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Corn Cantos., John E. Burgett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This creative thesis is a long poem based on experiences working in corn fields. It examines how migrant worker relationships have evolved over the recent decades, and offers a forecast of the future of migrant relationships with seed companies such as Pioneer and Dekalb. The poem's format draws from Ezra Pound's Cantos. The style shows some similarities to the works Charles Olson and Walt Whitman. The thesis is divided into nine smaller poems that can be considered chapters in a narrative. The style is non-lyrical, attempting to capture the idiomatic expressions and base language of the characters.