Not to say that this poem is bad, but I find it to be the 1920s equivalent of virtue signaling. Williams has the rather patronizing view of his maid Elsie and talks about the moral decline of America and its poor but he was one of the very few people during this time who was privileged enough to even have a maid. Perhaps I'm interpreting this poem wrong but I found it hard to get through because of that.

I think this is why the Harlem Renaissance was such a milestone. Obviously black writers and artists have always existed in American history but the Harlem Renaissance was the first prominent movement of black artists and writers in American history.

If only. These racial stereotypes were prominent up until the 1950s. As recently as last year, the syrup brand Aunt Jemima decided to change its name and image because it acknowledge that it played off the "mammy" stereotype. In hindsight, I think Locke was a bit too optimistic here.

I really like this statement. I feel like people who been through extreme trauma (being a slave and/or growing up in an extremely racist and oppressive society definitely qualifies) have little concept of themselves as individuals because their brains have been in survival mode their entire life. Imagine an entire generation or two exactly with this mindset. It's terrifying to think about. I think Locke is pointing out that this might be the first generation to really have the privilege to analyze their place in society, hence the "New Negro" movement.

I find this interesting that Hughes pointed this out as early as 1926. I feel like in recent times, criticism has risen on how pop culture portrays black couples. Whether real or fiction, people are quick to point out that these heterosexuals couples often have the man have a dark or medium skin tone but the woman is often much lighter. Overall, I find it interesting that Hughes pointed out colorism and how it specifically affects women, even if he doesn't go into great detail.

This is an interesting line because Hughes in fact challenges this notion in his poem "I, Too, Sing, America." The whole point of that poem is that being American doesn't necessarily equal whiteness.

This line reminds me a bit of the phrase "Not like other girls" (which I heard a lot growing up and was even guilty of myself saying at times). It's possible that the poet in question thought he was being progressive and forward thinking by not letting his race define him, but Hughes points out that he's actually rejecting his blackness, whether he realizes it or not.

I noticed that there is a theme of perseverance and not giving up throughout Brown's work. Brown doesn't sugar coat the horrors of the slavery and how African Americans came to this country. Yet this line sticks out. The people in his work still find reasons to keep going. It's similar in Ma Rainey where despite their tough lives, these people still come out to listen and enjoy the music.

I came across a possible explanation on why was blues so popular in the early 20th century. Wasn't life depressing enough during this time? It was explained that despite this, many people, particularly African Americans, related to the contents and lyrics of the music. Also, since blues lyrics were about personal woes and troubles, It also gave people the courage to face whatever life threw at them, instead of retrieving into a fantasy world.

I read an analysis on Sterling Brown and his work and it was pointed out that unlike the Harlem Renaissance writers of his time, Brown chose to focus his work on rural, Southern Blacks. I wonder if there is some works that explore the class dynamics between the black people who lived in Harlem and the rural Black Southerners who most likely had less opportunities to improve their lives. I think Sterling was trying to point out that Ma Rainey appeals to the "average" Black audience.

It's interesting to note that a man that Ginsberg only knew briefly was the primary inspiration for his most well known work.

While writing the second part of the poem, Ginsberg said he was inspired by the silent movie Metropolis, which came out in 1927(during the height of the German Expressionism movement) and was directed by Fritz Lang. Like Howl, Metropolis incorporates Moloch from the Bible into its narrative as well. In the beginning of the movie, the main character comes across a giant machine that workers are surrounding. He then hallucinates the machine as Moloch and that the workers are being sacrificed to it. Also like Howl, Metropolis was pretty critical of capitalism and the exploitation of the fellow worker, which is why it was also met with controversy when it first came out.

I find this line to be very interesting because looking back, the 50s were all about keeping a pristine image and confirming to societal expectations. This was partly because the U.S (and other western nations to a lesser was trying to do the exact opposite of what the U.S.S.R was doing. Since the U.S.S.R stood for communism and atheism, the U.S pushed for traditional values and even more of a prominence of Christianity in American society. Anything that was "unpleasant" was immediately shunned. And yet Ginsberg challenges that notion within the first line of this poem. He not afraid to show the faults of America or it's ugliness. He casually brings up sex and drug use. What's most interesting to me is that he doesn't demonize the drug users and other degenerates but instead states that they were once brilliant minds who were destroyed by madness. Doing that, especially in 1956, must of been quite controversial. I'm not surprised that this poem received such a backlash when it was first published.

