EPITAPH, DREAMING BLACK BOY, THEME for ENGLISH B
The poems
‘Epitaph’, ‘Dreaming Black Boy’ and ‘Theme for English B’ have
similar
themes.
They
express discrimination and intolerance in human relationships and reflect
the
denial of the basic human rights of recognition, justice, equality and freedom.
The three
poems are treated differently.
You will
observe that in the poem “Epitaph” the image is vivid, stark and
gruesome.
Amidst the beauty of the “falling sunlight” and the swaying cane”,
the dead
body of the slave hung. The image evokes in the reader anger against
human
brutality and compassion for the fate of the slave. Through the sad tale,
the poet
achieves his intention of giving the reader insights into the brutality
meted out
to slaves in their days of enslavement.
The poem
is a tribute to the dead slave, and is melancholic in mood and tone.
Someone
Else's View
They hanged him on a clement morning,
swung
between the falling sunlight and the women's
breathing, like a black apostrophe to
pain.
The poem begins with an indefinite pronoun
"they" which does not have a clear antecedent. One may assume
"they" refers to the masters who have hanged the slave on a
"clement morning" which implies justice (clemency) but is also an
ironic detail about the weather. The speaker also uses the word
"apostrophe" to introduce the difficulty of writing about
slavery (an obvious trope), and the hanged slave (imagine his body curled in
pain) becomes a "black apostrophe." An apostrophe is not only a
symbol of punctuation, but is also '"the addressing of a usually
absent person or a usually personified thing rhetorically" (Webster's)
All morning while the children hushed
their hopscotch joy and the cane kept growing
he hung there sweet and low.
The emotional impact of the hanging results in the
children's "hushed" hopscotch joy." Added to the previous
statement of the "women's breathing," the speaker highlights the
physical/emotional effects of the hanging balanced against nature's
indifference, " the cane kept growing" and the slave becomes part of
the oral histories of so-called Negro spirituals, swinging "sweet and
low."
At least that's how
they tell it. It was long ago
and what can we recall of
a dead slave or two
The
speaker reinforces the idea of the master's version of history, "at least
that's how they tell it," which implies emotional distance and doubt,
"it was long ago" and indifference, "and what can we recall of a
dead slave or two."
except that when we punctuate our
island tale
they swing like sighs across the brutal
sentences, and anger pauses
till they pass away.
The tone of the poem changes with "we" --those
who "punctuate our island tale," and the emotional difficulty
because "they,"' the hanged slaves, "swing like
sighs across the brutal/ sentences." "Brutal" contradicts the
idea of clemency and "sentences" is pun not only on the idea of
justice, but a clear reference to the writing trope. However, the last
line of the poem is ambiguous because it raises the question, how will the text
be written after "anger pauses? The speaker's word choice emphasizes the
uncertainty because "they," could refer either to
the slaves or masters. Both masters and slaves have become joined in the
detritus of memory.
Never a facile polemicist, Dennis Scott's Epitaph," explores the
complexity of memory and the emotional difficulty that "we" as
inheritors of the island's history have in writing about the period. In fact,
the complexity that marks much of Scott's work is reflected in Uncle
Time (from which this poem was taken) winner of Commonwealth Poetry
Prize (1972) and an International Poetry Forum Award.
Dreaming
Black Boy
In the
poem ‘Dreaming Black Boy’, the boy expresses his thoughts and emotions
in
abstract images. He dreams and wishes for the rights that should be accorded
to all
human beings - recognition and love, and the freedom of movement and
speech.
These images appeal to the emotions and the reader empathizes with
the boy
who is being denied these rights.
The poem
is written in blank verse. This makes the tone of the poem
conversational.
Another
Person's Views
The poem expresses a child's wish to be free of
physical and emotional pain. It is written from the perspective of a child in
the first person narrative voice of the child himself.
The title of the poem immediately provides the
context in which the child's "dream" or "wishes" are
framed. The title reveals that the speaker is a boy, and he is of the black
race.
Each verse of the poem begins with the repetitive,
"I wish". In total there are five wishes varying from a wish for some
type of encouragement by his teacher, to his wish for freedom from the
"terrible burdens of life". All of the child's wishes are for good
and positive things. Essentially he wishes that living was easier, or less
problematic than it really is.
His childhood wishes brings into question the role
of adults in the lives of children. It is clear that the role of adults in the
poems about the experience of growing children is to love, care,
compliment, protect and encourage them.
