Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Jack Torrance Tragic Hero?
The tragic hero is one of the most common archetypes in literature and film. In my opinion, a tragic hero is often the most interesting character in the story. Their flaws are what makes them so interesting. After all, it's their flaws that make characters seem more realistic. Jack Torrance has plenty of flaws, and he's plenty realistic.
After a rough childhood, he was able to get a good education and make something of a name for himself. He had a good teaching job at a prestigious prep school, a blossoming writing career, and a loving young family. However, he had some deep seated problems rooted in his father's abuse during his childhood. Jack always had a harsh temper, and when he followed in his father's footsteps to become an alcoholic, his life began to deteriorate. He hurt his son Danny in a drunken rage which led to a near divorce from his wife. Later, and completely sober, he attacked a student who had slashed his tires. This led to the loss of his job, thus completing the downfall which is common for a tragic hero.
Next, he took the job as the winter caretaker of an isolated colorado resort, bringing only his family. He hoped that this would be an opportunity to regain his stability, and finish a writing project. However, his old problems begin to resurface as the hotel works its way into his fragile psyche. After going on a rampage in hopes of murdering his family, Jack resurfaces for a moment, to say goodbye to his son, before dying.
Looking at the story of Jack Torrance in The Shining, most of the elements of a tragic hero can be seen. High position (successful teacher), personality flaw (rage/ alcoholism), error in judgement (attacking the student), fall from grace (fired from teaching), isolation from society (job at Overlook), transformation into foil (the angry Jack takes over), and finally the tragic hero's death with honor (he overcomes the hotel's control momentarily). It's a pretty straightforward cycle, which can be seen throughout the book. The fact that he is relatable and is a "hero" of sorts makes his downfall and spiral into madness all the more emotional to read.
After a rough childhood, he was able to get a good education and make something of a name for himself. He had a good teaching job at a prestigious prep school, a blossoming writing career, and a loving young family. However, he had some deep seated problems rooted in his father's abuse during his childhood. Jack always had a harsh temper, and when he followed in his father's footsteps to become an alcoholic, his life began to deteriorate. He hurt his son Danny in a drunken rage which led to a near divorce from his wife. Later, and completely sober, he attacked a student who had slashed his tires. This led to the loss of his job, thus completing the downfall which is common for a tragic hero.
"I told you; no pickles on my sandwich..."
Next, he took the job as the winter caretaker of an isolated colorado resort, bringing only his family. He hoped that this would be an opportunity to regain his stability, and finish a writing project. However, his old problems begin to resurface as the hotel works its way into his fragile psyche. After going on a rampage in hopes of murdering his family, Jack resurfaces for a moment, to say goodbye to his son, before dying.
Looking at the story of Jack Torrance in The Shining, most of the elements of a tragic hero can be seen. High position (successful teacher), personality flaw (rage/ alcoholism), error in judgement (attacking the student), fall from grace (fired from teaching), isolation from society (job at Overlook), transformation into foil (the angry Jack takes over), and finally the tragic hero's death with honor (he overcomes the hotel's control momentarily). It's a pretty straightforward cycle, which can be seen throughout the book. The fact that he is relatable and is a "hero" of sorts makes his downfall and spiral into madness all the more emotional to read.
Monday, May 7, 2012
The Shining Movie/Book Comparison
The Shining as directed by Stanley Kubrick is one of the most recognizable horror movies of all time. Its inspiration, the novel of the same title by Stephen King, is also an instantly recognizable title. However, for being based on the same material, the book and the movie have many important differences.
While it's true that Kubrick's movie follows the same general plot as King's novel, he decided to delete a lot of the elements of the book and add in his own scenes. Personally, I believe this is one of the rare occasions where the movie is actually better than the book. Many of the changes that Kubrick made were what made the movie iconic. He took out some of the sillier elements which are common in King's writing, and produced a more crisp and realistic depiction of the story.
The additions Kubrick made are actually some of the most memorable scenes of the movie. Remember this?
Not in the book. Jack never says his famous line at any point during the book. However, I can't give Kubrick the credit for "Here's Johnny." It was an ad lib by Nicholson, which turned out to be one of the most famous lines in cinema history. That wasn't the only scene Kubrick added. "All work and no play..."
