Bittersweet Endings to New Beginnings

We've taken the same journey, learned the same things, and arrived at the end of the road...but does the road end? No matter how you may feel at this point, I believe that we have all grown a little bit during our times in 7th Bell Contemporary Poetry. With new knowledge and skills that allow us to change emotion to word, we have all become poets. Now, where to go from here? How will we ever be able to return to regular English classes?

Soon, we'll be going through a series of changes. Fall term is drawing to a close, the seasons are changing, and final preparations are being made for a long awaited Thanksgiving Break. It seems that Tupac Shakur had some of his own "Changes" he wished to talk about.

We gotta make a change...

It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.

Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live

and let's change the way we treat each other.

You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do

what we gotta do, to survive.

Tupac states in a brief press conference that all he can do is "be responsible for [his] own actions". In reality, thats all, and the best, that anyone can do. As we go through our own changes, we have to keep that in mind. If we keep fighting and arguing, nothing will get done, people will get hurt, and lives will be lost. Shakur calls for changes in the way we live, the way we treat each other, and even the way we eat. What we have to do is survive, no matter what that means. This might go without saying for some people, but others need to understand Tupac's message. He believes that if everyone is responsible for his or her own actions, the world would be a much better place.

I strongly urge everyone to listen to this message, however simple it may be. We are the future, and we have to make the most of what we have.



I'd like to thank Mrs. Lewis for being the most awesome teacher ever. No matter what the situation, Mrs. Lewis is always eager and willing to lend a helping hand. She treats us fairly, as a adults, and our learning experience is all the more enjoyable because of it.

Friends, Seminarians, Poets...you will be missed.

Poetry In Review

How can I sum up the my experience of contemporary American poetry in
one blog post? It is only possible to suggest how much this class has impacted my growth.
The main reason why the class was so effective is because it was taught by Courtney Lewis, who is my adviser, teacher, and friend forever. She deserves a lot of respect. Sometimes I feel like she is a social scientist because of how she studies her students so deeply. I expect she has learned as much from us as we have learned from her love and impressive knowledge of contemporary poetry.

I knew I could write decent poetry before this class but I never took the time to exercise it. Now I cherish my ability to write poetry like it is my greatest gift. Everyday I splurge poetry accompanied by drawings into my sketchbook. Before contemporary poetry all I had was visual literacy without the depth of poetic literacy. At the beginning of the class Mrs. Lewis told us the class expectations, which I thought were far-fetched, but my experience is that I have exceeded the original class expectations.

This class has guided my learning in all subjects. By drawing parallels between poetry and my other classes, Art (history and studio), Science, and Math, I have been able to learn and understand the significance of my education. While testing is not my forte, my drive to understand concepts helps me enjoy school. Sadly, I could not connect this class to my French studies.

The achievement I am most proud of is this blog. The class pushed me to design a blog that is functional while aesthetically pleasing. The marriage of functionality and aesthetics drives my artwork.
Because the blogs were assigned to teams, they encouraged us to have cooperative responsibility for each other's learning. My group dominated the score sheet when it came to blogs. We have almost 900 views over only three months. Thanks Jezza, Dylan, and Boaz! We have regular views for Sri-lanka, Canada, Germany, and Russia. Many other countries have visited our blog, which feels amazing. The blog will be a lasting testimony to the most interesting class of my senior year at Wyoming Seminary.

We studied poetry from the beginning of the 20th century till contemporary rap and poetry slams. The most memorable poets we studied were Walt Whitman, Amiri Baraka, and Gwendolyn Brooks.
My favourite poem of the class was "We Real Cool," because it relates to my temptations in many ways. I think it can be understood easily while it has great depth. My favourite performer is Saul Williams because his voice casts a indescribable spell over me.

What A Long Strange Trip It's Been

Wow...final post, hard to believe. This first term has gone by so fast. Senior year fall term, work, lots of work, drama, lots of drama, college shit, well lots of that too. One thing stayed steady throughout the term and I'm sad to see it go, my seventh bell poetry class with the amazing Mrs. Lewis. I have been attending Wyoming Seminary since I was a pre-K student at the Lower School. 14 years have gone by, amazing. This poetry class however, ranks among the best classes I have attended at Sem. Mrs. Lewis is a master teacher to say the least, in the likes of Swanson, Switzer, and Moriarity.

