Movies
by Lilly Hastings
An Intro to My Anthology
A good movie pulls at your heart strings, excites you, brings you to laughter
and tears, and very rarely takes you back to times you have experienced or are
experiencing. A director much like a poet is the one pulling the heart strings, telling
the joke. He’s the one pouring everything he can into the into the poem, into the
movie, trying to instill within you an idea which grows so much in your mind that it
gains the ability to inspire you. This is what I want to do with my anthology. I want
to inspire you, at the very least show you that behind every wall of text lies the
exposed face of a real human being.
My anthology is aimed at an array of audiences from small children, to grown
adults, and although juxtaposed, they share the common ground of stimulating
thoughts that sit with people. This is my goal: to pull heartstrings, to make you
laugh, make you cry; give you an idea to feed on. I to be successful in meeting these
standards, o read my anthology and decide for yourself whether or not I achieved
my goal.
and tears, and very rarely takes you back to times you have experienced or are
experiencing. A director much like a poet is the one pulling the heart strings, telling
the joke. He’s the one pouring everything he can into the into the poem, into the
movie, trying to instill within you an idea which grows so much in your mind that it
gains the ability to inspire you. This is what I want to do with my anthology. I want
to inspire you, at the very least show you that behind every wall of text lies the
exposed face of a real human being.
My anthology is aimed at an array of audiences from small children, to grown
adults, and although juxtaposed, they share the common ground of stimulating
thoughts that sit with people. This is my goal: to pull heartstrings, to make you
laugh, make you cry; give you an idea to feed on. I to be successful in meeting these
standards, o read my anthology and decide for yourself whether or not I achieved
my goal.
Poem #1
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silvertein
Where the Sidewalk Ends has been a favorite of my family’s for as long as I can remember. Throughout my fourteen years of existence, Silvertein has been my escape to a time where I can remember feeling nothing but joy, only for the fact of being alive. I feel that everyone can relate to thinking the way that he writes, with wonder, with awe, with no cares as to what anybody thinks. I think that this poem captures the sense of childhood that most people find pleasure in looking back on and reminiscing, much like movies do. When I watch movies that display the raw view on the world that children possess, it makes me feel sort of bittersweet. Bitter, because I envy their ability to see past the stereotypes and judgmental views that we are all subconsciously fed throughout our lives. Sweet, because after I watch a film I feel like a new person; I feel that I can do anything, and it is that feeling that will inspire people to revert back to the simple, happy ways of thinking. Silverstein does an exemplary job at composing a poem that is relatable to an array of age groups, from small children, to teens, to adults recollecting memories of a prior state of mind.
This poem, like many great examples of cinema, is gifted with the ability to alter the audience's perspective. Through the use of phrases like "let us", "we'll go" and "we shall", Silverstein invites the reader into the piece and allows us to embody the innate and boundlessly innocent perspective of childhood, and he does this so eloquently that he effectively leads part of our earlier lives back into our conscious minds. The fact that he has to announce the fact that there is a place between the two places suggests that that is an effective representation of what the majority of the world is like. The relationship he creates between the sidewalk and the street, to this dirty industrialized world that we have all learned to call home, is superb. He creates the idea that the part of our world that we are incapable of seeing is in fact serene, maybe blissful. It is a place that our corrupt minded adults are unable to see but the children with open minds, open eyes are able to see with ease. This example of symbolism is carried throughout the entire poem. For example, in line one the symbol is introduced. Throughout the piece, to the very last, line the idea is reiterated when he ends the poem by saying “the place where the sidewalk ends”. The last line stretches the extended metaphor he uses, and leaves the idea of this immaculate place dangling in your mind.
Where the Sidewalk Ends has been a favorite of my family’s for as long as I can remember. Throughout my fourteen years of existence, Silvertein has been my escape to a time where I can remember feeling nothing but joy, only for the fact of being alive. I feel that everyone can relate to thinking the way that he writes, with wonder, with awe, with no cares as to what anybody thinks. I think that this poem captures the sense of childhood that most people find pleasure in looking back on and reminiscing, much like movies do. When I watch movies that display the raw view on the world that children possess, it makes me feel sort of bittersweet. Bitter, because I envy their ability to see past the stereotypes and judgmental views that we are all subconsciously fed throughout our lives. Sweet, because after I watch a film I feel like a new person; I feel that I can do anything, and it is that feeling that will inspire people to revert back to the simple, happy ways of thinking. Silverstein does an exemplary job at composing a poem that is relatable to an array of age groups, from small children, to teens, to adults recollecting memories of a prior state of mind.
