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.

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.

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)

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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"

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

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

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.

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

Flotsam refers to debris or rubbish floating in water.

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.

Capital of Kenya.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

“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."

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Smith was known for being outspoken.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Smith died at age 43.

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.

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.

Whereas Trujillo is referred to as "El General" in the first part of the poem, he is referred to as "the general" in the second part of the poem. This reinforces the sense that the two parts of the poem represent different ethnic or global perspectives.

"Their" is most likely referring to the spectators of the show, as mentioned in line 4.

The Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin is Europe's largest university clinic, affiliated with Humboldt University and Freie University Berlin.

Allusion to the painting.

Hardenbergstrasse is a street in the center of Berlin.

Sour herring, or Surströmming, was a common German dish at the time.

Rasha, the woman from Madagascar, has a boa constrictor around her neck in the freak show to further the appearance of her "freakishness".

In her intro to the poem at the 1994 conference, Dove explains that the inspiration for this poem is a painting by 1920s German painter Christian Schad. The painting is a portrait of a Black woman from Madagascar and a white man with a physical deformity in which he appeared to have wings under his body. The two appeared in a freak show together in Berlin in 1929; the woman being in the show simply because it was so unusual to see a Black person in Germany at the time, having no physical peculiarities. This poem is ekphrastic, or based on art.

From the Tate Museum of Art: "Agosta, the Pigeon-Chested Man, and Rasha, the Black Dove (1929) is a large portrait-oriented oil painting that features a white man (Agosta) on a decorative high-backed chair that is reminiscent of a throne. He is naked aside from a black and white robe that is swathed around his lower half, and he turns slightly to his right in an upright position that emphasises his unusually prominent ribcage. The man has a confident, almost arrogant expression, and stares down towards the viewer. Positioned in front of him at his feet is a black woman, Rasha, visible from the chest upwards, who wears a red and white halter-neck top. She is shown frontally and gazes impassively at the viewer."

Elizabeth Alexander wrote a similar poem entitled "The Venus Hottentot" that parallels the theme of looking at historical figures with a modern perspective.

Madagascar is an island republic in the Indian Ocean, off the East coast of Africa.

There is a double meaning here. They are killed "for a single, beautiful word," referring both to their mispronunciation of the word and to the memory of his mother that the word evokes.

The point of view changes here, now the poem is from the perspective of the artist Christian Schad.

Here it is confirmed that his mother is dead. There is a shift from the thousands dead described in the first part of the poem to the singular death of El General's mother.

Reference to parsley.

Dehumanization of Haitians; calling enslaved people "parrots" or "apes" was common way of dehumanizing them and justifying slavery; here same logic is being applied to migrant workers.

The "knot of screams" seems to be the grief/anger/sadness that he experiences that is alleviated by killing people.

Translation of Spanish from previous stanza.

“my mother, my love in death” in Spanish, except without the R’s, as the Haitians would have pronounced it

The form of part 2 is free verse. There is also a point of view change here. Part 2 is from the point of view of El General.

El General's mother, who is discussed more in part two, was of Haitian descent. This alludes to the fact that El General connected the killing of the Haitians with somehow defending or covering up his mother's heritage.

Same knot referred to in previous stanza.

Could be a reference to wealth and/or the fact that he is a four-star general.

This seems to be a play on words, as it refers not only to a walking cane but to the sugar cane referenced in the first part of the poem

spanish word for "parsley"

Allusion to dying

This could be the name of El General's mother. As scholar Therese Steffen and Hubert Fichte note, the "l" in Katalina is also significant because it highlights the failure of even the Spanish to say their Rs: "since the days of the Conquistadores the master language Spanish itself would replace an "R" with an "L" and produce "Katalina" for "Katharina"" (english.illinois.edu).

El General refers to the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo who famously ordered the execution`of tens of thousands of Black Haitians in October of 1937. During the massacre, he used the word parsley, or perejil, as a shibboleth to distinguish native speakers from Haitians.

These Haitians were killed for not being able to pronounce the letter R in “Parsley”, because it gave away their Haitian heritage. Here, "we" is referring to the Haitians, so the speakers of the first section of the poem are murdered people.

Sugarcane is grown in lush tropical climates and was the major crop of slave plantations in the colonial Caribbean.

The form of part 1 is an unrhyming villanelle, a nineteen-line poem consisting of five tercets followed by a quatrain. There are two refrains, with the first and third line of the first tercet repeated alternately until the last stanza, which includes both repeated lines.

The speakers are migrant Afro-Haitian cane field workers.

In his introduction, Jackson ends by saying, "You come to understand that yeah, your neighborhood is kinda absurd, but people like Steve are family," implying that Steve's community of believers are those living in the North Philadelphia neighborhood where he grew up.

These words are all colloquial indicators for the word "crazy." "Touched" can also be used to indicate that somebody has been blessed or "touched by God."

