Storm on the Island Essay Example for Free

Storm on the Island Essay The poets, who wrote the four poems in question, all put forward their personal views upon the aspect(s) of nature which their pieces are themed around. In Seamus Heaneys poem, Storm on the Island, the theme is implied simply in the title. Heaneys poem explores the effects a storm has upon island dwellers where there is no natural shelter. He relates how weak and defenceless we humans are compared to these natural happenings. The way in which we are forced to shelter and protect ourselves from this nothing which has the power and might to change everything in our lives. The unmistakable sense of peoples fear of natures fury is shown throughout the poem. Human and Nature seem to be at war with each other- nature versus man- with Nature the dominant adversary but humans still grimly hanging on. The two sides almost appear to be at a stalemate. For try as it might, the storm has not beaten man- and man can only find means to protect himself- being too weak to retaliate. Heaney presents the storm as an unwanted and vicious foe but does recognize Natures absolute and unrivalled power. Nature is shown to be brutal, strong and overpowering- without mercy to the island dwellers. The other post 1914 poem- The Field Mouse by Gillian Clarke, presents a view which totally opposes Heaneys idea of Nature dominating over man and man being the victim. In fact it completely reverses the idea and has instead man being the one at fault, and shows Natures innocent beings (e. g. the field mouse) as the ones who suffer because of our stupidity and greed. It portrays how the innocence of the vulnerable is shattered by stronger forces through the story of a field mouse fatally injured by a harvester. She presents humans as the tyranny- the plague of nature- destroyers of lives, beauty and innocence through our greed, arrogance and selfish ignorance to the people and things around us- nature as the wronged- the helpless- the meek. Clarkes poem compared to the less descriptive- though just as effective Storm on the Island are very similar in theme, as both concentrate on the seeming battle between man and nature- though the poets are in different minds on who is the most destructive. Heaney concentrates on the natural occurrences that disrupt and destruct peoples lives- but are unavoidable- whereas Clarke focuses on the destruction and consequences Humans force upon nature and the innocent. The actions which are not unavoidable and could easily be averted. Each of the four poems are set out in different styles and structure to add to the overall effect of the poems. Storm on the Island is mostly blank verse. Twenty lines without rhyme, but which is structured in strict iambic pentameter of 10 beats per line. This produces an almost methodical and solemn rhythm to the poem which adds to the seriousness of the situation the Island dwellers find themselves in, for if they did not devise methods of protecting themselves from Natures fury, it could be fatal to them. The field mouse however differs. Gillian Clarke sectioned the poem into three stanzas beginning, middle and end. The first stanza introduces the separate scenes of haymaking and war and compares the two. Though haymaking initially is thought of to be a peaceful and naturalistic event, Clarke manages to turn usually innocent images into deadly, warlike scenes.E. g. summer, the long grass is a snare drum. When the idea of summer is presented, we generally perceive a warm, happy peaceful time- as with long grass, we think naturalistic scenes. Long grass is home to plenty of creatures- snakes, rabbits, pheasants, mice etc. As it is home to many creatures and it is therefore considered a safe haven for them. However, Clarke dispels this idea and instead of having it safe, has it a snare drum. Snare- entrapping, harsh- warlike. Drum conjures up the idea of marching to war- the drums in the background providing the solemn funeral like March. The 2nd stanza introduces the mouse injured by their hay making- caught in the tractors blade. An innocent creature killed because of humans. Due to the underlying images and hints of war in the previous stanza, our minds are tuned to this idea of war destroying the innocent, so when given a mouse killed by humans, we think of the innocent civilians who are caught in the crossfire of the war in Europe who have nothing to do with the conflict but ironically due to being neutral are hurt. The third stanza portrays the consequences of our actions upon nature- Before the days gone, the field lies bleeding, The dusk garden inhabited by the saved, voles, frogs, a nest of mice. It disconcertingly again tunes our minds to human war- the refugees fleeing their homes to escape death or injury. The destruction and woe that war brings- the field lies bleeding- And again our poisonous actions on nature. The poem is highly metaphorical- using combinations of varied linguistic devices to achieve its end ambition of procuring a sense of guilt and remorse in the reader. Metaphors and personification (e. g. the field lies bleeding) are used with great skill- blending two similar stories into one. By using a simple field mouse injured by a harvester in summer to represent innocent civilians casualties caused by caught in the cross fire of a war they play no part in, she evokes feelings of pity and shame inside the reader which then also transfers on to the civilians. She also produces scenes of natural innocence and transforms them into images desecrated by human hands (e. g. a child running through killed flowers and the death of the mouse) to embed her point of our contamination and cruelty upon nature and its creations. Her choice of language is also highly emotive and the feelings of shame and guilt rest largely upon her language. Perhaps this is merely a coincidence, but I received the impression, that the two pre 1914 poems were much more idyllic nature wise and were more centred upon the beauty and creations, whereas the other two struck me to be more about human interference with nature and the affect nature has on human lives. This is almost definitely due to the huge world wars of 1914 onwards which took place and the after shocks which followed. Though this is only a guess, it would explain the rather sudden change on the outlook of our lives and nature. Millions of people had died suffered and had had their homes destroyed- creating misery, devastation and thousands of refugees. Storm on the Island even has some likeness to the Blitz. Having to build improved safer shelters to protect themselves from the bombardment and rage of the storm reminds us rather of people having to build air raid shelters and take refuge in the underground to protect themselves from the deadly bombings in world war two.

