Industrialized Poets Essay Example for Free

Industrialized Poets Essay Edgar Allan Poe, Walter Benjamin, and Arthur Rimbaud all lived in the turbulent 19th Century where the idyllic countryside was giving way to the industrialized world. Their poetry reflects the profound impact industrialization’s onslaught had on the world. Starting from Edgar Allan Poe, to Arthur Rimbaud and finally to Walter Benjamin this paper will discuss the effect of industrialization on their respective worldview vis-à  -vis the situation of the world during their life time. A City in the Sea By Edgar Allan Poe Lo! Death has reared himself a throne In a strange city lying alone Far down within the dim West, Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best Have gone to their eternal rest. There shrines and palaces and towers (Time-eaten towers that tremble not!) Resemble nothing that is ours. Around, by lifting winds forgot, Resignedly beneath the sky The melancholy waters lie. No rays from the holy heaven come down On the long night-time of that town; But light from out the lurid sea Streams up the turrets silently — Gleams up the pinnacles far and free — Up domes — up spires — up kingly halls — Up fanes — up Babylon-like walls — Up shadowy long-forgotten bowers Of sculptured ivy and stone flowers — Up many and many a marvelous shrine Whose wreathà ©d friezes intertwine The viol, the violet, and the vine. So blend the turrets and shadows there That all seem pendulous in the air, While from a proud tower in the town Death looks gigantically down. There open fanes and gaping graves Yawn level with the luminous waves; But not the riches there that lie In each idols diamond eye — Not the gaily-jeweled dead Tempt the waters from their bed; For no ripples curl, alas! Along that wilderness of glass — No swellings tell that winds may be Upon some far-off happier sea — No heavings hint that winds have been On seas less hideously serene. But lo, a stir is in the air! The wave — there is a movement there! As if the towers had thrust aside, In slightly sinking, the dull tide — As if their tops had feebly given A void within the filmy Heaven. The waves have now a redder glow — The hours are breathing faint and low — And when, amid no earthly moans, Down, down that town shall settle hence, Hell, rising from a thousand thrones, Shall do it reverence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The setting is in a city in the west ruled by death who is worshiped by all. This set is often quoted or at least used for the crafting of gothic films or at work. Death looks down upon all from his high tower, like Sauron atop Barad-Dur. The city has ‘domes, spires and kingly halls, and fanes and Babylon like walls. The poem makes a rather ironic point because the west has always been associated with good and life and the east with evil and death. For example, in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy Aragorn is the goodly Lord of the West while the Sauron commands a legion of evil Easterlings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Poe speaks of a brooding end of days when ‘the waves now have a redder glow, the hours are breathing faint and low.’ The waves turning red as a sign of hells coming because red is the color of fire and hence the color of Hell and the Devil. ‘and when, amid no earthly moans, down, down the tower shall settle hence, Hell rising from a thousand thrones, shall do it reverence. It would appear that the poem speaks of the city of death as if it were superior to Hell. Rather, as if Hell were subordinate and must pay homage. The end is a creepy scene where the Devil expresses gratitude to the devil for allowing him to come and rule the Earth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As can be expected of Edgar Allan Poe the setting is dark and brooding. In relation to the modernization being experienced during Poe’s time it is quite possibly a comment on the widening gap between the rich and poor as a result of industrialization, specifically the factory system. Poe lived in the early 19th Century in his time factories were being setup left and right. People were migrating from the provinces to the cities in order to get jobs at the factories because the cottage industries they used to have were no longer viable. Instead they had to move to cities. The cities were grim gothic environs in their own right. Sanitation, Housing, and food were all in short supplies. The cities were dirty, grimy, disease ridden affairs for the vast majority of the rural immigrants. Life was short and dangerous, they lived miserable lives often working in inhuman conditions for factory owners who ruthlessly abused them. Contrast this with the capitalists who owned the factories. The newness of the factory system meant that laws were not yet in place to protect the rights of the workings. Unscrupulous factory owners worked the peasants to the hilt. Fourteen-hour work days and Six-day work weeks were not unknown. Wages were a scandal, with no wage boards or unions to protect them and with the labor being a buyers market most workers had no choice but to accept the poor wages or be unemployed. As a result, the factory owners could become oppressively rich. In fact, in the Victorian era the Nobles and the now-wealthy Capitalists mingled as equals in the lavish parties of the day. Men like