Tone can be best described as the feeling or mood directed towards the reader. Although there are multiple characters as well as feelings in Smith’s work, the tone of Blood Dazzler to me was neglected. I felt that Luther B was neglected and the people of New Orleans and the surrounding areas shared the same sentiment. Although this is a description of my feeling, I still believe the implicit message from Smith was that the characters were neglected and mistreated.
I chose the word neglected to describe multiple feelings portrayed by Smith. There were elements of anger…fear… resentment…depression but these are all feelings from those described in the poems. The 4th definition of neglect v. from the Oxford English Dictionary is what I believe Smith is portraying to her audience, that those affected by Katrina felt neglected. The definition reads: “To fail to give proper attention or care to; to fail to take due care of; to leave unattended to or uncared for.” The discussion my classroom of our favorite poems all have this common motif. Casey brought up “What to Tweak” as her favorite poem. When I re-read this poem the author is describing how those involved did not get the proper attention or care needed. The email’s version of the scene did not accurately represent the people’s true troubles. Rachel brought up a poem about Luther B, the dog chained to the tree and passed away. Luther was a character neglected, tossed aside given very little attention to his wellbeing. Like the community in New Orleans, it was figured that Luther would survive even with the little amount of care and concern in the beginning. In the end Luther passed away and ascends above the physical state of being.
The poem I felt best conveyed the neglected feeling was “Superdome”. This was my personal poem since I associate this poem with the visual images I saw of the great dome filled with neglected citizens. Citizens who could not return back to their homes in the 9th ward. Citizens who slept cautiously for fear of their safety since they did not have a shelter, for example when the main character pities the women with slammed shut legs and the elders in declining health. Those to me represented a group that I never considered. I knew the Superdome was being used as a place for the victims of Katrina to stay, but when Smith went into detail of what her perspective of a refugee, I wished more attention had been focused on those families. I wished those who were there were not neglected by those who could have helped more. The description of those in the dome was most impactful. Smith effectively uses the main character in the poem to convey the neglected tone.
Even though multiple characters in the poem had feelings that could be stated as tone, the author wants to implicitly communicate that those involved in Hurricane Katrina were neglected. Smith styles her poem in such a manner to show how even though she is explicitly angry over the response to Katrina, she wants to convey the people’s neglected feeling to her audience.
Monday, October 18, 2010
A Tonal Analysis “Getting’ His Twang On” by Patricia Smith - Kaleigh
On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck land in Louisiana. On that day, the levees in New Orleans were destroyed and hundreds gulf of residents were made homeless. On August 30, as this devastation was occurring, Former president George W. Bush was “Getting’ His Twang On”.
As I read this poem, the emotion that exudes from its lines can only be described as hatred. The note under the title states “George Bush plays guitar with country singer Mark Willis; 2 p. m., August 30, 2005” setting both a time and an immediate confusion from the reader as to why the president would be so oblivious to his country’s current disaster. The poem proceeds to describe Bush with “his stance ossifying, his dead eyes fixed on the numb, escaping chord” (line 2-3). Portraying the president as rigid and dead brings him a quality of uselessness during this situation.
The poem continues on to give Bush’s audience an ignorant quality as well. The author puns, “they spur him on with spurious laughter. The cowboy grins through the terrible din…” (line 5-6). Smith’s expanding of the president’s qualities to his audience conveys the message of not only presidential neglect, but also neglect from America as a whole. Her resentment is clear through her use of harsh language as she describes the scene, a vision of “flashing bulbs, the rampant ass kissing” (line 7). The American public is so blindly focused on their president that Katrina’s wrath and Louisiana’s devastation are being ignored.
The author’s resentment is furthered as she escapes this scene and flashes to the “Ninth” Ward of New Orleans, an area which was completely flooded at this time. The stark contrast is used to demonstrate the immense unfairness of the situation. The opening of the poem seems as though it is another story of Bush’s vast unpopularity, but the imagery of “a choking woman wails Look like this country done let us for dead” (lines 8-9) shifts the tone of the poem from anger to sadness and despair. It links the author’s immense hatred for the president, his actions, and his followers into the underlying helplessness of Katrina’s victims.
The ending of the poem closes with the summarizing of this disaster. The phrase “He plucks strings. We sing.” (line 12) finishes the poem with a captivating melancholy that contrasts with the opening. At the start, I read this work as if the poet is yelling, angrily expressing her frustrations about the lack of response from America. At the last stanza, however, the writing has become quiet, like a “shadow in everyone’s throat” (line 12). The reader no longer has to be convinced of the president’s injustice because of its resounding truth, so Smith alters her tone and achieves an intense, emotionally moving response from the reader. As I read this poem over and over, I too was influenced by Smith’s message. I thought, “How do we make people care?”, a question that still goes unanswered.
