Jerry Ward Jr. was born in Washington, D.C. in 1943 and then moved to Mississippi six years later. He grew up largely on the Gulf Coast.

Butter or butter-like substances consist of various oils. This reference to butter may aid the reader in visualizing what this oil might look or feel like. It also assists in completing the image of churning butter as a metaphor for the oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

Phoenixes are mythological birds that cyclically regenerate or are otherwise resurrected/born again. A phoenix obtains its new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. The phoenix imagery of rebirth/resurrection after death brings to mind the death and resurrection of Jesus. This line may suggest that Till is included as a martyr, and/or a Christ-like figure such as those who have died before Till because of an unjust cause such as racism towards African Americans. Those who have been "martyred" before him for the sake of equality honor his death and the legend he will leave behind him.

This vivid imagery alludes to lynching. Emmett Till was beaten, mutilated, shot in the head, and then thrown into the river with a cotton gin fan tied around his neck with barbed wire.

Unlike the mythological phoenix, Till and other murdered African Americans cannot be reborn, and thus, they do not leave ashes. However, the following two lines suggest that while the physical people cannot be resurrected, their deaths have produced an honorable legend that will live on forever.

The life and death of the poem’s subject acts as a ‘social critique’ towards the manner in which African Americans have been treated.

In a traditional African American folktale, a boy is confused by every story he reads, in which the lion, the king of the jungle, is always defeated by the man. The boy’s father explains to him that the lion will always be conquered until he can tell his own story.

“Star” may be alluding to the slave folklore that says that the North Star was crucially important in helping slaves escape to the north. Additionally, “trail” may also allude to the Underground Railroad, through which abolitionist and former slave Harriet Tubman led slaves to freedom.

Among some African American and African cultures, the owl is seen as a figure of death, bad luck, or illness. This applied to even seeing or hearing an owl.

The practice of jumping over a broomstick sufficed as a public marriage ceremony among slaves in the 1840s and 1850s as they were usually not permitted to marry legally. This practice is still used in some African American communities.

Since the subject of this poem dies, the “arrival” could be the arrival through death to Heaven after having gone through an extreme challenge grounded in racism. Throughout the poem, several different challenges that African Americans have faced are recalled, such as needing to create a symbolic covenant of marriage, escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad, and lynchings.

The possible subject of this poem,Emmett Till, was lynched at the age of 14 in 1955 for supposedly sexually harassing a married white woman. Till became a symbol for the Civil Rights Movement following his death. The white woman who accused Till admitted years later that she fabricated the story.

This could allude to the fact that very little people speak about minor (and sometimes even major) oil spills and other kinds of pollution, and therefore, language (speaking about these events) is constricted by a metaphorical ceiling.

(noun): an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime. (noun: archaic definition): dread, terror.

This could refer to two things, or both at once. The first option is that the speaker has literally been on a boat while the water was filled with oil and became seasick. The second option is that seeing all of the oil and damage to the Gulf made the speaker feel sick, thus referencing a “boat-tossed face.”

Miracle spread is an alternative fatty spread (similar to butter) consistent of different oils popular in Australia. This adds on to the “breadbrown slice of careless nature,” as miracle spread is used on bread or toast as a butter substitute. It also adds to the satirical, eco-critical tone of the poem in which the oil spill is metaphorically visualized through several food references. The beaches are “awaiting” the arrival of the oil from the spill. It is referenced as a “gift” sarcastically.

(verb): to become unwoven, untwisted, or unwound.

Veracity, or truth, “rises” to the “surface” just as the marine wildlife such as sea turtles and fish will rise to the surface of the water after being killed by the contamination of the oil spill.

(noun): conformity with truth or fact. “Veracity” may indicate that the prior “theory” of the oil spill is no longer valid as there will one day be concrete evidence of pollution, as oil will eventually wash up on the shore of the coasts.

Included satirically, because sea turtles are killed and/or harmed by the effects of oil spills’ contamination.

“Housed in theory” may allude to the lack of knowledge or care for the small, everyday oil spills. Only large oil spills like 2010’s BP (Deepwater Horizon) Oil Spill are televised and announced. Many people also believe that global warming and pollution are not a huge danger for the Earth, so “housed in theory” could be satirically calling out those people who are skeptical.

