WSC Art/Music, Literature, and Science 2018
Cueva de las Manos; Hunter-Gatherers
About the Art: It takes its name (Cave of the Hands) from the stencilled outlines of human hands in the cave, but there are also many depictions of animals, such as guanacos (Lama guanicoe ), still commonly found in the region, as well as hunting scenes that depict animals and human figures interacting in a dynamic and naturalistic manner. The entrance to the Cueva is screened by a rock wall covered by many hand stencils. Within the rock shelter itself there are five concentrations of rock art, later figures and motifs often superimposed upon those from earlier periods. The paintings were executed with natural mineral pigments - iron oxides (red and purple), kaolin (white), and natrojarosite (yellow), manganese oxide (black) - ground and mixed with some form of binder.
Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi; Marcus King
About the Art: Modern reconstruction, showing Tāmati Wāka Nene signing the Treaty in front of James Busby, Captain William Hobson and other British officials and witnesses. Some Māori signatories are assembled on the left.
Connected; xkcd (Randall Munroe)
About the Art: The art has two stick figures, one a male and one female. The girl said "Seriously? I like that song too!", to which the female continued by saying "I bet no two people in the history of the world have ever been so connected!". In which the comic states "I'm not sure why we romanticize 'Young Love'". The comic was obviously ironic as it talks about how young love is stupid and sometimes the two people have almost nothing in common.
Emoji Nation Part 3; Nastya Pitchek
About the Art: The art itself is about movie titles being implemented on famous artworks, such as the Japanese painting of a tsunami is then titled after "2012" the movie.
Listening Post; Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin
About the Art: The art was made as a programme that displays the theme of random chat rooms or other communication rooms on 231 small cash register screens. After 9/11, the screens shows words such as "I am Muslim and I am not afraid.
Love Locks Bridge; Residents of Cologne
About the Art: Thousands of tourists and residents in Cologne affix "love padlocks" on the Hohenzollernbrücke Bridge to symbolize their affections. The couple would usually put a lock on the bridge with a note about their love. The art is meant to symbolise anonymous connections between each other.
Things from space; Mark Bryan
About the Art: http://www.artofmarkbryan.com/things-from-space/ The art mixes retro thematic technology from the 50's and combining it with classic artwork. It shows normal earth combined with space technology or from the future from the perspective of a person who lived in the 50's.
Countdown; Wenqing Yan
About the Art: https://yuumei.deviantart.com/art/Countdown-217677913 The art reflects on how humans harm the environement with pollutionand melting ice for arctic animals and increasing the sea level for humans. The art has polar bears nearly out of ice to stay on top of a sandwatch whilst the bottom has us drowning from our own actions.
Memory Matrix Installation; MIT
About the Artist: Azra Askimaja is a professor at MIT, conflicted with her identity and witnessing a country torn from a genocide, she witness the destruction of her history and identity. She then commemorates this event by creating little neon-green plastic squares to display lost monuments that has been destroyed by humans. From afar, it creates a bigger monument.
Girl with a Pierced Eardrum; Banksy
About the Artist: Banksy's identity is unknown, yet his art is famous amongst the people. Most of his artwork involves some kind of political element. About the Art: Not much is known, but Banksy's satirical interpretation of the "The girl with the pearl earrings" by Johannes Vermeer.
Magdalene's Niece; Cesar Santos
About the Artist: He is a contemporary Cuban-American artist and portrait painter. He is better known for his Syncretism, a term he coined in 2011 to describe paintings where he presents two or more art tendencies in aesthetic balance. About the Art: Aside from that, the art has no description, but it is unfinished, with only a few of it's painting is coloured, while the other part are just sketches.
Relativity; M.C. Escher
About the Artist: He was a Dutch artist who made artworks, initially, inspired from nature. Later moving on to mathematical and geographical precision on his artworks, even going so far as to traveling to Spain and Italy to discover its mathematical application to their arts and architecture. Otherwise, he was not a famous artist, even in his homeland, until his 70's his art became known.
Alexander Cuts Gordian Knot; Jean Simon Berthelemy
About the Artist: He was a french artist from the 18th to the 19th century. Accompanying napoleon, and he was famously aligned with neoclassical praying. About the Art: This was a representation of Alexander the Great's myth of cutting an untyeable knot also known as the Gordian knot.
Mappa Mundi; Fra Mauro
About the Artist: Mappa Mundi is a map of the whole middle east, northern africa, and europe. As it pin points the location and routes of trades. Fra Mauro was famously known to be suspicious torwards information given by people, he would ask travellers or refugee of their area of origin, and be skeptic regarding the information given. He was also one of the first cartographer to challenge the church regarding places of religious importance.
House of Thorns; Alice Maher
About the Artist: She is an Irish artist who uses many media's, ranging from the classical use of media's of art to nature. She has been adventurous in her explorations of themes of childhood and death. About the Art: The art itself has no description aside from it's use of thorns covering a house. It might be related to Schopenhauer's theory on the hedgehog's dillema.
Live High Five; KLM
About the Artist: The art itself is about two individuals from New York to Amsterdam and make the "perfect high five" to win a ticket from either to New York or to Amsterdam. The artwork focuses on connection through media.
Halfnhalf Project; shinli-art
About the Artist: The artist are actually a couple in love separated between distance. The halfnhalf project combines footages from both New York City and Seoul to connect the lovers even when they're far away from each other.
EnTWINed; The Singh Twins
About the Artist: The artist is in fact two people and they are known by many British artist. About the Art: The art itself projects the effects of colonialism, in particular, the effects of British colonialism to the Indian sub-continent. However, instead of discussing the bad effects of colonialism, they celebrate the cultural integration that the British had done.
Hemlock Hospice; David Buckley Borden & Aaron Ellison
About the Artist: These students wanted to preserve whatever is left from the Hospice tree as it is predicted that the tree's will be completely gone by 2025 due to the insects eating and destroying the trees. They constructed many structures to honor the tree.
Royal Ontario Museum; Daniel Libeskind
About the Artist: He was born in 1946 and he and his sister were holocaust survivors. After some time, he became hooked with architecture. About the Art: This part of the museum is also known as the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. Due to the museum's crystal like structure, thus its name. Although the origin of the Michael Lee-Chin part is unknown.
Inflatable Bag Animals; Joshua Allen Harris
About the Artist: Joshua was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania where he studied Graphic Design and Illustration. After moving to Brooklyn in 2004 he received a Bachelors of Fine Art from the School of Visual Arts. From Sesame Street to Istanbul these kinetic street sculptures caught the attention of a world audience. About the Art: The art itself began as part of the 'Air Bear' project, in which he wanted the city to be cleaner. In this case, he created a white polar bear made out of white trash. Afterwards, he started to make more out of trash from public demand.