As I read this poem, the emotion that exudes from its lines can only be described as hatred. The note under the title states “George Bush plays guitar with country singer Mark Willis; 2 p. m., August 30, 2005” setting both a time and an immediate confusion from the reader as to why the president would be so oblivious to his country’s current disaster. The poem proceeds to describe Bush with “his stance ossifying, his dead eyes fixed on the numb, escaping chord” (line 2-3). Portraying the president as rigid and dead brings him a quality of uselessness during this situation.
The poem continues on to give Bush’s audience an ignorant quality as well. The author puns, “they spur him on with spurious laughter. The cowboy grins through the terrible din…” (line 5-6). Smith’s expanding of the president’s qualities to his audience conveys the message of not only presidential neglect, but also neglect from America as a whole. Her resentment is clear through her use of harsh language as she describes the scene, a vision of “flashing bulbs, the rampant ass kissing” (line 7). The American public is so blindly focused on their president that Katrina’s wrath and Louisiana’s devastation are being ignored.
The author’s resentment is furthered as she escapes this scene and flashes to the “Ninth” Ward of New Orleans, an area which was completely flooded at this time. The stark contrast is used to demonstrate the immense unfairness of the situation. The opening of the poem seems as though it is another story of Bush’s vast unpopularity, but the imagery of “a choking woman wails Look like this country done let us for dead” (lines 8-9) shifts the tone of the poem from anger to sadness and despair. It links the author’s immense hatred for the president, his actions, and his followers into the underlying helplessness of Katrina’s victims.
The ending of the poem closes with the summarizing of this disaster. The phrase “He plucks strings. We sing.” (line 12) finishes the poem with a captivating melancholy that contrasts with the opening. At the start, I read this work as if the poet is yelling, angrily expressing her frustrations about the lack of response from America. At the last stanza, however, the writing has become quiet, like a “shadow in everyone’s throat” (line 12). The reader no longer has to be convinced of the president’s injustice because of its resounding truth, so Smith alters her tone and achieves an intense, emotionally moving response from the reader. As I read this poem over and over, I too was influenced by Smith’s message. I thought, “How do we make people care?”, a question that still goes unanswered.
Friday, October 8, 2010
What is Poetry - Ali
When I first opened Nowak’s “Coal Mountain Elementary” the form nor the the way the words were composed immediately struck me as poetry. My initial thought was how he had a very unique structure for presenting the reader a series of catastrophic events. However after reading the entire book, although it is not a traditional representation of poetry, it is indeed poetry. The way the author weaves in different perspectives of mining incidents with the student activities makes Nowak’s message more clear and poignant. So what makes Nowak’s collaboration of non-poetry, poetry? But first off, what is poetry?
I believe poetry can be any piece of writing in which the author intends to be poetry and also more importantly evokes emotions from the reader.The successful poet uses words to not simply describe what is going on but paints a detailed picture in the readers mind. It can be to the point where what the poet is describing is almost palpable or the emotion the author is describing is transferred to the reader. In Coal Mountain Elementary, the way Nowak fits together the heartfelt flashbacks of the coal miners with greedy, indifferent business men emphasizes the tragic aspect to these stories. It makes the reader sympathetic to the miners and also angry about the way the newspapers and businesses are handling it. The way Nowak also weaves the activity of coal flowers adds another layer of sadness to the story. The happy association of making decorative flowers is juxtaposed against the use of mining incidents to make the flowers. Nowak’s clever addition of coal flowers brings the words to life in the mining towns and makes the words to the reader more real too.
Another important aspect of poetry is tone. Tone connects the reader closer to the persona so its possible for a transfer of emotion between the reader and writer, especially when read aloud. Overall, tone puts more meaning to the words the poet writes. Nowak has a series of voices that contribute to a single over arching tone. The multiple points of views of the coal miners lives all have similar themes of extreme worry, poverty, and death which work with each other and emphasize each other. The business memos and newspapers further highlight the sad tone by downplaying or contradiction what the miners are saying.
Overall, I do not believe poetry can be defined by specific qualities or it structure, etc. So there is no reason why Nowak’s “Coal Mountain Elementary” cannot be called poetry. A poem can take on any quality; I feel what makes a sequence of words poetry is the reaction the reader gets from reading the poem in which author intends to happen. After reading this book, I felt obligated to help the coal miners and their families, which is what Nowak wanted. This book is a form of social activism and to make people aware of what is really going on in these societies.
