"Datta, Dayadhvam, Damyata"

Respectively translates to give, compassion and control. Each word starting with "da". "Da" also translates from German to "there". The "da" can be the sound of the thunder, bringing a possibility of rain. The poem ends with this on a positive note, with the possibility of rain to come.

"damyata" means control in Hindu.

"dayadhvam" means compassion in Hindu

"Datta" means give in Hindu

Jane, Emily, Henry, Rose, etc. Who are these people? And why does Stein include them in this extremely confusing poem? I can't seem to make sense of it.

Here I got the picture of many celebrities who rise to fame but eventually fall from their pedestals. Take Jennifer Lawrence for example. During "The Hunger Games" she suddenly shot to fame and her 'like-able' personality made many fall in love with her. It wasn't long after that so many people started to grow annoyed with that same exact trait of hers. This has happened with so many celebrities, and will just continue to happen.

I feel that these two lines are really relatable, especially in regards to Hollywood and all the superficiality surrounding it right now. It seems like it's all just a continuous, vicious cycle.

This part really resonates with me as I do have a hard time believing in myself and I'm constantly seeking approval and validation from others. I think that overall Hughes has good intentions and that he doesn't want people to be held back by the opinions and judgements of others. They don't matter. What matters is that you are happy with yourself and what you do.

While I understand where Hughes is coming from and how he wants the young poet to embrace Black culture and individuality, I don't think it is entirely necessary for him to continuously put down the works of those who are not of color. However, I do see how this emphasizes what Hughes is trying to stress to not only the aspiring young poet, but those like him as well. I think it is perfectly fine to like "white, respectable, ordinary books and papers" while at the same time liking works done by people of color. I think there should definitely be a balance of both and not having to shut out one or the other.

This reminds me of something that was brought up in my ENG460 class yesterday, which was the comparison of John White's watercolors of the Algonquian to the engravings of Theodor De Bry. The engravings of De Bry took inspiration from White's watercolors, but he did take some liberties to tweak his engravings in a way that would fit the white idealization more. De Bry's engraving gives off a Renaissance like feel, while White's watercolor is probably closer to what the people depicted in the pieces looked like. I attached the images down below. Top: John White Bottom: Theodor De Bry

I tried to look up with a "Nezar" was but couldn't come up with anything. What exactly is a "nezar"?

first time we see "Emily" used in the poem besides the title

"Cousin tip nicely." grouped together in the first line but broken apart in the next two lines. Why?

A question is proposed here but it ends in a period. Many sentences that should end in question marks end with a period. What is the reasoning for this?

Are these numbers supposed to be ages?

I read this slowly at first and then saw that someone said it sounded suggestive when read quickly and now I can see why they said so.

How old is who? Who exactly is he? Is it "philip philip"? Do they mean the name Philip? Is that who "he" is referring to?

The lines in these last two stanzas seem to reflect on the description of "isolate flecks". I feel a sense of isolation between these four lines which are shorter in comparison to "It is only in isolate flecks that" and "and adjust, no one to drive the car". It is as if they are somehow trapped, or isolated, from everything else.

The description of the plums and their deliciousness can't help but make me sympathize with the speaker and understand why they committed their act of theft. The way the speaker describes the plums as being "delicious" and "so sweet" gives it a sensuous feeling. We are always tempted by things that we cannot have.

The temptation to eat those plums must have been so hard to resist. I can definitely relate as I know I've done things which shouldn't have been done and immediately regretted it after. For the speaker to admit their fault kind of gives us an insight into their personality. Thieves normally don't acknowledge their actions and will keep doing them until they are caught, which means this might have been the speaker's first time stealing and they were so compelled by the guilt that they had to come forward. I felt that this was reminiscent to the story of Adam and Eve, where, like the speaker, they only realized their mistake after they committed the sin.

I feel that these two lines are simply stating that love is not a necessity. It is not something that keeps us alive. Like these two lines state, love isn't what helps us breathe or cleanses our blood. I find this interesting because while love isn't necessarily needed for us to live, it is still something that some people are so intent on finding.

I feel like this sentence can definitely apply to modern society today. Especially in regards to the current state of affairs of the Government. Some people only know the shallow bits of information regarding what's going on in the world but they don't delve further into it. It's like having the news on as background noise while preparing for work or school in the morning, you kind of get a sense of what's happening, but you aren't truly paying attention because your focus may be elsewhere. I feel he is saying that "the true American" is superficial in what they know. They may know the headliner of what's going on in the news but don't really know the rest of the story.

What exactly does he mean by saying "The true American?"

As I did some research on the background of this poem, and that Levine wrote it as a reaction to the riots and urban rebellion in 1960s Detroit, I feel that "They" refers to the poor, working class and "Lion" refers to their mental state. I first though "They" and "Lion" were two separate beings, but after reading over the poem a few more times, I find that they may be one in the same. "They" are the poor, working class in Industrialized America, and "Lion" can refer to their mental state and desires. That desire being the growing will to fight against their oppressors.