Beat Beat Drums

Beat Beat Drums

When a country is at war it is the common people who suffer. In Walt Whitman’s poem, “Beat! Beat! Drums,” the speaker signifies the sounds of war. The speaker, listening to the banging of war drums and shrill sounds of bugles, relates the interruption these war sounds have on the harmony of people’s lives. Whitman uses the sounds of drums as an audible image to show its effects on the common people. Whitman uses two types of imagery to express the cold indirect and direct effects of war. Whitman using the loud banging of drums and the blows of bugles creates a war atmosphere throughout the whole poem. He brings in the sounds of war at the beginning and end of every section to ensure the reader has a feeling that the drums are never ending. For example, Whitman starts the first section with: “Beat! beat! drums – blow bugles blow”, and ends the first section with a feeling that the drums are only getting louder: “So fierce you whirr and pound you drums – so shrill you bugles blow. Whitman writes of how the war is felt on two different levels: one as a community, and the other as personal. Using imagery, the sounds travel “through the windows-through doors-burst like a ruthless force,” as if the drums and bugles are shattering through the homes of the common people. In the first section Whitman shows of how the sounds of war effect the personal lives of the common people. Whitman uses imagery to show how the drums and bugles interrupt everyday life. This is evident in the lines: “Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation Into the school where the scholar is studying; Leave not the bridegroom quiet-no happiness must he have with his bride, Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering his grain,” These four lines expressed by Whitman have an underlying meaning in each image he presents. Whitman uses the image of a “solemn church” to show how people must go through each day, with an empty feeling in their souls, knowing their lives’ are at risk. Using the image of a “school” being disrupted; Whitman is able to express the idea that during a time of war no education is able to take place. His underlying meaning, having no education in a child’s life only leads to an uneducated group of people in the future. Again Whitman is able to create an image of how war effects peoples’ lives both directly and indirectly. “Leave not the bridegroom quiet- no happiness must he have with his bride,” Whitman uses the image of a “bridegroom” leaving his wife to show how young men during this time are called off to duty to defend their country or side. The underlying meaning of this is that new families are unable to be started because of the separation of husbands and wives. “Nor the peaceful farmer any peace,” Whitman uses the image of a farmer to express the idea that no food will be grown because of war taking place. People’s everyday work life is effected by this war only creating problems for the future. Whitman uses wonderful images to show how the war affects peoples’ jobs. “No bargainers by day- no brokers or speculators-would/ they continue?” The speaker expresses how even the rich persons of the community cannot carry on with their jobs. Whitman’s underlying meaning is that because of the war an economic depression might happen in the future. Whitman takes every section and turns them into a part of the war. Each section is how a war would take over a particular community. In the first section Whitman talks of all quiet and peaceful places; “church”, “school”, and “field.” These show how the drums are easy to disrupt these calming places. Then Whitman finishes the first section as the drums are getting louder or the war is getting bigger, “So fierce you whirr and pound your drums- so shrill you bugles blow.” This line states that the speaker can start to feel the sounds of the drums and not only hear them. The second section the speaker knows that after a war hit the quiet aspects of life it takes on the noisy. The second section shows how the drums are so loud they can be heard through large cities, “Over the traffic of cities- over the rumble of wheels in the streets;” this shows how the war has evolved to something that not only disrupts churches and schools but something that disrupts whole cities. The speaker then uses good images of jobs in the big city to further his notion that that war is taking over all aspects of the common people’s lives. “Would the talkers be talking? Would a singer attempt to sing? / Would the lawyer rise in court to state his case before the judge?” Whitman uses a sense of sarcasm in these two lines. He is stating would these people continue on with their lives even though they have this terrible feeling disrupting their day. The speaker finishes off the second section with the drums and bugles getting louder and heavier, “then rattle quicker, heavier drums-you bugles wilder blow.” In the third section, Whitman gets into the feelings of the drums and the drive behind the war. The next few lines indicate: “Make no parley -- stop for no expostulation, Mind not the timid -- mind not the weeper or prayer, Mind not the old man beseeching the young man, Let not the child’s voice be heard, nor the mother’s entreaties,” Whitman uses a sense of sarcasm in these four lines. Make no “parley” or truces and keep fighting even if you are ruining everyday life. Whitman is trying to express the fact that the war has no desire to stop and will keep on going until it has to. Who cares about the “timid” or the weak, who cares if people are in “prayer” to stop the war; the war will keep going and people will have to keep their lives on hold. Whitman uses an “old” man and a “young” man to show that the war takes on all kinds of people and affects every age group. Whitman uses a great amount of sarcasm in the line: “Let not the child’s voice be heard, nor the mother’s entreaties,” he tries to get the point across that the drums will stop for no one and the war will keep going until its resolved. Whitman uses wonderful imagery to show the cold terrors of war. This poem “Beat! Beat! Drums” is a poem to show the horrible effects of war. War not only has negative effects on the common people but negative effects on the future.