The narrator is obviously a pregnant woman who doesn't want to give birth to her child because she is well aware the racism and discrimination they will experience from the moment they are born to the moment that they will die. Although I wouldn't know from personal experience, it is often said that becoming a parent heightens your empathy and paternal/maternal instincts towards your child. Any good parent would do anything for their child. Even sacrifice their own lives. But here, the pregnant narrator loves her unborn child so much that she wishes that it will not be born so it won't go through the pain she went through herself. They say that life is the greatest thing you can give to someone, but here, it's the absolutely the worst thing.

I also think the narrator envies this man because despite his eccentrics and the people mocking him, he is truly happy and doesn't care what others think of him. Which is rare in the society that they live in. The narrator notes that "over there," he would've been respected instead of mocked. But here in America, he's just another "crazy" person. This highlights that what might be proud and noble in African cultures (or various foreign cultures) is just mocked in America, even by African Americans themselves. Ironically, the man is probably the only person in the poem who isn't "bottled." He still manages to be a free spirit and happy despite the oppressive society that he lives in.

Although Johnson is speaking negatively of the person who went to the Sahara desert to get sand, I think this line indicates some portion of jealously and feeling trapped in your life. Were are often told how lucky we have it in America (and to an extent, we do) but poverty and discrimination obviously still exist. Especially during this time period (before the Civil Rights movement and right around the time the Great Depression started). I have a feeling that a lot of people then and even now, who are often dissatisfied with their lives, often dream of far away places that seem exotic to them in order to escape them. Like the Sahara desert. The fact that this poem is called "Bottled" even alludes to the fact that the narrator of this poem feels trapped in her life, unable to escape.

This line is creepy and I like how it doesn't shy away from the horrors of war. I feel like WWI was rather glorified early on and no one spoke of the true horrors of it until books like All Quiet on the Western Front and Johnny Got His Gun were published and showed (albeit fictional) cases of young men having their lives utterly destroyed due to fighting in the war. This poem was published in 1918, the year WWI ended, and Dunbar-Nelson is already pointing out that war is horrifying to these soldiers.

Here, she's talking about dreams that she cannot achieve because of her race and gender. But I like this line because it does a good job at portraying the mind while doing menial tasks over and over again. Without going into too much detail, I've recently had a job that was very repetitive with little to no social interaction. While it was fine at first, I was soon left alone with my thoughts while I did my tasks without thinking. Soon enough, bad, personal thoughts entered my brain and it was impossible to escape them. I couldn't listen to music or podcasts to stimulate my brain so I had to endure it. It wasn't a good feeling and I think many people can relate to being trapped in your head while doing the the same boring tasks over and over.

While I genuinely don't think Dunbar-Nelson was trying to imply that sewing was a useless task, I can understand why she might feel that way while doing it. It's hard to deny that sewing is way less theatrical than warfare. And while soldiers are celebrated for their service, no one pays any attention to the women who contribute (at least during this time period). So it's understandable why Dunbar-Nelson might feel resentful.

I think the imagery of Ancient Egypt that often appears in Harlem Renaissance literature is supposed to be a mirror to how white American society saw Ancient Greece. The foundation of American society, from the style of government to the architecture even was inspired by Ancient Greece. It's obvious that the founding fathers (and plenty of Europeans before and after them) looked up to Ancient Greece as a shining example of an early civilization, and Greece is located in Europe. Whereas Egypt is located in Africa and is another famous example of powerful early civilization. I think writers like Bennett and Langston Hughes often referenced Egypt like how European and white American writers and scholars would reference Ancient Greece. Except Egypt was "theirs" because it was in Africa. It was a example of their own greatness.

There are a lot of ways to interpret this line but I think the "sealed" adjective refers to the fact that because of racism and discrimination, black people in America were never allowed to reach their full potential. Here, she compares the experience to a can of ginger that has never been opened, therefore has never been tasted. It overall hasn't been used and just sits on the self collecting dust. A few lines later, she talks about breaking the "seal" (which is used to keep cans closed) "of years" as a metaphor to finally end centuries of discrimination and to let black people reach their potential for the first time.

I really like these stanzas. Not only is Bennett advocating for racial equality here, but she is also advocating for individualism and acknowledging that not everyone who belongs in a certain demographic has the same experiences and opinions. But she also acknowledges that every experience, despite where it comes from, is valid. Bennett is overall preaching for acceptance and community and rejects dividedness.

