Recent update
- Where I found Whitman!
- Conclusion
- Fort Greene, for Dec 01, oatakan
- America by Whitman and Jeans by Levi Strauss, oatakan for Nov 17th
- Old, Cold and Cool Place by oatakan, Nov 10
- Whitman talks to You! Oatakan for Nov 3rd
- Whitman’s Brooklyn
- Oatakan for October 20th (Sea of Long Island)
- Oct 13th, oatakan
- oatakan, oct 6th, Whitman’s Manhattan
America by Whitman and Jeans by Levi Strauss, oatakan for Nov 17th
November 17th, 2009 by oatakan
image source: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/interactive/2009/7/walt-whitman-ray-of-hope.jpg
Few minutes ago, I was commenting on Levi’s commercial and now I think it will better if write about little more. First of all, it is astonishing work done by Levi’s and made me think about the concept. I searched through the Leaves of Grass and found the poem.
“Centre of equal daughters, equal sons,
All, all alike endear’d, grown, ungrown, young or old,
Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich,
Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love,
A grand, sane, towering, seated Mother,
Chair’d in the adamant of Time.”
P 638
In the background besides the Whitman’s voice we hear the loud explosives and slightly like Irish war band marching which reminds us the wars that America has been through and won during Whitman’s time. In the visual part, mostly young people, mixed race are active. The colors are chosen black and white which I guess to resemble the history that goes along with Whitman’s voice. The part that I found joyful is to listen Whitman’s voice where he sounds passionate about America. Ant the words he chose are uniting people and that he defines the land of equal and freedom oriented people. As supportive qualities he adds love and law which I think signature qualities of American people. Briefly, excellent poem by Whitman and excellent work done by Levi’s which would make Whitman proud, if he were to live. I also found the time line of Levi’s jeans, if you ever wonder when Levi Strauss started producing jeans you can follow the link.
http://www.levistrauss.com/Downloads/history_of_levis_501_jeans.pdf
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Old, Cold and Cool Place by oatakan, Nov 10
November 10th, 2009 by oatakan
Last week we dived into the history in Brooklyn Historical Society Library. The place was very interesting that you come cross to see these kinds of places in movies. I could sense the musty smell of books. It was very cold inside that reason was paper needed to be cold in order to survive more which I was told. Some of the directory books were dated beginning of 19th century which was amazing for me to hold one. The most interesting part was looking at the enormous atlas and finding out about addresses. Basically we looked at directories and tried to find out information about Whitman, then we switched to the maps which was dated 1860’s and followed by 1920’s. The Librarian Elizabeth Call told us that there was a major change of addresses on 1870’s, therefore we had match the maps to find the exact location by looking at block numbers and lot numbers. There were also real estate brochures which had the information which land sold to whom. In addition to books, documents and atlases, there were microfiche and microfilms that they hold information too. Briefly, it was a unique experience for me to be there. Searching through the history never seem to be exciting, however I am so eager to find out about the address which I am assigned.
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Whitman talks to You! Oatakan for Nov 3rd
November 3rd, 2009 by oatakan
Last class, we were discussing the difference between the Whitman’s journal that he wrote for newspaper and Whitman’s poems. Difference we looked on many categories like audience, the style, the mood, etc. It is obvious that on journals Whitman just tells the story like reporting the news by adding touch of love to his country, which I was recently reading The Brooklyn Fire Part, and witnessed the sincerity to Brooklyn and works done in Brooklyn. On the other hand, Poems are completely full of feelings like passion, love, desires…In this case, subject person changes too; In poems I and you becomes We in journals. Personally, I enjoy reading his poems more than his journals. His journals are so detailed that especially his description of the locations and issues which tells us once again he is an excellent observer. The reason that I don’t get the same joy as much as I get in his poems is the style and mood that he expresses. Or obviously we can tell that one reports the news and another full of feelings and descriptive way of expressing them with enthusiasm. In his poems, I think greatest parts when he uses the word “you” which makes the person like one to one; poet and audience, makes the person feel he or she is the only one in the room that Whitman talking to.
For instance, Whitman’s lines on page 294 from “Leaves of Grass”
“When you read these I that was visible am become invisible,
Now it is you, compact, visible, realizing my poems, seeking me,
Fancying how happy you were if I could be with you and become your comrade;
Be it as if I were with you. (Be not too certain but I am now with you.)”
In many of his lines, Whitman uses the same style to grab reader’s attention and I think he has done it a very wise way. While I am reading some of his similar lines as I given above example it makes me feel like someone is reading my fortune. He could foreseen that his works would be read all over the world. Briefly, he knew that and wanted this way his messages would be delivered to people of future.
image source: http://www.nypl.org/publications/images/whitman2.jpg
image source: http://www.museum.cornell.edu/HFJ/permcoll/pdp/img_ph/eaked_l.jpg
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