“America” by Claude McKay is a poem dealing with McKay’s thoughts as he processes through his inner turmoil as he faces the reality of being rejected from a country that he loves. As Claude unveils his feelings to the reader, a creative description of America is presented. The poem deals with love and loyalty and the vicious rejection when you aren’t accepted in a society’s culture. In the short poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus showcases and contrasts the ancient Greek statue Helios and the Statue of liberty. Lazarus lets the reader compare the ancient Colossus of Rhodes, representing traditional masculinity in contrast with the New Colossus a feminine symbol of unity and refuge for those in need. Both poems are social commentaries …show more content…
and reactions to subjects such as, patriotism, history, racism, and feminism in the United States. The second word of the poem “she” is an example of personification to help the reader understand the underlying message of McKay’s poem America. McKay beings the first two lines of his poem by personifying America as a vicious and acrimonious woman who is serving sour and unpleasantries to the narrator who the reader can presume as Claude McKay. McKay wrote “Although, she feeds me bread of bitterness, And sinks into my throat her Tiger’s tooth.”. In this passage there is a wisp of situational irony, because most people don’t typically expect a woman to be ferocious like a tiger. This description and picture presented to the reader helps establish a narrative of a strong female in the subject matter throughout the poem. Also the second line presents great visual imagery with the section “And sinks into my throat her Tiger’s tooth”. This description gives the reader a specific idea of how dangerous and deadly an encounter with this woman can be. “Sinking into the tooth” clearly demonstrates the length and sharp cutting capabilities these teeth possess. The next two lines take a slightly difference focus and perspective the reader gets a glimpse of the narrator’s thoughts and reaction to these hazardous situations presented to him. The statement “Stealing my breath of life, I will confess I love this cultured hell that tests my youth” shows McKay’s struggle for his life, but also embracing the challenge to survive. “Stealing” in the passage is a criminal act, which connotes the idea of what America is doing to McKay, is wrong and evil. The death of himself in this passage is not to be romantic, trivial, patriotic or heroic. Some may falsely interpret this as symbolically dying for one’s country. McKay in contrast is showing not a voluntary sacrifice or willing death but one where the victim is fighting and struggling to continue breathing. A murder. Violent suffocation could be a symbol for not only death, but also the extraction of thoughts, contributions, and history of certain individuals in America. This could bring attention to the idea that this country robs communities of their voice and vibrancy. After presenting the turmoil and strain, that he faces while surviving in America, McKay unexpectedly professes his love and passion for the challenge “I love this cultured hell that tests my youth”. He says that the constant battle is what keeps him young and agile; referring that without the struggle, he would become a stale morbid individual. Faced with challenges and danger McKay finds strength in his adversary mentioned in the fifth line “Her vigor flows like tides into my blood.” The reference to tides helps illustrate the strength and power that he receives from his adversity. The power from a tide provided by the moon’s gravitational pull and rotation of the earth is constant. The tide has the power to overwhelm an individual and drown them but also provide ideal living environments for specific marine organisms. The parallel to McKay’s poem demonstrates the beautiful and powerful influence that a country can create to either help or harm certain communities and individuals. McKay then changes back to describing who his enemy truly is “Giving me strength erect against her hate.” He is not fighting against the organization, or political views of America but his war and fight is an internal battle for morality and against hateful worldviews. In his second time mentioning water, while using a simile, McKay acknowledges the grandness of his mission “Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.” The flood, tide and blood, imagery may be inspired by the biblical plagues that were cast upon the Egyptians as the Israelites were in captivity. One of the most disturbing being the water turned into blood. If this is true than the reader can have a better appreciation for the battle and struggle paralleled to the biblical story. Drawing upon biblical sources to create a more in-depth understanding of the internal struggle people face when attempting to over through hate based mindsets, McKay creates a clearer picture of the moral battle he is trying to illustrate. In this next passage “Yet, as a rebel fronts a king in state, I stand within her walls with not a shred, Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer.” McKay recognizes the vast change he is trying to defeat, and is unafraid to confront the failures he observes in society. He is not angry, afraid or vengeful he is simply steadfast in his beliefs. “Darkly I gaze into the days ahead, And see her might and granite wonders there,” show that the future isn’t bright and optimistic but still hold some gems of strength and virtue. At this point Mckay is looking beyond his current situation to the future and could be attempting to remain hopeful in his frustrating circumstances. McKay starts the second to last line with” Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand.” He personifies time and believes that there are no mistakes. In the last line “Like priceless treasures sinking in the sand,” McKay demonstrates the unfinished nature of this battle. The reader has no absolute conclusion of whether he defeated hate or is he was consumed by it. All we have is his cautious optimism, hoping the future will be better and knowing that in time either someone will grab hold of what is right and good or morality will slip “like priceless treasures sinking in the sand”. Knowing that Mckay is an African American helps the reader understand that this is not just a poem about the struggles of any individual in America but a racially motivated battle against the historically hateful attitudes and ideals upheld by this country. In contrast to “America” by McKay, the “New Colossus” portrays America in a positive light and focusses on the many esteemed attributes projected by this nation.
