This madness seems to stem from the inability to freely express themselves within a dominant culture that has essentially destroyed this generation. It has left them physically and mentally poor. They search for other "fixes" to fill the hole that has been left by the dominant culture and the authority which runs it. Their stance on politics, art, and life, in general, has left them as targets for the oppressors to destroy. Ginsberg makes it clear that this has been extremely taxing on them by constantly mentioning the life they lead.

The term "best minds" of his generation does not seem to be referring to the stereotypical vision of lawyers, doctors, or scientists, etc. Ginsberg directly opposes the need to conform that plagues society into believing that there is only one perspective. That is the point though, isn't it? They are the "best minds" because they have not conformed to society's ideals.

This seems to be another nod to conformity and rebellion. Throughout the poem, it is evident that because the "best minds" blatantly opposed the authority or society's norms, they were treated as outcasts left to rot away.

Might this title be referring to the idea that the Black community has been confined and forced to hide who they are by society? In past stories and poems, we have read about the "whitewashing" of the Black community, in particular the middle class. I get the feeling that being bottled is like being oppressed because you are not free to be yourself.

Here the narrator is coming to terms with the notion that although she would like to have a child, she is not ready to bring a child into this cruel world. Her stance stems from her experiences as a a part of the Black community who face constant racism and cruelty. She would like to spare this unborn child from a life full of injustice and pain. The narrator shows a glimmer of hope by stating "Until I come to you". This poem is rather glum in my opinion as it gives insight to what a Black woman might actually fear for her children. A mother's first instinct will always be to protect her children, but something like this should not be something a person should have to fear. This reinforces the deep roots of racism within the Black community and the degree to which is has impacted our society.

I feel as though this poem was meant for a female lover and no one else. The passion that radiates from each line is evident. It would be understandable if this was meant for only one set of eyes given the time period. Since this poem was written in her notebook/diary, I feel as though she knew her generation was not ready for this beautiful creation. The inclusion of elemenatl forces is particularly striking throughout the poem.

Gwendolyn Bennett begins by touching on African culture in terms of things like music, dance, and traditions. Traditional songs that are an important aspect of African culture are highlighted. However, Bennett then moves onto something more serious like the correlation between song and slavery. Slaves often used music as a means to fight the oppression they faced. It was a way to express themselves and allow a part of themselves to be heard and felt. It seems like as long as music is a part of life/culture the "praying slave" can endure anything. This is reminiscent of the Harlem Renaissance and the massive creativity that was seen in art, music, dance, literature, theater, etc. as a way for the Black community to express themselves.

This last line seems to indicate a theme that can be seen within the Harlem Renaissance. The outpour of creativity that was seen during this goldern era for the Black community was magnifiicent. It was almost like an explosion of talent that had been caged up waiting and waiting to be seen. All of the oppression that the Black community faced was building and growing like a sore until finally it popped.

Hope and a new generation, both go hand in hand. The new generation is always filled with hope, opportunity, and growth. Throw in creativity, self-expression, new pov's and you are on your way to creating change. Locke is offering an idea, a silver lining for what has been endured thus far.

A mental imprisonment. "The tyranny of social intimidation" implies that this was explicitly the goal. To intimidate the Black community into doubting their worth and potential. Yet finally they are able to break free, and as the line goes on to say, evolve into something greater.

This line seems to hint at the self-sabotage within the Black community. The racism and prejudices demonstrated by the white community certainly impacted how Black people saw themsevles within their society. It is almost as if they were caging themselves in by not properly showcasing who they are. This reflects on their self-growth as individuals, but also as a community learning how to embrace their culture and identities.

And here lies the predicament. To be authentic and receive no glory, or to be a fraud and be praised by the very people you attempt to imitate and please? You cannot be both. Once again this presents the idea of identity loss or identity crisis. Be who you are or be what they want you to be (in other terms become what will be accepted).

