Lennon's political activities put him on Nixon's famous 'enemies list,' and although the Beatles during their heyday were welcomed with screaming and adoring fans in America, Lennon eventually had to fight the U.S. government to avoid being deported from his beloved city of New York, because of his opposition to the administration. "A campaign of harassment by Nixon-era conservatives...was overturned by the courts in 1976" ("John Lennon," Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, 1994).
Today, the blending of entertainment and politics is accepted, but when Lennon first spoke out, it was unheard of, especially in Cold ar America. Artists were supposed to back away from any strong stances, especially unpopular ones. As early as 1966, a reader could hear the sentiments espoused later in "Imagine" in an interview with Maureen Cleave in the London Evening Standard. Lennon said: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that;…...
mlaWorks Cited
Coleman, Ray. "The Dark Side of Beatlemania." Internet Beatles Album. 18 May 1995.
29 Feb 2008. http://www.beatlesagain.com/bapology.html
John Lennon." Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. 1994. 29 Feb 2008. http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/john-lennon
John Lennon." VH1.com. 2007. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/lennon_john/bio.jhtml
John Lennon
"Imagine" by John Lennon uses poetic devices to create an ideal of world peace. The song deals positively with the problem of people fighting each other by removing some reasons for fighting. He understands that this might seem unrealistic but still asks us to join him and others so everyone in the world can be united in peace. I believe Lennon's ideas would reduce violence but not eliminate it.
"Imagine" is one track on the "Imagine" album released by John Lennon in 1971 (EMI Group Limited, 2013). The song uses the poetic devices of rhyme, repetition and rhythm to dream up an ideal of world peace. Rhyme is used in lines such as: "It's easy if you try" and "Above us only sky"; "It isn't hard to do" and "And no religion too"; "I wonder if you can" and "A brotherhood of man" (AZLyrics.com, 2014). Repetition is used for…...
mlaWorks Cited
AZLyrics.com. (2014). John Lennon Lyrics - Imagine. Retrieved February 9, 2014 from www.azlyrics.com Web site: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnlennon/imagine.html
EMI Group Limited. (2013). Biography | John Lennon. Retrieved February 9, 2014 from www.johnlennon.com Web site: http://www.johnlennon.com/biography
University of Ottawa. (n.d.). Connotations and denotations. Retrieved February 9, 2014 from www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca Web site: http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/conndeno.html
Lennon is making an argument, an emotional argument like a poet. His language is simple and direct.
It is hard to see this same directness in Romantic poetry, because the language of the 19th century is so different from our own. But even with a 21st century ear, it is possible to see this directness and simplicity in Keats, such as when Keats writes: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty, / that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." John Lennon simply states and asserts that in the perfect world there will be: "Nothing to kill or die for, No religion too."
Because Lennon's imaginings are stated in such a simple way, it is easy to ignore how profound some of his statements are, and how radical. Imagine a world without Christianity, Judaism, Islam -- or even America or Iran. No religion and no nations, none of…...
This is why he uses so few instruments in the song, and why the melody is so simple. It is really only a few notes and chords linked together to form the melody, and it repeats itself throughout the song. The sound of the song is straightforward, but the root of the song is not, and that is one of the things that gives the song such impact.
In fact, the sound of the song is almost like a dirge or a requiem. It sounds very serious because the topic is so serious. Lennon could write lighthearted material when he wanted to, but he knew how to create a serious and somber piece of music too, and that is the sound of this work. It is almost somber, and that fits the message of the song perfectly.
The song's tone is totally serious. There is nothing lighthearted and funny about the…...
mlaReferences
Lennon, John. "Imagine." National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services. 2006. 11 Dec. 2006. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/imagine.htm
Q1. Research the sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois and discuss his contributions to society.
W. E. B. Du Bois, the author of The Souls of Black Folk, was one of the most notable African-American activists of the early 20th century. In this seminal work, Du Bois outlined what he called the double consciousness of African-Americans, “the sense of looking at one’s self through the eyes of others” (Du Bois 5). Black people were simultaneously excluded from mainstream American society yet also forced to understand it, given that they were rendered into a state of economic dependence on whites, thanks to the legacy of slavery Du Bois also made a claim for African-American culture to be the most American of all cultures, given that it was a unique hybridization of African and European ideas, religion, music, and life.