I believe poetry can be any piece of writing in which the author intends to be poetry and also more importantly evokes emotions from the reader.The successful poet uses words to not simply describe what is going on but paints a detailed picture in the readers mind. It can be to the point where what the poet is describing is almost palpable or the emotion the author is describing is transferred to the reader. In Coal Mountain Elementary, the way Nowak fits together the heartfelt flashbacks of the coal miners with greedy, indifferent business men emphasizes the tragic aspect to these stories. It makes the reader sympathetic to the miners and also angry about the way the newspapers and businesses are handling it. The way Nowak also weaves the activity of coal flowers adds another layer of sadness to the story. The happy association of making decorative flowers is juxtaposed against the use of mining incidents to make the flowers. Nowak’s clever addition of coal flowers brings the words to life in the mining towns and makes the words to the reader more real too.
Another important aspect of poetry is tone. Tone connects the reader closer to the persona so its possible for a transfer of emotion between the reader and writer, especially when read aloud. Overall, tone puts more meaning to the words the poet writes. Nowak has a series of voices that contribute to a single over arching tone. The multiple points of views of the coal miners lives all have similar themes of extreme worry, poverty, and death which work with each other and emphasize each other. The business memos and newspapers further highlight the sad tone by downplaying or contradiction what the miners are saying.
Overall, I do not believe poetry can be defined by specific qualities or it structure, etc. So there is no reason why Nowak’s “Coal Mountain Elementary” cannot be called poetry. A poem can take on any quality; I feel what makes a sequence of words poetry is the reaction the reader gets from reading the poem in which author intends to happen. After reading this book, I felt obligated to help the coal miners and their families, which is what Nowak wanted. This book is a form of social activism and to make people aware of what is really going on in these societies.
The Question of the Concept of Poetry in Coal Mountain Elementary - Joe
Coal Mountain Elementary is a gruesome revelation of the coal mining industries of the world. As seen in the United States, specifically Sago, West Virginia, there are cases of frequent disaster within the mines. It would seem, judging by the articles and personal accounts Mark Nowak provides, mining disasters are even more frequent in China. No doubt this is much of the same for the rest of the world as well. Nowak has explained himself to be a staunch advocate of the awareness needed for these incidents. He claims to be shaken most by this type of tragedy and uses his own unique methods to expose others to the same striking stories. However, much is to be pondered when considering typifying Nowak’s work. Does it continue his poetry legacy?
For one, in the argument against it falling in suit with the concept of poetry has to do with content. Most of the included information and dialogue is written in prose form. Not only that, but the material is not original. The pieces are not uniquely imagined forms of reflection. Rather, Nowak compiles personal accounts, articles, and even lab procedures to convey his meaning. All of these supporting documents are cold hard facts. They tell a story, giving general background information. Nowhere in any of the accounts or news stories is there evidence of flowery descriptions or aesthetics or well-picked adjectives coloring the scene.
The description of poetry can be defined informally as a way a person expresses their emotions through an outpouring of text. It is legitimately an art form of writing. The argument for Coal Mountain Elementary being a poem is that it incorporates different text in an unusual way. It is Nowak’s way of sharing his emotions and feelings about a certain topic through his own version of structure. The piecemeal corroboration of text could possibly have meaning. Throughout the book Nowak incorporates lab instructions, images, Sago reports, personal accounts from China, etc. Each of these follows more or less of a cycle. Besides the emotion aspect, the structure may also be an area that could be an argument for poetry. They are aligned in a certain way to either hammer home a certain idea, or provide ironic stark contrast to see the extreme horrors hidden from most. Either way, Nowak uses the structure to his advantage, but in a very unusual method.
Mark Nowak is an established poet, an experienced literary scholar. This could be an argument for why the piece is poetry, as Nowak would tend to write in similar form as he has in the past. However, Nowak has voiced his opinion that he does not know definitively whether this particular item is in fact poetry. This could be an argument against. If someone as experienced as he cannot categorize his work as similar to his past work, then it must surely be different.
Coal Mountain Elementary is not poetry. There are elements that are shared with poetry included, such as emotional outpouring and structural differences. However, any piece of literature may include an emotional basis, and many do not adhere to a strict writing code. The evidence of factual information, prose-reporting writing style, and borrowed texts makes it more of a compilation of information than poetry.
