Western Civilization Poem Analysis Essays

The poem which in its English translation is called “Western civilization” (“Civilizacao ocidental”), constitutes a good example of that so-called civilization and Christianity brought to Angola (and other parts of Africa) by the Portuguese colonizers.The questions I would like to ask in relation to this poem are: will the reader feel enough revolt and disgust against Western civilization that he/she will want to work towards the independence of Angola?This poem is indeed a good illustration of the (un)civilization, the (un)Christianity brought to Africans by the Portuguese: hunger, cold, physical and mental exhaustion, and alienation.These readers will only be disappointed and even confused for what is to be painted in the poem is not c...

He never doubted the validity of Western civilization, never lapsed into sentiment over the supposed virtues of savages; but it was the spread of law, literacy, communications, useful arts that he applauded, not the enlargement of frontiers… civilizing the world was a worthwhile task, and though likely to be thankless, a task in which all might join if they would accept the law (Carrington 332).He sees that the notion of The White Man’s Burden, just like Orientalism, has one goal to justify the supremacy of the Western colonizer over the colonized people through depicting stereotypical images of them known as a discourse.This construction of the Orient as the other, in an uninterrupted way over many centuries, became the rationale that l...

The Iliad is a great epic poem written by Homer in the 8th century BC, reflecting on events that occurred around 1200 BC during the time of the Olympian religion.A.H. Clough, in Tierney and Scott, Western Societies: A Documentary History.“Oconomics,” Trans.Analysis of Epic Poems An epic poem is a long poem that tells a story about heroes.B. Jowett, in Tierney and Scott, Western Societies: A Documentary History.

1 – 2, Homer’s “Iliad” analysis.Translated by Williams.Along with “Iliad” it represents an ultimate expression of ancient spirit, which we still use as a standard while assessing the cultural legacy of our own Western civilization.The Outline 1)     P. 1, Short introduction of the topic.2 – 3, Homer’s “Odyssey” analysis.

In Gabriel Okara’s poem, “Piano and Drums”, Okara expresses his feelings and thoughts of a primitive society in contrast to a western society.This relates to the idea that the Western society is too complex for the speaker to handle and, thus, with everything that is happening at once, the speaker cannot handle it.Even though the speaker displays the violence of the African natives, readers get the sense of the speaker viewing the Western society to be more violent in the sense that African’s kill animals to stay alive, but Western people use violence against other human beings which is unacceptable.In expressing views of his native culture compared to Western culture, Okara uses the “jungle drums” (2) to represent the African culture an...

The poet uses an abrupt ending because he wants to give no more details of the western world since for the past two stanzas he has been in touch with nature and he doesn’t want to leave that world of harmony with nature into the western world of brutality and destruction.The poem’s title suggests that the subject matter of the poem will be about a negative experience and about suffering, however, the poem up until its final lines is ostensibly a celebration of pastoral life.The use of simple literal language makes the poem seem unselfconscious, casual and natural.Look at how the poet has used the diction of “pounded” to give a very bleak and despairing tone to the poem, this is starkly contrasted in the previous two stanzas where everyth...

They call out for danger by beating drums as to warn others, although the world is competitive.Some of the most important poetic devices utilized in this poem by Okara are imagery, symbolism, sensory detail, personification, and diction Figures of speech .Piano and Drums is a poem which basically themed and created by two different and opposing culture in the poem, the piano culture and drums culture which suggested by the poet whenThe culture of drums is straight forward, and direct, and this just like the world and culture in the ancient years which before civilization.Being an African himself, and having studied in a western society, the poem reflects the confusion in his emotions as well as the loss of self-identity.People do not h...

The main idea of his long travelling was to preach the true essence of the Buddhist doctrine to merchants and warriors as well as his fellow monks in each western region along the route.Thus, Xuanzhuang’s western ward journey brought several important ideologies back to Tang’s people, and boosted the cultural exchange relationship between Tang dynasty and the rest of the world.Chinese Printing was not only the guide of human Modern civilization, but also creating criteria for widely knowledge propagating.Thus, the western transmission of Chinese Printing, it accelerated the evolution of European social development and seted the stage for “European Renaissance[8]”.It departed from Chang’an in China and led to the Western regions, It was a...

Notoriety came in 1915 with the publication of his long Persian poem Asrar-e khudi (The Secrets of the Self).Iqbal’s thoughts in his work primarily focused on the spiritual direction and development of human society, centred around experiences from his travel and stay in Western Europe and the Middle East.Arberry, its translator into English, wrote: “Iqbal displayed here an altogether extraordinary talent for the most delicate and delightful of all Persian styles, the ghazal,” or love poem.Written as a counterpoint to the individualism preached in the Asrar-ekhudi, this poem called for self-surrender.The second poem completes Iqbal’s conception of the final destiny of the self.

