My college has provided me with an anthology of Love through the Ages, including a reading list, glossary of poetic terms and extracts we may find useful. There are also articles that attempt to define modernism and postmodernism. Modernism is described as an earthquake which brought down many of the traditional structures of literature, art, architecture and music in the late 19th early 20th century. Following the metaphor of the earthquake, many of the structures it toppled have never been rebuilt.
In modernism, literature no longer relied on chronological plots with onniscient narrators. Instead there was a rise in the popularity of fragmented plot lines with interesting narratives; a movement away from traditional realism into the world of the experimental. Similarly, fundamental elements of painting such as realism and perspective were replaced by abstract and conceptual works of art. The movement represented a distintive shift in culture and society, whereas postmodernism is harder to define.
Postmodernism is seen as a phiosophical movement which replaces the objective with the subjective. It postulates that many, if not all, apparent realities are only social constructs and are therefore subject to change. Whereas modernism was seen as having an enlightening influence on culture, postmodernism seems to be more skeptic; it looks back at the past with irony and satire, focussing on novels that debate their own ends and thereby 'de-naturalise' their content. Although I have been introduced to the meaning of these movements I am still unsure of their precise description. This is something I would like to study further in order to coherently write about their influence on Love through the Ages.
Friday, 2 December 2011
New course!
Hello, welcome back avid readers! My new course which I shall be reading widely about is Love Through the Ages. I will keep my blog posted with the lasted texts I have read, with my initial thoughts on how form, structure and language shape meaning, as well as comparing it to other texts. This course includes poetry, prose and drama, ranging from the bible to Thomas Hardy, so be prepared!
Adam Rodgers Johns
Twitter @don_darm
Adam Rodgers Johns
Twitter @don_darm
Sunday, 15 May 2011
The Cherry Orchard- Anton Chekhov
“Cherry orchards were not the main thing on the minds of most Russians in 1904, when Anton Chekhov’s play was premiered. Since the turn of the century there had been a growing feeling in Russia that things could not go on as they were doing.”
Anton Chekhov was a Russian novelist and playwright. Chekhov was not considered a political writer, but his play ‘The Cherry Orchard,’ written a year before his death at the hands of tuberculosis, was a significant political play. Chekhov was famous for the use of trees in his work, and ‘The Cherry Orchard’ by title is no exception. Russia was a backwards country at the turn of the 20th century, mainly because it had failed to industrialise at the rate of other European powers. Therefore it was not surprising that the century old regime of the Romanov Dynasty, or Tsardom, was coming to an end.
Chekhov’s play is about a wealthy family of landowners. At the head of this family is Ranyavskaya, played in the rendition I went to see at The National Theatre by Zoe Wanamaker. Although this family was once extremely wealthy, and had many serfs (slaves) working on their land, the Emancipation Of The Serfs by Tsar Alexander II in 1961 led to great economic decline for once prosperous landowners. Therefore it is not surprising that a new social class of merchants, essentially Capitalists, became wealthy. The capitalist in this play is called Lopakhin and although he has tremendous affection towards the family for which his ancestors once worked, he manages to buy the land they own and ruthlessly cuts down the symbolic cherry orchard.
The play is about an entire landowning class in early 20th century Russia. These people had to make a decision of whether to accept the way things were going and attempt to modernise, or to sit back and pretend nothing was happening, closing their eyes to the inevitable future. In this sense I think the cherry orchard is a metaphor for the wealth of a dying social class, they attempt to hold on to what they have because of its nostalgic value but in the end it is brutally taken away from them.
An interesting character for me is an intellectual called Petya Trofimov, who prefers to continuously study and travel rather than settle down, and whose monologues represent the communist mentality which saw Tsardom overthrown in 1917. Trofimov exclaims adamantly that the only way Russia can advance is through “extraordinary, unremitting labour,” and that it is the workers of Russia who own the land because it is the land they work on. The idealism expressed by Trofimov is similar to that of the Bolshevik party, who under the guidance of Lenin (and more notably Stalin) transformed Russia into a great economic power in less than half a century.
People adapting to great social change is a theme evident throughout modern literature. For example Tennessee William's plays, 'The Glass Menagerie' and 'A Streetcar Named Desire', both have characters who struggle to become accustomed to the post-WWII rising industrial class. Blanche is a dillusional character in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' whose loss of her family estate in Belle-Reve has forced her to abandon her Southern comforts and join her sister in New Orlean's. Blanche's clash with the powerful Polish immigrant Stanley is a representation of the struggle between old Southern ideals and the modern industrial reality. In conclusion 'The Cherry Orchard' shows a great change in social climate which is a recurrent theme in modern literature.