Also not in the book. Among adding those two scenes, Kubrick also changed a few other things. One of these was Jack's weapon. In the movie he carries an axe. It's pretty terrifying. In the book, he runs around with a roque mallet (an oversized croquet mallet). Needless to say, Jack would have been slightly less intimidating had Kubrick not made the change.
Another major aspect of the movie was the hedge maze. In the novel, instead of a hedge maze, the Overlook had hedge animals that came to life and chased the characters. Also, the ending was changed. Danny overcomes his father in the movie by getting him lost in the maze, while in the book, he defeats him with love or something. Needless to say, Kubrick's way was much less cheesy. Finally, the famous shot at the end zooming in to a picture that shows Jack featured prominently in a photo taken at the Overlook hotel in 1921, many years before the character would have been born. The ending gives no explanations, and leaves the viewer thinking (something Kubrick often did, IE the floating baby at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey). In the ending of the book, the hotel explodes with Jack inside, thus lifting whatever curse was over the place. I think Kubrick's ambiguous ending was much more interesting.
Even with all these preferences I have to the movie, I'm not saying I didn't like King's novel. I thought it was a very good novel, and it did have some strengths which the movie lacks. First and foremost, is back story. In the book, King gives back stories to all the main characters, particularly Jack, which gets us more invested in him as a character. In the movie, we have less sympathy for Jack, because we don't understand in as much depth, what he's gone through. When translated to film, we also lost much of the love shared between Jack and Danny. In the book, they have a much closer bond, which makes it more heartbreaking when Jack ends up trying to kill Danny. Another preference I have to the book is that Hallorann survives. In the movie, he comes to the Overlook to selflessly help the Torrances, and is rewarded with an axe to the chest. It seems cheap and doesn't serve much of a purpose in my opinion. I think Hallorann deserves more credit. In the book, he saves Wendy and Danny, who most certainly wouldn't have survived without his help.
In conclusion, neither version of the story is perfect. However, I think Kubrick translated the story to work on film as well as was possible, and created a very effective movie. King also deserves credit however, for writing one of the premiere horror novels of all time.
While it's true that Kubrick's movie follows the same general plot as King's novel, he decided to delete a lot of the elements of the book and add in his own scenes. Personally, I believe this is one of the rare occasions where the movie is actually better than the book. Many of the changes that Kubrick made were what made the movie iconic. He took out some of the sillier elements which are common in King's writing, and produced a more crisp and realistic depiction of the story.
The additions Kubrick made are actually some of the most memorable scenes of the movie. Remember this?
Another major aspect of the movie was the hedge maze. In the novel, instead of a hedge maze, the Overlook had hedge animals that came to life and chased the characters. Also, the ending was changed. Danny overcomes his father in the movie by getting him lost in the maze, while in the book, he defeats him with love or something. Needless to say, Kubrick's way was much less cheesy. Finally, the famous shot at the end zooming in to a picture that shows Jack featured prominently in a photo taken at the Overlook hotel in 1921, many years before the character would have been born. The ending gives no explanations, and leaves the viewer thinking (something Kubrick often did, IE the floating baby at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey). In the ending of the book, the hotel explodes with Jack inside, thus lifting whatever curse was over the place. I think Kubrick's ambiguous ending was much more interesting.
Even with all these preferences I have to the movie, I'm not saying I didn't like King's novel. I thought it was a very good novel, and it did have some strengths which the movie lacks. First and foremost, is back story. In the book, King gives back stories to all the main characters, particularly Jack, which gets us more invested in him as a character. In the movie, we have less sympathy for Jack, because we don't understand in as much depth, what he's gone through. When translated to film, we also lost much of the love shared between Jack and Danny. In the book, they have a much closer bond, which makes it more heartbreaking when Jack ends up trying to kill Danny. Another preference I have to the book is that Hallorann survives. In the movie, he comes to the Overlook to selflessly help the Torrances, and is rewarded with an axe to the chest. It seems cheap and doesn't serve much of a purpose in my opinion. I think Hallorann deserves more credit. In the book, he saves Wendy and Danny, who most certainly wouldn't have survived without his help.