The Bus (El-Camion); Frida Kahlo
About the Artist: A Mexican artist born to a mestiza mother and German father, she was born with polio making her left leg thinner than her right, because of this she had more time to spend with her father at home sharing their love for photography, on the other hand, she was bullied constantly in school and this created her introverted attitude. As a child, she was naturally rebellious as she eventually was expelled from her German school, she was also at the same time sexually abused by a female teacher, she then moved to a National Preparatory school where she formed the Cachuchas; a group of rebellious teenagers where they despise eurocentric cultures whilst being inspired by indigenous Mexican culture, she also initially wanted to be a doctor. In 1925 she suffered a streetcar accident that left her semi-paralyzed as it left three of her vertebrae destroyed (she wore a plaster corset to stand up straight), afterwards she started to paint medical illustration whilst experimenting with self-portrait painting (a correspond to her theme of existence and identity), she became a communist eventually when she met Diego Rivera and joined the Mexican Communist. Whilst she was married to Rivera, she spends time in the USA, harbouring a disgust for the capitalist as they deny people who are in need. During her time in the USA she suffered a failed abortion and miscarriage which created more disease for her, due to the reasons above she became fascinated by the theme of agony, pain, and torture. Eventually going back to Mexico, she had many conflicts with Rivera which resulted in their divorce, in which by that time she experimented with surrealism/magic realism painting. About the Art: The art itself represents the social class in Mexico. From left to right, there is a housewife holding her shopping basket, a blue-collar guy in his work overall, a barefoot Indian mother who is feeding her baby, a little boy looking around, a businessman holding his money bag and a young girl which might be Frida herself. In this painting, Frida demonstrated her sympathy for the dispossessed. She painted the Indian mother as Madonna-like and the blue-eyed gringo is a representation for the capitalists. The painting also describes her accident with the streetcar.
Gemeli (Twins); Alighiero Boetti
About the Artist: Alghiero Boetti was an Italian artist and part of the art movement of Arte Povera. About the Art: The art itself is about the artist supposedly holding his identical twin's hand, he also made the art in the form of a postcard.
Tangle up in Blue; Bob Dylan
Info: This song is a confusing one, it juxtaposes the past and the future, first and third person. The song begins with Dylan waking up wondering about the past, then it cuts into a segment about how Dylan met his ex-wife, a ready-to-be-divorced girl, after some time, they broke up in the middle of the night, promising to meet in the avenue one day. Afterwards, it skips forward to when Dylan found a job and couldn't forget about her, even though he bedded a lot of women. In the strangest way possible, he met his ex-wife in a topless bar, yet they conversate like a normal couple, but it was cut short when Dylan found out that she had become a prostitute and he moved on. So now Dylan's on a journey to get his wife back.
Letter to me; Brad Paisley
Info: This song was written by Brad Paisley, a country singer from West Virginia. The song was inspired by his wife's book which is about writing a letter to her younger self. Brad took the same concept and made it into a song. The song describes the difficulties that his seventeen-year-old self-was facing, things such as breakups, failing school, riding recklessly, and not listening to wiser people (parents and teachers), he wrote that everything is going to be fine and that he proved it by writing this letter.
My Parents; David Hockney
About the Artist: An important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century. Also, he is one of the few openly gay artists in British history, even so far as making an artwork about loving a boy. He is known for making portraits of swimming pools. He protested against the RCA in London by creating a painting called "Life painting for a diploma", he is also legally allowed to purchase cannabis, his relation with swimming pools extends to his medical problem of hearing. He was also famous for self-portraits with him and other men having a relationship, this also applies to relationships with his family, friends, and colleagues. He was also known to work on theatre, multi-camera movies, photmurals, and photo collages About the Art: In this work, painted a year before his father's death, his style has shifted towards a closer study of human behaviour. His mother poses, attentive and graceful, while his father, who fidgeted during sittings, was painted reading Aaron Scharf's book Art and Photography. A book on Chardin draws a parallel with intimate domestic scenes of the past, as do the volumes of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past visible on the shelf. Piero della Francesca's Baptism of Christ is reflected in the mirror, forming a triptych with the two figures.
Nighthawks; Edward Hopper
About the Artist: He is an American artist. Born and raised conservatively he showed talents in the art at an early age, afterwards, he was known to paint things that he envisions as an ideal American life, especially depicting an everyday scene (gas stations, highways, and buildings) of people in a lonely and melancholy manner with the beauty of anticipation. He also uses lighting, the position of the sunlight, and shadows to show symbolism and meaning. He also likes to paint nautical things concerning maritime objects or seascapes. He was also known for his careful placement of objects and people in a geometrical sense and he has a fascination with French and Russian culture, along with painting nude pictures of women and being an introvert believing that art should explain the inner life of the artist. His methods of art are oil-paintings, printmaking, watercolour, and etchings, he is also known to have sketches of his painting in his journal that depicts the idea for that painting and comes up with alternative titles for said painting and sometimes have his wife/colleague choose the tittle of the painting for him. About the Art: The art shows a bunch of people sitting down in a diner in the night, this artwork was probably inspired by Ernest Hemingway's short-story; 'The Killers'. It was also inspired by Café Terrace at Night by Van Gogh. The place was inspired from a restaurant in Greenwich Village.
The Oath of Horati (Le Serment des Horaces); Jaques Louis-David
About the Artist: Jaque-Louis David was a radical supporter of the French revolution, even to the point of supporting Robespierre, one of the most radical parties in the French Republic; the Jacobins. Afterwards he became a huge supporter of Napoleon, as he protected everything Jaque had stood for. After Napoleon had been deposed, he exiled himself to Brussels and eventually to the Netherlands. His art has been associated with Rococo and Neoclassical. About the Art: The art itself is about the battle between the city of Rome and Alba Longa, instead of battling the conflict with an army, both cities agreed to send three warriors from one family to fight each other, with the last family member standing wins. The battle had three brothers of the Horatii family to fight for Rome and the Curatii for Alba Longa. Whilst Camilla, the sister of one of the Horatii brothers and betrothed to one of the Curatii brothers, to which she wept during the battle. Eventually only one of the Horatii brothers survived, thus declaring the Horatii as the winner. The art also has every element converging at the centre of the artwork, specifically to the hands of the two fighters.
"Self-portrait in Case of Disappearance" Safia Elhillo
What if the world we live in now is already the afterlife and all of us are already dead? What if we have not fixed any of the problems caused by humanity but have instead inherited these upon our death? What would have happened in the real world of the living? Who is left behind to mourn our passing?
