Expressing One’s Self

When first drafting any piece of literature there is always revisions to make, just as Alvarez’s “Sometimes the Words Are So Close” was thoroughly revised. The poem itself shares to us readers how Alvarez holds the English language so close to her as a form to express herself. In a way, she explains how when writing her life experiences, they also come to life and she feels liberated. She feels that she can write anything down on paper and not be judged by anyone. She states how when writing a poem she feels as if she is writing the truth and every line holds a different emotion or life event. These emotions that anyone could understand even a child, like herself when she began writing. Therefore, she asks the question to us readers, why is it so difficult for her to live through her life that she is writing for us to read? Maybe for her writing is an escape or pause from reality. A moment in which she can relax and thoroughly rethink or relive her life events. For her, words are so close to her heart that they can bring peace and she would rather write them down than live through the events. This is something that a lot of people deal with, the anxiety and stress of life, so they find an escape.

Through Alvarez’s earlier drafts of the poem, for me, it has enhanced the meaning that she is trying for us readers to understand. In the last five lines of her poem, she speaks to us readers who want to follow the same path and feel words close to us. She states how she was once also in drafts as us, which is why her earlier drafts are so important because she shows us the reader’s actual evidence. Evidence that she too also drafts her poems and that they’re not perfect the first time. Yet, the word draft almost holds a symbolism for something else. The word drafts almost mean a rough time in one’s life. Therefore, she encourages future poets to not get discouraged and to continue their journey with the English language. She then states that through this poem we revive her emotions briefly and by briefly understanding her emotions we touch her. Hence, she states that she too was attempting to discover her potential in writing but was challenged with identifying her voice. Through these last two lines, she encourages the readers who are undergoing the same difficulties as her to take reassurance from her works. Through the poem drafts, she depicts a situation in which she is discovering her voice as an individual.

~Jeshua Rocha

Embracing Authenticity

Loking at the poems “Sea Rose” by H.D. and “The Rose and the Poppy” by Adrianna Puente. They both come to a leading conclusion of finding beautyand self worth within themselves. H.D. approaches this by stating that true beauty xomes from overcoming struggle but still idnetifying as a rose, damaged and lost then finding confort in themselves. Lines 5-8: “More precious than a wet rose/single on a stem—/you are caught in the drift.” In The Sea Rose, the author refers to themselves as a rose, but a rooz with baggage and newfound strength, which would still somewhat align with the original symbol of a rose,  just not your typical rose, a survivor. This represents the hardships she explained that made her realize the beauty within her. While looking at “The Rose and The Poppy,” on the other hand, also has to do with self-love, but she knows her worth from the get-go.
Furthermore, I think the poem “The Rose and the Poppy” by Adrianna Puente. Looking back on poems read in class, the main traditional symbols of a rose are love, romance, passion, etc. This poem defies the usual love between two people but loves within itself. She is not conforming to how the world thinks a woman should act—instead, she is embracing individuality. The poppies symbolize remembrance and peace, being content with not being so obsessed with the idea of this rose. Although, In no shape or form is the author dimming down the meaning but separating herself from it and understanding that a rose will always symbolize roamance but not associating herself with it due to that feeling of feeling forgotten and embracing individuality outside the norm, Lines (17-20):  “Most times I am forgotten./Rarely chosen/ foreager hands on Valentine’s day-/but I am my own.” Although, In no shape or form is the author dimming down the meaning but separating herself from it. She identifies is the opposite of this symbol of love….peace, and calmness, but she is free-spirited ,adaptive, and capable. In the last of the lines, line: (21-24)In a potpourri of our colors/we each wilt between dried petals-/scenting rooms with our fragrance/Rotting into umber”. Theres an understnding that despite all differnces all will have the same fate. In the end .. they both are Flowers.