Because of Mrs. Lewis I have been able to find out more about myself in the form of poetry and literature. Mrs. Lewis' expansive knowledge in the subject and her willingness to connect with all the students in the class was evident, she made it a great environment to work, study, and learn in. From the first day of class when we defined poetry, to the last day, where that definition, the no rules aspect, manifested itself in our final poems together it has shown a journey we, as a class, endured on. It wasn't a hard, difficult, laborious journey, but it was one full of laughter, friends, and knowledge, that we all took a part, really it was, as the Grateful Dead made famous in their song 'Truckin'", "a long strange trip."



However, life is a strange trip that we all embark on, hopefully after Sem, mine will continue at Skidmore College which I applied early decision to on November 15, 2010. In a month I will find out if I got in, or if I was rejected. However, I am not too concerned about it, for the hard work is over with, fall term, senior year is completed. Now it's time to sit back, send out the remaining applications, and figure out how to complete this long strange trip that it's been.

Mrs. Lewis, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you for providing the greatest class I have ever been a part of at Wyoming Seminary. The environment that you provided was unlike any other at Sem, the openness, and the trust was what made this class something special. To all of my fellow classmates, many who I have never had a connection with before, thank you. Thank you for letting me see who you really are, thank you for making past judgments false, I am glad to call each and one of you one of my friends.

Seventh Bell Contemporary American Poetry--you will be missed, but never forgotten.

It's Not a Goodbye, It's a See Ya Later

So sad, my very last blog entry of the trimester. Over the last 12 weeks, studying and writing poetry every 7th bell has not only brought me happiness every day, but also challenged me intellectually in a way so much different than any other class. I've learned in poetry class that in order to be a good poet, the writer must be him/herself and have his/her own voice. To be honest, I was not too sure about taking poetry as my English elective before school started; I didn't know too much about writing poetry and wasn't too sure how it was going to go. As everyone performed their "What is Poetry #2" poems on friday, I was astonished to see how much everyone's poetry changed, including my own. At first, I thought poetry was about rhyming every line and keeping a solid beat to the poem. I found out that I was very wrong, as poetry is about expression, and in order to release one's expression, one must write whatever necessary into a poem to convey one's message. A truly amazing thought, in my opinion, and a thought I never dreamed I would think until I took this class.

The only thing I didn't/don't like about poetry is the fact that our class my very well be the last Contemporary Poetry class ever at Sem. Our teacher, Mrs. Lewis, does such a terrific job inspiring every single individual in the class that it seems almost unethical for the school to cancel such a class. I honestly think ever person who experiences Sem should also have the experience of Mrs. Lewis' class. After 14 long years at Sem, I can 100% say that this was my favorite and most fulfilling class I have ever taken!

So, after reflecting about the class, I guess this is my final paragraph. I entitled this post "It's Not a Goodbye, It's a See Ya Later" because I can honestly say that after this class, I do not think this is the last poetry I will ever write. Although I am moving onto more generic English classes the next two terms, my interests in English now lie in poetry. Hope you liked our blog, and see ya later!

Complex Poetry

To write poetry, imagination is needed. Good poetry also has a mathematical flow as well. Again it is the marriage of creativity and structure that produces strong work. As I have written before, this rule is not only applied in writing poetry.

To understand math, just as much imagination is needed as in writing poetry. Especially when dealing with imaginary numbers. A better term for imaginary numbers is “Complex Numbers” because in a sense all numbers are imagined. Numbers are contrived to relate tangible objects or phenomena with each other.



The special property of complex numbers is that no “Real Numbers” can be combined to create the imaginary component of a complex number.