Jackson references religious imagery in the poem, comparing Steve to a preacher earlier, in order to imply that the community where he lives understands him.

Jackson is from North Philadelphia and mentions streets and stores from the area.

"Can you see him?" indicates a shift in tone as Jackson asks the reader to take the imagery of Steve from above and visualize him in the car instead of as the car.

Through his use of religious imagery, Jackson implies that Steve has a following of believers within his community.

In introducing "Some Kind of Crazy," Jackson explains that "there was this guy named Steve who used to walk around like he was driving a car" - the imagery used in the poem is designed to compare Steve's actions to that of someone driving a car - specifically a 1985 Corvette.

In the published version of the poem, mentions of cars are written in capital letters.

Jackson is comparing the movements that Steve makes to that of a car. In his movements, his feet become the wheels.

Jackson mentions the concept of Theatre of the Absurd when introducing this poem at the 1994 Conference, indicating that the poem is written from a distanced perspective, looking down on the actions of the people described.

Jesus Christ is commonly referred to as the lamb from John 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world"

Also a reference to Christ because he is the lion and the lamb, but this particular line says "lioness" which is a girl lion, thus elevating the status of Phillis Wheatley to the divine.

Refers to all her ancestors

This could be referring to John Wheatley thinking he was doing good by helping her writing career, but blind to the fact that by doing so, he was still exploiting her and limiting her.

Metaphor, that could mean her black identity was too strong to be covered up by trying to write like a white person as the Wheatley family, white publishers, and white readers would want.

Although "bright dark" is an intentional oxymoron, the speaker is most likely referring to intellectually bright because early on, Susanna Wheatley (John's wife, whom she was a servant for) noticed her intellect.

She is explaining isn't that mad that she was being used because anything was better than being just a body on a boat.

The experience of being of on a slave ship in the Middle Passage is often referenced as death in literature because it was so treacherous.

(noun) -the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly

Mascot could refer to the fact that, "The Wheatley family would often flaunt Phillis' skills in front of company," showing her off for her literary talents. The Wheatley family is who sponsored all of Phillis's poetry publications.

(noun) -sternness or severity of manner or attitude

Phillis Wheatley was sold to a man in Boston and lived there the rest of her life.

She is using this illusion of the waves being tribal drums to find motivation, strength, and reason to keep fighting. The slash in-between "Sur" and "Vive" represents the break in syllable, each one representing a beat on the drum/a pound on the shipside.

In many West African cultures, wood sculptures would be made of the tribe's ancestors to be remembered and worshipped.

The sound of the waves hitting the ship remind her of the beat in tribal songs she heard growing up

This is probably referring to when the ship had finished its stops on the African coast and made its venture across the Pacific Ocean.

Conditions on a slave ship were horrific, often including seclusion in a confined room and being shackled to a wall.

Phillis Wheatley was brought to Boston, Massachusetts, on a slave ship in 1761, this is the venture being described throughout the first part of the poem.

The conditions often included no bathrooms, spread of disease, and myriad of sicknesses.

Phillis Wheatley was born and raised for the first 8 years of her life in Senegal/Gambia in West Africa

(noun) a narrow opening or crack, typically one that admits light.

Metaphor meaning sun rays reflecting off of the wet rocks; an intentional focus on the beauty of this setting shows Wheatley's fondness in regard to the proximity to her home.

Direct reference to famous 18th century poet, Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)

Not the stereotypical american description for women; reveals a strength in black women that is discussed further, later on in the poem and the physical labor that African women are more subjected to then American women.

This could allude to the use of a wrap to allow mothers to be hand-free while carrying their babies on their bodies.

In her autobiography, "Pilgrim Journey" Madgett describes her mother: "After Mama was finished in the kitchen, she brought whichever visitor was there that night upstairs where she mended something..." referring to her mom being willing help anyone emotionally in need (possibly battling mental health) and physically in need (something they own is torn), by housing them for the night and mending their clothing.

Shortened version of "Chilled." Possible reasoning of this grammar choice: To conjure the use of "Black Vernacular" further suggesting that Wheatley is the speaker because it was in common use during her lifetime and not likely of Madgett to use it herself.

Reveals this poem's setting takes place in Wheatley's adulthood because the last time Wheatley would have seen her mom is when she was 8 years old, before she was taken into slavery.

*We understand Wheatley herself is the poet by later lines

"Light" is a preface to Madgett's extended metaphor of sunlight and darkness to represent the roles of men and women.

Reference to dark-skin individuals; black queens is also a reference to the "shadows" living not for glory or attention (like the sun), but in the background, humbly.

Present tense verbiage shows we have now passed the shift that was anticipated by the earlier use of the past tense.

"Claim" suggests self-identification that opposes the intake of perception that was alluded to in people calling her "Prete" at the beginning.

