From Whitman to Olds The Lifelong Story of American Poetry

Introduction: American Poetry From Whitman to Olds American poetry is one of the most amazing phenomena in the history of the literature. Incorporating the elements of the literature peculiarities of various cultures and at the same time possessing and developing its own unique features, American poetry is an original issue that requires thorough consideration.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on From Whitman to Olds: The Lifelong Story of American Poetry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Tracking the development of American poetry becomes possible if taking the most famous creations of the most honored and widely recognized American poets of the past and the modern days, like Walt Whitman and Sharon Olds. Taking such poems as The One Girl at the Boys’ Party and The Song of Myself, one can trace the similarities and the differences between the two pieces, namely, the objects of the poems, the processes taking p lace in the poems and the ideas that the authors convey in the poems, which will allow to make certain conclusions concerning the development of the American poetry from the XIX to the XX century. Putting Two and Two Together: Whitman and Olds’ Poems Analysis The Common and the Different Objects When comparing Whitman’s Song of Myself and The One Girl at the Boys’ Party, one must admit that the accents out across the pieces are completely the same. Indeed, looking closer at the two poems, one can see distinctly that Whitman’s poem is written in the first person and exposes the feelings of the poet himself to the audience. Still, even though the author’s lead character is a man, the 11th verse of the poem focuses on a woman, so far and so desired, and her own feelings – or, to be more precise, the feelings that the lead character supposes her to have: Which of the young men does she like the best? Ah the homeliest of them is beautiful to her. Where are you off to, lady? for I see you, You splash in the water there, yet stay stock still in your room (19). Much like Whitman’s creation, the poem written by Olds depicts the young girl, uncertain and shy, yet the feelings and emotions that the entire piece is ridden through belong to a different person, a woman as well, presumably, the girl’s mother. In the given poem, the object is a young woman as well, pure and desired, yet completely unaware of her charm, which makes her even more attractive: â€Å"†¦she’ll subtract her height from ten feet, divide it into hundreds of gallons of water, the numbers bounding in her mind like molecules of chlorine in the bright blue pool (83).†Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, it is important to mark that the lead characters of the poems provide a striking contrast to each other, a caring mot her and a cool-blooded man. The Processes, Similar and Contrasting Speaking of the processes going on in the given poems, one must mark that Whitman’s Song of Myself depicts the development of a young woman, her recognition of her own womanhood and attractiveness, as well as her frailty and tenderness: â€Å"The rest did not see her, but she saw them and loved them† (19). The same process takes place in Olds’s poem which leads the reader into the holy of the holies, the secrets of girlhood: â€Å"her sweet face, solemn and sealed, a factor of one† (83). However, the process in Whitman’s novel concerns a woman and a grown-up personality, whereas Olds depict the transition from girlhood into womanhood. The Ideas: The Clash and the Entity Despite the seeming difference in the ideas of the poems, it cannot be denied that the two poetic pieces are intertwined with the common issue. Olds, one of the confessional writers who â€Å"have focused much of th eir work on family relationships (156),† as Beach explains, conveys the idea of care, the inexperienced youth and the gender issues, which becomes obvious when noticing such lines as â€Å"my girl,† â€Å"narrow silk suit† and â€Å"the curves of their sexes† (83). As Podnieks and O’Reilly explain, â€Å"When critics and reviewers describe the poetry of Sharon Olds, they tend to place her within one of two categories: a sexually explicit poet or a poet who is a daughter or a mother† (241). It is important to note that Whitman focuses on the relationships between a man and a woman as well, yet his characters are more mature: â€Å"The beards of young men glisten’d with wet† (19). However, the gender issue is also there, yet it is more subtle: â€Å"Which of the young men does she like the best?† (19). In Whitman’s poem, there’s less care and more of the manlike passion. In addition, Song of Myself is much mor e puritan, which is the feature of Whitman’s poetry (Shucard 179). Conclusion: The Same Old Story or the New Beginning? Showing the development of American poetry in the most explicit way, the two poems in question are quite close to each other. Despite the world of obvious differences and the inevitable clash of viewpoints, the poems depict the change within a woman in quite similar ways.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on From Whitman to Olds: The Lifelong Story of American Poetry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Peculiar and unique specimens of American poetry, these poems offer a plethora of ideas to consider. In addition, comparing and contrasting the man’s and the woman’s vision of womanhood, one can see that the sterner and the softer sex have much more points of contact than one could expect. Works Cited Beach, Christopher. The Cambridge Introduction to Twentieth-Century American  Poe try. