Essay on The Theme of Freedom in Poetry - 2575 Words

The Theme of Freedom in Poetry Write about three poems on freedom: On Liberty and Slavery (George Moses Horton), Sympathy (Paul Laurence Dunbar) and Caged Bird (Maya Angelou). I have chosen to write about three poems on freedom: On Liberty and Slavery (George Moses Horton), Sympathy (Paul Laurence Dunbar) and Caged Bird (Maya Angelou). The full text of the poems is attached. I chose these three poems because the subject matter appealed to me and I believe that the poems convey their meaning very effectively. Upon researching the poems, I discovered that Caged Bird was in fact inspired by Sympathy, which accounts for the similarities in language and imagery, as outlined below. All three poems deal with the subject of†¦show more content†¦This poem uses 4-line stanzas (quatrains) and an ABAB rhyming technique, with 8 syllables for the 1st and 3rd lines and 6 syllables for the 2nd and 4th lines. The effect of the rhyming technique gives the poem a religious feel; the rhythm and the repetition of certain words (soar, alas, deprived) add to the effect of chanting. The use of alliteration provides another rhyming effect (lain and languished, roll through my ravished ears, gift of natures God, sacred sun) throughout the poem, lending a sense of endlessness and continuation. The petition to Heaven reinforces the religious theme; the poem is written as a 1st person narrative, a plea from an individual to a higher power be released from their suffering. Liberty is given physical aspects; it is described as a cheerful sound and golden in comparison to the hardship, toil and pain of the narrators current situation. The language reinforces the contrasts within the poem - Liberty is described with words such as cheerful, joyful, soar, golden, gift, cooed and heavenly. Slavery, in contrast, is described using words such as slavish, chain, rage, foul oppression, bondage, grief and storm. Hortons use of language is astonishing, considering his origins. On Liberty and Slavery was first published on 8 April 1829, in a Massachusetts newspaper, the Lancaster Gazette. It is remarkable for a number of reasons; it wasShow MoreRelatedGiving A Voice : Langston Hughes, An American Poet And Social Activist967 Words   |  4 Pagestranscend time. Hughes wrote his poetry so eloquently that his poetry can be interpreted in many different ways depending on the reader’s personal background and what they bring to the reading. Even today his readers can connect to his poetry because he discusses subjects that we are faced with today, such as identity issues. Hughes is known for focusing on issues that were confronting the nation during his time. Hughes used his African-American roots to highlight the themes of his poems. Hughes’ poemsRead MoreWalt Whitman And Langston Hughes1009 Words   |  5 Pagesin these categories; structure and technique, themes, and effect on people and society. 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Literature Review The Night Of The Gun - 1991 Words

Literature Review: The Night of the Gun Bekah Justin Missouri Western State University Literature Review: The Night of the Gun David Carr (2008) went through a troubling time of conflict from his years as a teenager all the way into his adult life past the age of 30. He struggled with drugs, alcohol, and violence throughout this time. He wrote an autobiography about those times including interviews with his past friends, girlfriends, drug dealers, and children. The reason as to why he chose to write about those experiences all came down to one night where he recalled an event differently than his best friend (Carr, 2008). He realized he had trouble recollecting past events in his life, so he did what any reporter would do and interviewed people in order to better understand his life on drugs and alcohol. Literature Review Carr (2008) began his autobiography with him losing his job at a local newspaper over his addiction problems. His boss gave him the option to either get himself into rehab or to leave the company, so Carr (2008) decided to leave. Instead of dwelling upon his lost job and income, he decided to go out to celebrate with his friends with some cocaine and alcohol. This led to more problems instead of solutions as he was expecting. Carr (2008) and his friend were kicked out of the bar for inappropriate behavior. This led to Carr’s best friend, Donald, to blame him for the incident. Carr (2008) threw Donald on a car and beat him up to the point that Donald leftShow MoreRelatedZero Tolerance And Its Contribution On The School And Prison Pipeline1446 Words   |  6 Pagesgathered and reviewed. This paper will discuss information found about the disciplinary methods in school and their effectiveness. Abbreviations used in this paper are as followed. DMC refers to Disproportionate Minority Contact. The GFSA refers to The Gun-Free School Act of 1994. 