Smith And Mapplethorpe: An Analysis

Smith’s early life could be described as abusive in every way except physical, for Smith, who resembled both his Father and Grandfather, was thankfully spared the nightly beatings his father had to endure. The artist, in looks, habits, behavior, and personality, became a carbon copy of the two men who had for years neglected or viewed their sons as romantic rivals and fought a constant struggle throughout his life to deny that inheritance as he

When someone says, “New York,” people may imagine the smell of a hot dog stand, the congestion of people in suits and ties hastening down Wall Street, or the sound of taxis honking and rushing to get through brief, green lights. For others, however, New York City has always been known as a creative place where one can express themselves through their art and music. For Patti Smith and Bernadette Mayer, New York City was their safe-haven where they could freely express themselves through their work. Bernadette Mayer was born in 1945, and she began to write poetry about the truth of motherhood, and her feelings about topics that hadn’t been previously addressed during the time. Patti Smith was born in 1946, and she beautifully fused rock and poetry in order to create a unique sound that would pave the way for punk rock.

For this journal entry, I chose to compare Audre Lorde's Age, Race, Class and Sex: Women Redefining Difference to the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. In Lorde's piece, she talks about how oppressed people are often taught to ignore the fact that they are oppressed. We are taught to handle the difference we face by either ignoring them, copying them or destroying them. Lorde says that society as a whole has failed to see differences as a "springboard for creative change." Her article focuses on the fact that refusing to see creative differences makes it impossible to see the different problems and pitfalls women face. Some problems all women share and other problems all women do not share. For example, the experience of a white woman is different

The audience may think the top of their heads might blow off, when first hearing the song “Mystery of Iniquity” by Lauryn Hill. The album that the song was on (MTV Unplugged No. 2.0) went on to sell 5 million copies. Sure, there are females that rap, sure there are other ground-breaking studio productions that were a work of art in and of itself, and sure rappers use lyrics that connect to relationships, politics, faith, and cultural criticism, but not like the famous Lauryn Hill. The poetic devices in Lauryn Hill’s “Mystery of Iniquity” reveal society’s inevitable self-destruction through societal stigmas and stereotypes, justice system flaws, and religious references. To all the people who said that hip-hop had nothing important to say, and had not a lick of musical bone in them, this song was a smack in the face to all the haters.

Obtaining a sense of belonging is an intrinsic desire inextricably linked to our human nature. However, the inherent yearning to identify with a society, personality or context; can ironically lead to the compromising of one’s values that in turn hinges our sense of belonging. Such paradoxical interplay between a sense of connection and a loss of self is evident in Emily Dickinson’s poems I Died for Beauty; I had been Hungry all these Years and This is my Letter to the World, David Grossman’s reflective essay Writing in the Dark and Jason Reitman’s film Up in the Air. All three composers highlight the impracticality of humanity’s

Poetry is much different than any other style of writing. Poets have a way of communicating their message in a much more indirect way than regular writers. One reader may interpret a poem in a way that is drastically different than another. To truly understand a poem, one must understand the author as well. Sharon Olds, an American poet, who is known for her morbid and unhappy poems, writes about various themes including political violence, family relationships, and sexuality (Gale). In Olds’ poem, “The Death of Marilyn Monroe” we see her examining sexuality not only in 20th century, but in today’s age as well. Olds uses the death of a famous sex icon to really show how women were, and are still being sexualized in society.

The universe is created for society to cherish all God’s creations; it could be anything to admiring nature to loving all animals. The expectations for the world are difficult to maintain, so unfortunately, society often leads to major destruction. There is unnecessary homicides, animal cruelty, toxic waste in the rivers and many more heart-wrenching actions that deteriorates the world. As a society, we have to turn a negative into a positive, but firstly, we have to change ourselves before we help others. Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”, exposes all of the humanity issues and suggests that we should fix the world by recognizing our flaws first. The theme of the song is about self-improvement and imagery, tone and repetition are the poetic devices that are used in the song.

"The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don 't see." - James Baldwin

Millions of people in the world listen to music for all different reasons. Most people all over the world listen to different genres of music in order to relax, but not too many people pay attention to the actual lyrics of a song. If you listen to the lyrics of a song you will realize that many songs have important messages or themes to them. An example of this is the lyrics of the song “Changes” by Tupac Shakur. If you listen to this song, you will realize that Tupac raps about not only the problems that African Americans face from society, but also the struggles that poor people in society have to endure and overcome. Many

In those years, racism was a strong and violent issue that not only referred to women but also to minorities such as black people, gays and single mothers. Today people are still struggle with these very issues. Racism in America is proving that this essay is sadly very relevant today and this minorities group reacts in different ways but always similar to Lorde’s description of poetry as a form of creativity as a class issue, thinking that in the 80’s poetry was the most economical way of communication. In recent years there has been an explosion of creativity by minority groups in form of: street-art, rap music, and

Popular music is often one of the best lenses we have through which to view our own cultural orientation. Many of the artistic and experimental shifts in popular music have mirrored changes in our own society. For instance, the emergence of Elvis Presley as a public figure would signal the start of a sexual revolution and the growth in visibility of a rebellious youth culture. Similarly, the folk and psychedelic music of the 1960s was closely entangled with the Civil Rights, anti-war and social protest movements. In this regard, we can view popular music as an artifact through which to better understand the time and place in which it is produced. In light of this, the state of popular music today may suggest troubling things about our society.

Allen Ginsberg’s revolutionary poem, Howl, is a powerful portrayal of life degraded. It represents the harsh life of the beat generation and chronicles the struggles of the repressed. Howl is a poem of destruction. Destruction of mind, body, and soul through the oppression of the individual. Using powerful diction, Allen Ginsberg describes this abolition of life and its implications through our human understanding of abstractions like Time, Eternity, and self. The poem’s jumbled phrasing and drastic emotion seems to correspond with the minds of the people it describes. Ginsberg uses surprisingly precise and purposeful writing to weave the complex

In closing, it is so important to remember the relevance of music and its effects on society. While some can argue music has a greater consequence on society, it is important to remember why the music was created. The afore mentioned artists created their music in a way to focus on how to relay a particular message about how people were feeling about what was going on during those certain periods of time. Whether it be during the Civil Rights Movement or just general songs relaying how society was reacting to different situations such as a continuing feeling of racial

People around the world have different ways of expressing their emotions. Many people use music as a way to release the emotions they feel inside. When listeners analyze a song sometimes they can understand what an artist might feel or better understand their perspective. Many African American artists sing about how African American communities are dragged into a never ending cycle of poverty and criminal activity. Some artists many have a different perceptive on the future of these communities where they grew up in. Gang Starr’s “Code of the Streets” and 2Pac “Changes” exposes the experience of living, being raised in a poor community expressing different emotions in the song.

When people visit museums and examine the art of painters, they are able to understand that there is a story or theme behind the painting. Humans have the ability to know the symbolism behind the strokes of paint. They can comprehend the emotional turmoil of Van Gogh while he was painting, or see Salvador Dali’s imagination through his work. Music has the same ability to establish a story or theme. There are countless albums that achieve this. One of which is The Dark Side Of The Moon. Pink Floyds album criticizes the people who place values on worldly objects such as money, wars, and time, as well as trying to show listeners that mental illnesses should be taken seriously and not just cut out parts of their brain immediately.