He laid the foundations for philosophy in western civilizations.Ancient Greeks made many influential contributions to western civilization such as in the areas of philosophy, art and architecture, and math and science.As well as philosophy, art and architecture were a contribution to the western civilization.Hippocrates was an ancient Greek physician referred to as “the father of western medicine”.The Greeks were a remarkable civilization and contributed things people use in every day life then, and currently.

However, in our surprise, the ending of this culture is just losing themselves and mind in the culture which described in the poem, ‘But lost in the labyrinth of its complexities’.Piano and Drums is a poem which basically themed and created by two different and opposing culture in the poem, the piano culture and drums culture which suggested by the poet whenThe culture of drums is straight forward, and direct, and this just like the world and culture in the ancient years which before civilization.In his poem, the author reflected on the dawn of the coming century of colonialism and the duel between Western and African cultures.This is so hard and difficult for him to choose, therefore, he is now just wandering between this two cultures u...

What is left is but the empty façade, the hollow men, and in the hearts and minds of the hollow men, the apocalypse descends and "civilization" ends not with a bang but a whimper."Civilization", like "democracy" is something of a loaded term.For them the Apocalypse, the end of civilization had come, and when Kurtz meets his mortal end, it's not with a bang but a whimper.The term civilization literally means a society which has reached a high level of organization and development, which can be characterized by highly specified division of labor, monumental architecture, a redistributive economy, and a highly developed degree of literacy, among other things.The term "civilization" also refers to a set of attitudes and behavior that Western...

Chinua Achebe effectively educates his readers that the Igbo were not a primitive, savage, and uncivilized society, as viewed by the Western Europeans, but rather a civilized, peaceful, and organized society.William Butler Yeats’s poem, “The Second Coming” represents the view of the African society by the Western Civilization.Achebe refutes the stereotype set by the Western Europeans, and ultimately re-stories the African past.He portrays by showing the Igbo’s organized religion, systematic government, and sophisticated communication.During the Inquisition many people were killed, while the Igbo were involved with the killing of two twins, Achebe included this to show that the Igbo society is not the ideal society and is not perfect.

The poem frequently extends back to primitive times, where the piano was not present.There is a constant reference to mystical, unknown elements in the poem.Some aspects in his poem date back before the beginning of civilization.By relating the poem to previous times, the speaker gains evidence to make his points deeper.The poem metaphorically symbolises the Western World but more specifically the European race.

As travel became easier, Western scholars came to the East to study and write on their experiences.The vestiges of Orientalism can still be seen in the conservative foreign policies that Western countries have when it comes to dealing with Oriental countries.Hoja is an enthusiastic student, and years to know everything about the sciences of the Western world.The scholar’s main duties as a slave are to teach Hoja Western knowledge is areas such science and technology, law, medicine and astronomy.As such, the West used these images to justify the colonization of Eastern countries and Western imperialism.

New York: Tavistock Publications Ltd., 1986.Doty, William G. Myths of Masculinity.“Gilgamesh.” In The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, the Western Tradition, Seventh Edition, Volume 1.In the beginning of the epic poem Gilgamesh, the main character Gilgamesh is conveyed as a generally immoral human, his genesis mythically coming from the gods.New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1993.

In the Poem “The Second Coming”, Yeats in his poem wrote “the things fall apart; the centre cannot hold”.The two pieces of literature shows from the African peoples point of view of the disintegration of their culture and beliefs, with the assimilation of Christianity and their belief in a singular god.What leads us to question why so many African tribes would turn away form their culture and the way of life they have come to know?This possibly meaning that when tribal culture is faced with change, and that the central belief is tested, that the tribal way of life is put into flux.There is striking similarities between the book “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe and the poem “The Second Coming” written by William Butler Yeats, ...

Priscilla Ramsey makes an in-depth analysis on the poems of Maya Angelou.While doing so, he highlighted events in Angelou’s life which have had a profound influence on her, from William Shakespeare which she confessed was her “first love” to her involvement in the civil rights movement as an organizer working alongside Martin Luther King.Sylvester gives an overall analysis of the poems of Maya Angelou.She starts the story in 1993, the day Angelou recited a poem at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration and segues back to the day she was born and moving progressively to 1996. .Her starting point is the time she already reached adulthood, highlighting her different careers especially in one of the turbulent times not only of her life but ...

Indianapolis: Hackett, 2000.Rieu, E. V. “Introduction.” The Iliad.Western Civilization: A Brief History.Yilmaz, Tuncer.The Iliad is an epic poem and is one of the earliest works of ancient Greek literature (Murnaghan 2).