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The story takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark at a hotel for sailors and students. Olaf Jenson, a short and stout white male, works for a hotel checking in and out customers that come to stay for the night. Sailors come in from different parts of the world looking for a place to stay while making requests for women and whiskyRead MoreErnest Hemingways Writing1004 Words   |  5 Pagesaudience, especially an audience with less reading experience. â€Å"‘If you’d gone on that way we wouldn’t be here now,’ Bill said† (174). His characters speak very plain day to day language which many readers wouldn’t have a problem reading. â€Å"They spent the night of the day they were married in a Bostan Hotel† (8). Even in his third person omniscient point of view he uses a basic vocabulary which is common to the reader. Hemingway was very good at stating impressive amount of things in a one short sentenceRead MoreCrime Is A Major Problem898 Words   |  4 PagesLiterature review Crime is a major problem in Memphis (the Bluff City) that have reached numerous communities in areas such as Frayser (Anthony, Hunter, Jewell, Johnson, Mooreland, 2006). Crime has been a major concern in the bluff city. However, there are certain crimes that are more alarming than others in this region. Crimes such as homicides, home invasions, and kidnapping. Due to the frequencies of the crimes, my focus will center on the problem of assaults and burglaries in the NorthRead MoreImperialism In The 19Th Century Resulted In European Countries1726 Words   |  7 Pageslong night of savagery from which the first Europeans acting on God’s behalf delivered them†(Chinua Achebe on the Role of the African Writer, 1964). Chinua Achebe helped change the western perception of African culture by using the characters and story of Things Fall Apart to give readers a different perspective of imperialism than one they had been brought up to believe. Moreover, George Orwell’s essay Shooting an Elephant, and W.B Yeats’ poem The Second Coming were also pieces of literature thatRead MoreResearch Paper: Crime Prevention Strategies2484 Words   |  10 PagesContents Page Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...............4 Research Question (or hypothesis)...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 Research (including methodology)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...............4 Literature Review†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Findings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..............6 Discussion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...7 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..8 Reference List†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9Read MoreThemes of Loss in The Shawl and Bone Black Essay1625 Words   |  7 Pagesbarely suffered a bruise or scratch† (Erdrich 383). The oldest son describes their survival off his father as â€Å"a capricious and dangerous line of work† and says that they â€Å"stopped thinking of him as a human being, certainly a father (Erdrich 383). One night, when the son is thirteen, the father comes home drunk once again and this time the son decides to teach him a lesson. â€Å"A power surged up from the center of [him] and [he] danced at [the father], light and giddy, full of a heady rightness† (ErdrichRead MoreThe Crime Of Gun Control Essay2144 Words   |  9 PagesGun control generally refers to laws or polici es that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms (CITATION). The actual definition of gun control varies greatly around the world, however, this is the most Americanized and generalized definition that we’ll just stick with. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 467,321 persons were victims of a crime committed with a firearm in 2011(Harvard Kennedy School). In the same year, data collected

Los Angeles City Of Fallen Angels And Broken Drea Essay Example For Students

Los Angeles: City Of Fallen Angels And Broken Drea Essay msBibliographyDavis, Mike. Fortress L.A. Geography 100 Course Reader. New York: Vintage Books, 1992. 223-263. Kaplan, Robert. Travels into Americas Future. The Atlantic Monthly (August 1998): 37-61. Queenan, Joe. Yo, San Francisco, Youre No L.A. Los Angeles Times Magazine (October 25, 1998): 20-21. Page 6The City of Angels; to some, Los Angeles is the embodiment of the American dream- a sort of west coast Statue of Liberty, with opportunity at every corner and in every doorway. The city of razzle-dazzle, movie stars, and Hollywoods walk of fame; for nearly a century Los Angeles has been perceived as the town of dreams. These are, of course, gross exaggerations, as is the perception that Los Angeles is the city of ceaseless riots and brutal racism. Naturally, as in every urban city, there is to an extent some truth in these myths, and because of Los Angeles unprecedented size and diverse population it tends to be picked on more often than even New York. Los Angeles is an anomaly- there is no other city in the world that could ever begin to rival it. Because people often hate what they cannot explain, writers especially love to tear Los Angeles apart. A well written argument, however, will include an extensive examination of the topic from every side ( in Los Angeles there are ma ny sides to examine) and form an argument that persuades without alienating. In his article Travels into Americas Future, though initially relying on the cliche of Los Angeles as the embodiment of the American dream to catch the readers attentions, writer Robert D. Kaplan ultimately makes a convincing argument towards a positive perception of Los Angeles by examining the issues from many points of view, putting his topic in context through the use of comparisons, and by arguing subtly, so as to