Monday, 11 April 2011
W.H.Auden- Refugee Blues
W.H. Auden is an Anglo-American poet, regarded by many as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. His 1939 poem entited 'Refugee Blues' is an imaginative depiction of the life-threatening plight of German Jews escaping from Nazi Germany, many of whom saw what was to come after Adolf Hitler and the Nazis seized power in 1930. The political message of Refugee Blues is typical of Auden's poetry which often revloves around politics, citizenship, religion and morals.
Refugee Blues is split into 12 stanzas, each with 3 lines. The poem is written from the first person narrative of a Jewish refugee describing the trouble they are having trying to find a new home having fled Nazi Germany. The narrator often says "my dear" as if he is speaking to someone else: "We cannot go there now, my dear, we cannot go there now." Auden does this because it personalises the inhumanity of what happened to the Jews in Nazi Germany. People often look at figures for the amount of German Jews killed by the Nazis and fail to understand the inhumanity of it all. Auden's peom helps us do this.
The peom's structure is simple; a rhyming couplet and a single line in each stanza. The simplicity of the poem makes it more effective at making a serious political statement: the traditional structure emphasises the powerful imagery. For example, in the 9th stanza it says "went down to the harbour and stood upon the quay, saw the fish swimming as if they were free." The fish are free and untroubled, unlike the poems characters who are homeless and endangered. Auden's symbolism of nature in Refugee Blues emphasises the distinction between the Nazis inhumane political system and the beauty of nature which is often taken for granted. Freedom and human rights are something that the majority of us, including Auden, who grew up as an upper class Englishmen, take for granted: Refugee Blues' message is that this shouldn't be taken for granted because others are not so fortunate.
Refugee Blues is split into 12 stanzas, each with 3 lines. The poem is written from the first person narrative of a Jewish refugee describing the trouble they are having trying to find a new home having fled Nazi Germany. The narrator often says "my dear" as if he is speaking to someone else: "We cannot go there now, my dear, we cannot go there now." Auden does this because it personalises the inhumanity of what happened to the Jews in Nazi Germany. People often look at figures for the amount of German Jews killed by the Nazis and fail to understand the inhumanity of it all. Auden's peom helps us do this.
The peom's structure is simple; a rhyming couplet and a single line in each stanza. The simplicity of the poem makes it more effective at making a serious political statement: the traditional structure emphasises the powerful imagery. For example, in the 9th stanza it says "went down to the harbour and stood upon the quay, saw the fish swimming as if they were free." The fish are free and untroubled, unlike the poems characters who are homeless and endangered. Auden's symbolism of nature in Refugee Blues emphasises the distinction between the Nazis inhumane political system and the beauty of nature which is often taken for granted. Freedom and human rights are something that the majority of us, including Auden, who grew up as an upper class Englishmen, take for granted: Refugee Blues' message is that this shouldn't be taken for granted because others are not so fortunate.
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Margaret Atwood- The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel which was published in 1985 and written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. Among other things Atwood's novel addresses the inequality faced by women. Similarly to other dystopian novels, The Handmaid's Tale takes a very real issue in the modern day, such as sexual inequality, and enhances it to show the reader the possible outcome of not addressing that particular issue.
The novel is written from the narrative of the character Offred who has been forced into the regime of Gilead and is being used a child bearer. The women being used as child bearers are deemed "Handmaid's" and their sole purpose as part of the regime is to reproduce. The house in which Offred lives is completely run by women who do the cleaning, cooking and teaching. Through this Atwood is making the point that during the time the novel was written people didn't assume women could do much else apart from look after a household.
Although Offred doesn't seem to realise the importance of feminism until it is too late, other characters in the novel such as her mother and best friend Moira are far more active. For example, Moira is also forced into the role of a 'handmaid' but unlike Offred she rebels from the beginning by breaking out of the house. Moira also has the belief that living solely with women would solve the problems women were currently facing. Furthermore Offred's mother from a time before used to be actively involved in marching on abortion rights and pornography (two of the issue's raised in second wave feminism in the 1970's.) Offred's mother used to argue with Offred's boyfriend Luke over the rights of women and lecture her daughter about being complacent about rights. These actions used to embarrass Offred however the regime of Gilead provokes feminist spirit inside Offred. Through this Atwood makes the reader see a lack of rights can completely change ones perspective.
