Poetry #1

Link to poetry---> http://ofwhatisfoundthere.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/is-this-poetry-go-forth/

1. From what poem/author does this commercial borrow (without credit)?
The poem was spoken by Charles Bukowski in his original poem "The Laughing Heart" during the commercial.

2. Why might the use of this poem by a corporation be considered ironic?
It's all about the money. A corporation like Levi's is trying to 'touch' the hearts of customers by obtaining (not sure if Bukowski was asked to convey his poem without his permission) a piece of literature that has real meaning. And the true meaning isn't about having a selection of pants or denim jeans up for sale, but the author was basically robbed of what his ambiguous poetry was portraying for his audiences. Levi's ad makers see this as poetry = capital.

3. Does the poem reflect the reputation of the author? Why/why not?
 It better affect the author's reputation in a positive attitude because hard has to be rewarded if work is plagiarized by another user. But all in all, his reputation for having spoken is what brings out potential readers. Life was Bukowski's main center piece and so focused on uplifting people's spirits. I guess that it was a good thing an ad relayed his poem, therefore increasing attention for Bukowski.

4.How did you find the answers to #1 and #3? Describe your research process and your sources in detail.
Dr. Preston's article link displayed an article that talks about riots happening in the U.K. and in Berlin, Germany which relates back to Bukwoski's poem.. Chief correspondents of Levi's wanted to "capture youthful optimism" by advertising ads related to that idea. Doing so was conveying the poem. However, it didn't work out to well that way if it relayed the wrong moral of the poem. I also googled the author and the poem to see it's significance. People comment how they enjoyed an uplifting poem, even if it was commercialized wrongfully.