Using the title is the beginning of the comparison Lazarus makes between the Old Colossus and the New Colossus. The old colossus is referring to the ancient statue of the Greek god Helios; the New Colossus was a woman the Statue of liberty. The narrator of the poem presumably, Lazarus is comparing the two statues to each other stating “Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame…A mighty woman with a torch… her name Mother of Exiles.” Lazarus continues the comparison on the next lines describing the female statue as “welcome” which is in direct contrast to the Old Colossus is meant to show power and authority. In the next lines five and six, Lazarus renames the statue of liberty into “Mother of Liberty” which personifies the statue and gives personality to this static object. A Mother is nurturing and caring, Lazarus uses these ideals to represent the statue of liberty. The personified statue then shouts, talking about the over glorified history of Greek mythology and cities “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” Lazarus may be implying that the old traditions and ancient rituals in the past. Welcoming refuges this popular quote is inscribed on the actual statue as follows “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” The quote “Your huddled masses yearning to breathe” highlights a unique comparison to the poem “America” previously discussed in this paper. This final passage is embodies the sentiment of the entire poem and communicates, hospitality, empathy and helping your fellow man which are morals America claims to
have. Both McKay and Lazarus presented America from their unique perspective. McKay’s is more critical and challenging hateful culture, while Lazarus is celebrating the change and difference that she believes America has become leaving the authoritarian traditions behind. Both poems use water and ocean related imagery in “America” McKay mentions “tides” and “flood” and Lazarus uses “sea-washed” and “shore” to create a more elaborate setting. Also both poems use personification. McKay personifies the country America as a woman, and Lazarus personifies the statue as a living woman. Ultimately in Lazarus’ poem America is a safe and helpful place for people to come the opposite is presented in McKay’s poem. Poetry that addresses political commentary in a critical and self-reflecting way allows the reader to embody a unique perspective they might not have otherwise been exposed to.
David McCullough author of 1776 puts faces and feelings to the events of the Revolutionary war making this an exciting novel even when the ending is known. Acting as a companion to an earlier work of McCullough’s, John Adams, 1776 is a strictly military view of the era versus political. Although the reader may have to get accustomed to the vast amount of characters introduced McCullough makes sure that those you are supposed to remember you will. Every character introduced is described incredibly well and throughout the novel you begin to feel as if you know the character and are going through the battle with them, specifically General George Washington with whom the reader emphasizes constantly with throughout the war. With the great description of the characters and events we feel as if we are there and in doing this the author creates understanding, the reader by knowing all sides and characters’ personalities the feels they know why the Revolution happened the way it did.
The aim of this book by Bui Diem with David Chanoff is to present the Vietnam War told from a South Vietnamese perspective. The large-scale scope of the work concerns the fighting between North and South Vietnam over which party would run the country and wanting to become an independent state free from the Western powers. Diem's memoir contains in-depth details about his life and politics in Vietnam in 1940-1975. The book serves as a primary source in documenting the events in Vietnam during the war and as an autobiography of Diem's life. The purpose of this book is to give insight of the war through Diem's eyes and how it affected his life.
The female, adolescent speaker helps the audience realize the prejudice that is present in a “melting-pot” neighborhood in Queens during the year 1983. With the setting placed in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, the poem allows the audience to examine the experience of a young immigrant girl, and the inequality that is present during this time. Julia Alvarez in “Queens, 1963” employs poetic tools such as diction, figurative language, and irony to teach the reader that even though America is a place founded upon people who were strangers to the land, it is now home to immigrants to claim intolerance for other foreigners, despite the roots of America’s founding.
Throughout history, Americans have sought to spread the spirit of equality, which is believed to be the realization of true freedom. Before establishing this freedom, every American had only one question stuck in their head: What is freedom? Our country received it in the year of 1776 from the British through a series of difficulties and wars. African Americans defined it as an escape from slavery, while immigrants defined it as their acceptance into a new society. More yet, women of the women’s suffrage defined their freedom as their recognition into society and for their rights to be equal to that of every other man. These different perceptions of cultures/groups in America tied together to form an American view of freedom. Freedom is something that every American should be willing to do anything in order to maintain. We may have weapons of mass destruction, but when it comes to living in a peaceful, American lifestyle, our freedom is our greatest weapon.
In “The Closing of the American Book,” published in the New York Times Magazine, Andrew Solomon argues about how the decline of literary reading is a crisis in national health, politics, and education. Solomon relates the decline of reading with the rise of electronic media. He believes that watching television and sitting in front of a computer or a video screen instead of reading can cause the human brain to turn off, and lead to loneliness and depression. He also argues that with the decrease of reading rates, there will no longer be weapons against “absolutism” and “terrorism,” leading to the United States political failure in these battles. The last point Solomon makes is that there is no purpose behind America being one of the most literate societies in history if people eradicate this literacy, and so he encourages everyone to help the society by increasing reading rates and making it a “mainstay of community.” Solomon tries to show the importance of reading in brain development and he encourages people to read more by emphasizing the crisis and dangers behind the declination of reading.