I feel like Blues, oddly enough, captures the perfect mood of the black experience in America up to this point. Blues, also being a product of African American culture, is known for being rather somber in tone and its lyrics often capture the troubles caused by being Black during this time. I believe Hughes was aware of this connection, which is why he wrote the poem. Hughes also notes that Blues is generally pleasant to listen to but that doesn't make it any less depressing.

This poem is all about challenging the notion that being proud of being an American is only for white people. Hughes feels like he isn't allowed to be patriotic by society but he secretly rejects that notion and predicts that one day, this idea will eventually change.

I think this particular line alludes to the main theme of the poem, which is that Black people have always been there throughout the most important events in history but unfortunately, history is written by the winners and they whitewash it (pun partially intended) so that Black people seem like they make overall no contribution to history.

Although this passage is specifically referring about sex, I read an analysis that could also referring to drinking and alcoholism. The writer of the analysis suggested that this poem is proof that Williams saw excessive drinking as another trait of degeneracy in American culture along with careless sex and being obsessed with wealth. This poem was published 3 years after prohibition, in which the U.S banned all consumption and production of alcohol. In the decades leading up to this decision, alcoholism was rampant in American society and because of this, many saw alcohol as an obvious evil that needed to be eradicated. In John Sloan's McSorley's Bar (which was included in Gallery M) shows drinking to be apart of common life at the point it was painted (which was 1912), although it definitely omits the darker side this lifestyle may bring.

The beginning line reminds me of the case of the Somerton Man, in which an unidentified man was found dead on the Somerton Park beach (which is in Australia) in 1948. To this day, his identity and the whereabouts of his death are still unknown. Because of this, I found this line to be eerily appropriate to his situation. No one mourned him except the sea because no one else knew who he was and he was found dead near the sea. Interestingly enough, this poem was written 14 years before the incident. CW: PICTURE OF CORPSE BELOW ![https://imgur.com/a/644OBe0]

I really like these lines. In my earlier annotation, I pointed out that Millay is stating that love is useless in the grand scheme of things and questions why we obsess over it so much. But here, she kind of answers her own question. We obsess over love because we strive you human connection and acceptance. And to give and receive it gives us an euphoria that at times seems greater than our most basic needs.

I feel like Millay is simply pointing out one of life's greatest mysteries. Love doesn't really satisfying our greatest and most basic needs and yet we often risk so much to obtain it, sometimes even destroying our lives or contributing to our deaths. There's also some irony that a poet who's most well known for writing love sonnets is saying that love is rather useless in the practical sense.

While looking up this poem on Wikipedia, it was noted that this poem had been used in numerous eulogies including JFK and certain prime ministers of Canada and India. I wonder if "sleep" can be interpreted as "death" and those who enter "sleep" can stop working and finally rest.

I read somewhere that this poem took inspiration from a walk that Robert Frost and his friend and fellow poet Edward Thomas once took. The two men came across a road that branched out into two roads, with each leading a different path. While writing this poem, Frost would correspond with Thomas and even sent him a copy of the poem when he was finished. It's been suggested that this poem might of inspired Thomas to enlist in WW1, in which he was later killed in action. Perhaps this poem represents the seemingly harmless choices we are given when faced with a decision that can leave to death or other life changing consequences. Much like the Butterfly Effect.

This kind of reminds me of that one line in T.S Elliot's "The Wasteland" that states that "April is the cruelest month." Particularly since April is in spring. Although Frost's line doesn't indicate as much despair and suffering. Spring is often represented as the season of rebirth and growth, so perhaps this lines implies a want for change and to question the pointless rituals we do.

I always associated this song with the New Year. In fact, in TV and movies, they often play this song right after the clock strikes 12 and the New Year has officially begun. The song is somber in regards to remembering the past but it's still seen as hopeful. These particular scenes are often jovial or at least show people being happy and celebrating. However, this poem lacks any sort of joy that is often associated with Auld Lang Syne. So it's an interesting contrast.

I wonder if Robinson's choice of the adjective "sublime" is a nod to early 19th century British romanticism. It often refers to an "extraordinary feeling or experience" and its concept in the literary world was further developed by Lord Byron and Charlotte Bronte. I'm not sure if Robinson qualifies as a modernist poet, so I'm not sure if it's an ironic reference or not.

