Contrasting the Natural and Mechanical Worlds in Hathaway's Oh, Oh
The French poet and essayist Louis Aragon, in his Paris Peasant, wrote that "light is meaningful only in relation to darkness, and truth presupposes error--we only exist in terms of this conflict, in the zone where black and white clash" (Aragon 18). Aragon noted that the world is full of contrasts, and it is through those contrasts that we live and understand who we are and why we are here. Without an understanding of light, Aragon argues, we cannot understand what darkness really is. Or, without an awareness as to the concept of truth, one cannot possibly error, for the act cannot be defined. In William Hathaway's poem "Oh, Oh," the poet uses language, word choices, images, onamatopoeic descriptions, and even the title of the poem to define the intrusion of the mechanical harshness of the world into the carefree land of nature.
The images, content, and focus of the poem change with the intrusion of the train. Before the protagonist's girl notices the train, the two characters are concerned with the cows, grass, and simply ambling down a country lane. But, as soon as the train approaches, and as it passes, the characters are no longer concerned with nature. Rather, they suddenly begin dreaming of "being president" (11) and of "wonderful, faraway places" (14). This switch from the serenity of nature to the dreams of the world finally ends with the poems last line -- a punishment or at least a warning. The tranquil and peaceful nature suddenly becomes filled with "fifty Hell's Angels" (17). But, more than simply motorcycles waiting at a railroad crossing, Hathaway has personified the motorcycles creating the mechanical Hell...
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...orld where two universes are defined through their contrast. Through his world choices, images, and even his title, we are transported to a picturesque country landscape with "moo cows chomping daisies" (2) and "maple dappled summer sunlight" (7). Standing at a stark contrast to this land is the "lit headlight" (8) of a passing train and "growling [...] Hell's Angels" (17). Hathaway, through his firm grip of language, has recorded a poem that, through contrasts, gives us an understanding of both the natural and mechanical world in an attempt to show us how we can "look / eagerly to the road ahead" (16-17).
Works Cited
Aragon, Louis. Paris Peasant. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1926.
Hathaway, William. "Oh, Oh." The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Leading, Thinking, and Writing. Ed. Michael Meyer. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford, 1996. 593-94.
Updike, John. "A & P." The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 2nd Edition. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: St. Martin's Press, 1990. 407-411.
Imagery uses five senses such as visual, sound, olfactory, taste and tactile to create a sense of picture in the readers’ mind. In this poem, the speaker uses visual imagination when he wrote, “I took my time in old darkness,” making the reader visualize the past memory of the speaker in “old darkness.” The speaker tries to show the time period he chose to write the poem. The speaker is trying to illustrate one of the imagery tools, which can be used to write a poem and tries to suggest one time period which can be used to write a poem. Imagery becomes important for the reader to imagine the same picture the speaker is trying to convey. Imagery should be speculated too when writing a poem to express the big
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Abcarian, Richard. Literature: the Human Experience : Reading and Writing. : Bedford/Saint Martin's, 2012. Print.
Meyer, M. (2013). Bedford introduction to literature: Reading, thinking, writing. Boston: Bedford Bks St Martin’s.
Throughout the semester, various styles of music and the aspects of culture associated with these styles have been analyzed. Musical elements such as dynamics, texture, form, timbre, melody, instruments, etc., have been used to thoroughly explore each kind of music from different areas of the world, with an emphasis in music from Africa, India and Indonesia. These aspects of music go far beyond just music itself. Culture also plays a huge role in music and the accompanying musical elements. Each country and culture has a different style and distinctiveness that add to what makes the music of that certain culture unique. Music in Africa may differ dramatically from music in Indonesia or India not only due to those certain elements but also due to how it is interpreted by people and what it represents for those people. In addition to this, what one may consider music in one culture may not be music to another. These differences have been made apparent in the several demonstrations that we have been exposed to in class.
Charters, Ann & Samuel. Literature and its Writers. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2013. 137-147. Print.
World music may sound as simple as its name suggests, however the world music phenomenon expresses a deeper story that many people seem to miss. There is so much that makes up a world music genre, but what we hear about it is not always the easiest to decipher and generally comes from powerful and large organisations, where not all of it is explained thoroughly. A lot of their understanding comes from what they are only interested in and most important stories and factors are either ignored or incomplete (Stokes 2003, p. 297). Not receiving the full picture, gives us a limited understanding of world music and its sub genres. Different genres of music over the globe have been shaped in many ways by influences such as the; historical and traditional root, people and their culture, migration, globalisation, politics and commodification. Nueva Canción is one example of a world music genre that has been influenced in such ways, and of which has a strong historical and political story worthy to be recognised. This essay will focus on the way the genre, Nueva Canción has become a significant genre of world music, by exploring the influences stated previously.
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Jamaican reggae is music of protest that carries an angry message of poverty. Listeners worldwide often simply enjoy the swaying upbeats and melodies of reggae while giving little thought to the importance of the lyrics or the ‘harsh circumstances’ that have given birth to the music. Similarly, the music of Brazil has been neglected. Musical prejudices commonly lead to the association of subtle rhythms and light, casual melodies with bland music and not profound expression (Byrne, 1989, p. 2-3). However, the music of both cultures caries with them strong traditions of resistance. They both pay homage to their leaders and mythic figures and work to carry on in their tradition of resistance.
The movie stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, During the film Sarah Michelle Gellar plays (Karen Davis) as an American exchange student who volunteers at a home care agency in return for university credit. When one of the regular nurses doesn't show up for work, Karen is asked to sub for the ...
Updike, John. "A & P" The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 5th Boston. Bedford/St. Martins. 1999,