Strong men. . . . Stronger. . . .
Powerful way to end the poem. The poem speaks on slavery and racism towards African Americans and how African American men (and women) should remain strong and continue to remain strong against those who try to break them down. It is an important message that is still relevant.
Sing yo’ song; Now you’s back Whah you belong, Git way inside us, Keep us strong.
Hughes talks about the effect of music (blues) in his poems, as well as encouraging African Americans to stay strong despite troubling situations, such as racism and poverty
not because the New Negro is not here, but because the Old Negro had long become more of a myth than a man.
The idea of the word "Negro" is more of a mentality/object rather than describing the human being. The Old Negro is associated with seeing themselves as the problem and being put in their place, which many disagree that this existed.
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat?
I like the language that Hughes uses to describe procrastination- referring to dried up, rotten things. The use of words such as "dryness "and "rotten" continue to remind me of The Wasteland by T.S. Eliot.
We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.
Beautiful way to end the essay. The racial mountain isn't strong enough to eliminate positivity and beauty within the African American culture. Hughes believes that despite any negative aspect of the culture/community, African Americans should still have self love and pride.
But this is the mountain standing in the way of any true Negro art in America–this urge within the race toward whiteness
As someone else mentioned before, the racial mountain symbolizes the double consciousness that was mentioned in W.E.B. Du Bois' "Of Our Spiritual Savings". This racial mountain is still a present mentality for some African American artists today - whether it is the fight to separate themselves from their race or trying to be someone they're not
dry root
Relating to Eliot's "Wasteland" when he says, "Dull roots" and mentions dryness throughout the poem.
Only spring arrived at its fulfillment
Like Eliot, Rolfe talks about spring and its effect on the living. However, Rolfe talks about spring in a positive way rather than a contrast of where spring reflects on the dead and buried things.
am Chico, the Negro Cutting cane in the sun. I lived for you, Comrade Lenin. Now my work is done.
This reminds me of not only the numerous voices in T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland", but also the order in Stein's "Sacred Emily" with the repetition of certain lines, as well as the voices speaking to each other before the verse moves on to someone else. Each voice represents a significant role in the poem and passes their verse off to the next one.
If there were only water amongst the rock Dead mountain mouth of carious teeth that cannot spit
The lack of water is causing dryness and time to reflect on the dead that is now buried. The mountain,which represents water and nature, now represents dullness and death.
Poi s’ascose nel foco che gli affina Quando fiam uti chelidon
The author uses Italian phrases, "Then he hid himself in the fire that refines/ When shall I be like the swallow?" Is the sailor planning on starting over or ending his journey right there on the shore?
Dry bones can harm no one.
Those who are stuck in limbo are now able to rest in the decaying, dark environment that lacks nature.
A little life with dried tubers.
Eliot continuously talks about the dryness and death of Spring and parts of nature in the poem, from the death of the land to the dryness of the flowers, rocks, etc. Spring is usually a season of life and nature, so it is interesting for it to be talked in a dull, dreadful way.
April is the cruellest month, breeding
A very strong opening line for a poem. It is interesting how April is seen as a cruel month, yet it is the start of Spring and breeding of flowers.It should be seen as a beautiful month, but Eliot says not. Eliot does a lot of this in his poem- taking something and contrasting it with something unexpected.
Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante, Had a bad cold, nevertheless Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe, With a wicked pack of cards.
It is interesting how Eliot chooses this character as the wisest woman- a tarot card reader. Usually, psychics and card readers are seen as "kooks" and weirdos. In this somewhat contradictory, dark world, I find it intriguing that she is the heroine of the story.
small trees with dead, brown leaves
reddish purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy stuff of bushes
Spring and All
Go in fear of abstractions. Do not retell in mediocre verse what has already been done in good prose.
This is a tip for all writers, especially amateur/lazy writers. The author makes a good point of getting out of comfort zone when writing poetry, or even fiction. This helps with originality and writing creative and meaningful verses or dialogue.
Criticism is not a circumscription or a set of prohibitions. It provides fixed points of departure. It may startle a dull reader into alertness.