A concrete example of complex numbers at work is in an electric circuit that contains an inductor. An inductor is a wire coil with electromagnetic properties, which is used in almost all electronic devices. The flowing current in a circuit can be described by a complex number. The electron flow in the wire can be understood with the real component of a complex number. The imaginary part refers to the magnetic field associated with the inductor. What you lose in electron current you gain in magnetic field and vice versa. When the electron current gets converted into magnetic field energy by the inductor, it is impossible to represent this phenomena with the same positive or negative numbers. Instead a new direction is needed. The new direction is called i for "imaginary". This new direction can also be positive or negative. In other words, the magnetic field can either be growing (the positive imaginary direction) or collapsing (the negative imaginary direction). As the magnetic field grows, it sucks energy from the circuit and stores it in a magnetic field. As the magnetic field collapses, energy is released back into the circuit. So the imaginary part of the complex number represents the quantity of magnetic field present as well as its dynamical state (positive or negative). This can be visualized on the complex number plane. The notation for a complex number is
x + i y.
Where x is the distance along the real axis, and y is the distance along the imaginary axis. So this number is some position in that 2-dimensional plane.

Both the real part and the imaginary parts of the complex number represent "real" quantities in the "real" world, which can be used for “real” applications.



In fact, complex numbers are used in countless technologies today. Some are...
Data encryption,
Wireless technologies,
And...
Poetry?

I attempted to use poetic devices to explain my knowledge of circuits to make it understandable. All good writing should have poetic devices to articulate its meaning. Even when describing scientific topics, there is an art to making it legible.

Everyday I leave Precalc in a mathematical mindset, which must evolve into a much more abstract mindset for Contemporary American Poetry. But for the last week I have found Precalc just as abstract as Poetry class. Through this blog I have managed to dig a deeper understanding in both classes. Thanks to Dr. Cooper for showing me the BBC podcast, which inspired this blog post.

Originality Impossibility

(just to set the mood)

If one were to look back through history, down the list of achievements of mankind, one would be presented with, essentially, a list of firsts. I believe though, as humans, we should begin to understand that nothing is original. For example, the so-called first examples of polyphonic music can be seen in the Plainchant tradition of the Catholic Church. Although ground-breaking for the their time, they had to have been based on some previous music theory. An organum, stemming from the Greek word organon, is a plainchant melody with multiple voices. Hucbald of St. Amand, a Frankish music theorist and Benedictine monk, is commonly given credit for accumulating the knowledge of Greek music theory to develop what is no

w known as the Gregorian chant.

It seems that E.E. Cummings is typically thought of as the father of "unusual typography". Although he may have been the first to go to such lengths as in "may I feel said he", he does identify Gertrude

Stein as one of his main influences. During her career, Stein used her poetic license to establish her own signat

ure style, believing that there was no need for literature to abide by any laws regarding form and structure.This idea can be seen as an answer to Cubism, and is strongly reminiscent of E.E. Cummings' mutation and contortion of his texts.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love new, fancy, exciting things just as much as the next guy. Living in the Age of Technology, though, we tend to value originality a little bit more with each passing day. What exactly is originality, and could anything ever be completely original? Its one of those big questions, but worth some thought.

Please feel free to leave comments below.

Folk-Rock

Recently, I have been obsessed with a band from North Carolina called The Avett Brothers. After seeing them at the 2010 Newport Folk Festival along with the other great acts such as other of my favorite bands including: Dawes, Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, and the crazy-love filled, thirteen member band, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros I have focused in on their lyrical skills along as their musical skills. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott and Seth Avett who play the banjo and guitar respectively. They also are the vocalists and occasional drummer. Bob Crawford plays the stand up bass and they are often joined on tour by cellist Joe Kwon, (who if anyone can rock out on a cello and make it look cool it's this guy).Following on from Seth and Scott's former rock band Nemo, the Avett Brothers combine many types of genres including: bluegrass, country, punk, pop melodies, folk, rock and roll, honky tonk, and ragtime to produce a sound described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having the "heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones." The Avett's song, "The Perfect Space" is an example of these different genres fused together, about halfway through, the listener can hear the shift to a heavy drum beat and more pop/rock melody.


