Poetry and history are closely intertwined. The popularized literature of a time embodies an era. Poetic movements can be used to define our history and the people. Poetry is an outlet for us to express both our discontent with our lives and the pleasures we take in it, which can reveal the emotions and feelings behind an entire era. The Beat Generation was known for expressing the dissatisfaction many were feeling in the World War II era.
Poems have also been a way for people to challenge ideas and those in power. Poems like Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes and If We Must Die by Claude McKay are politically charged poems assessing society and what is wrong with the world we live in. Poems that challenge authority can change history by bringing to light what needs to be fixed and making people more aware of the injustices that have taken place in our history.
Poetry can tell stories, as well. Some poems, such as The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key or The Battle of Lexington by Sidney Lanier, depict historical events and describe what took place. Some poems are literary historical artifacts. Poems and literature in general are very closely linked with our history, revealing the values, beliefs, and emotions of a time period. Poems help tell our history.
I like how you answered the prompt in three ways. I love a lot of the poets you touched on in the first two paragraphs because their work was (/is) relevant and important and challenging. I think poems capture identity (of the topic, of the writer)and are tied to personal history as well as History. One point you made that is so important is that poetry makes it possible for anyone to challenge ideas, etc., instead of history being written by people in power.
ReplyDeleteI like how you give many different examples of ways poetry can be seen as a resource for understanding a period of time. I think that sometimes poems can help a reader understand what is going on better than a book or Memoir because they can make it seem like you are there in the middle of the action with the author/speaker.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you gave us many examples of different poems that talk about historical events and how you talked about a certain poetry generation that expressed many political commentaries (to be honest I had no idea that there was such thing as a "Beat Generation"; then again, I don't know any of the poetry era names so lol)
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about poems talking about history, and I learned a lot from your post. I don't know if this was done deliberately (probably not), but the background of this blog kind of gave me an old fashioned "homey feeling", which is very suiting of this blog post :)
I liked that you gave specific examples of poems that we could go look up, or that we already were familiar with, to illustrate your points. I think you are spot on with your interpretation of how poetry and history have been intertwined. Poetry can serve as a reminder as to how things were, but also like you mentioned poetry can also be used to challenge the ideas of the times and usher in a new line of thought.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on covering a variety of ways poetry can represent history. I think sometimes we forget that history isn't just defined by events and occurrences. Emotions and feelings during different time periods are just as important but also hard to capture. Poetry offers a unique outlet in that a lot of meaning and sentiment can be packed into a creative arrangement of words.
ReplyDeleteYou did a really good job of answering the prompt in a diverse and unique way which was really engaging. You make a good point--poems overtime do tell and show history. Your example of the "star spangled banner" was compelling and convincing. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteI really like the ideas you portrayed in the post! You make an interesting point when you say poems have also been a way for people to challenge ideas and those in power. Along with this, all of your other specific examples and points do well to add do your post!
ReplyDeleteReading this reminded me of the poetry that we read in African American Lit. each week. The concepts adressed in poetry are far more complex and nuanced than what is typically portrayed in media. We learned a lot about the feelings of the poets in different parts of American history in that class through the poetry, so I agree that it can be super powerful
ReplyDeleteLydia, I love that you were able to find specific poems that proved your point! It definitely made the argument stronger. I agree with you that poems are a way to tell history, especially in that it allows anyone to participate. I also think it's a way to pass down our history through generations. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt is important to understand the emotions of historical occurrences and poetry is almost the only kind of literature that does just that; you do a great job in depicting that. I also like how you included various examples, including The Star-Spangled Banner, to help the reader understand that poetry can represent history.
ReplyDeleteThinking about poetry (and art in general) as a reflection of the times is an interesting idea. I think in a lot of way it is a good indicator of the state of things, but the people who write poetry aren't always in tune with the whole world. Often poetry arises when you're in tune with yourself. In some case you may be so with the world. I don't know exactly how I would have reconciled that, if given the prompt, so I guess it's just something to think about. Good job.
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