The Use of Form and Rhythm in William Carlos Williams’s poem,“The Dance”
In William Carlos Williams’s poem, “The Dance”, Williams uses the inspiration of a painting by Peter Breughel to shape his poem. Peter Breughel’s painting called “The Kermess” depicts a peasant dance of the mid fifteenth century. It shows the form and rhythm of the dance. Williams also captures the form and the rhythm of this dance in his poem. In William Carlos Williams poem, “The Dance” the open form, suggested images, and rhythm embodies the dance depicted in the painting “The Kermess” by Peter Breughel.
In Breughel’s painting, “The Kermess”, all of the people that are dancing, do so around and around each other. The opening of Williams’s poem establishes the rhythm of the entire poem. In lines two and three, “the dancers go round, they go round and around”(Kennedy 234), Williams establishes a bouncing and circular motion in the poem. This bouncing and circular motion is also emphasized by the absence of line stops in the entire poem (Diggory 156). Every line continues to the next giving the poem the feeling of a circular motion. The open form of the poem helps to continue the bouncing rhythm throughout Williams’s entire work.
Williams continues to establish a rhythm by mentioning musical instruments. The peasants dance to “the squeal and the blare and the tweedle of bagpipes, a bugle and fiddles”(Kennedy 234). This alludes to the bagpipe player keeping the beat of the dance f...
The next work of the program, Courtly Airs and Dances, is a multi-movement work composed by Ron Nelson. The piece is split into six movements: Intrada, Basse Danse, Pavane, Saltarello, Sarabande, and Allemande. Each of these present distinct characteristics that separate it from each other movement, yet all are united by being a style of dance. The first movement, Intrada, presents a fanfare-like opening to the multi-movement work. The trumpets and brass section as a whole lead this, as they create a sense of nobility. The key is major and the tempo is one that could be described as allegretto—it is not a fast tempo, yet more brisk than an andante pace. The texture is homophonic, as there are different parts being performed by different
The story explores many vital concepts accompanied by beautiful illustrations. I felt a strong sense of cultural understanding, spirituality and connection to family and land as though I was on this journey too. I could sense an underlying meaning in each dance, holding great importance to Bertie’s family and a strong connection to their culture. Pryor has attempted to fuse the then and now, by speaking of changes in the land, from a once spiritual gathering place, to a now busy town street where through food, they keep the culture alive (Pryor, 2010).
Peña, Manuel H. "Ritual Structure in a Chicano Dance." University of Texas Press: Latin American Music Review Spring- Summer 1980 1.1 (1980): 47-73. Print.
People do not take into account the impact that colonialism had on Mexico and Mexico’s culture of dance and music. The merging of Indigenous tradition and European culture left a strange mark in Mexico, where both those diverse cultures were combined into its own Mexican identity. There is no bigger example of this than the traditional Mexican dance, of the state of Michoacán el danze de los viejetos or in English the dance of the old men. What the dance used to represent pre and post the conquering by Spain is radically different, since Mexico itself changed through colonization. The dance of the old men is still being danced now but the original meaning and what it represents now has changed,
The work ‘Ghost Dances’ by Christopher Bruce was viewed on 26th August, 2011 to the Year 12 Dance class. The individual interpretation of the social/political or world issue/ comment the piece is attempting to make. Using direct examples from the performance, the use the choreographer has made of the movement and the non-movement components have been identified. Also the effectiveness of this piece has been evaluated. After Christopher Bruce received a letter from a widow of a Chilean folk singer who had been murdered the very inspirational and symbolic ‘Ghost Dances’ work came about.
The constant rhythm throughout the poem gives it a light beat, like a waltz; the reader feels like s/he is dancing. The rhyme pattern of...
To begin with, the role of Critical Race Theory provides us with the idea of “racial realism”, the idea that racism, the normalcy of white supremacy is part of the everyday life of an ‘other’, in other words, racial or indigenous minorities in Canada (Slides on Critical Race Theory). The Critical Race Theory gives an understanding of the power that can be given to a definition such as ‘race’, and how
Some people define race as if it is something solid or concrete, but what they don’t see is that it is a “social fabrication”(Mathew Desmond, Mustafa Emibayer,2009;2). Race is based on the difference in physical appearance which is determined, for example, by the most apparent trait; skin color. Inequality emerges when people living, whether on the same sovereign terrain or across continents, are not treated with the same amount of respect and not given the chance to engage their rights in a free and fair manner. Race and inequality are often linked together because of the “issues that began in the 1800s”(NFB;Journey to Justice;2000) such as racial segregation. Over the years issues of race and inequality have decreased dramatically. How did racial inequality decrease and through what? To study this case, two theories need to be put in practice, “resource mobilisation theory and new social movement”(Tremblay;2013).
