Minimalism at its Roots

You may not see it now, but E.E. Cummings could quite possibly be thought of as the father of Minimalism. No matter what form of art it may be, the minimalist style, which flourished in American art in the late 1960's and early 1970's, was E.E. Cummings' brainchild, and his greatest achievement.

Minimalism describes movements where various forms of art are stripped down to their fundamental elements. Whether it be in the form of visual, painted art, music, or literature, minimalism has always attracted me in a way.

I strongly believe that E.E. Cummings was responsible for breaching the barrier to modern and contemporary poetry. With his high-brow subject matter and other extremely interesting ventures, he might have been the one to actually usher in the age of experimentation in the American arts. He even reduced his own name to lowercase, and often signed "e.e. cummings".

Let's take the above painting for example... E.E. Cumming's "Mt. Chocorua"

What do you see? Although extremely abstract, Cummings is still able to isolate the few fundamental aspects of what he sees, shape, color, and texture, and make a beautiful minimalist painting.

Using this style, Cummings and scores of other artists throughout the 20th century have been redefining the arts completely. One interesting artist directly influenced by Cumming's work was the Canadian poet bpNichol (Barrie Phillip Nichol), who, similarly, was a jack of all trades and dabbled in a variety of different mediums.

Moving along with our minimalism theme, bpNichol was fascinated by the name of a Japanese film director, Kon Ichikawa, and decided to make a musical poem of it, simply by breaking the name apart and using its naturally occurring rhythm. He does this again for Gertrude Stein, although I don't see how it relates to Gertrude Stein at all.

For me, Minimalism always seems make the most sense. It just seems right to think about small things before thinking about big ones. People who think of E.E. Cummings as one of their main influences are most definitely looking towards a minimalist background, because it is a tried and true mindset. Stripping any art form down to its component parts yields endless possibilities, and that's what poetry is all about...isn't it?

Endless possibilities...

Growing My Shoulders To Fit Chicago's

People have very opinionated views when it comes to Chicago. Some say the city is too cold and remote, while others say it is teaming with life and opportunity. As a college bound senior Chicago is important to me because it is home to the School of the Arts Institute of Chicago, known as (SAIC). Even though SAIC is recognized as one of the most influential art schools in the world, I found myself too intimidated by the tough reputation of Chicago to even think of applying there.

Last week, two major events changed that.

First, when I read Carl Sandburg's famous poem “Chicago” I found that the roughness came with an important appeal. Just as Sandburg wrote, “They tell me you are wicked and I believe them,” I also believed that Chicago is a wicked city. As the close of the poem nears, the redeeming factors of Chicago's wickedness are revealed.

Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse.
and under his ribs the heart of the people,
Laughing!
Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of
Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud to be Hog
Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with
Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation.

Chicago is the heart of of American values. Since I am also a proud American, this poem struck a chord in me that made me start to think about Chicago in a more positive light.

Only two days after reading and discussing “Chicago,” Wyoming Seminary received a surprise visit from none other than an admissions representative from SAIC. He gave the most impressive presentation for a college I have ever seen. Not because he was very talented but because he had an infinite amount of amazing features to reveal about both SAIC and Chicago itself. Some of the most fascinating points he talked about were that SAIC is a museum school with the second largest Art museum in the US. Only the metropolitan museum of art tops it. SAIC has some of the most notable Alumni of any school I have seen. To name only a few Walt Disney, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Orson Welles all graduated from SAIC.

The representative was so impressed with my portfolio that he pre-accepted it for admission. He also assured me that I can get a hefty scholarship with a portfolio as strong as mine. The School of the Arts Institute of Chicago is now my first choice. This year I must work hard to grow my shoulders to fit in the “City of the Big Shoulders.”

Here is an interesting project by one on the students.


Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://carl-sandburg.com/chicago.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1VB1vA-UsI

The Interesting Tale of Dorothy Parker

 Out of all the poets we have studied thus far in class, Dorothy Parker has been by far the most interesting. A famous American poet, journalist, and screen writer, Parker seemed to have so many things going for her, considering her formal education ceased at age 14. However, in reality, Dorothy had a ton of problems. Along with a chronic abuse of alcohol, Dorothy went through long periods of depression, and even attempted suicide a couple times. Yet, somehow, with all the problems she had, there was still enough life in her to persist through the problems and live another day. She eventually lived a very successful life, and actually lived to be 73 years old. Dorothy lived by the motto "life is what you make it," and she certainly did all she could in her 73 years that seems humanly possible: an activist for civil rights, a huge feminist, and a woman that simply loved to have fun. The story of Dorothy Parker is one that every American should know. Living life on the edge and having a free spirit never seemed to slow Dorothy down, even in her darkest hours. Her poetry is so exquisite because of her exquisite personality. Below is one of Dorothy's most amazing poems virtually recited by Parker: "One Perfect Rose." It's quite moving, and after looking and researching her different poems, I think this one really shows how amazing of a poet she was.

