The Nature of Man by Robinson Jeffers
Robinson Jeffers is one of the twentieth centuries most important and controversial poets. He, like others in history, has tried to give his opinion about life. Many poets in the twentieth century focused on issues affecting mankind, Jeffers is no exception. Most of his work was inspired by his surroundings. One’s environment is great source for poetic inspiration. Poets come and go, but their ideas are kept alive through their poems. Whether they are a hundred or ten years old, these poems hold ideas in them which are still interesting now as they were back then. It seems that poets are always passionate about their work. They should be, since it expresses who they are and what they believe in through writing. One tends to write about what one knows or feels one might know. Feelings control our mind and our mind controls our actions. How we feel can be determined by external forces. Sometimes, one lets emotions run wild which can cause our work to be accepted or rejected by others.
One must not worry about writing something which might cause a brush off by society. However, writings such as these can create a cold shoulder for one’s future work. Then again, poetry is used to express oneself. Society will only encourage radical behavior to continue and who knows, one’s ideas might generate a fan base. A poet cannot please everyone. There are some emotions which will be seen as pleasant ideas and some which will seem disrespectful. Poetry, that is controversial, seems to captivate an audience and it accomplishes one’s lofty goals. One’s courageous work commands respect, whether the reader agrees with the ideas or not. Poems are intended to force the audience to see one’s views. Though the reader’s views often contradict your own, the most important part is to make them consider new ideas and better understand the issues. Although, many of issues will never be understood.
Poets often tend to write openly about this. Man is involved with everything in this world. Mankind as a whole has progressed in knowledge and technology. In other areas, on the other hand, it has stayed the same or has gotten worst. Poets for centuries have written about man. Few, have written using facts. Yet more have written using their opinions. Thousands of books have been written about...
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...rica’s intervention. “The squid, frightened and angry, shoots darkness out of her ink sac; the fighting destroyer throws out a smoke screen, and fighting governments produce lies.” Jeffers kept pushing his views of man stating that our race began to think as an adult does, rather than an egocentric baby. He also believed that man controlled the keys of unearthly violence. Claiming that Earth is too small to feed us and we must have room. Also, Jeffers was once quoted saying, “We use to be individuals, not populations. Breeding like rabbits, we hasten to meet the day.”(Birth and Death) In later poems, he began to wonder what was the best life for a man. Jeffers came to the conclusion that man should have never been born and the next best was to die young. (The Silent Shepherd) As his reputation fell, Jeffers began less on man. Jeffers expressed his contempt for human society, which he regarded as doomed by its own violence and depravity. With his uncompromising reverence for nonhuman values and his World War II isolationism, Jeffers fell out of favor with the public. Even though still outspoken after the war, newly created patriotism in America did nothing but anger many Americans.
David Robinson is often regarded as one of the greatest centers to ever play the game of basketball. He was born on August 6, 1965 to Ambrose and Freda Robinson. As a student he excelled in all of his classes, and sports except basketball. By his senior year in high school he stood an incredible 6 feet, 7 inches tall, but had never played organized basketball. However, the basketball coach at his high school noticed Robinson and added him to the team without ever testing him. Robinson soon earned all-area and all-district honors, but not the attention of any college basketball coaches. But this did not matter to him, as basketball was not his first priority. Getting an education and becoming a student in the United States Naval Academy were his main concerns. After scoring a 1320 on the SAT, his goal of joining the Naval Academy was soon accomplished (Lewis, 16).
In today’s modern view, poetry has become more than just paragraphs that rhyme at the end of each sentence. If the reader has an open mind and the ability to read in between the lines, they discover more than they have bargained for. Some poems might have stories of suffering or abuse, while others contain happy times and great joy. Regardless of what the poems contains, all poems display an expression. That very moment when the writer begins his mental journey with that pen and paper is where all feelings are let out. As poetry is continues to be written, the reader begins to see patterns within each poem. On the other hand, poems have nothing at all in common with one another. A good example of this is in two poems by a famous writer by the name of Langston Hughes. A well-known writer that still gets credit today for pomes like “ Theme for English B” and “Let American be American Again.”
Jeffrey Baldwin was just five years old when he passed away on November 30th, 2002, just under two months from his next birthday (Estate, 2006). Jeffrey had a rough childhood growing up because wherever he went he faced abuse and neglect. His parents were also accused of physical abuse towards him and his sister. In 1998 Jeffrey was moved out of the house by the CCAS and moved into his grandparents’ home. This is when the true horror would come to life for Jeffrey. He would be locked in a room with his sister. They would sit for hours in the crib and would not be allowed out of the room since it was locked on the outside. Forced to stay in the room Jeffrey had no choice but to urinate and relieve himself in his pants and on his bed. Then, he would sit for hours in the cold dark room where the windows were covered and the vents sealed shut (Estate, 2006). Sitting there in his waste waiting for the door to be unlocked, Jeffrey suffered. When Jeffrey and his sister were finally allowed out for what the grandparents called “exercise,” they would be forced to walk in circles around the kitchen or dining room. If either of them slowed down or stopped, heavy and large objects were thrown at them leaving serious tissue, muscular and bone damage (Estate, 2006). Cut, bruised and battered, Jeffery and his sister were forced back into the room and locked away. Jeffrey was not allowed to go to school because he was never taught how to go to the washroom. When it was time for dinner Jeffrey and his sister were forced to sit at what was called the pig wall (Estate, 2006). It was situated on the floor with a rubber matt. When the others had finished eating, Jeffrey and his sister were allowed to eat the scraps of food leftover, and if there were ...