Sea turtles are included in the Gulf of Mexico’s most endangered and threatened species. Sea turtles are among the most impacted species each time an oil spill occurs.

Butter or butter-like substances consist of various oils. This reference to butter may aid the reader in visualizing what this oil might look or feel like. It also assists in completing the image of churning butter as a metaphor for the oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

Jerry Ward Jr. was born in Washington, D.C. in 1943 and then moved to Mississippi six years later. He grew up largely on the Gulf Coast.

A churn is a machine or container in which butter (a thick substance) is made by agitating and breaking apart fatty molecules. This is a tiring process when completed by hand because of the vigorous effort required to churn thick substances. This image of churning the water allows the reader to recognize how much oil must have been in the water and its effect on the water’s consistency.

“Beautiful indifference” represents the purity of fish. They “ignore” the oil that is going to cause their deaths because they are unaware of its existence and its harmful effects. They, unlike humans, are unable to prevent damaging occurrences such as oil spills from happening.

There have been numerous oil spills that have affected the Gulf of Mexico as well as the Mississippi River. As there are no oil spills named specifically, Jerry Ward Jr. may be referring to the constant toxification of the Gulf by runoff and small leaks that occur continuously and go largely unnoticed. He may be trying to raise awareness about the small yet still significant destruction of nature that people are unconscious of or apathetic towards.

Phoenixes are mythological birds that cyclically regenerate or are otherwise resurrected/born again. A phoenix obtains its new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. The phoenix imagery of rebirth/resurrection after death brings to mind the death and resurrection of Jesus. This line may suggest that Till is included as a martyr, and/or a Christ-like figure such as those who have died before Till because of an unjust cause such as racism towards African Americans. Those who have been "martyred" before him for the sake of equality honor his death and the legend he will leave behind him.

This vivid imagery alludes to lynching. Emmett Till was beaten, mutilated, shot in the head, and then thrown into the river with a cotton gin fan tied around his neck with barbed wire.

Unlike the mythological phoenix, Till and other murdered African Americans cannot be reborn, and thus, they do not leave ashes. However, the following two lines suggest that while the physical people cannot be resurrected, their deaths have produced an honorable legend that will live on forever.

Among some African American and African cultures, the owl is seen as a figure of death, bad luck, or illness. This applied to even seeing or hearing an owl.

The life and death of the poem’s subject acts as a ‘social critique’ towards the manner in which African Americans have been treated.

(noun): an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime. (noun: archaic definition): dread, terror.

“Star” may be alluding to the slave folklore that says that the North Star was crucially important in helping slaves escape to the north. Additionally, “trail” may also allude to the Underground Railroad, through which abolitionist and former slave Harriet Tubman led slaves to freedom.

In a traditional African American folktale, a boy is confused by every story he reads, in which the lion, the king of the jungle, is always defeated by the man. The boy’s father explains to him that the lion will always be conquered until he can tell his own story.

The practice of jumping over a broomstick sufficed as a public marriage ceremony among slaves in the 1840s and 1850s as they were usually not permitted to marry legally. This practice is still used in some African American communities.

(verb): to become unwoven, untwisted, or unwound.

Since the subject of this poem dies, the “arrival” could be the arrival through death to Heaven after having gone through an extreme challenge grounded in racism. Throughout the poem, several different challenges that African Americans have faced are recalled, such as needing to create a symbolic covenant of marriage, escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad, and lynchings.

The possible subject of this poem,Emmett Till, was lynched at the age of 14 in 1955 for supposedly sexually harassing a married white woman. Till became a symbol for the Civil Rights Movement following his death. The white woman who accused Till admitted years later that she fabricated the story.

(noun): conformity with truth or fact. “Veracity” may indicate that the prior “theory” of the oil spill is no longer valid as there will one day be concrete evidence of pollution, as oil will eventually wash up on the shore of the coasts.

This could allude to the fact that very little people speak about minor (and sometimes even major) oil spills and other kinds of pollution, and therefore, language (speaking about these events) is constricted by a metaphorical ceiling.

This could refer to two things, or both at once. The first option is that the speaker has literally been on a boat while the water was filled with oil and became seasick. The second option is that seeing all of the oil and damage to the Gulf made the speaker feel sick, thus referencing a “boat-tossed face.”

Included satirically, because sea turtles are killed and/or harmed by the effects of oil spills’ contamination.

