet whose work led to rap music. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/allen-ginsberg-poet-whose-work-led-rap-music-2212.html
Pomo
ReplyDelete4. How was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
As Gundersen (2001) mentions, in “Masters of War”, Dylan said that war is broken out by the government, political idea, and criticizing their choices. Once war is over, younger generation and men even women all must fight and help repairing society by choices. Dylan’s view, as seen through the song, is that it is really wrong to build the war that makes citizen threaten and makes soldiers for war. The wrong thing is the political figures. During Bush administration, Bush was called as “Master of War”. If you see anything about politics at that time, you could see that Bush began to be regarded as “Master of War” by people and articles.
Additionally, during the Bush administration, Dylan’s Masters of War leaded to controversy when he appeared at Madison Square Garden on 11, November, 2002 after the midterm elections when Bush declared his plan to invade Iraq, and he performed his famous antiwar song. Also, because Bush was known for a popular president post 9/11, and the Iraq War that had the support of the majority of the country and politicians, his antiwar emotions caused controversy (Marcus, 2005).
References
Gundersen, E. (2001). Dylan is positively on top of his game. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2001-09-10-bob-dylan.htm#more
Marcus, G. (2005). Stories of a bad song. Retrieved from http://www.threepennyreview.com/samples/marcus_w06.html
1. What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named?
ReplyDeleteThe Beat Generation was a group of American post-World War II writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired (Wikipedia. n.d) and Amiri Baraka said “the so-called Beat Generation was a whole bunch of people, of all different nationalities, who came to the conclusion that society sucked (beatdom. n.d)”.
The Beat Generation was never a large movement but in influence and cultural status they were more visible than any other movement. They knew the capitalism that is ruinous to the human mind and social equality. Moreover they didn’t want to go to the same way as their parents’ generation. In Beat Generation’s literature that was more bold, straightforward, and expressive than anything before. Amiri Baraka said Beat Generation best: The so-called Beat Generation was a whole bunch of people, of all different nationalities, who came to the conclusion that society sucked.
Major Writers of the Beat Generation (Rahn. 2011)
Ginsberg, Allen (1926-1997)
Kerouac, Jack (1922-1969)
Burroughs, William S. (1914-1997)
Corso, Gregory (1930-2001)
Ferlinghetti, Lawrence (1919-)
Cassady, Neal (1926-1968)
Solomon, Carl (1928-1993)
Holmes, John Clellon (1926-1988)
Johnson, Joyce (1935-)
Kesey, Ken (1935-2001)
Brautigan, Richard (1935-1984)
Snyder, Gary (1930-)
References
Beatdom. (n.d). What is Beat. Retrieved from http://www.beatdom.com/?page_id=391
Rahn, J. (2011). The Beat Generation. Retrieved from http://www.online-literature.com/periods/beat.php
Tytell, J. 1976. American Literature. Duke University Press .48(3), 428-430. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2924908
2. On what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended?
ReplyDeleteRaski mentions that "Howl" is considered to be one of the great works of American literature.”(2006. p.223)
"Howl" has many references to drugs and sexual actions both heterosexual and homosexual.
This is the voice that he was speaking in court.
It is divided into three sections. The first has been described as a sometimes hysterical lament about the political and cultural conservatism that has destroyed the best minds of the poet's generation. The second is a poetic tirade against Moloch, the symbol of human avarice that creates a society of dehumanized, desensitized, mechanized conformists. Ginsberg claims to have seen the image of Moloch in the silhouette of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel at Union Square. (Whether drugs were involved is uncertain.) The third part of the poem is addressed to his friend in a mental institution--a victim of the mad society around him (Sederberg, J. n.d).
Moreover a number of literary experts testified that his poetry show the social value. Clayton W. Horn eventually ruled that Howl was not obscene.
References
Raski,J. (2006). American Scream: Allen Ginsberg's Howl and the Making of the Beat Generation. University of California Press
Sederberg, J. (n.d). The Howl Obscenity Trial. Retrieved from http://foundsf.org/index.php?title=The_Howl_Obscenity_Trial
3. In what ways are Beat poetry and rap linked?
ReplyDeleteThe battle against social conformity and literary tradition was central to the work of the Beats. (Clellon. 1952)
Beat poetry began with complaints about society of those times. they express people`s emotions with simple grammar and intense vocabulary (Heureka. n.d). Also basically, poetry has the subject and rhythm.
This feature is very similar to Rap. Because Rap has rhythm and express people`s emotions. In addition, sometimes Rap shows the problems of society. When I saw these things, there are the connection point between Beat poetry and rap.
References
Clellon H, J. (1952). This is the Beat Generation. Retrieved from http://www.litkicks.com/Texts/ThisIsBeatGen.html
Heureka. (n.d). Beat Generation. Retrieved 29 May 29, 2013 from http://www.heureka.clara.net/art/beat-generation.htm
4. How was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
ReplyDeleteDylan's lyrics are a protest against the Cold War arms build-up of the early 1960s.
Dylan saying: "I've never written anything like that before. I don't sing songs which hope people will die, but I couldn't help it with this one. The song is a sort of striking out... a feeling of what can you do?” In his song exposure and criticism is accentuated by the A-B-C-B rhyming structure of the lyrics, which begs a question or makes a accusation to the ‘Masters of War,’ which is followed by a strong moral judgment by Dylan, as in the lines:
“Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul.
