Arturo Giovannitti and Diane Di Prima were two poets who used their poems to criticize and protest ills in society. During the writing of the two poems, the American was filled with many evils among them social injustice in the judicial system, oppression in the industries, gender inequality and oppression even on religion. Through the use of the poem, the two poets advocated for changes in the society and left a remarkable mark in the nation and the poetry industry. Giovannitti used various styles in their poems to criticize and organize protest across America. As an activist of the workers, Giovannitti used his position to organize protests against ills brought by industrialization. In most of Di Prima\s works, she criticized and advocated for social justice based on gender and religion. As a female Beat writer, Di Prima managed to hold feminists’ movements to condemn and criticized the established gender roles. The paper will focus on determining the differences and similarities between protest used by Arturo Giovannitti in Arrows in the Gale and other poems (2004) and Di Prima in Pieces of a song. The three poems to be analyzed in Arrows in the Gale and other poems (2004) include Scientist, The Walker, The Death of Flavio Venanzi and The Stranger at The Gate. In the collection of Pieces of a song, the three poems to be analyzed include, “Revolutionary Letter#9,  Revolutionary Letter #53 and Revolutionary Letter #16.

The similarity between protest in Arturo Giovannitti in Arrows in the Gale and other poems (2004) and Di Prima in Pieces of a song is seen through the use of personal experience and appeal for compassion and empathy to draw the attention of the audience. The two writers use their experience as children until adulthood to show their frustration on society that cared less about their rights and freedom. While relating to her childhood experience of growing up in unsupportive family Di Prima shows how the community no longer cares and has lost the best values even of religion to the materialistic world. Across the poem, Di Prima speaks of the pulverizing power of the American west which has lost essential Buddhism teachings. In her poem, Revolutionary Letter#9, Di Prima writes on the perspective of an Anarchist who want to get back love and peace. “No one works for another except for love, and what you make above your needs be given to the tribe a Common-Wealth” (Revolutionary 19)  Through the use of words of compassion and teachings on survival skills, Di Prima manages to win the hearts of the audience and see the ills in the materialized society. Similarly, Giovannitti uses his personal experience like an arrest to show the evil brought by industrialization in America. Giovannitti shows how society has become materialized and how the few wealthy controls the industries and the judicial system to continue with oppression and manipulation.  In his poem The Walker, Giovannatti says, “Fallen is the last barrier of privilege, the aristocracy of the intellect. The democracy of reason has leveled the two hundred minds to the common surface of the same thought” (21). In his poems, Giovannitti uses compassion of the persecuted representatives on immigrant labor to gain sympathy and attract the audience to join in the protests.

Another similarity between protest used by Arturo Giovannitti in Arrows in the Gale and other poems (2004) and Di Prima in Pieces of a song is taking advantage of the situation or event to pass their message. During the writing of the pieces of a song, Di Prima took advantage of the Beat era, female modernism and the persecution of the emigre Italians to pass across her revolutionary politics. She relates the events of 1927 where the Italian anarchists were jailed, harassed, executed and deported by the US government for an attempt to ruin radical political dissension. During the writing of this poem, the immigrants in the US were struggling to claim their rights as a working class. Also, Di Prima took advantage of the growing wave of female modernism to protest against ills in the American government and the society where the working class was oppressed, and the females were segregated. Di Prima mocks the American dream, thirst for progress and materialistic ambition at the expense of fundamental rights. Similarly, Giovannitti took advantage of the 1912 strike and the instance of the IWW strike organization to air his message on ills in the judicial system. In his poem, Giovannitti also mocks the materialistic culture which cares about gaining wealth and power at the expense of the fundamental human rights.  Following the shooting of one striker Anna LoPezzi and the trial of the trials of the organizers Ettor and Giovannitti, Giovannitti was able to review the oppressive judicial system which was controlled by wealthy industry owners, “Knowest though not the laws of this which is the wealthiest and mightiest under the sun?” (The Stranger at The Gate ) 31.. The poem fostered beliefs in the interpretations of the strike by mobilizing workers at Lawrence and other industries. Therefore, through the use of the current situation or event, the two poets managed to organize protests and pass their message.