This poem, like many great examples of cinema, is gifted with the ability to alter the audience's perspective. Through the use of phrases like "let us", "we'll go" and "we shall", Silverstein invites the reader into the piece and allows us to embody the innate and boundlessly innocent perspective of childhood, and he does this so eloquently that he effectively leads part of our earlier lives back into our conscious minds. The fact that he has to announce the fact that there is a place between the two places suggests that that is an effective representation of what the majority of the world is like. The relationship he creates between the sidewalk and the street, to this dirty industrialized world that we have all learned to call home, is superb. He creates the idea that the part of our world that we are incapable of seeing is in fact serene, maybe blissful. It is a place that our corrupt minded adults are unable to see but the children with open minds, open eyes are able to see with ease. This example of symbolism is carried throughout the entire poem. For example, in line one the symbol is introduced. Throughout the piece, to the very last, line the idea is reiterated when he ends the poem by saying “the place where the sidewalk ends”. The last line stretches the extended metaphor he uses, and leaves the idea of this immaculate place dangling in your mind.
VIDEO
This is someone's interpretation of Shel SIlverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends".
Citation: Jaffe, Eric. "Shel Silverstein - Where the Sidewalk Ends - Bushman 2011 Ukulele Video Contest." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Jan. 2011. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. |
Poem #2
This poem is ideal for my movie anthology because it shares many of the same qualities that a good film does. Typically, the first scene in a movie introduces the narrator, or main character: the voice of the film. This poem does exactly that. The first two lines introduce the speaker, which I gathered to be the author, Carl Sandburg. He seems to be in a place of vulnerability that rang of familiarity the first time I read it. He is in a place of such desperation, that all he knows to do is beg; beg for feelings, of negativity, of love, for acceptance, even company. I don't know about you, but I've been in a place similar to this, where I felt helpless, and confused, and all I wanted was company. I think this is a universal feeling, even if some want to deny it. Sandburg did a great job creating vivid images that will resonate with the reader. Personally, my favorite example of imagery is in lines six and seven where he says “...From your doors of gold and fame, Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger.” Immediately a rush of images flooded my brain; I was thinking about a malnourished man crawling up to a set of golden gates that peak so high, the tops get lost in the clouds illuminated with the glow from the metal, and him wailing and pleading for compassion from omniscient holders of authority. In all honesty I felt pity for the man. I think that a successful work of literature, or form of entertainment can evoke strong feelings towards a character from the viewer, or reader in this case. Success is when the viewer subconsciously develops a connection with the character, and doesn't realize it until the very end; it leaves them wanting more.
I think Sandburg did a palatable job using figurative language that allows the reader to get to know him in a sense. He was able to tap into a place of suck raw desperation, and even if he himself wasn't meat to be the narrator he still had to find those feelings inside of him to be able to write this way.. Once you can accomplish this as a a writer, or an artist, or an entertainer etc, you know you've done something amazing. The aforementioned relationship between the reader on the outside of the text, and the man behind it was an amazing call by Sandburg and I applaud him for it.
I think Sandburg did a palatable job using figurative language that allows the reader to get to know him in a sense. He was able to tap into a place of suck raw desperation, and even if he himself wasn't meat to be the narrator he still had to find those feelings inside of him to be able to write this way.. Once you can accomplish this as a a writer, or an artist, or an entertainer etc, you know you've done something amazing. The aforementioned relationship between the reader on the outside of the text, and the man behind it was an amazing call by Sandburg and I applaud him for it.
Poem #3
This poem speaks about a man festering feelings of hate, and of anger, towards someone; it is about his realization that this will bring no good to him, nor anybody else. The last words of the first two lines are a good example of assonance, as well as the every other pair of lines. The poem flows easily, and I think that that helps to get the author's point across. I believe that he is trying to accentuate the downfalls to allowing these feelings of aggravation to chafe against one another. He blatantly states that once he told his friend how he was feeling, that his frustration dissolved. This gives him leeway to use the rest of the poem to expand on his point. This was a strategic move on Blake's part. Even if he didn't o it intentionally, then it was a beautiful mistake.
