Music V. Poetry (PUB 5)

 

Many musical artists present their song lyrics as poetry. This reflects a desire for the words they write to be taken seriously. Poetry and music are similar in a variety of different ways. The poem “Growing Up” by Kathy Murphy and “Don’t Quit” by John Greenleaf Whittier both draw parallels to the song “Mockingbird” by Eminem. Both poems, along with the song, share common tones throughout the piece.

In the poem “Growing Up”, Kathy Murphy describes her rough childhood. She grew up with eight other siblings with only her mother, which was extremely hard for both the kids and the mother. Kathy says in the opening stanza, “Life was hard when I was young. A dad was just something other kids had. It was a struggle for a mom with nine kids. Some days were happy and some days were sad” (Kathy Murphy 1-4). The tone of this heartbreaking piece is depressing. Kathy explains, “My brother worked on a garbage truck and brought us home clothing and such. And I wore those clothes to school wondering from day to day if any of the kids would recognize the clothes they had thrown away” (Kathy Murphy 7-12). The theme presented is to always be thankful for what you have. Throughout this hardship, Kathy still has hope and is still content. She says, “We made do with what there was. Mom would get a loaf of bread and make us a sandwich for our meal. At least we all were fed” (Kathy Murphy 25-28). Kathy and her family struggled with paying the electricity bill and had running water only half of the time. Today, Kathy and her siblings now all have homes and their own families to feed.

In the poem “Don’t Quit”, John Greenleaf Whittier promotes motivation through hard times. The tone represented throughout the poem is inspirational. This poem attracts an audience of people who have lost hope and are struggling through life. John says, “When the funds are low and the debts are high and you want to smile, but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must, but don't you quit” (Whittier 3-6). The theme Whittier is trying to get across, is to live your life to the fullest and don’t quit. No matter what obstacle gets in the way, you have to fight through it. He ends the poem by saying, “So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—It's when things seem worst that you must not quit” (Whittier 17-18).

After watching Anthology Traces Rap's Lyrical Journey, Poetic Roots, it was eye opening to see how similar poetry is to music. If you took a poem and put it side by side next to song lyrics, it would look almost exactly the same. The tones within the 2 poems directly correlate with the tone in the song “Mockingbird” by Eminem. “Mockingbird” is said to speak about Eminem’s two daughters Hailie and Alaina Mathers, and the extremely tough times the family undergoes. Eminem had a rough upbringing as a child and unfortunately, the same habit continued to his family as well. The tone throughout the song is depressing and somewhat remorseful. Eminem is essentially speaking to his daughter, and giving her an explanation as to why he has not always been able to be there for her and provide for her the love and nurturing that a daughter deserves. Similar to “Growing Up”, Eminem and his family lacked money and food, but still had hope. Eminem’s touching lyrics help to understand exactly what him and his family went through. The song opens up with, “Hailie I know you miss your mom, and I know you miss your dad when im gone, but I’m trying to give you the life that I never had” (Eminem Verse 1). Eminem does anything in his power to succeed and give “the life that he never had” to his daughters. Another depressing verse is when Eminem says, “I remember back one year when Daddy had no money, Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up and stuck 'em under the tree and said some of 'em were from me, 'cause Daddy couldn't buy 'em, I'll never forget that Christmas, I sat up the whole night cryin 'cause Daddy felt like a bum—see, Daddy had a job but his job was to keep the food on the table for you and Mom” (Eminem Verse 2).

“Mockingbird” by Eminem also compares to John Greenleaf Whittier’s “Don’t Quit”. “Don’t Quit” presents a depressing tone, but also provokes hope. Although “Mockingbird” is relatively a sad song, Eminem talks about the light at the end of the extremely dark tunnel. The hook of the song is, “Now hush, little baby, don't you cry everything's gonna be alright. Stiffen that upper lip up, little lady, I told ya Daddy's here to hold ya through the night. I know Mommy's not here right now, and we don't know why, we fear how we feel inside. It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby but I promise, Momma's gon' be alright” (Eminem Hook). Eminem was on tour most of the time trying to get a record deal to actually put his name on a CD. He regretted not being home to support his two lonely daughters, but it eventually paid off. He constantly reminds his daughters to stay strong by saying, “No more crying, wipe them tears, Daddy’s here no more nightmares. We gon’ pull together through it, we gon’ do it, Lainie, Uncle’s crazy, ain’t he? Yeah, but he loves you, girl, and you better know it. We’re all we got in this world when it spins, when it swirls, when it whirls, when it twirls, two little beautiful girls” (Eminem Verse 2).

