The American Dream And Tracy K. Smith’s Poetry

Abstract

The aim of the article is to show how the American Dream is reflected in poems by Tracy K. Smith. The American Dream was understood in different ways in American history. Originally it expressed the idea that the American political, social, and economic system provides conditions for all individuals to achieve success through hard work and perseverance. Later, the meaning of the American Dream began to change with a growing focus on material success and individual wealth. The shift was reflected in the 20^th century American literature. Today while some people still believe that the American Dream offers a path to success for anyone willing to work hard, others see it as unattainable for many people.

  Tracy K. Smith is a contemporary American poet who has won several important literary awards. It is interesting to study the essence of the American Dream and ways it is conveyed through the poems by a contemporary poet. The poems from the collection “Life on Mars” by Tracy K. Smith have been studied and by means of the connection between the language and the culture the poet’s attitude to the American Dream and space travel is explained. It is concluded that a sense of disillusionment with the American Dream permeates some poems by Tracy K. Smith. The term “the American Dream ” is not explicitly mentioned in the collection though. The concept is implied, a reader feels it and grasps the meaning through details.