How Place Influences the Mood, Plot and Subject - Essay Example

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 3 Influence of place on mood, plot and of the 4 American 4 Walter Whitman: 5 Ginsberg: 6 Stephen Crane: 7 Greek writers: 7 British writers: 8 William Wordsworth: 8 Joseph Conrad: 9 Katherine Mansfield: 10 John Keats: 10 Irish writers: 11 Seamus Heaney: 11 William Butler Yeats: 11 Conclusion 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY 13 INTRODUCTION And as the soil is, so the heart of man.1 The effect of landscape in which a human being dwells, can be observed through his everyday activities and thoughts. The land around us is the reflection of our practical and technological capacities; and also of our culture, needs, hopes, preoccupation and dreams. Human identity, thinking and ideas are all bounded up with human location. Considering a common man, he decides the color of his dress, the food to eat, the interior of his house etc according to the type of place he resides in. Similarly writer also takes the influence of the place for selecting the subject. His characters varies according to the prevailing situation. The mood and plot changes with the changing weather. The political issues of the place also affect the thinking of the writer and so do the social and cultural impacts of the place contribute to the subject, mood, plot and characters of the write up. Place and surroundings have a great influence on the mood, plot and subject of any writing. The situations, the prevailing conditions of a place and landscape have a great effect on the mood of a writer. A writer creating a write up on a hill station will portray the mountains and the landscape of the place. The characters, their issues will all relate to the place. Similarly, a poet living in a snowy place will come up with writings relating to the snow and his characters will be presented in warm clothing. The subject will relate the wood for fire, the snowy nights etc. For a writer, many points contribute in bringing up an attractive piece of work that captures the interest of the reader, out of which place or location is the important one. That is why it is commonly observed that the writers prefer travelling so as to explore new things and bring them up in their works. As the environment of each place is different from the other, a new and better work comes up. The works of American writers and poets is different from the British because of the difference in place and situations. The writings of every era are also different because of the prevailing political and social conditions of a place .During the wars, the writer comes up with works containing hopes for peace. Similarly if we study the characters in writing, they are also influenced by the place where the writer is and the situations he is facing at that place .He observes the characters from his surroundings, their behavior and habits and portraits them in his works .Hence, by the work we can easily judge the place, from where the writing has come up and the conditions of that place in that particular era. They may include the moral values, customs, thinking of the inhabitants of that place etc.2 The subject and plot is also deeply linked with the place of writer. He brings up the latest situations and happenings of the place in his works. This can be done so as to create awareness, for appreciation or even to bring in knowledge any of the hidden issues.3 Influence of place on mood, plot and subject of the writer: By observing the works of different poets and writers, belonging to different regions, the influence of place on the mood of the writer can broadly be understood: American writers: In 17thcentury, the American colonists were the first to add their works to English language. Firstly, they relied on the British models of poetic forms, dictions and themes, but lately in 19th century the American style came up, which gave English literature a treasure of mixed works.4 Walter Whitman: Whitman is among the most prominent writers in the American history. He was an essayist, poet and a journalist. He volunteered himself during the American civil war (1861-1865) .the influence of the war is prominent in his works. He is often known as the ‘father of free verse’. Whitman’s writing especially ‘Leaves of grasses’ were highly controversial. At that time America was facing civil war and his poems and writing were mostly on the abolition of slavery, racism etc. and therefore Whitman quoted as; A million people—manners free and superb— open voices—hospitality—the most courageous and friendly young men; the free city! No slaves! No owners of slaves!5 The poetry portrays the feeling of a man when he is living at a place at war. He wishes to have a free place without the discrimination between people. At many places in Whitman’s poetry, articles and quotes, he shows his patriotism also. After leaving for Washington (1862), Whitman joined the army for some time as a volunteer nurse but he fell sick and was admitted in the army hospital. At this time he wrote ‘The Great Army of the Sick’. 