Beat Movement

Beat Movement
The "Beat Movement" in modern literature has become an important period in the history of literature and society in America. Incorporating influences such as jazz, art, literature, philosophy and religion, the beat writers created a new and prophetic vision of modern life and changed the way a generation of people sees the world. That generation is mow aging and its representative voices are becoming lost to eternity, but the message is alive and well. The Beats have forever altered the nature of American consciousness. The Beat Generation of writers offered the world a new attitude. They brought to society a consciousness of life worth living. They offered a method of escape from the stultifying, unimaginative world we live in, through the exploration of one's intellect. Beat has had many different contemporary implications in music, poetry and literature. Literature has been liberated considerably. The poetic form has been changed to inaugurate a new poetic form, an American form. "There was less emphasis on tradition and more emphasis on the individual talent. (www.rohan.sdsu.edu)" One of the most important contributions to contemporary verse was to take poetry out of the classrooms and into non-academic setting—coffee houses, jazz clubs, large public auditoriums and even athletic stadiums. Poetry is more popular and more read than anytime in history, not only spoken poetry but also sung poetry of a high order. "The literature, coordinated by pop music, with a way of dressing, with a way of life, it something that has influenced the youth of the world not only in Western countries but Eastern countries as well. (www.charm.net)" Music has been influenced greatly by Beat writing. The lyrics of many great songs have forever been changed by the writing of the Beat Generation. "Bob Dylan's favorite poet was Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg became one of Dylan's greatest friends. He worked on many projects with Dylan...The band Rage Against the Machine has many of Ginsberg's poems and words show up in their songs. For instance the song 'Bulls on Parade' includes Ginsberg 'Hadda Been Playing on the Jukebox' (www.charm.net)" Generation X writers are compared to the Beat writers. Many people say that the "generation coming to age has the potential to bring a new vision to society. The Beats thumbed their noses at the corporate world just like Generation X does today. (www.altx.com/io/beatgeneration.html)" Many writers of Generation X have been influenced by the writing like Andy Clausen, Eliot Katz, Geoffrey Manough and Ed Sanders. There are many writers that have been influenced but have not been included in the Generation X section. These writers took up the flame of the Beat flavor, keeping it strong. James Wright was one of the writers that kept the flame going. "He was much admired poet of his generation...(www.rohan.sdsu.edu)" His works have a "sense of Midwestern American bleakness...(www.rohan.sdsu)" One of his poems goes like this "My bones turn to dark emeralds Your hands turn yellow in the ruins of the sun Suddenly I realize That if I stepped out of my body I would break Into blossom (www.rohan.sdsu.edu)" Another such writer with Beat flavor would be Adrienne Rich. "Rich's work established the importance of gender in shaping a poetic consciousness and she became a mentor to thousands of women, enabling them to 'speak the unspeakable,' to authenticate their unique experience of reality. (www.rohan.sdsu.edu)" Beat writing has made a great impact on the writing of today's generation. It has allowed people to be more open with themselves and the people that are reading their works. It is also allowed people to be more open minded to new ideas that these works brought to the surface for everybody to see. Where early writing was stiff, beat writing allowed for the writing to come after it to beat to a different drummer. Beat writing has expanded the world of literature, poetry and music to a higher level for people to enjoy

Attitude

Attitude
I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have. Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free. Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste. Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive. Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born. Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses. Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships. Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do. Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge. Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because God has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul. Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have! Have a great day...unless you have other plans.