In conclusion, neither version of the story is perfect. However, I think Kubrick translated the story to work on film as well as was possible, and created a very effective movie. King also deserves credit however, for writing one of the premiere horror novels of all time.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The Shining and Child Abuse
Well, in honor of child abuse month, I'll talk a little about the significance of child abuse in The Shining. It seems odd that child abuse would be one of the main themes of a supernatural horror novel, but a look into Jack's background of violence can help to explain many aspects of the plot.
For starters, Jack's father was an abusive drunk. He would come home from his job and abuse the children and his wife, even once going as far as putting his wife in the hospital. Young Jack, despite often being slapped around, still has a strange admiration of his father. This feeling of fear intertwined with love is an emotion that becomes a large part of Danny's life as his father gradually loses his grasp on reality while living at the Overlook.
Because of his harmful relationship with his father, Jack as an adult shows a lot of the same traits as his father. He is predispositioned to be drunk and violent. However, he is a better man that his father, so he feels extreme remorse when he breaks Danny's arm in a drunken rage. Later, he vows to sober up in order to keep control: for the good of his family.
The point is that Danny was able to overcome the hotel's evil by breaking the cycle of abuse that had started with Jack's father. Because he stands up to his father, and with love, his father is able to overcome his demons for long enough to ensure his son's survival. In this sense, domestic violence can be viewed as one of the central conflicts and themes of The Shining.
For starters, Jack's father was an abusive drunk. He would come home from his job and abuse the children and his wife, even once going as far as putting his wife in the hospital. Young Jack, despite often being slapped around, still has a strange admiration of his father. This feeling of fear intertwined with love is an emotion that becomes a large part of Danny's life as his father gradually loses his grasp on reality while living at the Overlook.
Because of his harmful relationship with his father, Jack as an adult shows a lot of the same traits as his father. He is predispositioned to be drunk and violent. However, he is a better man that his father, so he feels extreme remorse when he breaks Danny's arm in a drunken rage. Later, he vows to sober up in order to keep control: for the good of his family.
Jack and Danny share a tender moment
Once moved into the Overlook things start to change for the worse. The hotel senses his weakness and plays on his cravings as a recovering alcoholic. Jack begins to show some old tendencies from his drinking days such as repeatedly wiping his mouth. He struggles because of his love for his family, but eventually the hotel has distorted his reality enough that it is able to get him to drink, thus sealing his fate as the hotel's servant. At this point, Jack can no longer resist his urges, and he takes up the Overlook's mission: to kill his family. By now, Jack has made the transformation from man to monster. This is where the child abuse theme comes back into play, as Jack is feverishly hunting Danny. Near the climax of the book, however, we see Danny stand up to his father without fear. To paraphrase, he explains to the monster that it is not his father and that if there is any of his father left, he knows that the hotel lies and cheats. This brings out one last shred of humanity from his father, in which he tells Danny how much he loves him for one last time.
The point is that Danny was able to overcome the hotel's evil by breaking the cycle of abuse that had started with Jack's father. Because he stands up to his father, and with love, his father is able to overcome his demons for long enough to ensure his son's survival. In this sense, domestic violence can be viewed as one of the central conflicts and themes of The Shining.
The Shining Picture Blog
The Shining Book Cover
Written by Stephen King
Main Characters:
Jack Torrance
Wendy Torrance
Danny Torrance
Dick Hallorann
Setting:
The Overlook Hotel
Themes:
Violence
Substance Abuse
Family
Child Abuse
Mortality
Isolation
Time
Sunday, April 29, 2012
"The History of the Overlook Hotel"
This quarter, my blog will be about Stephen King's The Shining. In both the book and movie versions, The Overlook Hotel plays a prominent role as the primary source of evil controlling the plot, and characters. In Stephen King’s book, Jack Torrance becomes obsessed with the Hotel and wants to write a novel about its history. What some people don’t know, however, is that there’s an actual Overlook Hotel, and it has an interesting history of its own.
When writing The Shining, Stephen King based the Overlook on an actual hotel where he and his wife had stayed. The actual hotel is named the Stanley Hotel. It was opened July 4, 1909. The Stanley Hotel is famously haunted, and apparently, King witnessed one haunting which inspired a major element of his book. The haunting he witnessed was one of the most common at the Stanley Hotel. King apparently either saw or heard children playing when there were none actually there. This inspired him to create a back story for the children, who would show up in the novel as the children of a previous winter caretaker who had been driven mad by the hotel and murdered his family.
