2 Chicago Stories
Easy Eddie & Butch O'Hare
How do they connect to Cavalier Poetry?
How do they connect to Cavalier Poetry?
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
First, what are your reactions to Coleridge's poems Frost at Midnight & Kubla Khan ? What reactions do they invoke in you? Next, what is different about the poems? If you had to do a side by side comparison or make a Venn diagram of them, what would you include in it? After posting your initial thoughts, return to the blog to respond to your classmates.
These stories connect to cavalier poetry because they both perpetuate that we only have so much time to make the right choices with our lives. Though these two err on the side of risk for the sake of others, dissimilarly to the romantic poems we've read previously, they impress upon the reader the importance of disregarding potential consequences for the sake of a greater life. I found the story of Easy Eddie to resonate with this message very well. Though he had taken a risk by defending one of the greatest mobsters in America's history, earning himself a comfortable life and enabling him to provide for his son, he risked and lost his life in the name of teaching his son the greatest lesson of all: integrity. In this way, he lived not for the promise of tomorrow, but in the hopes that his actions in the moment would help his son take pride in his family.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if both, especially Butch O'Hare's story, connect to the commonly used theme of living life fully and taking risks when needed. For Butch, he was willing to take a chance, as he knew what was on the line. Cavalier poets often address this risk-taking attitude, whether it be in relation to love or a self-sacrifice. However, they tend to weigh only the positive results, rather than the negative consequences of said choices. In Butch's case, his efforts and decisions proved to be successful and worth it; he ultimately prevented an attack on a defenseless American fleet.
ReplyDeleteCavalier Poetry encourages people to live their life to its fullest and to not wait because time moves fast and death is always fast approaching. The story about Easy Eddie relates to Cavalier Poetry because it shares a similar message. Though he spent many years as a criminal, he eventually decided to testify against Al Capone and the Mob in order to rectify wrongs and be a good example to his son. He didn't let his fear of what the Mob would do to him get in the way of doing something good and managed to teach his son right from wrong before he died. The poem at the end of the story also relates to the belief in Cavalier Poetry since it encourages people to live without depending on time because eventually time will stop. Similarly, Butch O'hare didn't let fear of death stop him from fighting off a fleet of Japanese planes in World War II, and as a result, saved his fleet and became a hero. By acting without fear, these men accomplished good things before they died.
ReplyDeleteBoth connect to the looming idea of living life to the fullest. Butch O'Hare was a WW2 hero that sacrificed his life in service of his country; in doing so, he protected the lives of others and aided in protecting against attacks. In his mind, he knew the risks of serving in the military, and he fully accepted those that were associated, which led to his death. Cavalier poetry in effect speaks to those who have the belief of carpe diem and living life the best way possible. Both interlock on this idea and capitalize on it by exemplifying love or paying the ultimate sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteThe two stories were interesting. Both follow the theme of ‘seize the day’ like the Cavalier poetry but serve as examples rather than calls to action. Easy Eddie and Butch O’Hare seized the opportunity to be courageous in difficult situations. In contrast, the Cavalier poetry merely asked the subject to be brave and seek love. This is obviously not going to endanger the subject’s life. Regardless, the Cavalier poetry and the stories all suggest that the reader ‘seize the day.’
ReplyDeleteBoth stories tell of men who stray from a seemingly perfect route to benefit others. In the story regarding Easy Eddie, he lived a lavish life though the mob and had all material possessions he desired. He threw this luxurious life away to benefit his son, hoping to give him a better role model than he was. This eventual lack of perfection links to Cavalier Poets, who never aimed for perfection themselves. Just as the Cavaliers often wrote to those they loved, Eddie acted for who he loved. Both of them seek to seize the day.
ReplyDeleteThe two stories connect to cavalier poetry in the fact that both men cared about the end result or message rather than how great or well thought out the process through which they achieved it was. In Easy Eddie's case, he was an extremely talented lawyer. Given enough time, he probably could have thought of a way to take down Al Capone without risking his life. Like the cavaliers, however, he knew not to rely on having enough time in the future and wanted to set a good example for his son before it was too late. So he focused more on the message he was sending rather than the perfect way of sending it.
ReplyDeleteThey connect to Cavalier poetry because of their connection to others and aim towards simplicity rather than perfection. Easy Eddie was dedicated to protecting his son by leaving a good name and good example. Butch O'Hare, on the other hand, was determined to protect the American fleet from the Japanese. Additionally, it shows that it is never too late to do the right thing because Butch is Eddie's son who learned to do good in the world. Each of these characters did this at the cost of their own life, and like Cavalier poetry, the moral of the story was straightforward but refined. Neither of the characters were perfect due to Easy Eddie's involvement with crime and Butch O'Hare's fuel tank was not filled before take-off; however, Cavalier poetry is not focused on perfection either. This reflects the idea of clearly getting a point across with a simple lesson.
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ReplyDeleteConnecting to the cavalier poetry, both stories tell about men who were trying to "seize the day." Easy Eddie did not want a life of crime for his son, so he did the only thing he thought he could do to clear the name he was passing down. Unfortunately, losing his life was the cost he had to pay for testifying. Similarly, Butch O'Hare made a split second decision to put his own life at risk in an attempt to save his fleet. Neither men were perfect in their choices or actions, but cavalier writers never wanted their work to be perfect.
ReplyDeleteButch O’Hare’s story relates to cavalier poetry in the general sense of risking something in order to have success. A prominent idea in cavalier poetry is that the speaker is risking a successful relationship by being extremely blatant about their intentions; furthermore, the cavaliers would continue pursuing others if their initial try fails. This can relate to O’Hare through the risk factor. His plane was short on fuel and he was told to turn back. Yet he turned back to fight enemy planes despite having low fuel. I think the risk taken is not really as light-hearted as putting it out there in the interest of a relationship; however, he risked his life to help save those who were unaware of the incoming enemy planes. It kind of embodies the live in the moment aspect of cavalier poetry.
ReplyDeleteThe cavaliers idealized living the day to its fullest extent. These poets understood that their time was limited and that they must strive to make the most out of whatever they had left. Death could come at literally any time and so life must be made full of experiences that make the one life you have memorable. Al Capone’s lawyer was a man who made the most out of his life. While he may have worked for an evil man, and by extension helped to continue to do terrible things, he made sure his life did not end without first doing one final good deed. Knowing that snitching on his boss would likely end in a brutal death he understood that the greater good is more important.
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