The phrase "no one is a prophet in their own land" comes to mind. Although the need for Black represenation is great, it is the Black communty who fails to support one another. Why? Is it because when there is "representation" is has been influenced by a culture that doesn't represent their own? Or perhaps because they have been taught to disregard their own culture in favor of white culture/customs? The validation that comes from white acceptance demonstrates the degree to which white inlfuence goes.

This constant theme of "white" being better in every sense than anything "Black" creates a loss of identity and loss of culture. Since the young poets family is heavily influnced by this idea, it makes sense that his own beleifs fall in line with their own. It is what he is accustomed to. The notion that his parents are constantly reminding him that white customs are better than Black customs serves as a form of munipulation and perhaps even terror. Children always wan't to please their parents and doing the contrary can often result in punishments which would make children wary of opposing them.

There are tones of death/ghosts her with the reference to Hamlet in the first 3 words. Although this is a conversation between two people the way they have chosen to respond seems odd. It is almost as if they are talking to themselves or even to the ghost of their former selves.

Might this be hinting at a rebirth? The capitalization seems to indicate urgency and importance. The use of this phrase throughout the rest of this section makes it feel like a journey or perhaps a ritual?

In the tragic story of Philomel, she is raped, tortured, and imprisoned by her sister's husband, King Tereus. To add to her suffering, he then cuts out her tongue so that she may not speak a word of his despicable actions. This results in Philomel's transformation into a nightingale. There seems to be a correlation between this symbolic death and a sense of rebirth. The transformation came as a necessity to end her extreme suffering. This reminds me of the countless themes that can be seen in films, books, poems, etc. of a rebirth coming soley out of the death of your former self. So basically, to get to our desired goals we must face difficult obstacles.

There is a strange connection between rebirth and death within these lines. It seems as though it cannot be a pure rebirth because the land has been tainted by death. What is Eliot attempting to convey by connecting rebirth and death to nature? What is the significance of using words like "bloom" and "frost"?

This fits the common trope of women needing to be rescued by a man/authority figure. It paints a picture of a girl/woman with an aimless life until of course she gets some direction with the help of a man no less. However, the poem goes on to describe her as an object for men's sexual desires.

This seems to foreshadow a later statement that alludes to our inevitable fall into corruption, filth, failure, or sin.

Might this be indicating the inevitability of sinning in our corrupt world? The idea that we are already degraded and therefore have but one solution which is to succumb to the filth (i.e. sinful deeds) that lurks behind every corner. Since everyone's perception of what is considered sinful varies, then this makes the notion that we are all destined to do so that much more understandable.

Is this referring to the damage we have caused on earth? We are earth's children and she is calling us home in hopes that we will change our destructive ways?

Could this be referring to all the personal challenges we must all go through in life before finally achieving our goals/desires? Possibly meaning that to unleash the lion (i,e. our potential) we all have within us, we must nourish it first and let it grow.

Might this be referring to the strength that women have accumulated and displayed throughout history? Especially since women have been degraded in various aspects of life. Women have often risen to the challenges placed upon them( ex. when women entered wartime jobs and served the military during WW2).

Why does the speaker assume that all will be easier when we have attained an iron cortex?

This poem seems to be addressing mankind as a whole. Mainly, the fact that our arrogance and hunger for limitless power results in our ultimate demise. Instead of doing no harm and being content with what we have, we insist on waging war until we have it all. As it turns out, everything requires a price, the price of our hunger for power is life. An unsettling end to go with our blatant disregard for what has been done.

What I get from the first few lines is that, while love can be seen as something that is not physically needed as say food or a place to sleep, it is greatly needed for the soul and mind. The other things may be a necessity for physical survival, but love is needed on a personal level. To be loved and feel loved is to share an intense connection with another person and that alone is enough to be an irreplaceable component of life. To be without love represents a vast emptiness that no other materialistic object could ever fill.

There is a yearning to stay among the beauty of the woods; however, the speaker has obligations to keep. He is in a position where he must compromise his desires in order to fulfill those of the people around him. This tends to be isolating because he no longer has autonomy over his desires/hopes. The speaker can also be alienating himself from who he truly wants to be for the mere satisfaction of others.