It can be safely said that without the Stanley Hotel, there would be no The Shining.
The Overlook Hotel as seen in Kubrick's film
When writing The Shining, Stephen King based the Overlook on an actual hotel where he and his wife had stayed. The actual hotel is named the Stanley Hotel. It was opened July 4, 1909. The Stanley Hotel is famously haunted, and apparently, King witnessed one haunting which inspired a major element of his book. The haunting he witnessed was one of the most common at the Stanley Hotel. King apparently either saw or heard children playing when there were none actually there. This inspired him to create a back story for the children, who would show up in the novel as the children of a previous winter caretaker who had been driven mad by the hotel and murdered his family.
The Stanley Hotel
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Image Chef
I am a Negro:
Black as the night is black,
Black like the depths of my Africa.
I’ve been a slave:
Caesar told me to keep his door-steps clean.
I brushed the boots of Washington.
I’ve been a worker:
Under my hand the pyramids arose.
I made mortar for the Woolworth Building.
I’ve been a singer:
All the way from Africa to Georgia
I carried my sorrow songs.
I made ragtime.
I’ve been a victim:
The Belgians cut off my hands in the Congo.
They lynch me still in Mississippi.
I am a Negro:
Black as the night is black,
Black like the depths of my Africa.
Hughes' pride in his culture caused him to write poetry that would become the voice of his people and inspire black poets for decades to come. he is still one of the most celebrated black poets of all time. Although I might not particularly enjoy his poetry, I still must give credit where credit is due. He pioneered a genre of poetry and became one of the most famous poets of the 20th century, whilst being an inspiration to his people through troubling times. That's the legacy of Langston Hughes.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Picture Blog
I've always enjoyed the picture blogs I've done so far, and I thought one would be a good compliment to a book or poetry. So, I've decided to choose 15 poems from The Dream Keeper and illustrate them with a picture.
"Autumn Thought"
"Poem"
"Sea Charm"
"Sailor"
"Beggar Boy"
"Mexican Market Woman"
"Dressed Up"
"The Weary Blues"
"Minstrel Man"
"When Sue Wears Red"
"Lincoln Monument: Washington"
"Winter Moon"
"Winter Sweetness"
"April Rain Song"
"Fairies"
"Autumn Thought"
"Poem"
"Sea Charm"
"Sailor"
"Beggar Boy"
"Mexican Market Woman"
"Dressed Up"
"The Weary Blues"
"Minstrel Man"
"When Sue Wears Red"
"Lincoln Monument: Washington"
LINKS YAY
I like to think I'm in touch with me readers. And if I know my readers, the one thing they'd love to read more than anything is a linkup blog. Fun, right? I know, but don't get too excited yet. I haven't even started.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes
There's a link to my buddy, Langston's wikipedia page. You can learn all about him and his snazzy poetry from here.
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/83
Here's his page on poets.org with more information about him, and also some of his poems.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/
This is a good website for finding all kinds of poetry. If you get tired of reading Langston's poems, you can find poems by Bobby Frost, Billy Collins, and many others on this site.
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets_african_american.html
Here's a page listing famous black poets other than Hayes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_Age
Wikipedia article about the jazz age, the movement which inspired Hughes' tone in most of his poems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Renaissance
Information about the Harlem Renaissance, in which Langston played a pivotal part.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa0WNP3Zwwo
Speaking of Harlem, here's a video of U2 performing, "Angel of Harlem." This is important because one, I like U2, and 2, it's about Harlem; therefore about Langston Hughes. Yay for facts.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3b1Fiy/www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5hiVmvcCaU/
This is a really cool video rendering of the poem, "A Dream Deferred."
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1UuZPH/beinecke.library.yale.edu/langstonhughes/web.html/
I thought this was a cool little layout relating to Langston Hughes.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1c0BDU/www.dramainnature.com/quote_by_langston_hughes_.htm/
An interesting picture with one of Langston's better lines, in my opinion.