Asking

Asking
Yearning for his gentle touch and strong embrace, I see my freedom as a whole new face. Wanting to be with him before he’s gone, is lingering in all my thoughts and dreams. Wanting to be with him before he’s gone, is lingering in all my thoughts and dreams. I’d only loose the freedom of seeing whom I please, as well as the special moments of intimacy. He is older and yet is saved, but as for me I’m younger and already broken. Not wanting him to think that I am acting out of jealously, since that is what it took to realize my feelings. Not wanting him to think I’m lost, but more as if I’m trying to break free. Free from a commitment I had not so long ago, that I’m still trying to emotionally let go. Anger overwhelms me for what had happened, but it’s still all coming to a closing end... Only now I don’t know where to begin. Not wanting him to think that I’m using him for his love and money, but more of a feeling of love and pure will to devotion. I won’t use him he’s to good to me, even if we aren’t made to be. Nothing to serious should arise, but nobody can tell the futures time. I know it may be a struggle, for I am not the only one who loves him. I may be the only one to put up a fight, even though things may not turn out all right. I can live with freedom guaranteed, but one day soon I will fulfill my loving deed. All I’m asking for is another chance, to get back the same romance. I can predict what the answer may be, but as of now I’d love for you to be with me.

Anne Sexton

Anne Sexton
This is a poem that is filled with imagery that the author uses to identify the reader with what I feel were personal stresses in her own life. In class we talked about Anne as an emotionally challenged women who couldn’t cope with every day life. The Title of the poem suggests by saying “Her” that she is talking about someone else that she could relate to. However I think that instead she might have been talking about her self. Through out the poem she shows the Worlds view of the witch and then gives her own feelings on the subject such as “ I have been her kind” and “ A woman like that is not a woman at all.” All the stanzas have seven lines and all have the same last line. It seems that the stanzas slowly lead up to some kind of explanation to the way women are treated. Through out the poem the tone is a dreary one. We are taken through the story relating to the witch and agreeing with the fact that these obscene gestures by the witch, “ waving my nude arms at villages going by” are some how warranted. It is obvious that that the symbolism and metaphor shows us a witch and I think also these metaphors relate to the author and how she feels she is labeled. In the first stanza we get a picture of classical views of what a witch symbolizes, and this then tells me how Anne must feel. She says “ braver at night/ over the plain houses light by light.” I think this is saying that she is more comfortable at night, maybe in seclusion, and looks down on the average “normal” home light by light and sees that as been the norm and want nothing to do with it. I think she feels different than the rest and the fact that she uses dark and light might even say she might even feel evil. She even states she is “out of mind” which is what I think she’s saying to show she is different and she feels that is how she is looked at and sarcastically says that she can’t be the ideal woman. The second stanza seems different to me. It seems to be more symbolic of her own life. I see a witch, maybe herself obsess with the arranging of her so-called cave. I think this is symbolic of her home life and shows everyone’s image of an ugly witch in a cave doing ugly witch things. I think this is how she felt about the average housewife in that she says, “ A woman like that is misunderstood.” I think she meant that the average housewife is fooling herself. It’s like she took a pause right in the middle of the poem to let the reader know whom she was talking about. She was letting everybody know she couldn’t stand the fact that she had to make a happy home just to get right with society. The third stanza I feel shows the anger she felt towards society. She defies her driver as if to through it in his face that she is a witch by throwing her naked arms. She relates her torment to a like medieval time when witches were burned at the stake and beaten just for who they were, “and my ribs crack were your wheels wind. I think here she has made it through the torture and the ride home hurts do to her injuries. But never the less she made it and is not ashamed. I think she laughs at the women who deny their own impulses and feels that is what is truly ugly.

America Saying

America Saying
 I hear this America screaming, "Our time so greatness is at hand!" Relieving us of knowledge, repressing the boldest new ideas Belligerance the song of their band I hear this America screaming, "Close the door to the mind!" mocking new ideas opppressing alternate religion dogmatizing those of its kind I hear this america screaming, "We'll fight for our country!" building another weapon tossing aside the hippies' please dropping bombs headed for the next century I hear this america screaming, "Come join us! Be free!"...but i'll build my own house i'll light my own fire i'll do anything...that i feel...is me