One of the other bands I mentioned that I really enjoy is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. This band, is funky to say the least. Led by lead singer Alex Ebert, who was addicted to hard core drugs and left rehab because he started to write about a messianic figure named Edward Sharpe. Ebert's alter-ego Edward Sharpe is the namesake for the band, Edward Sharpe fell in love with Jade, who is a member of the band, and the album, Up From Below, describes their journey. According to Ebert, Sharpe "was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind...but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love." Recently, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have had their music been openly enjoyed. Their song "Janglin'" is on TV for a car commercial, and their song "Home" has had recently some radio exposure. Both of these bands use meaningful lyrics and interesting music to drive home their meanings, which is similar to poetry. Also, these bands use every member of their band, much like the team poets in the "Slam" movie the poetry class watched this past week.
Here is a video of "Home" and "40 Day Dream."





Here's a better quality version of "Home":

Gone Phishin'

"The Mango Song"

Spasm waiter dropping to his knees, sees 

Slander on wrap paper ties 

Lifting up his head he feels the sunlight in his eyes 


Grasp a kettle top and shoot the breeze, please 

Ramble while slop scraper sighs 

Tossing in his bed at night he'll dream until he dies 


Operations at the sink 

The dribble liquid visible beneath his troubled eyes 

Feels it tilt and start to slide 


Mask a pretty hopper's foot with squeeze cheese 

Dangle some grape apple pies 

Tranquil and serene until he runs out of supplies 


Your hands and feet are mangos 

You're gonna be a genius anyway 

Your hands and feet are mangos 

You're gonna be a genius anyway

Above are the lyrics of my favorite band and one of the greatest live bands of all time: Phish, and the song is one of their bests, "The Mango Song." One may read the lyrics and feel completely confused; what on earth could the song be about, and what on earth does it have to do with mangos??? Well, the first question is one often asked by those who do not listen to Phish, as many of their lyrics make little to no sense. Or do they? "The Mango Song" is one of many songs that the listener needs the background of the song in order to understand the lyrics (this song, for example, is about a day in the life of a waiter and his addiction to delusions of grandeur). Why would Phish do this, you ask? Because in many cases, its not the words that matter, its the instrumentals, and the words are provided as a poetic outlet for the band's true message.

For many years, Phish was a band no one heard of, touring for months on end, delivering the powerful message through their music. How, though, could "your hands and feet are mangos/ you're gonna be a genius anyway" possibly be powerful when delivered by the band? Once again, the lyrics are only an addition to the music, not the focus of the music. For years, Phish's following has been compared to the Grateful Dead, which in many cases is true. Both bands use the power of music to create a community, and while performing their music, create a vibe unmatched by any other band. Lead singer and guitarist Trey Anastasio calls it "an intangible energy," and the only way to obtain and feel that energy is to see the band live.

In the past, Phish's focus was on creating this "intangible energy" and this focus still is in their live music today. However, after a few years apart, the band reunited in 2009, making it clear they were headed in a "new direction." For phans, this direction seems to be experimental and different, which certainly is never a bad thing. As of late, the music and lyrics of Phish has shifted towards that of a deeper meaning, a shift similar to that of the Beatles in 1964. After the John Lennon and Paul McCartney met the likes of Bob Dylan, their entire message changed from the pop songs of love to those with deeper meanings. This is almost the same with Phish. Early on, their approach to song writing was to create incredible compositions mixed along with fun lyrics and jokes between them. Since 2000 and their release of Farmhouse, the music has shifted towards lyrics with greater meaning, greater emotion. Their most recent album, Joy, deals with many issues the band had, including the death of Anastasio's sister, Anastasio's drinking problems, and how the band coped with each other during their time apart. The message they deliver seems be a more happier, meaningful message. This did not appeal to phans at first, but eventually, the community bought into songs like this, and in live performance, one can just feel the emotion and energy created by the meaningful songs. Heres one example, "Pebbles and Marbles," a truly amazing song.

It's clear how meaningful this song is, as all the members of the band seem to be playing with so much passion. This is common for "Phish 3.0," the Phish of 2009 and 2010. Personally, I have been to seven Phish shows, and the energy at each and every show is not only different, by almost ineffable. The lyrics to some may seem unmeaningful and stupid, but I honestly think thats what makes them great. You will not find any other band speaking about someone's hands and feet looking like mangos. You want some truly meaningful music? Listen to the likes of Phish! Here's a video of "the Mango Song" for your entertainment (I was at this concert!).