The Knights of the Algonquin Round Table

This past week we studied Dorothy Parker, besides being a great poet, writer, and movie screenwriter Parker was a member of the Algonquin Round Table. The group of intellectuals besides discussing literature and news of the time would play poker, charades, and the "I can give you a sentence" game. The latter game actually was the cause of Dorothy Parker's famous sentence, "You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think." Members of the Round Table included, Franklin Pierce Adams, Robert Benchley, Alexander Woolcott, and Robert Sherwood to name a few. A full list of the members can be found here. The Round Table had its doubters however, and since many of the members were famous and involved in media, the group was not very private in their actions. Even Dorothy Parker criticized the group,

"These were no giants. Think who was writing in those days—Laudner, Fitzgerald, Faulkener and Hemingway. Those were the real giants. The Round Table was just a lot of people telling jokes and telling each other how good they were. Just a bunch of loudmouths showing off, saving their gags for days, waiting for a chance to spring them....There was no truth in anything they said. It was the terrible day of the wisecrack, so there didn't have to be any truth..."

Inspiration by Images

Today in poetry class, we did the most fun thing we've ever done. It was called Inspiration by Images, in which we would go on to this website, find an image that we liked, and proceed to write a poem about the picture. It could be about anything that was describing the image, anything that came to your mind. It could be a narrative poem, dramatic monologue, anything that went with the photo. I extremely enjoyed this exercise, as it allowed me to be creative and yet have boundaries on my work. I strongly suggest this activity to anyone who likes to be have fun with poetry, as I certainly did today in class! Here is my favorite PicLit I did this afternoon!

Pic Lits Picture-Above Death

See the full PicLit at PicLits.com

Violins, Poems, and Natural Disasters

As I was listening to a violin solo this evening, my mind's eye kept seeing images of absolutely immense quantities of water, breaking on the shore. Seeing as I had to do my blog post, I thought that it would be great to use this imagery as a starting point.

When I began reading Frost's "The Flood" (Click here to read it) , I was expecting a very straightforward and natural piece of work. Little did I know that I was actually reading a critique on the American government's ability to handle natural disasters responsibly. The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 is considered to be the most costly and devastating flood in U.S. history, breaching levees at 145 different locations. At it's worst, the Mississippi River was over 60 miles wide. Then Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover, was placed in charge of relief efforts, and received considerable flack due to the mistreatment of and horrible conditions for African Americans in refugee camps. Frost's commentary is actually regarding the mismanagement and lack of control by the U.S. government during the rescue and restoration process following the flood. This has happened time and time again, and for some reason, no one is ever able to be completely honest when it comes to the clean up. Similarly, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was not without its dramas and issues of police recklessness either, and this is what Frost is trying to call the audience's attention to.

Although it may be reading into the poem a little hard, it is still one valid interpretation of an amazing piece of work...and I look forward to hearing others' ideas.

Make all Writing Poetic

The name of this class we are taking is "Contemporary American Poetry."
As students we should live up to this name by writing an original poem on our blog each week. As group members we can comment on these poems with positive criticism.

Now here is my poem of the week.

Zen, And the Art Of Longboarding

Since I can remember,
I have wanted to be able to fly.
Every night my dreams take me on a flight through the universe.
When I wake up,
the reality of gravity always brings me down.

Three years ago,
I found a way fly in my waking life.

I fly on my longboard.

When I step onto its Arched bamboo body,
My weight is in equilibrium between gravity,
and the flexibility of the longboard.
This flexibility provides an illusion of levitation that I crave.

All I need now is Smooth pavement,
With a varied incline.
Once the board and I hit a smooth road,
Together we become a Frictionless,
fearless,
ferocious force

No place provides such ideal conditions for longboarding as Central Park.
Its wide roads with immaculate tarmac,
Its winding pathways through serene gardens,
Which slope up and down making perfect flight paths.
Central park is already a magical place,
Central Park plus a loaded longboard equals a transcendental experience.

Whenever I get the chance,
I travel to New York City,
and forget about the public transportation.
Instead I longboard everywhere,
And plan my route around a scenic ride through Central Park.

Now that you understand how much I enjoy longboarding, I will describe to you the experience of scooting through central park.






I jump onto the board after it slaps the tarmac,
Instantly, gravity accelerates me into a new state of mind

The sharp carves I make feel like the beating of my wings.
Crowds are my turbulence, which I weave through.
As I zip by,
Their pointing and staring only take me higher.

I reach climax of my flight as I hug a turn at almost 40 mph,
judging by the cars that I am overtaking

The decent of my flight comes with a climbing hill.
As I slow down,
The whistling of the wind fades away into the bustling sounds of new york city.

Once again the struggle against gravity starts.
I kick, kick, kick up the hill till I reach the top.

Even though the push uphill is many times longer than the downhill ride,
Once I start down the
blur,
wind,
and the rumble of speed,
slows down my perception so that the quick drop feels longer than the push uphill.


Through longboarding,
my lifetime dream of flying has been met.
Although it is on of the most dangerous sports,
Longboarding will always be a thrill of mine.

