Why did I do what I did and why does it matter?
I chose to start my project with my authors note/explanation of what I did because I think it will provide helpful insight into what I’m hoping to accomplish with my poem. When I began thinking about this first project, I knew that I wanted to find a way to connect the literature we’ve been studying to my love of music. I started to explore common themes from Beowulf and Lanval, my two favorite texts we’ve studied and searched for connections to some of today’s most popular songs. I found that there was this overarching theme of ego and validation being celebrated in Beowulf, while Lanval provided some insight into the dangers of these themes. Beowulf is constantly bragging of his exploits, and he is continuously showered in wealth while Lanval provides a more enlightened perspective on humility. This idea seemed so familiar to me once I started reading the text through an ego driven, hyper masculine lens. The way Beowulf showcased ego through his acquisitions of wealth, and objectification of women pushed me to think about specific songs and how they discuss the exact same themes just a thousand years later, with different words.
I wanted to find a creative way to showcase this connection, so I decided to write a poem in a different form. I started the poem by introducing the theme of ego in the first stanza. In the second stanza, I showcased ego and hubris by only using lines quoted from Beowulf and a very popular song by blackbear, titled “lil bit”. I continued with this pattern of exploring ego and objectification in the same manner throughout the poem. My own reflective words in one stanza, followed by a blend of quotes from Beowulf, Lanval, and popular music by Jack Harlow, DaBaby, blackbear, and Quinn XCII. I felt that using the actual words from these songs and texts as well as my own, was a far more powerful way of writing as it shows a reader how prevalent this theme of ego has been throughout literary history. Beowulf and these songs were written a thousand years apart, yet the masculine objectification of women and the value of fame and excess are still centers of focus.
My intention was that the stanza’s containing original language be understood as reflective. As I was putting this project together, I felt like I was learning so much about people. How have we been discussing the same themes for so long? What is so attractive about objectifying each other and obtaining massive wealth? Especially in storytelling. John Bellion said it best in his song titled “Stupid Deep”, when he sang, “Why has life become a plan, to put some money in my hand? When the love I really need is stupid cheap.” I think it’s important to explore these things, and it’s important to literature that we study consistencies in our history to promote reflection because it’s in this reflection that we might find problematic patterns to amend, but where we may also find patterns of success to honor.
I do warn you, there is strong language in this poem, but the language is all quoted from other artists, they are not my original words. With that being said, I think it’s important to leave the language in because it shows how easily we overlook, in fact, how much we value such blatant degradation. I hope this poem does what I set out to do and expose the abrasive themes we value in literature and media. Objectification and ego only lead to the erosion of the self, and I do my best to explore that through a gendered, objectified, somewhat religious lens. Enjoy!
Text/Song List
- Beowulf
- Lanval
- “lil bit” – blackbear
- “What’s Poppin” – Jack Harlow and DaBaby
- “Distracted Youth” – Quinn XCII
- “Stupid Deep” – Jon Bellion
Me Myself, and I
Those who are loudest – validate knowing least.
Yet I read of accolades and nobility
simply determined by the volume of one’s life.
Wealth and women equated the same,
fame over family, peace for cocaine.
“The halfdane’s sword, the gold, the glitz
buss down both my wrists time to talk a lot of shit,
four coupes, four seasons, drop the top a bit.
Gem-dripping, blinged-out, brought forth only
when the king himself was slaying;
Meanwhile he gave zero shits
Beowulf saw himself as God’s gift.”
Degrade and conquer, for validation is necessity,
extrinsic is dangerous yet intrinsic holds skeletons.
Power run by ego, if embraced may not return,
it’s been a thousand years will we ever learn?
Boastful degradation merely erodes the self,
It’s juxtaposed action which leads one to hell.
Hubris and shine, it’s fine. everyone’s objectified.
“What’s poppin? I could pass that b**** like Stockton.
I got so f***** rich, all these hoes on my d***,
brand new whip, just hopped in.
Then so I’m told a man plunged his hands
into the hold and filled himself with Giants gold.
no weakness here he dressed himself up in glittering gear
pleased and petted, feted to the utmost,
gifts raining down upon him like pennies from heaven.”
Heaven and hell, greed seems to dance with God,
Assuming correctness asserting contrite.
Gold, God, and oppression are all part of the good fight.
If God were a girl the world would be wise,
alive and well we’d continue to rise,
yet we stay here on earth and ask ourselves why?
“However wealthy in life someone is,
it will not last – they will lose it.
I bought several appearances
I tell myself will fill the void in my heart.
However rich they are now, it’s not vibrant.”
Sprockets and Springes 