6This text also clarifies the influence of place on the mood and subject of the writer. In the 19th century the industrial development started in America. Developments and modernization had started, changing the moods and behaviors of the people. New America had now come out of the darkness of wars and so poetry and writings had also changed their mode accordingly. The amusing side of comedy writings came up, pushing behind the grammar and language. In spite of the poor spellings, bad grammar and the use of slangs, most of the American writers found it amusing and entertaining for the readers. The end of civil war had made the place relatively peaceful, so the writings showed a changed mood, subject and plot.7 Ginsberg: Ginsberg, another well-known poet of America has given many precious words to the English historic poetry. He had travelled to many places. Once he resided near a beat hotel and wrote a poem on the life and lifestyle of the people living and visiting there. Then he had a visit to south Asia (Banaras and Calcutta) where he observed their religion and gave related write-pushed than wrote a poem on the situation of Bengalis during the 1971 war. He had stayed at those places so he was influenced by the location and the people of Bangladesh. Millions of daughters walk in the mud Millions of children wash in the flood A Million girl’s vomit & groan Millions of families hopeless alone8 He wrote the poem of 152 lines ‘September on Jess ore Road’, after visiting the refugee camp and witnessing the plight. This poem proves that the place has a great influence on the subject. Besides that Ginsberg also gave poems and song for the American war victims. One of his best poems is ‘A Supermarket in California’. In this poem he presents the place he is, the things he observed and what was there in his mind. In my hungry fatigue, and shopping for images, I went into the neon fruit supermarket, Dreaming of your enumerations! What peaches and what penumbras! Whole families shopping at night! Stephen Crane: He was an American author, born and brought up there. He had started writing from a very young age. He wrote notable works in realist tradition. By modern critics, he is recognized as the most innovative writers of his generation. His writings had the taste of impressionism and naturism. Crane was a fiction writer but his writings were based on American realism. The existing situations, his novels and short stories contain poetic characteristics such as short hand prose, suggestibility, perspective and ellipse between the sentences. At the time of crane, America was undergoing crises. This influenced crane’s works. His first three novels ‘Maggie: A Girl of Streets, the Red Badge of Courage and George’s Mother’ had characters who had certain dreams but they undergo certain crisis. All his works reflected the situation of the place, courage, fear and hope.9 Greek writers: The Greece poetic movement is was the part of greatest cultural and intellectual community in the world .the poets of that time were mostly dramatists. The poetry was performed by characters in the king’s courts. The problems of a common man, the needs of the people and the prevailing issues were dramatized. Greece is a land of beauty so the characters, specially the females, were presented in a beautiful manner. Hence the 4th till 7th century of Greece poetic movement is the base of the dramatic poetry. British writers: In the 17thcentury, romance was the basis of the writings of that time. Romance at that time meant love for the freedom of one’s self. The poets and writers were inspired by the desire for liberty and denounced the exploitation of the poor. The poets at that time had made it their responsibility to change the atmosphere in their society. They were completely firm to bring about the freedom of man the first priority and also that the idea of a person should be given importance rather than imposing rules and conventions. The 17th and 18thcentury was the ages of revolution. The early romantic poets tend to be the supporters of the French revolution. The place was undergoing many developments and changes so the poets were influence d by the surroundings, which reflected in their work. William Wordsworth: At the time of French revolution the people were becoming confident about their rights but the old style of poetry was still there. Wordsworth was a very sensitive poet and he made the ordinary man subject for his writings. Britain was highly surrounded by the wave of democracy. Wordsworth maintained that the poetry should be democratic. His poetry was the voice of an ordinary man, the insane, children and the rural poor. The characters in his work were from the ordinary man.10 Wordsworth was born in England. For his interest he set out a walking tour to Europe. During his trip he wrote all his experiences in the form of poetry. The experience influenced both his poetry and his political sensibility. ‘An Evening Walk’ and ‘Descriptive Sketches’ is his works he wrote up during his stay at different places.11 Each word in the plot is deeply influenced by the location of words worth. Wordsworth was a keen admirer of nature. He wandered place to place in search of natural beauty and portrayed it in his poetry. He was not just into personification but also a nature admirer. Of something far more deeply interfused, Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns? And the round ocean, and the living air, And the blue sky, and in the mind of man, A motion and a spirit, that impels All thinking things, all objects of all thoughts, And rolls through all things12 