Miracle spread is an alternative fatty spread (similar to butter) consistent of different oils popular in Australia. This adds on to the “breadbrown slice of careless nature,” as miracle spread is used on bread or toast as a butter substitute. It also adds to the satirical, eco-critical tone of the poem in which the oil spill is metaphorically visualized through several food references. The beaches are “awaiting” the arrival of the oil from the spill. It is referenced as a “gift” sarcastically.

Veracity, or truth, “rises” to the “surface” just as the marine wildlife such as sea turtles and fish will rise to the surface of the water after being killed by the contamination of the oil spill.

“Housed in theory” may allude to the lack of knowledge or care for the small, everyday oil spills. Only large oil spills like 2010’s BP (Deepwater Horizon) Oil Spill are televised and announced. Many people also believe that global warming and pollution are not a huge danger for the Earth, so “housed in theory” could be satirically calling out those people who are skeptical.

There have been numerous oil spills that have affected the Gulf of Mexico as well as the Mississippi River. As there are no oil spills named specifically, Jerry Ward Jr. may be referring to the constant toxification of the Gulf by runoff and small leaks that occur continuously and go largely unnoticed. He may be trying to raise awareness about the small yet still significant destruction of nature that people are unconscious of or apathetic towards.

Sea turtles are included in the Gulf of Mexico’s most endangered and threatened species. Sea turtles are among the most impacted species each time an oil spill occurs.

“Beautiful indifference” represents the purity of fish. They “ignore” the oil that is going to cause their deaths because they are unaware of its existence and its harmful effects. They, unlike humans, are unable to prevent damaging occurrences such as oil spills from happening.

A churn is a machine or container in which butter (a thick substance) is made by agitating and breaking apart fatty molecules. This is a tiring process when completed by hand because of the vigorous effort required to churn thick substances. This image of churning the water allows the reader to recognize how much oil must have been in the water and its effect on the water’s consistency.

Butter or butter-like substances consist of various oils. This reference to butter may aid the reader in visualizing what this oil might look or feel like. It also assists in completing the image of churning butter as a metaphor for the oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

Jerry Ward Jr. was born in Washington, D.C. in 1943 and then moved to Mississippi six years later. He grew up largely on the Gulf Coast.

The readers of this poem could also read these lines like "He really really truly truly deeply deeply loved" which could indicate some sort of sarcasm because of the spacing.

flash out [for a light] means to shine out of something suddenly. In this poem it could mean these boys out shine people and they look cool or fly.

Harmonized means to sing or play different musical notes that sound pleasing together. Yearning is a feeling of intense longing or desire for something. In the poem they all felt and sang about strong longing for something (the night)

Present could be a double entendre, meaning the present time and a gift to America is black men and how they are elevating their status.

"you" could possibly be the speakers partner or its a collective "you" of ignorant and unaware people.

L'Argent is the metal sliver

The speaker of the poem might be from a poor area so there is no money to be found there, nor will there ever be. There is only money far away and it’ll be almost impossible to get it.

The "You" is ignorant because she/he thinks that they don't have to work for what they want.

The speaker might be saying money don't grow on trees because its not easy to get money, you have to work for it.

Dagwood is a character in a cartoon made in 1933. Dagwood loved his wife Blondie and in all the comic strips every time they saw each other or did something for each other they would kiss. So when the speaker says love isn’t Dagwood kisses he is possibly saying love it isn’t rainbows, butterflies and 24/7 kisses.

Love is going to work which could mean love between some people is how much money they make or need to make to be happy. (love is money)

Usury is a illegal action of leading money at unreasonably and unethical high rates of interest. Usury of affection could mean people buy their affection with gifts because that is what a partner wants. It could also mean fake emotions of love.

Possibly the present in which the author published this poem.

Lamenting is to express one's deep grief or disappointment over something considered not fair.

This could mean that time is a circle and everything people have done or will do they will do over and over again.

The use of the spacing could indicate again that the speaker of the poem is being sarcastic about how things were better back in the day.

In the beginning of the poem and also back in the day boys called each other "Man" and in the present they are calling each other "Dog". This could mean that the speaker of the poem had this group of friends back in the day and now there are kids just like them but calling each other different words.