This poem created some colorful images in my head. My favorite was in the forst two lines of the third stanza. The “....it grew both day and night..” instinctively made me think of a baby. Baby's are constantly growing ago I assumed that was what he was referring to. In the second line, he then went on to say “....Till it bore an apple bright..”. This made me think of the evil stepmother in Snow White, and how she used something so beautiful to do something so evil. Although her actions were out of jealousy, they benefitted her, very much like the man in this poem. He ends up benefiting from his foe's misfortune. This goes to show that poems and movies can have similar themes, and ideas; they just portray them in a different way.
This poem created some colorful images in my head. My favorite was in the forst two lines of the third stanza. The “....it grew both day and night..” instinctively made me think of a baby. Baby's are constantly growing ago I assumed that was what he was referring to. In the second line, he then went on to say “....Till it bore an apple bright..”. This made me think of the evil stepmother in Snow White, and how she used something so beautiful to do something so evil. Although her actions were out of jealousy, they benefitted her, very much like the man in this poem. He ends up benefiting from his foe's misfortune. This goes to show that poems and movies can have similar themes, and ideas; they just portray them in a different way.
Poem #4 (excerpt)
After the Movie by Marie Howe
My friend Michael and I are walking home arguing about the movie.
He says that he believes a person can love someone
and still be able to murder that person.
I say, No, that's not love. That's attachment.
Michael says, No, that's love. You can love someone, then come to a day
when you're forced to think "it's him or me"
think "me" and kill him.
I say, Then it's not love anymore.
Michael says, It was love up to then though.
I say, Maybe we mean different things by the same word.
Michael says, Humans are complicated: love can exist even in the
murderous heart.
I say that what he might mean by love is desire.
Love is not a feeling, I say. And Michael says, Then what is it?
In movies there is almost always more than one character, and when there's more than one character, there's more than one opinion. Everybody will form there own opinions. I think that this poem is special because it gives you a chance to disagree; it gives you more than one person to consider. The beautiful thing about this poem is that there are two perspectives to which people can side with. Without further ado, what I think of both sides:
JUXTAPOSITION!!!
Michael
I think that Michael likes ot think realistically. I think that he uses repetition when speaking about loves, because the idea taunts him, yet he looks for excuses to reject it. Howe uses great irony in the third to last line, when she refers to the heart as murderous. Hearts are what pump blood through your veins, to your heart to your head, they're what keep us alive. This makes me think that maybe he is afraid of being hurt, so that he finds reasons to repel love. |
Narrator
I'm assuming the narrator is a girl, given the way they talk so passionately, and so freely about love; not that it's not acceptable for a male to speak this way, this is just what I concluded. The Narrator seems to want to have something to believe in. It seems like she's been fed this idea of love through movies. through peers, through her family, and she wants to be able ot fall back on this web of idea that's been woven for her. I think that she trusts herself in the sense that she isn't going to let Michael's views interrupt her being content with hers. |
You're done!
Now that you have completed reading my anthology I hope that you have been enlightened to the many connections between poetry and cinema. Each of the authors that I have included also have other superb pieces that are worth looking into. I hope you enjoyed!
Bibliography
Blake, William. "A Poison Tree." - Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15524>.
Bordwell, David. "The Fans in the Front Row." Getty Images, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013.
Howe, Marie. "After the Movie." - Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20058>.
Jaffe, Eric. "Shel Silverstein - Where the Sidewalk Ends - Bushman 2011 Ukulele Video Contest." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Jan. 2011. Web. 31 Jan. 2013.
Sandburg, Carl. "At a Window." - Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/22280>.
Silverstein, Shel. "Where the Sidewalk Ends." - Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013
Bordwell, David. "The Fans in the Front Row." Getty Images, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013.
Howe, Marie. "After the Movie." - Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20058>.
Jaffe, Eric. "Shel Silverstein - Where the Sidewalk Ends - Bushman 2011 Ukulele Video Contest." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Jan. 2011. Web. 31 Jan. 2013.
Sandburg, Carl. "At a Window." - Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/22280>.
Silverstein, Shel. "Where the Sidewalk Ends." - Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013