We know, based on the title of the poem, that the
boy is of the black race. This contextualizes the ethnicity, and, therefore,
the experiences that are particular to a child of that racial ethnicity. The
child is not only black but also male. Armed with this information one is
forced to think of the implications suggested by such awareness, implications
regarding the specific types of problems and experiences that are particular to
a boy child belonging to the black race. What is absolutely clear is that the
poem is about a child's fears of the suffering he could possibly encounter as a
result of things happening around him. His final wish is to escape the
"terrible burden" and of having( as a boy) the burden of pretending
to be brave, which is an expression of the fears and concerns of a child,
particularly a male child in what is obviously an extremely unstable and
chaotic environment. He dreams of a better, safer life, and he thinks that
education will enable him to escape the chaos.
There are really no bright spots in the poem,
except the dream of the child which may or may not materialize. The tone is
empathetic and heavy with emotional pain, psychological stress and fears.
We are reminded early in the poem that his ancestors also had very strenuous
lives. The poem reminds us that children do think about what they witness
around them, and that their fears and concerns are real. They wish to be
assured, whether by their teachers or the adults in their lives that all will
be well. The writer's intentional use of the repetitious, "I wish" is
as painful as the fears of the child himself.
Another
Take
LITERAL
MEANING
The poem
is about a black boy who wishes that he could have the regular
things in life: things such as a congratulatory hug, to be educated
to the highest level and to travel without harassment. The persona yearns to
stop fighting for the basic right to be successful as well as to suffering.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. REPETITION:
The constant repetition of the phrase 'I wish' points to a yearning,
a desperation even, for the basic things that life has to offer.
The repetition gives credence to the idea that the persona
might believe that his wishes are actually dreams that might not come
true.
2. ALLUSION:
Stanza 1,
lines 6 and 7, alludes to slavery, the state of lacking control over one's own
life and destiny. The fact that reference is made to this hints to how the
persona feels about his life. He does not feel as if he has control over it.
- Stanza
3, lines 19 to 20, alludes to Paul
Robeson, a black intellectual, who attained success
despite difficult circumstances. The persona yearns to be like this
person. He wants room to stretch intellectually.
- Stanza
4, lines 22 to 25, alludes to the klu klux klan. Burning lights refers to
the burning crosses and the pyjamas allude to their white outfits that
look like pyjamas. The persona wants them to leave him alone, find
something else to do other than make his life difficult, as well as
contributing to his wishes remaining a dream.
IMPORTANT WORDS / PHRASES
3.'not sink to lick boots':
This refers to the concept of being subservient. To have no choice but to
bow to people in order to get ahead.
4. 'Inside eye a sun ':
This refers to the persona's mind. He wants to show how intelligent he is
without fear. He wants his mind to be a sun. Sun represents brightness and
light, that is how he wants his intelligence to shine.
TONE
The tone/mood of
the poem is one of sadness. The persona is thinking about how he is treated and
he reacts to this in a sad way. He keeps wishing that things were different.
THEME:
Racism, and its effects, is the major theme for this poem. The persona's
yearning for 'ordinary things' highlights how contained the boy's life is. It
is a cry to be free.
Theme for
English B
In the
poem “Theme for English B” the poet deals with a student’s feeling of
frustration
and disappointment in the society. The thoughts which he expresses
on the
“page” echo the issues that confront him in an environment of whites.
The mind
of the student is confused. Though he was born and bred in a society
of white
people, and educated in a school among whites, yet he feels a sense
of
alienation.
In the
page that he writes, he is justifying his right to acceptance and equality, on
the basis
that all people share a common natural heritage of instincts, emotions
and
tastes. He firmly believes that each race impacts on the other and learns
from each
other. Perhaps he is questioning whether discrimination should give way to
harmony
among the
races.
Epitaph
1.
Describe the image presented in stanza one of the poem.
2. Which
of the following best defines the feelings evoked by the image?
(a)
elation and despair
(b)
compassion and anger
(c)
hatred and defeat
(d)
disappointment and disbelief
3.
Identify words and expressions which describe the morning’s atmosphere.
4. The
poet compares the swinging body to “a black apostrophe to pain”,
most
likely because “the swung body”
(a)
resembled an apostrophe mark.
(b) was
prominently positioned as a mark symbolizing pain.
(c) was
at the heart of two elements.
(d) was
the cause of much agony and pain.
5.
Explain the meaning of each of the following expressions:
(a)
punctuate our island tale
(b)
brutal sentences
(c) anger
pauses till they pass away
6. Do you
think that the title of the poem is appropriate?
Give a
reason to support your answer.
7. Which
of the following best expresses the theme of the poem?
