5.

05
ASSESSMENT
Create a multimedia presentation using a
web 2.0 tool.
You have learned about multiple historical,
cultural and literary influences in early 20th
century American literature.
Now you will take this information to create a
presentation both of your chosen poems. You
should have at least one image for each
poem along with text explaining the ways in
which the literary works were influnced by
the events of the 20th century.

Paras Patel
2015

LANGUAGES BY CARL
SANDBURG
There are no handles upon a language
Whereby men take hold of it
And mark it with signs for its
remembrance.
It is a river, this language,
Once in a thousand years
Breaking a new course
Changing its way to the ocean.
It is a mountain effluvia
Moving to valleys

And from nation to nation

Crossing borders and mixing.
Languages die like like rivers.
Word wrapped round your
tongue today
And broken to shape of thought
Between your teeth and lips
speaking
Now and today
Shall be faded hieroglyphics
Ten Thousand years from now.
Sing-and singing-remember
Your song dies and changes
And is not here to-morrow
Any more than the wind
Blowing ten thousand years ago.

INFLUENCE IN THE 20TH CENTURY

In the poem Languages, Carl Sandburg expresses his

feelings on how the world and its nations will change.

He gives vivid details and uses great choice of words
which makes the poem somewhat understandable. The
poem relates to the 20th century because during that
time in America, there were many dramatical changes
happening. There many immigrants coming to America
which brought along divergent cultures and languages.
In the poem Languages, Sandburg stats that many
years from now, the words that we use today will be
forgotten. His point of view is very true. For example,
the word thy, during the 21 st century we are not
using is as often as in the 20 th century. There is more of
slang words than anything else. Another way we can
see the change in America is the school system. Kids
were put into school, and around this era, different
races were starting to be put into the same school
systems around the nation. America can be considered
as a salad in my opinion, because this time period
begun the mixing of cultures. Due to the this the
population increased greatly.

LANGUAGE
PICTURE:

ANGEL ISLAND-IMMIGRATION CENTER

FOG BY CARL SANDBURG

The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

FOG EXPLANATION:
During the 20th century, America played a major part of

the Lost Generation. Lost generation was a group of

writers who moved backed to Europe. The poem Fog is
written in a verse-form and is perfect example of showing
the change in the world. The fog moves quietly on little
cat feet and never stay in one spot for long. The fog
represents the change in America during this time. The
change meaning the developing and growing suddenly
like if was going to happen in a second. The
advancements and expansions spread like wild-fire across
America from one city to the next. (Example from the 13
original colonies to expansion to the west.) In history was
also known as Manifest Destiny.

FOG PICTURE:

WORK CITED:
http://robertfrostfarm.org/frosthistory.html
http://www.shmoop.com/robert-frost/timeline.html
History knowledge mostly came from AP US history notes.