Immediately, it is clear that there is a rhyme scheme within this poem. The beginning structure of this poem is AAA BBB CCC and each stanza is made up of three lines. Reading the first three stanzas aloud there is a song like quality. The second stanza brings forth the idea that even the famous and beautiful people from Hollywood fall from grace because time is no ones friend. Life is what you make it after all; no one is exempt from inevitable fate.

The sense of alienation in this portion leads me to believe that perhaps the road is less traveled because it requires more from a person. The idea that this road will be far more challenging but then lead to wonderful accomplishments might be why it has made all the difference? Difficult obstacles/life events often lead to wisdom and character. Given the option between easy or challenging, most people would probably choose the easy road, which is why the other road is likely less traveled.

What I get from this is that since they don't appreciate the wisdom that comes from literature, they will never expand their perspectives of the world around them. The line "Chose your own good and call it good", implies that while they ignorantly view things as they deem fit, they are not necessarily accurate. To ignore one critical aspect of life, (good/bad or true/false) is to falsely perceive the world we live in (since everything is connected in one way or another).

The speaker of this story seems to be implying that instead of focusing on the challenges of life, the youth should focus solely on living life. She shares her own experiences, and not once does she complain about life's inevitable obstacles, she merely did what was to be done and carried on.

"Scarred hopes outworn" gives off a sense of an unfulfilled life or a life that was wasted and not cherished. These friends that he speaks about seem like friends that he either lost or outgrew, yet there is still a sense of respect being shown with the "honored him" statement. This could also be a literal reference to his death as they are friends from when he was alive.

This section leads me to believe that Mr. Flood is in fact a ghost. The notion that he is "warily" wandering about makes me ask why? Perhaps he has recently died and this is his final goodbye? This is further reinforced by the indication that he is completely alone without other "natives". If he is actually a ghost then it would make sense that he feels comfortable enough to recite the next stanza aloud. The use of "no man" is also a clever way of indicating that he might be a ghost since a living man would not be able to hear a ghost.

Is it possible that the brotherhood Robinson is referring to later on in the poem is a group of "time gods" in a sense? There is something existential about this poem. There are numerous references to clerks, time, and discontent with life in general. He seems to be questioning life and its interconnected challenges, (life, death, joy, sadness) especially in the eye of "clerks" who seem to have an endless amount of time.

Throughout the story there is a clear sense of confinement, a lack of autonomy/freedom. John being her husband and doctor is constantly telling her what is best for her health while disregarding her opinions. Freedom, in situations directly related with John, cannot be easily obtained by her, therefore, she constantly resorts to the yellow wallpaper as a form of rebellion. Du Bois mentions the search for freedom even after one form of freedom has been obtained. As Du Bois states, there are still various areas in life where freedom has yet to be obtained for Black people. I believe that his realization of the divisions and lack of multiple changes serve as a form of rebellion. With an education/knowledge, he can rise above the societal norms placed upon him and strive for change.

The notion that she is a burden resonates with how Du Bois mentions being categorized as a "problem". However, these scenarios are at opposite ends of the spectrum. In the narrators case, she sees herself as a problem for her husband because she cannot carry out her duties. By determining her self-worth in connection with the social norms of the time, we can see that societies influence over woman was exceptionally great. For Du Bois, however, the burden of being seen as a problem is not by his choosing but instead by society. Again, society holds a strong power over how we see ourselves and how we are seen by others.

This passage reflects on the characters unconscious self-reflection of her own imprisonment. She is confined within the walls of her temporary home and life by her husband, by society, and by her mental illness. Much like how Du Bois mentions "the veil" which represents the division between the Black and white community. The division is so great that as Du Bois mentions, there is a double consciousness that has developed within the Black community. There is a division between the protagonist and her husband in the sense that he holds power over her and her actions and is constantly belittling her.