Lawrence Ferlinghetti Himself

This is Lawrence in front of his City Lights Bookstore

Analysis- I Am Waiting

I Am Waiting

BY LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI

Michelle. L

I am waiting for my case to come up   

and I am waiting

for a rebirth of wonder

and I am waiting for someone

to really discover America

and wail

and I am waiting   

for the discovery

of a new symbolic western frontier   

and I am waiting   

for the American Eagle

to really spread its wings

and straighten up and fly right

and I am waiting

for the Age of Anxiety

to drop dead

and I am waiting

for the war to be fought

which will make the world safe

for anarchy

and I am waiting

for the final withering away

of all governments

and I am perpetually awaiting

a rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for the Second Coming   

and I am waiting

for a religious revival

to sweep thru the state of Arizona   

and I am waiting

for the Grapes of Wrath to be stored   

and I am waiting

for them to prove

that God is really American

and I am waiting

to see God on television

piped onto church altars

if only they can find   

the right channel   

to tune in on

and I am waiting

for the Last Supper to be served again

with a strange new appetizer

and I am perpetually awaiting

a rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for my number to be called

and I am waiting

for the Salvation Army to take over

and I am waiting

for the meek to be blessed

and inherit the earth   

without taxes

and I am waiting

for forests and animals

to reclaim the earth as theirs

and I am waiting

for a way to be devised

to destroy all nationalisms

without killing anybody

and I am waiting

for linnets and planets to fall like rain

and I am waiting for lovers and weepers

to lie down together again

in a new rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for the Great Divide to be crossed   

and I am anxiously waiting

for the secret of eternal life to be discovered   

by an obscure general practitioner

and I am waiting

for the storms of life

to be over

and I am waiting

to set sail for happiness

and I am waiting

for a reconstructed Mayflower

to reach America

with its picture story and tv rights

sold in advance to the natives

and I am waiting

for the lost music to sound again

in the Lost Continent

in a new rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for the day

that maketh all things clear

and I am awaiting retribution

for what America did   

to Tom Sawyer   

and I am waiting

for Alice in Wonderland

to retransmit to me

her total dream of innocence

and I am waiting

for Childe Roland to come

to the final darkest tower

and I am waiting   

for Aphrodite

to grow live arms

at a final disarmament conference

in a new rebirth of wonder

I am waiting

to get some intimations

of immortality

by recollecting my early childhood

and I am waiting

for the green mornings to come again   

youth’s dumb green fields come back again

and I am waiting

for some strains of unpremeditated art

to shake my typewriter

and I am waiting to write

the great indelible poem

and I am waiting

for the last long careless rapture

and I am perpetually waiting

for the fleeing lovers on the Grecian Urn   

to catch each other up at last

and embrace

and I am awaiting   

perpetually and forever

a renaissance of wonder

Ferlinghetti’s poem "I am waiting " is an outstanding poem of "The Beat Generation."  In it, he uses the words "I am waiting" to provide commentary on the many problems in society.  "I am waiting" is used repetitiously to introduce exactly what Ferlinghetti is waiting for . Lawrence Ferlingetti expresses his disappointment in society. " I am anxiously waiting for the secret of eternal life to be discovered by an obscure general practitioner and I am waiting for the storms of life to be over and I am waiting to set sail for happiness" Ferlinguetti demonstrates his need for something better in life, the rebirth of a new wonder.

In paragraph 2 Lawrence Ferlingetti talks about religion. Lawrence also demonstrates his belief that religion will some day sweep thru the state of Arizona once again. "I am waiting for a religious revival to sweep thru the state of Arizona " Meaning Lawrence is unsatisfied with Arizona's lack of religion. Although Lawrence ferlingetti is not religious and does not believe in the after life he still speaks about religion in his poems. "I am waiting for them to prove that God is really American"

Lawrence also speaks of fictional characters like Alice in wonderland and Tom Sawyer two characters that were prosecuted for something they did not do.  "I am awaiting retribution for what America did to Tom Sawyer and I am waiting for Alice in Wonderland to retransmit to me her total dream of innocence". Alice was prosectued in the perfect world of wonderland by the red queen. Demonstrating that even in a perfect world there is still imperfection.