One of the significant differences between the protest of Arturo Giovannitti and Di Prima arises from the different periods of their writings. Di Prima’s Pieces of a song was written during the Beat era where men had dominated the poetry industry while Giovannetti wrote Arrows in the Gale and other poems in a time of American Radicle Left’s. When writing the poem, Di Prima protested on political ills was tied to second-wave feminism. In her poetry, she aimed at gaining the support of the women who minori^ty. During her writing, women were awakening and forming demonstrations to demand their rights and representation in the politics, “I have just realized that the stakes are myself… I have no other…ransom money, nothing to break or barter but my life” (Revolutionary Letters). Also, Di Prima organized protests through the use of wisdom learned from Buddhism religion and her role as a female, “In case you put me down I put you down” (Di Prima). Differently, Giovannitti poem focus American Radicle Left where the industries and the judicial system oppressed the poor and working class. In his poem, The Death of Flavio Venanzi, Giovanniti shows how the innocent strikers got killed and injustice ruling of the courts.  In his writing, Giovannitti speaks from the perspective of the working class who has gone through arrest and trial for attempt to fight for his rights. The poem focus on the situation at the courtroom where he used to follow the procedures and ruling. In his poem, Giovannitti lay bare the oppressive structures and dynamics of the courtroom in America and interpret the legal information and practices in the view of worldly compassionate.

Another difference between protest in the two poems arises from the context, style, and focus. Di Prima employ a mixture of traditional literary methods like figures and sound with the current innovation era of Beat style to carry her protest. Di Prima applies various figures of speech like metaphor which are useful in persuading ” (Di Prima). Through the use of the two different styles, she manages to focus her protest in winning all group of people both the old, women and men who have experienced political upheavals in America. The nature of protest in Di Prima is seen through her enormous character who rejected to be placed as minor by using her strength to gain position in male-dominated society. The use of the two styles helps Di Prima focus on different issues within a single poem. In pieces of a song, Di Prima uses the unique style to protest as feminist and political activists. She combines the harsh treatments and struggles of women in America with the political manipulation that the emigrates were experiencing in America to gain huge support. Di Prima mocks the American dream, materialistic ambition and thirst for progress at the expense of human’s basic rights. In her Revolutionary Letter 16, Di Prima demonstrate the ill brought by large factories, “very large factory is an infringement of our God-given right to light and air to clean and flowing rivers stocked with fish to the very possibility of life for our children’s children” (Di Prima).  Across the poem, Di Prima uses strong poetic language to organize her poem in a speech that explores society ills in America. Giovannitti writing focused exclusively on political ills in America during the industrialization era. His political mission is revealed in the poem Arrows in the Gale & Other Poems which is a protest against industrialization and materialistic ambition while exploiting the poor in the society. Giovannitti passes his message across and calls for protest directly through the use of factual court rulings which reveal judicial malpractices. Through the use of truth and factual information, Giovannitti manages to win the support of the working class who oppression in the industry. In his poem, Scientist, Giovannitti reveal the essence of speaking the truth without fear of the consequences, “An arrow moves one way, the mind another. True, when the mind exercises caution, and when it is proceeds on a line of inquiry it goes straight, not wavering, to its target” (Giovannitti). The success of the protest in Arrows in the Gale & Other Poems arises from the unique use of prose style in a poem which added voice to his speech as seen in the poem Scientist and The Bankrupt’s Suicide. The style plus his great oracle made it possible for Giovannitti to achieve his political mission and protest.

In conclusion, there are various similarities in the protest in Arrows in the Gale and other poems (2004) by Arturo Giovannitti (1884=1959) and pieces of a song (1990) by Di Prima (1934). The protests by the two poets apply similar styles the of use of personal experience and appeal for compassion and empathy and taking advantage of the current situation or move to pass win support in the protests. The two significant differences arise in the different periods of writing; Giovannitti poem was written during the second phase of industrialization while Di Prima wrote her poem during Bear era and female modernism. Another difference arises from the style devices used in the protest. Despite the difference in the demonstrations used by the two poets, they contributed successfully to reducing the ills that were experienced in American society.

Works Cited

Di Prima, Diane. Pieces of a Song: Selected Poems. City Lights Books, 1990.