I Feel Like I 'M Fixin' To Die Rag Analysis

Modernists believe in rational thoughts while postmodernists believe everything is irrational. Postmodernism is a late-20th century movement, which is against and critiques modernism. Postmodernism knows to mock important topics such as war, and includes dark humour and sarcasm. However on the other side, modernism has a completely different approach in comparison to postmodernism. The modernist period started at the end of the 19th century and lasted up until 1955. Modernism focuses on traditional values, and often comments on the Victorian period. Despite focusing on traditional values, modernism also accepts modern values. The song “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag” by Joe McDonald is a postmodernism song, while poem “The Red Wheelbarrow”

by William Carlos William is a modernist piece of work.

The poem “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos William appears as a poem that is short and simple, or a poem without real meaning. The poem starts off with, “so much depends/ upon” (William, lines 1-2), which shows that the modernist poet wanted to show that simple things are important. A characteristic of modernist text is that it uses simple language, and that is shown throughout the poem. The poem can be read and understood by everyone because of its simplicity. On the other hand, the song “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag” by Joe McDonald is about a serious topic, the Vietnam War, however it feels to be very disconnected. It is a common characteristic of postmodernist texts to mock important and serious topics. In this song for example, McDonald was mocking the important topic of the Vietnam War. The song mocks families of the soldiers who have gone to fight in the war by saying, “Be the first ones on your block, to have your boy come home in a box” (McDonald, lines 41-42). Lines 41-42 are clearly not appreciating the fact that the soldier went to Vietnam to fight in the war. It seems as if the singer is implying that it’s a race for the parents as to whose son is going to be the first one coming home in a coffin. The poem “The Red Wheelbarrow” is simple and important, but the song “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag” talks about a serious topic and mocks it.

Authors of modernist texts tend to be vague in their work, and want the reader to make conclusions. The poem “The Red Wheelbarrow” is an extremely good example of vagary in a modernist text. William Carlos William was very vague in his poem, and left everything for the reader to interpret and add a conclusion to. The poem is composed of one sentence and broken down into intervals which makes sense for the poem to begin by saying, “so much depends / upon” (Lines 1-2) because every line in the poem is depended on. Lines 1 and 2 are important because they are the foundation of the idea that so much depends upon a wheelbarrow. Towards the end of the poem the reader is able to make interpretations as to what the poem is actually about. The poem ends with “beside the white / chickens “ and the unusual view of the wheelbarrow is complete. Two colours are used in the poem, red and white, and help for the reader to have a better visualization. On the other hand, ‘I Feel Like I’ Fixin’ to Die Rag’ does not need for the reader to make visualizations or interpretations. The reader knows within the first few lines that the poem is talking about the Vietnam War and mocking it. Vagary is clearly a characteristic of modernist texts in comparison to postmodernist text, which are straightforward.
There are several different types of characteristics of postmodernism, and postmodern irony is one of them.

Postmodern authors were not the first to use irony and humour in their writing, however for some authors this became their style of writing. Postmodern irony is mocked and not taken seriously, and the song “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag” is an example of postmodern irony. Making fun of and being cold towards a serious subject are postmodernism characteristics. The song makes fun of the possible humankind total nuclear destruction by saying “Just hope and pray that they drop the bomb/ they drop it on the Viet Cong” (McDonald, verses 19-20). However, the poem “The Red Wheelbarrow” has imagism in it in comparison to the postmodernist song. Imagism was a movement in early 20th century Anglo-American poetry that favoured precision of imagery with a clear and sharp language. The poem itself has a series of images starting with the line, “a red wheel/ barrow” (Williams, lines 3-4). The author adds details for the reader to visualize the image in their mind. Without the colour red added to the text the reader wouldn’t have an accurate image of the poem. With the author adding specific details to the poem the reader is able to make conclusions and add meaning to the story. Imagery and irony are two of the different characteristics of modernism and

postmodernism.

The poem “The Red Wheelbarrow” by Williams is an example of modernism, while the song “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag” by Joe McDonald is an example of postmodernism. When these two pieces are put side by side, we can point out the different themes and characteristics of two different movements.