America A Prophecy

William Blake was a poet and artist who was born in London, England in 1757. He lived 69 years, and although his work went largely unnoticed during his lifetime, he is now considered a prominent English Romantic poet. Blake’s religious views, and his philosophy that “man is god”, ran against the religious thoughts at the time, and some might equate Blake’s views to those of the hippie movement of the 20th century.

“Without contraries, there is no progression.” These words of William Blake encompass his philosophy as a writer. In his work Songs of Experience, William Blake depicts human nature as fallen. Specifically, in “London” he explores the dangerous conditions of England at a time when industrialization, prostitution, poverty and child labor were prevalent. Over the course of “London,” Blake’s diction evolves from ambiguous to symbolic, ultimately illuminating the theme that the mindset of man is what oppresses him, not the social institutions in place, and in order to free himself man must break his bond with death.

As a forerunner to the free-love movement, late eighteenth century poet, engraver, and artist, William Blake (1757-1827), has clear sexual overtones in many of his poems, and he layers his work with sexual double entendres and symbolism. Within the discussion of sexuality in his work Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Blake seems to take a complicated view of women. His speakers use constructs of contraries, specifically innocence/ experience and male/female. Of the latter sex, he experiments with the passive (dependent, docile, virtuous) and active (independent, evil, a threat to the masculine) female subjects. Blake’s use of personification specifically of nature and botany suggest the use of nature to discuss human society. In Songs

In contrasting or comparing literary works it is crucial that the reader analyze the author's voice to gain a better understanding of the theme they are implying. In the contrast between the poems “I, too, sing America” by Langston Hughes, and “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 response to Whitman’s--wants the reader to acknowledge what America should be like for everyone, including people of color such as himself. The authors of these poems prove to have conflicting judgements on matters in America including a theme of

In “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman and “ I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes, the harmony of American jobs and unity are examined. The harmonization of the American jobs in Whitman’s poem is exhibited through the imagery and tone brought forth from within his diction. The oppression of the optimistic character is shown within Hughes’ poem as the hope of a better tomorrow is reconciled within his piece. The poems translate these subjects by using diction, tone, and imagery. With these the reader better understands the poems’

Americans before the Civil War came to the United States to acquire self-preservation and to explore the foundation of capitalism. Songwriters such as Stephen Foster, felt the American people needed an image to follow a need for Puritan mentality. Without a doubt, music purposely expressed these movements by the usage of musical lyrics to analyze the discrimination against African American slaves and the secession of the United States, which reflected the turmoil of the separated Puritan communities. In short, after the American Revolution, many Americans feared the idea of self-preservation within communities, expressing that Americans had no real endeavor in working together. Moreover, writers like J. Hector St. John de Crèvecœur, practiced to establish a diverse America, not only to separate Americans and show how different they act according to their surroundings, but helped to express how an environment can change one’s self-preservation. Nevertheless, Americans left a deliberate standing point to follow as countless Puritans did before. The purpose of how music can diversify a community and make Americans’ self-preservation move toward their surroundings remained the example left by these idols. Undoubtedly, the environment itself obtained the biggest challenge for American Puritans. In any case, with the help of Foster’s intuition about how Americans should act as a community and the emotions that thrived within the musical lyrics of his songs—Beautiful Dreamer, Oh!

In America a Prophecy, Blake has mixed his own mythology with historical figures and events. Orc is a positive figure in Blake’s

William Blake’s illuminated manuscripts were published in multiple editions; all of the editions were etched differently than its predecessor. In these illustrations, one finds meaning and value; an inextricable link between these artistic expressions and the text that Blake wrote exists. These works should not be viewed separately, but rather viewed together, as one single entity. While the text, at times, proves itself to be unstable and potentially confusing for readers, the etchings serve as a way to view the intention of Blake’s words, as well as expressing the underlying feeling attached to the text in a visual way. Understanding both pieces of art is crucial to the apprehension of the implied meaning of the works. Without having to read the words, the viewer already grasps the tone and perhaps even the content or context of the piece. The etchings force reader interaction with the poems, relying on the non-passivity of the audience. Blake intended for the illustrations and the texts to be viewed in correlation with one another, as it allows for a deeper understanding of the intended meaning.