(a) a
sorrowful tale
(b) man’s
inhumanity to man
(c)
victory and defeat
(d) a
blot on our history
8. What
is the mood experienced throughout the poem?
‘Dreaming Black Boy’
Answer
these Questions
1. What
is the theme of the poem?
(a)
disappointment (b) relationships (c) alienation (d) injustice
2. Why do
you think the “black boy” has dreams and wishes?
3. What
does the boy wish according to stanza one (1) of the poem?
(a)
opportunity to compete
(b)
recognition and warmth
(c)
freedom to play
(d) to
forget his ancestors
4. Why
does the boy wish for an opportunity to be educated?
5.
Identify two pieces of evidence which show the boy’s feeling of rejection.
6.
Identify the lines in which the boy feels that his freedom of movement and
speech
have been suppressed.
7. Who
are the “torch throwers” and the “plotters in pyjamas” alluded to in
stanza
four (4)?
8. What
do you think is the tone of the poem?
9. (a)
What terrible burden does the boy suffer?
(b) What
is his attitude to suffering?
‘Theme for English B’
Answer
these Questions
1. What
does the word “true” in line four (4) -“Then, it will be true”, imply?
(a)
authenticity (b) reality (c) credibility (d) integrity
2.
Identify the aspects of the student’s life which seem to make the
assignment
difficult.
3. The
student’s page would be based on
(a) life
at the college
(b) his
instincts and emotions
(c) a
resolution of the conflicts in his mind
(d) the
Harlem experience
4. What
does the student wish to say by listing the things he likes?
5. What
makes the student and the instructor part of each other?
6.
According to the student’s page, which of the following statements are
True?
(a) The
page on which the student writes is coloured.
(b)
Feelings, natural instincts and tastes are manifested by all people.
(c)
Sometimes whites and coloured cannot tolerate each other.
(d) All
people are not born equal.
(e) Each
race impacts on the other and learns from each other.
7. Which
words best describe the character of the student?
impulsive,
rational, obstinate, compromising, intelligent, outspoken,
unbalanced.
8. The
poem is written in Blank Verse form. What does this lend to the style
and tone
of the poem?
Oppresion
and Racism
Consider
the poems "Dreaming Black Boy" and "Epitaph".
a) Compare the ways in which these two poems deal with the experience of
oppression and racism.
b) State which of the two poems you find more disturbing, and give reasons to
support your answer.
c) Identify and comment on TWO poetic devices used in each poem to highlight
the workings of oppression or racism.
"Dreaming Black Boy" and "Epitaph" are two poems which
address the issues of oppression and racism. though they both deal with the
same problem, it is handled and discussed differently.
In " Dreaming Black Boy", the persona, a young black boy
in school, talks about his aspirations and dreams. He hopes for an end to
racism. The persona tries to use his education to try to escape the harsh
reality of racism. He not only mentions what is going on around him now, but
also the past and even how he would like things to be in the future. He longs
for acceptance, a good education, success, to travel and a break from mental
slavery. He fails to grasp that despite his intelligence and physical maturity,
the racist treatment will continue. Thinking that what he experiences as a
young boy is the worst, he has yet to find out how it is in the
future. On the other hand, "Epitaph", a significantly shorter
poem, is about a black slave who was hanged. People stop what they are
doing to watch the sight, yet the rest of the world continues to go on.
the sugar cane continues to grow. Unlike in "Dreaming Black Boy", the
persona in "Epitaph" is an adult, looking on a past occurrence and
commenting on how these types of events have impacted on our lives today.
"Epitaph" appears to be the most disturbing as it
suggests that many of these slaves' deaths are forgotten. The idea or notion
that life goes on after you die and all you are awarded is a "pause".
The images in "Epitaph" are also more graphic. In "Dreaming
Black Boy", the poet uses euphemism to down play the harsh reality of the
young black boy. For example, "plotters in pajamas" is used to refer
to the klu klux klan, a group infamous for the terror they caused on the black
race.
The main literary device used in "Dreaming Black
Boy" is allusion. The persona alludes to white supremacy groups, a famous
singer etcetera, to express the things he would like to change about his
reality. "Epitaph" uses the "apostrophe" to give a visual
image of the black slave hanging and swinging as he is hanged. This metaphor is
effective in showing also how the slave has taken on the problems of the black
race as his own. And his death belongs to the blacks. It is their history.
Racism and slavery are two of the most controversial and
oppressive elements in human history. Though both poems differ in style and
technique, both successfully describe the physical and emotional effects
of racism and oppression (slavery). This success is achieved through the use of
allusions, vivid images, symbolic language and even euphemism.