Beginning and ending the poem with addressing her Mother explicitly, it is clear that she is the main intended audience.

Final use of sun analogy that reiterates the notion that women are the mastermind behind and maintainers of the men's success, as is the case in her Mother and Father's situation.

The shift that's been anticipated the whole poem has arrived. "Now" suggests a change in attitude; she didn't, "claim her place with honor" before

In Christian doctrine "the enemy" is another way to refer to the Devil, or Satan (The fallen angel, known source of all evil).

Referencing to the first stanza's sun-verses-shadow analogy, Madgett depicts her mother as wind to reveal her belief that her father was so great only because her mother made him great.

This clause reveals her intentions for raising her hand, thus showing her actions are hinged to her father's recognition and high-perception of her, not to righteousness itself.

Associated with the previously mentioned, "depression-weary clothes", "sagging spirit", and "quiet elegance," "sober ways" most likely refers to her mother's solemn and humble attitude. Further exemplifying Madgett's desire for recognition.*

*See "Seeking his favor"

Europe’s first super highway; it was ancient Rome’s most important military and economic artery. It is commonly depicted in art due to its fame and beauty.

Reference to discrimination and racism that Madgett experienced in grade school

(noun) a short ceremonial tune or flourish played on brass instruments, typically to introduce something or someone important.

"Give us our daily bread" is a quote from The Lord's Prayer, commonly recited in Christian churches. Because she is referring to her mother, she elevates her mother's status to that of the divine in the ultimate form of praise.

(noun) -food and drink regarded as a source of strength; nourishment. OR the maintaining of someone or something in life or existence.

Switch of pronouns from "he" to "you" reveal a shift to speaker addressing "Mother" again.

(noun) -a raised platform or lectern in a church or chapel from which the preacher delivers a sermon

Madgett's father, Clarence Marcellus Long, was a Baptist Minister, thus making sense of her opening apology to her mother: perhaps for liking her Father more.

Idolatry is a sin frequently discussed in Christian Doctrine. Madgett knew this word's connotation and uses it paired with the past tense tone to foreshadow her change in perspective.

Sources https://www.naomilongmadgett.com/biography https://www.biography.com/writer/phillis-wheatley https://www.nps.gov/boaf/winter-newsletter-2015-phillis-wheatleys-journey.htm

Past tense verbiage ("didn't, wasn't, hid, was, etc.) indicates that the speaker feels differently now, building anticipation for a perspective-altering change to be described

Final biblical reference; In John 8:24 Jesus states: "For unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins" revealing Wheatley's apparent bold, confident, and unapologetic view of herself

(noun) -to insult (someone) by treating or speaking of them without proper respect or attention.

This is a shift in the poem, showing the distinct difference between her life in Africa and her life in America

The grandmother plays an important role in the African American family and evidently is an important figure in the speaker's family. This could suggest that despite how often the cousins leave, they always come back to where they came from.

Here, the poem expands from the focus of his family to members of the African American community. He makes the shift clear through this allusion to the slave trade.

Young plays with the auditory imagery through taking the sound of "cuz" and "buzzes," playing off the title "Cousins," and comparing it to the sound wasps make.

"Buz" connects to "cuz" through assonance. The blood refers to blood relation (as in cousins). "Blood" also refers to bloodlines and the importance of ancestral relations in the African American community.

Popular seafood in Louisiana.

The speaker no longer addresses his cousins in third person, but directs the poem's address to Jamie, but then shifts to address other cousins in third person once again in the following line.

"Cuz" is slang for the word "cousin." Cousin can refer to extended biological family, but also as a term of endearment. This might suggest "cuz" is used to refer to the kinship or connection between African Americans because of a shared history.

Compare these lines of Jamie's grief to Nikki's childlike sympathy.

This line compares Keith's death to his artwork. This demonstrates a talented, artistic boy who "hanged" himself like his paintings that were hung by his grandmother. They are not mere drawings but he "masterpieced" them, which eulogizes him through the elevated diction.

His grandmother still keeps the paintings of her dead grandchild. This demonstrates the longing and grief that remains with the family after Keith's death.

Indiana Jones's fictional "hero" status and impossibility for death is contrasted to reality and the suicide of his cousin Keith.

Kevin Young grew up in Kansas, but his parents both grew up in rural Louisiana, which was segregated at the time.

Biblical reference to Jesus being born in a manger, who's birth is celebrated at Christmas. Here, the secular image of childhood becomes holy through the simile.

This evokes child-like grammar to characterize Nikki and the innocence of her kindness and compassion.

The poem starts with a cousin learning to ride a bike but progresses in seriousness through aging and the inevitable loss of innocence, as they go from learning to ride a bike, to flirting with girls, and, finally, to suicide.

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.

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.

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.

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

“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.

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.

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.