In the sense of music, bellowed means to sing a song loudly and tunelessly and possibly with anger. Anthem is a musical composition of celebration and is used as a symbol for a distinct group. Putting these two words together could mean a song sung with passion by a certain group of people, maybe African Americans that are sad of what the world is.

Sullen is a bad tempered or depressed mood. Posturings is a behavior that is intended to impress or mislead. Referring to the concept of this poem Sullen posturing could mean people are adopting a depressed attitude to mislead the news/media.

Harmonized means to sing or play different musical notes that sound pleasing together. Yearning is a feeling of intense longing or desire for something. In the poem they all felt and sang about strong longing for something (the night)

flash out [for a light] means to shine out of something suddenly. In this poem it could mean these boys out shine people and they look cool or fly.

Florsheim is a shoe brand in the US founded in 1892. They are known for their shiny tuxedo shoes.

Gait is a persons manner of walking."dancing gait" represents how they proudly walked or danced with style

Stacy Adams is a brand of menswear including suits, sleepwear, shoes, etc. that was founded in 1875 in Massachusetts. They are known for their dress shoes.

Present could be a double entendre, meaning the present time and a gift to America is black men and how they are elevating their status.

L'Argent is the metal sliver

The speaker of the poem might be from a poor area so there is no money to be found there, nor will there ever be. There is only money far away and it’ll be almost impossible to get it.

The "You" is ignorant because she/he thinks that they don't have to work for what they want.

"you" could possibly be the speakers partner or its a collective "you" of ignorant and unaware people.

The speaker might be saying money don't grow on trees because its not easy to get money, you have to work for it.

Usury is a illegal action of leading money at unreasonably and unethical high rates of interest. Usury of affection could mean people buy their affection with gifts because that is what a partner wants. It could also mean fake emotions of love.

Dagwood is a character in a cartoon made in 1933. Dagwood loved his wife Blondie and in all the comic strips every time they saw each other or did something for each other they would kiss. So when the speaker says love isn’t Dagwood kisses he is possibly saying love it isn’t rainbows, butterflies and 24/7 kisses.

Lamenting is to express one's deep grief or disappointment over something considered not fair.

Possibly the present in which the author published this poem.

Love is going to work which could mean love between some people is how much money they make or need to make to be happy. (love is money)

In the beginning of the poem and also back in the day boys called each other "Man" and in the present they are calling each other "Dog". This could mean that the speaker of the poem had this group of friends back in the day and now there are kids just like them but calling each other different words.

This could mean that time is a circle and everything people have done or will do they will do over and over again.

In the sense of music, bellowed means to sing a song loudly and tunelessly and possibly with anger. Anthem is a musical composition of celebration and is used as a symbol for a distinct group. Putting these two words together could mean a song sung with passion by a certain group of people, maybe African Americans that are sad of what the world is.

The use of the spacing could indicate again that the speaker of the poem is being sarcastic about how things were better back in the day.

The readers of this poem could also read these lines like "He really really truly truly deeply deeply loved" which could indicate some sort of sarcasm because of the spacing.

Sullen is a bad tempered or depressed mood. Posturings is a behavior that is intended to impress or mislead. Referring to the concept of this poem Sullen posturing could mean people are adopting a depressed attitude to mislead the news/media.

Originally Donald Luther Lee, Haki Madhubuti changed his name after visiting Africa in 1974. Swahili-derived names, Haki means "justice" and Madhubuti means "precise, accurate, and dependable."

Haki Madhubuti's lack of capitalization, extensive use of enjambment, and rap-like run-on delivery in this poem are evidence of his rule-breaking of the traditional poetic mechanics and technique.

Here, Madhubuti points to the economic disparities between the predominantly African American communities told to "wait" and the generally white, affluent communities or "non-waiters."

The use of the phrase "universal art" may be a dig at a common critique of the Black Arts Movement that its resulting art was not 'universal enough.'

Throughout the poem, Madhubuti emphasizes the monotony and inaction of "waiting" by repeating the word or a form of it some 80 times. He also plays with vernacular by moving in and out of it throughout the poem. For example, he drops and adds the "g" to create "waitin" and "waiting."

Madhubuti expands the "waiting" of African American communities into world issues of the time period in order to demonstrate the inefficacy of "waiting." For instance, in the early 1990s, Sudan experienced a harsh famine, and across the late 20th century industrial air-pollutants released across the globe were causing environmentally detrimental acidic Ph levels in rainfall.

