An’ turned into a cracker, Wid a sheriff’s star.
historically, there have always been tension between Black americans and the police. the police have a history of unjustly arresting Black people, giving them longer sentences for the same crimes as white people, and even killing them under the smallest suspicions. this has led to a generational distrust of police in the Black community. in this passage, brown is equating the devil to a white man with a sheriff's badge.
Sicked on by white devils In overhalls
when slim went to hell, he encountered all of the "white devils" who were likely responsible for slavery. this is one of the great ironies about the use of slave labor. many of these white slave owners were god-fearing men, and they believed that they had a clear path to heaven. the entire time, though, they were abusing "god's children," which is clearly a sin by the law of the bible.
Keep a-inchin’ along Lak a po’ inch worm. . . .
to keep inching along like an inch worm is an unusual way to describe the "young, strong" men that are written about in this poem. however, sterling brown implies that it is a result of the way that slavery systemically broke people down from the inside. all these men could do is take it one inch at a time because they have been stripped of their strength.
I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’ And put ma troubles on the shelf.”
despite feeling isolated as a result of racism, the speaker in this passage recognizes that he has to mask his pain. this is a major issue that still plagues america today. Black people are expected to remain silent when it comes to the issues that they face, otherwise they are depicted as violent and aggressive. racial stereotypes have forced Black people to bottle up their problems.
They’ll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed
hughes is predicting a future in america where Blackness is recognized for its beauty. while this is partially true, there are obviously still many issues in this country when it comes to race and equality. generally speaking, though, the greatness of Black people and Black art is finally being acknowledged.
I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
assuming that the lines which follow this one are about the history of Black people across the planet, i believe that this line is noting their historical hardships. the united states is not the only place where Black people have been mistreated. still, as this line states, that "muddy bosom" still managed to become golden. despite the historic hardships, Black people have managed to overcome it all.
Instead there will perhaps be more aping of things white than in a less cultured or less wealthy home.
hughes equates richness to whiteness. the richer a Black person is, the more likely they are to "act white." perhaps it is this assimilation into whiteness which allows them to accumulate wealth in the first place. hughes argues that these people will never be able to understand their own beauty.
He is a chief steward at a large white club. The mother sometimes does fancy sewing or supervises parties for the rich families of the town.
hughes is implying that the young poet's upbringing is likely the reason why he does not want to associate with his Blackness. his family is not professionally involved in the Black community, and this distance might have created a mental barrier between the young poet and his racial identity.
And I doubted then that, with his desire to run away spiritually from his race, this boy would ever be a great poet.
hughes poses an important question: can a poet truly be great if they are unwilling to accept who they are? it is possible that the work of a poet unwilling to accept their identity would never reach the authenticity of a poet who embraces themselves. one question i have is what else would prevent a poet who does not embrace their identity from being great?
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten, And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX67uWOlbgs
this passage reminds me of the song "good will hunting" by black country, new road in both delivery and content. both paint an idyllic image of life, but in "good will hunting," it is all just a figment of the narrator's imagination. similarly, it seems like this passage of the waste land is just a reflection of the past - something that has happened, but is now out of reach. both the poem and the song are reflecting upon moments that are outside of the present.
while the song and the poem share this in common, their respective reflections come from different places. in the poem, there is a sense of skepticism when revisiting this moment, especially within the context of the entire poem. the song is innocently daydreaming, while the poem is remembering a time where love, nature and human connection were something of importance. there is a sense of pain in the fact that moments like these are becoming impossible to reach.
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats, And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief, And the dry stone no sound of water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOO1mWLGhh8
the imagery in this passage immediately reminded me of the music video for denzel curry's song "walkin." it is set in a dry, hot, barren land which i feel like perfectly matches the description of a waste land. there are only fragments of a previous civilization, an unrelenting sun and burning sand.
specifically, the phrase "a heap of broken images" plays into the idea that there are pieces of a civilization buried in the waste land.
i believe that the song's portrayal of the waste land is a metaphor for a cultureless future. i would argue that our society is already moving toward being nothing more than fragments of what we used to know. artificial intelligence is starting to replace human art and labor. eventually, it is possible that every aspect of human culture will be replicated with advanced technology.
while eliot's poem does not share the same imagery, i believe that it shares the same sense of distress for the progression of society. both the poem and the song create the sense that our world is moving in a direction where the things we love now will inevitably become distant, barely recognizable relics.
Unreal City, Under the brown fog of a winter dawn, A crowd flowed over London Bridge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3AUU-VM4Io
The imagery of this passage reminded me of the song and music video for King Krule's "Biscuit Town." Also set in London, the song paints the image of a cold, foggy, desolate, lonely place. There is a sense that London is a bustling city, but perhaps it is that same busyness which leaves some people feeling isolated. The imagery of fog is often used to create a sense of isolation - when you cannot see what is around you, it feels as if you're the only person in the world.
Humming does as Humming does as humming is.
i get a similar feeling in this line as i do in the above line "foolish is foolish is." by saying "humming does as humming does," it feels like the author/narrator is saying that things are the way that they are, and sometimes there are no hidden meanings involved
How old is he.
i find it interesting that every line ends with the same punctuation, even when it is improper. for example, you would expect this line to end with a question mark. it creates a sense of evenness throughout the poem despite how fragmented it is.