It is true the lines around poetry are blurred. It is a personal decision, one’s own interpretation. Poetry is indeed an art form, one that mixes rhyme or meter for example. However, poetry does not canvas everything that is outside the lines or different in some regards.
For one, in the argument against it falling in suit with the concept of poetry has to do with content. Most of the included information and dialogue is written in prose form. Not only that, but the material is not original. The pieces are not uniquely imagined forms of reflection. Rather, Nowak compiles personal accounts, articles, and even lab procedures to convey his meaning. All of these supporting documents are cold hard facts. They tell a story, giving general background information. Nowhere in any of the accounts or news stories is there evidence of flowery descriptions or aesthetics or well-picked adjectives coloring the scene.
The description of poetry can be defined informally as a way a person expresses their emotions through an outpouring of text. It is legitimately an art form of writing. The argument for Coal Mountain Elementary being a poem is that it incorporates different text in an unusual way. It is Nowak’s way of sharing his emotions and feelings about a certain topic through his own version of structure. The piecemeal corroboration of text could possibly have meaning. Throughout the book Nowak incorporates lab instructions, images, Sago reports, personal accounts from China, etc. Each of these follows more or less of a cycle. Besides the emotion aspect, the structure may also be an area that could be an argument for poetry. They are aligned in a certain way to either hammer home a certain idea, or provide ironic stark contrast to see the extreme horrors hidden from most. Either way, Nowak uses the structure to his advantage, but in a very unusual method.
Mark Nowak is an established poet, an experienced literary scholar. This could be an argument for why the piece is poetry, as Nowak would tend to write in similar form as he has in the past. However, Nowak has voiced his opinion that he does not know definitively whether this particular item is in fact poetry. This could be an argument against. If someone as experienced as he cannot categorize his work as similar to his past work, then it must surely be different.
Coal Mountain Elementary is not poetry. There are elements that are shared with poetry included, such as emotional outpouring and structural differences. However, any piece of literature may include an emotional basis, and many do not adhere to a strict writing code. The evidence of factual information, prose-reporting writing style, and borrowed texts makes it more of a compilation of information than poetry.
It is true the lines around poetry are blurred. It is a personal decision, one’s own interpretation. Poetry is indeed an art form, one that mixes rhyme or meter for example. However, poetry does not canvas everything that is outside the lines or different in some regards.
Responding to Nowak - Adam
What is poetry? The Oxford English Dictionary defines poetry as a composition in verse or some comparable patterned arrangement of language in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm. After reading Nowak’s Coal Mountain Elementary I was not sure how to categorize it. Poetry expresses a certain state of mind, which in my opinion that the reader is able to capture in Nowak’s book. Coal Mountain Elementary has a distinctive style and rhythm making the reader believe it is poetic. The author must be able to allow his/her knowledge flow freely. This allows the mind to be in a thought provoking state, which aids the author to create the most artistic verses. Nowak demonstrates this in Coal Mountain Elementary by creating his own unique style that lets the reader decide if it is poetry, prose, or a new genre. After looking over the text multiple times I was able to come to a conclusion that Coal Mountain Elementary is a genre of its own, but in a poetic sense. I believe this because there is no other text in the world similar to it although it does evoke feelings and has a distinct style. The concept of poetry is difficult to explain, because most readers have a different idea of what makes a work poetry or prose. For example, I looked back at the journals debating whether or not Coal Mountain Elementary and found that the students were evenly split. This illustrates that poetry as a concept can be interpreted in more ways than one, ultimately leaving it up to the reader to decide what it should be classified as. In my opinion, the reader can categorize a work as poetry or not depending on the circumstances, but if he/she can justify the fact it should not be disputed. Poetry is about freedom and setting the mind free from all distractions. Coal Mountain Elementary is a great book to read, if one wants to contemplate the concept of poetry without influence from others. Although Nowak uses ideas associated with poetry, I personally would still classify Coal Mountain Elementary as a genre of its own.
On Poetry and Nowak - Emily
Coal Mountain Elementary by Mark Nowak not only challenges the idle acceptance of the risks of coal mining by the general, uninformed population, but also challenges the very definitions of poetry and prose. While commended as a work of poetry, it does not follow the conventional forms that we have come to know. The book is not filled with rhyming lines of verse or individual poems. In fact, there is not a single page that can be said to contain a poem. The book as a whole is considered poetry, not it’s individual components.
