This Land Is Your Land

In conclusion, the poem was used as a key to unlock some of the thoughts the negro had concerning Africa. The negro in this poem was a representative of all negroes during this time; their thoughts and the their feelings toward Africa. Cullen’s usage of the literary devices allow for an effective expression of the meaning of this poem. Poems are intensified language of experience, so the devices assured the connection of the reader to the poem and the experience. This applies to many issues in society today because as beautiful as our country is there are still dark clouds that cover the very essence of what the states once stood

When songwriters begin to pen the lyrics of a song, I believe their ultimate goal is to transcend time in hopes of reaching listeners for generations to come. J.R. Cash, professionally known as Johnny Cash, wrote a song that did just that. “Ragged Old Flag” is a patriotic song that speaks to every generation. Written in 1974, “Ragged Old Flag” was meant to tell the story of our country. Johnny Cash recorded “Ragged Old Flag” live at the House of Cash. Cash wanted the song to be recorded live because it was raw, untouched, and unapologetically real. The basis of this analysis is to show how patriotism spans generations, but also why a song such as, “Ragged Old Flag” is an important part of patriotism in the United States of America.

"America" is another poem written by McKay that reveals the outsider theme of the Negro in America. McKay voices his love/hate relationship with America in this poem. He states that she "sinks into my throat her tiger's tooth, stealing my breath of life." He does however "confess I love this cultured hell that tests my youth! Her vigor flows like tides into my blood giving me strength erect against her hate." This line indicates that while he struggles as an American, it is America that keeps him going; that she gives him life even as she sucks it away. McKay is saying that he loves America not so much as an American but as an outsider that needs the test to live and become stronger. Another example of the theme of alientation is in the line "Yet as a rebel fronts a king in state I stand within her walls." McKay is once again using the point of view of the outsider rather than someone that really feels "American." This poem is

As a lawyer, Key took great care crafting his word choice for the lyrics to the Star-Spangled Banner. There is an inherent difficulty and artistry in composing lyrics to a predetermined tune. Specific to this case, a historical account of events had to be set to the sophisticated meter of “The Anacreontic Song.” Close examination of Key’s original manuscript [available at the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, MD] reveals areas in which Key painstakingly reworked his lyrics to fit the meter of the tune. Most notably the conclusion of the fourth verse “Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And let this be our motto – “In God is our Trust” appears crossed-out and rewritten several times.

The lyrics express Guthrie's belief that the working class should have the same rights as the rich. He very proudly carried the torch of singing songs about the American worker. Woody Guthrie’s music was not written down, but instead sung, performed, and taught completely by memory. The structure of this song is easy and memorable, using an "ACAB" format, which repeats the beginning of the melody (A section) for the third line. There was a certain Americana aspect to his folk music. He was a migrant farmer traveling as a country singer, using only his guitar and voice (occasionally using a harmonica) in his performances. He created songs from the sights he saw as he traveled all over the USA as a country singer, and spoke out against the lack of fairness and justice of capitalism and poor treatment of blue collar workers. He preached that his folk music was not just something that was made just to “sell” and “make money”, it was intensively focused on political and worldly events.

To the world, America is seen as one of the greatest nations in the world. Some may even consider it to be the greatest. “Land of the pilgrims and so forth” (Cummings 667). Symbolism is represented in the poem “next to of course god america i” by the way E.E. Cummings uses the land of the pilgrims to represent the countries roots, the heroic happy dead to represent the soldiers that have died for this country to ensure liberty to all that partake of this land, and by the way he uses the roaring slaughter to symbolise war and battle. In this essay, I will be discussing the ways the words used in this poem help to create a symbol that the reader is able to comprehend and I will discuss some possible meanings behind each of

During this period, Pete Seeger began writing books. His greatest publications include The Bells of Rhymney and Other Songs and Stories and American Favorite Ballads, Tunes and Folksongs as Sung by Pete Seeger. In the book “Carry it on! A History in Song and Picture of America’s Working Men and Women, Seeger and Reiser tell a story with songs describing every little aspect to the struggle of workers, specifically what they did in order to make things right. “Farm workers have been treated like livestock, herded into overcrowded dormitories or housed in shacks. In the prosperous 1960’s, the average farm worker made less than $2000 a year” . This example is followed by a song called “Deportee” which is written from the perspective of a farmer. Another book “The Incompleat Folksinger”, explores the many aspects of folklore music and what impacts it has had on Pete. He describes his songs to “tell of

Have you ever heard of a guy who was out to only write songs that make you happy? He wrote so many songs that were great, his guitar, then started to sing. I am talking about Woody Guthrie, who was famous for the song “This Land is Your Land” in 1940 and traveled the United States to share the song with everyone.The song ¨This Land is Your Land” a little about how he is traveling and about how all land should be for everyone. In the own words of Woody Guthrie he says ¨ I don't like a song that is out to bring you down!¨ One is a song and one is a quote from Woody Guthrie himself. The song and quote are similar, and yet, they are different.

