Spirituality in Howl by Allen Ginsberg Essays -- Papers Poem Poetry

Spirituality in Howl by Allen Ginsberg Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" is a complex and intriguing poem about the divine in the common world. The minor themes of drugs and sexuality work together to illuminate the major theme of spirituality. The poem reveals through a multitude of sharp images and phrases that everything from drug use to homosexuality to mental illness is holy, even in a world of atom bombs and materialistic America, which Ginsberg considers not to be holy and he refers to as Moloch. As it is stated in Ginsberg's "Footnote To Howl," "The world is holy! The soul is holy! The skin is holy! The nose is/ holy! The tongue and cock and hand and *censored* holy! / Everything is Holy! Everybody's holy! Everywhere is holy!" (3-5). Sexuality is a theme that runs throughout the entire poem. It is not an uptight sexuality of the 1950's culture but a liberated one. And this sexual imagery, that mostly takes place in the first part of the poem, constantly refers to spirituality and the divine. The poem reads, "who let themselves be *censored*ed in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and/ screamed with joy, / who blew and were blown by those human seraphim, the sailors," (91-93). These two images contrast the common view of homosexuality in the 1950's. The sailors are "seraphim", and the motorcyclists are "saintly". They are not corrupt as the common view might see it. The combination of these images helps to uncover the true theme of the piece. The things that most people of the time would consider to be depraved, such as homosexuality, are actually divine. Images of drug-use are other tools that are used in this poem to help illuminate the major theme. Once again, even though the drug -users " †¦ate fire in paint... ... machinery! Moloch whose blood is running money! Moloch whose fingers are ten armies! Moloch whose breast is a cannibal dynamo! Moloch whose ear is a smoking tomb! Moloch whose love is endless oil and stone! Moloch whose soul is electricity and banks! Moloch whose poverty is the specter of genius! Moloch whose fate is a cloud of sexless hydrogen! Moloch whose name is the mind! (262-73) Even with all this negativity in the poem, the major theme of spirituality remains. The poem "Footnote To Howl" sums up the theme of spirituality in "Howl". It reads, "The bum's as holy as the seraphim! the madman is as holy as you my/ soul are holy!" (7-8). Spirituality and the divine run through "Howl" like veins. They carry the theme throughout the piece and deliver it to the reader. Works Cited Ginsberg, Allen. Howl and other Poems City Lights Books San Francisco 1956