Essay --

Rudyard Kipling’s seminal poem, â€Å"The White Man’s Burden† resonated amongst American policymakers in the aftermath of the War of 1898. For a price of twenty million dollars, the Spanish relinquished their control of the Philippines to the United States, thereby transforming America into an overseas empire. As statesmen in Washington considered their new Pacific possession, they viewed the archipelago as a moral liability rather than a strategic asset. The first formal evaluation of the prospects for Filipino independence came in February 1900, when President McKinley dispatched the â€Å"Philippine Commission† to Manila to compile a report on the subject. In this paper I consider their assessment through a social lens. I argue that while McKinley’s emissaries strove for objectivity, preconceived notions of national identity, race, and civilization influenced their judgment. Ultimately, the Commission viewed American-ness as a prerequisite for i ndependence. Background The Spanish had maintained colonial authority over the Philippines since Ferdinand Magellan laid claim to the islands in 1521. For over three hundred years the Spanish government, aided by friars from the Catholic Church, used Manila as a naval base and cultivated the hinterland as a source of cotton. Filipino aristocrats across the archipelago learned Spanish, and helped to disseminate the Catholic faith to the majority of animists and sabians — worshippers of the moon and stars. Although many friars were seriously engaged in helping the Filipino peasants, over time they gained a reputation for exploitation and corruption. In response to these grievances and to an absence of representation in the colonial legislature, community political leaders began in the early 19... ...mission rejected the prospect of Philippine independence primarily because the population deviated from the western concept of the â€Å"nation.† The masses of the people are without a common speech and lack the sentimentality of a nation. The Filipinos are not a nation, but a variegated assemblage of different tribes and peoples, and their loyalty is still of the tribal type (pdf one 192). . . their lack of education and political experience, combined with their racial and linguistic diversity, disqualify them, in spite of their mental gifts and domestic virtues, to undertake the task of governing the archipelago at the present time . . . should our power by any fatality be withdrawn, the Commission believes that the government of the Philippines would speedily lapse into anarchy The Filipinos are not a nation, and there can be no political being that we call a people,