The mood of this poem comes off as somewhat hopefull that some day we will experience this dramatic change in the world but the poem is mostly a sad story about what the world and how society really is and how we are waiting for it to change. " I am waiting for a way to be devised to destroy all nationalisms without killing anybody and I am waiting for linnets and planets to fall like rain and I am waiting for lovers and weepers to lie down together again in a new rebirth of wonder " Lawrence Ferlingetti is waiting for the world to start all over again because our world is so corrupted.

Analysis- Away Above A Harborful

Away Above a Harborful 
Megan Koch 

Away above a harborful
of caulkless houses 
among the charley noble chimneypots
of a rooftop rigged with clotheslines 
a woman pastes up sails
upon the wind
hanging out her morning sheets
with wooden pins
O lovely mammal
her nearly naked breasts 
throw taut shadows
when she stretches up 
to hang at last the last of her
so white washed sins 
but it is wetly amorous
and winds itself about her 
clinging to her skin
So caught with arms 
upraised 
she tosses back her head
in voiceless laughter 
and in choiceless gesture then
shakes out gold hair

while in the reachless seascape spaces

between the blown white shrouds 

stand out the bright steamers

to kingdom come 

“Away Above a Harborful” is a poem by famous poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In this poem Ferlinghetti is reflecting upon his love for this woman. The main theme of this poem is love, you can tell that he truly loves this woman because he explains her every move in detail.  

                  In the first couple of lines Ferlinghetti starts it off with him waking up and looking around enjoying the view. Felinghetti explains that he can see the house tops of houses down below and how he can see the harbour from his window, from the sounds of this, it seems like he lives on a hilltop. Then he sees who is either his girlfriend or wife hanging up her sheets. He then goes on talking about how she’s hanging up her morning sheets. When he writes “a woman pastes up sails”, he’s comparing the morning sheets to the sails of the ships in the water. It’s almost as if you’re there and you’re watching this woman.

From the line “to hang at last the last of her” what he means is this woman is hanging the last of her sheets and as the wind blows, the sheets are sticking to her since they are still wet. In the last couple of lines, from when Ferlinghetti writes “she tosses back her head”, he’s describing the way she’s laughing as she’s hanging up her sheets. Perhaps, he said something funny since she was laughing. Then Ferlinghetti goes on about how the sheets look like streamers opening to this woman’s kingdom. Perhaps he’s comparing this woman to a princess.

The metaphors in this poem are “a woman pastes up sails upon the wind”, and “stand out the bright streamers to kingdom come”. In the first metaphor, Ferlinghetti is comparing the sheets to the sails of boats. In the second metaphor, he is comparing the sheets to streamers, he’s describing the streamers to be opening up to the woman’s kingdom. 

Lastly, the mood and tones in this poem are in love and happiness. The woman is completely happy, perhaps she’s happy because of the fact that she has Ferlinghetti in her life. However, he comes across as completely in love with this woman. This is because the way he watches every one of her moves and describes the way she moves, in detail. The tone is also in love, this is again because of the fact that he’s describing her every move, it seems like he’s completely head over heels for this woman.

Analysis- History of the airplane

History Of the Airplane

MICHELLE.L

And the Wright brothers said they thought they had invented
something that could make peace on earth
(if the wrong brothers didn’t get hold of it)
when their wonderful flying machine took off at Kitty Hawk
into the kingdom of birds but the parliament of birds was freaked out
by this man-made bird and fled to heaven

And then the famous Spirit of Saint Louis took off eastward and
flew across the Big Pond with Lindy at the controls in his leather
helmet and goggles hoping to sight the doves of peace but he did not
Even though he circled Versailles

And then the famous Yankee Clipper took off in the opposite
direction and flew across the terrific Pacific but the pacific doves
were frighted by this strange amphibious bird and hid in the orient sky

And then the famous Flying Fortress took off bristling with guns
and testosterone to make the world safe for peace and capitalism
but the birds of peace were nowhere to be found before or after Hiroshima

And so then clever men built bigger and faster flying machines and
these great man-made birds with jet plumage flew higher than any
real birds and seemed about to fly into the sun and melt their wings
and like Icarus crash to earth

And the Wright brothers were long forgotten in the high-flying
bombers that now began to visit their blessings on various Third
Worlds all the while claiming they were searching for doves of
peace

And they kept flying and flying until they flew right into the 21st
century and then one fine day a Third World struck back and
stormed the great planes and flew them straight into the beating
heart of Skyscraper America where there were no aviaries and no
parliaments of doves and in a blinding flash America became a part
of the scorched earth of the world

And a wind of ashes blows across the land
And for one long moment in eternity
There is chaos and despair

And buried loves and voices
Cries and whispers
Fill the air
Everywhere

The poem 'the history of the airplane' is Laurence Felinghetti's response to 9/11 . The the poem talks about the Wright brothers and how they made the first successful airplane that started it all. The poem explains the evolution of the airplane. Airplanes were getting bigger, faster and began carrying guns and bombs. The poem talks about the Wright brothers wanting they're invention to bring peace to this earth but that things took a turn for the worst and lead the world to war and destruction.