Victoria Sasere

Flowers and Individuality

When examining both H.D.’s “Sea Rose” and Adrianna Puente’s “The Rose and The Poppy,” I believe H.D.’s poem is more effective in challenging the traditional symbol of the rose. What I enjoy about both poems is that, from the opening lines, they immediately draw back from the traditional symbol of the rose. The speaker in “Sea Rose” begins the poem by saying, “rose, harsh rose, marred and with a stint of petals, meagre flower, thin, sparse of the leaf” (Lines 1-4). Within these lines is an intense imagery of a rose, but not the healthy, vibrant roses that we imagine one would give to someone they love. This is a disfigured rose that doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing. It’s thin and barely has leaves, which gives the idea that the rose could be dying. However, the speaker does not diminish the disfigured flower but goes on to uplift the rose when the speaker writes, “more precious than a wet rose single on a stem-” (lines 5-7). This challenges the traditional symbol of the rose because the speaker praises the imperfections of the rose and considers it to be more beautiful than a regular healthy red rose often associated with beauty and love. What adds to the disfigured rose’s value is that despite facing adversity from its own environment, being in a place that is “flinging” and “lifting” it, the rose still survives. So, this rose symbolizes triumph instead of being a symbol of love and passion. 

I believe Puente’s poem “The Rose and The Poppy” also strays away from the traditional symbol of the rose. The speaker does the opposite of H.D.; instead of describing a non-traditional rose, the speaker replaces the idea of the rose with a poppy. The speaker also uses figurative language to solidify the idea that poppies are just as important as roses. One line says, “Electric orange like tangerines in an orchard of trees” (Lines 13-14). This line emphasizes the speaker’s main idea of embracing individuality by being a poppy instead of a traditional rose. However, I liked H.D.’s method a tad more because I liked the imagery of a disfigured rose that faces adversity and perseveres despite it and that’s what makes it better than a normal rose.

Janayah Applon

Diverse Echoes

As I read Luis Alberto Ambroggio’s “We are All Whitman: #2: Song of/to/My/Your/Self,” I find myself like you: gasping for breath and in need of water. The poem’s rhythm is similar to Whitman’s “I Sing the Body Electric,” in the way that it carries a fast-paced beat – almost like a drum or an instrument that cries in passion – that takes the breath out of you and makes your heart beat as if you’re running away from something. Though, in the case of this poem, it’s the exact opposite. Parallel to Whitman’s “I Sing the Body Electric,” this poem exposes; challenges; defeats; acknowledges; and accepts; the differences in color; race; culture; nationality.

Just as Whitman celebrated the interconnectedness of the human body, Ambroggio extends this celebration to encompass a rich diversity of ethnicities, embracing a global perspective. Ambroggio’s rhythmic enumeration unfolds with the vibrancy of Hispanic, Latin, black, and various other identities, mirroring Whitman’s cataloging technique that emphasizes the multitude within the collective “Self.” For instance, the rapid succession of identities, from “Hispanic, Latin, black, olive-skinned” to a myriad of cultural backgrounds, mirrors the interconnected nature of our global society. This technique engages readers and propels them through a vibrant exploration of identity, it emphasizes the unity found within the diverse tapestry of humanity. The enumeration rhythm is a vehicle for expressing the poem’s theme of interconnectedness and celebrating the dynamic nature of individual and collective identity. The poem resonates with a universal vision- Connecting individuals to the larger cosmos, reminiscent of Whitman’s cosmic embrace where the individual is an integral part of the natural and cosmic order.

Mustang Chang

THE EVOLUTION OF THE BODY ELECTRIC

1885, Walt Whitman

I sing the body electric…

I knew a man, a common farmer, the father of five sons,

And in them the fathers of sons, and in them the fathers of sons.

A woman’s body at auction, 

She too is not only herself, she is the teeming mother of mothers,

She is the bearer of them that shall grow and be mates to the mothers.

Poise on the hips, leaping, reclining, embracing, arm-curving and tightening…

O I say these are not the parts and poems of the body only, but of the soul,

O I say now these are the soul!

2012, Lana del Rey

I’m on fire

I sing the body electric

Elvis is my daddy… Jesus is my bestest friend…

Whitman is my daddy… diamonds are my bestest friend…

Marylin’s my mother… Monaco’s my mother…

Heaven is my baby, suicide’s her father…

We get down every Friday night

Dancin’ and grindin’ in the pale moonlight

Mary prays the rosary for my broken mind

I sing the body electric!

2021, Darah Carrillo

I sing the body electric…

I knew a man named the internet, the father of many sons,

And in them the fathers of sons, and some incels, and in them cryptocurrency sons.

COVID was a father, political turmoil his son.

A woman’s freedoms again at auction,

She is the teeming mother of mothers, bearer of them that shall rape and disrespect,

And be mates to our modern mothers.

