Description
Based on your reading so far from, “Where Does Art Come From?” how are art and the various forms of creative expression reflective of the people producing them, their cultural context, and the time and place in which they are produced?
What meanings or values are being communicated through the various forms of creative expression?
Why is death an important topic to humans? Explain. Is there any modern-day art that you have encountered representing death or the afterlife?
What are the conflicts in “The Raven”? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) do you read?
How is madness or insanity explored in the poem? Is death represented?
Jason:
Art and the various forms of creative expression are a direct reflective of the people by the design in which the piece was made. This can be influenced my multiple factors to include cultural influences or personal expression by whom the piece of art was created. Different sculptures or other artforms display and communicate various things such as a symbol for children, music, life, and other forms of indigenous traditions (Where Does Art Come From). Death is an important topic to humans because of the numerous traditions involving death dating back centuries. Many different cultures mourn or celebrate death in different ways. The “Day of the Dead” is a holiday that truly represents these traditions. This holiday includes many different artforms but the most famous being the skull masks. Spanish tradition displays this celebration of “life after death” through various forms of art. The most profound type of conflict in “The Raven” is the emotional conflict. This poem represents the amount of heartbreak and sorrow a man was faced with after learning that Lenore was no longer alive. The poem goes on to say, “And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted—nevermore” (The Raven). This being the final sentence in the poem represents that the grief the man is facing is unbearable as he feels it will not get better. Madness and insanity are explored throughout the poem by the man communicating with the raven as he hears the raven say “nevermore” believing the raven is speaking to him.
Michelle:
From all of the examples I’ve read in Chapter 7, art showcases people’s creativity and the experiences they’ve gone through. For example, the Preclassic San Bartolo Maize God Mural and the El Mirador murals are based on the late classic period (600-900 CE). People who lived during that period would perform and reenact creations of life and death. I’ve noticed people have created artwork, whether it’s in the form of literature, painting, molding, sculpting, or coloring. I believe death is an important topic for humans because it helps people realize we don’t have all the time in the world, so we should make every moment count. I’ve seen many art pieces with skulls, especially during modern times, which can be a metaphor for mortality. The emotional conflict in “The Raven” is the main character’s way of coping with losing his beloved, Lenore. The speaker was going through the stages of grief, asking a raven numerous questions.
Helda
People and communities frequently use art as a way to represent their social, cultural, and ethnic identities. It can reflect the distinct experiences and encapsulate the spirit of a certain location and time. Fine art is a creative medium that is intimately linked to the cultural facets of human civilization. Because it stimulates critical thinking, conversation, and cultural identity, fine art is vital to society. While many faiths view human death as fundamentally different from other kinds of life, others view it as a “natural” and necessary aspect of existence, similar to the natural history of all living forms in the world. Lots of different pieces of art from the Renaissance represented death. One example is, Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist, (Andrea Solario). The main struggle in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” is emotional. The speaker is having a hard time dealing with the loss of his dear Lenore and the ensuing loneliness and hopelessness. He is also having trouble understanding the raven’s enigmatic presence and its reluctance to respond to his inquiries.
