Anxiety of Influence

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DaJah Parker

Professor C. Perry

Project2

                                                                      Harold Bloom

 

During the 1930s era it was not only during the Great Depression it was also the early life where Harold Bloom began. Who is Harold Bloom? Harold bloom is an American literacy critic who was raised in the Bronx in a Jewish neighborhood, in which he was an orthodox Jew that heavily influenced his academic career. Mr. Bloom is known for his imitative interpretations of literary history and the creation of literature. One of Mr. Bloom’s greatest legacy is his breakthrough book “ The Anxiety of influence” In which his theory was to get across the common idea of influence as being something good, according to Mr. bloom he claims that this theory can force poets or authors into a type of creative misprision which basically is a misunderstanding or can be misinterpretation, where they must twist the work of there influencer and in an attempt to recreate something better. Also in other words the influenced struggles for originality by the influencer. So the newer artist (influenced) believes they have knowledge that the original artist lacks.

Harold Bloom then goes on to create the six “revisionary rations” which helps determine the effects of his theory on literature. The following ratios show the stages, which develop anxiety of influence in relations to ways; the poet or author misreads “misprision” the work of a literary precursor (bloom, pg5). The first one is Clinamen, which is poetic misreading or misprision proper… which implies that the precursor poem went accurately up to a certain point, but then should have swerved, precisely in the direction that the new poem moves. The second one is, Tessera, in which the poet who is being influenced reads the influencer poems to retain its terms, but means them in another sense. The third one Kenosis, which is when the later poet, apparently emptying himself of his own godhood, seems to humble himself to be a poet, but the poem is in relation to a precursor’s poem, that the precursor is emptied out also, and so the later poem of deflation is not as absolute as it seems. The fourth, Daemonization, a movement towards a personalized poem, like a divine genius living with an artist giving the artist impetration. Five, Askesis, or a movement of self-purgation…is separating him from others. And last but not least six, Apophrades, or the return of the dead…the dead is new poet, house is old poet. Basically doing it better then the influencer.

An artist I admire is Chris Brown. Chris Brown is an American r&b singer from Virgina. As a child he discovered his love for singing and dancing. He was signed a record deal only at 15. He become known from his smooth singing voice, amazing dance moves and his charming looks. Chris brown basically has it all when it comes to talent, dancing, his style, singing, and the charm and to top everything else off acting. I choose to talk about Chris brown because his talent does not go unnoticed in my eyes. Not only is he a great signer he makes the perfect entertainer. He has great performances, he doesn’t only stand on stage singing, his creativeness shows for his effort on stage and in his music video, he always knows how to keep the crowd jumping with his dancing rare dance moves a lot of people cant do, and then still has the amazing vocals to continue to sing live with out being out of breath. He is just amazing.

A best description of Chris Brown’s work for people who may not be familiar with him is r&b pop culture. Chris Brown has various music types, but r&b pop culture is his number one. He sometimes switches from singing to rapping. A lot songs Chris brown has written and sing do have a lot in common, most of the songs may be about a girl or any sort of relationship. Whether its taking someone else girl or singing for his. One of Chris Brown heavy influencers is Michael Jackson. Chris Brown mentions in many interviews and even on social media the love he has for former legend Michael Jackson. And if you paid close attention you could even hear and see the similarities between these two. Down from the unique chose in music they choose to produce to their dance moves. A Chris brown song where he has mention and dedicated to Michael Jackson is called “She aint you” in this song he has a portion of singer group SWV’s song “right here” (link below) and then turns into Michael Jackson Human Nature reminiscent of a 90’s r&b love song. He did a whole tribute to Michael Jackson and shares how the song is dedicated to him.

https://youtu.be/7V2GzYcRK9E

Examples of the six ratios that my artist Chris Brown has use is Tessera, In which Chris did in the song “She Aint you “ He took pieces from Michael Jackson ld song into his new song and put his twist on it, basically taking some of the artist work into a different element. Another ratio Chris brown used was Kenosis; Because Chris brown humbles his self of his work but still uses the procurers (Michael Jackson. A third ratio Mr. Brown uses is Akesis, while also using Mr. Jackson snippet in his new song he also separates himself from Mr. Jackson work because he uses his own lyrics and always puts a twists on it by also applying another R&b work on the song. And last but not least can be argued Apophrades, return of the dead, when the old house is doing something the new house hasn’t done yet and making it better. Michael Jackson haven’t done what Chris Brown have done when it comes to back flipping on stages or releasing two albums in one week. But Michael Jackson is a legend and still have touch thing Chris brown cannot compete with. So this last ratio is a 50/50 some agree Chris brown may be better then Mr. Jackson that rises eye brows. But honestly in today’s era and work Chris brown uses a more modern day twist on it in which people today want to here.

Image result for chris brown michael jackson

Before doing this project if you asked me what is influence I would’ve answered so much differently thing what I would now after reading Mr. Blooms Anxiety of Influence. Influence I would have described before is just someone getting motive from another person, but it’s so much deeper than that. Its artiest evolving with former artists work. Something always comes from some one. People don’t just wake up and come up with this unheard of creativeness. They always get it from somewhere wheatear they’re reading it in poetry hearing it in a song seeing it in art, style, fashion which every its always being passed around, But Mr. bloom was trying to get across today art might be din danger of repeated work. And made these theories that people take a minute to step back think and prevent it from happening

 

 

 

 

Citations

  1. http://art3idea.psu.edu/idiots/revisionary_ratios.pdf
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/14/harold-bloom-literary-critic-yale-professor-dies-89
  3. https://www.capitalxtra.com/artists/chris-brown/lists/facts/michael-jackson-inspiration/