Paper no 108 : The American Literature

               Personal Detail

Name: parmar vishwa vijaysinh

Roll no : 27

Paper no :108

Paper name: The American Literature

E-Mail Id : vishwabaparmar3536@gmail.com

Std: MA (sem 2)

College : Department Of English 

Subject:  Influence of Tradition and Innovation : Frost and Dylan 

        Robert Frost and Bob Dylan 

• Influence of Tradition and Innovation : Frost and Dylan 

Robert Frost Introduction

   Robert Frost was an American poet who was much admired for his depictions of the rural life of New England, his command of American colloquial speech, and his realistic verse portraying ordinary people in everyday situations.

     The poems in Frost’s early books, especially North of Boston, differ radically from late 19th-century Romantic verse with its ever-benign view of nature, its didactic emphasis, and its slavish conformity to established verse forms and themes. Lowell called North of Boston a “sad” book, referring to its portraits of inbred, isolated, and psychologically troubled rural New Englanders. These off-mainstream portraits signaled Frost’s departure from the old tradition and his own fresh interest in delineating New England characters and their formative background. Among these psychological investigations are the alienated life of Silas in “The Death of the Hired Man,” the inability of Amy in “Home Burial” to walk the difficult path from grief back to normality, the rigid mindset of the neighbour in “Mending Wall,” and the paralyzing fear that twists the personality of Doctor Magoon in “A Hundred Collars.”

  

Bob Dylan Introduction 

                         

     Bob Dylan  is an American folksinger who moved from folk to rock music in the 1960s, infusing the lyrics of rock and roll, theretofore concerned mostly with boy-girl romantic innuendo, with the intellectualism of classic literature and poetry. Hailed as the Shakespeare of his generation, Dylan sold tens of millions of albums, wrote more than 500 songs recorded by more than 2,000 artists, performed all over the world, and set the standard for lyric writing. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.

      He was still actively performing as he entered his 70s, and his 35th studio album, the rootsy Tempest (2012), found him as vigorous as ever. Dylan then turned his attention to the so-called Great American Songbook, especially standards recorded by Frank Sinatra. The resulting album Shadows in the Night (2015), Fallen Angels (2016), and the three-disc Triplicate (2017)earned Dylan praise for his deeply felt interpretations. He returned to spectacular lyrical form yet again with Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020).

Dylan continued to receive awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom . In 2016 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature for, as noted by the prize-bestowing Swedish Academy, “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”

 

  Influence of Tradition and Innovation : Frost and Dylan 

  

      Both Robert Frost and Bob Dylan are influential figures known for their exploration of tradition and innovation in their respective fields of poetry and music. Both artists demonstrate how tradition and innovation can coexist and even enhance each other, as they draw inspiration from the past while pushing artistic boundaries forward. Their works continue to influence and inspire creators in various fields today.

 

Robert Frost 

• Respect for Tradition :

   

    Robert Frost became the most well-known English-language poet of the twentieth century. Frost's choice was deliberate. There is a kind of success called of esteem, he wrote in a letter early in his career and it butters no parsnips. His first volume, A Boy's Will, takes its title from Longfellow, and its opening work, called Into My Own, presents a speaker who would be only more sure of all of his thought was true.

   Cognition does not apprehend the world so much as work on and in it, Frost believes, through the effortful links by which one turns the alien and unknown into the significant and owned. Frost was deeply read in English-language poetry and knew classical literature in the original, his uniquely rhymed sonnet recalls a Virgilian georgic tradition manifest also in Marvell's and Wordsworth's verse. The question of the renewal marks one final philosophical theme that pervades Frost's poetry and deepens particularly his poems of marriage.

 

• Innovation :

   Robert Frost, a pillar of American poetry, is known for his poems that explore complex themes through seemingly simple settings and language. While his poems adhere to traditional forms and meters, they also possess a unique voice and perspective. This creates a tension between innovation and tradition, a hallmark of Frost's work.

  However, some of Frost's poems touch on the relationship between the past and the future. For instance, "Mending Wall" explores the debate between tradition (represented by the act of repairing the wall) and progress.

• Exploration of Human Tradition :

     Robert Frost, a prominent American poet of the 20th century, frequently explored the concept of human tradition in his works. His poems often depicted the lives of rural New Englanders and their connection to the natural world, but beneath the surface, they grappled with deeper questions about the purpose and value of tradition.

    One of Frost's most famous poems that tackles this theme is "Mending Wall."  This poem presents a dialogue between two neighbors as they engage in the annual ritual of repairing the stone wall that separates their properties.

