zBlogging the Literary Life - AP College English

So What

The other day in class, after somone had played their song for us, our class got into discussion about meaning in songs. One argument, if i recall correctly, was what if we're not suppose to understand the exact meaning behind the lyrics, or that even by trying to find meaning, we degrade and ruin the song.  Someone said that maybe a song is only meant to be understood by the songwriter themself and that is what makes it so delicate. The other argument was that, if we don't try to incorporate meaning into a work- like a song- we are being ignorant and not giving the author justice. I tend to agree with both sides though.

Not Lovin Beloved (Yet?)

Well, I'm trying to kill two birds with one stone here.  I am not very happy with my paper yet, so I'm wondering if maybe I need to reconsider my thesis.  Also, I wouldn't mind the EC early blogging.  Here is my current introduction to the question, "How does an identity struggle contribute to the meaning of a work of literature?"

"Often in a novel, at least one character undergoes an identity crisis.  In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, both Sethe and Paul D (among others) struggle to define themselves in a post-Civil-War American South.  Morrison uses Sethe and Paul D to show the impact slavery had as it stripped the identity of slaves.  They lost their gender schemas and even the very feeling of being human.  Until they reconcile their troubled pasts, they cannot move on to live a meaningful life."

I go on to talk about Sethe and Paul D losing their gender schemas (Sethe losing her milk...Paul D not feeling like a man...)  Later I consider their loss of human identity (Paul D less than the rooster named Mister...)

Any thoughts?  Feedback?  Other passages that might help me out here?  Come on, you know you wouldn't mind getting some blogging points either =)

Which Art Tickles Your Heart?

Recently, I have liked to deem myself an appreciator of poetry. It is fun to say, "Poetry is a man's mind on paper," and I do enjoy writing my own. Then again, maybe I am just a fool pretending to be an artist. Whatever. However, music has claimed an importance in my life that is unmatched by most anything. I find my musical experiences as almost religious.
Still, some poems really, really hit hard. I think the first one in "Sound and Sense" to knock me down was "Dulce et Decorum Est," about the man who died in the gas attack. It is one of the most beautifully powerful collection of words I have ever read. While certain songs reach this level of intensity, I do not think that the words have enough time or spotlight to create these images/ideas.
"the blood come gargling from the froth-corrupted lings, bitter as the cud." I still cannot get over that line.
I think poetry's main handicap is that people cannot get together and read the poem together. Listening to a song and singing along with your buddies/alone/the universe is a majestic experience. You can't really learn a poem and perform it in your own style like you can a song, and you can't really find poetry on CD that you want to listen to while going for a run. Unless we put all of our attention on a poem, we can't really appreciate it all, but we can listen to music while walking, working, driving, eating...pretty much anything that affords us our ears.

Then again, art is not a competition, so why can't we appreciate and enjoy all forms?

Songs vs. Poetry

Woo, gettin my extra credit

This is kind of similar to Ben's post but oh well. In class yesterday we talked (technically not "we," since I didn't say anything) about the relationship between songs and poetry and how, in someone in the class's words (don't remember who), people expect songs to be less "intellectually challenging" or whatever. I don't always think that's true. I think both poets and songwriters have ideas they want to express but choose to do so in different ways. Poetry is more "old fashioned"--much more people now listen to music than read poetry, so if you want to get your ideas across, it's probably going to gain more widespread acceptance if you do it through a song than through a poem (like Rage Against the Machine for example). The main difference is that if you're a poet and your poem sucks, you're screwed. But if you're a songwriter and your lyrics suck, you can still save the song by making it appealing to listen to. Because of this, with a poem people tend to focus more on the meaning because that's all that's there, while I think in a song, people tend to focus more on the music because it's what jumps out at you. That doesn't mean that songwriters don't also have messages to get across, or that theirs are any less important or relevant, just that they may sometimes take back stage to the more apparent music.

Poetry

Today, as I was flipping through Sound and Sense, I came across the nursery rhyme "Little Jack Horner." Its placement within the work, as well as the songs we've been looking at in class lately, made me contemplate a bit on what exactly constitutes poetry. It's interesting that so many forms of expression can fit under the same blanket term: songs, free verse, rhyme. Is a poem a poem because it uses literary devices? Has a specific meter or rhyme scheme? I'm not sure, for I can think of exceptions to most qualifications. Is something simply a poem because someone calls it such?

Who knows. Perrine can't even tell; he does not include the term in the glossary. Perhaps the word, like much poetry, is up to interpretation.

Moral Ambiguity

One of the themes that I regret not touching on more in class was the theme of Moral Ambiguity.  Sethe kills her daughter Beloved, and as demonstrated throughout the novel Sethe is Haunted by this doing.  Was it the right thing to do?  And did Sethe have the right to rob her child of her life even if it would be one of a  slave?  Apparently Sethe's two sons did not believe so, and neither did the town where she resided.  Personally I think that she was caught in the moment and panicked, if she would have had more time to process the situation she would have gone another way.  What does everyone else think?

Semi-Charmed Life

I do not think that anyone had really understood what the song, "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind, said.  The tune and rythm of the song is catchy and that seems to be why it was so popular, even with younger children, despite the more adult lyrics.  The lyrics themselves are on the surface all about sex and drugs.  But the repeating drug referances are so common that they are not hidden at all.  This leads me to believe that the drug referances are diliberately used as a metaphore.  I am still not sure what he song means but whatever the meaing, the song remains iconic.

What is ART?

I wanted to continue our passionate discussion about what is considered art and poetry and so forth.

First, I think that the text the "art" is in matters.  It is not fair or possible to compare a poem in a English book to a musicians song.  Each has its own meanings and purpose and who has the right to say one is and one is not art(poetry). 

I think that if you were given the lyrics of a song, it would seem more like a poem and art then anything else.  Listening to the music and the lyrics takes away a bit of the artful/poetry aspect.

Also, art is in the eye of the beholder.  A blank canvas is considered art, why not a song that is random.  A conscious spew of words could be a poem.

Simple.

I've kind of had it with everyone's love of complexity.  I may come off a little ignorant/arrogant with that comment , but really, I must of missed the train that made everyone exceptional literary philosiphers and analysts.  No offense, but I'm elated that I did though.

I take pleasure from listening to the story as told by the writer, not delving into the inner meanings on beliefs.  I will always be able to apply a writers work to my own life if he expresses himself well enough.  By digging into each word an sylable I think much of the true personal meaning is lost on a never ending search at what the writer truly meant. We will never be able to understand all of the niches included in such dense writing at poetry.  The writier understands this; he writes to the reader understanding that most people that come b his writing will only see it briefly.  I think there are other parts to the writing that we read more important than some strictly definged literary devices.

An Awkward Fit.

  I think that some of the songs chosen ould easily transcend as poetry.  But on the other hand as I went through the 9th period packet I noticed numerous songs that I deemed to much of a stretch to be considered poetry.  I'm not going to name names but I think that it would be more valuble if certain verses or choruses were used intstead of just forcing entire songs into a poetry catagory that doesn't fit.  I'd like to know if anyone else (especially classes other than 9) in thought of this as they were reading through the packets or listening to songs in class.