Your life is your life

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 is ironic. The peom is also used in a way of expressing freedom and possibly rebellion.
3. The poem reflects the author because in Bukowski's childhood, he had a violent father, who regularly beat him until his teen years. Bukowski developed an awful case of acne vulgaris which altered his face and made him feel like an outsider. His father worked quite a bit and didnt see is son often. The younger Bukowski took to drink at a young age, and became an underachiever as a means of rebellion against not only his father, but against society in general.
4. Well, to find the answers to the first three questions, I first went to youtube and found the video. Then as i was watching, I noticed comments below the video that had the authors name. I than google searched Bubowski levi video poem and eventually found the poem. the youtube URL is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT16DcHcjRA&feature=related  

The Poem is:

your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.