Vanderbilt and Astor could afford to build Palatial estates fit for kings quite possibly at the expense of the wretched workers in their factories. In my opinion, aside from his already dark and brooding outlook and writing style, Edgar Allan Poe was inspired to write A City in the sea by his exposure to the factory system. The oppression of the workers vis-à  -vis the extreme privilege of the owner may have further jaded mr. Poe. He would is not the first, and he was certainly not the last to suggest that Hell itself will rise from the City in the Sea. Moving forward, Arthur Rimbaud’s Une Saison en Enfer or A season in hell was written at the time when he was recovering from a gunshot. The book has had considerable influence on later Surrealist writers it was considered a revolutionary work because it shunned conventional description, straightforward narrative and didactic purpose. His work revolts against naturalism, precision and objectivity. Rimbaud relies on suggestion and evocation rather than concrete depiction. For this paper we will focus on the second poem Bad blood. The poems read like the confessions of a self-confessed scoundrel. And why should it not? Rimbaud had a homosexual lover named Paul Verlaine who later shot him when they broke up. The book was direct result of his shooting and the tumults he underwent while recovering from the wound. Initially the book was unsuccessful. The poem Bad Blood, like the rest of his work, reads like the rants of a self-confessed scoundrel. He explores his pre-Christian, Gaellic origins and emphasizes his alienation from modern civilization. Scholars are at variance as to what the actual theme of his work is. However, the general consensus is that it has to do with the Narrator’s struggle to reconcile the ideals of Christianity with the Hypocrisy and Corruption of Western Civilization. There are many dualities presented and exposed for what they are. In relation to his times the Hypocrisy and Corruption was at its hilt. In those days nearly every European power had colonies overseas. All European nations, at least in the west, professed freedom and civil liberties as inalienable rights. Slavery and serfdom were obsolete and illegal in Western Europe. Yet all one has to do is leave the confines of continental Europe so see that slavery is still widely practiced. I believe that as result of modern printing and communication methods like the Morse code and the AFP news began to travel faster than it did before. This exposed Rimbaud to the many forms of Hypocrisy and Corruption that crippled the morale fiber of Europe. For example, Africans are treated as second-class citizens in their own country. They are forced to work inhumane conditions in the mines, plantations and farms of their European masters for little or no viable compensation. Civil liberties are denied to colonials to the hilt, in the Philippines the Spanish are allowed to beat up the locals just for not showing them the proper deference. In fact, he did not have to go very far. There were many reports of women and children working in English coal mines. They even went on strike to protest their inhumane wages and working conditions. Normally news from England would take days or even weeks to reach continental Europe and vise versa but thanks to the telegraph a worker’s strike in Paris can be known to Londoners as quickly as the next day. Finally, Benjamin’s work was perhaps the most heavily affected by industrialization. In fact, his book Paris, Capital of the Nineteenth Century is almost entirely about the advances and changes brought about by the rapid industrialization of the bygone century. The book outlines the changes in almost glowingly utopia perspective. This is in contrast to the dark, brooding and negative views of the previous authors. For example, the first chapter â€Å"Arcades† points out that material and social conditions that makes Arcades possible. With the advancement of capitalism, Arcades have become obsolete, replaced by the department store. As an aside, Benjamin refers to Arcades as almost utopian paradises. The next chapter about Daguerre photography mentions the role of photography in transforming art. The chapter also mentions how photos become a commodity and emphasizes the commodity trade of photographs in relation to portraits. Benjamin will later refer to this as unconscious optics. The fourth chapter points out how the rapidly industrialized world has successfully separated home from work. In the olden days of Agriculture people worked that land where they lived. In his day people traveled quite far to reach the factories and shops where they worked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Simply put, Benjamin chronicles the changes that industrialization has brought about. It is appears he view industrialization as positive since there are few mentions of the negative aspect of it. Instead Industrialization is viewed positively as a means to improve the lives and livelihoods of people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Industrialization brought about massive changes during the 19th century. Poets and writers as purveyors and chroniclers of the people’s world-view are not isolated from these sweeping changes. These authors are just a few examples of how the great changes of their times greatly affected their styles.

