Ok, so every semester I get students who like to share videos with me on their blogs, either home videos (because they are amateur videographers) or videos they have found themselves. One student in particular, Dantes Gutierrez, loves to share videos of slam poets. Several months ago he introduced me to Saul Williams. The man is amazing, although for most of his stuff you have to listen to it several times before you "get it". In any case, I found this one called "When The Clock Strikes Me" and I wanted to share it with you and hear your thoughts on it. Break down his poem, what's he saying, what's he talking about, what's his purpose?
Enjoy....
16 comments:
"One student in particular"?
psh "My favourite student of all the years I've been working. (Yes even my Pre-K years)"
When's movie night!?
I'm think that he doesn't really mean himself in particular when he says "When the clock strikes me," or anyone. Although I think he's talking about a day that the tables would turn. For example when he talks about the clock, the big hand thinks he's the best because he's big, but in reality it's the second(small) hand that really has all the energy to move the clock. Or how business men are at the op of society and they mostly work for themselves but then they start working for the people instead. Also how mothers are usually the inspiration of daughters because they raised them, and bore them, but then there will be a day that the mothers will look to their daughters for inspiration. Also when he talks about how women will rejoice with their future but the men will have to fight for their freedom. Maybe he's a imagining a world would be a better place, or a day that everyone believes that they all have a purpose rather than just one man having one. Maybe he's a imagining that one day people will realize that they are not all powerful. It's a little confusing, but I'm thinking this is more or less what he's trying to say.
Surprisingly interesting and conceptually stimulating. He speaks of a utopia which will never come to pass although he says it as though it is a certainty we can’t avoid. The imagery of the clock marking the change was attention-grabbing and there were several messages emitted from the lyrics though none of them are said outright. The first is of all forms of repression (be it minority phobias or government infringement on rights) being overthrown by the small hand (the public). That love is universal and you love a stranger as much as your own flesh and blood (this perhaps is the only aspect of an ideal society which I found perturbing and distasteful because the entire point of love is for it to be focused upon the one significant other unconditionally). All previous knowledge thought to be definitive will need to be proven once more – it will be a reemerging of enlightenment and all symbolism and values instilled in us through society will be stripped from us and we will have to relearn. Religion which is an institution that has repressed desires and placed far too much value on a higher power as opposed to our fellow human will be converted into a fable told of a thing that once was and will be used as a mechanism by which children learn to value life as opposed to fearing death and your supposed transcendence into a heaven or a hell. But, I suppose what other media (other than art) can an environment like the one described previously actually exist?
I think first of all the he is an amazing poet. He's basically talking about not himself, but just a time in which everything in life makes sense or is at peace. Where everything that is bad or misunderstood now is reversed. He makes us feel as if one day everything would be perfect kind of given it a "heavenly" setting, i guess you could say, he is making it seem as if were are all Gods when he says that one day we will all be seen as the chosen one.
.... that was a weird poem yet I understood it differently than the others who commented. In my opinion Williams is talking about a dream he had. afterall when one is dreaming time seems to spot and anything can happen 9at least for me). Perhaps he's dreaming of such changes which will most likely never occur such as the story of jesus being told as a child's bed time story or that songs will act as an antivirus. Williams is also speaking out a world were everything changes places/roles from reality such as business men taking advise from their mothers or men and women switching roles.
Although I didn't understand 80% of the poem the little thayt I did comprehend was very meaningful yet unrealistic. all in all I do wish that adults ould play like children and that women can be free to express themselves as much as their hearts desire. yet many of williams's dreams/illusions will only be just that. But then again there's nothing wrong with dreaming of stuch a place.
Wow! That was a crazy poem. It was difficult to understand at first but made sense after a few tries. I believe that Saul isn't talking about himself, I believe it is a poem that puts you in the view of how things would look in reverse. One example that caught my attention is when he says business people work for themselves and how they are at the top. The way he reverses the situation is by saying that the business people will work for society. This tells me that he is imagining a better world than today. Where everyone will work together. He also said a verse about Jesus. He said that the story of Jesus will be told as a child's story and that the birth of new borns will be celebrated as the messiah that everyone is the chosen one. He is saying that noone is any different than the next. Everyone has the oppurtunity to do something great with their lives. In my opinion, he makes the poem seem how everything can be at peace if we took a step back and actually look at how life is.
I dont have the attention spand to listen to him. BTW, the first thing he said was, "this is short poem", but he has THREE sheets of paper in his hand. "/
I see this poem as an ode to something new. the sentence itself "when the clock strikes me," is not referring to Williams or you or me or anyone in particular but on humanity as a whole. It speaks of a new world which baffles the one we're already in. for ex: the big clock probably thinks its bigger and better but will realize that it only plays a very small part in the illusion of time and it suddenly doesn't feel so big anymore. The smaller clock feels important at how big a difference it makes with its "ball of energy." Williams is talking about an Eden where a person is for the aid of his neighbor rather than himself, where people have a purpose that entwines with one another to make a better place, with the quote "businessmen will serve humanity," and "your loved ones will grow with the beauty of complete strangers." Williams is talking about a world where people will have unconditional love for each and every person, whereas having a false idolization and love for only one. Or maybe instead of loving and worshipping one, love and worship all with "and people will think of all people as chosen." Williams may see it as the time in the future when all these events are going to take place. He may see it as an illusion, like time. He may see it as the world in which he lived in. He has a tone that's longing, a longing for this world he speaks so fervently about because he knows that the world we live in now is the complete opposite of this.