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/centers/langston.htm
The page for the beautiful Langston Hughes performing arts center.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/36HsyS/www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/top_poems.html/
Here's a list of the top 50 poems according to poemsandpoets.com. Langston got on there at number eight.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1cJJlH/www.brightmoments.com/blackhistory/
How much do you know about African American history? I bet not as much as Langston did. Take the quiz and find out!
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1lnNKE/wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-reception-planning/articles/wedding-toast-tips-30-inspiring-quotes.aspx/
There's a quote by Langston Hughes on here, and other than that, I just thought it was a neat list.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1kKap9/www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyqwvC5s4n8/
And the best is saved for last. This video is perfect to relate to what I have talked about in my previous posts. I mentioned "the weary blues" before, and here it is with musical accompaniment. Great video.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes
There's a link to my buddy, Langston's wikipedia page. You can learn all about him and his snazzy poetry from here.
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/83
Here's his page on poets.org with more information about him, and also some of his poems.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/
This is a good website for finding all kinds of poetry. If you get tired of reading Langston's poems, you can find poems by Bobby Frost, Billy Collins, and many others on this site.
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets_african_american.html
Here's a page listing famous black poets other than Hayes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_Age
Wikipedia article about the jazz age, the movement which inspired Hughes' tone in most of his poems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Renaissance
Information about the Harlem Renaissance, in which Langston played a pivotal part.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa0WNP3Zwwo
Speaking of Harlem, here's a video of U2 performing, "Angel of Harlem." This is important because one, I like U2, and 2, it's about Harlem; therefore about Langston Hughes. Yay for facts.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3b1Fiy/www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5hiVmvcCaU/
This is a really cool video rendering of the poem, "A Dream Deferred."
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1UuZPH/beinecke.library.yale.edu/langstonhughes/web.html/
I thought this was a cool little layout relating to Langston Hughes.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1c0BDU/www.dramainnature.com/quote_by_langston_hughes_.htm/
An interesting picture with one of Langston's better lines, in my opinion.
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/centers/langston.htm
The page for the beautiful Langston Hughes performing arts center.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/36HsyS/www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/top_poems.html/
Here's a list of the top 50 poems according to poemsandpoets.com. Langston got on there at number eight.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1cJJlH/www.brightmoments.com/blackhistory/
How much do you know about African American history? I bet not as much as Langston did. Take the quiz and find out!
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1lnNKE/wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-reception-planning/articles/wedding-toast-tips-30-inspiring-quotes.aspx/
There's a quote by Langston Hughes on here, and other than that, I just thought it was a neat list.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1kKap9/www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyqwvC5s4n8/
And the best is saved for last. This video is perfect to relate to what I have talked about in my previous posts. I mentioned "the weary blues" before, and here it is with musical accompaniment. Great video.
More Elements of Poetry
In my previous post, I concluded that Langston Hughes scores well on the subject of rhythm. However, that's only a small element of good poetry. I read a little about elements of poetry, and in summarized form, it can be put into the external form and the internal form. The external form being how it sounds and how it looks, and the internal form being other elements like story, personification, simile; basically giving the poem some sort of deeper meaning. From what I've looked at of Hughes, he was quite good at the external part of the poem, but that seems to have been his focus. Sometimes he tells a decent story, but on the deeper parts of internal poetry, at least in my experience, he tends to come up short.
One of many examples would be, "Homesick Blues," one of Hughes' rhythmic poems:
De railroad bridge's
A sad song in de air.
De railroad bridge's
A sad song in de air.
Ever time de trains pass
I wants to go somewhere.
I went down to de station.
Ma heart was in ma mouth.
Went down to de station.
Heart was in ma mouth.
Lookin' for a box car
To roll me to de South.
Homesick blues, Lawd,
'S a terrible thing to have.
Homesick blues is
A terrible thing to have.
To keep from cryin'
I opens ma mouth an' laughs.
It looks and sounds good, and even tells a decent narrative, but that's about it. Where's the symbolism, metaphor, ambiguity? Although I'm definitely not a poetry aficionado, that's what I tend to look for. Lyrics that make me think or feel something. That being said, I think a good way to compare these poems is to look at songwriters in comparison to Hughes. Obviously as song has to have rhythm, but songwriters also include a lot of the internal elements that really make the lyrics interesting.