Head Heart
"Heart weeps. Head tries to help heart. Head tells heart how it is, again: You will lose the ones you love. They will all go. But even the earth will go, someday. Heart feels better, then. But the words of head do not remain long in the ears of heart. Heart is so new to this. I want them back, says heart. Head is all heart has. Help, head. Help heart." We might use logic to comfort ourselves-trying to control our emotions by thinking though the situation (the head talking to the heart). This is a common struggle many people face. The speaker in the poem may have lost a love or lost someone to death. In the poem, the heart and the head become characters and communicate with each other, the head trying to help the broken heart.
I and the village; Marc Chagall
About the Artist: Marc Chagall was a Russian born Jewish artist who've mixed the art style of cubism, fauvism, and fauvism, which in turn gave rise to surrealism. Chagall was born to a family of nine siblings, his family lived in a village; Vitebsk, his father worked as a herring merchant that earns 20 roubles per month on average and his mother sold groceries from his home. In the Russian empire, jewish communities were confined to small villages, which is away from metropolitan Russia (like Moscow), which in turn created Jewish market-villages called 'Shtetls'. He was schooled in a religious jewish school in his villages. When he was 13, his mother wanted to enrol Chagall in a prestigious Russian high-school in which the principle denied initially until Chagall's mother had to bribe the administrator 50 roubles to let him in. He first discovered his love for art when he saw a student drawing, in his house art itself is very strange as he had no concept of drawings, paintings, or any other form of visual art, when he asked the student where did he learn to draw the kid replied by saying 'Go find a book in the library, idiot, then copy the image'. Afterwards, he told his mother that he wanted to become an artist, initially, she had doubts because she wanted Chagall to gwhet a job with a decent salary, but Chagall explained that there is school and he can become a professional artist. He studied at Yehuda Pen's art school since he does not have enough money to enrol in the school, Pen decided to teach Chagall for free. However, after a few months, Chagall realized that academic portrait did not suit his desires. When it comes to getting a good life in 19th century Russia, the jews either have to hide their Jewish roots or embrace it and express it freely, Chagall chose the latter which helped him develop his self-expressionist themes. He eventually gain a temporary internal passport to Saint Petersburg where he enrolled in a prestigious art school, which eventually lead him to experiment theatre, during his time in the art school also lead him to meet his future wife. About the Art: I and the Village evokes his memories of his native Hasidic community outside Vitebsk. In the village, peasants and animals lived side by side, in a mutual dependence here signified by the line from peasant to cow, connecting their eyes. The geometries of I and the Village are inspired by the broken planes of Cubism, but Chagall's is a personalized version. Which is a combination of Cubism, Symbolism, and Fauvism.
Embroidered Family Photos; Juana Gomez
About the Artist: She is a Chilean artist, her work arises from the observation of nature and the processes that determine how both living beings and the inorganic world are structured and built. There is fundamental law that can be seen in the veins of a leaf, the course of rivers and their tributaries, the circuits of the central nervous system, the currents of the sea and the routes of traffic on the Internet. About the Art: Chilean artist Juana Gómez uses weaving and embroidery to explore themes of genealogy, mythology and biology in her own female lineage.
Wynyard Station Escalators (Interloop); Chris Fox
About the Artist: This artwork, in particular, follows on a twirl or a twist of an accordion perception of an escalator wrapped around the station. The wood escalator was actually the original 1931 installed escalator, since it held sentimental value to the people around, the artist decided to display it above the station's ceiling.
Periscope; Pawel Kuczynski
About the Artist: http://jsphfrtz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Pawel_Kuczynski_1.jpg It has a person looking through a periscope, in this case the periscope is shaped like a facebook logo.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2; Act 3, Scene 5
Act 2 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet is the famous balcony scene. Romeo and Juliet met in the previous scene, during a party, in which they share kisses. This is enough for the two to fall in love. In the balcony scene, Juliet appears on her balcony and wonders why the man she is in love with is a Montague. She argues that Romeo would be the same, regardless of his last name. After Romeo's arrival, we can see how Romeo's behavior is much more immature, he swears upon intangible things like the moon. Juliet, much more practical and mature, extracts a promise of marriage from him. This scene may be used to either argue for or against "puppy love" or infatuation. First, since it is arguable immature for anyone to decide to marry only after one meeting. However, upon closer examination, one could argue that it is not puppy love since Juliet is already considering the ramifications of the Montague/Capulet feud and willing to give up her identity to be with Romeo. In Act 3, Scene 5, Romeo is leaving Juliet's room after having spent the night with her after their marriage ceremony. The initial debate between Romeo and Juliet, when they hear a bird calling on whether it is a lark or a nightingale (the lark symbolizes day and the nightingale symbolizes night) demonstrates the couple's unwillingness to allow the night to be over. Juliet initially argues it is the nightingale but finally accepts that it is the lark and tells Romeo to leave for his own safety. Juliet's maturity is apparent when her mother arrives later and orders her to marry Paris. Juliet's play on words and the use of puns show that she is much smarter than her mother and willing to protect her marriage to Romeo. Furthermore, when Juliet's nurse advised Juliet to marry Paris, Juliet decisively cuts her trust in her nurse, showing further development in her character, from a young sheltered woman to one who is independent and able to defend her own love.
"What My Grandmother Meant to Say Was", Aja Monet
Analysis This is a good poem to use in discussing about connections in cultures. Aja Monet is a Cuban-Jamaican poet and an activist in the Black Lives Matter movement. It's easy to see where she stands in terms of oppression towards African Americans and also specifically women. The speaker leaves her culture in search of a better future. This poem touches on the female black woman and her the sufferings she encounters. However, the speaker shows that she doesn't break despite these hardships.
"Ghosts" Kiki Petrosino
For the speaker, hauntings are divided into three types. The first one are the ghosts of our mothers. These might not necessarily be dead-as mothers have a deep influence on their children and so these ghosts might be influences they excert. The second category, the herons is a little more vague. These might be the images left from our memories of events in the past. Finally, the last type of ghosts are internal. These could be interpretations of internal memories which are not influenced by outside factors.
"What the Living Do" Marie Howe
Howe wrote the poem after the death of her brother. The speaker in the poem is haunted by the small details of everyday life, such as the crusty dishes in the sink. Those who are left behind can only continue with living, and embrace life fully, as she states in the final stanza of the poem but at the same time, the memories of those who have left will continue to remain with the speaker.