Technology - A Futuristic Prom :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

A Futuristic Prom RING, RING! "Hello, this is Matty337." "Hey Matty337, it's Zinc451, what's up?" "Nothin' much, I am just enjoying my Saturday afternoon home alone." "Oh, I Just called to ask you a question." "What is it Zinc? Is something wrong?" "No, Matty, I was just wondering if... well I know it's kind of short notice, but I was wondering if... you would like to go to the Neptunian Starlight Prom with me." "Sure Zinc I'd love to go!" "Yeah, I'll pick you up at 7:30, O.K.?" "Ya, I'll see you at 7:30, bye!" "Bye, Matty!" Finally, he asked me. I've been waiting all my life for Zinc to ask me out on a date. After all, I've only had a crush on him since the year 2149. Just think, the most astronomical guy in school asked me to the Neptunian Starlight prom of the year 2153. It's going to be the best night of my life! Oh no, I totally spaced it out. The prom is tonight and I don't have a dress. The Mars Mall is too many miles for my spacecraft to fly this afternoon from my galaxy purple house on 95070 Jupiter Street. What will I do? Suddenly, it dawns on me; I can order a dress off of the Universal Wide Web and have it teleported to my own house! My teleporter is a very complex machine used to make one object disintegrate and appear somewhere else in perfect replica. This is a machine that works on 3-dimensional objects as opposed to 2-dimensional sheets of paper. It looks almost like a fax machine and scans the original object, breaks it up into billions of tiny atoms, scans it to a new location and rearranges it in its perfect form. I run down stairs as quick as possible, there is no time to waste. I open the office door and plop down in the chair in front of my new 2153 Model Astrocomputer. After turning on the super fast computer and atomic laser printer I begin to work. When the 3-D super pixel screen comes up I immediately click on the blue U for Universal Explorer. I plug in my Interstellar Satellite Modem. I go to the top of the screen where the word DESTINATION: jumps out at me. I suddenly get a rush of excitement all throughout my body. Finally I am going to get the perfect prom dress! I click on the destination box and begin to type- www. Technology - A Futuristic Prom :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers A Futuristic Prom RING, RING! "Hello, this is Matty337." "Hey Matty337, it's Zinc451, what's up?" "Nothin' much, I am just enjoying my Saturday afternoon home alone." "Oh, I Just called to ask you a question." "What is it Zinc? Is something wrong?" "No, Matty, I was just wondering if... well I know it's kind of short notice, but I was wondering if... you would like to go to the Neptunian Starlight Prom with me." "Sure Zinc I'd love to go!" "Yeah, I'll pick you up at 7:30, O.K.?" "Ya, I'll see you at 7:30, bye!" "Bye, Matty!" Finally, he asked me. I've been waiting all my life for Zinc to ask me out on a date. After all, I've only had a crush on him since the year 2149. Just think, the most astronomical guy in school asked me to the Neptunian Starlight prom of the year 2153. It's going to be the best night of my life! Oh no, I totally spaced it out. The prom is tonight and I don't have a dress. The Mars Mall is too many miles for my spacecraft to fly this afternoon from my galaxy purple house on 95070 Jupiter Street. What will I do? Suddenly, it dawns on me; I can order a dress off of the Universal Wide Web and have it teleported to my own house! My teleporter is a very complex machine used to make one object disintegrate and appear somewhere else in perfect replica. This is a machine that works on 3-dimensional objects as opposed to 2-dimensional sheets of paper. It looks almost like a fax machine and scans the original object, breaks it up into billions of tiny atoms, scans it to a new location and rearranges it in its perfect form. I run down stairs as quick as possible, there is no time to waste. I open the office door and plop down in the chair in front of my new 2153 Model Astrocomputer. After turning on the super fast computer and atomic laser printer I begin to work. When the 3-D super pixel screen comes up I immediately click on the blue U for Universal Explorer. I plug in my Interstellar Satellite Modem. I go to the top of the screen where the word DESTINATION: jumps out at me. I suddenly get a rush of excitement all throughout my body. Finally I am going to get the perfect prom dress! I click on the destination box and begin to type- www.

