“Look in Thy Heart and Write”: Poetry and Song, Then and Now
Presented by: Dr. Jayme Peacock, Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Quincy University
Although the modern world considers poetry and music separate art forms, they emerged from the same literary tradition: lyric. This term has its roots in Greek and Roman antiquity, in which poetry and song were thought of interchangeably, but over thousands of years, poetry and music have evolved into separate but related art forms. That we continue to use the term lyric when discussing both poetry and song is testament to the longsta[]nding relationship between the two and their shared importance as fundamental, creative, and expressive parts of the human experience. This talk will provide a brief history of the relationship between poetry and music through the lens of lyric, moving from Ancient Greece to the English Renaissance to modern American and Native American poets and musicians. We will discuss short examples from Joy Harjo’s An American Sunrise and from Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa’s The Bridge Called My Back. These volumes showcase the lived experiences of people of color in traditional and innovative poetic forms built on a heritage of song-poems and the intermingling of cultures.
At the end of the talk (20-30min.), the audience will be invited to ask questions and provide modern examples of the relationship between music and poetry. We will consider the relationship today between poetry and music through such modern musicians as Bob Dylan and Tupac Shakur whose music is often double-labeled as poetry.
No prior knowledge is required for this event. All are welcome!