"I Gave Myself to Him", Emily Dickinson
I gave myself to him, And took himself for pay. The solemn contract of a life Was ratified this way. The wealth might disappoint, Myself a poorer prove Than this great purchaser suspect, The daily own of Love Depreciate the vision; But, till the merchant buy, Still fable, in the isles of spice, The subtle cargoes lie. At least, 't is mutual risk, — Some found it mutual gain; Sweet debt of Life, — each night to owe, Insolvent, every noon. Analysis Stanza 1 This poem describes a sexual encounter between a man and a woman. It was unusual for a woman to admit to this at this time. The speaker "submits" to the man but at the same time the man also paid something back. The transaction seems like a business, as Dickinson used the term "contract". Does it make sex a financial transaction? Stanza 2 The speaker discusses that this union between the two of them might result in the man being "poorer", the speaker seem to have little to offer in terms of "wealth". She refers to the lover as a "purchase" or buyer. The buyer might be disappointed with what he bought, since she has little to offer. This keeps up with the tone of a business transaction. What is Dickinson's viewpoint of marriage or relationships? Stanza 3 The speaker compares herself to valuable spices or "cargo". Spices are worth a lot while they wait to become purchased. However, do their value "depreciate" as the speaker thinks her value will do after she has been bought by her lover? After all, the value of an object may either increase or decrease depending on the market or the buyer. The merchant has no idea of their worth upon purchase. Stanza 4 In the final stanza, the speaker claims that at the very least, this type of risk is taken by both sides. For neither partner really knows the value to each other before they are joined. So it can be both a risk or a gain. She uses a paradox here, where relationships are a "debt" but at the same time "sweet". Does it imply that there is hardship but it is gladly taken? It's interesting how Dickinson says the debt is paid each night but then the next day, the relationship becomes insolvent. Insolvent companies are those who are ruined or bankrupt. The final stanza might look at the cyclical nature of relationships-love and hate/ argument and forgiveness. Dickinson never married, it is surprising that she would even write such intimate poetry about marriage. Perhaps the poem is a way to reassert her independence and to point out that women do not owe anything to a man. Perhaps she is trying to show that both partners are equal in this business transaction.
Elegy for a Mother, Still Living by Elana Bell
I was formed inside the body of a woman who wanted me as she wanted her own life, allowed to drink the milk made only for me. I was given mother-love, its bounty and its cocoon of those first years without language. It is right to mourn the rocky hills of Crete where we walked, my small hand in hers for hours. The hidden beach where we swam naked then baked on the fine sand. Lazy afternoons in her lap, thick hand stroking my curls. Her fingers have stiffened. In her eyes, the eyes of an animal in pain. I hold the memory of my mother against the woman she is. This poem examines mother/daughter relationship and the closeness that exists in the early years. Over time though, the mother becomes old, and the speaker contrasts her memory of mother in the past to who she is now. The tone of the poem is sad and foreshadows at the possibility of the mother's death (if we look at the title)
"The Map of the World Confused With Its Territory" Susan Stewart
In a drawer I found a map of the world, folded into eighths and then once again and each country bore the wrong name because the map of the world is an orphanage. The edges of the earth had a margin as frayed as the hem of the falling night and a crease moved down toward the center of the earth, halving the identical stars. Every river ran with its thin blue brother out from the heart of a country: there cedars twisted toward the southern sky and reeds plumed eastward like an augur's pens. No dates on the wrinkles of that broad face, no slow grinding of mountains and sand, for— all at once, like a knife on a whetstone— the map of the world spoke in snakes and tongues. The hard-topped roads of the western suburbs and the distant lights of the capitol each pull away from the yellowed beaches and step into the lost sea of daybreak. The map of the world is a canvas turning away from the painter's ink-stained hands while the pigments cake in their little glass jars and the brushes grow stiff with forgetting. There is no model, shy and half-undressed, no open window and flickering lamp, yet someone has left this sealed blue letter, this gypsy's bandana on the darkening Table, each corner held down by a conch shell. What does the body remember at dusk? That the palms of the hands are a map of the world, erased and drawn again and Again, then covered with rivers and earth. The speaker of the poem brings up the issue of mistaking a map for its territory, a fallacy where we believe a symbol or a model is actually the same as the reality. After a map is made, the world changes but the map does not. It does not accurately represent the changing landscapes or wars or time. How does this relate to the issue of communities?
Habanera (aria); Georges Bizet
Info: Is the popular name for the song 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle' meaning love is a rebellious bird. The song was originally written for the 1875 play Carmen. The song was adapted from the Habanera "El-Arreglito" composed by Sebastien Irader. The song is used in the 5th scene of the first act for the character's entrance. The song was in the moment where a group of women exit a cigarette factory where a group of soldiers start flirting with the women. The song is about Carmen describing love as rebellious uncontrollable bird, she also described love as a gypsy's child, since they are known not to obey the law.
Malaika; Miriam Makeba
Info: Malaika is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian Adam Salim in 1945. This song is possibly the most famous of all Swahili love songs in Tanzania, Kenya and the entire East Africa, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahili songs in the world. Malaika in this context means "angel" in Swahili, and this word has always been used by the Swahili speakers to refer to a beautiful girl. This song roughly translates to "My Angel". The figure of angel used in this song is "Cupid" the god of desire in Roman mythology. The song also refers to how money never solves her problems of love.
Khalini Shoufak; Najwa Karam
Info: The Album is said to have a pure traditional Lebanese Music style. Similar to her 2003 released album, Sahavaharni, the 2009 Khalini Shoufak included three Beat songs: Edak, Wallae, and Khalini Shoufak. The songs "Albi Massnaa Baroud" and "Allah Yishghillo Balo" are Lebanese Pop Style. While "Abous Einak" has an old Lebanese arrangement style. The song "El Dini Im", was the first song written by Najwa Karam throughout her music career. The song is about a woman who wants to meet her lover at night to "perform activities that are questionable for children". The song literally translates into "Lemme see you at night".
Ojala; Silvio Rodriguez
Info: The artist came from Cuba and was famous for symbolising left-Cuban ideology. This song translates to hopefully. As it describes a person and the singer wishing that nature does not benefit it, as it will destroy everyone around. For example; May the leaves not touch your body when they fall So that you don't turn them to glass. The artist himself has been proclaimed as one of the best Latin singers and has been referred to the "Cuban John Lennon".
Everybody loves somebody; Dean Martin
Info: The song was actually written by Sam Coslow, Irving Taylor, and Ken Lane in 1947. But it was eventually sung by Frank Sinatra but was unpopular. Eventually, the song was sung by Dean Martin, the song became so synonymous with him, his grave was marked with "Everybody loves somebody".
The Quiz; Hello Saferide
Info: The song was created by a Swedish band with the songwriter being Anna Norlin. The band was named after an "Intelligent bus driver in a drug-addicted small town" which is identified as Willimantic, Connecticut. The song talks about how a woman is afraid of her own crush for some reason, due to her fear, she invented a quiz in order to make sure that he's the one.