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This past week we studied American poets, Walt Whitman, and Robert Frost. Whitman, a patriotic man who was an anti slavery advocate during the 1860’s, wrote poems about the Civil War. One of these poems, ‘Beat! Beat! Drums!’ is about the outbreak of war in the United States. Whitman was personally attached to the war, his brother fought in it and was thought of to be killed in battle, however, Whitman searched through hospitals and military bases to find his missing brother, which he did. Whitman makes the war seem like it is at the reader’s doorstep during ‘Beat! Beat! Drums!’ He begins the stanza’s with ‘Beat! beat! drums! blow! bugles! blow! reminding the reader of the army marching through their towns. This poem was written as a rallying cry for the Union Army during the beginning of the Civil War. Whitman was uniquely American because of expertise in this nation. He traveled throughout the nation, and during the Civil War experienced horrific scenes such as military hospitals. At these military hospitals, Whitman in search of his brother, saw piles of amputated limbs, sick soldiers in their last moments, and masses of the dead. Whitman was greatly effected by all of these sites and left the war as soon as he found his brother.

First Blog Post, What I've Learned

Studying Browning and Tennyson this past week has proven to me that poetry can be about anything. Poetry can be about love, hate, adventure, beauty; poetry can be anything. The first concept we studied in the past two weeks, is that poetry has ‘no rules.’ Browning and Tennyson bring to their work their own assets that make poetry fit for them. The Iambic Pentameter in Browning’s How They Brought the Good News From Ghent to Aix makes the action in the poem seem more alive. As the reader, I felt that I was travelling with the men and their horses; it gives the reader a feeling of how fast the men were really travelling.

Poetry is gr8

The thing that I have learned the most these past two weeks in poetry class is how much I actually like poetry. In the past, I always thought poetry “wasn’t cool” and was pretty girly. But now that I am studying it, I can see how truly amazing and fun it can be. The poem Mrs. Lewis gave me, “Why?” by James Stevenson, really opened my eyes. It showed me that even with only a few words, any message can be delivered in poetry. Once I started writing my own poetry, I decided to stick to a style, and now that I’ve written several different poems, I love it! Studying the poets like Tennyson and Browning have also inspired me to write more poetry. Poetry class really gives me the whole experience: learning about the great poets of the past while also getting a chance to express myself really makes poetry class my favorite of the day!

The First Written Poetry, Why Is It Still Well Known?

Before delving deep into contemporary poetry one must first look at the oldest poetry. Some of the most beautiful, absurd, and wise poetry has lasted for over 4000 years. My two examples are the Song of Solomon from the Old Testament, and The Ramayana, which is a sacred poem based on several Hindu legends. Before they were written, the stories were spread only by word of mouth. When the poems were exclusively orated, they evolved rapidly. Once written the ancient poems are now the basic reference point for all poetry to this day. Ill start with a famous quote.
Song of Solomon, 2. 10
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

This is a simple and pleasing excerpt but other parts of the Song Of Solomon are a blatantly sexual duologue. For Example...

Beloved

12 While the king was at his table,
my perfume spread its fragrance.

13 My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.

14 My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.

Lover

15 How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.

Beloved

16 How handsome you are, my lover!
Oh, how charming!
And our bed is verdant.

These excerpts from the Song Of Solomon are not as different from modern poetry as one would expect from 3000 year old poetry. Even though the Ramayana is an ancient Hindu epic, with hundreds of distracting names, the translated words still have a spiritual feeling,

“Hearing those words of his, the exceedingly energetic Kumbhayoni spoke as follows,

"Having regard to his (God's) energy and might,

I shall relate unto thee the history of his race,

In the light of which thou wilt perceive why Ravana's son had been capable of slaying his enemies,

But could not himself be slain by them. I shall, O Raghava.”

These ancient poems show us that three certain themes, Love, Spirituality, And Sex still are prevalent in poetry today. Poetry has been circling around similar themes for Millennia with only a few exceptions to the rule. As students of a contemporary poetry class it is OUR job to write truly original poetry. The main objective in my poetry is to make it 100% free from plagiarism. Plagiarism of even a concept for a poem is disgraceful. To break free from the norm is what is valued most in our contemporary world. To speak poetry is the application of the art. To write poetry is merely drawing a blueprint for the real artwork. To read poetry is to learn how a truly original artist (poet) creates the blueprint.

Turning the same themes of life into something original is what makes a poem last forever.

The Somethings. YEAH!

The Somethings... A few guys who couldn’t think of a name for their high school poetry blog. The name of the group seems fitting to me, considering how lost and unsure I usually feel when it comes to literature. In all reality, I couldn’t have seen myself taking this class three years ago, but now I understand that poetry can be whatever you want it to be. Having read work by Tennyson and Browning this week, I came to realize that...poetry is just...great. That’s all I really have to say. Tune in next time, for more pointless insight into the world of poetry.

Here’s a recitation of Tennyson’s poem, Crossing the Bar...

poem, Crossing the Bar... I think its well rea

The Somethings are The Best Group

The Somethings!!