Well first, I would like to say, you are welcome for me having introduced you to the marvel and awe-inspiring 8th wonder of the world, which is, Saul Williams.
Now, I wanted to wait until the very end so that I could not persuade or "shift the tides" as it were. But I couldn't hold it in. So here goes my analysis to Children of the.. oh no wait, When the Clock Strikes Me:
When the Clock Strike Me, is a poem of reality becomes clear and every truth in the world revealing itself. It's a poem about revelations. From the first lines of the "the big hand will realize the grandeur of its illusion and will begin to shrink in its own eyes" to the last stanza of "you will be sitting alone or with someone..." Rather than it being a poem about a utopia (not completely wrong), or when opposites will take over for the norm (that would be too simple of an analysis), it is a poem concerning truth.
In the beginning he points out the how the minute hand in reality is short come-d when compared hour hand. Pointing out that hours have bigger significance over minutes. Continuing further with how symbols will become that which they symbolize, meaning that besides being objects or designs to symbolize, they actually emanate and become whatever it is they are supposed to be (i.e the body of Christ, the peace sign, etc). The next few stanzas talks about how women will rejoice at remembering their future selves. I'm not sure if this is referring to young woman realizing that they will become bearers of life, or realizing that they have become so independent and self reliant as to what they were prior to the fight for women's rights. Later on it continues with how children and adults will play and such. This is to show a closer connection between those two stages of manhood. Continuing with the next few stanzas where he brings in religion. This is the most impactful part for me. This is the part if taken most literally and casting aside any and all biasness, would be the biggest truth. If looked at the Bible as just a book and nothing more, the story of Jesus is just a story, and would be the most heart warming tale if it was told as a children's story. Thinking that all children as chosen is a beautiful idea. To skim over a few stanzas, businessmen in reality should and do serve the humanity. And world leaders always turn towards the ideas and morals that they learned growing up, usually associated with the maternal side of the family. The rest is just a sum of what should happen and what may be occurring now. [Sorry to cut it short, but I've done enough and I am missing Family Guy]
Saul Williams seems a very respectful man with many great ideas that he thinks will "strike" him and take into account for everyone's real life.
His poem is a metaphor of occurrences in life that will happen and transpire into everyone's emotions to make a better tomorrow and have hopeful dreams come true. His poem gives certain aspects that he believes will change the world and make the impact necessary for people to change and be more open minded. The term "when the clock strikes me" refers a moment in time impacts what he suggests like how everything that surrounds us, what we think, makes us act, makes us do what we do. The overall message is a dream world were everything negative that we see in this world would disappear from time, and turn into a miraculous nature of understanding, rejoice, and intelligence.
Very interesting poem. I ussually find that slam poetry can be either very insightful or terribly boring and a reflection of how the poet actually has nothing to say. In this case though I was lucky and the guy seemed to have brain. I think that what he means by "when the clock strikes me" is when I get to rule the world, this is what I would do. He is basically giving you his opinion of how things should be run. He gives you his opinion of religion when he talks about how Jesus' nativity should be taught as a story to children. Overall i think it was an interesting poem.
"the powers of being will prevail over the powers that be" this line to me sums up what the author is trying to say. He is speaking about revolution. A new world in which only the truth lives. When the clock strikes me is a direct reference to the day that everthing will change the time of revolution for the better. When people will be happy again and have their freedom. When people live for each other and not for themselves. This is a great poem becuase this is a philosophy that i hold in my heart very deeply. I wonder who he is reffering to when he says "listening to jimmy in my ear" could it be hendrix? maybe because he does say something along the lines of when the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. And i can see that this quote has a direct correlation to this poem, so maybe. When the clock strikes me it will strike you too meanng that this cannot be done alone, in order to have a peaceful society, people must want it.
