A comparison/contrast essay, compare play and poem
This is our youth is Kenneth Lonergans first play. The story is about two disillusioned kids from the upper west side. The parents of the children went through a number of difficulties before reaching stable financial status. The stability sets the children in a state of wealth that they end up confused and can not even decide on what to do with their lives. “‘Don’t send me to college. Just spring for my rent. I’ll be a fuckin’ bike messenger till I decide what I wanna do, and we’ll never have to deal with each other.’ And they’re like, ‘Fine.'” (Kenneth, Act 1, p. 17).The three main characters in the play showcase a disconnection from their parents and the world. Dickmans ‘All American poem’ brings out similar instances of kids spoilt by the community around them, and struggling to fit (John). The poem is a statement of the daily discomforts and challenges that the American youth faces in his attempt to sail through to adulthood. The uncertainties come out clearly as in the poem when Michael says, “There are days I feel as though someone has written my name on a stone/and thrown it over the side of a cliff.”
The characters in both play and poem are on most occasions, at a loss in regard to the emptiness and lack of self worth, which engulfs their lives. The need for their parents to be left alone makes them more confused with needs to meet and no means.The meeting of Warren and Jessica at the end of act one introduces a hilarious and touching moment. Jessica confesses a different personality in Warren if he grows to the present age of his parents. It produces the sense of Warren not allowing the circumstances his family has gone through to block his future. There is an effort to cover up tragedies that have disoriented their family set creating a lot of emotional distress to the family. Studies done on youth’s depict that whenever there emerges a habit at such a time, its continuity is usually prolonged till adulthood .instilling all the necessary traits in an individual is usually an outstanding success dev eloped from childhood (Jarc.).
Absent parents like the ones displayed in the sets make this a hard thing to achieve and the youths remain to the fate of transition influences. Many are the occasions when children raised by single mothers must face, “The committed rage, of the single mothers.” Warren becomes attached to his toys as his suitcase overflows with the toys reminding him of old happy daysand they hold a passionate spot and figure in him. Just like in the play “This is Our Youth” by Kenneth Lonergan where Warren holds onto his childhood toys, Dickmans’ poetry express the essence of staying true to memories revered worthy. This holding on to memories in both play and poem make it hard to transcend present difficulties of youth to the next level of adulthood.
In a comparison of this poem and play, impoverishment of teenagers in the well established backdrop, of American civilisation and strong economy prevails. The two writers in their own genres communicate physical suffering faced by youths in their struggle, to fit into the society, and prepare for the future. There is a whole set of similarities in the poem and play, that one can not fail to notice the neighbourhoods full of filth like drugs and sex exploits (Bsuwriters.). Also displayed in the two pieces, are family instabilities, teen addicts slump towards oblivion and struggle with self identity throughout the sets. It is necessary to have parents taking full responsibility in the development of the children to strengthen the efforts of filtering the exposure the youths face. This lurks in both play and poem as the kids face broken family relationship difficulties. This showcases in formof single motherhood in Dickman’s poem, and abusive fathers in Kenneth’s play. There is an artistic cliché capturing dejection in the youths expressing their anger in various ways in both poem and play in a trial of defining themselves as grown-ups. An air of loneliness and longing, in Dickmans poetry exemplified as when he says ‘things I may never hold’. There is the need to be better in youths, the dream for a future so bleakly satisfactory yet so far and unreal that it might never be achieved.
The play brings out instances that suggest the difficult passage into adulthood as a theme. It takes Warren time to accept his situation and fight it to the end, for him to prove that when he grows up he would be different from what his parents are. When this lines like what one is at the moment do not determine the future, and it will be a surprise ten years later at how successful today’s youth is come up, (Stoehr).It becomes clear that the future is a bother. The youths reminisce what life in adulthood would be like and convince themselves that given the chance, they would make better adults. The wildness of the surgeon mentioned in the passage shows the rebellious characters of youths to the direction of adults in an attempt to defend what they feel is good.
