Who Is Yusef Komunyakaa

When I think of a poet, images of scowling, mustached men whose 19th century wardrobe could use an update spring to mind—a somber Edgar Allen Poe type whose ink strokes inquire of unrequited love interests and dreary days alone in the snow. I certainly do not imagine modern, multi-ethnic women who live in the same state as me. However, as soon as I read Natasha Trethewey’s poetry, I immediately admired the way her words so effortlessly danced on the page, my mind’s eye watching the elegant choreography with each syllable read. Moreover, when I learned of her tragic history, and the strength and resilience she possessed to carry on, I could not help but to respect the way she turned pain into beautiful art. The right words carry great power

1. How did Lovin come to recognize the opportunity for his young venture? Of the three types of start-ups mentioned in Chapter 3, which one does The Kollection fit into? What was the source of this opportunity?

The poem America by Claude McKay is on its surface a poem combining what America should be and what this country stands for, with what it actually is, and the attitude it projects amongst the people. Mckay uses the form of poetry to express how he, as a Jamaican immigrant, feels about America. He characterizes the bittersweet relationship between striving for the American dream, and being denied that dream due to racism. While the America we are meant to see is a beautiful land of opportunity, McKay see’s as an ugly, flawed, system that crushes the hopes and dreams of the African-American people.

Today you must elect a poet from the group of finalists to be Australia’s official Poet Laureate. Although the position of Poet Laureate is commonplace in other countries, including England and New Zealand; Australia’s last Poet Laureate was a convict turned freeman by the name of Michael Massey Robinson. To be poet laureate the poets writing must be influential and meaningful. The role of a Poet Laureate is important as they raise awareness about important social and moral issues in their own unique way . The poet I know is the best for the position is Luke... more commonly known as Luka Lesson; he is a young slam-poet born in Brisbane to

Dwight Okita's poem presents American identity through the innocence of children. They understand what they're taught and what they feel and this shows that Americans

If they move and have to go to a new school, make new friends ect. As a parent or teacher you can comfort them and let them get used to where they are and not feel nervous or scared about being somewhere new and unfamiliar and help them to make friends, by asking them to join in activities, join an after school club or an out of school club where they will meet new people and get to know

In the poem ,“America”, Claude McKay uses figurative language and diction to create a dark tone, a powerful empowering tone, and an optimistic tone. The theme of double consciousness of African-Americans is supported in the poem and the poem itself also connects to the purpose of the Harlem Renaissance which was to fight back racial hate and stereotypes with black empowerment.

David Koresh came to power after marrying the previous leaders wife, after leaving the Waco group for a year he came back and in order to reclaim his position he shot the man fighting against him (the dude actually lived through it all). Along with the attempted murder of George Roden Koresh was also said to have relations with many women, some of those being teenagers (Biography). In the eyes of the public Koresh was a horrible person and some like Brad compare him to Jim Jones and willingly call Koresh as he was, a monster.

Growing up surrounded by this political turmoil, some people may believe Komunyakaa’s later writing would embody the anger Black Arts Movement. This is not the case. Komunyakaa’s poetry instead embodies the Contemporary Era (1975-present) of writing that followed. He expresses a desire to grow beyond the anger of past discrimination, to acknowledge it, cope with it, and then move on. He recognized his black culture in his life through the changing of his name from James William Brown to Yusef Komunyakaa (Blumberg). He likewise responds to his black roots in his poetry through brief discussions of race and the coping mechanism of jazz and blues music. However, he also tackles other issues, such as his time in the Vietnam War and his own personal survival guilt, both of which have

Hayden not only wrote about Frederick's life story and the way he was mistreated by his owner, but he also wrote about Fredrick's dreams and how Frederick envisioned the world in the future. Mr. Hayden was an American poet, essayist, and educator. He served as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1976-78, a role today known as U.S. Poet Laureate. He was the first African-American writer to hold the office. Much of Hayden's poems concerned with African American history and featured prominent African American historical figures.

Now that the semester has come to a close and that we have concluded the Brothers Karamazov, my opinion has not changed and I still find Alyosha Karamazov extremely riveting and engaging. I believe that Alyosha is the embodiment of the Church teaching that everyone’s first vocation is to love, serve, and know God. No matter where Alyosha finds himself, living at the monastery or in the world, he remains faithful to his faith traditions and to God. Mitya explains it best during the chapters on his confession when he calls Alyosha an “angel on earth” (105.) Mitya is recognizing that Alyosha has a special mission that he is assigned to while sojourning on this earth and that is to bring the message of God to all people. Alyosha may fall at

I can understand why Langston Hughes was often called the best poet laureate of Harlem; he really was that good. I found all of his poetry inspired deeper analysis and thought, even after I book down.

Walt Whitman is one of the most influential writers in American History. Although greatly unappreciated in his time, Whitman’s works were truly groundbreaking and served as the basis to usher in a completely new literary movement. Growing up and writing in a era of American History of immense change on numerous spectrums, Walt Whitman’s literary works explored many of these new concepts and ideologies brought forward during this time. As possibly the most important poet of the American Romantic movement, Walt Whitman’s poetry such as “For You O Democracy” and “I Sing the Body Electric” exemplified resurging and new found American ideals stemming from the events of the early to mid nineteenth century. With economic, physical, ideological,

The poems “On the Pulse of the Morning,” by Maya Angelou and “The Gift Outright,” by Robert Frost share many similar aspects, such as being written for presidential inaugurations and explaining their author’s views of America’s changing state. However, they differ in key aspects, such as the intended audience and the formality of the writing. Angelou’s poem speaks to a broad, diverse audience and displays an informal fashion, while Frost directs his poem towards a predominantly white America and writes in a formal tone. In his poem, Frost speaks directly to the American population as he sees it- a chiefly white society. He refers to the land as “ours,” referencing the struggles faced by colonists in the Revolutionary War.

Why is this poem so fascinating to scholars, students, and others in America, even today fifty-six years after it was published? Indeed it remains of interest because this poem was part of the literary movement that put the Beat Generation on the map, and it also demonstrated, "…in a seismic way," that social change could be driven by literature, Amiri Baraka and colleagues explain in The American Poetry Review. The poem broke form, and challenged cultural and moral values, and it amounted to "…more than a collective, thrilling scream" (Baraka, 2006, p. 3). In fact it changed "and continues to change" the "potential and vision of the lives and work of its readers, including those of our most distinguished artists and authors" (Baraka, 3).