I like to think that this is a reference to classic, conventional poetry. Snow and roses are typically associated with beauty and poetry before the 20th century was supposed to be conventionally "pretty" with a lot of rules. The modern era of poetry (and art in general) was all about experimentation and the rejection of classic poetry. Poetry didn't have to be attractive and follow the rules anymore.

Even though the narrator is slowly losing her mind and independence, this line implies that she still has some form of it left and she doesn't fully trust her husband and his family. Throughout the text. she claims that her husband knows what's best for her and that she lacks the confidence to think for herself, but occasionally, we get glimpses of an independent spirit she still possesses and actually knows her husband is gaslighting her.

Throughout the text, John infantilizes his wife but this is the most obvious example. He's literally treating her like a child here. From carrying her to bed to reading to her until she falls asleep. It's what a parent does to their child, not what a husband does to his wife.

I find it interesting that her own brother takes her husband's side instead of hers. It implies that her brother is more likely to trust another man over his own family and therefore, family ties are rather useless and do nothing to protect women.

I think what Dubois is alluding here is that rarely does an African American feel truly American, even though they should. American society only sees Americans as white and excludes anyone who isn't. Which not only an identity crisis for African Americans but also they see a rejection from the society they grew up in.

There is a bit of a theme of optimism throughout this essay and this sentence is an example. Despite the racism and the hardships Dubois has faced throughout his life because of the color of his skin, he is still shown to to believe in the American Dream and what the greatness of America can accomplish. It becomes tragic when you take in the fact that by the end of his life, The U.S and Dubois both rejected each other, and thus Dubois renounced his U.S citizenship and spent the rest of his days in Ghana.

This line implies that Dubois never had the urge to reject his blackness and instead always embraced it, which I find interesting. I imagine that it would be very hard to embrace who you are back then, especially since Dubois himself was born right after slavery. It certain takes a lot of mental strength to be proud of yourself even when society tells you otherwise, particularly at a young age.

This is a reference to how Christianity was a dominant force in Medieval France (or Medieval Europe in general) but technology has taken over Christianity in late Nineteenth/early 20th America in terms of being the cornerstone of life. "The woman" once again refers to the Virgin Mary and how she was worshipped for being the mother of Christ. But in modern America, she (according to Adams) is practically unknown because Christianity is unknown. Technology has replaced it and the fact that America is losing its sense of spirituality is concerning to Adams.

"The Woman" refers to the Virgin Mary, who was an very important figure in Christianity in Adam's view. She gave birth to Jesus, who is the son of God and the savior in Christianity. Throughout the essay, Adams compares her to the "dynamo" which is pretty much a generator. Both the dynamo and Mary are small in the grand schemes of things (at least regarding Mary, her role is) but have a large impact. The dynamo is responsible for the advancement of technology while Mary is responsible for Jesus (by giving birth to him).

This is the first time here Adams makes the connection between technology and religion (Christianity to be exact). Adams argues that the advancement of technology in the turn of the century has replaced Christianity is terms of "force" (basically, what gives life meaning and purpose). Adams wonders if this is a good or bad thing throughout the poem but overall acknowledges that times are changing. .

This could possibly be a reference to the future. The next generation might inherit these problems (racism, inequality, etc.) but the option to not repeat history is there. There is hope that things could get better although it's certainly not guaranteed.

This poem is mostly bleak but I find this line to be oddly inspiring. Despite their bad conditions, the Black population of Detroit still managed to rise above and make sure their voices were still heard. Lions in general are often represented in fiction and symbolized as brave and noble creatures, so this comparison is accurate.

Given that Detroit is known as the "motor city," this imagery is appropriate. It once was home to the auto industry in the United State, particularly from the turn of to the mid 20th century. However, a lot of these workers were African Americans or immigrants who lived in very poor conditions despite the moguls at the top being wealthy. This "oil stained earth" not only refers to cars, but also how this city and its poor conditions are their entire world with little to no hope of ever leaving.

This line is interesting. It refers to Levine himself and how he viewed his role in the Detroit Race Riots of 1967. He views himself as "part of the problem." Even if Levine was never directly complicit in their suffering, it was most likely easy for him to turn a blind eye to them before hand due to his white privilege. Here, he is acknowledging it and showing some regret for his past actions.