Notes on racial poems

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.

contemplation upon flowers and orchids (poetry essay)

Question

From the prescribed list of poems you have studied, choose TWO in which the speaker shows
admiration for something.

a) Briefly explain what the speaker admires in each poem.
b) Compare the ways in which the speakers respond to the situations they face.
c) Identify and discuss an effective device used by each poet in presenting the theme of
admiration.

Answer



1. Essay by : Jordon Hayles

4 Pool 4 English B

Ms. Atkins

Poetry is a way in which a poet can express one’s thoughts in many different ways, and one way
a poet can express themselves is showing admiration. Admiration is a feeling one gets when they admire
something. Admiration, as defined by Google, is the object of respect and of warm approval. In the
book, The World Of Poetry admiration is a theme shown in some poems, two of which are ‘A
Contemplation Upon Flowers’ and ‘Orchids’. ‘A Contemplation Upon Flowers’, written by Henry King,
and ‘Orchids’, written by Hazel Simmonds-McDonalds, are both about flowers, and one common theme
shown in both is admiration.

The poem ‘A Contemplation Upon Flowers’ is about exactly what the title suggests. The poem is
giving us the thoughts the writer thinks while observing some flowers, and we can see the comparison
of the flowers to many things, mostly to that of the flower’s nature versus that of the nature of humans.
In ‘A Contemplation Upon Flowers’, the speaker shows admiration to many qualities the flowers display
all throughout the poem. In stanza 1, the poet expresses his admiration to the flowers for the way they
are humble and not proud. He admires the fact that, even though the flowers are made of immense
beauty, they still know that they are all equal, and that they will soon die and go back into the earth,
where it, and all the other flowers have come from. The writer, in stanza 2, starts to compare the flower
to that of his nature, and to a greater extent, to the nature of all humans. It speaks on the way that
flowers gracefully accept the fact that their time is done, that while they have only certain times or
seasons where they can survive, especially spring, the human race on the other hand, want it to be their
favourable season year round, and the proof in that can be easily seen with all the different medicines,
health devices and whatever else may increase the chances of staying alive. And finally, in stanza 3, the
poet expounds on the fascination and admiration with the flowers acceptance of death, and, asks them
to teach him how to, instead of seeing death and being afraid, how to accept it, and also admires the
fact that, not only do they embrace death, but they complement it, as they are very much often used at
a funerals to lighten and add cheer to the air. Also the writer admires that, even after death, flowers
can be used to sweeten the air, as seen with perfumes.

The title of the poem ‘Orchids’ also gives the reader a brief look as to what the poem is about,
and also that it focuses on flowers. The poem shows us that, at first, the speaker did not appreciate the
gift of the purple orchids, as she was contemplating throwing them away; also, it tells us, the reader,
that the poet was so unimpressed with the flowers that she tried killing them by over-watering them
and then later by neglecting and starving them, but with all this ill treatment the flowers received, they
still continued to grow and they continued to flourish, and it is at this point the poet came to a
revelation that their ‘purple hearts’ and their durability were characters in which she admired. She also
admired how resilient the flowers were, how they could still grow in such harsh and abusive conditions.

The poem ‘A Contemplation Upon Flowers’ focuses mainly on death, and it can be seen that two
stages of the human life is shown, birth for the first half of stanza 1, and death for the second half of
stanza 1, and also in stanzas 2 and 3. The situation that the persona faces in this poem is fear and un-
acceptance of death. There are many reasons in which the persona would be contemplating and
associating things as innocent as a flower with death, especially if the persona was an elderly person.

Elderly people usually sit and contemplate, reflect on their life, and usually in a peaceful, quiet and
serene place. This is probably where the connection between death and the flowers came into play. In
this poem, the persona realizes and learns from the flowers, that it is best to obey the timing of Mother
Nature, it is best not to fight death, but to accept it. The persona, in the end, learned that, the way to
deal with death is by letting his life be a legacy, so he can ‘live on’, just as the flowers live on after they
die, as they are used in perfumes and potpourri. The persona says that he wants his life/legacy
to ‘...sweeten and perfume my (his) death’. This can also mean that, on the day of his funeral, he
does not want the kind and sweet things they say about him as they usually do at funerals to be false, but
the truth, so that the last things said about hi may be pleasant. In the poem ‘Orchids’, we are introduced
to the persona just as she is packing for what can be described as another move from the five week life
she had in that house. While the speaker is in the middle of packing she finds a spray of orchids that was
given to her by someone who has a habit of giving people flowers as gifts, just as some people have a
habit of giving cards or poems for gifts, and as a result of this, the persona did not really appreciate the
gift, so the situation in this poem is that, the persona did not like the gift, but not wanting to seem
unappreciative, she did not throw it out, she had instead kept it and instead dealt with the situation by
over-watering them; thinking they would die, but they still grew and blossomed normally, so she tried
another tactic, by starving, but even then, they still began to blossom new blooms. She then came upon
the realization that she was fascinated by their ‘purple hearts’, and so she comes to a resolve by
choosing to keep them, by preserving them in the pages of her memory, so that she can discover
their ‘peculiar poetry’. The way in which the persona in both poems deal with the situation they face, in
a way, is by preserving them, whether their legacy, or the flowers.