make the reader forget he is being persuaded. To fully understand the common fallacies associated with Los Angeles and its surrounding areas, one must first understand the diversity and complexity of its people and culture. On first approach, Los Angeles appears to be a utopia, with sandstone cliffs, a peacock-blue ocean, and and an endless bar of cream colored sand it often appears too beautiful to be real (Kaplan 37). Los Angeles, however, Page 1is comprised of a lot more than palm trees and rich movie stars. It is a sprawling city, incorporating many different cultural areas. It is often thought of as a city state not because L.A. is similar to Athens or Sparta but because of the very size and eye popping variety of this thriving urban confederation, with its hinterland of oil refineries and agricultural valleys. Santa Monica has the ambience of a beach resort, East Los Angeles is like Mexico, Monterey Park is like Asia, and Cerritos is an Asian Levittown for the nineties (Kaplan 41). Traveling through Los Angeles, one often feels as though they have traveled far and wide, experiencing many different cultures within just blocks of each other. People from all over the world come to Los Angeles hoping to find opportunity and freedom from oppressors, people like Zaheer Viriji, a twenty-seven year old ethnic-Indian immigrant from the East African Nation of Zimbabwe. In Kaplans article, Viriji recalls being harassed by police thugs in Africa. He says that race relations are so much better in Southern California Viriji went first to England and then to Canada, where there are large Indian communities. But he didnt feel free. In those places the community is whats happening. Here its YOU that is happening (Kaplan 38). Viriji is but one example of many who come to Los Angeles searching for the elusive American Dream. This intense lure attracts people of every race, age and religion, creating one of the most diverse populations of any city in the world. This constant cultural ebb and flow, often creates friction , and, coupled with ignorance, is what has created many of the stereotypes and stigmas that Los Angeles and its residents are constantly fighting. Los Angeles is a city that, in the eye of public perception wears many different masks. The media in Los Angeles as anywhere, has a tendency to create and fuel these stereotypes. Mike Davis, in his essay Fortress L.A. sees the media as a purveyor of fear and racism, a medium which ceaselessly throws up specters of Page 2criminal underclasses and psychotic stalkers killer youth gangs high on crack and shrilly racist evocations (the media) foments the moral panics that reinforce and justify urban apartheid (226). The image of Los Angeles as a divided, white vs. black city has been around for some time, with areas like south central and Watts becoming household synonyms for the bad part of town. Media images of the L.A. riots and the O.J. Simpson trial have portrayed Los Angeles as the dark city- the city of fallen angels. On the other hand, Los Angeles is also often seen as one of the true archetypal experiences in American Civilization (Queenan 20). The image of picture prefect suburbs all with pools and Caucasian residents constantly talking on their cell phones has been dampened a bit. The suburban San Fernando Valley, however, which is in fact a part of the city of Los Angeles, is often seen as the epitome of this stereotype. Perhaps this is because with 1.3 million inhabitants, the San Fernando Valley would constitute the nations sixth largest urban area, and one of its richest. However, this is not white flight- 40 percent of the valleys residents are Latino or Asian. Among the white population, Jews are the largest ethnic group. These people want to duplicate the prosperity of incorporated post urban dynamos in northern Los Angeles (Kaplan 38). Why wouldnt they want to imitate the successes of other large edge cities like Burbank and Glendale whose efforts have attracted corporations like Walt Disney, Warner Br other, and NBC? The pursuit of a better life is ever present in Los Angeles, despite all of the stereotypes. With all of these things to consider (or disregard), how does one, then, take a look at Los Angeles through an untarnished glass?Writers especially love to tear Los Angeles apart. Anything is fair game, from Los Angeles lack of a central business district to the carefully manicured lawns of Los Angeles West side (which) sprout forests of ominous little signs warning: Armed Response! (Davis 223). These writers often forget that they are Page 3completely alienating their audiences by blatantly and one sidedly insulting their city. Of course, most Los Angeleans know that there are many problems with their city, but by attacking it, the writer is merely creating a defensive, skeptical reader. A good argument, then, must not be blatant or one sided in any way. It must, in essence, coax the reader into being convinced; almost tricking him into forgetting he is being persuaded. This passage, from Mike Davis Fortress L.A. is a good example of a blatant and unsupported insult of Los Angeles:The old liberal paradigm of social control, attempting to balance repression with reform, has long been superseded by a rhetoric of social warfare that calculates the interests of the urban poor and the middle class as a zero-sum game. Othello vs Henry V EssayPage 5