Join the Literary Revolution

[Seraph]

My friend and I were discussing the downward spiral of humanity taking place around us.  The main problem is the utterly self-serving attitude of the people in today's society.
Pride--There seems to be a certain arrogance that permeates society today.  People look down their noses at other people, convinced of their own superiority.  Sometimes they have reason to, most often they don't.  Yet pride continues to show its face everywhere.  It leads people to think others beneath their aid, and beneath their consideration.  It causes underestimation and suppression.  If those seen as beneath us (potentially everyone) are deemed to have nothing of value to say, then no change can come.
Apathy--People just don't care.  They don't care about themselves, they don't care about each other; quite often they don't care about much of anything.  Apathy pervades my society, and I presume that it is similarly present elsewhere.  Around me this is manifest in the students that attend my high school act without regard to the consequences of their actions because they could care less what those consequences are.  
Emo--Emo is the dark brooding over one's imaginary tragedy.  That is, at least, what Emo has become.  It started as a form of music, and developed into a subculture.  But the subculture is taking over.  The trend of those who view themselves as the ultimate tragic figures wallowing the deepest misery over quite often the smallest of things has grown ridiculously out of hand.  "Emo Poetry" expresses the perceived torment of an individual, under the name of art.  But the definition of "Art" can only be taken so far with literature.  There comes a point at which the artful rendering of personal tragedy gives way to whining.  That point has come.

So we seek to begin the revolution.  An end to the wallowing in self-pity.  An end to the masquerade.  We can change the world with words and give way to a society that is hopeful again.  It starts with Emo.  From there we move on to fight the evils of society with that most powerful of human tools.  Words.

Ã,¡Viva La Revolución!

[Seraph]

A Sea of Troubles

The shades of existence
That darken the sky
Also stifle your soul
And you cry out "Why?"

But you don't seek the answer--
Your question in vain,
For you're quite content
To just wallow in pain.

Do you see your problems
As greater than mine?
Or your friends?  Or your enemies?
Of loves left behind?

We all have our troubles
But some of us cope.
Some even have sorrows
Much greater in scope.

Think you of the woman
In Winter of years
Who life-long love lost
And is left naught but fears?

Think of the families
Whose loved ones did die
When two planes hit two towers
In the September sky.

So when you say
That your life is Hell,
Think of them, and be sure
To consider them well

For unless you can vow
That you've judged on the scales
Pound-for-pound, strife-for-strife
The whole sum of your ails

And found them as more
Than a relative cherup
Do something to change it
Or shut the fuck up.

[Ghost]

From what I understand, this 'Emo poetry' is just an outgrowth of the 'Emo' musical movement; i'd go so far to say that like it's parent movement, it will only last until the young - often the first to promulgate and popularize many such trends - have found another vehicle with which to theme their poetry and deal with personal (whether it be perceived incorrectly or not) turmoil.

But you seem to be suggesting we actively counteract that trend by producing works of poetry composed with different, possibly less self-absorbed themes or subjects in mind. That, I can get into.

P.S. - I'm not an expert at musical genres - if I was wrong in the above statement, tell me. Also, if this thread is less serious that it appears to be, than i'm okay with that too.

Edit: And of course, I take too long to post. Ah well...i'll have a poem to contribute on the weekend, even though poetry is not my forte (it's short fiction).

[Seraph]

From what I understand, this 'Emo poetry' is just an outgrowth of the 'Emo' musical movement; i'd go so far to say that like it's parent movement, it will only last until the young - often the first to promulgate and popularize many such trends - have found another vehicle with which to theme their poetry and deal with personal (whether it be perceived incorrectly or not) turmoil.

But you seem to be suggesting we actively counteract that trend by producing works of poetry composed with different, possibly less self-absorbed themes or subjects in mind. That, I can get into.

P.S. - I'm not an expert at musical genres - if I was wrong in the above statement, tell me. Also, if this thread is less serious that it appears to be, than i'm okay with that too.

Edit: And of course, I take too long to post. Ah well...i'll have a poem to contribute on the weekend, even though poetry is not my forte (it's short fiction).

Hey, I said "Literature."  I don't mind if you'd rather write a short fiction.  
But I think you get it.  The purpose at present is to counter-act the emo trend of making a tragedy out of everyday life.  The point is to both provide a positive alternative to Emo and to illuminate frivolity of the melodramatic Emo core.