To say song lyrics are less literary than poems, or require less skill or intelligence, is absurd. Music artists are poets that express their lives through songs. “Growing Up” is told with a depressing tone, but hope is still present. “Don’t Quit” is also told with a depressing tone, motivating people to overcome the tragedies in their life. “Mockingbird” is a heartbreaking song, told with a depressing tone too. The same depressing tone is clearly evident throughout all three pieces and all tell an unimaginable story.

 

 



  

Moral Law V. Written Law (PUB 1)

In the play Antigone by Sophocles, the main theme presented is Written Law vs. Moral Law. Written Law are the rules within a region enforced by a more powerful figure which must be followed. If the

rules are notfollowed, punishment will most likely be ordered. In this instance, Creon, the King of Thebes, orders that no one will give Polyneices a proper burial or they will be sentenced to death.

Moral Law are the rules of behavior someone may follow out of the private conscience. Antigone wants to give her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial. She wants to do what is morally right and honor her brother’s life. A conflict arises within the play due to these two principles. After Eteocles and Polyneices kill each other in duel, Creon honors Eteocles’s life and gives him a proper burial. As for Polyneices, Creon orders that he be left in the street to rot due to Creon feeling disrespected by Polyneices’ behavior and actions. Creon says, “I here proclaim to the city that this man shall no one honor with a grave and none shall mourn. You shall leave him without burial; you shall watch him chewed up by birds and dogs and violated” (Creon, 222-225). The written law ordered by the King states that no one will touch this body; Antigone feels this is unfair and will risk everything to do what is morally right and give her brother a proper burial. Ismene, the sister of both Polyneices and Antigone, warns Antigone that she shouldn’t break the law by saying, “I will not put dishonor on them, but to act in 

defiance of the citizenry, my nature does not give me means for that” (Ismene, 90-92). Unlike Antigone, Ismene respects Creon and follows the written law presented by him. Antigone is a rebellious, passionate and loyal sister putting forth so much effort for her brother’s burial.

She is unfazed by what Creon has to say, and knows the consequences she will face if she follows through with her plan. Antigone says, “I shall be a criminal-but a religious one” (Antigone, 84-85). Creon is a

remorseless, stubborn man who is willing to kill his own niece, Antigone. Creon is driven by anger and will show no mercy against anyone. Despite following the written laws, Antigone is going to do what is morally right and give her brother the burial rites she thinks he deserves.

Written Law vs. Moral Law causes a big problem within the play Antigone by Sophocles. Creon disregarded the moral belief of others and it ended up costing him the lives of close relatives. Creon is new to the throneand doesn’t want people to think he is weak, so he is a one-sided ruler with rigid laws. Although Antigone went behind Creon’s back to bury her brother, she did was morally right and honored the life of a loved one, just as anyone would do.

"It's Just An Illusion" (PUB 2)

In a Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams says, “I couldn’t go on believing her story and live with Stanley” (Stella, 1232). Stella literally cannot believe Blanche, for it would destroy the “perfect” relationship her and Stanley have. Stella needs to snap back into reality and see what kind of relationship she’s really in. She doesn’t want to accept the fact that Stanley is a hostile man with an alcohol problem. He abuses pregnant Stella and rapes her sister. Stella is too blind to see what is really happening, because she is married. In the 1940’s, the main goal for women was to find a man to marry. Stella has to continue to live with Stanley because there was no other option. There was no such thing as divorce. People hate to face reality and want to go on living life ignoring every problem.

    Currently in the United States, we Americans suffer from extreme laziness. Technology is rapidly improving and it gives us the ability to do practically anything with the click of a button. This is a good thing right? No, this is awful. Practically everyone has a smart phone which allows us to do everyday activities without having to leave the house. Instead of going out into the fresh air, people can now achieve their daily activities right at their fingertips. How much binge watching have you done in the last month?  You make think it’s so easy to watch your favorite show with the click of a button, but its more harmful than you think. American Heart Association’s research suggests that the risk of premature death is doubled when you watch more than three hours of television in one day (Nelson 5).