The poem begins with the Wright brothers and they're first successful airplane. From the day the plane rose up above the clouds and into the heavens the Wright brothers wanted they're new invention to protect and bring peace to the world. 1905-1907 ''And the Wright brothers said they thought they had invented something that could make peace on earth''20 years later the "spirit" a custom built monoplane. Flown solo by charles Lindbergh on may 20-21 1927 the Spirit was built by Ryan Airlines. Lindbergh won the 25, 000$ orteig prize in new york.

Then comes the famous yankee clipper taking off in the opposite direction. Produced by Boeing airplane company between 1938 - 1941 being the largest aircraft of the time. 9 were transferred to US military forces and 3 were sold to british military forces. By this time people knew they had the technology to protect themselves and fight the enemy but the yankee clipper was not enough they had to go bigger and faster. 1930 Boeing airplane company engineered a four engine heavy bomber aircraft specially made for the military. Boeing was in a contract to build 200 bombers." And then the famous Flying Fortress took off bristling with guns and testosterone to make the world safe for peace and capitalism but the birds of peace were nowhere to be found before or after Hiroshima."

"And so then clever men built bigger and faster flying machines and these great man-made birds with jet plumage flew higher than any real birds" Jets. Flying faster higher. Carrying heavy weaponry. Fighter Planes were Invented in 1914 during the first world war. Fighter Planes are armed planes intended primarily for air-to-air combat against other fighting jets specially made to fight wars.

"And the Wright brothers were long forgotten in the high-flying bombers that now began to visit their blessings on various Third Worlds all the while claiming they were searching for doves of peace" The wright brothers, the inventors of the first ever airplane completely forgotten in all of this war and destruction. They hoped that their invention would bring peace and prosperity to the world. Hoping to find peace but it was never found. "And they kept flying and flying until they flew right into the 21st century and then one fine day a Third World struck back and stormed the great planes and flew them straight into the beating heart of Skyscraper America" 9/11 the disastrous attack on the twin towers, state of new york killing the lives of many people in they're own nation which inspired Lawrence Felinghetti to write this poem.

The poem 'The history of the airplane' has a serious mood and a certain sadness to it. The poem talks about the Wright brother's inventing a machine that can rise up into the sky and up into the heavens but then explains the tragic outcome of they're invention. The destruction and chaos that came with that invention. "And they kept flying and flying until they flew right into the 21st century and then one fine day a Third World struck back and stormed the great planes and flew them straight into the beating heart of Skyscraper America'' (paragraph 7) The disaster that killed the lives of many people in there own nation the reason Lawrence Felinghetti wrote this poem.

Biography

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

·     In 1919, Lawrence Ferlinghetti was born in Yonkers, New York.

·     Spent his childhood in France to live with his Aunt and Uncle, following this he received his BA from the University of North Carolina, an MA from Columbia University, and a PhD from the Sorbonne.

·     During World War II he served in the US Naval Reserve

·     He married in 1951 and has one daughter and one son, he never met his own father (he died 6 months before his death and the cause was unknown) and his mother committed to an asylum shortly after his birth. 
·     In 1953, Ferlinghetti and Peter Martin began to publish City Lights magazine, they also opened the City Lights Books Shop in San Francisco to help support the magazine.

·     In 1955, they launched City Light Publishing, a book-publishing venture.

·     Ferlinghetti is the author of more than thirty books of poetry

·     Lawrence is also the author more than eight plays and of the novels, he has also translated numerous poems.

·     In 1994, San Francisco renamed a street in his honor.

·     He was named the first Poet Laureate of San Francisco in 1998.

·     Other achievements include the lifetime achievement award from the National Book Critics Circle in 2000, the Frost Medal in 2003, and The Literarian Award in 2005 presented “for outstanding service to the American literary community.”

·     Ferlinghetti currently writes a weekly column for the San Francisco Chronicle, also continues to operate the City Lights bookstore.

