Close Reading Analysis of Poems Paper Example

Introduction

Poetry was an essential revolutionary tool used by African Americans to fight against white oppression. In the past, African Americans were forced to fight for their rightful place in society. Racial discrimination was the main criterion used by the whites to oppress the black minorities. This became a disadvantage to the people of color since they were unable to access quality education, health services as well as transport services. As the revolution gained shape, the Black arts movement emerged in 1965; which was used by poets to condemn different natures of injustices against the people of color (Philips). Poets used various poetic and artistic devices to relay a similar message to their audience. This paper will compare and contrast Still I Rise by Maya Angelou, Shared Plight by Kamila Aisha Moon and The Bronze Legacy by Effie Lee Newsome.

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The Theme of Hope

The theme of hope is evident in the works of the three poets. The poem Still I Rise was written by Maya to show to the world that African women are also beautiful. She says, "Just like hope springing high, still I'll rise." This was a time when the people of color had been subjected to unequal opportunities within the society. African women were never given similar treatment to their white counterparts. This was evident in education, employment, and politics. In this poem, Maya insists that she has elevated hopes that she will rise from such treatment. Lee Newsome artistically communicates to a boy of color in an attempt to elevate hope. The poet writes, "Tis a noble gift to be brown, all brown, like the strongest things that make up this earth." In this case, the society had looked down upon the people of color, but the poet insists that they are the strongest on the face of the earth. Aisha Moon takes a different approach to address the theme of hope by artistically highlighting several issues that killed the hopes of the minorities. She says, "Chains and whips held by hand," to mean that the people of color were intimidated by the whites using torture. She moves ahead to say, "Mercy must not survive entry into the atmosphere." In this particular phrase, Moon presents a negative attitude that things cannot get better as long as the state of oppression persists.

Racial Discrimination

Angelou's poem is one of the common literary works that shows a different dimension of racial discrimination. In the poem, the poet artistically brags about her beauty; which she does on behalf of the people of her race. Maya points out the specific details that have always been used to discriminate the women of color. For instance, she says, "You write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies." It means that propaganda was always used to make an African woman appear inferior in society. In another stanza, Maya asks, "Des my haughtiness offend you?" Here she reveals that African women were never considered as women of pride in America. Also, Maya says, "Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise." This statement points out that the African American woman was always subjected to harsh treatment that caused fear.

On her part, Newsome only focuses to empower a small boy of color by creating a special feeling of the uniqueness that is associated with this state. This shows that the people of color were considered inferior compared to the whites. In her final stanzas, Newsome writes, "I thank God; then, I am brown. Brown has mighty things to do." This is a type of encouragement that the people of color should not be ashamed of their state and out to overcome the mentality of racial discrimination.

Aisha Moon was creative in a way that she did not directly a state of racial discrimination in her poem. From the 'surface' it looks like a normal presentation showing how people are oppressed by others. However, through critical analysis, it is evident that she brings out a serious claim of racial discrimination and oppression using names. She says, "Ota Benga in a Bronx cage, Saartije Baartman on display... Tamis, Cecil, Freddie- names of the hunted." All these people mentioned by Moon are of black origin; it is evident that they have been subjected to the inhuman treatment. The nature of the treatment has been artistically expressed as "captives bleed together." In another stanza, Moon says, "In this world of zoos and conquerors who treat earthlings like aliens." In this phrase, the poet attempts to show the magnitude of the nature of treatment that the people of color faced while in captive.

Poetic Devices

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a common poetic device where narrators tend to exaggerate certain things in their works (Irmawati). Lee Newsome has used this device in various parts of her poem. For example, she says, "God builds His strength in bronze." Despite the fact that there is no truth in this phrase, the poet used it to encourage people of color that the Supreme Being treasures the things that come in brown color. In her poem, Maya says, "bringing the gifts that my ancestor gave; I am the dream and the hope of the slave." It is logical that Angelou neither met nor received any gifts from people who died long ago (ancestors); however, this choice of stylistic device was useful in encouraging the people she resembles. In this case, hyperbole has also been used to encourage by creating an exaggerated remark. Moon says, "Slower than the speed of light, mercy must not survive entry into the atmosphere." In this case, Moon exaggerates that the rate at which the whites intend to show mercy is slower than the speed of light; hence it will not survive. The statement reveals that the state was pathetic to humanity.

Personification

Personification is a stylistic device that poets use to describe non-living things as if they were alive with human traits or capabilities (Irmawati). For example, Maya says, "I am a black ocean, leaping and wide, welling and swelling." It is evident that an ocean cannot leap, but the narrator uses this to express her mysteriousness. Aisha Moon narrates, "Slower than light; mercy must not survive entry into our atmosphere." In this stanza, Moon seems to illustrate that mercy has life and moves at speed lower than that of light. It is evident that mercy is a word used to describe a state; hence it can neither have life nor die while trying to penetrate the atmosphere. This particular choice of words was adopted to expose the degree of impossibility.

Simile

The use of similes in poetry can be defined as the comparison between two unrelated things with the intention of magnifying the intended meaning (Irmawati). For instance, Moon writes, "... conquerors who treat earthlings like aliens." In this phrase, the poet wants to magnify here revelation by implying that the kind of treatment is inhuman and only suitable for aliens. In her poem, Maya says, "Just like moons, and like suns, with the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high." This choice of comparison is meant to show her real intentions to rise. The comparison brings out her inner desire to achieve a specific goal; which is to rise. A stanza, in Newsome's poem, says, "Like the strongest things that make up this earth." Here, the poet intends to magnify the idea that brown color is associated with strength. It is evident that not all the strongest things on earth are brown.

Irony

The irony is a style adopted by many poets to bring out an opposite meaning (Irmawati). In her poem, Moon says, "Saartije Baartman on display- funds sent to her village didn't make it, okay." In this stanza, Moon intends to bring out the issue of slavery but narrates the situation differently. A reader would think that Baartman receives pay after being displayed in public yet the real meaning indicates that the mentioned is a slave trade product. The statement also refers to Benga who was displayed in a zoo for the whites. The people who came to visit the zoo paid money to have a look at the slaves or captives that were caged. In another poem, Maya asks, "does my sexiness upset you?" It is hard to find a situation where beauty and sexiness upset people. In this poem, Maya wants to reveal to the public that her sexiness astonishes many people.

Maya, Moon, and Newsome are some of the famous American poets that emerged during the Black Arts movement. These women used poetry to communicate their plight, desires, dislikes, and preferences. Some of the common themes in their works were racial discrimination and hope. The authors used literary devices such as irony simile, personification, and hyperbole.

Works Cited

Effie Lee Newsome, "The bronze legacy." Academy of American Poets, https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/bronze-legacy. Accessed 4 Nov. 2018

Irmawati, Noer Doddy. "Understanding how to analyze poetry and its implication to language teaching." International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature, 2(11) (2014): 35-45.

Kamila Aisha Moon, "Shared plight." Academy of American Poets, https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/shared-plight. Accessed 4 Nov. 2018

Maya Angelou, "Still I rise." Academy of American Poets, https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/still-i-rise. Accessed 4 Nov. 2018

Philips, Carmen L. Visionary women writers of Chicago's Black Arts Movement. Mississippi: Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2012.