The Johnny Carson Show ran from 1955 to 1956. Later, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ran from 1962 to 1992. Beloved by many, the late night talk show and its host were central to American television sets across the country. Carson's work is one of the most culturally influential shows of the century.

The Black Arts Movement in particular was a stage for the influx and experimentation with various Eastern philosophies; many of the movement's central figures, such as Amiri Baraka, were outspoken Marxists, Communists, and Socialists.

Madhubuti comments on the general plight of low-income communities, particularly Black communities, and how that "waiting" has always been the case and never the solution.

Here Madhubuti aligns the politics of the White House– located on Pennsylvania Avenue– with the politics of the white apartheid government of South Africa. Apartheid, or racial segregation sanctioned by the South African government, was practiced by the country from the late 1940's until the early 1990's, making the commingling of whites and Blacks effectively illegal.

Here, Madhubuti may be referencing the crack cocaine epidemic that ravaged American communities, particularly African American communities, between the 1980s and 1990s.

As in many of his poems, Madhubuti spells "afrikans" with a K in order to decolonize the English word used to describe the continent of his heritage.

Booker T. Washington's (1856-1915) "The Atlanta Compromise" may be one of the early forms of "waiting" Madhubuti has in mind in this poem. In the compromise, Washington proposed an eventual assimilation of African Americans into society post-emancipation; African Americans would take on the basic, blue collar jobs of society under a white government, with the condition that education and equal rights were guaranteed for future generations of African Americans.

Madhubuti refers to one of the first instances of "waiting" as the enslavement of African Americans for over 200 years.

Madhubuti begins his poem by listing different ways one can be told to "wait." This inclusion may be intended to serve as a sort of warning for readers, so that they can recognize when they are being pushed into complacency.

Madhubuti's title, "The Great Wait," refers to the recurring suggestion given by white and Black conservatives over the course of centuries of African American oppression and disenfranchisement, that African Americans must wait for their freedom.

Madhubuti founded Third World Press in 1967, dedicated to the publication of African American literature of cultural significance. It is one of the longest-running and largest Black-owned presses in the country. In 1967, Madhubuti also wrote Think Black, and later, his acclaimed full-length collection of poetry, Don't Scream, Cry, in 1969.

The Nation of Islam, an African American religious and political movement that came about in tandem with the Black Arts Movement and Black Nationalism, supported vegetarianism as one of the most virtuous ways to sustain the body.

Similar to the "k" in Afrika, Haki Madhubuti's name change is a type of reclamation. Often, the English names of African Americans are hold-overs from the era of slavery in early American history; to rename oneself is a way of reestablishing a connection Afrikan heritage, showing pride in this connection, and reaffirming the self.

Haki Madhubuti served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1963.

Considered the "second renaissance" after the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement was an explosion of Black culture, literature, and Black-owned creative institutions and businesses in the 1960's and 70's. Madhubuti was central to this movement.

Despite its innovations, the Black Arts Movement also experienced what was described as a 'liberal backlash' from predominantly white institutions and former allies because of the movement's association with Black separatism and radical Marxism.

By spelling "Afrika" with a K, Madhubuti specifically acknowledges that "Africa" is the continent's anglicized and colonized given name. The reclaimed K in "Afrika" is for Afrikans, and makes the poem's space an Afrikan one.

Richard Wright (1908-1960) was an African American author, short story writer and Black communist from Natchez, Mississippi. One of his most famous works, Native Son (1940), focusses on the struggles of a African-American youth from Chicago's South Side.

George Jackson (1941-1971) was an incarcerated political activist, author, and cofounder of the Black Guerrilla Family, which was based in Maoist and Marxist thought. In 1970, Jackson wrote Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson. He was shot and killed from a guard tower after attempting an armed prison escape in 1971.

A psychiatrist and political activist from the island of Martinique, Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) was a revolutionary author whose work focussed on post-colonialism, decolonization, and Marxism. Fanon's book, The Wretched of the Earth (1961) was often referred to as the bible of the Black Power Movement.

A central figure in the Black Power movement, Malcolm X (1925-1965) was both controversial and influential for his outspoken Black Nationalism and work in the civil rights era. He was assassinated in 1965.