At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I'll use a song written by John Lennon, "In My Life," as an example:
The link is: <embed src="http://www.4shared.com/embed/108005281/7bf564f6" width="420" height="250" allowfullscreen="false" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>
And the lyrics go:
There are places I'll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends, I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life, I'll love you more
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life, I'll love you more
Now, the lyrics sound good and have a definitive rhythm, but he's also saying a lot. There's a lot of other songs and songwriters I could have used, such as Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, or obviously, Bob Dylan, but I'm blogging about poetry, and not my musical interests. Anyway, in comparison to some of the lyrics written by those guys, as well as others, it doesn't really seem like Hughes is saying anything. I guess what I'm saying is that you can focus on sounding good and still say something important, which I think Hughes should have done more often.
One of many examples would be, "Homesick Blues," one of Hughes' rhythmic poems:
De railroad bridge's
A sad song in de air.
De railroad bridge's
A sad song in de air.
Ever time de trains pass
I wants to go somewhere.
I went down to de station.
Ma heart was in ma mouth.
Went down to de station.
Heart was in ma mouth.
Lookin' for a box car
To roll me to de South.
Homesick blues, Lawd,
'S a terrible thing to have.
Homesick blues is
A terrible thing to have.
To keep from cryin'
I opens ma mouth an' laughs.
It looks and sounds good, and even tells a decent narrative, but that's about it. Where's the symbolism, metaphor, ambiguity? Although I'm definitely not a poetry aficionado, that's what I tend to look for. Lyrics that make me think or feel something. That being said, I think a good way to compare these poems is to look at songwriters in comparison to Hughes. Obviously as song has to have rhythm, but songwriters also include a lot of the internal elements that really make the lyrics interesting.
At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I'll use a song written by John Lennon, "In My Life," as an example:
The link is: <embed src="http://www.4shared.com/embed/108005281/7bf564f6" width="420" height="250" allowfullscreen="false" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>
And the lyrics go:
There are places I'll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends, I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life, I'll love you more
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life, I'll love you more
Now, the lyrics sound good and have a definitive rhythm, but he's also saying a lot. There's a lot of other songs and songwriters I could have used, such as Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, or obviously, Bob Dylan, but I'm blogging about poetry, and not my musical interests. Anyway, in comparison to some of the lyrics written by those guys, as well as others, it doesn't really seem like Hughes is saying anything. I guess what I'm saying is that you can focus on sounding good and still say something important, which I think Hughes should have done more often.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Langston Got Dat Rhythm
One of the recurring elements of Hughes' poetry is rhythm. It's the main focus of many of his poems. They were designed to be read aloud or even sung. This is the only part about Langston Hughes' writing I actually enjoyed (other than his comically bad grammar). When reading several of his poems, I could hear the jazzy rhythm and see them easily being sung. Well, it turns out that was his intention. His poetry has a jazzy rhythm, much like the music that would have been popular at the time. This style would later become popular as jazz poetry, making Hughes the pioneer.
There are lots of musicians who I could connect with Hughes' poetry. Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Nat "King" Cole; pretty much any jazz great of the time would have inspired Hughes' poetry. Some on Hughes' jazz inspired poems include Bound No'th Blues, the Weary Blues, Song for a Banjo Dance, and Po' Boy Blues, along with countless others. Essentially, two thirds of his poems have the word blues in the title. He really should have been a songwriter, in my opinion. Anyway, those poems have a specific jazz rhythm that could be found in most popular music of the time. Below is an example.
Louis Armstrong - West End Blues<br><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.4shared.com/flash/player.swf?ver=9051" style="" id="ply" name="ply" quality="high" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="false" wmode="opaque" flashvars="file=http://dc171.4shared.com/img/439801441/d2930b6a/dlink__2Fdownload_2FlhoOLO2c_3Ftsid_3D00000000-000000-00000000/preview.mp3&volume=50&" height="20" width="200"><br>Powered by <a href="http://mp3skull.com/">mp3skull.com</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://mp3skull.com/embedcl.php"></script>
In conclusion, the use of poetry with a jazz rhythm was a new development at the time Hughes was writing it. It's the main reason Hughes' poetry was noteworthy, and still is noteworthy, and out of all his poems, the rhythmic ones were the only ones I could take any enjoyment from. However, my initial opinion hasn't been changed. I don't think having good rhythm is enough to write compelling poetry. I'll go deeper into other aspects of Hughes' poetry in blogs to come. Until then, I must say, Adios!