An influencer is a mother, racial ambiguity her bestest friend.

On lockdown every friday night,

Poise on the virtual meeting, eyes straining, workload tightening, isolation creeping,

Under the blinding blue light.

O I say we have lost the parts and poems of our body, and our soul, where is the soul?

O I say I’ve burned to the ground!

I now stream the body electric.

~

Walt Whitman’s “I Sing the Body Electric” is a poem, like many of his poems, that worked as a catalyst in the pursuit of individuality, identity, and sensuality in art and literature arguably resulting in the beginning of the modernist movement. One aspect of this poem I analyzed was the use of parent symbols, and consequently implied birth and new life, throughout the poem. This can be read as a metaphor for a new view on life and the body emerging in Whitman’s time. This and other metaphors in the poem are aided by the use of repetition and present progressive tense, with little focus on rhyme scheme or meter. As a result, this poem constantly shifts the narrative to the self; what the self is doing, feeling, and creating, making it a truly sensual and emotional piece.

This poem has proved to be influential throughout time, being referenced in the 2012 single “Body Electric” by Lana del Rey. Lana del Rey (LDR) is an American singer whose music and aesthetic has been heavily inspired by American eras and carries themes of tragedy, romance, and melancholia. LDR’s 2012 song doesn’t stray too far from the themes that Whitman’s original is known for, specifically those of sensuality and spirituality. In LDR’s song she specifically names iconic symbols for these themes (Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Jesus Christ) and furthermore places them as the mothers and fathers that Whitman almost proverbially names in “I Sing the Body Electric”. With the line “dancin’ and grindin’” she also parallels the pleasure in movement that Whitman describes when he says “Poise on the hips, leaping, reclining, embracing, arm-curving and tightening…”.

I was very inspired by taking on this analysis firstly of Whitman’s iconic poem, and secondly of how it has translated through time where pop culture and media is ever-evolving and growing. For this creative project, I wanted to further translate “I Sing the Body Electric” seeing as in 2021 society seems to be stressin’ and dyin’ way more “grindin’ and windin’” as LDR would put it (or as Whitman would say, “reclining” and “embracing”). 
My modern day parody is a satirical critique of society as much as it of Whitman and other artists. While I am an admirer of poetry, art, and literature it is extremely hard to ignore the fact that I live in a county where the COVID vaccination rate cannot hit 50%. Or the fact that Kyle Rittenhouse is a free man after walking into a protest with a rifle. Or the fact that Roe v. Wade may be repealed in the next few years. In this parody, I take everything that would not usually be seen as sensual and poetic and force it into the body electric. Because truly where is the body electric? Art seems to become more elitist as the years go by. Who the hell has time to create, feel, explore, write, etc. as the world is falling apart? I know I barely do. And it sucks. I apologize to any Whitman or poetry fanatics who would rather leave out politics and sociocultural realities from art. But in this modern age and for the average person, entering a world where you can leave all the crap behind and enjoy your sensuality is kind of impossible. Every time it is less and less feasible to truly create and indulge in our own body electric, but I guess we can stream it on Spotify or something.

Darah Carrillo-Vargas

The Rose on a Pedestal

By Katherine Deras

The poem which most effectively challenges the traditional symbol of the rose is Adrianna Puente’s “The Rose and The Poppy” poem. In today’s society, roses are highly associated with love but Puente’s poem goes against these common associations about roses. In puente’s poem the first couple of lines say ” I am / not a ravishing ruby red / or a semblance of purity white.” This line already states how she wants to be known for something different such as individuality and uniqueness. This line shows how she does not want to be associated with a roses typical image. Roses are typically known for being red and white which hold different meanings. In lines 17-20 she says “Most times I am forgotten./ Rarely chosen for / eager hands on Valentine’s day-/ but I am my own.” This shows how because she is different from a rose she is never chosen. Roses are commonly given on Valentines day which is why she rarely ever gets chosen. She would much rather be a poppy flower because they are different. She would much rather be described as “wild in the field of greens and blues”. This lines shows a sense of freedom and uniqueness. A rose is stuck on a pedestal that a poppy will never have because they are different and never chosen. Puente would much rather be a poppy who can be free and different compared to a rose who already has an image that society upholds.