[beejazz]

I tend to disagree. I couldn't cope with reality if I didn't dismiss it as meaningless.

I see emo as sucking, but not because of its apathy. I see it sucking for its angst, and the trend of making things more (rather than less) important than they really are. I don't really see pride in anything at all. If anything, I see a horde of niche-products advertising by associating products with identity (see hot topic).

I mean, I could understand when lust and envy and gluttony were just greed in different masks, but I should have figured that wouldn't be enough for greed. No, now greeds='s gone and gobbled up pride as well. The bastard.

It's up to us to protect our wrath and sloth from the all consuming greed!

...Or something. I think I just forgot what I was talking about.

[Seraph]

I tend to disagree. I couldn't cope with reality if I didn't dismiss it as meaningless.

I see emo as sucking, but not because of its apathy. I see it sucking for its angst, and the trend of making things more (rather than less) important than they really are. I don't really see pride in anything at all. If anything, I see a horde of niche-products advertising by associating products with identity (see hot topic).

I mean, I could understand when lust and envy and gluttony were just greed in different masks, but I should have figured that wouldn't be enough for greed. No, now greeds='s gone and gobbled up pride as well. The bastard.

It's up to us to protect our wrath and sloth from the all consuming greed!

...Or something. I think I just forgot what I was talking about.

Well, ok, I went into it more general and then focused on one thing and my examples may not fit as well as I intended them to.  Pride I tried to say was a problem of sorts, but then that that wasn't really the problem with Emo, per say.  It is still ego, because it is still the focus on the self, but not the inflated ego of pride.  
So maybe I'll have to edit that first post.
Apathy and Pride are two problems, both of which are intended to be dealt with in the Revolution, but the immediate goal is Emo, and Emo is not really either.

[So-Keher]

I tend to disagree. I couldn't cope with reality if I didn't dismiss it as meaningless.

I see emo as sucking, but not because of its apathy. I see it sucking for its angst, and the trend of making things more (rather than less) important than they really are. I don't really see pride in anything at all. If anything, I see a horde of niche-products advertising by associating products with identity (see hot topic).

I mean, I could understand when lust and envy and gluttony were just greed in different masks, but I should have figured that wouldn't be enough for greed. No, now greeds='s gone and gobbled up pride as well. The bastard.

It's up to us to protect our wrath and sloth from the all consuming greed!

...Or something. I think I just forgot what I was talking about.

lol beejazz im impressed with the rant! although i would agree to a point, I think we should keep our minds open to all genres of literature. even though emo got so out of hand there had to be a band named "not another emo band," my very shallow experience with "emo" literature would have to say it is a seemingly modernized growth of elizabethan lovejoy poetry with a sad, dramatic twist.

so, i think this brings us back to the deterioration of modern thought and literacy (if you could go that far). why would you have to add that twist? why not stick to the classic sonnets and balladsof shakespeare and spenser if not to water it down to popular media?

[So-Keher]

[ooc]

Ã,¡Viva La Revolución!

haha my friend has a poster of che guevera with that on it, im trying to get my hands on one[/ooc]
sorry if that was random ;), my above post was on topic

[Stargate525]

I suppose I should get in on this too... Not my best work, I'll admit.

Why do you do this?
Honestly, why?
You complain about everything,
Is it Emo you try?

Well let it be known,
that we're all quite sick,
of the moaning and groaning,
and acting the prick.

I see no abrasion,
affliction or bruise.
discounting emotions,
is this all a ruse?

So you think it'll make you
special or tough?
I really must tell you
we've all had enough.

We know you're a wuss
now get over yourself
So put that damn notebook
back on the shelf

We're tired of having
you pollute our craft
with crying and whining
this 'artform' quite daft

so 'til you stop writing
this horrible grade
please cap up your pen
and quit screwing our trade!

[limetom]

I've got something coming.  Not a poem, mind you, but I think it'll get the point across just as well.

[SA]

I have no personal problem with so-called emo literature, per se.  I'll stay well away from it.  As Luxury Yacht noted, it will probably pass with this generation (vehicle for the angst-driven, dissilusioned consumer generation that it is).  I do have issue with the quality and originality of such works (I get hung up over aesthetics).  Narcissism and neurosis are all valid muses, but in "emo" there is no beauty.

