Young in New Orleans

[HaveHeart]

I have to do a 2-3 page Analytic Paper on Young in New Orleans and was wondering if I could get any sort of help/thoughts on this poem. Or perhaps any good sites I could use to help me understand this poem more fully. What I get from is that he want's to be left alone and he see's nothing wrong with that. Thank you for any help!



Dan

 

[hank solo]

Young in New Orleans

Well I don't know if it helps, but the poem is most likely referring to Bukowski's stay in New Orleans in 1942. The meaning of the poem is pretty clear I think, it's not really full of metaphor or anything.

 

[HaveHeart]

Thank you for the information about his stay in 1942. I agree I think the meaning is pretty clear as well. However, I just don't know how I'm going to make the "he wants to be left alone" a 3 page paper.

 

[roni]

Look up his wander-years (~the 40s) in the Bukowski-biography by Howard Sounes. This will give you some ideas.

 

[Short Bus]

Got a shovel?
Start with describing New Orleans and why he chose that spot when Atlanta made much more sense from a writers perspective-then mention the food-you have to mention the food-then digress a little into the music and architecture-using the poem and your guide ( i know you know what I mean).

 

[HaveHeart]

Ahhhh I have no idea why I'm having such a hard time with this!

 

[mjp]

Dude, it's for school - just make some shit up. Go off on a tangent about baseball or frying pans. No one will care. As long as the grammar is right you'll get a good grade.

 

[Snowball Fight]

It's all about the word count...do as MJP suggests....

 

[roni]

Look up his wander-years (~the 40s) in the Bukowski-biography by Howard Sounes. This will give you some ideas.

also have a look at the beginning of the novel 'Factotum' by Bukowski.
It starts with this visit in New Orleans.

and don't take every word you hear here too serious. some of the kids are just kiddin'.

 

[poptop]

This poem is an opportunity for you - perhaps a huge one. Place yourself in Bukowski's position in New Orleans - his sense of isolation, being away from people and the lostness of it all - and what it does to you is the meaning of the poem beyond trying to analyse or being strictly objective. He says a LOT in a few short lines regarding the richness of the experience. A poem like this where you in essence become Bukowski can open up an entirely new world for you - perhaps what your teacher is trying to do - including the entire world of poetry and what it can do to enrich the reader's inner world - how rewarding it can be. But you have to open up in a real way to the experience of what Bukowski was going through and allow yourself to feel. It would be like being transported to New Orleans yourself and seeing what he saw through your own eyes. Then you put down on paper what you can and perhaps surprise yourself how easy it is.

 

[Lolita Twist]

I have to do a 2-3 page Analytic Paper on Young in New Orleans...

I was always told/taught/indoctrinated that when reviewing or writing about my personal opinions of literature/poetry/etc that I could say whatever the hell I wanted... as long as I could back it up with evidence from the poem/piece of lit/etc. And evidence can be ambiguous as long as your spin-control switch is turned on and you're being truthful about what you think it could possibly mean. I always was fond of/am fond of of saying something completely off the wall, like, "George Washington's final address blatantly hinted at the fact that he was a drug-addict." and then I would make it kind of like a game for myself to try and make sense of what I was writing, how I would back that up (he did grow marijuana, true fact, but it was said that it was for hemp clothing). If I re-read it and it had nothing to do with my feelings/opinion, I would start over. Writing anything can be astronomically fun if you can make it that way.

I don't know how this helped you analyze "Young in New Orleans", but I felt the need to school you (if anyone didnt' know, I'm finally going for my PhD in English/Literature, not English Lit... gonna be a prof if anyone will have me), to inspire, to excite, entice.

And... who commanded you to analyze Buk's poem? Lovely man/woman he must be...

 

[OldDad73]

I have written analytic pieces on so many horrible things, I think you should see this assignment as a blessing! Do your best, layer it with BS and you'll be fine.