Sources:
Myself
Bar 18
Phish Article

The Real Idea of Ancestry

For Malcolm, A Year After

BY ETHERIDGE KNIGHT

Compose for Red a proper verse;

Adhere to foot and strict iamb;

Control the burst of angry words

Or they might boil and break the dam.

Or they might boil and overflow

And drench me, drown me, drive me mad.

So swear no oath, so shed no tear,

And sing no song blue Baptist sad.

Evoke no image, stir no flame,

And spin no yarn across the air.

Make empty anglo tea lace words—

Make them dead white and dry bone bare.

Compose a verse for Malcolm man,

And make it rime and

make it prim.

The verse will die—as all men do—

but not the memory of him!

Death might come singing sweet like C,

Or knocking like the old folk say,

The moon and stars may pass away,

But not the anger of that day.

Etheridge Knight writing this poem presents one question. How is Knight connected to the Nation of Islam? Knight, although a central figure in the Black Arts Movement, did not have any differing religious affiliations. He is paying tribute to Malcolm X, one man who played a major role in the slightly more militaristic, revolutionary side of the Black Power movement. Malcolm X was one of the first who was able to stand up and defend the African-Americans from the thoughts and misconceptions of the White majority. When I see Etheridge Knight writing a poem about Malcolm X, honestly the first thing that comes to mind is the cultural unity that all African-Americans seem to have amongst themselves. Their "Idea of Ancestry" is possibly the strongest of any race in the world. Through sharing the same experience of slavery and emancipation through the history of the United States, the black population has been able to develop a single streamlined identity. In essence, that was the main purpose of the Black Arts movement, as well as the Black Power movement and associated events, to develop a new functional black identity with all the liberties and freedoms allowed to every person in the Constitution. I feel that the Black Panther Party and the Nation of Islam go hand in hand, giving the African-American community a fighting chance against white

oppression. They were the fighting force, enabling other, more peaceful protesters, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and members of the Black Arts movement, to live in safety, knowing that there were other groups established that would defend their rights.

The Heart of Humankind

Poetry is the keystone upon which all human advancements rest.




Every seed of a thought comes from language. Without language humans cannot communicate. Without communication there is no possibility for progress. The defining capability of humans, which makes us conscious of our significant life, is the ability to communicate through language. Poetry is the pinnacle of linguistic expression. Therefore, the most influential scientific discoveries to the deepest art projects start with a poetic seed of thought.

In this poetic exchange, two famous scientists, Richard Dawkins and Neil deGrasse Tyson, talk about the grand goals, limits and accomplishments of science.




Yet, it is difficult to imagine a successful conversation between a scientist and a poet. The two seem almost speak different languages. To the poet, the scientist seems literal minded with his head is buried in the ground of facts, incapable of understanding the true significance of what they research. To the scientist, the poet seems to have their head in the clouds, indulging in fantastic visions. The scientist worries that the poet might be and losing sight of the way things really are. But when the scientist and the poet do communicate with each other, together they make up for their downfalls and produce truly meaningful work.



An example of science, poetry and art working together is in the concept and construction of Cooper Union's “New Academic Building” in New York City. Along with its stunning aesthetic value, the building serves a functional purpose second to no other higher education institution. The poetic mission statement of Cooper Union, “For the Advancement of Art and Science,” is on full display with this structure. Art studios are on the same levels as engineering research labs, which encourage students to bounce ideas of each other. This inspires creativity whether it be inventing a new energy source or creating an artwork that will catch the attention of the world to promote this new energy source. Speaking of energy, the building has been awarded LEED Platinum status making it the most eco-friendly building in New York.



Innovations and artworks, which are based on strong poetic concepts, are the truly valuable projects.

