Vachel Lindsay is one of my favorite poets. In 1919, he wrote a poem remembering what it was like to have been a young supporter of William Jennings Bryan during the 1896 campaign. For extra credit, read through portions of the poem at the Gutenberg site or listen to this reading of the poem on Youtube. Compare Bryan's experience to your own experiences during any political campaign. Can you identify with Bryan's hopes or his disappointment? Are there any images here you particularly like?
After perusing "Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan" by Vachel Lindsay it is easy to identify how much hope William Jennings Bryan brought to this young man. His words "He brought tides of wonder, of unprecedented splendor..." showcase a feeling of excitement for what Bryan could bring to the nation, as well as a hope for change for the better to people that were disregarded by Big Business and the Republicans. He mentions "sing outdoors" reflective of Bryan's ability to captivate an audience with his speeches and a testament to his powerful speaking ability, especially when those speeches impact a 16-year-old to that degree. Another part of the poem, "And torchlights down the street, to the end of the world," signifies a great deal of hope and promise of what could become across the nation. Lindsay does an excellent job of making his disregard for Republicans and Big Business known with his words of "He scourged the elephant plutocrats" meaning he whipped or beat the Republicans with all their power that comes from their wealth. When comparing my experiences, I consider certain candidates that I believed would make great public officials, some of which were elected and many of whom weren't. I think that each election cycle brings another round of hope and belief that our country will move in a direction we find prosperous. Often, it also proves that there are empty promises and candidates are speaking what they believe we want to hear, but their actions are disappointing and obsolete. Maybe this comes down to their own hopes and wishes of what they want to accomplish being difficult to accomplish simply because of the fighting between parties or maybe there is another reason. Maybe political office corrupts?
ReplyDeleteVachel Lindsay’s poem about William Jennings Bryan shows how exciting and emotional political campaigns can be, especially for young people who believe they are helping create change. While I have not experienced a campaign exactly like Bryan’s in 1896, I can relate to the feeling of supporting a cause or candidate and hoping things will turn out the way you want. Like Bryan’s supporters, many people today become energized during elections and believe they are part of something important.
ReplyDeleteI can also understand the disappointment Bryan’s supporters felt when he lost. In modern political campaigns, people often invest a lot of time, energy, and hope into a candidate, so losing can feel discouraging even when the campaign inspired many people.
One image I especially liked in the poem was the way Lindsay describes the excitement and movement of the crowds following Bryan. It helps readers feel the enthusiasm and optimism that surrounded the campaign. Even though the poem is about events from over a century ago, it shows that the emotions people experience during elections—hope, excitement, and disappointment—have not changed very much.
Vachel Lindsay’s poem shows how excited and hopeful people felt about William Jennings Bryan’s 1896 campaign. Lindsay saw Bryan as a leader who spoke for ordinary people, especially farmers and people in the West. The poem makes the campaign feel exciting and full of possibility.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the hopes Bryan’s supporters had during political campaigns. Many people today get excited about candidates they believe will bring positive change. I can also understand the disappointment Lindsay felt when Bryan lost because it is hard when someone you support does not win.
One image I really like is when Lindsay calls Bryan a “gigantic troubadour” because it makes him seem larger than life. I also like the image of “torchlights down the street” because it creates a picture of people coming together with excitement and hope. Overall, the poem shows both the excitement of believing in a cause and the disappointment that can come when it does not succeed.
After reading Vachel Lindsay's poem about William Jennings Bryan, I could relate to being excited for a political candidate entering a political campaign. Even though I was not in the election of 1896, I could feel how supporters wanted to vote for a person who wanted change and agrees with their values. Also, I could feel the sadness you get when that candidate does not succeed because it feels like you lost something when in reality you just got something different. These feelings are prominent in politics because people promise a lot of big things and you don't usually get the fullness of what they promised. One image that I resinated with was Lindsay's description of large crowds gathered to support a person because it makes the movement feel like it is a lot bigger than one person. The poem is a good representation that even though lots of people want a certain person to win, politics don't always end up the way you want them to.
ReplyDeleteThe election fo 1896 was crucial for the future of America. As we have recently learned through America's expansion William McKinley the victor over William Jennings Bryan had a lasting impact in the late 19th century. After reading through Vachel Lindsay's poem I now have a better understanding of who William Jennings Bryan was. One thing I favor from Bryan quickly is his policy in having a country currency backed by Silver, a truly populist policy. His populist idealogies made sense during this period and would have helped the United States strongly exit the 1893 recession. The populist party of this period seemed to be passionate and unrelenting when it came to their views (similar to modern Conservative/Liberal Americans) which further strengthened their hope in Bryan. Their strength and passion was inevitable especially after Bryan gave his "lost of gold" speech, envisioning hope through a difficult battle.
ReplyDeleteOne major detail I find interesting is the common reference to "Hanna". Which from a google search told me that was McKinley's campaign manager. In the poem it states, "Then Hanna to the rescue, Hanna of Ohio". From what we have learned about the swing state of Ohio this is Vachel expressing how frustrating it was that McKinley bought his victory. That result had to be devistating for the populist party and the majority that was in favor of Bryan This reminds me of the 2020 and 2024 elections where Russia was rumored to be involved in tampering with the election and ballots getting lost. It seems there is always some level of suspicion and bad actors at play in elections regardless of the time period.