Wow! First off, the way I understood this poem is that when he says "When the clock strikes me" he is saying when Judgement Day comes. When he begins by saying "the big hand will realize the grandeur ..." I understood that as the people in the world who thought they were the best, will realize that they really weren't and the people who thought so little of themselves will realize that they were really something great. When hes says "everything will stop and that which was nothing will become the beginning again" I understood that to mean that (as I recall when Judgemment Day comes) everyone stops what they are doing. Eventually, people will either go to heaven or hell and that will be the new beginning that he is talking about. When he says "people will gather to deconstruct the myths and fables
that conspired against them", I believe that he's saying that all the truths and lies will be revealed in front of God and all of humanity. When he says, "when the clock strikes me
some people will have to die", I took that as when Judgemet Day comes, some people will go to hell. Although you may die physically, if you have worshipped God and honored Him and spread His Word and done what you need to do to go to heaven, you will live eternally with God in heaven. However, those who haven't done the necessary to get to heaven will die and go to hell. When he says, "children will find it cool
to be playful
and adults will find it worthwhile
to play like children", I understood that as adults no longer have to go to work and take care of there children and have all these responsibilities; they'll be living a happy life in heaven, they can be free, and "play like children". When he says "the powers of being will prevail over the powers that be", I understood that to mean that good will prevail over evil, God over Satan. When he says, "no alarm will sound", I believe that he is saying that people wont know when it's coming (Judgement Day), it will just happen. When he says "the most beautiful stranger will make herself known to you", I found that he was talking about God--that God would make himself known to us, all of humanity, even though he did say "herself". When he says, "you will be sitting someplace alone or with another
reading this and we will both
go off unexpectedly spines will tingle eyes will water...", I believe that he was saying (like I was saying earlier) that it will be unexpected. You could be sitting on the toilet when it happens, but it will be unexpected. You could be wearing "church clothes" or no clothes, but it will happen unexpectedly. When he talks about eyes watering, I believe that this is so because that will be entering heaven or hell. They will be crying for either extreme joy or extreme sadness. The first time I read this, I automatically just thought Judgement Day for some reason, but I dind't really get what he was saying. The second time I watched it, I started to understand some parts of it and this is how I interpreted it to be. Sorry that it's so long, but this was really very interesting and I really did enjoy this!
for some reason i cannot type in the journal post box so i'll just respond here... I think he's just talking about a time he wishes would exist "when the clock strikes me" means "if i had it my way". he wants being to stop being so inconsiderate and to be more aware and appreciative of the people around them (businessmen will serve humanity/world leaders will turn to their mothers for advice/and mothers will turn to their daughters for inspiration) i think he is saying that when something profound happens (you will turn to the stranger beside you/and say "you have to read this") it makes everyone equal because everyone appreciates its beauty equally.
here is another poem you might like..my best friend wrote it:
UNTITLED by MEGAN OUELLETTE
I have long had the opinion that everything is subjective.
Essence of thought, distilled in a moments notice through the golden straw of wisdom.
And you have to know when to not fuck things up. Things like love and drugs.
Things like having a man, a cigarette, a place to sleep.
A new style sheds the old like an exoskeleton of misplaced thought.
A new cloud is on the horizon and it brings rain.
Hard and cold. Knives through the air.
Storm of change where I envision better things. Better modes of realization.
Better relative to nothing. Relatively nothing.
The unfortunate opinion of the dormouse has already been discarded,
So as you melt like putty in my hands please do not complain.
A tableau of opining. Of forgetting the words to your own language. Of presence of mind.
Who am I, and what is the rain on the window concept?
A dual action photograph of precise motion. Who knows what I mean?
Rhythm of keys too perfect to continue.
Finality a broken bottle in the road. A rock. A sense of eternity.
Finality = eternity. No, yes, no.
Whirlwind sensation breaks down the breakdown of communication.
Time is in lockstep with whatever and nothing. No-thing.
Concept like black construction paper and snowflakes on the tongue.
Everything and nothing will attend a banquet and challenge each other to a duel.
No one and everybody will win.
Only time loses out, having wagered on sensing the aura of defenselessness in his eyes.
Whose eyes? Everyman’s eyes the same and different.
An eye is an eye is a color, a lack thereof and a white border always
in the same place on a face.
Differences in concept, not in execution. I begin to melt and fluctuate. Excuse me.
How stupid am I really? As stupid as I want to be. As stupid as being and doing.
As perfect as nothing.
I am in an airplane and being dropped out the bomb bay doors open
To reveal just a sliver of the moon, and
I am shot upwards to realize what I already know. What I already am.
Everyone is and knows and is and does
The flashes of color at the edges of my vision. Melting.
I could go anywhere like this and know everything or nothing--take your pick.
And choose wisely.
Wisdom a font of gray hairs on a graying memory of time forgotten.
Blurry: every thing is so blurry and yet so clear. So fucking clear.
All I can see is all I can see is all I can see is all eye can see.
Everything logical, order in is sound. Nothing is soundly logical, order is gone
What was it like to be normal? How did I use to feel?
First off I have to say that this is the first time that I have heard Slam poetry...and this is also the first time I have even heard of Saul Williams... I think that after listening to this poem I think he is amazing and he is deep... I liked this poem and I think that what he is trying to say in his poem is that everyone's day comes...I think that he is also trying to say that the people that think they are better than everyone else will soon realize that they truly are not... also that people that do not think much of themselves have potential and are great in their own way they just do not see it...
i'm not really into poetry, i think if you have an idea that you want to share, make a documentary. the only thought that comes into my mind is that, time reveals all truths. this is not about a better world, because some of the changes he mentions are not good things. all the other confusion is just a poet trying to sound deeper than he really is.
Post a Comment