Worldviews differ from person to person. Disagreements often arise over controversial issues such as race, gender, politics, and sovereignty. In “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman and in the liner notes to the 1990 Jane's Addiction album Ritual de lo Habitual, vocalist and songwriter Perry Farrell address such divisive issues. Despite having been written more than one hundred years apart, both men share considerably similar opinions in their works regarding the treatment of social structure and personal freedoms. Whitman and Farrell address their passionate desire for equality among men, women, and people of all distinct backgrounds, as well as people’s entitlement to individual rights and truths. Conflicts as these hold significant weight in the hearts of people, therefore change is progressive and does not come quickly or easily. Thus, such issues continue to persist as popular subjects of discussion in society and writing as evident in these two works. Both authors seem to set forth the issues they find in the world and suggest the necessary means for change. The overall tone of both pieces suggests that natural worlds have transcended the need for order, law, and religion which human society is built upon and indicates that because American society has moved farther away from nature, progress toward a better world has been slow.
Nature to both Whitman and Farrell appears to be the most accepting and suitable environment for equality. According to Farrell, nature is “our most blessed gift” (Assignment). Humans should appreciate nature for “nature did right” (Assignment) in its establishment of a proper and equal world. Whitman similarly admires nature as he glorifies the setting and inhabitants of nature. He goes on to say that ...
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...r these are “a cause to validate everyone’s life” (Assignment). Both suggest that humans must enjoy an original relation to nature and oppose the pre-established lives that come with increasing rationalization and urbanization.
Essentially, Whitman and Farrell both propose that modeling society after the natural world will provide society with an equal footing for all. This idea according to both men are democratic forces that can advance American society across the obstacles of morality, class, and sexual orientation, barriers that do not exist as issues in nature, to confront indiscriminate thinking. Progress in American society is slow because we have lost touch with nature and must return to this simpler and better way of living. This is the means that both Whitman and Farrell avidly propose in order to achieve the belief of “America…the beautiful” (Assignment).
Whitman, Walt. "Song of Myself." The Norton Anthology of American Literature.. Gen. ed. Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: Norton, 2012. 24-67. Print.
When I read poetry, I often tend to look first at its meaning and second at how it is written, or its form. The mistake I make when I do this is in assuming that the two are separate, when, in fact, often the meaning of poetry is supported or even defined by its form. I will discuss two poems that embody this close connection between meaning and form in their central use of imagery and repetition. One is a tribute to Janis Joplin, written in 1983 by Alice Fulton, entitled “You Can’t Rhumboogie in a Ball and Chain.” The second is a section from Walt Whitman’s 1,336-line masterpiece, “Song of Myself,” first published in 1855. The imagery in each poem differs in purpose and effect, and the rhythms, though created through repetition in both poems, are quite different as well. As I reach the end of each poem, however, I am left with a powerful human presence lingering in the words. In Fulton’s poem, that presence is the live-hard-and-die-young Janis Joplin; in Whitman’s poem, the presence created is an aspect of the poet himself.
The purpose of this paper is to examine philosophical and theological themes in the work of two modern musical groups. The alternative rock bands Jane’s Addiction and Bush will be the focus of this study. I have chosen these two artists since I have observed what I believe to be contrasting ideas in their work. Perry Farrell was the songwriter for Jane’s Addiction. His band’s release in 1988, titled Nothing’s Shocking contains views on God, man’s place in the world, and instruction on living a life that adheres to Zen philosophical views. Songs on the album include “Ocean Size," a memoir about how life should be lived; “Had A Dad," Perry Farrell’s beliefs about God; and “Ted, Just Admit It...", that will be discussed in more detail below. Bush’s lyrics, written by Gavin Rossdale on the album Sixteen Stone, argue directly with the ideas contained on Nothing’s Shocking. I believe that his song “Everything Zen” is a response to Perry Farrell’s beliefs.
Throughout the Romanticism period, human’s connection with nature was explored as writers strove to find the benefits that humans receive through such interactions. Without such relationships, these authors found that certain aspects of life were missing or completely different. For example, certain authors found death a very frightening idea, but through the incorporation of man’s relationship with the natural world, readers find the immense utility that nature can potentially provide. Whether it’d be as solace, in the case of death, or as a place where one can find oneself in their own truest form, nature will nevertheless be a place where they themselves were derived from. Nature is where all humans originated,
In Concord, Henry David Thoreau fell in love with the peaceful accord of the natural world. Thoreau found Concord's nature to be inspirational, soothing, refreshing, and mesmerizing. His perspective caused him to seek out a connection between himself and the natural world. It is a viewpoint that created within Thoreau a blissful oneness with nature. "I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least-- and it is commonly more than that-- sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all human engagements" (Thoreau, "Walking" 50-51). Thoreau effectively extricated himself from the trappings of society and found his roots by deeply connecting to nature at Walden Pond. “Not till we are lost, in other words not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations” (Thoreau, Walden). He saw the relationship between the natural and the human as one of reciprocal harmony, because he perceived himself to be part of nature. He recognized that he was permanently linked to it. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived” (Thoreau, Walden). He found personal harmony by reflecting on the...
