Gary Snyder: The Politics of Ethnopoetics

The concept of culture is difficult to define. Most would agree that the destruction of culture is wrong and provides a matrix of domination which benefits one culture over that of another. Gary Snyder brings up a good point about the change disappearance of primitive and ancient cultures by the expansion and strong influence of other more modern cultures. There is a prominent battle between the primitive and disappearing culture dependent and supportive of the ecosystem, and the expansionist, dominating, modern culture dependent upon the consumption of the ecosystem. The idea of consumption directly implies destruction.

Gary states that the definition of enthnopoetics is "... the study of poetries and poetics of nonliterate peoples, is like some field of zoology that is studying disappearing species."(128). Individuals are attempting to form literature out of orature in order to preserve the culture that is being diluted by the influencing force of expansionism. The contact of cultures is inevitable. And Snyder brings about a good point when he asks about the validity of deliberately contacting a culture in order to "develop" its traditions and way of life. In a world where all other cultures are changing and expanding, he quotes the Brazilian state officials in stating: "'we think the only way for the Indians to improve thier health, education, and begin self-development is through development.'"(134). Most intellectuals would disagree with this statement,as Gary assumes, because it encourages expansionism for modernism and destruction of primitivism. But Gary brings about an interesting point which enlightened and opened my mind onto the idea of cultural contact and survival.

Bringing this back to the idea of transforming orature to literature ... which is contacting the primitive and modernist worlds; how can orature be recorded without the modernist ideology of literature? Orature is ancient and will be distorted within the context of literature, but without literature oral traditions can be lost forever.
Snyder is illustrating the idea that cultural contact cannot be halted completely. Influences among and between cultures is what creates yet another form of society and culture. And to completely separate a primitive culture is to deny the identity of those people within the global perception of cultural existence.

Do you agree with Gary Snyder's idea that cultural contact is inevitable? Do you agree that ancient cultures need contact with the modern world in order to not be ignored as a cultural identity? How would you describe the conflict cultural contact and the influence and change it could force upon an ancient culture's existence?

The Hears Building

The Hears building is representative of the way in which imperialism within San Franciso is conducted. The corporation dominates over the media having complete control over what the American public perceives from the environment around them. Newspapers are a reflection of the culture and poltics significant to this country; and if one entity is producing the information that the public has access to; then that entity is establishing a narrow and dominating vision of the social and political constructions of American society.
William Hearst is quoted by Brechin: "Shall we not continue to hold in power, in growth and expansion our first plave among the nation of the earth?", suggesting that Hearst has inherited the motivation of imperialists to continue to grow and capitalize over other entities. His desire to consume and expand comes from the imperialist influences of previous San Franciscans, including Hearst's family influence.
A visual of the Hearst building is provided on page 201; and one can interpret the unnecessary extravagance of the elaborate detail and intricacies involved in the architect of the building. It is impossible to ignore the relation to old classical and ancient building structures of Rome and Italy; which the architects deliberately mimicked. The visual effects of the classical force the observer to be reminded of ancient imperial powers of the classical time period; which modern day imperialists were interested in discovering.
The Hearst building still represents the power and control today, as it has in the past. The publis is aware of the constructed ideologies and biases of the media and has discovered alternative ways of digging for political and social information about the American society that exists today. The corporations that control the media are dominating too many outlets of information ... television, newspapers, magazines. radio, internet and much more are all components of the same corporation. Imperialism and capitalism drive the corporations to become more powerful and continue to expand. It is these ideologies which contribute to the avoidance of reality and the contribution to political and social interest and drama.

Brautigan's Recurring Themes and Ideas

Richard Brautigan focuses mainly on the realm of the pastoral and the realm of nature as a means of returning back to the intellectual mind that is lost in the emerging industry and urbanization of the big city. Brautigan seems nostalgic for the abundance of nature that used to exist beneath the machine industry that has commodified what nature is left. The idea of commodification is really transparent in the poem: "The Cleveland Wrecking Yard"; due to the fact that Brautigan literally places aspects of nature in a store that can be bought and sold. This perception of reality is repeated throughout the most of the writer's prose and poetry; the strive to remain in the realm of nature and the determination to return back to times when the individual could actually go "Trout Fishing in America" without being overwhelmed with industry and urbanization. Brautigan recognizes the public separating itself from; and therefore destroying, the realm of nature that the individual should be close to and experiencing.
In the poem Brautigan touches on the issues dealing with consumption and limitations of resources: "' How much are the birds?' I asked. 'Thirty-five cents apiece,' he said. 'But of course they're used. We can't guarantee anything. ... 'What kinds of animals do you have?' I asked. 'We only have three deer left,' he said."(104-105). The concept of used birds is reminiscent of the fact that they have been commodified before. A product of the environment should be free roaming; but the store owner makes the reader wonder where the birds came from if they are used. Brautigan, I think, is returing to the idea that nothing is entirely natural and pastoral. The industrialization and urbanization of the environment is inflicting upon the creatures that depend on the environment as a place of origin and refuge.
The fact that there are only three deer left forces the reader to confront the idea of resource and limitation. Without the product of the environment, deer will suffer to remain. The environment is needed in order for birds and deer to thrive. in order for them to continue existing within the new realm of industry and urbanization their environment must be bought and reenacted. The pretenc environment that is being bought and sold is a mimic of the reality which used to exist.
Brautigan really focuses on nature as a depleting aspect of reality. And his tone of nostalgia and loss is apparent within his prose and poetry as he continually refers back to the comfort and placement of nature within the settings of his writing. It is as though his writing is always relating back to nature and natural instinctual need and want to remain close to the environment.


What other poems and chapters within "Trout Fishing in America" and "A Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster" reflect the idea that nature is commodified?

Does anyone else think that the separation from nature and the environment is leading to nature as a product of the economic system?

What other ideas besides the commodificatoin of nature does Brautigan seem to argue about nature and its conflictions with modern society?

Question

What are the other conflicts: social and political, that these poets address?
What other techniques do these poets use to engage the reader?
How are the specific political references to the cold war and the atom bomb in "America" beneficial to creating Ginsberg's tone?

Respone#1

Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti write about reality. Their experiences with the emergence of urbanization and progression of industry influenced their "realist" perspectives. Both poets focus on the political and social influences of the time period. The language and tone are extremely strong and explicit; appealing to the middle and lower class individuals.

Ginsberg's language and tone is extremely explicit. He gains the attention of the reader by forcing reality and truth into the minds of the readers. By stating that "The Russia wants to eat us alive"; the poet succeeds in validating the American public's perception of fear that surrounds the political conflicts dealing with the cold war. Allen Ginsberg's direct and blunt address towards politics illustrates a powerfully strong tone of rejection the social ideals about the conflict with Russia. The poet also writes: "Go f**k yourself with your atom bomb"; in further rejection and intolerance of the political situation.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti expresses a tone of reality and sense of longing to separate from the industrial society that is emerging. In the poem "The Dog", Ferlinghetti writes: " ... he has his own free world to live in", becasue the dog is not influenced by social and political pressures. The dog's intellect is not limitied or restricted by social influences or political law. The poet addresses the conflict with conformity and its interference with realism; Ferlinghetti states: " ... investigating everthing/ without benefit of perjury/ a real realist" he realizes that man can never have this intellectual freedom with continuting political and social pressures.