Diddleyin' and Dealin'

Bo Diddley, the stage name of Ellas Otha Bates was known as "the originator." His influences on rock n' roll are evident through bands and musicians such as: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, Buddy Holly, and Jimi Hendrix. Diddley is best known for his transitions from blues to rock n' roll. Mickey Hart, one of the two drummers for the Grateful Dead said on June 2nd, 2008, to NME.com the day of Diddley's death, "that the defining 'Bo Diddley-beat' was the bedrock for thousands of bands including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, and countless others. His slashing rhythm guitar brought the most powerful rhythms from west Africa into rock 'n roll," said Hart. Hart also that "when I was 14 years old I happened to wander into a club and have the opportunity to play my first public performance with the master. It seems his drummer was late and asked if there was drummer in the house. That moment will always be with me."

Tom Petty is a great fan of Bo Diddley and his musical talents. Tom Petty answered questions in 1997 on-line from fans. One of the questions was: 'You've played with a lot of legendary rockers. Any others you would like to play with?" Tom Petty immediately answered, "Bo Diddley". At the 1997 Fillmore shows, the band often played the Bo Diddley song "Diddy Wah Diddy". When introducing the song, Tom Petty said:

"There is no one we admire in the whole world more than Mr. Bo Diddley. If Bo Diddley was English, I think he should be knighted. Actually, this country should build a monument in every State to Bo Diddley. Elvis is King, But Diddley is Daddy."

Tom Petty received his wish when Bo Diddley opened for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and joined them on-stage in April of 1999.




(Bo Diddley feature in the "Bo Knows" Nike commercials.



Tom Petty and The Heartbrakers featuring Bo Diddley in the song "Mona" in 1999.


Bo Diddley performing "Bo Diddley"

Poetry That's Got the Blues

Beginning in the 1920s, poetry began to expand from free verse and rhyming to certain types of poetry. A huge emergence of poetry came from the Motown movement and from Detroit: the Blues became not just a genre of music, but a type of poetry as well.

Stemming from the African American oral tradition as well as the musical tradition of the blues, blues poetry takes on themes such as struggle, despair, hard times, and sex. A blues poem often follows a specific form in which a general statement is made in the first line, a variation to that statement is made in the second line, and an ironic twist is made in the third line.

Many of those poets that wrote blues poetry also dabbled in the likes of jazz poetry. Jazz poetry, like blues poetry, was born in the 1920s. However, at the same time jazz was gaining popularity in the US, poetry was once again becoming relevant, especially in African American communities. As both art forms rose in prominence, some artists decided to combine the two styles to create one masterful style. Jazz poetry was born in the 1920s and was maintained in the 1950s by poets from the Beat generation. Some even say today's hip-hop music contains elements of jazz poetry.

Good Friends Miles Davis and Quincy Troupe Jr.

During the 60s, poets such as Amiri Baraka and Quincy Troupe Jr. brought the ideas of blues and jazz poetry back to life. Baracka used jazz poetry as a prime example of black pride during the Black Arts movement, while Troupe worked with famous jazz and blues musician Miles Davis to create some of the finest pieces of blues poetry ever created. Below is one of the greatest blues poems ever written ("The Weary Blues") by one of the greatest poets who ever lived, Langston Hughes. After reading it one can just feel how sad Hughes must have felt when writing this poem. The flow of this poem almost seems like the words can be attached to some kind of music. (Note: the numbers are not actually part of the poem)

"The Weary Blues"

               Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,

2             Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon,

3              I heard a Negro play.

4          Down on Lenox Avenue the other night

5          By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light

6              He did a lazy sway ....

7              He did a lazy sway ....

8          To the tune o' those Weary Blues.

9          With his ebony hands on each ivory key

10        He made that poor piano moan with melody.

11            O Blues!

12        Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool

13        He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.

14            Sweet Blues!

15        Coming from a black man's soul.

16            O Blues!

17        In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone

18        I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan--

19            "Ain't got nobody in all this world,

20            Ain't got nobody but ma self.

21             I's gwine to quit ma frownin'

22             And put ma troubles on the shelf."

23        Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.