Banana Pancakes; Jack Johnson
Info: The song was made by Jack Johnson, describing to the individual in the song that the world can wait, and they should spend time together. The song mostly has connotations regarding Johnson's homeland, Oahu, Hawaii. The song examines about how in his homeland that raining is common, which gives them more time to spend as a family.
The moon represents my heart; Teresa Tang
Info: The song was originally written by Sun-Yi and composed by Weng-Cheng, and first sang by Chen-Fen-Lan. Originally the song was banned from mainland China in the 1970's. But when it entered because of the new door policy, people loved the love song, especially Teresa Tang's voice. It was the first Chinese love song to enter China. The song is basically an ode to a love partner about how deep is their love for each other.
What is Love?; Haddaway
Info: The song was produced by German music producers named Tony Hendrik and Karin van Haaren of Coconut Records of Cologne. The melodies were created in 45 minutes whilst the song was created in 1 and a half day.
We are family; Sister Sledge
Info: The song was very famous in American pop-culture, to the point that Congress put the song in preservation in the National Record Registry. The song is about an optimistic outlook on life as a family (figuratively and literally), the song also specifies on enjoying life's delights, as they sing together as a family.
Embrace the Remix; Kirby Ferguson
Info: He did a Ted-Talk about how creativity is not something entirely original, but in fact a remix from artworks or works before. He used Bob Dylan and Steve Jobs as examples of great remixers, who utilised work that existed to create something new.
Fur Elise; Ludwig Van Beethoven
Info: Might be named "Fur Therese" because of Ludwig Nohl's misinterpretation. The song was originally or Therese Malfatti to whom Beethoven proposed to, yet turned down by her to mary an Austrian Noble. It might also be for the German soprano singer Elisabeth, to whom Beethoven was friends with. The first three notes of this song spells Elise.
Happy Birthday; Mildred and Patty Hill
Info: The Happy Birthday song, although has been sung regularly by the public, was actually a song created by a school teacher to say good morning to their students. The song became a legal wrangle for many people, as for some time, Warner Music has owned the song making people pay. By 2015, Warner Music eventually got sued, and the song was released to the public domain to be used.
Louvre Abu Dhabi; UAE government
Info: The museum was designed by Jean Nouvel with its mix of Middle-Eastern architecture with current galactic, if not, sci-fi design, mixing traditions with the future. The museum itself is widely known to be one of the greatest museums, as it exhibits artworks from all around the world. The galleries do not only consist of current paintings but objects throughout history as a mix of art and history throughout the world. The place, however, is contradictive, as they intend the museum to be for everyone, showing a new light to the art world, yet working conditions for immigrant workers were not as good as expected, and a few Swiss journalists have been arrested for recording immigrant workers being treated poorly.
You Will Be Found; Dear Evan Hansen
Info: The song came from a Broadway play about a social anxious kid in high school (Evan Hansen) until one of his friends died (Connor). So he decided to create a project named "The Connor Project" in which they intend to keep Connor's family alive. The song reflects the song creator (Ben Pajek) experience in high school. The song itself is motivating, as it invites the listener to sympathize to people who are lonely, and tell people who are lonely that they matter.
Memory; Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cats
Info: The song came from the 1981 play "Cats", in which the main character, Grizabella, sang at the climax of the story about nostalgia and the "good old days". Her song uses the moonlight to describe the past and the morning as a new future. The song itself was shaky, at the beginning Andrew thought that the song was too similar to another song, but when he asked his father's opinion he said: "It sounded like a million dollar".
Somebody Told Me; The Killers
Info: The song is about a narrator that's trying to hook up with a girl in a club, but the girl is playing hard to get, which feds him up, after this, a rumour made his dating experience worse. Then at this point, he tries his best to move on to another girl, yet the girl still lingers in his mind. At this point, he's becoming desperate and the song just twirls into his distress about trying to get the girl.
Bizarre Love Triangle; New Order
Info: The song is about the singer already married and sharing his thought about how he fell for another woman, this type of scenario puts him in a weird position where he feels guilty being with her, but he feels happy with her. In the song he feels hurt everytime he remembers about this woman and wishing that he could just be normal without this woman.
Amen Brother; Gregory Sylvester Coleman
Info: The song is completely instrumental and it is the widely most used drum sample in history.
Treaty; Yothu Yindi
Info: The song is made as a protest against the Australian government to the Aboriginal people. The song originated when Prime Minister Bob Hawke visited northern Barunga Festival when he promised to the people that he'll make a treaty to the Aboriginals. Eventually, the people got tired of waiting for the Treaty ever since 1990, the band decided to make a song about it, highlighting the progress of the treaty, which is slow. The song was built on the catchphrase of "Well, I heard it on the radio. And I saw it on the television."
It's almost like praying; Lin Manuel-Miranda and various other Spanish speaking artist.
Info: The song was practically a love letter from Lin to Puerto Rico, the song was actually used to help relief hurricane Maria that has affected Puerto Rico. Lin started the song inspired by Maria of the West Side Story, at the beginning of the song you might hear Coqui frogs croaking. The song itself is about Puerto Rico
Someday out of the Blue; Elton John
Info: The song was sung by famous singer/artist Elton John. The song reflects about nostalgia, about how sometimes we miss the good old days, hoping that one day it might return out of the blues. Elton John is also bisexual and openly gay and now currently married to David Furnish.
Good Riddance (Time of your life); Green Day
Info: The song was written and lead by Billy Joe Armstrong as his girlfriend moved to Ecuador. This song was an outlet for his anger. In this case, the song talks about how all the hardship endured should not be regretted since they all make who we are today. The phrase "I hope you had the time of your life" means F. you to his former girlfriend. This song is popular amongst American high school graduates as the journey they went through was worth it.
Guess how much I love you; The Lucksmiths
Info: The song was written by Marty Donald, with his band filing the rest of the position for the music. The band disbanded in 2009, and they were known to use (specifically Marty Donald) to write witty puns in his songs that include the Australian English idioms. The song refers to a long distance relationship with the singer sending a postcard on Friday and calling her from a pub in Saturday.
Murder in the city; Avett Brothers (Seth & Scott)
Info: The song was written by former band members of Nemo; Scott Avett and Seth Avett. The song specifies on how when the protagonist is murdered, he doesn't want the perpetrator to get imprisoned because it's such a pointless action to do so. Instead, he asked to tell his loved ones that he loves them very much, believing that love is the most important thing to him.
Finlandia; Jean Sieblius
Info: The song was written, or rather, composed as a protest against more censorship created by the Russian Empire. Under the censorship of the empire, the song had to be played in different or at least alternative names such as; Happy Feelings at the awakening of Finnish Spring, A Scandinavian Choral March. The song was apparently the national anthem for the short-lived African state called Biafra.