Structure in Chaos

In Whitman’s poems he has a structure in the chaos. His prom flow isn’t like typical poems, there is a chaotic flow in his stanzas. In “Body Electric” it’s structured like the alphabet, slow and trailing in the beginning and middle, leading to his chorus in the end where he states “O I say now these are the souls!”, by ending it off like this it shows the end to the rough waters from the middle of the poem. The flow of the poems flows not only through the mouth but Whitman makes you body feel electrified.

In Whitman’s poem “Song of/to/My/You/Self” centers around ones self, particularly more internally. The rhythm flows the poem with connecting stanzas, such as being italicized, “I celebrate myself, and I sing myself.” “I’m large, I contain multitudes.” As in the title, he creates a sing along type poem that is a message for people. The message that is to show ones individuality.

Both Whitman’s poems flow chaotically, like the rough waters in the water that come still.

Roma Ventura

A Little of Us In Everyone

During our discussion on Walt Whitman’s “I Sing the Body Electric,” I realize it is more than just  a ‘long poem.’ Walt Whitman vividly goes into depth on describing every individual. After reflecting on the poem, he describes both ‘men’ and ‘women’ equal. There is no discrimination of either or. Each line/stanza possesses a big impactful purpose on the audience. It allows the audience realize that life is just a cacophony. However, behind that cacophony, is something beautiful and unique, whether we fully understand it or not. I believe Whitman purposes to question ourselves yet how we view the world.

Luis Alberto’s Ambroggio’s “We Are All Whitman #2: Song/of/to My/Your/Self” possesses the importance of every individual and how all are unique, similar to Whitman. Ambroggio highlights the different cultural backgrounds, the skin color and how everyone is the same yet different. It was a struggle to read as well. Rather than specifically focusing on the human body. Teaches the audience that there’s a little of the soul in every human being. The soul is in every materialistic item, and the way we perceive that item travels to others.

What I really enjoy about the videos is how it demonstrates that each language is beautiful. That really putting emotion can change how we interpret it.

Evelyn Hernandez

Individuality in Free Verse

by Cifriana Mina Dela Cruz

This week, we focused on a poem titled “We are all Whitman: #2: Song of/to/My/Your/Self” by Luis Alberto Ambroggio and were supposed to compare it to “I Sing the Body Electric” by Walt Whitman. As I was reading them, I frequently got lost in the sounds and the words of the poem (and not just because they were pretty long). A lot of this poem felt like a blur, the tornado of sounds overwhelms the ears when heard out loud. The cacophony it creates emphasizes the numerous distinct experiences and people, how these different voices make up an individual, and this poem celebrates this individuality.

Also like “I Sing the Body Electric”, this poem also has this listing quality, but the listing has a different purpose. Walt Whitman lists the body in such a way as if these parts make up a whole, not really distinct from one another. In a way, emphasizing a collective. By contrast, what Ambroggio does when listing different colors, countries, etc, he makes a clear distinction between each of them, while giving them importance also emphasizes their individuality. This is shown especially at the end when listing the different countries, repetition of the word “From” in the beginning. Now I think this may further have to do with the individual self; listing them this way gives them importance, a difference in each person. It further delivers the message that while we have similarities, we each have our own voice within us, and our unique self is what should be celebrated.

Piss Freely

When looking at Somerville Massachusetts and other places that are structured like it, one of the most apparent characteristics of them other than orderliness and neatness is conformity. The houses are all aligned, evenly spaced out, visually & structurally similar (if not exactly the same), and are even limited to a strict selection of decorations and plant life. Therefore visually, it is implied that all of the people that live here do the same thing in the same way and are content with it. They all live by the same code of conduct, which for some individuals can be seen as simply submission; giving up who and what we are.

      Thomas Lynch shows us that distaste for these systems in his poem “Liberty”. He begins by explaining why he enjoys urinating outside, rather than in a bathroom like everyone else. Reflecting on how he thinks that his ex-wife likely opposed it because of the freedom that comes with it. He does this microscopic act in efforts to divert from the census. To literally and metaphorically piss on the system that strips individuality and ultimately limits possibilities. He wants to distance himself from the status quo and explore his possibilities.

      He wants us to shed these modern ideals and embrace the freedom that our ancestors once held above all else, in order to reach our full potential.

– Andrew Hardy