Liberation Creation

“Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?” - Edgar Allan Poe excerpt from “A Dream Within A Dream”

While scientists may believe that we can use past data and the mathematical principle of Moore's law to discern an approximate view of the future, I am wary of their methods. From what I have seen in my studies and my own personal experiences, it is fiction, not fact, that has dictated the course of human existence. Imaginative innovators and literary geniuses, like H.G. Wells and Philip K. Dick have more accurately predicted the future than most scientists of the 20^th Century. The future will only go as far as our imaginations will take us. In a sense, humans manifest their own destinies through the prioritization of the thoughts and actions that are most important to them at the time. This determines what progress is made in the decades to come. Literature has often inspired and motivated the great inventions of human history. Without the creative prowess to envision alternative solutions, the human race would not exist. We need only give merit to our most imaginative thoughts and aspirations to make dreams become reality. Jules Verne foresaw our journey to the moon, decades before the technology to do so even became possible. Robert Heinlein also anticipated the terraforming of Mars, a project that is becoming more and more likely thanks to the help of billionaire Elon Musk, who was influenced by such literature. Not only within the realm of science fiction, but also philosophical and socially-oriented authors have determined and affected the ideologies and literary themes that would alter human behavior and thought in the subsequent decades. Romantic poets would help to spur the Imperialism and national fervor that would lead to global war. Philosophers such as Nietzsche would write about an idealistic fallout that would occur years after his death. Logical behavior and rational thinking will only take humanity so far. If the human race were entirely rational, we would look only toward surviving the future, as opposed to enjoying the wonders that the future will hold.

Bits of Celluloid

"1926" - Weldon Kees

"The porchlight coming on again,

Early November, the dead leaves

Raked in piles, the wicker swing

Creaking. Across the lots

A phonograph is playing Ja-Da.

An orange moon. I see the lives

Of neighbors, mapped and marred

Like all the wars ahead, and R.

Insane, B. with his throat cut,

Fifteen years from now, in Omaha.

I did not know them then.

My airedale scratches at the door.

And I am back from seeing Milton Sills

And Doris Kenyon. Twelve years old.

The porchlight coming on again."

The circular structure and temporal complexity of this poem adds to the significance of its somber theme. Obviously, Kees was not twelve years old when he wrote this, yet phrases like “the wars ahead,” “fifteen years from now,” and “I did not know them then” help to make this historical narrative timeless. There is a sense that everything that will ever happen has happened already, and that humanity will continue to live out in these same patterns of innocence, violence, and nostalgia. Kees demonstrates immense skill in documenting an era. The audience can easily place themselves both within the Roaring Twenties and within the frame of a post-WWII fallout. Instead of glorifying the supposedly heroic acts of war, Kees alludes to a better and more noteworthy time. The juxtaposition of profound tragedy with such innocuous childhood memories, emphasizes the “banality of evil” and the arbitrary nature of violence among men. Kees almost detaches his post-war self from his childhood self, as he describes both events impersonally and without emotion. In this way, Kees accentuates the severity and scope of war, as he implies that he will never be able to return to “1926.”

The Formal Mode

Every person speaks differently depending on the situation and environment. When amongst friends a person's tone and diction will widely differ than when that same person addresses an authority figure. That doesn't mean there has been a change in personality or authenticity, but rather that we all possess different modes of communication that reflect the setting that we find ourselves in. Some forms of communication are more appropriate than others, relative to the circumstances of the dialogue. The same holds true for writing. Formalized writing can still retain an authentic and engaging voice, without using colloquial language or cliches. While a person might use popular acronyms, such as ROFL, online, that doesn't mean they use those same acronyms via conversation in real life. It would not make sense within that context. The same applies to formal writing. If a person was applying for a job, they would have a vastly different attitude and tone, than a person who was lazing about in their own home. Through this last analogy, we can identify formal writing as a means of presenting yourself in a way that will impress or convince your target audience. Similar to the job interview, formal writing doesn't mean you have to sacrifice identity or individuality to achieve your goal, but you're more likely to “get the job,” so to speak, if you take a shower and put on some nice clothes before you arrive. However, in formal writing the “shower” might represent correct grammar and spelling, and the “nice clothes” could symbolize adequate structure and syntax.

Varying Sources In Persuasive Writing

Acknowledging different viewpoints and opinions can always illuminate and inform a situation or topic. The same goes for data and sources. While one author may claim one thing, another may assert that the truth lies elsewhere. While researching and composing a response to a topic, finding and incorporating divergent sources will help create a more rounded and established knowledge of said topic. When using these sources to create an argument, an author will not come across as contradictory, but rather justifiably objective. Utilizing different perspectives will help to form a counter-argument or a more Rogerian structure within persuasive writing. This will create a more effective and approachable argument. In addition to reaching a target audience, accepting varying sources may help to illuminate the complexity of an issue or topic. When researching a topical issue, integrating sources from scholars of differing fields can help to demonstrate the wide scope of an issue. For example, a topic may not only be social, but scientific as well. Gathering sources from both scientists and sociologists may help to exemplify why that issue is important enough to warrant the writing of a entire paper on the subject.

The Experience

“Flame” - C. D. Wright

"the breath               the trees               the bridge

the road                  the rain                the sheen

the breath               the line                  the skin

the vineyard            the fences             the leg

the water                the breath             the shift

the hair                  the wheels             the shoulder

the breath               the lane                the streak

the lining                the hour                the reasons

the name                the distance          the breath

the scent                the dogs                the blear

the lungs                the breath             the glove

the signal               the turn                  the need

the steps                the lights               the door

the mouth               the tongue             the eyes

the burn                  the burned            the burning"

Wright dramatically conveys the experience and aftermath of a car crash. By use of words like “road,” “shift,” “signal,” “lights,” “lane,” and “wheels,” Wright compacts information into a sensory experience based on imagery, association, and action. Through the structure of this poem, Wright refers visually to the order and shape of a road. The stark division of lanes, lines, and medians can be inferred through the columns of nouns that Wright forms. The nouns also signify and give meaning to the experience of a car crash. The imagery is profound and devastating, as Wright compounds and piles person on top of place on top of thing. Through this technique, Wright allows the reader to envision the horror of a car crash far better than a more explicit poem ever could. She allows the audience to use the breadth of their imaginations to contemplate and visualize the crash. If Wright had specified and described each noun, then the audience wouldn't have felt the confusion and shock of the accident to the same extent and severity. Like a car crash itself, everything collides in this poem, seemingly without reason. The only verbs come toward the end, to emphasize the tragedy and purposelessness to such events. In this sense, Wright constructs a very nihilistic and existential tone, as the audience reads about such arbitrary suffering and destruction.

Initiating Inquiry

 

Research always begins with a question and the subsequent search for an answer. Only through continual questioning and dissatisfaction can mankind gain knowledge. This restless inquiry should always initiate research. As an author questions the validity, legitimacy, and credibility of a source, the truth reveals itself. An author must always take those aspects into consideration, because the reader will always take notice of those same aspects. An audience will not accept a claim on faith. So, to create an effective argument, an author must question and examine every source and statistic. With this, an author becomes less focused on trying to convince someone of something, but is rather focused on trying to convince himself or herself of something. Commencing research with inquiry centers the research around finding truth, rather than finding a way to manipulate evidence. In turn, this practice then hones the author's ability to think critically and objectively within the context of their topic. Thorough investigation will also lead the argument, as opposed to an argument leading to biased investigation. This will ultimately lend itself to a better and more compelling end product.