Where the Heck is Matt; Matt Harding
Info: The video itself is by Matt Harding who went all around the world to record people dancing and then make collective footage into a video about people around the world is connected. This video was heart-warming to say the least, as it shows that underneath all the politics and struggle throughout the world, people just want to have fun and dance with each other. The video ends with Matt and his family at home.
Michelle; The Beatles
Info: This Beatles song is unusual due to its prominent use of the French language. The origin too was weird, as Jan Vaughn (The wife of friend Ivan Vaughn) taught French and had helped McCartney making a phrase rhyming with Michelle, John Lennon's sole contribution to his song is literally only adding an "I love you" bridge by Nina Simone's "I put a spell on you".
In a Crowd of Thousands; Anastasia
Info: This song is from the Musical Anastasia directed by Stephen Flaherty. The play follows after the Bolsheviks executed the Romanovs leaving Anastasia to be the last one to the heir, afterwards Anastasia or Anya has amnesia and was found by two con-men, Ivan and Dmitri. This song particularly, recalls the memory of Anya when Dmitri first met her. The song is also about standing up above the crowd as the song specifies on Dmitri being special.
Every Breath You Take; The Police
Info: This song is one of the most ironic songs in the 21st century. The song was initially written when lead vocalist Sting broke up with his wife Frances Tomelty and eventually become lovers with Frances roommate and best-friend; Trudie Styler. The song itself is very sinister and it should be that way, as the song starts off with a verse describing a super surveillance that watches peoples action intensely. He intends the song to be about an over-possessive lover who would never let go of his partner. The song was recorded when Sting had a beef with some of the band members, even to the point of a verbal battle. Otherwise, the song was widely accepted and used as a soft love song, to the point that some couples told Sting that the song had been used in their wedding.
Earth Passport; Liquid Blue
Info: This song is unique, the band itself started out as a cover band and over time they were recognized as an actual band. The band's unique attribute is that they use Indian instruments for their songs. This song specifically was famous for using 9 languages including six of the official languages of the United Nations. The song is about the wanting of peace and prosperity in the human race.
We didn't start the fire; Billy Joel
Info: This song was inspired when Billy Joel talked to a friend of Sean Lennon when he talked about how it sucked being 21 during this time, Joe replied and tell stories about historical events that had happened in their lives, the conversation became the basis for the song. Billy Joel was also a huge history nerd and said that he didn't become a singer, he would become a history teacher. The song itself was about Billy Joel listing all historical events that have happened in his life and how the crazy events that have happened were not because of the Baby Boomer generation, in fact they were trying their best to fight the current problems during their time.
Hey there Delilah; Plain White T's
Info: This song was written by the singer Tom Higgenson, he was inspired to write a song about Delilah Dicrescenzo, whom he met through a mutual friend. Ironically, the couple never had a relationship. The song describes a long distance relationship couple, with the singer making songs from Chicago to comfort his lover. This song is also a protest against the theory of proximity, in which love decreases through distance.
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
Joel and Clementine meet on a train station at Montauk and are attracted to each other for no apparent reason. Little do they know that they used to be lovers previously. When their past relationship fell apart, they decided to have each of their memories erased by a company called Lacuna. The movie looks at Joel's loss of memory about Clementine, until eventually, he is only left with his first memory of her, where she tells him "Meet me in Montauk". This movie is an interesting idea if we look at it in light of the debate topic on memory extraction or even the possibility of erasing memories. Some questions from the science portion of WSC: How do our memories and experiences shape who are are? What makes certain memories "stick" more than others? How does memory relate to attachment—such as to other people, or even to inanimate objects, such as stuffed alpacas?
"To Have Without Holding", Marge Piercy
Learning to love differently is hard, love with the hands wide open, love with the doors banging on their hinges, the cupboard unlocked, the wind roaring and whimpering in the rooms rustling the sheets and snapping the blinds that thwack like rubber bands in an open palm. It hurts to love wide open stretching the muscles that feel as if they are made of wet plaster, then of blunt knives, then of sharp knives. It hurts to thwart the reflexes of grab, of clutch ; to love and let go again and again. It pesters to remember the lover who is not in the bed, to hold back what is owed to the work that gutters like a candle in a cave without air, to love consciously, conscientiously, concretely, constructively. I can't do it, you say it's killing me, but you thrive, you glow on the street like a neon raspberry, You float and sail, a helium balloon bright bachelor's button blue and bobbing on the cold and hot winds of our breath, as we make and unmake in passionate diastole and systole the rhythm of our unbound bonding, to have and not to hold, to love with minimized malice, hunger and anger moment by moment balanced. This poem examines what it is to love someone but at the same time be able to let them go or be free. It seems that for the speaker, loving someone means possessing them or to hold on to them and not letting them go. On the other hand, the speaker's partner seems to have differing ideas about love. He or she seems able to live freely and "sail" away like a "helium balloon". The speaker must try to reconcile their differences and find a balance. Perhaps when one clings to someone, the love becomes poison, as the speaker points out in the last stanza.
"Supple Cord", Naomi Shihab Nye
My brother, in his small white bed, held one end. I tugged the other to signal I was still awake. We could have spoken, could have sung to one another, we were in the same room for five years, but the soft cord with its little frayed ends connected us in the dark, gave comfort even if we had been bickering all day. When he fell asleep first and his end of the cord dropped to the floor, I missed him terribly, though I could hear his even breath and we had such long and separate lives ahead. Analysis This is a poem about the connection that exist between siblings. Perhaps the connection is strongest when they are young. The cord, or the connection between siblings holds up, despite fights. When the author writes about the brother falling asleep and her missing him terribly, is she discussing the moment they became adults and this connection disappears or could the brother have passed away? The tone at the end of the poem is that of loneliness which contrasts starkly with the feeling of connection at the start.
