For this response, choose one poem, and dig deeply into it to explore what you think it's trying to get us to see or feel. Any poem from Of Poetry and Protest is an option, except for those that have been options for reading responses before. You can write about any poem in the collection except for the Emmett Till poems and the poems about Civil Rights (the ones about Rosa Parks and Fannie Lou Hamer). You are also welcome to read other poems by the poets you've encountered; the Poetry Foundation website is searchable by author if you'd like to look for one poet's work, or they also put together a list of poems for Black History Month by some of the authors we've read. Any of those are fair game as well.
If you have questions about whether or not you can write about a poem, let me know, but the point here is for you to offer your original ideas about how to interpret a poem that has spoken to you in some way. Make sure you identify the poem with title and author. This response is due on May 9, but the end of the day is fine (11:59 pm).
The Poem I am analyzing is “New Day” by Kwame Dawes. In his introduction, Kwame opens by mentioning that he is a political person, and his poetry is therefore political. “New Day” is a very political poem focused on the election of President Barack Obama. It is divided into eight separate sections, probably representing the eight-year term President Obama had served in office. The first section is titled, “Obama, January 1st, 2009.” The purpose of this first section is to allow the reader to understand the sacrifice Obama made when becoming president, and to make the reader feel “the winning politician’s burden.” For example, Dawes says, “already the halo of grey covers his close-cropped head…he spends little time in bed…all eyes now on him.” The “halo of grey” is representative of the slight grey color in his hair, which represents tiredness and experience. In the first section, Dawes also mentions the ordinary life which Obama must give up, again helping the reader to understand his sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteThe second section is called “How Legends Begin.” The section proceeds to describe the beginning of this “hero,” and the description matches up with a description of Barack Obama. Dawes describes this legend as someone, “navigating a mother’s mistakes, a father’s silence, a world’s trivial divisions, the meaning of color and nation-negotiator of calm, a boy tutored in the art of profitable charm; this is how legends begin…and he will make language to soothe the teeming crowds.” The purpose of this section is to describe Obama as legendary and review his history and hardships prior to becoming president.
The third section is called “Waking Up American, November 5, 2008.” The purpose of this section is to show the significance of the election of a black president, “[she knew] that her country paused for an instant and did something grand, made a black man president, such a miracle, such beautiful magic.” The fourth section is called “Punch-line.” The punch-line this section describes is the destruction of the idea that a black person cannot become president, because Obama did it. This section makes the reader feel this punch-line and further understand the significance of Obama’s election. The fifth section, “Palmetto” describes Dawes’ hometown, and how it is still experiencing hardship, but Obama’s election brings hope and lightens its burden.
The next two sections, “Confession” and “On Having a Cool President” describe the author’s personal feelings toward Obama. Dawes says that having Obama as president shatters some of his excuses, and it is “enough” for him. He calls this his “confession.” Dawes then goes on to praise Obama for his charm and calmness, and describe him as cool, “His cool is the art of ease, the way we drain out tension…”
The final section is called “Lincoln, January 1st, 1863.” Of course, this refers to the day President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which was a huge victory for African American slaves, even though it had little immediate effect on their lives. The reason Dawes flashes back to this victory is to compare it with the inauguration of Barack Obama. He describes January 1st, 1836, “a million souls will be free…a million laborers worth their weight in bullion promised a new day across the border…” This is obviously comparative to Obama’s election, because in the same way, millions of people felt a huge victory of freedom. For African Americans in 1863, the road ahead of them would still be rough, “Uneasy lies the head…, he knows- this is how our leaders are born, how we find our heroes.” In the same way, a tough road lies ahead for America, so Obama’s election can also be compared in this way.
In general, the purpose of “New Day” is to help the reader see the significance of Obama’s election, and to feel its victory. It is a path that allows readers to understand the power that Dawes felt when Obama got elected, and it accomplishes this by breaking different messages and feelings into the eight sections.
The poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou presents a detailed comparison of freedom and oppression. The bird she speaks about within her lines becomes a gripping recurring image throughout the poem as she talks about overcoming the bondage of racism and sexism. Angelou uses this bird, which by nature is free to fly wherever it may choose without being bound by constrains of the world. The bird should, under all laws of creation, not be locked in a “narrow cage” because it is doomed to “stalk” and be unsettled within the confines of oppression. It is too presumptuous to say that Angelou is the bird, but in the personification of the bird, she stands for the issues that plague our society. In America, there is a racial divide that alienates and oppresses (especially) the African-American population.
ReplyDeleteIt is evident that Maya Angelou alludes to this problem in society by using imagery such as clipped wings and tied feet in order to draw attention to the physical restrictions of outward force that the black population experiences through wrongful accusation due to image or ignorance from the oppressors, a lack of justice in trials or persecution, or the awful criminal justice system they are subjected to in mass numbers. In the poem, the caged bird sings for freedom in the way some parts of society have been calling out for change and reformation of these oppressive systems that trap them.
Lastly, Angelou speaks of the bird that is “standing on the grave of dreams”, which I related back to an essay that we read about “The Dream”. This alludes to the “American Dream” that was built on the backs of slavery and harsh treatment of the African-Americans from the past. This is a strong image of historical missteps that are still benefitting today. Angelou brings about a feeling of longing of change to her audience that resonates with everyone who reads it.