There are lots of musicians who I could connect with Hughes' poetry. Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Nat "King" Cole; pretty much any jazz great of the time would have inspired Hughes' poetry. Some on Hughes' jazz inspired poems include Bound No'th Blues, the Weary Blues, Song for a Banjo Dance, and Po' Boy Blues, along with countless others. Essentially, two thirds of his poems have the word blues in the title. He really should have been a songwriter, in my opinion. Anyway, those poems have a specific jazz rhythm that could be found in most popular music of the time. Below is an example.
Louis Armstrong - West End Blues<br><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.4shared.com/flash/player.swf?ver=9051" style="" id="ply" name="ply" quality="high" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="false" wmode="opaque" flashvars="file=http://dc171.4shared.com/img/439801441/d2930b6a/dlink__2Fdownload_2FlhoOLO2c_3Ftsid_3D00000000-000000-00000000/preview.mp3&volume=50&" height="20" width="200"><br>Powered by <a href="http://mp3skull.com/">mp3skull.com</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://mp3skull.com/embedcl.php"></script>
In conclusion, the use of poetry with a jazz rhythm was a new development at the time Hughes was writing it. It's the main reason Hughes' poetry was noteworthy, and still is noteworthy, and out of all his poems, the rhythmic ones were the only ones I could take any enjoyment from. However, my initial opinion hasn't been changed. I don't think having good rhythm is enough to write compelling poetry. I'll go deeper into other aspects of Hughes' poetry in blogs to come. Until then, I must say, Adios!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
I Don't Get It...
Alright, well I'd say it's about time I start this thing. For starter's, I've got a confession to make. I really don't understand what the big deal about Langston Hughes is. I thought his poems would be really enthralling for all the praise he gets. He's one of the most famous poets of the 20th century, but I just don't get it. Most of his poems are too sing songy, and the ones that aren't are still, just bad, to put it simply. Just look at his poem, "Baby"
Albert!
Hey, Albert!
Don't play in dat road.
You see dem trucks
A goin' by.
One run ovah you
An' you die.
Albert, don't you play in dat road.
Excuse me, but what the hell? Since when is that considered good poetry? It doesn't inspire any feeling in me besides perplexity. Honestly, this is what I would write if I was tasked with portraying an extremely racist view of a black mother.
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand that Hughes was writing for an audience of his peers. He was a black man writing for a black audience. Maybe my Anglo-Saxon genes inhibit me from understanding or taking anything away from a Langston Hughes poem. In any case, I have to write five more blog posts about the man, so I'll have plenty of time to figure it out. My plan is to take different elements of Hughes' poetry and strip them down by comparing them to other poets and writers whose work I actually do understand. By doing this, hopefully I'll be able to say definitively whether Langston Hughes is actually a good poet, or if my first impression is correct.
Albert!
Hey, Albert!
Don't play in dat road.
You see dem trucks
A goin' by.
One run ovah you
An' you die.
Albert, don't you play in dat road.
Excuse me, but what the hell? Since when is that considered good poetry? It doesn't inspire any feeling in me besides perplexity. Honestly, this is what I would write if I was tasked with portraying an extremely racist view of a black mother.
Who I think wrote this poem
Look at the poor English. I thought poets were supposed to have a grasp on language so strong that they could show a reader a scene that causes them to think and feel. I've read most of the poems in this collection, and I have yet to find one that accomplishes either of those tasks.Now, don't get me wrong. I understand that Hughes was writing for an audience of his peers. He was a black man writing for a black audience. Maybe my Anglo-Saxon genes inhibit me from understanding or taking anything away from a Langston Hughes poem. In any case, I have to write five more blog posts about the man, so I'll have plenty of time to figure it out. My plan is to take different elements of Hughes' poetry and strip them down by comparing them to other poets and writers whose work I actually do understand. By doing this, hopefully I'll be able to say definitively whether Langston Hughes is actually a good poet, or if my first impression is correct.
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