The men of Reserve Police Battalion 101 were just ordinary men, from a variety of backgrounds, education, and age. It would appear that they were not selected by any force other than random chance. Their backgrounds and upbringing, however, did little to prepare these men for the horrors they were to witness and participate in.
The way of living is what is most important, both Whitman and Thoreau seem heavily endeavored to workmen and farmers. If the wild is the most raw form of American masculinity than the farmers and land owners who work closest to the environment are seen as the epitome of American man. “I would that our farmers when they cut down a forest felt some of that awe which the old Romans… that is, would believe that it is sacred to some god.” (Thoreau 1111) Again nature has been tied to the religious and holy, Thoreau speaks highly of not just the wilds but the farmers who encroach upon gods work are as strong as soldiers. Whitman’s own description of farm life is filled with picturesque and idealized scenes: “The big doors of the country barn stand open and ready, The dried grass of the harvest-time loads the slow-drawn wagon, The clear light plays on the brown gray and green intertinged, The armfuls are pack'd to the sagging mow.” (Whitman 1335) A man’s work is had wholly to do with the environment
In the book by Carl Rogers, A Way of Being, Rogers describes his life in the way he sees it as an older gentleman in his seventies. In the book Rogers discusses the changes he sees that he has made throughout the duration of his life. The book written by Rogers, as he describes it is not a set down written book in the likes of an autobiography, but is rather a series of papers which he has written and has linked together. Rogers breaks his book into four parts.
Since the rise of the American environmental romanticism the idea of preservation and conservation have been seen as competing ideologies. Literary scholars such as Thoreau and Muir have all spoke to the defense of our natural lands in a pristine, untouched form. These pro-preservation thinkers believed in the protecting of American lands to not only ensure that future generations will get to experiences these lands, but to protect the heavily rooted early American nationalism in our natural expanses. Muir was one of the most outspoken supports of the preservation ideology, yet his stylistic writing style and rhetoric resulted in conservation being an adopted practice in the early 20th century
A situation can be interpreted into several different meanings when observed through the world of poetry. A poet can make a person think of several different meanings to a poem when he or she is reading it. Langston Hughes wrote a poem titled "I, Too." In this poem he reveals the Negro heritage and the pride that he has in his heritage and in who he is. Also, Hughes uses very simple terms that allow juvenile interpretations and reading.
From the lone hiker on the Appalachian Trail to the environmental lobby groups in Washington D.C., nature evokes strong feelings in each and every one of us. We often struggle with and are ultimately shaped by our relationship with nature. The relationship we forge with nature reflects our fundamental beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. The works of timeless authors, including Henry David Thoreau and Annie Dillard, are centered around their relationship to nature.
*Whitman, Walt. Song of Myself. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Ed, Paul Lauter. Boston,NewYork: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is a vision of the American spirit, a vision of Whitman himself. It is his cry for democracy, giving each of us a voice through his poetry. Each of us has a voice and desires, and this is Whitman's representation of our voices, the voice of America. America, the great melting pot, was founded for freedom and democracy, and this poem is his way of re-instilling these lost American ideals. In this passage from "Song of Myself" Whitman speaks through his fellow man and speaks for his fellow man when his voice is not socially acceptable to be heard.
In “On the Beach at Night Alone,” Walt Whitman develops the idea that everyone has a connection with everything else, including nature. Whitman uses a variety of writing techniques to get his point across. First, the repetition and parallel structure that his poems contain reinforce the connection between everything in nature. The usage of “All” 11 times emphasizes the inclusion of everything in the universe. The sentence structure remains the same throughout the poem, without any drastic change; however, the length of the lines in the poem vary. In addition, Whitman’s’ extravagance with his words further illustrates his idea of the Over-Soul. For example, “A vast similitude interlocks all” (4) shows his verbose nature. Whitman does not do directly to the point, but gives every little detail. Most importantly, Whitman’s’ use of catalogues stands as the most recognizable Whitman characteristic that illustrates his beliefs. These long lists that he uses set the mood of the poem. “All spheres, grown, ungrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets,” (5) shows the idea that everything is connected in nature. Similarly, “All nations, colors, barbarisms, civilizations languages.” (10) furthermore emphasize Whitman’s belief in the Over-Soul.
Nature was an important concept that Whitman used to convince people that there were more important things to life than class structure. He used nature to connect us all, and encourage people to become less materialistic and more appreciative of life itself. There are many themes in Emily Dickenson’s poem that are very reminiscent of Whitman’s popular themes. Although there were some consistency with the themes Whitman’s used in his own work, there were still a lot of ideas Whitman would not have agreed with. The poem starts off with something Whitman would have unanimously disagreed with.