The author is stating that criticism is much deeper than making a few marks. It is helpful for the writer to understand what is specifically wrong with their writing and how to improve and dig deeper into the piece.
That heaven itself in arms could not persuade To lay aside the lever and the spade And be as dust among the dusts that blow?
These lines signify that sometimes suicide is inevitable. The man chose to take his life rather than enjoy and appreciate it. The last line is powerful, with the use of the word "dust". The "dusts that blow" refer to ashes being blown in the wind. The man could've still been suicidal or emotionally unstable, but his survival is more effective than becoming dust (cremated).
Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath, Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Millay is saying that love may do many things but should not be seen as the solution or main advantage for certain issues.. Millay is not criticizing love, but is telling her readers to not think highly of it.
Die early and avoid the fate. Or if predestined to die late, Make up your mind to die in state.
It seems that Frost is talking about the dangers of being a celebrity from the previous stanza. However, Frost could also be talking about a point in your life where there is too much insanity or pain to deal with. A person should avoid the worst possibilities or experiences boy dying early or taking their own life so that they can be free from whatever is affecting them negatively.
Like the ingredients of a witches’ broth — A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth, And dead wings carried like a paper kite.
The rhyming and flow of the dark details are enticing. Why does the narrator choose these small, fantastical details?
Good fences make good neighbors.”
I like this line and the mystery behind it, as well as the neighbor. I feel that the line is stating that the less interaction or connection with the neighbor, the better. That's why there is a wall- the neighbor prefers to have their space, which intrigues the narrator
Clipping the same sad alnage of the years.
The line is very melancholic as it focuses on disappointing futures as well as reality vs. expectation. There is slight hope in the poem and then it ends with a unhappy, disappointing ending and unhappy future
Life is too strong for you– It takes life to love Life.
Though the author is being dismissive of the younger generations, he is also making a point about how life shouldn't be taken for granted. However, the author suggests that the younger generations aren't hard workers. It sort of reminds me of how older generations view millennials.
What is the use of knowing the evil in the world?”
This question is strong as the author demonstrates how people should be informed and not ignore their surroundings as well as societal issues
Blind to all of it all my life long. Triolets, villanelles, rondels, rondeaus,
It's interesting how the author repeats certain lines, such as the line about the various poems. The author sort of has a sarcastic tone as if he Is mocking the poem as well as poetry itself.
He would not Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American,
This is a strong symbolic statement that is still relevant for today's perspective of Black America. For example, Colin Kaprenick demonstrates this as well as Jesse Williams, and other black activists or Black Americans who strongly care about respect and pride.
To the real question, How does it feel to be a problem?
DuBois's question reflects society's harsh treatment of people of color and how unsettling it is to be seen as an issue, when the issue is ignorance and hate.
Society regarded this victory over sex as its greatest triumph, and the historian readily admitted it, since the moral issue, for the moment, did not concern one who was studying the relations of unmoral force.
Interesting how the idea of sex was about power rather than embracing sexuality. During these times, sex demonstrated independence and a force, which is why certain figures were appreciated than others. However, sexual images were still banned and seen as sin.
storehouses
Interesting substitute name for Art Museum. Do people still use this term? Does it still exist?
In any previous age, sex was strength. Neither art nor beauty was needed.
This relates to the Roman vs. Victorian way of thinking when it came to sexuality and beauty. Romans enjoyed sexual nature and were more free while Victorians felt that sex was a sin and should be prohibited. This way of thinking (Victorian) is still relevant and still exists in America.
They Lion grow.
"They Lion" probably represents the rebellion and courage or anger of the environment. In the first stanza, "They Lion" represented the rebellion that was growing. The second stanza represented the strength and courage that was developing. The narrator uses "They Lion" as a metaphor for rebelling against the harsh working conditions and other issues
Out of the gray hills Of industrial barns, out of rain, out of bus ride, West Virginia to Kiss My Ass, out of buried aunties, Mothers hardening like pounded stumps, out of stumps, Out of the bones’ need to sharpen and the muscles’ to stretch, They Lion grow.
This stanza describes the life of the poorer working class. Lines such as "out of buried aunties, Mothers hardening like pounded stumps", demonstrate the struggles of working in the harsh environment and working to provide for their families.