POETRY #1 (AP English)

1. From what poem/author does this commercial borrow (without credit)?

2. Why might the use of this poem by a corporation be considered ironic?

3. Does the poem reflect the reputation of the author? Why/why not?

4. How did you find the answers to #1 & #3? Describe your research process and your sources in detail.

1.  The poem used here is called “The Laughing Heart” by Charles Bukowski

2. This might be considered ironic because the poem is telling the reader that it’s their life and that no one can tell them what to do; however, the point of this ad is to get the viewers to buy their product.

3. This poem somewhat reflects the author’s reputation because he was known for writing poems that alludes to the use of sex, alcohol abuse, and violence. Even though this poem sounds hopeful and empowering, it does contain the violence factor.

4. First I saw the video and then I googled “Levis’s go forth 2011 ad” in the search result, I found the poem. Since I still didn't know  the author, I googled the poem an d ii found out who wrote it. When I found out who wrote it, I googled his biography and I found this: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/charles-bukowski  this is where I found the answer to number 3.