A firm terrible a firm terrible hindering, a firm hindering have a ray nor pin nor.
it seems as if the author/narrator is developing a thought throughout this line - every time "a firm terrible" is repeated, something new is added to it. it's like the author/narrator is figuring out what to say in the heat of the moment.
In the mountains, there you feel free.
The scenery of a vast, snow-covered mountain range evokes a sense of endless freedom.
Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled, And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.
The image described in this passage is one that is often identified with one of mourning - sighs and eyes toward the ground.
“That corpse you planted last year in your garden, “Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year?
Even in death, there is a chance for new life to be created.
they grew used to him, and so, at last, took him for their friend and adviser.
this conclusion works as a societal satire. we often conflate close proximity with friendship, as seen in this passage. however, just because you are familiar with somebody, that is not automatic grounds for a friendship.
so sweet and so cold
sweet and cold, while potentially accurate descriptions of a plum, seem to juxtapose each other in this usage. the act of taking something that does not belong to you out of selfishness could also be described as "cold."
from Monday to Saturday
perhaps a reference to religion, specifically christianity. in the christian faith, church happens on sunday. the "bathed in filth" could be referring to sin, and sunday is the only day of the week where they are cleansed from that sin
The coarse defeats the twice-refined, Is food for thought, but not despair:
to have "armor" is more important than being refined. i believe the poet is saying that it's important to have tough skin (metaphorically), because somebody who has not had that experience is more vulnerable.
Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;
love is not a necessity like food, water, or sleep. despite this, people still treat it like it is the most important thing in their lives.
What brought the kindred spider to that height, Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
perhaps the poet is using the spider catching a moth as a way to question fate or destiny. what brought together all of these factors which led to the death of the moth? there are so many working parts and they all have to go exactly according to plan
And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.
repetition emphasizes the endlessness of the woods, and the directionless of the journey (which the horse acknowledges in the stanza above)
Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.
the narrator recognizes that they have to make a decision. while the two paths present endlessly different opportunities, you cannot stand between them and ponder what might be forever. you have to decide which path you are going to take and continue down it.
Tiering the same dull webs of discontent, Clipping the same sad alnage of the years.
ultimately, kings and poets reach the same conclusions, no matter how they decide to approach it. their conclusions ultimately relate to the discontent of human existence and the process of aging.
Mr. Flood
what does the repetition of Mr. Flood's name in this poem do for the narrative? what does it establish about his character?
The strange and unrememberable light That is in dreams
a vision of the aforementioned past, perhaps the history of this place which was once a vibrant, lively village
Spoon River
Spoon River is mentioned in both this poem and the last one - what is the connection?
“What is the use of knowing the evil in the world?”
The narrator is introducing a question that is answered at the end of the poem. Essentially, without understanding the evils of the world, it becomes harder to understand what "good" is supposed to look like
What is this I hear of sorrow and weariness, Anger, discontent and drooping hopes?
The feelings listed in this passage are typical responses to the experience of death; however, the narrator recognizes that they lived a long, fulfilling life, and they do not want their family to hold these negative feelings about their passing
before him, at least, and that makes me very tired
in what situations is the narrator not able to control themselves? because of this, how trustworthy is the narrator?
There was some legal trouble, I believe, something about the heirs and coheirs; anyhow, the place has been empty for years.
focuses on the minor positive details of the house while brushing over a potential major negative, the narrator seems to be somebody who picks and chooses how to view a situation
So I will let it alone and talk about the house
using material possession as a way to cope with sickness, perhaps it distracts the narrator from the reality she faces as a (potentially) mentally ill person
while sociologists gleefully count his bastards and his prostitutes, the very soul of the toiling, sweating black man is darkened by the shadow of a vast despair.
historically, white americans have done everything in their power to discredit black americans. this creates prejudice, an unjustified disdain for blackness which perpetuates racism through several layers of society
yet the swarthy spectre sits in its accustomed seat at the Nation’s feast
individuals will dedicate themselves to a single objective, thinking that it is the ultimate end goal, before realizing that it was just a roadblock leading down a path of other issues
In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost.
in america, there is an idea that creating a "melting pot" of cultures is beneficial to the greater population; however, this strips an individual of their cultural ties, lessening their sense of self
one would have paid largely for a photograph of the fat little historian, on the background of Notre Dame of Amiens, trying to persuade his readers–perhaps himself–that he was darting a contemptuous look on the stately monument, for which he felt in fact the respect which every man of his vast study and active mind always feels before objects worthy of it;
the importance of language - people can interpret something the same way, but the way it is conveyed can ultimately shift the impact
He required no incense; he was no egoist; his simplicity of thought was excessive; he could not imitate, or give any form but his own to the creations of his hand. No one felt more strongly than he the strength of other men, but the idea that they could affect him never stirred an image in his mind.
what is the significance of inspiration? is it an unavoidable force? where is the line between inspiration and copying?
while the mere sequence of time was artificial, and the sequence of thought was chaos, he turned at last to the sequence of force
in this context, sequence = history. time and thought are abstract concepts, force is physical. the only one that can be completely proven. is it worth trying to prove the existence of something which cannot bear physical results/evidence?
They Lion grow.
I find it interesting that the repeated line of "They Lion grow" is the only part of the poem in which common grammar principles are being dismissed. Does it give the line a specific importance?
industrial barns
oxymoron? barns are typically associated with rural + pastoral settings, whereas the word "industrial" evokes imagery of busy cities and technology
acids of rage
this description of rage paints it as something that is strong enough to dissolve, perhaps dissolving an individual's happiness