Intercultural Communications: Japan Essay

Cultural diversity is what people seek to embrace in an effort to get on well with people of different backgrounds. Tolerance is expected while in foreign countries though at times culture shocks are inevitable. Japan is a rich country in terms of culture and technology and it is important to fully comprehend their way of life to be able to mingle with them. What is acceptable in one country maybe considered disrespectful in others and it is therefore important to learn about the customs, practices and the general lifestyle of the Japanese people. This case study seeks to highlight the lifestyle of the Japanese people in terms of social interactions, etiquette, and style of doing business, customer preferences as well as sensitive matters that must be approached with caution. Japanese etiquette According to Mishima (2010), the Japanese are very respectful people and one custom they observe is bowing their heads down. This bowing culture is known as Ojigi and it applies as a form of greeting and also as a sign of respect. It has taken root in Japanese greetings, something which almost replaces the handshake. Foreigners are however pardoned for this and they will receive a rather weak handshake as Japanese stay away from close body contact. While in Japan, it will be considered impolite if people do not return the bow and it is therefore epitome to learn how to do so as it may cost business. Another important fact to note about the Japanese people is that they do not like physical contact with others since it seems to make them uncomfortable. With changing times however and them playing host to many visitors, the Japanese people may shake hands with foreigners. Bowing is taken seriously in Japan and the Japanese people view it as respectful, as a way of showing gratitude as well as a way to apologise. When dealing with older people, the bow is normally deeper and longer and this shows total respect. Casual greetings take a shorter bow while a business bow is done at an angle of 30 degrees. To show gratitude or give a formal apology, the bow angle changes to 45 degrees and this may also be used to express respect to senior people. When executing the bow, men must have their hands on their sides while women are supposed to place their hands on their thighs. What to avoid while in Japan  According to Williams (2010), the Japanese people are very direct when it comes to foreigners and people must pardon them if they ask personal questions such as how much money they make or how big their houses are. The Japanese people expect loyalty in business relationships and failure to this may mean no business at all. They love people who are good dressers and so if people are to make a point over that business meeting they must dress to impress. The Japanese business scene requires businessmen to dress up in conservative suits in a dark shade. Dressing casually to a business meeting is not welcome and this may cost people a contract. Removing shoes is second nature in many Japanese settings and it is therefore advisable to wear those that are easy to remove. Businesswomen must wear minimal accessories and dress conservatively. Women must never wear trousers to a business meeting as the Japanese men will take offence. The Japanese people also believe that women must wear low shoes as they do not like the idea of being towered over. When it comes to wearing the kimono, the left must always be over the right since wearing it otherwise signifies death and it is forms a basis of being misunderstood. The Japanese are conservative and the use of large gestures by the hands considered. People must steer clear from funny facial expressions or any move that attracts unnecessary attention (Williams, 2010). During a business meeting, it is important to stay away from the â€Å"ok† sign since the Japanese always translate it to mean money, according to Williams (2010). Pointing at people as well as blowing the nose publicly is not acceptable in a Japanese territory. Business cards are very important to the Japanese in business and they are given and received with both hands. It is important to print it in Japanese on one side and in your home language on the other. When presenting it, the part printed in Japanese must always face up. After receiving this card, people must not write on it or slip it into their wallets. The Japanese consider all these actions disrespectful and they would be pleased if the person took time to read the card and examine it carefully. This phase is so important that no business transactions will take place until business cards have been exchanged. The Japanese refrain from using the word ‘no’ and in many circumstances may give a â€Å"yes† answer to mean â€Å"no†. It is therefore of essence to understand this since failure to do so may lead to several disagreements during business negotiations (Williams, 2010). Social interactions According to the U. S. Library Congress (2010), the Japanese are harmonious people who have great value for self development and order. Among the values they hold close to their hearts is living peacefully with others be they spiritual or human beings. They believe strongly in everyone fulfilling the social obligations set for them by the society. The Japanese believe in gods and they extend the belief to what befalls people. The gods are believed to have a huge influence in the Japanese lives and they are believed to have the power to control human emotions. The Japanese believe that they are rewarded by the gods if they do good things to others and that is why they highly condemn antisocial behaviour. The Japanese are highly social animals and this culture is developed from an early age. Interdependence is the core of the Japanese people survival and it is encouraged right from the home to the community. The Japanese disregard open competition and in the same breath do not work well with competition. They practice high self-control but at the same time work hard in cooperation with others in an effort to meet their personal obligations. Decision-making is not a one person thing and this brings them together to chart the way forward and