24        He played a few chords then he sang some more--

25            "I got the Weary Blues

26            And I can't be satisfied.

27            Got the Weary Blues

28            And can't be satisfied--

29            I ain't happy no mo'

30            And I wish that I had died."

31        And far into the night he crooned that tune.

32        The stars went out and so did the moon.

33        The singer stopped playing and went to bed

34        While the Weary Blues echoed through his head.

35        He slept like a rock or a man that's dead

-Langston Hughes (1923)

To me, the biggest part of the Black Arts movement is not the fact that African Americans were trying to show how much black culture meant, but the means on how they attempted to do this, and writing blues poetry was definitely a key contributor to this. By writing blues poetry, black poets and musicians alike were able to successfully depict how rough it was for African Americans to live during a time when they received little to no respect, especially for their contributions to art. Below is a video of one of the greatest blues guitarist to ever live, B.B. King. One can just tell how much emotion is put into his play, and how much the music means to him.





Sources:
Blues Poetry
Poetry and the Blues
Poetry and All That Jazz

Something In The Way Of Things (in Town)

Amiri Baraka, formerly known as LeRoi Jones has been involved in the African American art movement for decades. His reach from the beat generation, to the rap music today has impacted all aspects of the Black Arts Movement. The Roots, an African American jazz, hip hop band collaborated with Baraka in playing music to his poem, "Something in the Way of Things (in Town)." The music adds a whole new aspect to the poem. The drum beat accompanying music adds a dimension to the poem, and 'spaces' the poem out. Yet, the music does not take away from Baraka's voice, which is very powerful. The poem itself, I believe is about how the reader is someone special. The reader can "see something in the way of ourselves" and "know things you know and nothing you don't know 'cept I saw something in the way of things." The reader also realizes there is something going on. Throughout the poem the title emerges, something in the way of things. By studying the history of Baraka's time the things he is talking about in this poem are directly related to Baraka's involvement in the African American movements during and through the 1960s, "There's garbage on the street that's tellin' you you ain't shit
And you almost believe it Broke and mistaken all the time."

!Yo mama's so fat that when we went out to the restaurant she looked at the menu and said sounds good!" -The Roots of the Dozens

A young Amiri Baraka

Although very well known for his poetry, Amiri Baraka is even more well known by his style and the way he learned how to write poetry. Baraka, one of the most influential poets during the 1970s Black Arts Movement, studied a lot of poetry growing up, but what influenced him the most on his work was living everyday life in Greenwich Village, and conversing with other African Americans. On the streets, Baraka and his boys would "play the dozens," which is when two people would square off against each other and try to insult the other person more. This is where rap all began.


The word "dozens" or "playing the dozens" is said to have its origins in the time of slavery, when slaves who were deformed, too old or out of thier prime would be devalued on the auction block. It is also said to have rooted from black slaves who got engaged in verbal bashings with their owners during the time.

As the years went by, "playing the dozens" became an integral part of African American culture, and eventually made its way into the public eye. The dozens were not just a battle of lyrics, but a battle of self-control, extreme verbal ability, and a whit that somehow combines intellect with anger and mental toughness. The aspect of "battling" was really where the origins of hip hop began, when one person squared off against another. Winning the battle would most likely result in respect increase, while losing might mean humiliation. As rap started to burst onto the scene, it was for things like playing the dozens that made rap so popular. The ability to come up with insane lyrics that also insult the other opponent drew people in, and that's most likely Amiri Baraka's style and the genre of hip hop appeal to so many people.

This is from the movie "8 Mile," an example of how playing the dozens has evolved into rap and how much it appeals to people. It's got a lot of bad words, but damn is it amazing.

B Rabbit VS Papa Doc - The most amazing home videos are here

Sources:
historycooperative.org
Louisiana's living traditions
Baraka's Biography

A Brief Study on the African-American Dilemma

The journey of the African-American in the United States has not been a walk in the park. From bondage and slavery to the presidency, the so-called "Colored" folk of this country have seen it all. Through the years, several important events have taken place, radically changing the direction of the minority group, resulting in a successful rebirth and revitalization in the mid-20th century. Although emancipation came in 1863, blacks would not experience full freedom until the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