In this transition, Dickman tries his best to hold his composure without any shreds of bitterness like in the line “I sometimes wonder about the inner lives of polar bears.” It is a soft tone that brings out hope of tenderness amidst the cruelty of the society. Life has to continue even when things seem to be so bad like when a “horse scratches its innocent behind on a tree.” Both writers bring out a painful view of the world with regard to the struggles it presents, and manages to hide it within optimism of some sort (Stoehr).
The lives of Denis and Warren are affected by the broken families from which they come. Denis struggles with drug abuse and smuggling and eventually drops out of school. On the other hand, warren struggles with detaching himself from the lures of drugs, sex and alcohol that is all around him.
The sex aspect also shows in the poem through this line as a common thing. “The way bodies do after spending the afternoon having sex”. He displays efforts of maturation in times so influencing, that his efforts get disgraced on most occasions. Warren tries to cover up his fathers fault because he wants to believe that his father can make it up to him. “But my father is not a criminal. He’s just in business with criminals.” (Kenneth, Act 1, p. 15). In the play, the boys struggle to return some cash that Warren had stolen from his father, though he insists that it was payback for his being kicked out. You’re gonna remember your youth as like a gray stoned haze punctuated by a series of beatings from your fuckin’ Dad, and like, my jokes.” (Kenneth, Act 1, p. 31). At this point, Dennis accounts all the faults of Warren also saying that he is “an annoying loudmouthed little creep,” who has turned into “some kind of fugitive from justice.”
Jessica plays the role of introduction to relationships for youths as they battle up with betrayal and loyalty in human relationships.. “A love that can be translated into any language: I hope you do not suffer” (Mathew).
Mathew Dickman is a poet whose compositions speak to the common man in a language that evokes instances of reality. He brings out feelings and events that entice both poetry lovers and those who do not care for poetry. In his all American poem, there is a display of the daily struggles of modern day life with instances of domestic violence, over expectations from parents for their children, drug abuse, spiritual longing and sexual abuse. By stating that “Still there is a lot to pray to on earth.” In one of his poems, Dickman displays the struggles which one has to go through and the numerous consequences to face before a realisation of maturity. ”When my father died, he says opening a beer; he was no longer my father. He was no longer a man” (Michael). Life is a struggle through transitions, which take one from one level to the next. Just like Kenneth in the American youth, Mathew brings out issues of drug abuse and abusive fathers as some of the challenges faced by youths in their struggle to adulthood.
The novel and poem state agonies experienced by youths struggling in the hands of tough parents still growing up. This can be seen through the poem in the line, “telling me about his father who is a real mother fucker” (Mathew). Having a healthy life becomes really hard if parents can not take control of their situations in a mature way and only control the children selfishly, it makes growing up very hard. “Powerless, like children and goldfish” (Mathew). There is no promise of relief from the bondage of drugs, sex and challenges faced through transition to mature better life. This comes out clearly at the end of the poem as “Best to face the bitter, acidic past and get it over with –maybe” there is uncertainty and doubt even in the midst of actualising in hope.
Work cited
Bsuwriters. The writers community. Written Language Enthusiasts All American Poem by Matthew Dickman: A Review 2010.
Curtain up. This is our youth. The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features, Annotated Listings. Retrieved fromhttp://www.curtainup.com/youth.html. 16th November 2011.
John Stoehr. New haven review. All-American Poem. Matthew Dickman (American Poetry Review). http://www.newhavenreview.com/index.php/2009/01/all-american poem/2008.
Kenneth Lonergan. This Is Our Youth. New, York: Dramatist’s Play Service. Print. 1999.
Marshall, John. ‘Portland twins Mathew and Michael Dickman are making their mark in the poetry world’
Mathew Dickman. All American Poem: APR Honickman 1st Book Award. Philadelphia: American Poetry Review. Print. 2008.
