Lawrence Ferlinghetti illustrates many dimensions of San Francisco in his poetry. His collection of poems investigates a wide range of topics that include San Francisco’s cultural diversity, the expansive social-economical rifts that exist, he is critical of the Imperial United States of America, and articulates on other elements that are unique to San Francisco.
The poem, The Changing Light, in particular is a depiction of the awesome phenomenon that is San Francisco’s brilliant light. San Francisco has its own splendid, radiant gleam that is unique to this earth. It is “none of your East Coast light...none of your pearly light of Paris,” Ferlinghetti says. The light of San Francisco is distinctive, similar to the Mediterranean perhaps, but without comparison. The poem describes the cycle of San Francisco’s light stages. The foggy mornings, the lambent afternoons, the sweeping wing, the casing sunset, and the new fabric of fog that floats in every night.
As our professor suggested, it might be attributed to the combination of the reflection of the ocean, the golden gate, the misty luminous fog, the refulgent glass from the skyline, the harbor light, that truly creates such an awe- inspiring light. Notice it is “Light” not “Lights,” as if San Francisco was a single island of light; A beacon. A drifting island of light is the main image constructed by Ferlinghetti; “an island light.” This might allude to the idea that San Francisco is its own island apart for the rest of the United States, an exceptional metropolis or hub of progress. Structurally, the lines and stanzas seems to be floating, almost drifting, off the page, just as if they were “anchorless upon the ocean,” as the last line of the poem suggest.
We're all beautiful golden sun flowers inside
Have a nice day.
Questions:
Serious: Ferlinghetti employs the element of water thru out many of his poems, what effect does this have on his poems and how would they differ if the water element was removed?
Unserious: “Wake up and pee, the world is one fire” was our advice from Mr. Ferlinghetti… is this Freud reading sexist pig being misogynistic?
I really enjoyed Ferlinghetti's imagery and tranquility within his poetry. I agree that the water and oceanic references are vivid and significant to Ferlinghetti's tone and perception of San Francisco. The ocean seems to portray the medium through which San Francisco culture is transmitted. The ocean is the passage through which the people and the environment are created. People travel to San Francisco through the means of the ocean, and the industry and urbanization of San Francisco is due to the ocean access. Not only do I think that the ocean is significant to San Francisco due to the process of change and creating the culture. But I also think that San Francisco is fluid and always changing with the new modernist thought and ideas that change with politics and society. This city is known for the diverse and always flexible modes of thought that transmit themselves through the culture of San Francisco ... And the ocean is a reflection of these themes.qb
V...this is a nice set of readings on LF's poem - I think your observations on "light" vs. "light" and the floating structures of the poem are right on. LF's portrayal of SF as an "exceptional" city is really subtle, but really firm at the same time. Is this a fair portrayal? Are there drawbacks to such praise, I wonder? Might be interesting to think about when we talk about Brechin more.
Then, too, there's the water issue. Did you notice any patterns in the way water was used in the poems? Of course, geographically speaking, one can't talk about SF without nodding to water. But I like what you're both starting to point out - that maybe there are popular ways of thinking about water (fluid, shapeless, touchable/untouchable, etc.) and that LF is trying to attribute these ideas to the city?
3 comments:
I really enjoyed Ferlinghetti's imagery and tranquility within his poetry. I agree that the water and oceanic references are vivid and significant to Ferlinghetti's tone and perception of San Francisco.
The ocean seems to portray the medium through which San Francisco culture is transmitted. The ocean is the passage through which the people and the environment are created. People travel to San Francisco through the means of the ocean, and the industry and urbanization of San Francisco is due to the ocean access.
Not only do I think that the ocean is significant to San Francisco due to the process of change and creating the culture. But I also think that San Francisco is fluid and always changing with the new modernist thought and ideas that change with politics and society. This city is known for the diverse and always flexible modes of thought that transmit themselves through the culture of San Francisco ... And the ocean is a reflection of these themes.qb
V...this is a nice set of readings on LF's poem - I think your observations on "light" vs. "light" and the floating structures of the poem are right on. LF's portrayal of SF as an "exceptional" city is really subtle, but really firm at the same time. Is this a fair portrayal? Are there drawbacks to such praise, I wonder? Might be interesting to think about when we talk about Brechin more.
Then, too, there's the water issue. Did you notice any patterns in the way water was used in the poems? Of course, geographically speaking, one can't talk about SF without nodding to water. But I like what you're both starting to point out - that maybe there are popular ways of thinking about water (fluid, shapeless, touchable/untouchable, etc.) and that LF is trying to attribute these ideas to the city?
oh, on the Freudian: hmm...unconscious revolutionary oversight? Target practice for today's writing workshop?? Ah, if it weren't LF...
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