"A Dog Has Died", Pablo Neruda
My dog has died. I buried him in the garden next to a rusted old machine. Some day I'll join him right there, but now he's gone with his shaggy coat, his bad manners and his cold nose, and I, the materialist, who never believed in any promised heaven in the sky for any human being, I believe in a heaven I'll never enter. Yes, I believe in a heaven for all dogdom where my dog waits for my arrival waving his fan-like tail in friendship. Ai, I'll not speak of sadness here on earth, of having lost a companion who was never servile. His friendship for me, like that of a porcupine withholding its authority, was the friendship of a star, aloof, with no more intimacy than was called for, with no exaggerations: he never climbed all over my clothes filling me full of his hair or his mange, he never rubbed up against my knee like other dogs obsessed with sex. No, my dog used to gaze at me, paying me the attention I need, the attention required to make a vain person like me understand that, being a dog, he was wasting time, but, with those eyes so much purer than mine, he'd keep on gazing at me with a look that reserved for me alone all his sweet and shaggy life, always near me, never troubling me, and asking nothing. Ai, how many times have I envied his tail as we walked together on the shores of the sea in the lonely winter of Isla Negra where the wintering birds filled the sky and my hairy dog was jumping about full of the voltage of the sea's movement: my wandering dog, sniffing away with his golden tail held high, face to face with the ocean's spray. Joyful, joyful, joyful, as only dogs know how to be happy with only the autonomy of their shameless spirit. There are no good-byes for my dog who has died, and we don't now and never did lie to each other. So now he's gone and I buried him, and that's all there is to it. Analysis The tone of the speaker seemed to be matter of fact in announcing the death of his dog. The relationship between the speaker and the dog doesn't seem to be particularly sentimental. However, he imagines that there is a heaven for his pet, who was always there when he needed it. It is his dog that made him believe in the possibility of heaven. Perhaps humans don't merit heaven or he was too practical to believe in it. It is his desire to join his dog after death that made him believe in heaven. The poem also examines the simple interaction that can exist between man and dog, yet can lead to such profound feelings of friendship.
"No Man is an Island" John Donne
No man is an island, Entire of itself; Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, As well as if a promontory were: As well as if a manor of thy friend's Or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. The idea of man as being interconnected to a whole is popularized nowadays and not a novel idea. However, when Donne was writing, the Renaissance period saw a rise of humanism, which questioned the relationship of man to God and thus brought up our relationship to the world around us. The last stanza of the poem is specifically concerned with death. In those days, the bell's tolling would signify someone's death. In order to find out who died, servants were usually sent to find the answer. The speaker notes that he would not do so because the dead might be "you", or someone known to the speaker. It could be anyone, including the speaker himself. Is death the common denominator which connects humanity?
"Valentine", Carol Ann Duffy
Not a red rose or a satin heart. I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light like the careful undressing of love. Here. It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief. I am trying to be truthful. Not a cute card or a kissogram. I give you an onion. Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful as we are, for as long as we are. Take it. Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like. This poem explores the relationship between two people, not through a romantic lens, but rather through a more realistic and almost harsh viewpoint. Traditional Valentine celebrations romanticize love, idealizing it through roses or hearts. Duffy picks an unconventional object, like an onion to demonstrate that true love can't be represented by these objects. The tone of the author towards the subject of love contains a warning-perhaps love causes tears.
"Remember" Joy Harjo
Over time, humans become selfish and forget where they came from. This is a poem reminding us to be thankful of our origins. These include our families as well as the environment around us. The universe plays an integral role in the poem, as it is something that we are connected to.
"Yertle the Turtle" Dr. Seuss
Since Dr. Seuss or Theodor Geisel wrote in the 1940s, he was heavily influenced by WWII, the rise of totalitarian and fascists powers in Europe. From the poem itself, it's clear that the speaker points out to the dangers of despots and those who build their powers upon the backs of the weaker people. However, as with many writers at the time, such as Trosky (and the rise of Marxism) they believed that those who are oppressed will eventually rise to overthrow their oppressors, just like Mack overthrows Yertle.
"Maps" Yesenia Montilla
Some maps have blue borders like the blue of your name or the tributary lacing of veins running through your father's hands. & how the last time I saw you, you held me for so long I saw whole lifetimes flooding by me small tentacles reaching for both our faces. I wish maps would be without borders & that we belonged to no one & to everyone at once, what a world that would be. Or not a world maybe we would call it something more intrinsic like forgiving or something simplistic like river or dirt. & if I were to see you tomorrow & everyone you came from had disappeared I would weep with you & drown out any black lines that this earth allowed us to give it— because what is a map but a useless prison? We are all so lost & no naming of blank spaces can save us. & what is a map but the delusion of safety? The line drawn is always in the sand & folds on itself before we're done making it. & that line, there, south of el rio, how it dares to cover up the bodies, as though we would forget who died there & for what? As if we could forget that if you spin a globe & stop it with your finger you'll land it on top of someone living, someone who was not expecting to be crushed by thirst— The the speaker, maps are boundaries that divide communities. However, these borders appear to be quite random, a result of history, etc. that have nothing to do with who we really are as humans. These constraints should not be there and the speaker supports a world without boundaries. The poem is relevant today, where borders between countries continue to be issues, for example in Israel and Palestine.
"Mending Wall" Robert Frost
Something there is that doesn't love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun; And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. The work of hunters is another thing: I have come after them and made repair Where they have left not one stone on a stone, But they would have the rabbit out of hiding, To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean, No one has seen them made or heard them made, But at spring mending-time we find them there. I let my neighbour know beyond the hill; And on a day we meet to walk the line And set the wall between us once again. We keep the wall between us as we go. To each the boulders that have fallen to each. And some are loaves and some so nearly balls We have to use a spell to make them balance: "Stay where you are until our backs are turned!" We wear our fingers rough with handling them. Oh, just another kind of out-door game, One on a side. It comes to little more: There where it is we do not need the wall: He is all pine and I am apple orchard. My apple trees will never get across And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him. He only says, "Good fences make good neighbours." Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder If I could put a notion in his head: "Why do they make good neighbours? Isn't it Where there are cows? But here there are no cows. Before I built a wall I'd ask to know What I was walling in or walling out, And to whom I was like to give offence. Something there is that doesn't love a wall, That wants it down." I could say "Elves" to him, But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather He said it for himself. I see him there Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed. He moves in darkness as it seems to me, Not of woods only and the shade of trees. He will not go behind his father's saying, And he likes having thought of it so well He says again, "Good fences make good neighbours." Do walls make good neighbors? The speaker and his neighbor find themselves walking along their wall, fixing it. The neighbor is more traditional, stating that walls make good neighbors. The speaker questions this, saying that walls may have a purpose if its to keep things like livestock in. But what is the purpose of having walls in places like towns or cities? Walls divide and keep others out. It isolates people from each other. This poem is especially relevant today, as Trump speaks of building a wall between the US and Mexico. Historically, we can think of what the Berlin wall did and of course, the Demarcation line between North and South Korea.
"Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles" Sally Wen Mao
Superficially, the poem is a travel poem-the traveler moving from place to place. At a deeper level though, it touches on loneliness, which follows us all the time. It also appears as if the speaker lacks direction in life and questions whether they need companionship.
