"Suicide's Note" by Langston Hughes

Blog Assignment #3-

The first time I watched the machinima video tribute to Langston Hughes poem, “Suicide’s Note,” I thought it was sad to see a video game character so lost in his fight that suicide was his only escape. However, the more I watched the video, the more I began to think that maybe machinima art is not the way to depict serious poems such as this one. Suicide is something I do not take very lightly, and to see this poem portray that action like it did is not how I would respond to the poem.

One part of the video that I did think was effective was the background song. It set the mood in a calm and depressed way that properly could parallel the feelings of someone considering suicide. Having the meaning of this poem acted out by a video game character detracts from the meaning of the poem. In one way, the video game setting partially makes the situation feel lighter and less solemn. The machinima version diverges from the tone of Langston Hughes poem because it is not a proper depiction on the seriousness of the poem.

The Simpson’s is always full of references to popular culture whether it is a reference to politics, literature, or other areas. In the episode The Secret War of Lisa Simpson, Lisa mentions Emily Dickinson and her great works. She then refers to her as “crazy as a loon.” Later in the episode, John Keats’ poem, “Ode On a Grecian Urn,” is being studied in her class. These references can be important to this pop culture moment because it a short, but good reference to well known poets and their works. References like these can inform the audience of key works in poetry and can help them become familiar to them.