But I will not condemn it by virtue of its cause.  I empathise entirely with my peers who feel alienated by the world around me.  The desire to reach out in some kind of expression - any kind - is well understood.  I will, however, condemn it for its bleakness, like the worst of the Absurdists, whose art degenerates into a vicious return of self-perpetuating darkness.  Emo does not aspire to transcend this darkness.  It is like deep melancholy: one feeds upon that terrible feeling to engender it further in their hearts.  Thus, they reach out to the wrong places.

Worse still, it is a trend, and I am saddened to think that contempt for the world might manifest as popular culture.  That Emo compels youths to despair (and a laughably manufactured despair at that) by virtue of their perceiving despair in others and thinking that good, is its worse trait.

If art is expression, than emo may be art.  Just art that is unhealthy for the soul.

Oh yeah, and the last line of that poem is the shiz.

[Seraph]

I have no personal problem with so-called emo literature, per se.  I'll stay well away from it.  As Luxury Yacht noted, it will probably pass with this generation (vehicle for the angst-driven, dissilusioned consumer generation that it is).  I do have issue with the quality and originality of such works (I get hung up over aesthetics).  Narcissism and neurosis are all valid muses, but in "emo" there is no beauty.

But I will not condemn it by virtue of its cause.  I empathise entirely with my peers who feel alienated by the world around me.  The desire to reach out in some kind of expression - any kind - is well understood.  I will, however, condemn it for its bleakness, like the worst of the Absurdists, whose art degenerates into a vicious return of self-perpetuating darkness.  Emo does not aspire to transcend this darkness.  It is like deep melancholy: one feeds upon that terrible feeling to engender it further in their hearts.  Thus, they reach out to the wrong places.

Worse still, it is a trend, and I am saddened to think that contempt for the world might manifest as popular culture.  That Emo compels youths to despair (and a laughably manufactured despair at that) by virtue of their perceiving despair in others and thinking that good, is its worse trait.

If art is expression, than emo may be art.  Just art that is unhealthy for the soul.

Oh yeah, and the last line of that poem is the shiz.

If it is my poem you are referring to, thank you.  I thought you'd like it.

And as to Emo, we are condemning what it is, not what it could be.

I'd never thought of art as being something that could be unhealthy.  Perhaps that is why I haven't really considered it art. *shrug*  It probably will pass, but we hope to speed that process.

And in any case, Emo isn't the only target.  It's gotta start somewhere . . .

[Stargate525]

I'd never thought of art as being something that could be unhealthy.  Perhaps that is why I haven't really considered it art. *shrug*  It probably will pass, but we hope to speed that process.

Like rap and a few other things that I hate in this generation, I don't want them to pass completely. I want to be able to sit back and laugh at 90 year-old gangsters play their rap...

but emo, right....

[SA]

Haha.  It's particularly bad when you're the only black kid in your highschool, and rather than consciously deride you, all the other students hold this unquashable delusion that you're a gangsta, and think that's awesome.  That's not awesome.  It's an insult.  If there's one Western culture that has successfully turned self-limitation and self-loathing into an artform, it's rap culture.  I used to wish those kids would just start throwing racial epithets at me so that they had no cause for surprise when I socked them in the jaw.

As it was, they were surprised...

The worst thing about rap - for me - is not the misogynism, or the glorification of violence, but rather the confusion of those artists when they wonder why the world outside their ghettos does not respect them.  Claiming God's on their side when they rise to the top of the criminal underworld (and top or not, the undwerorld's still the UNDERworld)?  Crying for salvation then hurling hot lead into children's bedrooms on the impetus on some juvenile fued?

To speak nothing of pop music!

[Stargate525]

Haha.  It's particularly bad when you're the only black kid in your highschool, and rather than consciously deride you, all the other students hold this unquashable delusion that you're a gangsta, and think that's awesome.  That's not awesome.  It's an insult.  If there's one Western culture that has successfully turned self-limitation and self-loathing into an artform, it's rap culture.  I used to wish those kids would just start throwing racial epithets at me so that they had no cause for surprise when I socked them in the jaw.

As it was, they were surprised...

The worst thing about rap - for me - is not the misogynism, or the glorification of violence, but rather the confusion of those artists when they wonder why the world outside their ghettos does not respect them.  Claiming God's on their side when they rise to the top of the criminal underworld (and top or not, the undwerorld's still the UNDERworld)?  Crying for salvation then hurling hot lead into children's bedrooms on the impetus on some juvenile fued?

To speak nothing of pop music!

So we're mobilizing against rap music as well?