      

      Here are some key details about Frost's exploration of human tradition:

   Tradition as a source of comfort and stability:  For many people, traditions provide a sense of comfort and stability. They connect us to our past and give us a sense of belonging to a community.  In "Mending Wall," the neighbor who defends the wall seems to value it for these reasons.

  Tradition as a potential barrier to progress:  However, Frost also suggests that blind adherence to tradition can hinder progress.  The speaker in "Mending Wall" questions whether the wall actually serves any purpose, and suggests that it may be time to let go of this outdated tradition.

  The importance of questioning tradition:  Frost's poems encourage readers to critically examine the traditions they inherit.  We should not simply follow traditions mindlessly, but rather consider their purpose and relevance in our own lives.

  The tension between the individual and society:  Frost's exploration of tradition also highlights the tension between the individual and society.  Traditions often represent the values and norms of a particular community, but they can also come into conflict with the desires and needs of individual members of that community.

• Accessibility :

    

    Robert Frost's poetry is considered accessible for a number of reasons. He often used everyday language and avoided overly complex metaphors. Additionally, his poems frequently dealt with relatable themes such as nature, love, and loss. Frost's use of traditional forms, like sonnets and blank verse, also made his work more approachable for readers.

Bob Dylan 

• Folk Tradition :

   

     In the annals of modern music history, few artists have wielded the transformative influence that  Bob Dylan has. Dylan, an enigmatic figure whose career spans decades, has been a lodestar in the folk music genre, ingeniously blending traditional melodies with the zeitgeist of the times to become an emblematic figure in cultural history.

   Dylan's ascent in the early 1960s coincided with a burgeoning folk revival, where music was not just a form of entertainment but a medium for social commentary and change. His arrival on the scene, with a harmonica around his neck and a guitar in his hands, signaled a seismic shift in the folk music paradigm.

 

• Innovation :

      

    Nearly six decades after the release of his self-titled debut LP, American singer-songwriter, author, and visual artist Bob Dylan continues to influence pop culture in a variety of ways. With hit songs like ‘Positively Fourth Street’, ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’, and ‘Like a Rolling Stone‘, this revered musician did more than just define a generation.

   He also served as a symbol of revolution, free speech, and, ultimately, of the many things humans are capable of achieving. For this reason, this article will dive deep into the different ways Bob Dylan has influenced the world through his work.

• Protest Songs :

   

    Bob Dylan made his name writing simple but powerful songs about racism, war and civil rights. Performing at a time when his native America was undergoing significant social change, Dylan's music evolved from politically-charged folk to electrifying rock. Since then, he's experimented with country and Christian music and he's even been part of the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys.

   Bob Dylan's early songs are like a diary of the USA: racial injustice and the fear of nuclear war come under examination time and time again. With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in the 21st Century, some of the topics he covered nearly 60 years ago are still relevant today.

    

   "I wanted to write a big song, with short concise verses that piled up on each other in a hypnotic way," Dylan told writer Cameron Crowe. And with this song, written in the autumn of 1963, he got just that - the ultimate "protest" song that notes the upheaval going on in the United States.

   The day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Dylan opened a show in Ohio with The Times They Are A-Changin' - and never has a protest song had so much significance: "The order is rapidly fadin' / And the first one now / Will later be last / For the times they are a-changin'".

• Influence on Popular Culture:

      Bob Dylan broke the mold of music. He entered the music world in when he moved to New York City. Dylan began his career by singing other artist songs and applied his own style to them. He created a unique identity for himself and became an individual artist once he began to write his own music. He was not copycat who imitated what others were doing and made his own developments in music. No matter what he sang about or the style he did it in, his music is referred to as exemplary.  “Dylan has consistently alienated expectations with his myriad changes in artistic direction, throughout his long and esteemed career."

  He did not care about how his changes would affect his popularity or fan base. He did what he wanted to do, wrote about what he wanted to write show more content.

He quickly rose to the top of the music industry and his “lack of specificity became the basis for rock music” in the beginning of his career . He gave a voice to the counter culture movement and influenced other musicians to go against cultural expectations.

Conclusion :

       Frost and Dylan, though separated by generations, depict the conflict between tradition and innovation in American society. Frost, a traditionalist, emphasizes the enduring value of rural life and inherited values. Dylan, a voice of counterculture, champions social change and individuality. Their contrasting perspectives reflect the ongoing tension between continuity and progress in American life.

    

Thank you .