"Inventory" Richard Hoffman
Taking inventory of something means going back and rechecking what is there and what is not. The title of the poem suggests that the author is re-examining his own past and taking account of what happened and what may have been. It's important to understand Hoffman's own background in order to understand the poem: Hoffman writes a memoir focusing on his father, whose wrestling with his own demons often estranged him from his family. The reference to the "two loves I could not welcome" is a reference to this relationship. Hoffman grew up in 1950s blue-collar Pennsylvania and early became acquainted with death--the deaths of his two brothers, disabled from muscular dystrophy--and with the attendant anger and sorrow that often pervades the lives of survivors. His mother's death; his alcoholism; his memories of sexual abuse by a coach, about which his father remained silent, became parts of Hoffman's troubled adulthood. This is referenced in the line "A year of mostly silence." The writer reflects on the what-ifs if different choices had been made in the final line, "Another man I might have been."
"Your Name" Makoto Shinkai
Teenage body swap movie which explores the fluidity of identity. The connection between Mitsuha and Taki are made by leaving messages, notes, and impressions once they are able to come back to their bodies. Despite the two teenager's differences (one from a big city and another from the rural countryside) they are able to bridge these differences and build a friendship.
"Dark House", from In Memorium Tennyson
Tennyson wrote this elegy "In Memorium" after the death of his very close friend and future brother-in-law Arthur Henry Hallam. In the poem, the speaker returns back to Arthur's house, but the house is dark and no one is there to receive him. The speaker, thoroughly haunted by grief, feels guilty at creeping around the street. All around him, the city awakes but it is contrasted by the bleak rainy weather. In the seventh canto "Dark House", the speaker has not emerged from the sense of loss and feels imprisoned by being alive, while Arthur is dead.
"For Want of a Nail" Proverb
The devil is in the details. By not having a nail, a kingdom is lost. Small things are interconnected and have unintended consequences.
"From" Fatimah Asghar & Eve L. Ewing
The poem is an interesting interpretation to the question of "Where are you from?" This question isn't as simple as it appears, no matter where it is coming from. From a "white" person, perhaps, the underlying meaning is the other person is foreign, thus they look at their difference like a "drone locking on its target". The underlying imagery behind this might be the prosecution of Muslims during the past few years due to the wars in the Middle East. But racism doesn't just come from "whites". Rather, it can come from a host of other races, as demonstrated by the second and third rows, where the questions are coming from people of that region. Then those who respond are expected to answer in a certain way or are expected to behave in a certain way to demonstrate that they haven't forgotten their culture. Racism and the way we judge each other doesn't just come from external sources but may also be internal, from within a culture itself.
"Encounter" Czeslaw Milosz
The relationship between the speaker, the person who made the gesture isn't clear. One may assume they were close. But the main point of theme of the poem appears to touch on the ephemeral nature of life. It is here and gone quickly, like the life of the hare. The speaker's tone isn't sad but rather appears to be surprised by this fact.
"The Answer" Robinson Jeffers
The speaker focuses mostly on the importance of integrity. The world around us is filled with evil and so it becomes our responsibility to choose the good that can be found in the world. However, the good seems not to reside on humans, but rather on the universe itself. Humanity is ugly and doomed.
"This Hour and What is Dead" Li Young Lee
The speaker is awake late at night thinking about the death of his brother. He is haunted by what may happen with his brother now that he is dead. This thought leads to his thought about his father, who is also up late, mending clothing out of love for his children. Then his thoughts move to God, who is does nothing while people die. He wishes that his brother, father, and God could just leave him alone.
"Abiku" Wole Soyinka
There are various interpretations to the poem "Abiku". The author, Soyinka is Nigerian, born to the Yoruba. The Yoruba tell of the Abiku, which is a spirit that come back to inhabit children or others, especially when that person is meant to make those around them the happiest. After the spirit has received the love and affection of the family members, it leaves. The mother is left to weep over her dead child. The Yoruba tell that the Abiku will come back again and again. Thus the mother might have a second child that looks very much like the first one, and it is also inhabited by the Abiku, fated to die again and cause grief, a fitting poem to be categorized under "Hauntings and the haunted"
"Try to Praise the Mutilated World" Adam Zagajewski
This poem was published in the wake of 9/11, when many were haunted by the loss of lives. It is clear that the mutilated world the speaker refers to is the terrible destruction of the WTCs. The poem juxtaposes harsh realities such as "refugees heading nowhere" with images that evoke an inner calm, for instance "Remember June's long days, and wild strawberries...". The message of the speaker seems a gentle reminder for the reader to try to find the good in a world that has gone wrong.
"Kinship" Margarita Engle
Two sets of family stories, one long and detailed, about many centuries of island ancestors, all living on the same tropical farm... The other side of the family tells stories that are brief and vague, about violence in the Ukraine, which Dad's parents had to flee forever, leaving all their loved ones behind. They don't even know if anyone survived. When Mami tells her flowery tales of Cuba, she fills the twining words with relatives. But when I ask my Ukrainian-Jewish-American grandma about her childhood in a village near snowy Kiev, all she reveals is a single memory of ice-skating on a frozen pond. Apparently, the length of a grown-up's growing-up story is determined by the difference between immigration and escape. This poem reflects the poet's multicultural background. It demonstrates how a bridge can connect these two different cultures. As Engle traveled between the two countries, this has given her a chance to gain a sense of freedom through her understanding of her background. The poem also touches on memories, which can be painful (or short) because of war or conflict, or long and beautiful due to a lack thereof.
"Sleeping With Ghosts" Stephen Dunn
What allows us to sleep at night, in peace, is the fact that those who have died in the past have done so in peace. Their ghosts just seek a resting place and let us have ours knowing that all living things will one day die and join them. But what about the other ghosts that have been wronged? The speaker doesn't come to a clear conclusion about what happens to them, except mentioning that a lot has been said about them. This leaves the reader with the question-what has been said and what are the consequences for those who were wronged? The focus of the poem is placed on those that are at peace with us, just like we are at peace with them, allowing a peaceful coexistence between the hauntings and the haunted.
"Look Up", Gary Turk
http://garyturk.com/portfolio-item/lookup/ Being connected through the Internet does not mean real connections to anyone, although you may have hundreds of friends. Gary Turk encourages people to take a break from social media to be in the "present".
"Wild Geese", Mary Oliver
http://www.phys.unm.edu/~tw/fas/yits/archive/oliver_wildgeese.html This poem deals with what one must do in order to be good in life. It isn't necessary to show this through grand gestures. Rather, the speaker wants the audience to be true to nature and the beauty found in it.
" i carry your heart with me", e.e. cummings
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) Analysis A free verse poem by cummings. The poem stresses the unity that exists between the partners. This is connected to the tree of life which in literature connects everything. The speaker's attitude towards love is an all encompassing love, a love that transcends time and space. There is an interconnectedness to nature and the world when one is in love.
