Urban Life in 18th/19th Century Poetry (Week 3)

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Questions and Answers

Walter Benjamin's concept of the flâneur is best described as:

  • A wealthy elite who uses the city as a stage to display their social status and power.
  • A revolutionary figure actively seeking to overthrow societal norms through public demonstrations.
  • A city planner focused on organizing and rationalizing urban spaces for maximum efficiency.
  • An detached observer who aimlessly strolls through the city, experiencing and interpreting urban life. (correct)

According to Benjamin, large building projects and modernization in cities can paradoxically reveal:

  • The efficiency and rationality of modern urban planning, eliminating any historical vestiges.
  • A complete break from historical and traditional influences, embracing pure modernity.
  • A genuine move towards egalitarian urban spaces, free from power dynamics of the past.
  • Underlying imperial and pseudo-religious elements beneath the surface of modern progress. (correct)

In the context of Benjamin's analysis, Parisian arcades are significant because they represent:

  • A paradigmatic architectural form that encapsulates the experience and inventory of modernity. (correct)
  • An example of urban decay and the negative impacts of industrialization on city centers.
  • A rejection of modernity and a return to traditional architectural forms.
  • A purely functional space designed for efficient commerce and transportation.

William Blake's poem 'London' uses the phrase 'charter'd street' to suggest:

<p>Even natural elements like the river Thames are controlled and commodified by human systems. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The 'mind-forg'd manacles' in Blake's 'London' are best interpreted as:

<p>Internalized societal and psychological constraints that limit freedom and perception. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Blake's 'London', the roles of the 'Church, soldiers, palaces' are primarily depicted as:

<p>Agents of oppression and corruption that perpetuate suffering and inequality. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The phrase 'Marriage hearse' in 'London' is used to convey:

<p>The idea that marriage in London is often blighted by disease and despair, leading to death of love and hope. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

William Wordsworth is considered a Romantic poet because of his emphasis on:

<p>Emotion, individual experience, and the beauty of nature. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Wordsworth's 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge' expresses an overarching feeling of:

<p>Profound awe and unexpected beauty found in the city at dawn. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge,' the line 'This City...doth, like a garment, wear / The beauty of the morning' suggests:

<p>The city is temporarily enhanced and beautified by the natural light of morning. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When Wordsworth describes London as having a 'mighty heart' in 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge,' he is likely referring to:

<p>The collective energy, activity, and vitality of the city and its inhabitants. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Wordsworth's 'London, 1802,' his call to Milton is primarily a plea for:

<p>Moral and civic virtue, and a return to higher ideals and principles. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Wordsworth's 'Residence in London' contrasts 'Unfenced regions of society' with 'Her endless streets' to highlight:

<p>The transition from a more open, unregulated social life to the structured, overwhelming nature of city streets. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In 'Residence in London,' Wordsworth's description of 'Even next-door neighbours...yet still Strangers' reflects:

<p>The breakdown of community and personal connection in the urban environment. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

William Cullen Bryant's 'Hymn to the City' is unusual for its time because it:

<p>Celebrates the city as a place where divine presence can be found, challenging typical Romantic ideals. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When Bryant's 'Hymn to the City' uses the phrase 'NOT in the solitude,' it implies:

<p>The traditional Romantic idea of finding God only in nature is being challenged; divinity can also be in the city. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In 'Hymn to the City,' the line 'Even here do I behold' suggests:

<p>The speaker is discovering something divine or awe-inspiring within the urban environment itself. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When Bryant writes 'It breathes of Him' in 'Hymn to the City,' 'Him' most likely refers to:

<p>A divine entity or God, suggesting the city manifests divine creation. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Carl Sandburg's poem 'Chicago' is characterized by its:

<p>Balanced depiction of both the positive and negative aspects of a bustling industrial city. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Sandburg's 'Chicago,' the emphasis is primarily on:

<p>The working class, industry, and raw energy of the city. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The style of Sandburg's 'Chicago' can be best labeled as:

<p>Modernist and free verse, reflecting the energy and informality of urban life. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Ezra Pound's 'In a Station of the Metro' is a significant example of modernist poetry due to its:

<p>Conciseness, vivid imagery, and focus on capturing a fleeting moment. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In 'In a Station of the Metro,' the 'apparition of these faces in the crowd' is compared to:

<p>Petals on a wet, black bough, emphasizing delicate beauty amidst urban grittiness. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The comparison in 'In a Station of the Metro' ('petals on a wet, black bough') primarily evokes a sense of:

<p>Fleeting beauty and fragile moments within the urban environment. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Ezra Pound's political views, particularly his support for fascism, are relevant to consider when studying his poetry because:

<p>His political ideologies might offer a lens through which to interpret some of his poetic themes and critiques of society. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Flaneur

A figure who strolls the city aimlessly, observing urban life.