Du Bois, who received his doctorate from Harvard University and taught sociology at the…...
"Imagine all the people / Living for today." The be-here-now tenet is at the core of Zen and other forms of Buddhism. Other Eastern religions like Taoism are devoid of the binary concepts of heaven and hell too. Lennon suggests that "living for today" releases the need for crippling religious dogma, which has been responsible for fomenting wars throughout human history.
Peace, suggests Lennon, is only possible when individuals are willing to let go of religious dogma ("And no religion too"), nationalism ("Imagine there's no countries"), and materialism ("Imagine no possessions"). When people are willing to surrender their demands there will be "Nothing to kill or die for."
Imagine" is therefore a profoundly sad song. Although filled with a sense of hope, "Imagine" is more about longing for a future that could not possibly exist on this earth. Until each person on the planet becomes willing to share in the dream,…...
Cultural Sociology
What Defines Us as a Global Population - our Differences or Similarities?
Analysis of "Imagine" by John Lennon
History is littered with wars and global divisions as a result of Man's search for self-definition. Man's differences appear to drive us apart but it is also conceivable that these differences bring us together. The song "Imagine" by John Lennon speaks of a 'utopia' where there are no differences that can potentially divide Man. However, the song only speaks of the differences that instigate violence and alienation. It is Man's varied cultures, religions, and beliefs that allow for our varied strengths, talents and advancements that bring us together and define us as a species.
In the song "Imagine," Lennon refers to a world devoid of heaven and hell, religion, countries, personal possessions, greed and hunger (Lennon, 1995, 1). He sings of a "brother hood of man... living for today" (Lennon, 1995, 2). He believes…...
mlaBibliography
Lennon, John. (1995) Imagine. www.plumbingsupply.com/greatsong.html
Apocalypse of Art in the Tech Era
Modern Apocalypse Art and Technological Aspects
The purpose of this paper is to examine modern art, in particular that which is referred to as "apocalypse art" and further to examine the interactions between art and technology. Specifically this paper will look at the new dimensions that technology has contributed to the rendering of art as well as what contribution or impact that art has rendered to technology.
The methodology for this study is through examination of several of the artists as well as scholars who are in some way interconnected in this process of producing apocalypse art.
The question that seems to weigh on the minds of those who view the modern "apocalypse" art exhibits asks:
Has this artist attempted to achieve the effect of shock or is the artist attempting to convey some deeper truth?"
London's Art Gallery featured an exhibit entitled "Apocalypse" in the year of 2000.…...
mlaBibliography 3 of 3
28. UNSW (nd) "Anna Munster" [Online] available at http://www.icinema.unsw.edu.au/bios/zbio_munter.html
29. Vesna, Victoria (1999) "Fear of Deletion and the Eternal Trace" [Online] available at http://www.the-artists.org/Artists/Vesna.html
30. Wilson, Cintra (2000) "Joel-Peter Witkin" Salon [Online] available at http://dir.salon.com/people/bc/2000/05/09/witkins/index.html
Reuters News (3 May 2000) "London Gallery's Apocalypse Could Rival Controversial Sensation" [Online] available at http://www.cnn.com/2000/style/arts/05/03/britian.apocalypse.reut/
How the Beatles Made History
Introduction
Everyone knows their names, even if one never cared for their music: Ringo, John, Paul, and George. Just 15, 16 and 17 respectively, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon came together in 1958—young but passionate musicians from Liverpool, England, who wanted to play jazz, blues and folk music on improvised instruments. By 1962, they had added Ringo Starr to the group. With Starr on drums, the group’s first single “Love Me Do” hit the airwaves and changed the face of pop music forever. Beatlemania became a thing and the Beatles themselves became “more popular than Jesus,” as Lennon put it four years later to a London journalist (Runtagh). The Beatles surely did make history (whether they were ever actually bigger than Jesus was a controversial point): they had more number one singles than any other British band or artist, and there 17 number ones were…...
Essay Topic Examples
1. Harmonizing Across the ond: The Symbiotic Relationship between The Beatles and The Beach Boys:
This essay would explore the mutual influence The Beatles and The Beach Boys had on each other's music. It would analyze how the competition and inspiration between the two bands led to some of the most innovative music of the 1960s, such as The Beatles "Sgt. eppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" and The Beach Boys "et Sounds."
