In Walt Whitman's poem "Beat! Beat! Drums!" it idealizes the effects of music and instruments being the likes of an armed forces. The instruments should play loud and powerful music that keep the cities, homes, and people awaken. "Beat! Beat! Drums!--Blow! Bugles! Blow!/ Through the windows--through doors---burst like a ruthless force". There is no measure of boundaries that should stop the instruments from accomplishing its goal of being heard. Whitman wants the sound to be a "ruthless force" so that people are aware of its power and effects it will have on them. It is urged in the poem for the music to "Leave not the bridegroom quiet--no happiness must he have now with his bride/ Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering his grain/ so fierce you whirr and pound you drums--so shrill you bugles blow". This is an enactment for no peace or respect for the people. The music and instrument must play disregarding the space of others. Whitman goes to say that the instrument must not stop for no explanation or conversation but instead continue its brutal force of sound to recruit men for the coming war. The poem is an example that confirms the result and effects of music or instruments during war. Sound has a great ordeal towards soldiers and people to sway them or pump them up for the coming battles. In an articled titled "Sounds of War: Music in the United States during World War II" instruments had a clear job of boosting morale or passing time for the soldiers during wartime. Music was an alternative for soldiers to pass time and enjoy as they were far away from home. Though during the Vietnam Wwar there became composed music that became anthems for the soldiers to sing about their battalions or squads. It is specified in another article titled "War Music and the American Composer during the Vietnam Era" that music and instruments became a way of expressing beliefs and emotions towards current events. The drumming and beating of sound may awaken people to listen attracting them to what the fuss is about but also it is a way to boost people's morale in efforts to keep them awaken.
Death is an inevitable result for everyone. Both poets Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman had interest in this factor. Their poems of course self discussed their perspective and views on what death meant to them. Dickinson had a growing interest for death and its value to her. She wondered about the afterlife due to her personal issues of living such as love, exploring the world, or being alive. One of her poems titled "Because I Could not Stop for Death" talks about her love for death though death itself is described as the opposite partner for her. She states "Because I could not stop for Death/ He kindly stopped for me/ The Carriage held but just ourselves/ And Immortality". Death is described as a partner and mate to Dickinson. According to New York University in their article titled "Death and Immortality" it is stated that "Dickinson analyzes Death and attemps to portray it as a stage of existence that acts as a bridge between life and eternity". The picture below can summarize the side that Dickinson believes about death, it is a mere hanging of the heart in which anytime we can die if the connection/string is broken between life which is the tree. Walt Whitman on the other hand believes death is the start of a new beginning comparing it to the idea of a phoenix. A phoenix in mythology dies only to be returned to life from its ashes. In his poem "When the Lilacs last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" Death is welcomes as a song or outlet. It goes to say in the poem, "Passing the visions, passing the night/ Passing, unloosing the hold of my comrades' hands/ Passing the song of the hermit bird, and the tallying song of my soul/ Victorious song, death's outlet song, yet varying, ever-altering song/ As low and wailing yet clear the notes, rising and falling, flooding the night". Whitman sees death as a new beginning when a person dies only symbolizing it as a song to the victories. The image below is of a phoenix dying and re-birthing from its old body forming a new beginning similar to Whitman's belief. Both poets have different views on the topic of Death and dying. Dickinson believes it is a connection that is personal to us for living and having immortality, while Whitman distinguishes it as a rebirth to the old self. Death is death, where we all die but what we interpret after is dependent on what we think happens.
Controlled, Limited, and burdened are the factors a human being is given in a slave state. In past US history slavery was apparent in the 1800s mainly towards African Americans. Where they were used as tools for the south to drive the economy. In return the slaves still had been treated wrong sparking the up rise of a Civil War. Though do we still see or have any slave state in present day? Maybe not in the way the African Americans were treated, but are similar in many ways. North Korea, the "Communist state one man dictatorship" according to the CIA's online website displays this slave state. The civilians are under the reign of one person, Kim Jong-un. They abide by his certain superiority to do as he please. North Korea itself is cutout from all of the world, mainly basing their economy on agriculture and natural resources. Though their goal is not for a driving economy but for an "impoverished and often famine-stricken nation to pursue a nuclear weapons program, incurring sanctions and worldwide condemnation" (NY Times). North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has definitely limited the "agency" of it's people. All they know is and abide by is the ruler not their own free will, because free will does not exist. Mexico for instance is not under rule by a one man state, allowing individuals to have agency. Under the mask of society itself, the huge massive drug cartel are the controllers of Mexico. This may not seem to be the type of ideal slavery we may think of, but it does have similarity. The drug cartel are feared by the people, allowing them to do as they please. Drugs, gun and money run the game for the Cartel sacrificing many innocent lives as if they are animals. This type of rule as I can is oblivious to the fact that government is there but not in control. North Korea and Mexico exemplify modern day slavery as 2 different types we can perceive it as. It's not to say it's the only kind, because there are ones such as human trafficking in Russia, Child Labor in South America, and uncontrollable sustainability in Africa. The only difference today with Slavery in the past is that there was room for rebellions to abolish slavery, but now we don't consider these types of ordeals as slavery only government acts. The Slavery is present in many ways depending how you see it. |
AuthorSalutations! My name is David M. welcome to my blog. I am a student currently attending UCI majoring in the aspirations of Political Science. Archives
April 2015
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