His eulogy of Hellenistic culture and its contribution to western world does not allow Thornton to neglect the evil pervasive in the Greek society.to support his thesis that Greeks were the torchbearers of the modern western civilization.Thornton cites Hamilton in the acclamation of Greek role in the development of western world as Edith Hamilton says that “The spirit of the West, the modern spirit, is a Greek discovery,” He further narrates the Gilbert Murray’s assumptions about the achievement of Hellenistic civilization.So this is a handy and all-encompassing work for student to capacitate them with an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of Greek civilization and Greek contribution to the evolution of western civilization.Ab...

(“Virgil and the Moderns”) The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem that was written in the late first century.Princeton University.“Patron Augustus-Client Rome.” The Roman Empire.The protagonist, Aeneas, was already known to legend and myth, as he was a character in Virgil’s rival’s poem, the Iliad.The Aeneid was later completed by two of Virgil’s friends, that fixed the minor grammatical errors and published the poem.

The most jarring difference from the Western genre in Dead Man is that the hero, William Blake, does not saunter into town with a pistol on his hip, let alone know how to shoot one.Also, Jarmusch’s use of fade to black to separate the scenes transforms each scene into a new poem that can be read and viewed as a new development in the film.The jovial Indian Nobody is convinced that Blake is the English poet by the same name, and for good reason.The Movie Dead Man and its Departure from the Western Genre Put simply, genres are not created by directors so much as they are by audiences.While not adhering to the rules of a genre can hurt the film at the box office and even confuse the audience (as well as many critics as was the case with Dea...

His poems are really pregnant with patriotism and nationalism.He planted the seeds of patriotism in the minds of his pupils and his countrymen.This poem is applicable not only to the slave but all the freedom loving people.His poetic outburst in light of renaissance was most remarkable part of his patriotic feelings.In this poem the poet pays attribute to all who are fighting for freedom.

However, these ideas about the social rules of "modern civil man" are not so novel.Cyber Nation Home Page.The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces.This same practice repeats itself throughout the poem and is yet again contrasted when Odysseus and some of his crew arrive at the island of the Cyclops.This same system of social behavior and belief is exhibited throughout the epic poem, The Odyssey.

Walcott’s trip through Europe, as it is described in the fifth book of the poem is meant to describe the nest of Western civilization and imperialism.The last book of the poem significantly shows Omeros in the shape of a statue talking to Walcott.The fact that her skin is ebony-black is also significant, as she stands as a token for the entire black race that has been dominated over time by the Western civilization.Also, it is very important that the author transmits his message by using Helen, an essentially Western symbol, to represent the native Caribbean culture.In the like manner, Walcott’s poem attempts to erase the traces left by literature, by deconstructing its symbols and showing that they in fact screen reality instead of reve...

... middle of paper ... .He says that the Spanish erred by introducing slavery into Central and South America.Ferry says that, ‘as men of a higher race, we have an obligation’ to make life better for the colonized.Jules Ferry’s writings in document 5 exemplify the point above.Ferry says that colonizers should embody good moral character, as to set an example for the colonized.

Civilization” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal and “Beds are Burning” by Peter Garrett both powerfully raise cultural issues regarding the injustices endured by the Aborigines since colonization in 1788.The poem begins with the line “We who came late to civilization, missing a gap of centuries”.The point of view of “Civilization” is that of an Aboriginal identity; the persona speaks as an Aboriginal person and on behalf of her cultural group.The title of the poem “Civilization” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal is an ironic poem about the civilization of Australia since colonization.The persona clearly does not express the joy and happiness of the Aboriginal culture’s joining of white civilization.

In his poem, Virgil often shows the situation of women where irrational thinking brings harmful choices.Aeneid provides guidance and inspiration to many people.Dade burns love - a tragic queen.People can understand the beauty of literature and mysticism and understand and understand human life more comprehensively.This poem aims to convey serious philosophy, morality, patriotic message.

To people in a culture that values obvious trappings of wealth and visible emblems of material success, an acknowledgement of such a proposition can only come as frightful recognition of the tawdry emptiness of life in contemporary industrialized societies.European people were thinking of and working on praising and perfection of the body while the Asians – of mind.Hinduism provides a lasting critique of Western acquisitiveness.In my opinion, development of each civilization much depends on different factors, such as natural environment, people’s mentality, historical circumstances and so on.Do the poems describe a Chinese society contemporaneous with the writing of the poems?

”(121) Charlemagne was a good king a good leader and a genuinely good person who wanted he well being of his people.In the poem, duty is often linked to love.By 800 Charlemagne was the recognized ruler of Western Europe.In the Song of Roland, being a good leader, a Christian, and fighting for something meaningful was what made a good leader.The Song of Roland, or La Chanson de Roland, is an anonymously written poem about Count Roland and his King Charlemagne.