10ENG8 AT4 - Full Essay

Poets interrogate…

Poets interrogate the governing ideologies through which societies justify violence, traditional order and progression, sustaining the value of their work by exposing universal human truths.

Modernist WWI poems…

Modernist WWI poems, ‘next to of course god america i’ by e.e cummings unveils the absurdity of surrendering individual autonomy to political institutions and ‘The Destroyer’ by Lola Ridge complicates conventional understandings of development by portraying destruction as both a destabilising force and catalyst for renewal.

Specifically, cummings employs…

Specifically, cummings employs a loose structure, integrated textual references and a bitterly ironic tone to satirise the extremities of patriotism. On the other hand, Ridge reframes the chaos of war as prerequisite to renewal by implementing a loose, breathless form and the extended imagery of wind.

Together, both poems critique…

Together, both poems critique humanity’s assumptions about national loyalty, social order and progression, allowing their work to endure through their timeless exploration of human experiences.

cummings questions….

cummings questions patriotic systems within society by establishing how communal values of liberty can encourage individuals to surrender independent judgement to national loyalty, allowing his poetry to endure in societies governed by collective beliefs.

He describes….

He describes traditional patriotic attitudes by framing an exaggerated devotion to America within a rushed dialogue, employing a compressed syntax and lack of punctuation to visually reflect national pride as a misguided and thoughtless catalyst that fuels enthusiasm for war.

Initially, the allusions…

Initially, the allusions to American origin myths in “land of the pilgrims” and to the U.S national anthem in, “oh say can you see by the dawn’s early” position the speaker as patriotic.

By referencing…

By referencing standard American knowledge, cummings suggests how culturally inherited narratives of national identity can entrench foundational ideologies of patriotism.

He furthers this in…

He furthers this in the juxtaposition between the glorified myth of “heroic happy dead” and brutal reality of “roaring slaughter,” eliciting the transformation of patriotism into a fuel for violence, where the pride generated by the familiar language of an anthem, must be justified through the service of bloodshed.

This allows for…

This allows for the eventual exploitation of inherited beliefs, criticising the political control of historical truths in shaping the values that people understand their experiences.

Likewise, the biblical allusions…

Likewise, the biblical allusions in “thy sons acclaim your glorious name” employs anachronistic language in “thy” to parallel God and America, characterising Americans as his “sons” to demonstrate ideas of American exceptionalism and show country and religion as overlapping objects of worship.

This is further developed in…

This is further developed in the syntax of “god america i,” positioning them as grammatically inseparable. The comparison between serving a country with that of an omniscient deity presents America as powerful and sacred.

The diction of….

The diction of “sons” refers to the soldiers on the warfront as the children of God and invokes a familial relationship with the nation, highlighting the satirical worship of America by patriotic troops.

cummings implements…

cummings implements this to suggest nationalism as psychologically consuming as religious devotion.

Moreover, the simile of…

Moreover, the simile of “rushed like lions” amplified by the personification of “roaring slaughter” demonstrates how young soldiers charged into violent combat without consideration.

The symbolism of…

The symbolism of valiant lions romanticises irrational loyalty as courageous, describing those blinded by violence as noble warriors. This highlights how national pride encourages people to idealize the idea of dying for their country, obscuring death and the brutality of warfare.

Through investigating…

Through investigating the exploitative nature of patriotism, cummings depicts the dangers of excessive loyalty for country, suggesting how individuals can lose their autonomy by loving a nation more than anything else except for “of course, God.”

Hence, cummings…

Hence, cummings creates a lasting examination of how societal conflict functions to enable political institutions to exploit human behaviour and values, sustaining his poetry amongst societies who exploit common belief for control.

On the other hand…

On the other hand, Lola Ridge’s, ‘The Destroyer’ challenges conventional beliefs of destruction as exclusively devastating by celebrating how ruin within societal conflict can allow for ultimate universal renewal, enabling her text to endure within perpetual cycles of civilised collapse and rebuilding.

Firstly, the speaker…

Firstly, the speaker describes themself through an extended metaphor, being “of the wind…,” accentuating this through the poem’s loose structure and repeated use of ellipsis.

The short…

The short, broken lines demonstrate the piece as unstable rather than orderly, mimicking the shifting force of wind and emphasising the intensity and chaos of societal disruption.

Moreover, the sustained…

Moreover, the sustained personification of wind as a vast, yet deliberate force highlights its dualistic nature as both terrifying and a cleansing necessity. Through this, Ridge complicates conventional ideas of destruction and progression.

Further, the old world…

Further, the old world is described through the diction of “hamlets,” “cities,” “pillars,” and “gates,” revealing contemporary, urbanised societies as something that must be torn down before the air can move freely.

Likewise, the connotations of…

Likewise, the connotations of “clutter” reduces civilisation to obstacles obstructing nature, suggesting how constructed societies can be restrictive and rigid. As a result, Ridge critiques humanity’s assumption that its constructed social systems represent progress, inviting the audience to reconsider traditional understandings of destruction.

Correspondingly, “gates” symbolises…

Correspondingly, “gates” symbolises society, political order and a barrier, positioning “the wind that is battering” as a destructive force motivated to ruin modern worlds. The aggressive connotation of “battering” supports this by hinting towards an insistent weathering of established structures.

Specifically, Ridge utilises…

Specifically, Ridge utilises this description of wind to unveil flaws in modern assumptions regarding the stability of existing order while also reiterating the dualistic nature of ruin as remaining complicated and impairing.

Additionally, she conveys…

Additionally, she conveys modernist attitudes that describe the fragility of the old order and expose how war and social upheavals permanently break down established worlds.

This presents civilisation…

This presents civilisation as vulnerable to irreversible destruction, challenging assumptions that social and political institutions guarantee stability.

Collectively, these images exhibit…

Collectively, these images exhibit Ridge’s interpretations of societal conflict as a catalyst to change, utilising wind to endorse the destruction of modern worlds and challenge how civilisation understands the concept of development, allowing her work to persist in innovative landscapes.

In conclusion…

In conclusion, cummings and Ridge effectively demonstrate how poets challenge the ideologies through which societies justify conflict and progression.

While cummings satirises…

While cummings satirises the danger in humanity's surrender to political institutions, Ridge questions whether established civilisation necessarily represents advancement.

Together, their poems…

Together, their poems critique contradictions in societal doctrines and universal beliefs which drive individual judgement, allowing their work to endure by exposing timeless human truths.