they value group work and association with others. They value strong business relationships and work hard to maintain them though hierarchy occurs naturally. In business meetings, the Japanese are keen to exchange business cards as they value it as a tool for interaction. The Japanese style of doing business According to Lafayette (2003), the Japanese often view other people as dishonest especially those from the western countries. The major reason behind this assumption is a disparity in the understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Their perceptions are varied and this makes other people look bad before them. As evidenced by Lafayette, the Japanese are very wary of their business interactions with other people and in their speeches always urge them to be sincere in the transactions. By emphasizing on sincerity, the Japanese have harmony in mind which will include each person contributing fully to meet his or her obligations to make the dealing successful. They also emphasize on the correct choice of words to avoid confrontations and unwanted excitement which may lead to loss of business. It is typical of the Japanese people to be more concerned with the manner and form in which the business is being transacted. On the other hand, westerners are more result-oriented and this could cause friction between both parties. Japanese people in business tend to care more about personal relationships and these calls for a deeper understanding which prompts deep discussions of every minute detail (Lafayette, 2003). Root binding must be done in an effort to nurture the business ties formed since over the years, distance may grow between the two parties as each side tends to interpret the agreement differently. According to Lafayette (2003), this is caused by differences in perception rather than deviousness. The Japanese business people also belief that naturally the business ties will change just as circumstances change over a period of time. The trick here is therefore being flexible enough to adjust as the business relationship may prompt if business ties with any Japanese are to be maintained. Japanese customer preferences According to Cordell (2010), foreign products are subject to intense customer evaluations and they better be good. Other than the resources used in production of the commodity as well as the cost benefits, a foreign product must gain an edge in the market if it is to compete with other local products. The common notion is that products from industrialised nations of the world are valued higher than those from developing countries. The product will therefore be perceived either positively or negatively depending on the country of origin. A brand name is what sells and in most cases, Japanese consumers will go for a product that comes from a reputable company. Marketing of a new product in a foreign land therefore needs be strategic if it is to sell and the company has to aim at maximising its profits. This therefore calls for intensive knowledge of the product as well as assuring the consumers of high quality judging from the fact that Japan is very advanced in industrial and technological matters. Conclusion Japan ranks second in the world’s superpowers’ list and being able to penetrate her territories for a business venture is the best that could happen to any business. It is therefore important to understand their cultural value as it is a step towards understanding how business flows on the other end. Being a foreigner in Japan can be a great experience while at other times it can be stressful. This will happen if people do not take time to study the lifestyle of the Japanese and this may lead to collisions with them. When it comes to the product, it must be well researched and well packaged if it is to survive the stiff competition that Japan offers. It must have an edge on the products already in the market and the marketing-process must also be well researched to address the market needs. The product must be well presented by its marketers in an attractive and practical package and it must have the potential of competing fully with its predecessors in the market. However, a blissful business relationship is bound to develop if people respect their lifestyle and make adjustments to suit in their midst.

Playtime by Jacques Tati Shot Analysis - 1265 Words

PLAYTIME by Jacques Tati Shot from 03:12 – 04:48 / Airport waiting room __________________________________________________________________________ Jacques Tati’s 1967 film, Playtime, captures a cascading series of events through the sterile architecture of Paris, in which few familiar characters inhabit. Tati’s infamous alter ego, Monsieur Hulot, haphazardly occupies many scenes as he stumbles through Paris after trying to contact an American official. The film is confined to no genre, nor does it necessarily form a new one – it simply exists in its own right as an exploration of societal function. Originally shot on 70mm, the film carries†¦show more content†¦The off centre position of the camera in relation to the furniture also allow for the chairs to act as depth cues and show the enormous length of the room. Everything in the frame is in focus, which in a cinema viewing is a lot to take in, especially considering the films aspect ratio of 1.85:1. However, the audiences’ eyes are cleverly guided around the frame by almost unnaturally loud sounds, some of which are accentuated in post-production by Tati. The sounds against the floors create a reverbing echo, highlighting the absurd impracticality of the building. A man and a woman sit in the bottom left hand corner of the frame in what appears to be a waiting area. They are dressed identically in their monotonous grey colours, as if they are enslaved to the colours surrounding them. During the shot’s beginning, the audience is drawn to the nuns and their rhythmic footsteps as they enter the frame. Then, through a combination of actor gestures and dialogue, this gaze shifts to the two c haracters anchored in the foreground of the image. The rattling of a table being wheeled out by a man in white into the frame moves our eyes, as well as the couples own attention, to