·     Ferlinghetti went to trial in late August in the Supreme Court. He was charged with lewdly printing, publishing and selling obscene writings. This was due to the poem “Howl” which he published above his bookstore. The defense team called up nine witnesses to testify that it contributed to literature and society, calling it “thoroughly honest.” Finally Oct.3  1957 judges claimed “Howl” was not obscene.

Analysis- Dog

Dog

BY LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI

Alicia Hillier

The dog trots freely in the street

and sees reality

and the things he sees

are bigger than himself

and the things he sees

are his reality

Drunks in doorways

Moons on trees

The dog trots freely thru the street

and the things he sees

are smaller than himself

Fish on newsprint

Ants in holes

Chickens in Chinatown windows

their heads a block away

The dog trots freely in the street

and the things he smells

smell something like himself

The dog trots freely in the street

past puddles and babies

cats and cigars

poolrooms and policemen

He doesn’t hate cops

He merely has no use for them

and he goes past them

and past the dead cows hung up whole

in front of the San Francisco Meat Market

He would rather eat a tender cow

than a tough policeman

though either might do

And he goes past the Romeo Ravioli Factory

and past Coit’s Tower

and past Congressman Doyle

He’s afraid of Coit’s Tower

but he’s not afraid of Congressman Doyle

although what he hears is very discouraging

very depressing

very absurd

to a sad young dog like himself

to a serious dog like himself

But he has his own free world to live in

His own fleas to eat

He will not be muzzled

Congressman Doyle is just another

fire hydrant

to him

The dog trots freely in the street

and has his own dog’s life to live

and to think about

and to reflect upon

touching and tasting and testing everything

investigating everything

without benefit of perjury

a real realist

with a real tale to tell

and a real tail to tell it with

a real live

              barking

                         democratic dog

engaged in real

                      free enterprise

with something to say

                             about ontology

something to say

                        about reality

                                        and how to see it

                                                               and how to hear it

with his head cocked sideways

                                       at streetcorners

as if he is just about to have

                                       his picture taken

                                                             for Victor Records

                                  listening for

                                                   His Master’s Voice

                      and looking

                                       like a living questionmark

                                                                 into the

                                                              great gramaphone

                                                           of puzzling existence

                 with its wondrous hollow horn

                         which always seems

                     just about to spout forth

                                                      some Victorious answer

                                                              to everything

“Dog” written by Lawrence Ferlinghetti is strongly believed to be based on the author himself and his best friend Homer. Although it is said to “never judge a book by its cover”, and this piece of literature is a prime example since it contains a more in depth meaning in terms of societal and political beliefs.

At the very beginning of the poem Lawrence Ferlinghetti states “The dog trots freely in the street and sees reality”. This quote refers to the innocence and freedom that the dog has, and how it may observe and view the world from a different perspective than humans.  Also notice the contrast methods Ferlinghetti uses while talking about what the dog sees in the streets in comparison with what the human sees. For example someone walking on the street might see “Drunks in doorways”, meanwhile the dog would see “Fish on Newsprint” or “Ants in holes”.

A dog has a totally different perspective on the world than we do, and perhaps observes more than we do. This is illustrated through the slight tone change following the discussion on policemen; a dog doesn’t necessarily dislike them but simply has no use for them. It is very evident later on in the poem that the dog is walking in San Francisco due to the diction used. Also, the repetition of the same letter in a sentence is very eye catching in this literature for example "cats and cigars"and "poolrooms and policemen".  

When Congressman Doyle is mentioned the diction sets a more serious or gloomy mood. He does so through using the words “Depressed” “Absurd”. Congressman Clyde Doyle worked for the “House Un-American Activities Committee” in the 1950’s and the purpose of this committee was essentially to investigate American citizens who were believed to be communists or support/participate in communist activities. Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s opinion is expressed through the dog as quotes that “He will not be muzzled”, yet shows the dog’s innocence using “Congressman Doyle is just another fire hydrant to him”.

Finally, “Victor Records” is and allusion to the “Victor Talking machine Company” which produced phonographs and phonographic records. Their logo featured a dog looking into a phonograph with a confused look with the words “His Master’s Voice” below.  The last few lines in the poem are all referring to the dog’s confusion, this may connect to how Lawrence Ferlinghetti views the modern world. In conclusion I believe the main theme of this poem is that everyone will always have a different perspective on a given situation.