Throughout the 1940's and 50's, many African-Americans believed it better to take their safety into their own hands and formed the Black Panther Party for Self Defence. This revolutionary organization was active through the 60's and promoted equality and fair treatment for all minorities. The Nation of Islam is a religious organization founded by W.F. Muhammad in July 1930. He set out with the goal of resurrecting the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of the African American men and women of America. The Nation of Islam teaches that Black People were the original humans. Former Nation Leader Elijah Muhammad explains:

"The Blackman is the original man. From him came all brown, yellow, red, and white people. By using a special method of birth control law, the Blackman was able to produce the white race. This method of birth control was developed by a Black scientist known as Yakub, who envisioned making and teaching a nation of people who would be diametrically opposed to the Original People. A Race of people who would one day rule the original people and the earth for a period of 6,000 years"

Malcolm X, an important figure in the Nation of Islam, claims that the culture of the African-American people was destroyed by slavery. He explains that ever since the time of slavery, White men had imposed their laws, culture, and names upon the slaves, completely erasing any previous identities. He elaborates on his religious views as well that the Nation of Islam, and the African-American race in general, will "qualify for recognition, as human beings, by all other...human beings on this Earth".

Amiri Baraka wrote a poem titled "Notes for a Speech", which evokes similar feelings to the words of Malcolm X.

Notes For a Speech

African blues
does not know me. Their steps, in sands
of their own
land. A country
in black & white, newspapers
blown down pavements
of the world. Does
not feel
what I am.

Strength

in the dream, an oblique
suckling of nerve, the wind
throws up sand, eyes
are something locked in
hate, of hate, of hate, to
walk abroad, they conduct
their deaths apart
from my own. Those
heads, I call
my "people."

(And who are they. People. To concern

myself, ugly man. Who
you, to concern
the white flat stomachs
of maidens, inside houses
dying. Black. Peeled moon
light on my fingers
move under
her clothes. Where
is her husband. Black
words throw up sand
to eyes, fingers of
their private dead. Whose
soul, eyes, in sand. My color
is not theirs. Lighter, white man
talk. They shy away. My own
dead souls, my, so called
people. Africa
is a foreign place. You are
as any other sad man here
american.

Here, Baraka talks about how he is stripped of his true African identity, as "Africa is a foreign place".

Poetry and the Progress of Man

Is technological progress truly beneficial for the strength and sanity of the human race? Many poets, writers, and philosophers have grappled with the same question. The recent surge in mobile communication devices has changed how people observe and interact with the world. The Internet has revolutionized everything from the global economy, to our personal social life. Have we lost something? Can we continue to exist on such an artificial level? Throughout this article I will put these questions in perspective with poetic writing from two outstanding poets of the 20th century.


After reading an insightful essay by C.S. Lewis called “The Abolition of Man,” I understood the full depth of Amiri Baraka’s poem “In Memory of Radio.”

C.S. Lewis argues that that technological advances negatively influence the human race in terms of its “Power” and spirituality. To read the entire essay one must forgive his use of the word “Man” or “he” because he means humankind with these sexist terms. He uses three technological advances to illustrate his point, “the aeroplane, the wireless, and the contraceptive.” By wireless he means radio and not a cell phone. He writes that,

“Any or all of the three things I have mentioned can be withheld from some men by other men—by those who sell, or those who allow the sale, or those who own the sources of production, or those who make the goods. What we call Man's power is, in reality, a power possessed by some men which they may, or may not, allow other men to profit by. Again, as regards the powers manifested in the aeroplane or the wireless, Man is as much the patient or subject as the possessor, since he is the target both for bombs and for propaganda.”

Later he defends himself against the criticism that he is anti-science.

Nothing I can say will prevent some people from describing this lecture as an attack on science. I deny the charge, of course: and real Natural Philosophers (there are some now alive) will perceive that in defending value I defend the value of knowledge… I even suggest that from Science herself the cure might come.

To interpret the full meaning of what C.S. Lewis means one must think outside the box. He defends the value of knowledge, for example, understanding how a radio works has true value. To use the radio and take its function for granted without knowing how it works, the listener gives up their power to the few people who do understand how the radio works.

As Amiri Baraka mourns the fading appeal of radio, C.S. Lewis mourns the use of Science and technology to rob us from our natural Power to understand the world around us.