Poetry is a concept that can take many forms, depending on the individual. Not every person considers the same thing poetry; it doesn’t hold the same concrete definition that one might apply to other types of literature. Coal Mountain Elementary contains many elements of poetry. The themes of death, tragedy, and the price of coal mining are interwoven between the pages of stories, personal accounts, news clippings, and images. The start juxtaposition between these tragedies and the plainly stated, thoughtfully composed lesson plan on coal mining comes off as startlingly provocative. The use of images to compliment the horrors drawn out on the page lends the work a depth it might have otherwise failed to achieve. Coal Mountain Elementary is not purely a book or a novel. It is infused with poetic elements which combine to make it a powerful, moving piece of art.
In “Alarums and Excursions” Waldrop’s tenth thesis states: “The poem will not work through its content, through a message which in any case would speak only to the already converted, but through its form.” This thesis can be related to Nowak’s work. Through its unconventional form, the message of Coal Mountain Elementary works to convert those who are not aware of the price associated with the coal mining industry. Poetry is that which reaches out and grabs the reader, shaking him from his habitual beliefs and inspiring further consideration. Coal Mountain reaches out in just that way, alerting the reader to that which he may have never considered.
Poetry defies strict definition. It is a complex idea, embodied by many forms and formats. It is the expression behind the words, the individual idea that becomes perceptible through the composition of phrases, which is of importance. That is not to say other types of literature are not driven by these same concepts. Emotion, depth, and awareness can be found in some of the best novels of the age. They can be just as moving and just as provocative. Yet these other forms of literature lack a certain essence that necessarily classifies poetry.
It is as much the reception of the reader as the intent to the author which classifies a work. This is especially true in regards to the ever expansive and malleable concept of poetry. Though Nowak may have set out to write a book of poetry- or not- his success or lack thereof is dependent upon the individual reader and the way in which the work is received.
Poetry is a concept that can take many forms, depending on the individual. Not every person considers the same thing poetry; it doesn’t hold the same concrete definition that one might apply to other types of literature. Coal Mountain Elementary contains many elements of poetry. The themes of death, tragedy, and the price of coal mining are interwoven between the pages of stories, personal accounts, news clippings, and images. The start juxtaposition between these tragedies and the plainly stated, thoughtfully composed lesson plan on coal mining comes off as startlingly provocative. The use of images to compliment the horrors drawn out on the page lends the work a depth it might have otherwise failed to achieve. Coal Mountain Elementary is not purely a book or a novel. It is infused with poetic elements which combine to make it a powerful, moving piece of art.
In “Alarums and Excursions” Waldrop’s tenth thesis states: “The poem will not work through its content, through a message which in any case would speak only to the already converted, but through its form.” This thesis can be related to Nowak’s work. Through its unconventional form, the message of Coal Mountain Elementary works to convert those who are not aware of the price associated with the coal mining industry. Poetry is that which reaches out and grabs the reader, shaking him from his habitual beliefs and inspiring further consideration. Coal Mountain reaches out in just that way, alerting the reader to that which he may have never considered.
Poetry defies strict definition. It is a complex idea, embodied by many forms and formats. It is the expression behind the words, the individual idea that becomes perceptible through the composition of phrases, which is of importance. That is not to say other types of literature are not driven by these same concepts. Emotion, depth, and awareness can be found in some of the best novels of the age. They can be just as moving and just as provocative. Yet these other forms of literature lack a certain essence that necessarily classifies poetry.
It is as much the reception of the reader as the intent to the author which classifies a work. This is especially true in regards to the ever expansive and malleable concept of poetry. Though Nowak may have set out to write a book of poetry- or not- his success or lack thereof is dependent upon the individual reader and the way in which the work is received.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Slam Videos from YouTube
Patricia Smith Performs Skinhead:
Patricia Smith Reads from Blood Dazzler
DC Slam Poet and National Slam Champion Sonya Renee Performs "What Women Deserve"
DC poet Natalie Illum Performs at Capturing Fire 2010
Slam Champion Andrea Gibson Performs at Capturing Fire 2010
Baltimore/DC poet Chris August Opens for Anne Waldman at "Howl" in the City 2010
DC poet (and renowned slam artist)Regie Cabico at the Calgary Poetry Festival 2010
Patricia Smith Reads from Blood Dazzler
DC Slam Poet and National Slam Champion Sonya Renee Performs "What Women Deserve"
DC poet Natalie Illum Performs at Capturing Fire 2010
Slam Champion Andrea Gibson Performs at Capturing Fire 2010
Baltimore/DC poet Chris August Opens for Anne Waldman at "Howl" in the City 2010
DC poet (and renowned slam artist)Regie Cabico at the Calgary Poetry Festival 2010
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