However, for a man to appear naked conferred his power, his strong body and strong mind, while for a woman to appear naked would be indecent and confer immodesty. Sculptures of unclothed women were usually of the Goddesses of love and sexuality, which justifies the nudity. The need to justify female nudity while male nudity was considered commonplace already reflects ideas about gender. In the sculpture, the woman is clothed in a mantle, which symbolizes modesty. Women were treated as vessels for children, not as human beings capable of aggressive sexuality. (invisible; not
Discrimination has been found through out human history and in almost if not every culture. One of the most common, if not thee most is racial discrimination, or more commonly known as racism. In different ways both Bonilla-Silva’s “Racism Without Racists” and Diangelo’s “White Fragility” address this issue of racism; specifically the sub issues of racisms modern forms, such as the coded language, segregation, and the presentation of unequal opportunities. As well as how these new forms of racism are affecting the dominant “white” cultural ideas about racism or more so their lack there of in modern day society. The general conclusion of both was that due to the new ways racism prevents itself, white people are undereducated on the impact
Hip Hop a grass movement started in 1974 in the South Bronx in New York City. Created to end gang violence, a voice for the underrepresented minority. Rap music is critical to understanding the hip hop generation’s gender crisis, a crisis between sexes that allows African American males to blatantly disrespect African American women for the sake of the culture. The consistent referencing of African American women as ‘bitches’ and ‘hos’ and the hyper sexualization of their bodies is harmful to the African American community. These images instill that it is alright to represent black women in this nature, and harmful to the young girls who are intaking all these negative images. Harmful to both the perspective of young men and women Hip-Hop is like a pillar in the African American culture. It represents how each generation views themselves in this society and how they internalized these narratives. In this essay I will summarize the main arguments in Chapter 7 of Gender talk , discuss the creation and deconstruction on views
According to Dr. West, “rap music identifies young black women in five sexual personas: Diva, a woman who trades sexual favors for luxury; Gold Digger, a woman who trades sexual favors for basic necessities and leaves men bankrupt; Freak, a sexual powerhouse; Gangster B----, a "tough" girl; and Baby Mama, a child's needy mother” (Saengianpittsburgh, 2008). Since the 80s, hip hop artists has been accused to objectifying women. It captures the idea of controlling and demeaning women by “pimping them.” In “Why do music videos portray black women as exotic sex objects?”, the author draws attention highlighting what is put on bodies of African American women, which are “seen as inherently sexual and animalistic, with a heavy focus on body shape, particularly the posterior. The black woman’s ‘butt’ has been considered a distinct point of fascination for centuries” (Larasi, 2013). Although, rap and hip hop get more attention in popular media for sexualizing women, it is also being represented in other
Critical Race Theory (CRT) comes from the scholarship of Critical Legal Studies (CLS) which has observed the continuing domination and power of some groups such males and whites over some other groups and it has argued that political and social change was necessary (Taylor, 2009). Derrick A. Bell, an African American, was the first who had tried to establish an agenda in which colonialism, race, and racism would have an important role in intellectual legal...
32-81), presents itself as a wild array of freeform shapes. Arches and crescents, lines and circles, all splattered across the canvas. Free flowing unstructured geometric and biomorphic shapes alike can be found in black, white, gray and brown. Though covered from edge to edge in what looks to be an unrestrained painting free-for-all, a distinct bordering edge is undeniably visible. Within the piece, the dripping, and splattered lines seem to thin and become increasingly sparse as they come closer to the edge of the canvas. Further balance is achieved within the composition with the accumulation of the densest points coming together towards the center of the canvas. The entire piece strikes one as almost being alive with its nonstop motion. It creates a sense of organized chaos. When viewing Autumn Rhythm (Number 30) (Fig. 32-81), I feel as though it has captured the view of the world while in motion, more particularly the view of the world while dancing. The rhythmic movement from one side to the next, sweeping across the floor, the freedom of movement as the body turns and spins and the world blurs around. The title suits the piece perfectly as it is easy to envision how the winds carry the autumn leaves, similarly as though they are dancing in the air. Wild and free, yet contained and controlled by the gusting of the wind. The movement within this piece evokes the feeling of being energized and alive. Not necessarily a
I have always wondered about the history of Latin American dance. In this informational report, I am going to share with you the origins of the Latin American culture of dance.