The novel is written from the narrative of the character Offred who has been forced into the regime of Gilead and is being used a child bearer. The women being used as child bearers are deemed "Handmaid's" and their sole purpose as part of the regime is to reproduce. The house in which Offred lives is completely run by women who do the cleaning, cooking and teaching. Through this Atwood is making the point that during the time the novel was written people didn't assume women could do much else apart from look after a household.
Although Offred doesn't seem to realise the importance of feminism until it is too late, other characters in the novel such as her mother and best friend Moira are far more active. For example, Moira is also forced into the role of a 'handmaid' but unlike Offred she rebels from the beginning by breaking out of the house. Moira also has the belief that living solely with women would solve the problems women were currently facing. Furthermore Offred's mother from a time before used to be actively involved in marching on abortion rights and pornography (two of the issue's raised in second wave feminism in the 1970's.) Offred's mother used to argue with Offred's boyfriend Luke over the rights of women and lecture her daughter about being complacent about rights. These actions used to embarrass Offred however the regime of Gilead provokes feminist spirit inside Offred. Through this Atwood makes the reader see a lack of rights can completely change ones perspective.
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Tennessee Williams- A Streetcar Named Desire
'A Streetcar Named Desire' is an American play written by Tennessee William's in 1947, the same playwrite who wrote 'The Glass Menagerie' which was the subject of an earlier post. William's sister suffered with mental health issues and had to undergo a lobotomy, perhaps an insight into the deteriating mental state of Blanche Dubois, the 'beautiful southern relic' who clashes with Stanley Kowalski, a member of the rising industrial working class in American cities.
The play was written at a time of increasing civil rights for immigrants in America. For example an important detail of the play is Blanche's loss of Belle Reve, an ancestoral southern plantation that would have once employed many slaves but had began to struggle. Blache's assessment of Stanley as a "different species" and "sub-human" may also be a clue of underlying racial discrimination.
The role of women is important in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' because it is Blanche's failure to conform to the status-quo which eventually leads to her downfall. For example Blanche's sister Stella is happy to settle down and prepare to have Stanley's child whereas Blanche is a less steriotypical women. Blanche constantly battles with Stanley and his masculinity, eventually leading him to subdue her in the only way he knows; force. Blanche is eventually labelled as insane by Stanley and Stella and sent off to a mental institute.
Offred, the fictional character of Margaret Atwood's novel 'The Handmaid's Tale' is similar to Blanche in her struggle against the 'social norm' and eventual labelling as a tragic heroine. Offred is stuck in a dystopian society where women are used merely for child bearing and rebellion causes Offred's downfall at the hands of the Gileadian regime.
In a 2009 review of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' they talk about William's explicit stage directions: "you are instantly struck by the evocation of New Orleans, with its spiral staircases and ornamented balconies extending right around the theatre." Detailed stage directions are a key feature of William's work; from Stanley's description as a "richly feathered male bird" to the music: "tinny piano being played with infatuated fluency."
William's play is typical of the struggle for identity because it exposes the unofficial laws of society; the status quo. This status quo is revolved around the portrayal of the different genders and races, such as the juxtapositon between the two sisters, Blanche and Stella, and Stanley's racial difference. The context of economic, social and policital issues also helps make Tennessee William's play typical of the struggle for identity in modern literature.
The play was written at a time of increasing civil rights for immigrants in America. For example an important detail of the play is Blanche's loss of Belle Reve, an ancestoral southern plantation that would have once employed many slaves but had began to struggle. Blache's assessment of Stanley as a "different species" and "sub-human" may also be a clue of underlying racial discrimination.
The role of women is important in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' because it is Blanche's failure to conform to the status-quo which eventually leads to her downfall. For example Blanche's sister Stella is happy to settle down and prepare to have Stanley's child whereas Blanche is a less steriotypical women. Blanche constantly battles with Stanley and his masculinity, eventually leading him to subdue her in the only way he knows; force. Blanche is eventually labelled as insane by Stanley and Stella and sent off to a mental institute.
Offred, the fictional character of Margaret Atwood's novel 'The Handmaid's Tale' is similar to Blanche in her struggle against the 'social norm' and eventual labelling as a tragic heroine. Offred is stuck in a dystopian society where women are used merely for child bearing and rebellion causes Offred's downfall at the hands of the Gileadian regime.
