Varsouviana+Polka

1. Term - The Varsouviana Polka 2. Adriano Dominguez 3. Visual 4. Summary of term (may include history, biography, or definition) using PIECE. __Aim:__ The Varsouviana Polka is a type of Polish dance. Since it is a “polka,” it is a very fast-paced and jolly-sounding song with a quick tempo and loud, high notes (Music Dictionary 1) in order to portray the jovial sounds it contains. Such a tune would normally be used at weddings and birthdays, or other such happy occasions (Logan 1). However, in the play it is often used as a way to deal with one of the character’s suicides (LitCharts). The Polka, due to its fast tempo and high pitch, can be used to bring joy to the ears that hear, and is often used in the play “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

__Audience__ : As the Varsouviana Polka is a type of dance, the people that could observe it would be anyone. While the tempo is very fast-paced, that can be the reason why the Polka is often attributed to negative feelings and situations, such as grief in the wake of death. The pace of the Polka requires a certain amount of concentration (Logan 2) to follow, which will assist with feelings of grief as the listener is too focused on the song and interpreting the fast pace to focus on their feelings of grief. This is exemplified in “A Streetcar Named Desire” as one of the characters uses the song to overcome the suicide of another character. This goes to show that anyone can enjoy the song, but often it is used as a coping mechanism for those in suffering.

__Historical__ : The Varsouviana, also known as “Varsovienne” (Music Dictionary), was a dance that originated in Europe and was named Varsovienne for “Warsaw.” It’s a fast-paced dance meant to be danced to a fast tune, usually for enjoyment and fun. While it is simply a dance, it has become attributed to various ways of coping with grief and sadness through “A Streetcar Named Desire” (LitCharts). The dance is similar to other fast-paced songs that have originated elsewhere, but due to its significance it has grown to adopted and adapted in many different cultures (Logan 2).

__Cultural__ : The origins of the Polka was Warsaw, Poland, and was used as a public dance to bring people and communities together. It became a part of their culture as a way of uniting the people in the fast-paced tempo of the dance, and when they immigrated across Europe to America, they brought it with them. As time passed, the dance continued to spread and become adopted by more cultures and even adapted (Music Dictionary) in order to enhance their own culture. It is a prime example of one society’s culture becoming a part of many others. Once it was brought to America, the Polka adopted a deeper meaning of anxiety and as a coping method for dealing with the dead (LitCharts) in the play “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Works Cited: "Varsovienne." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. "Varsovienne." Varsovienne. Music Dictionary, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. Logan, Chloe. "The Significance of the Music in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’" Yahoo! Contributor Network. Yahoo, 8 Nov. 2007. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. “A Streetcar Named Desire: Symbols.” LitCharts. LitCharts, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.