Madhubuti's decision to become a writer and the ensuing mental separation from his family and peers seems to be mirrored by the physical separation of his incarcerated brother.

In these lines, Madhubuti may be gesturing to a larger point about how his breaking the familial norm by becoming a writer and engaging with Afrikan roots has created a paradox in his early life; while bringing Madhubuti closer to an idea of self and sense of Blackness, it also drives a wedge between him and his family.

Haki Madhubuti's lack of capitalization, extensive use of enjambment, and rap-like run-on delivery in this poem are evidence of his rule-breaking of the traditional poetic mechanics and technique.

Originally Donald Luther Lee, Haki Madhubuti changed his name after visiting Africa in 1974. Swahili-derived names, Haki means "justice" and Madhubuti means "precise, accurate, and dependable."

The title of Madhubuti's poem may be a wink to the 1962 film, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, in which an unhinged former child star neglects and tries to hide her paralyzed sister in a series of efforts to regain fame.

Madhubuti's use of the colloquialism "strange weather" may point to his family and peer's misunderstanding of him as well as the incoming cultural impact of the Black Arts Movement on the horizon.

Miles Davis (1926-1991), an American jazz trumpeter, was one of the most influential sounds and figures in American music at large. Jazz music and its relatives were also a primary influencer in the literature of the Black Arts Movement.

Immediately Lane introduces readers to a world of movement and livelihood.

Girl at the Window is also the name of Lane’s 1991 poetry collection.

A casual stance, perhaps to show our subject as being a passive observer in the world being described.

Our speaker appears to be using their imagination to escape the confines of this room and return to the inspiring world of the first two stanzas.

This line seems to be referring to the poem as a halo surrounding the earth, elevating the natural world to a holy status.

In the version from The Black Scholar vol. 9, no. 3, this line is changed to say "of no light." This seems to be the most drastic change to the ending, as the alternate line paints a far bleaker final image.

This line shows that the poem has spread all the way to the speaker, overwhelming their mind.

In a version published in The Black Scholar vol. 9, no. 3, “Midnight Song” has a somewhat different ending starting after this line with a separate stanza. This alternate ending is as follows:

"This is a blue room poem/ caught up in a web/ of no light/ The leaves weave/ a ring of gold/ painting the earth"

The poem is now taking on the characteristics of the natural world, growing and spreading all over.

This is perhaps a reference to the title, the actual “Midnight Song” being that of the crickets.

These lines suggest that the blue-room poem is “Midnight Song” itself, being written by our speaker/Lane.

This line could be referring to the pale door of the blue room itself, or the pearly gates to heaven the speaker sees after "dying" each night.

The curtain here seems to be not only blocking out the natural light from the window, but creating the illusion of cage-like bars with stripes. This interpretation would further establish how trapped the speaker feels.

The speaker here seems to dramatize the feeling of being stuck while writing their poetry in the blue room, as they compare it to dying every night.

The first mention of this “blue room," a setting whose plainness contrasts greatly with the lively world Lane has described in previous stanzas.

This stanza continues to show the ways in which poetry can enhance one’s imaginative perspective. It seems as though this stanza is trying to say that even an ordinary plane ride can feel magical with the creative power of poetry.

Lane here seems to be establishing a sense of freedom within the vastness of nature.

Flotsam refers to debris or rubbish floating in water.

Our only description of the girl at the window. This indentation draws attention to “her” ownership of the poem in this moment of reflection.

We finish with the same color we started with, a blue, showing Lane's appreciation for the natural world. This also references a moment Lane talks about in “‘Pulling in the Natural Environment’: An Interview with Pinkie Gordon Lane” by John Lowe, in which her son asked her for binoculars in order to see the equator.

Capital of Kenya.

Lane leaves the “they” ambiguous here, perhaps a reference to other people in general or the creatures that have been mentioned in this poem.

In The Black Scholar, vol. 10, no. ¾, the words “streaks” and “outline” are changed to “streaking” and “outlining” suggesting a more active scene.

Lane tells John Lowe in "‘Pulling in the Natural Environment’: An Interview with Pinkie Gordon Lane." that this is a reference to the lions she saw on a safari with her son in Africa.

Attention to color starts with the mention of blue skies and will continue throughout the rest of the poem. This seems to be Lane expressing her appreciation for the variety of colors in Africa, subverting the stereotype of Africa as the "dark continent" devoid of prosperity.