There are many poems that depict the history, as well as the country, of America. From the time America was first discovered and all the way up to just recently, poems of all varieties. There are poems written about the tragedies America, as a country, went through, as well as America’s multiple triumphs. “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Paul Revere’s Ride,” and “The Raven” are all poems of such fashion. They emphasize the history of how it was back in the past, and also what America had to go through to become a nation. Although, there are two other poems, that were written more recently, that illustrate the effects of war and terrorism in the United States. “Facing It” and “The Names.” In the poems, “Facing It” and “The Names,” there are many

Beauty is an eternal subject and parameter of art; yet, there is no conclusive definition of beauty, just as no unanimous definition of art itself. Therefore, examining the art of a culture or time reveals priceless insights as to the aesthetics of the culture, which in turn reveal important facts and messages about the culture itself. More intriguingly, the aesthetics of beauty can change throughout time and in response to events. Therefore, aesthetics is a pure means of social commentary through art. This principle is easily observed within the America, as the country is a mixture of types of people and cultures. Considering the literature, and specifically the poetry of two of the nation’s different groups of people, the African American

In the beginning America was mothered by England. Writers expressed how they felt about America, who America was, and what it meant. The writers all had different points of view, but many thought America would be or should be on her own. Writers like Thomas Paine, J. Hector St. John De Crévecoeur, and Thomas Jefferson thought America was strong enough to be independent. Between 1765 and 1790, the contradicting ideas of writers surrounding the definition of America built the identity of America through the argument stating that England was no longer America’s mother country.

The Wasp Factory is about a disjointed Scottish family who live in a secluded area of Scotland which consists of a strange father, a psychotic brother and sixteen year old Frank. Ian Banks discusses the key issues of life in The Wasp Factory, (published in 1984). Identity is a prominent theme and it is presented in many ways. This text offers interesting comparisons and differences to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, like Frank, Gatsby’s search for identity is continuous throughout the novel whilst the characters attempt to protect the images that they have created for themselves. Published in 1925 and set during the prosperous 1920’s in the fictional town of West Egg in Long Island, The Great Gatsby helps present the idea that identity

After studying American author, Walt Whitman, it is clear that he has had a long lasting impact on society and the lives of authors and artists who came after him. Through works like Democratic Vistas and Song of Myself, Whitman gave American society tools to promote creative expression and the essence of democracy. However, Whitman’s methods had to be adopted over time to touch/bring attention to different social issues. Two authors who were able to branch off of Whitman’s works and ideas were Isadora Duncan and James Baldwin. By analyzing these two important characters of history, we will be able explore two different social issues in two different eras and how Duncan and Baldwin refined Whitman’s approach in order to make a statement in society. It’s significant to identify the importance of these artists because this process is still relevant in today’s society, adapting from Whitman in order to get points across and make a difference.

In his poems and life, Walt Whitman celebrated the human spirit and the human body. He sang the praises of democracy and marveled at the technological advances of his era. His direct poetic style shocked many of his contemporaries. This style, for which Whitman is famous, is in direct relation to several major American cultural developments. The development of American dictionaries, the growth of baseball, the evolution of Native American policy, and the development of photography all played a part and became essential components of Whitman’s poetry.

William Blake is one of England’s most famous literary figures. He is remembered and admired for his skill as a painter, engraver, and poet. He was born on Nov. 28, 1757 to a poor Hosier’s family living in or around London. Being of a poor family, Blake received little in the way of comfort or education while growing up. Amazingly, he did not attend school for very long and dropped out shortly after learning to read and write so that he could work in his father’s shop. The life of a hosier however was not the right path for Blake as he exhibited early on a skill for reading and drawing. Blake’s skill for reading can be seen in his understanding for and use of works such as the Bible and Greek classic literature.