    Technology and our laziness increase at a constant rate. As you look around your house you see multiple cell phones, computers, video game consoles, and televisions. Why go out when you can have just as much fun staying in the house? You can order food online and have them bring it right up to your doorstep. Consuming more calories than you burn results in weight gain which is bad for your physical health. Lack of exercise can actually be bad for you, increasing the risk of health problems as you age (Nelson 6).  In the United States, the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition found that only 5% of adults participate in at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day (Nelson 7).

    Stella’s illusion of her thinking Stanley is a great man, compares to society thinking technology is benefiting us, meanwhile it’s hurting us. Stella cannot face the fact that Stanley is abusive and hostile. Society cannot face that fact that technology is making us lazy. When we don’t want to face reality, we enter a fantasy world where everything is okay.

 

 

   

Works Cited

Michelle06, Experstcolumn. “Why Being Lazy Could be Bad For Your Health” Post last updated on 30-07-2016. Web 8 Mar 2018 http://michelle06.expertscolumn.com/article/why-being-lazy-could-be-bad-your-health

Self-Worth, Freedom and Egalitarianism (PUB 3)

In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King states, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” King stresses the importance of self-worth, freedom, and egalitarianism. Egalitarianism is the belief that no matter what skin color you are, how you dress, or how you act, everyone is equal. King explains that if anyone is preventing you from having the freedom you deserve, you fight back. Martin Luther King and many other civilians fought for their freedom during the Civil Rights Movement, which made a huge impact on society. Before the movement, African Americans were treated very unfairly. For example, in “A White Woman of Color”, Julia Alvarez says, “So, black was not so good, kinky hair was not so good, thick lips were not so good” (Alvarez 6).

    In the Dominican Republic, Julia Alvarez and her family experience disenfranchisement by Rafael Trujillo, who set out to preserve race purity. In “A White Woman of Color”, Alvarez says, “Trujillo ordered the overnight slaughter of thousands (figures range from 20,000 to 4,000) of Haitians by his military, who committed this atrocity using only machetes and knives in order to make this planned extermination look like a ‘spontaneous’ border skirmish” (Alvarez 6). Julia and her family prevented death and escaped to America where they faced racism. The opposite meaning of egalitarianism is marginalization, meaning a form of oppression that treats someone as if they aren’t worthy. In America during this time period, colored people had no rights and were treated very poorly. Julia and her family were lucky to be “white Dominicans”, but they still faced prejudice. Julia says, “We found that our accents, our habits and smells added ‘color’ to our complexions” (Alvarez 6). Julia’s youngest sister was the only one accepted in society due to her light skin complexion. Her eyes were brown and her hair was “an unaccountable towheaded blond”. Alvarez says, “Because of her coloring, my father was teased that there must have been a German milkman in our neighborhood” (Alvarez 6). Julia and her other dark sisters had a more challenging time fitting in, then her “white” sister. But as Martin Luther King said, you have to fight for your freedom, which pays off for Julia. She obtained an education and went on to be a successful writer, releasing several books on oppression. Both marginalization and disenfranchisement are shown in the Netflix movie “Bright”. The movie imagines a world in which fantasy creatures, like “orcs”, live alongside human beings. The two main characters are policemen that are partners that ride in the same car, one human and one an orc. Not far into the film, the human cop, Officer Ward, says “Fairy lives don’t matter”, which draws a parallel between this world and our own. The human beings act as the “whites”, while the orcs act as the “blacks”. The orc cop Jacoby, is the world’s first orc cop, so he is treated brutally. Although he’s a cop, people don’t follow his orders and don’t take him seriously. Jacoby is stuck in a sticky situation because his own people won’t accept him because he pursues his lifelong dream of being a cop, but he’s also not accepted by humans. Throughout the film, Officer Ward comes to realize that he shouldn’t of judged Jacoby by the color of his skin and that Jacoby is one of the only people he can trust. Jacoby’s lifelong dream to be a cop, came with bad words being shouted at him, objects thrown at him and the lack of acceptance. Officer Ward says, “Are you a cop first or an orc first?” which opens Jacoby’s eyes. He then comes to the realization that although people belittle him, he is a cop. He fought back against everyone who criticized him and brought out the power he has over them, resulting in him receiving the cop of the year reward. So although the orcs were seen as second class citizens, Jacoby fought for his freedom and pursued his dream of being a cop, working alongside humans.

Works Cited:

Alvarez, Julia. “A White Woman of Color.” Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” New York Post, 1963

Bright, Dir. David Ayer. Perf. Will Smith, and Joel Edgerton. 2017, Netflix.