Joseph Conrad: Conrad is among the most polished English novelist and short story writers. His initial writings were about the colorful adventures of the sea. His adventures of sea had greatly influenced his writings. During his initial sea travelling, he had taken part in some unlawful activity, might be gun running. After that he had sailed along the coast of Venezuela along with his mate. His first mate was a modeled as a hero in his writings and played a picturesque role in Conrad’s novels and life. Conrad served 16 years in the British merchant navy and so sea being his residing place, had the influence on his works. His characters were mostly sailors. The plots were mostly related to his experiences of his sea adventures. Conrad’s childhood wish was to go to Africa (Congo).his wish came true and all what he experienced there can be read deeply in his ‘Heart of Darkness’. The novel had a narrator narrating the experience in Congo .the character’s name and all the behaviors were deeply influenced by the people of Congo.13 Katherine Mansfield: Mansfield, belonging to New Zealand was a great short story writer. She evolved a distinctive prose style in her work. Her delicate writings were focused upon the psychological conflicts. She had spent her childhood in New Zealand and she had an attachment with that place. The attachment for her childhood home grew after the sudden death of her brother. Her writings and stories were then related to her family and the time she had spent in New Zealand. The stories had the influence of all the locations she had visited and resided. The characters roam around the memories of her childhood land and the subjects were related to her native country.14The classic ‘Daughter of the late colonel’ was an account of her gentle frustration due to her illness. John Keats: John was a romantic English writer, he belongs to the second generation of romantics. Unfortunately his works got published just four years before his death, so his poems were not very well received by the critics. His writings became popular after his death. Keats joined the medical training institute and could not give much time to his writings. This made him quite depressed. His brother said about him ‘John feared that he should never be a poet, & if he was not he would destroy himself. Keats believed that poetry comes to one’s mind by the influence of place, situations and happenings. He wrote that ‘if poetry comes not as naturally as the Leaves to a tree it had better not come at all’.15 Irish writers: Seamus Heaney: ‘The Newyork ‘s Review of books‘ essayist Richard Murphy describes Heaney ‘the poet who has shown the finest art in presenting a coherent vision of Ireland, past and present’. Heaney was an Irish poet who was born and brought up in Northern Ireland. His poetry has a fine touch of the Irish beauty. He portrays the location very beautifully in his poems. The impact of his surroundings is immense in his work. In his book ‘Door in to The Dark’ (1969) he portrayed the domestic rural life of the Northern Ireland. William Butler Yeats: Yeats is among the greatest poets of 20thcentury. He was born and brought up in Ireland. He was among the people who were staunch in affirming there Irish nationality, when most of the minorities had started considering themselves as English men. In spite of spending 14 years in London, Yeats maintained his Irish style for writings. He used to portray his native land and its culture and traditions. Yeats had the art of presenting the terrifying violence and side by side covering the fear with the conditions of rest of the world. His poetry had a touch of hope for the minorities of Ireland. Conclusion ‘is it some influence ,as a vapor which exhales from the ground, or something in the gales which blow there ,or in all things there brought agreeably to my spirit…..?’ Henry David Thoreau, journal, 21July, 1851 The ideas, inspirations and moods are all influenced by the surroundings. From the above detailed study of the writers and poets, we can conclude that a place has a great influence on the writings of a writer. This may not be the only factor by which a writer is influenced but not even less. A place with violence will bring up story of hope and peace. From the other end it can give out a frustrating piece of work also. The characters are always a part of the writer’s surroundings. It may include the people whom he meets during his travelling. BIBLIOGRAPHY Britanica, T. a. o. E., n.d. Encyclopedia Britanica. [Online] [Accessed may 2015]. Compagna, J., 2011. A Writer Under The Infuence volume 2. In: A Writer Under The Influence Volume 2. canada: Lulu Publishing. Dickstein, M., n.d. encyclopedia Britannica. [Online] Available at: www.britannica.com Forward, S., 1977. Discovering Literature. The Romantics. Gensberg, A., 1971. September on Jessore Road. bengal: s.n. L.Mahony, J., 1997. William Wordsworth,A Poetic Life. s.l.:Fordham University Press. Meltzer, M., 2002. Walt Whitman, A Biography. In: Walt Whitman,A Biography. United States Of America: Twenty First Century Books. Roe, N., 1995. Keats and History. In: Keats and History. s.l.:Cambridge University Press, p. 320. Whitman, W., 1995. The Complete Poems Of Walt Whitman. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Edition Limited. Wordsworth, W., n.d. Tinter Abbey. s.l.:s.n. Read More