America Of Frost

America Of Frost
"Let America be the dream dreamers dreamed- Let it be that great strong land of love where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme that any man be crushed by one above." Let yourself wonder and think back to your first ancestor to cross the gigantic, chilling seas risking all, to start over in America. This is what they would be desperately wanting and repeatedly saying to themselves. This captured sense of reality is what drew me to write about this poem. The desperate and anxious emotions that appear throughout its stanza gives the poem its ancient background of how America was found. From people searching for a free and fair world to them just looking for a little peace and chance. The chance to start a wealthy and prosperous life with the fortune and opportunity they all have come to hear about. Within the first stanza, the author imagines back to a time when he had dreamt of a land so beautiful and caring in which he could start over and is free to live his life as he wishes. The author though, has already realized his false hope since reaching the place in his dreams, America. It has turned out to be nothing like he had anticipated or hoped for. He asks, "let America be America again", pleading for the America he had once dreamed of. He next describes the difference between England and America (above) where kings can not govern you as they wish and people of a higher social status cannot push you around. He feels he is deceived by this freedom and power for there is still so much prejudice and discrimination. The reader realizes exactly how beautiful this man's hope for America is in the line; "equality is in the air we breathe." He only meant for a world of harmony and compromise, where possession was not nearly as important as the man next to you. He continues on that the equality and freedom were still just that illusion that he once imagined. The poem then takes an interesting turn in tone when a question is asked. The author uses the perspective of the reader who is hesitant to take what he says for truth. This person asks, " who are you that mumbles in the dark," inquiring that there are many people who have become satisfied with America. Hughes speaks for those people whom have suffered for America to become what it has. Although these people suffered, he goes on to mention the America will still follow the same ways of the old land, "where the mighty crush the weak," and once again equality is forgotten. After leading the reader to see how others were never granted that which America was to give, he describes how and why this still occurs. He speaks of a young man, whom is stuck in the endless chain of power and greed. People are blinded by wealth and constantly want instead of considering what others need. His identity again changes in the seventh stanza when he portrays the men still serfs to the kings in the old world. Those who needed America to be what they dreamt, because it was what gave them hope every day they awoke. (I'm a poet too ya know) These people had such faith in the new world; all their fears soon met with their valiant display of crossing the unknown in search of their dreams, only to be betrayed. "O' let America be America again- The land that has never been yet- And yet must be." This line shows the desperate need for a land where every man is free. For if America will not be it, there is no other place in the world that could become it. Therefore, there is only one chance, but it is fading rapidly. Call me what you will, but the hope of freedom will not surrender, he exclaims. He adds that we must take back America from those who leech off others and only succeed from others misfortune. Hughes most important line throughout the poem is when he swears America will be what he has dreamed. "For it is an ever-living seed which lies deep in the heart of me," he writes. In this line, the author shows his real strength and determination. Even if he doesn't live to see America become what he wishes, he knows it has already existed, inside of him. As long as people realize and trust in this, there will always be hope. This is one of the main ideas I think Hughes would have liked the reader to understand. He ends the poem the same way the declaration of Independence reads, "we the people," signifying unity and asking us to redeem our beautiful land, and make America again! Looking past the text in the poem and glimpsing on its structure, there are a lot unpredictable and erratic patterns. In the beginning, Hughes seems to have fairly regular quatrains with a refrain in between the three of them. This was purposely done to set a mood and to let the readers full attention reflect on his plead. After each convincing stanza, there was his disheartening refrain, to let you ponder whether or not America is what you want it to be. Then the question is announced, and irregular stanzas set in. He now would like you to forget about what he has talked about before, and now put yourself in the lives of these men who worked so hard for America. He asks you to realize why America isn't what it should be. Through four irregular stanzas the refrains stop to allow you to grasp their sence of hope and courage, and not to include his solitude. After these stanzas the refrain reappears, showing his incomprehension of where things went wrong. The second to last stanza seems to stand out from the rest since there aren't many words per line. He wrote these lines very plainly and even announces just that. It shows what he asks and writes about is not difficult to understand or complicated in any way, but so easy to correct. Alliteration and assonance played an important role throughout the poem. The author played around a lot with different words that sounded similar or used a vowel or consonant to attach words. This occurred within the phrases such as "pushed-apart", "slavery's scars", and "Poland's plain". Although there seems to be no particular rhyme scheme he does play around with slant rhyme while also using exact or no rhyme as he chooses. He used many words and phrases over and over, sometimes even in the same sentence, seemingly to embed it into your head. Even though, the poem has an incredible flow to it, which probably can be credited to all of its characteristics.