Lav-Della

[theyaoiyurialliance]

In The Park by Cloveras Posted with permission.

[ellosteph]

Apparently Divergent has been in theaters for the past week and I was oblivious to this. Regardless, I'm going even if I end up sitting in the theatre by myself

[lav-della]

Wallace Stevens

      I selected stanza number five for my assignment this week from Wallace Stevens’ “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.” For stanza number five the music style would be a ballad. It tells the mindset of the speaker. While the tone of the overall poem is inquisitive, stanza five is more thoughtful and personal. During the fifth stanza the reader gets a more in death look at the speaker. We see that he or she compares black birds to inflections and innuendoes in a positive light. After looking up the definition to make sure, I had the right definition of the words I realized that the speaker likes what could be considered the darker side of life. This stanza made me question the credibility of the speaker, and where or not I should trust them. But at the same time it made the speaker seem ‘real’. What I mean is that the speaker likes things that are against what society would approve of and is not afraid to admit it. For me this made the speaker real. 

[modernpoetrycompanion]

We’re doing something a little different this week, which will prepare you for the difference of Gertrude Stein. In lieu of a discussion question you should write a response to a Gertrude Stein poem from your packet and post the response on your student tumblr. Here are more detailed...

[lav-della]

Gertrude Stein’s writing style reminds me of Virginia Wolf’s Room Of Ones. It seems like one thought starts another thought and then another. A Red Stamp was one poem that made the most sense to me. Sense in a very lose meaning. It started off talking about lilies which are flowers and then about staining of something. It seemed to be talking about how something that is white can stay things and can create a stain. A Petticoat was another poem that really made sense. This was an ode to coats which was weird but makes sense. There are lots of people who treasure the simple things in life. It also shows “a disgrace” could be something as a small as “an ink spot”.  I think this was a reflection on the times because if someone made one simple mistake then their reputation would ruined and society would be thrown out of society like an old stained coat. 

[modernpoetrycompanion]

In preparation of our class on Tuesday, you’ll be looking through the work of Langston Hughes. It is so exciting that you’re able to delve into his poetry and spoken works. Hughes was a poet of his time, his influences were the people he knew and the music he loved. You’ve been given a taste of...

[lav-della]

I do not know a lot about the Harlem Renaissance. I do know that it took place during the early 1920s to the mid-1930s that as highlight important for art, business, literature, music, and dance for African Americans. Langston Hughes was a part of shift in literature promoting equality and promoted African American culture.

[modernpoetrycompanion]

First of all, I want to extend my apology to you all. I had a few tech issues on my side that kept me from being able to post this discussion question on our agreed upon time. In the meantime it’s my hope that you’ve enjoyed taking in all the content Dickinson has to offer here on the MPC. As...

[lav-della]

Emily Dickinson lived during a time period where women were not given the same opportunities that they are given today.  Back then women were raised to be wives and mothers and not much else. Emily on the other hand had an education. On the other hand men were expected to be fully education and hold a job.

[modernpoetrycompanion]

You’ve done a great job answering the questions so far. You’ve all brought some very interesting points together about the type of America Whitman believed in and the way in which this changing environment, shaped his voice and his work. Metamorphosis, identity, and individuality were themes you...

[lav-della]

1.    First, how did these themes manifest themselves not only in the subject matter of Whitman’s work but also in the form itself, where did they come from? 

As far as the way the themes were in the form of the poems by the way that they are structured. Majority of them are written in free verse which is one of the most individualized way of writing a poem.

2.    Secondly, how was this work received by the America of his time, as opposed to now? Where in time do you think this shift took place? 

Walt Whitman, like many artist, was not as popular as he is now in the 21st century as he was during his own time period. I believe that the time where this shift towards his poems becoming popular and well know was during the mid to late 1900s.

[modernpoetrycompanion]

Greetings Everyone! Great job to those who’ve already answered question one! Stick around and see if you have any input as the discussion blossoms. For those who haven’t answered the question yet, never fret! The conversation is just getting started and you can answer the following question:

...

[lav-della]

#Whitman I think that the constant metamorphosis that surrounded him caused him to seek out his own personal identity. For example the second poem in the collection from Leaves of Grass tilted “2” is about taking your own meaning from poems and forming your own opinions. By living through the various changes that America went through Whitman saw the value of the individual in a nation that is seems uncertain of its own identity.

[modernpoetrycompanion]

Let's Talk: Walt Whitman [Discussion Question]

Welcome to our first discussion question. I am so excited to discuss the life of Walt Whitman with each of you. I hope that you have enjoyed the poems and content found here on the MPC. Check out the Discussion Questions page for information on answering, rebloging and hashtags.

Let’s talk about Walt Whitman, what kind of America did he live in ?

[lav-della]

# Whitman Discussion. This is a very difficult question to answer because we see things through our contemporary vision. But based on some of the poems that we read I think that the America that Whitman lived in was a younger more ambitious version of the America that we live in today. One that believed that it had the right or rather the duty to grow and expand to its fullest potential. But it was also filled with dangerous of growing too confident and lacked the compassion that comes with age.