A casual stance, perhaps to show our subject as being a passive observer in the world being described.

Immediately Lane introduces readers to a world of movement and livelihood.

Girl at the Window is also the name of Lane’s 1991 poetry collection.

In this poem, even the seasons are in motion, fighting one another.

“She” could be referring to Lane herself or the woman pictured in African garb that Lane says inspired this poem in John Lowe's "‘Pulling in the Natural Environment’: An Interview with Pinkie Gordon Lane."

Ellis’ father was a large man who was very into physical feeling rather than emotional feeling. He was very into sports and was not a fan of art and poetry. Living in a tough neighborhood, everything was about survival which Ellis’ father emphasized to him when growing up. (https://teachersandwritersmagazine.org/loud-and-open-on-the-page-interview-with-thomas-sayers-ellis/)

In an interview by the Teachers and Writers Magazine, Ellis described how he had the nickname of ‘Sticks’ growing up because he was so skinny. Ellis grew up in an inner city neighborhood in Washington D.C. ‘Sayers’ is also a nickname he was given growing up. Gale Sayers was a running back for the Chicago Bears who was the “most poetic runner in the history of pro football” (https://teachersandwritersmagazine.org/loud-and-open-on-the-page-interview-with-thomas-sayers-ellis/)

Bud Powell has an album called "Tell It to the Rain" and a song "September in the Rain".

Bessie Smith was a wildly successful American blues singer in the 1920s and 30s. Smith was known as the "Empress of Blues."

"Twelve string" is a reference to the guitar, and probably to Lead Belly as before. Together with the blues, this is most likely referring to the old blues of the Mississippi Delta, which were derived from African spirituals.

Dizzy Gillespie was another major figure in the develpoment of bebop. In 1952, Parker and Gillespie released an album called "Bird and Diz."

A chain gang is a group of convicts chained together while working outside the prison. In the early 1900s, news of the wretched conditions of convict laborers began to be publicized, and the violence and corruption of the system began to turn public opinion against convict leasing. Though many citizens and politicians wanted to abolish convict leasing, the problem of the expense and difficulty of housing convicts remained. Chain gangs developed as a popular solution to that problem.

This could be a reference to Powell's arrest for marijuana possessionin 1951.

A hook is a boxing term for a punch thrown with one's arm at a 90 degree angle, usually aimed at the jaw. This is a play on words, since "hook" is also a music term for a part of the song that "catches the ear" of the listener.

There is am important connection here between the musicians and boxing. On September 23, 1952, a jazz concert at Massey Hall in Toronto featured Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Bud Powell, bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach. Each of the performers was a towering figure of jazz's first century, and this was the only time that they ever played together. However, their concert was held at the same time as the World Heavyweight boxing match between Rocky Marciano and Jersey Joe Walcott, which resulted in the attendance of the concert being so small that the venue could not afford to pay the musicians.

Lead Belly, or Huddie William Ledbetter, was an American folk and blues singer, known for his use of the twelve-string guitar in the early 19th century. Lead Belly is often credited with setting the standards for modern American folk music. The blues is a music form known for taking the painful and making it beautiful, which is what this poem is doing.

This is referring to prominent bebop musician Charlie "Bird" Parker.

This is for jazz pianist Bud Powell, who was a leading figure in the development of modern jazz, or bebop.

The poem moves back and forth between music/beauty and violence.

Throughout the poem, the tone of the refrain shifts from the romantic nostalgia of the original lyric to the tragedy and racial trauma of Bessie's death.

Smith was known for being outspoken.

Martha's vineyard was a popular vacation destination for middle class Black families during this time, especially the area Oak Bluffs.

"Stacked deck" is possibly alluding to the unfair circumstances for Black people in the South during the 1930s in relation to opportunities for whites.

Probably a reference to the song "I'm a Little Blackbird Looking for a Bluebird" by Louis Armstrong. Smith recorded with Armstrong during her career. Also, the blackbird holds a racial connotation.

Here, there is a stark contrast between this voice and the voice of the poem—the voice of the poem eulogizes Bessie as a music hero, this one both writes her off and kills her off using this racial slur.

