America
America, you ode for reality!
Give back the people you took.
Let the sun shine again
on the four corners of the world
you thought of first but do not
own, or keep like a convenience.
People are your own word, you
invented that locus and term.
Here, you said and say, is
where we are. Give back
what we are, these people you made,
us, and nowhere but you to be.
Give back the people you took.
Let the sun shine again
on the four corners of the world
you thought of first but do not
own, or keep like a convenience.
People are your own word, you
invented that locus and term.
Here, you said and say, is
where we are. Give back
what we are, these people you made,
us, and nowhere but you to be.
Robert Creeley
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/america/
Picture of Robert Creely
(http://peaceandwarpoetics.wikispaces.com/Robert+Creeley)
Robert Creely is a member of the Black Mountain movement of poetry. The only real criteria of this movement is that the poets were all taught at Black Mountain College in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Also, poems of this period have an focus of process over product. Creely's poem "America" follows along with these requirements; he criticizes the process of the United States government. Lines like "America, you ode for reality" and " People are your own word, you invented that locus and term" show the dislike of America. There are several tones throughout the poem; it is criticizing, demanding, and a little sarcastic. It especially related to the Black Mountain movement because the speaker disapproves of the process of the American government, but not necessarily the product. I believe that he still thinks America is a great country that does lots of great things, but there are fundamental errors within the government that need to be resolved.
No comments:
Post a Comment