Mid-apocalypse, a more hopeful America,
A rejuvenated nation-
We are turning the corner.
Better off- Kinder, gentler nation,
Making us proud again,
Patriotism, this time, more than ever.
It’s morning again in America,
A return to normalcy,
Grant us- Peace, Prosperity:
A chicken in every pot, and a car in every garage.
Leave no [one] behind.
Billionaire[s],
The world depends on [us],
Who but [us]?
Life, liberty, and [us].
A safer world [with us].
In your heart, you know [they are] Right.
Midstream, keep working,
Ma, ma, where’s my Pa?
We want, a full dinner pail.
I like, well, I still like- Change.
http://images.sodahead.com/polls/000949620/republicans_change_answer_1_xlarge.jpeg
* This poem is a cut up of most of the main campaign slogans that were used by various GOP candidates since Abraham Lincoln. I used the list of slogans listed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._presidential_campaign_slogans.
I thought this was a very cool idea and I thought you made the slogans all flow together well-- I didn't realize that these were all snippets of different things until the disclaimer at the end! The use of parentheses was a really cool interesting touch but I'm not sure I understood the purpose of them. All in all though, really interesting poem!
ReplyDeleteI liked this idea a lot too, and I think your poem brings up important issues related to art and politics. How do we write political poems without resorting to mere rhetoric? How can a supposedly "elevated" art form like poetry deal with the messy, often ugly reality of politics and its effects on people?
ReplyDeleteHere, you approach the task playfully, cutting and pasting various slogans through the ages from the GOP. This casts a different light on them by placing non-poetic language in a poetic context. This forces a new kind of attention on old language, and this is a big part of the essence of poetry.
Your poem gives us lots to discuss, and I would like to discuss it in class tomorrow. I'll save the rest of my comments for then.
This is a really cool take on a found poem!! It's really interesting to see how the slogans of presidents have changed throughout the years, addressing various issues but somehow all fitting together and flowing perfectly! I also like how the paragraphs progress as the nation does- first recovering from a mid apocalypse, then gaining strength, and finally acting as a world power. The second to last stanza confused me a little bit, just because it didn't fit in with this progression, but it does serve as a nice contrast. The last line really ties it all together!
ReplyDeleteReally good poem!!
I think this poem is great way to write politically and bring in your view points without turning off the reader or "preaching to the choir." I think the idea of taking different slogans from the GOP throughout the years is very very creative, and I really like it. It was interesting to see you use ready made language and put it into a poem. Writing a political poem is very difficult and you used slogans that don't feel like poetry necessarily but you changed it into a great poem that is quite interesting.
ReplyDelete