Hausmannization

Large-scale urban redevelopment projects, particularly in Paris.

Phantasmagoria

The use of media to create false consciousness and mass delusion.

"London" by Blake

A famous poem by William Blake describing a bleak view of London.

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Mind-forg'd manacles

Physical or mental constraints

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"Composed upon Westminster Bridge"

A poem by Wordsworth that expresses awe at the beauty of London.

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"London, 1802" by Wordsworth

A poem by Wordsworth calling on Milton for inspiration and guidance.

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"Residence in London" by Wordsworth

A poem by Wordsworth, where he describes the alienating aspects of urban living.

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"Hymn to the City" by Bryant

William Cullen Bryant's poem that finds the presence of God in the city.

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"Chicago" by Sandburg

A poem by Carl Sandburg, known for its vivid and raw depiction of Chicago.

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"In a Station of the Metro" by Ezra Pound

A modernist poem by Ezra Pound composed of two lines.

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Modernism

A literary and artistic movement that rejects traditional forms and embraces innovation.

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Study Notes

Organization

  • After the break, presentations will begin soon.
  • Consult and send an outline if presenting next week
  • Focus on major poets reflecting urban life in the 18th and 19th centuries

Quick Review

  • Aspects of modern cities that Benjamin mentioned include large building projects.
  • Modernization betrays imperial and pseudo-religious elements
  • Capitalism and markets take on religious qualities, despite constant renewal
  • Parisian arcades include:
    • Flaneur, a dandy strolling the city aimlessly
    • Paradigmatic architectural form as a sort of inventory
    • Modern experience

Blake

  • William Blake lived from 1757-1827
  • Blake was (Pre-)Romantic, born into imperial modernity, attracted to the spiritual/religious beyond science/technology
  • Considered mad and underappreciated by contemporaries
  • Known for painting, poetry, prints, and reliefs for print works
  • Blake was an opponent of slavery and a proponent of free love
  • "London" was written in 1794
  • Blake's “London” addresses marks of weakness and woe and "mind-forged manacles"

Wordsworth

  • William Wordsworth lived from 1770-1850
  • He was another Romantic, but was less radical than Blake
  • His views are evident in his lifestyle regarding attitudes in the French Revolution, religion, and home.
  • "Composed upon Westminster Bridge" evokes a feeling.
  • "This City" explores the relation between urban and rural.
  • "London" calls for Milton to “raise us up, return to us again; And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power"
  • "Residence in London" begins with "Unfenced regions of society" (57) and moves to "Her endless streets, a transient visitant" (68)
  • The poem questions neighbours who are “still Strangers, not knowing each the other’s name" (117)
  • "Residence in London" refers to:
    • "Of marvels ... Those bold imaginations had vanished" (119-148)
    • “Rise up, thou monstrous ant-hill on the plain ..." (149-167)
    • “Meanwhile the roar ..." (168-188)
    • “Thence back into the throng ..." (189-210)
    • “Now homeward ..." (211-228)
  • In "Residence in London", an idea of his moral problems with the city surfaces between "The Maiden of Buttermere", line 320, and another "woman" at 385.
  • Politics begin at line 522, urban experience at 619, carnivals/fair grounds start around line 680, and the urban essence at 722 is revealed.

Bryant

  • William Cullen Bryant was an American Romantic who lived from 1794 to 1878
  • He was an American romantic who was born in a log cabin and later moved to NY
  • Bryant was originally a lawyer who became quite a famous poet
  • He was a proponent of Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Bryant said "Truth crushed to earth will rise again.”
  • His poem, "Hymn to the City," asks "'Hymn'?", "NOT in the solitude", "Even here do I behold".
  • Another question "It breathes of Him", asks who “Him” is.

Sandburg

  • Carl Sandburg lived from 1878-1967
  • He was another American, of Swedish ancestry, that attended military school, but did not engage in actual combat
  • Sandburg then worked as a journalist in Chicago
  • He has won 3 Pulitzer Prizes
  • He worked on poetry, ‘fairy tales’, non-fiction, and folk songs.
  • Sandburg's "Chicago" asks for a positive or negative depiction and emphasis as a certain style.

Pound

  • Ezra Pound lived from 1885 to 1972
  • A vital figure in modernism who had anti-capitalist ideas.
  • Pound later emigrated and supported Italian and German fascism.
  • His poem "In a Station of the Metro" refers to the apparition of these faces in the crown; petals on a wet, black bough.

Next Session

  • Moodle has readings.

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