The refrain of the poem is an allusion to the first four lines of the song "My Last Affair" sung by Billie Holiday:

Can't you see What love and romance have done to me I'm not the same as I used to be This is my last affair

Holiday recorded the song with Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra in 1936, the year before Smith's death. Smith and Holiday were two of the most famous blues singers in the 1920s and 30s.

"Last Affair" is a reference to Smith's death.

Smith died at age 43.

This holds a double meaning, referring to both the medical bands taping up Smith's bleeding arm and the fact that her career was during a time when large jazz bands were composed of white musicians.

Smith weighed about 200lbs, which was one reason that those present at the accident decided it would be too difficult to transfer her to the car of a passerby who was willing to drive her to get care.

Bessie Smith was a wildly successful American blues singer in the 1920s and 30s. Smith was known as the "Empress of Blues."

A chain gang is a group of convicts chained together while working outside the prison. In the early 1900s, news of the wretched conditions of convict laborers began to be publicized, and the violence and corruption of the system began to turn public opinion against convict leasing. Though many citizens and politicians wanted to abolish convict leasing, the problem of the expense and difficulty of housing convicts remained. Chain gangs developed as a popular solution to that problem.

Dizzy Gillespie was another major figure in the develpoment of bebop. In 1952, Parker and Gillespie released an album called "Bird and Diz."

Bud Powell has an album called "Tell It to the Rain" and a song "September in the Rain".

"Twelve string" is a reference to the guitar, and probably to Lead Belly as before. Together with the blues, this is most likely referring to the old blues of the Mississippi Delta, which were derived from African spirituals.

Lead Belly, or Huddie William Ledbetter, was an American folk and blues singer, known for his use of the twelve-string guitar in the early 19th century. Lead Belly is often credited with setting the standards for modern American folk music. The blues is a music form known for taking the painful and making it beautiful, which is what this poem is doing.

Smith was known for being outspoken.

A hook is a boxing term for a punch thrown with one's arm at a 90 degree angle, usually aimed at the jaw. This is a play on words, since "hook" is also a music term for a part of the song that "catches the ear" of the listener.

There is am important connection here between the musicians and boxing. On September 23, 1952, a jazz concert at Massey Hall in Toronto featured Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Bud Powell, bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach. Each of the performers was a towering figure of jazz's first century, and this was the only time that they ever played together. However, their concert was held at the same time as the World Heavyweight boxing match between Rocky Marciano and Jersey Joe Walcott, which resulted in the attendance of the concert being so small that the venue could not afford to pay the musicians.

This could be a reference to Powell's arrest for marijuana possessionin 1951.

"Stacked deck" is possibly alluding to the unfair circumstances for Black people in the South during the 1930s in relation to opportunities for whites.

This is referring to prominent bebop musician Charlie "Bird" Parker.

This is for jazz pianist Bud Powell, who was a leading figure in the development of modern jazz, or bebop.

The poem moves back and forth between music/beauty and violence.

Throughout the poem, the tone of the refrain shifts from the romantic nostalgia of the original lyric to the tragedy and racial trauma of Bessie's death.

Probably a reference to the song "I'm a Little Blackbird Looking for a Bluebird" by Louis Armstrong. Smith recorded with Armstrong during her career. Also, the blackbird holds a racial connotation.

Martha's vineyard was a popular vacation destination for middle class Black families during this time, especially the area Oak Bluffs.

The refrain of the poem is an allusion to the first four lines of the song "My Last Affair" sung by Billie Holiday:

Can't you see What love and romance have done to me I'm not the same as I used to be This is my last affair

Holiday recorded the song with Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra in 1936, the year before Smith's death. Smith and Holiday were two of the most famous blues singers in the 1920s and 30s.

"Last Affair" is a reference to Smith's death.

Smith died at age 43.

Smith weighed about 200lbs, which was one reason that those present at the accident decided it would be too difficult to transfer her to the car of a passerby who was willing to drive her to get care.

Here, there is a stark contrast between this voice and the voice of the poem—the voice of the poem eulogizes Bessie as a music hero, this one both writes her off and kills her off using this racial slur.

This holds a double meaning, referring to both the medical bands taping up Smith's bleeding arm and the fact that her career was during a time when large jazz bands were composed of white musicians.

In reference to the automobile accident that led to the death of Bessie Smith. Her arm was torn from her body and she was bleeding profusely, but could not receive proper medical treatment in time due to the fact that the closest hospital to the accident would not accept African American patients.