The devices of literature can be used to paint a precise and lucid image of exactly how the
persona feels and brings the point across clearly. Each poem being compared uses literary devices to
show how they admire the flowers in the poems presented. The use of simile in line 1, ‘Brave flowers,
that I could gallant it like you,’ is very effective in bringing across the fact that the persona admires the
flowers, and it also basically sets the tone for the rest of the poem. This comparison is comparing the
braveness of the flowers to that of the bashful, reluctant and often feared approach humans have
towards death. This is used to set the tone of the poem, and it can be seen throughout the poem; in
stanza 2 this is clearly seen, especially in lines 7, 8 and 9. In ‘Orchids’, the use of simile is also very
effective in bringing across the admiration shown by the persona in line 14 of the poem, ‘like polished
poems’, as it is comparing the flowers to finished and perfected poems. This is effective because,
people appreciate and admire a fully finished and properly perfected poem, as it lives forever and, and
the persona had said they would ‘press them between pages of memory’, they would, in a sense, be
immortal.

In conclusion, the theme admiration is found to be interwoven between the lines of the
poems ‘A Contemplation Upon Flowers’, written by Henry King, and ‘Orchids’ written by Hazel Simmons-
McDonald. It can be seen that admiration was given to the flowers for their acceptance of death, and for
their resilience. The speakers deal with the situations they both face commonly, by preservation. And, it
can be seen that the literary devices are very vital parts in bringing across the ways in which admiration
is shown to the flowers.






2. Khalid Sheriff, 4Pool4

In A World of Poetry, many stories share similar themes or situations. Two of particular noteworthiness
are "Orchids" and "A Contemplation Upon Flowers." Both present a situation where a character is
having a monologue about a bundle of flowers they happened to have acquired through a, for the
most part, irrelevant means. What is predominantly the common focus between the two poems is
the significance and meaning assigned to the flowers by the speaker him/herself. This leads to their
admiration for the flowers, and why that is.

As stated before, both poems focus on the admiration of a characteristic of a flower. This,
however, is where the poems begin to differ, as "Orchids" and "A Contemplation Upon Flowers" differ
not in what object they admire, but what it is they admire. In the former, the speaker admires a spray of
orchids. Specifically, the speaker admires the die-hard resilience of the orchids, despite the mistreatment
of the flowers, by the speaker him/herself. This resilience moves the speaker to the point where they
decide to preserve the petals of the Orchids by pressing them between 'pages of memory'. In the latter,
the speaker admires the humble, gallant and altogether well lived life of the flowers they speak of. More
so, they admire their acceptance in the face of death, and their ability to live in knowledge, but not fear
of death. The qualities which are admired by the speakers face amplify this admiration.

The qualities found in these flowers are focused on, due to the situations the speakers find
themselves in. "A Contemplation Upon Flowers" has a speaker who is contemplating the eventuality of
death, as well as how someone is able to live a humble, yet meaningful life. Throughout the poem, the
speaker makes it clear that he/she is fearful of death, so much so that they beg the bouquet of flowers
to teach him/her to be more like them. In "Orchids" the speaker, currently in the process of moving,
happens across a small spray of orchids she had received from someone. The orchids that she comes
across appear to be a metaphor for her appreciation of poetry. With this in mind, the poem
simultaneously focuses on the flowers themselves, as well as the poems and the similarity to each other.
The speaker goes on to discuss the hidden beauty in both, preserving and savouring the petals of the
flower, comparing them to peculiar poetry yet to be appreciated.

The admiration is conveyed through the use of one or more literary device(s). "A Contemplation
Upon Flowers" uses personification as its main literary device. Throughout the poem, the speaker
assigns qualities such as humbleness, mindfulness, and braveness in the face of death. This device is
effective as it provides a means for the poet to have the speaker express themselves, and their feeling
towards death, which is the focus of the poem. The second poem, "Orchids", the poet uses the orchids
as a metaphor for poems. This usage is effective, as it allows the poet to express his/her opinion on
poetry. This opinion, that some poems, as well as their messages, are under-appreciated, due to the fact
that they have a meaning in their 'peculiar poetry' that has yet to be discovered.

While the poems have their similarities, they also have their differences. These differences are
due to the subject matter the poet chooses to possess. The poems explore interesting concepts found in
flowers, a common element. They choose to explore what qualities the flowers possess, and how these
qualities influence the speaker. Towards the end of each poem, the speaker is changed by the message they interpret from the speaker.