The first stanza chunks all of the speaker’s many criticisms of obtuse patriotism together. The second stanza reveals that blind patriots essentially swallow down the words, just as the speaker “drank rapidly a glass of water” (14). With one line, this stanza provides a contrast that is powerful enough against the preceding thirteen lines to show that no matter how many lines it takes to show why this blind patriotism is irrational, what is said is easily ignored. The structure is important in conveying how easily the government and its propaganda can create blind patriots who fail to listen to harsh but true realities of

Many songs have deep and emotional messages throughout them, but few can match the aptitude portrayed in “The Dead Heart” This is depicted with the help of the text structure. “The Dead Heart” was made up of 8 stanzas. The rhyme pattern is ABCC, and changes throughout different stanzas this is to show the displeasure of the Indigenous people, when white men came and took their land. Indigenous people felt many things during this time period, happy and satisfied weren’t what they felt, instead they felt: hopeless, depressed, unfortunate and miserable. There are constant slant rhymes in the song, an example includes: Know your custom don't speak your tongue, white man came took everyone” The pure reason why “Midnight Oil” made these two sentences slant rhyme opposed to normal rhyme is to show the discomfort and distress when the British took their land, their most prized possession and their home. The structure used throughout “The Dead Heart” is phenomenal and truly captivates the true emotion the artist’s intended. Not only is the structure used extraordinary, but the poetic devices used truly entice the audience and elicit an emotional response.

I choose to analyze and discuss the poem “Bury Me in a Free Land by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper”. The poet, Frances Harper was an African American who participated in a movement to abolish the slave trade. A key reason for the choice is that the poem is indulging. The poet portrays her message in a vivid manner; expressing her inner thoughts and feelings clearly.

Through the various primary sources, a theme of hypocrisy is introduced, revealing the constant contradiction of freedom in America during the 19th century. This theme is exemplified in “America”, a poem written by James Whitfield. The poem begins with the lines, “America, it is to thee, / Thou boasted land of liberty, - / It is to thee I raise my song, / Thou land of blood, and crime, and wrong” (Whitfield “America” 1- 4). Within the first four lines of the poem, Whitfield introduces the notion that America, albeit boasting of freedom, is truly a land of wrongdoing. This idea is further enhanced later in the poem, as it is mentioned, “Oh no; they fought, as they believed, / For the inherent rights of man; / But mark, how they have been deceived / By slavery’s accursed plan” (Whitfield “America” 37 -

In the closing couplet, with syntax and enjambment, the speaker continues express the withholdings of the feelings towards the land. In line 13 the grammar and tone begins to change compared to the other lines, there is parentheses, and ominous. Something we were withholding made us weak until we found out that it was ourselves we were withholding from our land of living. Frost is suggesting that the Americans’ withheld some power. And forthwith found salvation is surrender. Such as we were we gave ourselves outright (The deed of gift was many deeds of war). Here we can see a paradox in the poem expressing both line 1-6 shows owning the land and now in line 13 irony of gift and war. Frost is explaining how the colonials had gotten to that point. In line 15 there is vagueness, unpossession is referred –showing the land is still developing at this point. Clearly, this what not an easy battle to be won overnight. We know nothing was given but something seized. To the land vaguely realizing westward. Frost is showing us a mirror to the spirit of ambition and exploitation which lies below the surface of the official American character.

     The voice of one person can send a profound sound into the hearts of people to help liberate one’s mind. That profound sound is seen through poetry. The creative structure and style of poetry creates a different form of writing that can either have rhythm, alliteration or have a direct message. In the poem “I Too Sing America”, by Langston Hughes had a significant message in that he desired to voice his expression on the issue of black oppression in America. Langston basic themes focused on the American Dream and the possibilities of hope and advancement were constantly present in his poetry. The tension between the unrealized dream and the realities of the black experience in