For centuries innumerable poets have used their craft to explore and make statements the human condition, one notable instance of was 20th centenary poet E.E. Cummings’s short poem “pity this busy monster, manunkind”. E.E. Cummings wrote “pity this busy monster, manunkind” in 1944 in accordance his unique irregular structure style and considered to one of his greatest works. Like most all artists, Cummings’s life and the world around him influenced his writing. In order to fully understand the purpose, methodology, and meaning of
The poem also intends the reader know how society can be affected by people acting
“Poetry tries to get at the emotions of situations. It's the most direct form of communication we’ve got.” (Gary Hyland) Poetry is our most direct form of communication because it attacks emotions to get its message across, author to poem, and poem to reader with figurative language of hyperboles, similes and personification. Tugging at heartstrings of emotions to connect the reader to its passages. “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins and “What You Are Doing Now” by Gary Hyland, are two “poem on poetry” poems written in free verse using those literary devices.
In summary, poetry is made up of many aspects, and is not just the poem itself. It’s about the title of the poem, the literal meaning, and tone of the poem and most importantly the theme of the poem itself. While comparing Mary Oliver’s poem, “Morning in New a Land” and James Wright’s poem, “A Blessing” we see that often times poems can resemble one another quite closely yet have completely different
Poetry is a versatile avenue from which waves or ripples can be made potentially. A writer of poetry has the ability to make their readers feel a while wide array of emotions and situations synonymous with the human condition. I, at first, was completely turned off to the idea of poetry at first because all I was exposed to early on by way of poetry were bland professions of love or lust or seemingly simple poems I was forced to process down to a fine word paste. Edgar Allan Poe was interesting, but it was a tad bit dry to me. But, after reading poems the Harlem Renaissance gave me a bit of hope for poetry. To me, the poetry written during that time period has a certain allure to it. They have serious depth and meaning that I, myself and empathize
Robert Frost once said “A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness.” “It’s when an emotion has found its thought and the thought finds words. Poetry is a vital language of the heart. Poems rely on the writer’s deep and intensive feelings toward a subject. Poems can help a person find their inner feelings that one could not express directly to someone, but only could explain with pen and paper. Poetry draws on the senses and the senses give deep access to the poet’s inside feelings. It allows a person to be free and clear, that’s why poems are so interesting and fun to write.
The popular American Poet, Billy Collins, is playing a significant role in the evolution of poetry. His writing style evokes an array of emotions for the reader. Every stanza in his poetry passes the satirical standard that he generated for himself over his career. Collins swiftly captivates his readers through his diverse use of figurative language. More specifically, his use of vivid imagery paired with humorous personification and extended metaphors create his unique style of satirical poetry. This developed form of writing appeals to a large crowd of people because the generally accessible topics that he discusses are fairly easy to resonate for the common man. However, his poetry offers an interesting perspective on what otherwise would be simplistic ideas. The main themes and concepts that are being presented in each of his writings are revered and coveted by the general population. An appealing aspect of his writing is his ability to directly convey the main idea within the poem. As a result, the reader can understand the meaning of his work with ease. The typical beginning of his work gives the reader a slight taste of what is to come. Billy Collins’ unique writing style and various trademarks directly influenced by his ability to propagate an array of emotions for the reader, his humorous tone, and the accessibility of the topics he describes within his poetry.
¨ I never was very capable of expressing my feelings or emotions in words. I don't know whether this is the cause why I did it in music and also why I did it in paintings. Or vice versa: That I had this way as an outlet. I could renounce expressing something in words.¨ ( Arnold Schoenberg) In society when we assume that poems are old and boring or at least that's how I think about it. Although I thought poems were boring and old too at one point of my life. I have come to realize that poems most of the times are related to real life situations.. I changed how I view poems because of the movie Dead Poets Society. The movie taught me how poems can relate to our society. For example, expressing through music, art, and theatre or just understanding life itself. In a society like ours poems take different forms, so we can express how we feel.
The creation of art, specifically poetry, is a coping mechanism, used for the author to frame emotions and compile them into words. There is no responsibility in writing; however, when the poem is opened to a larger group, through publishing or other modes of distribution, the author then shoulders a responsibility. Poetry has started, defined and rallied movements. That is where the accountability lies. Knowing every work published can be the pivotal rally point for millions, poets must carefully select every phrase and produce works they would only want a serious revolution surrounding. This does not mean every piece of poetry will become a rally cry, but if a poet wants to address serious issues they have the responsibility of analyzing
Even though poetry is still taught in classes, students will only view it as a required subject. A majority of students do not find poetry interesting just from investigating on their own. However, when they are learning it in a classroom setting with their peers, they may have more enthusiasm about the topic. Yet, after these students learn about the influence that poetry has brought to our society, they are still inclined to explore their own writing style. There is nothing wrong with this, but this proves that poetry has strayed away from its actual literature and the value it
Poetry is a true literary art form that uncovers the hidden beauty of the world through its word’s. Poems are strong pieces of literature that unveil a deeper meaning using various literary devices throughout. Therefore, all humans need poetry as it is a living image that endlessly inspires the importance of change in society. Moreover, in silence, poetry is able to connect with people on any subject for it contains all the wisdom of the world. Furthermore, poetry pours out raw emotion and truth though the use of metaphors, allusions and many more devices, which shed light on the value of life. In “Constantly Risking Absurdity” a poem written by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the speaker explains the devotion that a poet
...ealing manner. Some people just can’t see language as a work of art and graceful in itself. But all of these things are what makes poetry pleasurable for me. Poetry isn’t simple as ABC for everyone. Poetry exists to tell of significant experience cleverly and creatively, expanding our knowledge of the senses. Modern poetry is significant to everyday life because it dares us to break free from the safe strategies of a discreet mind, enabling us to honor the unknown, both in us and in the world. John Keating stated in “Dead Poets Society” “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance and love these are what we stay alive for.”