2. Sonic Innovations: roduction Techniques of The Beatles and The Beach Boys:
In this essay, a deep dive into the recording strategies and techniques utilized by both groups would be undertaken. Comparing the role of the studio as an instrument by examining albums like "Revolver" and "et Sounds," emphasizing the contribution of producers George Martin and Brian Wilson could provide an understanding of how these bands reshaped recording music.
3. Cultural…...
mlaPrimary Sources
Wilson, Brian. Wouldn\'t It Be Nice: My Own Story. New York: HarperCollins, 1991.
Lennon, John, and Yoko Ono. John Lennon: In His Own Words. Compiled by Ken Lawrence. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2005.The Beatles. The Beatles Anthology. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2000.Love, Mike. Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy. New York: Blue Rider Press, 2016.Capitol Records. Pet Sounds Sessions. Capitol Records/EMI, 1997. Compact Disc Box Set Liner Notes.
The change was not all positive, however. Bailey notes that the social and psychological transformation that followed women working outside the home "mounted to tidal-wave proportions" (1020). hile women working outside the home in the urban age were not too terribly different from women working outside the home in the agricultural age, the movement raised questions about women's roles, family, and the workplace. The feminist movement was born from a mentality that women did not need to sty at home. Once they were in the workplace, however, they complained that they were expected to bring home the bacon and cook it as well. Feminists protested against sexism and even went up against historic giants like Yale and est Point. It was not long before women were seen flying airplanes and traveling in space. Feminists also railed against tradition organizations that judged women for their looks such as beauty pageants.…...
mlaWorks Cited
Davidson, James, et al. Nation of Nations. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1990.
Farmer, James. "The New Jacobins and Full Emancipation" Black Protest. Joanne Grant, ed.
New York: Ballentine Books. 1968.
Morris, Aldon D. "A Retrospective on the Civil Rights Movement: Political and Intellectual
Vietnam and the Two-Sided American Dream
The Vietnam era began under a cloud. Kennedy had inherited a government neck-deep in covert operations and rather than check the rate at which the U.S. exercised military might in foreign countries, he accelerated it. The American Empire had been doing so for nearly two decades since the end of WW2. With the Cold War in full force, the ay of Pigs fiasco behind him, and the Cuban Missile Crisis causing panic worldwide, the last thing Americans wanted was more war. With the assassination of Kennedy in 1963 and the installation of pro-ground forces Lyndon Johnson, Americans were stripped of the carefree innocence of the 1950s. Camelot was ended. The 1960s and the 1970s became decades of radicalism in which American youth would rebel against the authoritarian tone of American foreign and domestic policy. They would rebel in their dress, in their speech, in their…...
mlaBibliography
Fisher, W. (1973). Reaffirmation and Subversion of the American Dream. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 59(2): 160-167. Fisher identifies the nature of the American Dream as being two-fold, at once materialistic and moralistic, with the materialistic half winning out in the end. It implies that the idealist Americans who support the moral cause of the 60s and 70s are outnumbered by the militant materialists. Written just after the election of Nixon to the White House over McGovern, it is historically contextual in terms of being relevant to this essay. It views the "American experiment" as dying under Nixon's watch. I agree with this assessment as the evidence presented by Fisher sufficiently demonstrates the dual nature of the Dream and the how the weightier materialistic side of it gained traction in the 70s.
Fisher, W. (1982). Romantic Democracy, Ronald Reagan, and Presidential Heroes. Western Journal of Speech Communication, 46(3): 299-310. Fisher identifies the "romantic strain in American history/politics" and links it to the Dream of the 60s and 70s, implying that the Dream was doomed to fail by the 80s because of its romantic root. I agree with the assessment, as the ideals of the French Revolution, embodied by idealists of the 60s and 70s were rooted in Romanticism.
Miller, J.Y. (1964). Myth and the American Dream: O'Neill to Albee. Modern Drama, 7(2): 190-198. Miller decries the American Dream by analyzing the works of playwrights of the 20th century, culminating with Albee, whose The American Dream skewers the idealism of the post-WW2 era. "This is how the Dream works," Miller states (p. 190) and I agree: it sucked in generation after generation with phony promises and then forced them, ultimately, to sell out to materialism.