Brechtian Techniques

Bertold Brecht (1898 – 1956) founded the so-called new, or â€Å"epic theatre† that creatively reworked the principles of traditional â€Å"Aristotelian† drama, in order for the plays to correspond to modern demands. Brecht characterised his position in dramatic art as social-critical. He was an active antifascist and thus centered his works on major historical events and gave them a social-political meaning. From the formal point of view, Brechtian techniques were based on defamilirisation of the event. First and foremost, he transposed the event into third person.He uses new concept of author’s time, i. e. time as it is perceived by the narrator of the play. The latter usually tells about the events that happened in the past and comments them. In doing so, he freely operates various layers of time, so that the whimsical structure of the story reminds that of a recollection or a dream. Finally, an important element of Brechtian drama is its increased conv ention, for instance the action can be interrupted by speaking stage directions aloud and or via usage of placards and signs.The drama â€Å"Zoot Suit† (1978) by Luis Valdez’ efficiently uses the Brechtian principles and techniques. Like many of Brecht’s dramas, this work is a passionate social protest that shows the injustice of the society with purely Brechtian didacticism. Valdez wrote this play at the end of â€Å"turbulent seventies†, which in the US were characterised by increased social activity of minorities fighting for their rights, and Mexican Americans were among these.Thus, the playwright addresses the times, when the Mexican American identity was only forming, and yet it was oppressed and discriminated by the police. Valdez implies that the same thing may happen or even happens in his times and protests against it. In this respect his play may be linked with activities of Guerilla theatre, which considered itself to be a cultural revolt agai nst war and a mouthpiece of social protest movements. Valdez’ play also has explicit antiwar and protest connotations, and in accordance with Brecht’s conception, his art serves political purposes.Furthermore, action is presented and commented by the narrator, the fictional El Pachuco, which is the condensed embodiment of Mexican spirit (pachucos were Mexican American youth who emphasized their Mexican identity and wore zoot suits). He converses with the protagonist of the story, Henry Reyna, and in some episodes interferes into action (for instance, he takes the place of Rudy Reyna in an uneven fight with sailors). Moreover, from the very first words Valdez emphasizes Brechtian convention. For instance, the drop curtain is â€Å"giant facsimile of a newspaper front page† (1, 1992).Besides in his first monologue EL Pachuco says that he is an actor who plays El Pachuco and recollects this myth. This indicates another Brechtian technique. The narrated action takes place in the past. The setting, as described by the author, emphasizes that the age of zoot suits is in the past: â€Å"The somber shapes and outlines of pachuco images hang subtly, black on black, against a back-ground of heavy fabric evoking memories and feelings like an old suit hanging forgotten in the depths of a closet somewhere, sometime† (1, 1992).At the same time, in the end El Pachuco says that this legend still lives and is topical, for at least he is interested in telling it. However, this is not the objective past time of Aristotelian drama, but rather narrator’s individual perception. El Pachuco can retard action by making the judge repeat for the second time that â€Å"zoot haircuts will be retained throughout the trial for purposes of identification† (ibid). He also uses sudden retrospections, for example when Henry mentions Saturday night dance, El Pachuco snaps fingers and makes this event repeat.In another instant, he skips witness’ st atement, saying â€Å"You know what. We've already heard from that bato. Let's get on with the defense† (1, 1992). Besides the conventionality is emphasized by various other interruptions of action. An interesting example of this is when the arrested pachucos stand in a line, the Press starts and they continue the headline. In another episode the Pressâ€Å"moves the bundles of newspapers on the floor to outline the four corners of a jail cell†, i. e.makes the decorations for the next scene in jail (1, 1992). To sum up, the play â€Å"Zoot Suit† by Luis Valdez exemplified Brechtian understanding of social-political role of art and demonstrates a number of Brechtian techniques of the â€Å"new theatre†, among them accentuated conventionality of action, transposition into third person (use of narrator) and into the past, connected with the present, and forcible handling of time. References 1. Valdes, L. (1992). Zoot Suit. Zoot Suit and Other Plays. Houston, TX: Arte Publico Press. Pg 22-94.

Comparing Walt Whitmans I Hear America Singing And...

Whitman and Hughes (A detailed comparison of Walt Whitman’s I Hear America Singing and Langston Hughes I Too Sing America) Beginning after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the United Stated of America has yet to reach a time of unity like in years past. Why this is so is unclear, however it can clearly be seen that in the America today, unity is not a major theme in society. This was not always the case, as in 1880 Walt Whitman published a portion of his work entitled, I Hear America Singing (Hear.). Throughout this now famous text Whitman essential describes all the great factors of the American life and the American people. Whitman’s poem set a sense of unity among the American people and helped America to create an identity on the†¦show more content†¦Within the text of (Hear.) a multitude of free verses can be found. In one example in the poem Whitman will, express, â€Å"The wood-cutter s song, the ploughboy s on his way in the/ morning, or at noon intermission or at sundow n,...† (Whitman Lines 11-12). Found within this text is Whitman’s clear usage of free verse. One sign of this usage of free verse can be found in the fact that Whitman does not make his lines rhyme in any way; instead, he simply writes what he thinks and pays no attention to rhyme. In addition to this the lines also could pass as everyday normal speech, something that is a clear sign of free verse. To create a connection to Whitman, Hughes also used free verse in his poem (Too.). By using Whitman’s style of free verse Hughes was able to create a sense of connection between his poem and Whitman’s, truly driving the relation to be seen as legitimate. In one portion of Hughes text he will explain, â€Å"But I laugh,/ And eat well,/ And grow strong† (Hughes Stanza 2, Lines 1-3). In this text presented by Hughes it can clearly be seen the author s usage of free verse, as in fact the lines are similar to normal speech. The line presented hold very little rhyme, in fact, none at all; inShow MoreRelatedLangston Hughes And I Hear America Singing By Walt Whitman940 Words   |  4 Pagescontrasting or comparing literary works it is crucial that the reader analyze the authors voice to gain a better understanding of the theme they are implying. In the contrast between the poems â€Å"I, too, sing America† by Langston Hughes, and â€Å"I hear America singing† by Walt Whitman it is clear that the two poets have very different point of views regarding American patriotism. Walt Whitman’s views on America’s joy and peace in his poems are very straightforward, while Langston Hughes poem--a responseRead MoreWalt Whitman s View On The Socio Political Conditions Of Modernity1685 Words   |  7 PagesWalt Whitman’s and Langston Hughes’s view on the socio-political conditions of modernity What is a modern poem? What modern poets write in a society that is running very fast through the latest technologies? In a machinery time, modern poets write in new manner with new social subjects. They just cannot write about trees, river, cattle, and other natural resources. Their poems are now soak up with the essences of machines, and their effects on the society. Otherwise modern poetry cannot exit in today’s