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print. Olds, Sharon. â€Å"The One Girl at the Boys’ Party.† Feminist Visions of Gender Similarities  and Differences. Ed. Meredith M. Kimbal. New York, NY: Routledge, 1995. Print. Podnieks, Elizabeth, and Andrea O’Reilly. Textual Mothers: Motherhood in  Contemporary Women’s Literatures. Ontario, CA: Winfried Laurier University, 2010. Print. Shucard, Alan. American Poetry: The Puritans through Walt Whitman. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts, 1990. Print. Whitman, Walt. â€Å"Song of Myself.† Leaves of Grass. Ed. Walt Whitman. Clarkston, WA: Mundus Publishing, 1929. Print. This essay on From Whitman to Olds: The Lifelong Story of American Poetry was written and submitted by user Marley Schmidt to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Concepts of Migration and Its Types

The Concepts of Migration and Its Types Migration refers to a situation where individuals and /or family members relocate to a foreign country or region to ameliorate their economic or social prospects. According to the United Nations, a migrant is someone who has lived in a foreign country for a period exceeding one year, regardless of the circumstances that prompted them to move.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Concepts of Migration and Its Types specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Considering this definition, those visiting for shorter durations cannot be classified as migrants. There are several concepts that relate to migration. They include transnationalism, transnational migrants, and migrant transnationalism. Transnationalism refers to any social process that surpasses national borders. These activities are not confined to a particular country or region. Transnational migrants are those in constant motion. They constantly cross national borders as opposed to settling in one country. Migrant transnationalism refers to a situation where migrants retain and maintain ties with their home countries. This accords them an opportunity to participate in affairs of the host country, as well as their home country. There are various types of migrant transnationalism. They include economic transnationalism, and political transnationalism. In economic transnationalism, migrants contribute to the economy of the host country, as well as maintain relations with their home country. Such migrants send money back to their country of origin. These remittances are meant to support families that were left behind by the migrants. The remittances largely impact on the economies of sending countries. In political transnationalism, immigrants participate actively in political activities both in the host and home country. Most immigrants retain right to vote in their home country. However, migrant transnationalism is not a new occurrence. In contempora ry society, migration is made easier by technological advancements and developments in international mass media. These factors have increased the visibility of migrant transnationalism. Migration impacts heavily on the identity of immigrants. Identity refers to consciousness of belonging to a certain social grouping. Types of identity are ethnic identity, national identity, occupational identity, and social class identity. Migration plays a key role in altering identity of individuals. In migration trends, women are constantly put to focus. Most immigrant women find it difficult to move around and search for employment in the host country. Any form of movement by women impacts negatively on familial bond and structure. This is attributed to the fact that family relations and interactions are anchored on women.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If women are away from thei r families for long periods, the family gets to realign itself to the prevailing circumstances. Immigrant women earn less compared to men. This is because women are mostly semi-skilled. This makes it difficult for them to get well-paying jobs. In many societies around the world, women are required to stay at home and look after children. This means that immigrant women do not get support from their male partners. Therefore, migration for women is an occasion for possible rejection. It is evident that women face numerous challenges relating to migration. Women find it difficult to move around with their families. Consequently, they have to arrange on how their families will be catered for in their absence. Immigrant women often perform jobs that are lowly ranked in society. They work as sexual workers, caregivers, and domestic household workers. These jobs attract poor compensation rates. Women are disadvantaged by their subordinate gender position in society. Their jobs are exploita tive and demeaning. Most women migrate for economic reasons. Others are forced to migrate in order to escape abusive spouses. Others migrate to reunite with their families. Women have more to lose in comparison to men. The circumstances surrounding migration of women are difficult and unique. Women face difficulty in finding employment in host countries. However, men are well placed in terms of employment prospects in the host country.