References
Lavoignat, A. (2013). Bob dylan’s masters of war by Arthur. Retrieved 29 May 29, 2013 from http://prezi.com/rxo2ivmqqams/bob-dylans-masters-of-war-by-arthur/
1. How has it been interpreted? Use citations.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of Eliot's most famous poems. It was published near the beginning of 1922. It's one of the more representative works of literary Modernism.
According to Education portal (2003) “The Waste Land is a poem about spiritual dryness, about the kind of existence in which no regenerating belief gives significance and value to men’s daily activities, sex brings no fruitfulness, and death heralds no resurrection.”(p.1)
Eliot himself gives one of the main clues to the theme and structure of the poem in a general note, in which he states that “not only the title, but the plan and a good deal of symbolism of the poem were suggested by Miss Jessie Weston’s book on the Grail legend: From Ritual to Romance” (Jessie. n.d)
References
Dexter, G. (2012). Why Not Catch 21? : The Stories behind the titles. Singapore, KHL Printing
Education portal. (2003). The waste land: structure and style explained. Retrieved 29 May 29, 2013 from http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/the-waste-land.html
Jessie, L. (n.d). The waste land and the fisher king. Retrieved 29 May 29, 2013 from http://wasteland.windingway.org/title/the-waste-land-and-the-fisher-king
2. What are some of its key features?
ReplyDelete1. Disjointed Timeline
'The Waste Land' doesn't have a plot from beginning to end. The only structure it has is that it has five sections: 'The Burial of the Dead,' 'A Game of Chess,' 'The Fire Sermon,' 'Death by Water' and 'What the Thunder Said.'
2. Voices
In terms of voices, the first section (The Burial of the Dead) is Marie, an aristocrat. She's remembering about her time in Munich and she says:
And when we were children, staying at the archduke's,
My cousin's, he took me out on a sled,
And I was frightened.
Continually he didn’t display the exact sign who is talk with.
Reference
Chazelle,D. (2007). GradeSaver (tm) ClassicNotes The Waste Land: Study Guide. GradeSaver, LLC
3. In what ways has it been influential??
ReplyDeleteThe Waste Land is a highly influential 433-line modernist poem by T. S. Eliot.
This poem deals with the decline of civilization and the impossibility of recovering meaning in life.
According to Michael many critics have argued that T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land is a poem that attempts to deal with the physical destruction and human atrocities of the First World War, or that he had somehow expressed the disillusionment of a generation. For Eliot, such a characterization was too reductive (2009, p.1).
Obviously this poem is quite different from other poem. As I said before, we can find unique features. These features would have given a new impact at that time.
References
Michael, T. (2009). T. S. Eliot, Dharma Bum: Buddhist Lessons in The Waste Land. Retrieved 29 May 29, 2013 from http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/phl/summary/v033/33.2.lecarner.html
1. How has it been interpreted? Use citations.
ReplyDeleteThe Waste Land is a 434-line poem and has been called one of the most important poems of the 20th century. The hint of mystery in such a poem illustrating Eliot’s psychological turmoil causes the reader to understand what is being portrayed within the context. Simpson (2007) asserts The Waste Land is an “allusive and complex poem...it is subject to a variety of interpretations.” However Endnotes(n.d), states The Waste Land is a “reflection of Eliot’s disillusionment with the moral decay of post-World War I Europe”.
The Waste Land was kind of hard to read with the constant shifts between different speakers and scenes, often without warning. Although it is evident when reading this text that it is a modern piece of literature which is hard to comprehend as it was composed in 1922 but the.
2. What are some of its key features?
The Waste Land is made up of five sections; The Burial of the Dead, A Game of Chess, The Fire Sermon, Death by Water and What The Thunder Said as each section is reflective upon a specific topic. Example, the first section The Burial of the dead illustrates death through the passing of the seasons as lines 1-7 depicts of the season spring as line 8 goes into a new season “Summer surprised us...” Another distinguishing feature is T.S Elliot's use of foreign languages such as German and Hindi in his poem. “Frisch weht der Wind Der Heimat zu. Mein Irisch Kind, Wo weilest du?” (L31. The poem is also known for it’s extensive footnotes to explain and familiarize his audience with the notion’s he was referring to.
References:
Endnotes.(n.d). The Waste Land Study Guide. Retrieved 10 June 2013 from http://www.enotes.com/waste-land
Simpson, A. (2007). Analysis of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. Retrieved 10 June 2013 from http://voices.yahoo.com/analysis-ts-eliots-waste-land-594548.html
What does The Wasteland mean (Lol)?
ReplyDelete2. What are some of its key features?
The fact is that author quoted form 36 writers and 56works and 6 languages.ThE key feature is the quotations and the allusions.
. What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named?
ReplyDeleteThe common quality which the “Beats” share is that they move with a spontaneous and continuous flow. The writings of the “Beats use colourful language such as “America” (1956) in which the USA is told to go and fuck themselves with their own atom bomb.
the “Beats” got there name from a couple of their own members.
"Beat Generation". Wikipedia free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_Generation.
2. “Howl”. Wikipedia: free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl#1957_obscenity_trial.
On what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended?
ReplyDeleteMolly mentioned two quotes.There are many other lines that can be seen as reasons Ginsburg’s poem was seen this way.
“Who blew and were blown by those human seraphim, the sailors, caresses of Atlantic and Caribbean love.” (p. 223)
http://www.hum.aau.dk/~i12bent/LITHISTBEAT.html
“Who cooked rotten animals lung heart feet tail borsht & tortillas dreaming of pure vegetable kingdom,” (p. 224)
The second quote is one that is a bit less “obscene”, but purely disgusting . I still cant figure out how Ginsburg is defended on these quotes.