Hawk Roosting Critical Essay

Hawk Roosting: Critical Essay Kieran Mooney Task: Choose a poem which is a specific poetic form. Show how the particular form helped your appreciation of the ideas and/or feelings which the poem explores. In your answer you must refer closely to the text and at least two of; form, theme, imagery, or any other appropriate features. â€Å"Hawk Roosting† is a poem by Ted Hughes. The poem helps the reader appreciate the ideas and feelings which are explored throughout the poem. This is skilfully done through form, imagery and word choice over the course of the poem. The poem is about a hawk resting high up in a tree. Through a monologue, the poem reveals the hawk to be a steady-minded, rational and believable character. In the first stanza, the poet begins to hint to the reader what sort of personality the hawk has. He does this in the first line if the poem: â€Å"I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed† This suggests to the reader that the hawk has no fear. This is shown by the words ‘eyes closed’. The word ‘top’ signifies that the hawk is the top in the forest and that he rules the forest, and that there is nobody above, or more powerful than him. The hawk is again referred to being powerful in the line: â€Å"Between my hooked head and hooked feet† In this line the alliteration of ‘h’ together with the assonance in ‘oo’ makes the reader drag out the word ‘hooked’, which emphasises the word and the hard harsh sound contained in it. This portrays a dangerous and rugged view of the hawk. Stanza two shows the reader that the hawk believes the elements that are there are ‘of advantage’ to him: The air’s buoyance and the sun’s ray, Are of advantage to me† This shows the hawk feels everything is there to assist him, and that he is the reason all the elements exist. The poet uses personification to describe the ‘air’ and the ‘sun’, this tells the reader the hawk feels they are on his side and he rules them, like a general inspecting his troops. This idea is continued in stanza three with: â€Å"And the earth’s face upwards for my inspection† This again makes the reader aware of the hawk’s superiority and reminds them that the hawk is not going to give up his position without a fight. The hawk goes on to tell the reader: â€Å"It took the whole of Creation to produce my foot, my each feather. Now I hold creation in my foot† This shows the hawk is a well-designed creature, and is perfectly adapted for living in the woods. The quote also shows the hawk to be arrogant and obnoxious, as he feels he is better that his Creator, God, as having exceeded him. In Stanza four the idea of superiority is shown present once again: â€Å"I kill where I please because it is all mine† This clearly states where the hawk believes he stands, and shows that he has no remorse for any of the other creatures. The idea that the hawk is a ruthless killer, and he kills his prey without a second thought, culpability or being beleaguered by his integrity. The hawk again shows his power: â€Å"There is no sophistry in my body. My manners are tearing off heads† This show to the reader that the hawk to be lethal and vicious. It also shows that because he is on top, the hawk does not need to be polite, respectful or sophisticated, and that he feels no empathy for their pain or suffering, and has no regard to killing them. This further shows his merciless nature. The fifth stanza is the hawk describing his home as ‘the allotment of death’. This shows the reader the hawk has total power and control over everything and reinforces the fact that he feels he can kill what and where he likes without any consideration. It also tells us: â€Å"For the one path of m flight is direct, through the bones of the living† This gives the reader an extremely gruesome and graphic image of the hawk killing its prey, and shows us the reality of his predator behaviour. It also links back to ‘no sophistry’ and ‘tearing off head’ to strengthen the fact that he is a powerful cold blooded killer. We are told: â€Å"No arguments assert my right† This demonstrates that the hawk is indeed the top predator in the forest and that nobody dares to challenge him for his position. In the final stanza, stanza six, we are given a haughty, self-flattering closing statement from the hawk: â€Å"Nothing has changed since I began. My eye has permitted no change. I am going to keep thing like this† This shows us the hawk is well aware of the effect he has on the environment and is instinctive in his actions. He is content with the way things have turned out and are not going to let them change easily, especially as the odds are in his favour. he is going to try keep things running his way as changing things would upset the natural rhythm of life. In conclusion, â€Å"Hawk Roosting† is a poem which helps the reader appreciate the ideas and feelings which are explored throughout the poem, through the poets use of imagery and word choice throughout the poem. [900 words]

Cinematography And Music Kill Bill - 1074 Words

Cinematography and Music Kill Bill: Vol 1. (2003) is a film directed by, the famous, Quentin Tarantino. From start to finish, it is packed with action and excitement. This movie has a plethora of interesting elements. Yet the cinematography of Kill Boll: Vol 1. is one that makes history. Not only does it have camera angles unlike any others shown in a normal film, but it keeps the audiences’ attention. The unique choice of music adds originality to the film. For a movie with such a serious storyline, the music involved is quite quirky. Some would even say childish. Anyone who has seen a movie directed by Quentin Tarantino before will understand that adjustments like this are a reflection of his style. All of his work reveals that. A. O. Scott from The New York Times wrote a review of Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Titling this review as â€Å"Blood Bath Beyond†. This title is not only accurate but it fits the theme of the movie by adding humor to an extremely tense situation. The film focuses on the Bride (Uma Thurman) as she starts marking people off of her â€Å"Kill List†. While the movie is not in chronological order, it is clear who she is killing, and especially who she is saving for last. The last scene is the unnamed main character creating this list, but this is actually the first thing she does, prior to killing anyone. The opening scene is the Bride being brutally beaten and is displayed in black and white. It is quickly revealed that she is bearing a child and after the harm sheShow MoreRelatedBeauty And The Beast Analysis880 Words   |  4 PagesAshton Willis Mrs. Heaton Film Studies September 15, 2017 Beauty and the Beast Critical Review â€Å"A tale as old as time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A story that everyone knows and loves, Beauty and the Beast (2017) takes a modern turn on an old tale. Director Bill Condon beautifully portrays a monstrous beast falling in love with a local intelligent woman. 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