American literature reflects society by displaying the positive and negative sides to our country’s history. Throughout the year we have been shown all sides of the story, not just one side. We understand the situation more if we take into account the other stories that nobody ever hears about. American Literature deals with the topics of identity/memory, conformity and rebellion, society and struggle, and war. By taking a look at the 9/11 pictures as well as the memorial statue, The Crucible,The Harlem Renaissance, The Great Gatsby, and The Things They Carried, it is easy to see that all aspects of American Literature directly reflect society in many ways.
executing the messages that Hoagland wanted to deliver to the readers. The technique of symbolism was perfectly used in adding depth and meaning to the overall poem. Narrative method was also incorporated brilliantly in making readers feel like they were having a one-on-one conversation with the author. After reading ‘America’, one cannot deny that Tony Hoagland’s
Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
The American Economy was Linked by Railroads, Fueled by Oil and Built by Steel. Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford – their names are synonymous with innovation, big business and the American Dream. These leaders sparked incredible advances in technology while struggling to consolidate their industries and rise to the top of the business world. The Men Who Built America is a History six-hour, four-part miniseries documentary drama, broadcasted in Fall (Autumn) 2012, and on the History Channel UK in Spring 2013. The series focuses on Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan and Henry Ford
The poem “America” by Tony Hoagland reflects on how peoples’ minds are clouded by small-scale items, money, and the unimportance of those items. Metaphors and imagery are utilized to emphasize the unimportance of materialistic items in America. How America is being flooded with unnecessary goods. The poem uses examples of people to create an example and connection to the overall meaning.
The two most important events during American expansion were manifest destiny and the availability of land. Lewis and Clark had opened the nation’s eye to a vast continent that begged to be explored. Stories of beautiful land and riches were being spread much like during the of early days of European exploration and Americans felt it was their destiny to take possession of these territories. People were pouring in from around the world to become Americans and the population was ready to spread over the Great Plains to the the Pacific coast like to a wave of humanity seeking the American promise for the pursuit of happiness.
Poems are expression of the human soul, and even though, is not everyone’s cup of tea when the individual finds that special poem it moves their soul one with the poet. There are many poets in the world, but the one that grab my attention the most was no other than Langston Hughes. It would be impossible for me to cover all the poems he wrote, but the one that grab my attention the most is called “Let America Be America Again.” It first appeared in “1938 pamphlet by Hughes entitled A New Song. Which was published by a socialist organization named the International Worker Order” (MLM) and later change back to its original name. I have never felt such an energy coming out of a poem like this one which is the reason that I instantly felt in love with it.
In Open City, Cole includes historical events that illustrate extreme hatred towards races. Many of those mentioned are genocides. This includes the Holocaust, the genocide in Rwanda, and the genocide in the Republic of Congo. In these cases, the survivors seek refuge in countries of Europe and the Americas. On numerous occasions, they find themselves still the target of racist acts. America, has promised opportunity for immigrants and refugees seeking freedom. The Statue of Liberty includes Emma Lazarus’s quote from her Sonnet “New Colossus,” “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” (1883). It is ironic however, that people are still mistreated because of their race in America. In Open City, the birds that Julius sees represent freedom. They come and go as they please, migrating throughout the city during the seasons change. Towards the end of the story, Julius describes the birds hitting the Statue of Liberty, and their bodies being sold afterword. The Statue of Liberty was seen by millions of immigrants who travelled through Ellis Island in hopes of finding a better life. Cole uses the conclusion of the story, when Julius travels on the boat around the Statue, to explain how the Statue of Liberty is a monument of oppression. Those who entered America seeing it, were simply greeting a new
freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building” (Edward Snowden). Before WW2, communism became a colossal concern due to the idea that various people were aiming more on what countries they wanted to colonize. Later after the war, from 1945-1964, the Vietnamese expanded Southward expecting to reach the Mekong River Delta. As a result of their movement, the Vietnamese absorbed French influence established upon choice and freedom to individuals. France was preferential where as the U.S. Was pushed further away because the French recognized the democratic republic of Vietnam (DMV) as a free state. In the novel The Quiet American, by Graham Greene, Thomas Fowler, a British journalist, meets an American CIA agent named Alden Pyle who is always reading books by York Harding. Pyle's opinions are based on Harding’s beliefs that a Third Force, a country that interferes with two fighting nations to help reach a settlement, is the best way to help Vietnam out of Communism. Both Fowler and Pyle battle over a women named Phuong, wanting what is best for her and the rest of Vietnam. While Fowler wants nonintervention, Pyle wants to do the complete opposite. In the novel The Quiet American, Pyle believes he has to bring in a Third Force to stop communism which became a threat to the Vietnamese when in contrast, Fowler is more justified because he interpreted the main conflict of the Third Force and the view of the Vietnamese people.
In the poem “A song of Despair” Pablo Neruda chronicles the reminiscence of a love between two characters, with the perspective of the speaker being shown in which the changes in their relationship from once fruitful to a now broken and finished past was shown. From this Neruda attempts to showcase the significance of contrasting imagery to demonstrate the Speaker’s various emotions felt throughout experience. This contrasting imagery specifically develops the reader’s understanding of abandonment, sadness, change, and memory. The significant features Neruda uses to accomplish this include: similes, nautical imagery, floral imagery, and apostrophe.