It is evident throughout Wislawa Szymborska’s poetry that she is an extremely knowledgeable and worldly woman. Her writing is strongly influenced by her worldly perspective and the value she places upon it. Her experienced view of the world and the knowledge that her experience brought her resulted in a recurring motif of intellect throughout her works. The motif is glaringly prevalent in the poems “An Opinion on the Question of Pornography”, “Discovery”, “Soliloquy for Cassandra”, and “Conversation with a Stone”. Wislawa Szymborska’s views on the importance of worldly experience led to her portrayal of intellect and knowledge as potentially dangerous and extremely powerful agents. The poem “An Opinion on the Question of Pornography” is a comparison of intellectual intercourse and sexual intercourse. At times, Szymborska finds intellectual pursuits more worthwhile than sexual ones. When regarding sexual intercourse, she has a consistently negative tone and constantly uses words with a negative connotation, …show more content…
The knowledge Cassandra possesses, the knowledge of the future, is useless, for the fact that no one believes her prophecies. Knowledge is not mutually inclusive or exclusive of belief. Knowledge without belief is truancy. Belief without knowledge is naïveté. The presence of belief without knowledge leads to reckless action. To be motivated by things that are false will make every resulting action wrong. The contrary is also true. When knowledge is present without belief, there is nothing because belief is required for action to occur. The belief that a difference will be made inspires action and to not believe that something will change means that nothing will be done. In the first stanza, Cassandra evidences this phenomenon. She knows the future, but has a “head full of doubts” which leads to nothing being done to prevent her prediction of death from coming
In “There But for the Grace,” Wislawa Szymborska is creating a list of situations that separated the survivor and victims of the holocaust. She uses form, sound devices, and language in this poem to communicate the message that there’s more to luck and chance than just lotteries and raffles. Sometimes it can be the difference between life and death. In this poem, the author is speaking to the survivors of the Holocaust and expressing to them how lucky they were and how they had good chances while escaping the Holocaust.
Bersani believes that abolishing the self opens many options, sexually and psychologically. He rejects conventional ideologies pertaining to sexuality like gender, identity and inequality but proposes new ways of thinking about sex and one's sexual identity by showing the reader new and unusual ways of viewing homosexuality and sexuality in general. In the article, Bersani discusses "the self" and how it should be eradicated. The following is what Bersani thinks of "the self". It is the self that swells with excitement at the idea of being on top, the self that makes up the inevitable play of thrusts and relinquishments in sex an argument for the natural authority of one sex over the other side of the ring.
To sufficiently take a side in the ever-growing debate of pornography, one must first define the concept around which this discourse surrounds itself. A working definition for pornography is a piece of material that has the object purpose of arousing erotic feelings. Radical feminists, however, strictly define it as “the act of sexual subordination of women” (Dworkin 1986).
Sex is more than just a physical act. It's a beautiful way to express love. When people have sex just to fulfill a physical need, as the poet believes sex outside of love-based relationship only harms and cheapens sex. In the beginning of the poem, Olds brilliantly describe the beauty of sex, and then in the second half of the poem, she continues reference to the cold and aloneness which clearly shows her opinions about causal sex. Through this poem, Sharon Olds, has expressed her complete disrespect for those who would participate in casual sex.
Being one of the greatest Russian writers of 20th century, Aleksander Solzhenitsyn had a unique talent that he used to truthfully depict the realities of life of ordinary people living in Soviet era. Unlike many other writers, instead of writing about “bright future of communism”, he chose to write about everyday hardships that common people had to endure in Soviet realm. In “Matryona’s Home”, the story focuses on life of an old peasant woman living in an impoverished collectivized village after World War 2 . In the light of Soviet’s propaganda of creating a new Soviet Nation, the reader can observe that Matryona’s personality and way of life drastically contradicted the desired archetype of New Soviet Man. Like most of the people in her village,
In the book, “On the Meaning of Sex” J. Budziszewski talks about the meaning of sex. Budziszewski states that the issue of sex is one of the most important issues in our culture since the sexual revolution. Budziszewski opens the book by restating a conversation he once had with a student about the Book, “Brave New World.” The student states that the people are revolting and disgusting. Budziszewski is delighted by this statement. He believes that the student and himself are on the same page. Budziszewski responds to the student by agreeing and saying that there needs to be some meaning to sex. However; the student replies by saying, that the manner in which babies are “born” in the brave new world is disgusting and that sex doesn’t necessarily
Downs, Donald A. The New Politics of Pornography. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989. Print.