In a 2009 review of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' they talk about William's explicit stage directions: "you are instantly struck by the evocation of New Orleans, with its spiral staircases and ornamented balconies extending right around the theatre." Detailed stage directions are a key feature of William's work; from Stanley's description as a "richly feathered male bird" to the music: "tinny piano being played with infatuated fluency."
William's play is typical of the struggle for identity because it exposes the unofficial laws of society; the status quo. This status quo is revolved around the portrayal of the different genders and races, such as the juxtapositon between the two sisters, Blanche and Stella, and Stanley's racial difference. The context of economic, social and policital issues also helps make Tennessee William's play typical of the struggle for identity in modern literature.
Sylvia Plath- Ariel
Sylvia Plath is one of the most famous female poets and authors ever. Following a long battle with depression and marital issues she committed suicide in 1963, aged 30. Plath's anthology entitled 'Ariel' was published in 1965, 2 years after her death, and includes the self titled poem I have studied. Ariel was the name of the horse Plath enjoyed riding during the time she spent in the countryside with her Poet Laureate husband Ted Hughes.
The poem consists of 10 stanzas with 3 lines each.The first stanza starts with the image of "Stasis in darkness" and the second stanza with "God's lioness." Plath may have used sibilance and the 's' sound in her poem because it provokes an ominous feeling; the hissing sound is accosiated with snakes which are often viewed as scary creatures. The image of "Stasis in darkness" reflects this scary feeling because it portrays Plath confused mental state; she is in the dark and unsure of where to go.
After being diagnosed with mental health disorder Plath was treated with electroshock therapy and this strongly influenced her work. For example in her autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar, Plath gives a description of the treatment: "Whee-ee-ee-ee-ee, it shrilled, through an air crackling with blue light." The symbolism of colour and light is a prominent theme in Plath's poetry. An example of this would be in the last line of 'Ariel' where Plath talks about going "Into the red eye, the cauldron of morning." The metaphor of the "red eye" as the sun is one of many examples of Plath using natural imagery, such as the description of "God's lioness" that I touched on earlier.
I think the abstract image of the "cauldron of morning " could be related to the poems similarity to a witches spell. Plath's work often has mythical themes and the poem often lists possible ingredients, such as the 4th stanza which says "Nigger-eye/ Berries cast dark/ Hooks-" Other mythical references in the poem include that of "Godiva" in stanza 7 who, according to legend, rode through the streets of Coventry naked to protest against taxes.
Plath's work is often very surreal and uses a lot of imagery and symbolism to reflect her personal mental state; the identity of a poet who suffers with a mental health disorder and is able to represent this through her writing. The aspect of femininity and the struggle to be accepted as a female writer is also important.
The poem consists of 10 stanzas with 3 lines each.The first stanza starts with the image of "Stasis in darkness" and the second stanza with "God's lioness." Plath may have used sibilance and the 's' sound in her poem because it provokes an ominous feeling; the hissing sound is accosiated with snakes which are often viewed as scary creatures. The image of "Stasis in darkness" reflects this scary feeling because it portrays Plath confused mental state; she is in the dark and unsure of where to go.
After being diagnosed with mental health disorder Plath was treated with electroshock therapy and this strongly influenced her work. For example in her autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar, Plath gives a description of the treatment: "Whee-ee-ee-ee-ee, it shrilled, through an air crackling with blue light." The symbolism of colour and light is a prominent theme in Plath's poetry. An example of this would be in the last line of 'Ariel' where Plath talks about going "Into the red eye, the cauldron of morning." The metaphor of the "red eye" as the sun is one of many examples of Plath using natural imagery, such as the description of "God's lioness" that I touched on earlier.
I think the abstract image of the "cauldron of morning " could be related to the poems similarity to a witches spell. Plath's work often has mythical themes and the poem often lists possible ingredients, such as the 4th stanza which says "Nigger-eye/ Berries cast dark/ Hooks-" Other mythical references in the poem include that of "Godiva" in stanza 7 who, according to legend, rode through the streets of Coventry naked to protest against taxes.
Plath's work is often very surreal and uses a lot of imagery and symbolism to reflect her personal mental state; the identity of a poet who suffers with a mental health disorder and is able to represent this through her writing. The aspect of femininity and the struggle to be accepted as a female writer is also important.
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