Your Life is Your Life

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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.
5. MEMORIZE the poem and be prepared to recite it on demand.

1. The author of this poem is by Charles Bukowski.
2.The use of this poem by a corporation is condsidered ironic. The peom used in this commercial is a way of expressing freedom and rebellion, while society tells us to live by rules and society.
3. The poem reflects the author perfectly. Bukowski's childhood was marred by a violent father, who regularly beat him with a razor strop until his teen years, and then by the Great Depression. When Bukowski went through adolescence, he developed an awful case of acne vulgaris which disfigured his face and made him feel like an outsider. His father frequently was out of work during the Depression, and he took out his pain and anxiety on his son. The younger Bukowski took to drink at a young age, and became a rather listless underachiever as a means of rebellion against not only his father, but against society in general, the society his father wanted him to become a productive member of. The young Bukowski could care less.
4. I found the answer to number one from using the first line of your life is your life and I typed it into google. I also saw the comments on the video on youtube and saw them use the authors name and typed up his biography on google as well. Little hints can go a long way, you just have to open your eyes and find them.