The poets integrated ?metaphysical conceits? as focal parts of these poems. Along with these, they used effective language as a basis for their convincing arguments, they included subjects of periodical importance (e.g. ?courtship? and ?religion?), and use very clever structures that are manipulated in order to make the poem read in the desired way. The very clear indication of the theme in question was strongly aided by the way in which the personas portrayed the emotions they felt and the way they showed their attitudes towards the subject. Considering all these factors, the poets made critical arguments to the mistresses in order to alter their views, thus changing their minds, on denying the poets the sex that they desired so strongly.
Christina Rossetti's, 'Goblin Market' is one of the most controversial poems of it's time. Although she insisted it was meant to be seen as a childrens fairytale, many readers have interpreted it as an erotic poem, many seeing it as a warning for young women against the temptations of sex. The poem has many hidden inuendos. For example the Goblin's describe the fruit in a sensual way, “Plump unpecked cherries” (line 7). Cherries are seen as a sign of virtue so this a clear example of a sexual situation. There is also a very strong religious theme in this poem. The fruit the goblin merchants are offering is a very clear symbol of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit. “Obviously the conscious or semi-conscious allegorial intention of this narrative poem is sexual/religious.” (Gilbert and Gubar, 566). This essay will discuss the theme of sensuous experience in terms of what makes this poem erotic, female sexuality and it also aims to discuss the religious symbolism in Rossetti's, 'Goblin Market'.
Pozdnychev has just spent several years in prison for the murder of his unfaithful wife, as we find out early in the story. His tale is a sordid one, as he relates his past life, before his wedding, the meeting of his wife, their marriage, their dreadful relationship up to the murder itself and the tribunal. What is interesting in his story remains the unique perception he has on love, on marriage, and on society in general.
The issue of pornography has been debated and argued among many about its effects on morality and society. The questions most raised are is pornography moral or immoral and what defines it as such. Also, what makes something be seen as pornographic and therefore immoral. Often when someone brings up the subject of pornography they often envision something dark and seedy which in no way could ever be justified as virtuous. However, there are others who see it’s as being a healthy outlet and without harm to others. When applying the sociological theories of utilitarianism and deontology we can understand the different ideas of pornography. We can also use the perspectives of Emotivism and ethical egoism to make a rational argument about
Szymborska was a Polish poet who was one of few females to win a Nobel Prize for her works. She is not known for feminist writing and she does not preach feminism in her works. Many of her poems in this novel do not specify a gender, but since she is a female we assume it is of the female role. Polish professor Grażyna Borkowska says it does not matter for literature, whether the author is male or female, what matters
Whether pornography is an excuse to make acts of violence public? A big number of famous scholars, no matter men or women, have given their opinions. Each of them has their own view, but we can sort them into two groups, which are against to serious censorship and willing to convict and uproot pornography. Because of pornography, women’s status can never be equal to men’s. Recently, a revolution about the perception of moral values comes out in the world, which refers to how deep the changes of the method people think and act. Media have continuously played a big role in processing those changes in the revolution. Whereas, a lot of changes have been much worse. New violations of human dignity and Christian ideals have taken place. Within here, the media is also important. In the media, widespread pornography and wanton violence have increased in these years. Books and magazines, recordings, the cinema, the theater, television, videocassettes, advertising displays and even telecommunications regularly present a representation of violent behavior in sexual activity, which has been openly pornographic and morally offensive.
Everybody is different in every unique way, and that a group of people being in the same roof doesn’t mean they are similar, but that they influence by each other time through time. Through Edna’s transformation, Chopin, under the feminism lense, condemns the sexist society and stand up for the equality, rights of a woman. Chopin portrays how society affects to people behave and thinking which is a two slide knife that could whether more useful or more harmful.
...re true”. Agamemnon killed her daughter for the favour of Artemis. To revenge him for his cruel sacrifice Cassandra plots a plan. She believes in fate and says that whatever is predetermined to come will come to pass. If Agamemnon is fated to die by her plan let it be so. Cassandra also says to the chorus that he will also stand beside her and prove that her words are true and to proclaim that fate predetermined everything.