Stone, O., Kuznick, P. (2012). The Untold History of the United States. NY: Gallery Books. The book provides an account of American foreign policy under the powerful sway of the military-industrial complex in the 20th century. It implies that American politics have been beholden to militarism and imperialism for over 100 years and that whenever an opportunity to reverse course and adopt a more humane policy has arisen, pressure has been applied to keep such a change from happening. Stone and Kuznick view the Vietnam War as "morally indefensible" (p. 386). I agree with their evaluation based upon the evidence they provide -- which is that the War was fought not for "democracy" but rather for Empire.
music is not always a vehicle for political or social commentary, it has become increasingly more so in the past several generations. Music serves often as a vehicle for community and cultural self-expression, or as a means to communicate social and political ideals as with the spirituals and blues songs of African-Americans bemoaning slavery and racism. Since the 1960s, however, music and its lyrical component has become a means by which to understand the zeitgeist of the historical epoch. Music in the 1960s was often directly and overtly political, particularly the songs of American folk musicians like Bob Dylan. It is almost easier to single out songs from the late 1960s that did not have political overtones versus those that did, because there were so many artists who used music to convey political messages. One of the most notable such songs is John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance." This…...
mlaReferences
Britton, L.M. (2015). Times they are a changin': Indie's apathy v pops political pursuit. The Guardian. 8 June, 2015. Retrieved online: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/08/times-they-are-a-changin-indies-apathy-v-pops-political-pursuit
Burns, C. (n.d.). Lady Gaga: Performer, persona, and political advocate. Retrieved online: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1195&context=comssp
Gavish, E. (2009). Music has always been a tuneful force for political change. New York Daily News. 10 Act, 2009. Retrieved online: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/music-tuneful-force-political-change-article-1.381154
Hughes, D. (2013). Hip-hop in politics. ABC News. 14 Feb, 2013. Retrieved online: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/hip-hop-politics-difference-generation-makes/story?id=18495205
camera was climb Mt. Fuji. Climbing Mt. Fuji is a lesson in determination and moderation. It would be fair to ask if I took the moderation part to heart." (Leibovitz and DeLano 1) -- Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz, born on October 2, 1949 in aterbury, Connecticut, is an American portrait photographer whose career has lasted over the decades beginning with Rolling Stone magazine in 1970. In just three short years, her stint in Rolling Stone magazine led her to her first position as chief photographer of Rolling Stone that she kept for a decade. She was the working force behind the Rolling Stone look and the rise of the magazine in the late seventies and early eighties.
How was she able to accomplish such a feat? It is in the way she connects with her subjects. She desires to open their souls, hearts, and lives to the camera. This intimate look…...
mlaWorks Cited
Cunningham, Hilary. 'Prodigal Bodies: Pop Culture And Post-Pregnancy'.Michigan Quarterly Review XLI.3 (2002): n. pag. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Leibovitz, Annie, and Sharon DeLano. Annie Leibovitz At Work. New York: Random House, 2008. Print.
Ritdml.rit.edu,. 'Annie Leibovitz: Photographs 1970-1990'. N.p., 2015. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Art
"Any brief definition of art would oversimplify the matter, but we can say that all the definitions offered over the centuries include some notion of human agency, whether through manual skills (as in the art of sailing or painting or photography), intellectual manipulation (as in the art of politics), or public or personal expression (as in the art of conversation). Recall that the word is etymologically related to artificial -- i.e., produced by human beings. Since this embraces many types of production that are not conventionally deemed to be art, perhaps a better term for them would be visual culture. This would explain why certain preindustrial cultures produce objects which Eurocentric interests characterize as art, even though the producing culture has no linguistic term to differentiate these objects from utilitarian artifacts. Having said that, we are still left with a class of objects, ideas and activities that are held…...
mlaPhotography: Leibovitz, A. (n.d.). John Lennon and Yoko Ono. [Photograph, color]. Photo
Gallery, AmericanMasters, PBS. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/annie-leibovitz/photo-gallery/19/
Annie Leibovitz is famous for her celebrity portraits because of the unusual poses and backdrops she uses with her subjects. The portrait of John and Yoko is powerful. It is startling because John is nude astride a fully-clothed Yoko. John is kissing her tenderly, with his body curled around hers and his arms cradling her head. Yoko is completely passive. It seems Leibovitz captured the dynamics of the couple's relationship with this
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