The poem Truth, by Gwendolyn Brooks, has a lot of symbolism in it. Different things throughout the poem both represent parts of the Civil Rights movement as well as things that we can relate to our lives today. She did really well with her literary elements used, especially personification. This makes her writing more relatable and realistic in our minds to grasp. Truth is a wonderful poem full of all sorts of different literary elements. In the first stanza, we can already see how this poem can relate to the world today and how we feel about certain things. We as humans don't like change. Sometimes, we want something to happen so bad, that we don't consider how our life might change if this wish, this hope of something, actually happened. We sometimes may want something so bad, but fear what the consequences might be if something goes …show more content…
I think that this was her main goal with this poem as well. It is stating about how when they finally do get equal rights, will they jump at the opportunity, or shy away in fear of change? I think that it is really interesting how she could relate this to her own life along with ours, even though it would be many years into the future. Personification is a main literary device used in this poem. She often refers to the sun as a person. Someone that we can "...Hear the fierce hammering Of his firm knuckles Hard on the door..." It goes on in this style throughout the entire poem, and it really adds to us being to understand the purpose of the poem. Truth, by Gwendolyn Brooks, is a wonderful piece of literature that uses much symbolism, comparing it both to life itself and the Civil Rights Movement. At first I was wondering how the title even fit in to the topic of it, but then I realized that Brooks was just trying to show us that this is what we truly do and that it is something that needs to stop. We can't live in fear of the
She contrasts two images to show how segregation between white people and people of color still exists. There are numerous protests ongoing in response to the events in the USA and other apparent racist incidents, making this poem pertinent to our current cultural circumstances. Additionally, millions of people use the trending hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media to express their belief that people of color face discrimination. However, the significance of this poem does not stem from the history lesson we are taught. The image of the poet having full access to the Mississippi beach in 1970 serves as a symbol of hope that things will improve and that the world will one day be a better
Nikky Finney's book Head Off and Split is a work of art in every sense. It combines both historical elements and personal elements. She shines the light on our countries habit of oppressing and enslaving African Americans. She masterfully weaves together the history of the time and her own memories in an unabashed way that lays bare the wrongdoings of our country. Forcing the reader to see part of our history that is often glossed and skimmed over in conventional textbooks.
The poem focuses on the idea of independence and ones journey to success. Personally I don't know what my future holds, let alone how to really prepare for the ride ahead although I do know that I must be my own person in order to make my own way in this great world. In the first stanza of the poem, “the dark trees” symbolise an unknown future, full of possibilities. This is of course similar to what I and many other year twelve graduates currently feel about next year. “They would not find me changed from him they knew”
As the poem writer reminisces she states “I wanted so badly that night/ to believe violence was a little bell you could ring/ and get what you wanted” (9-11). The verse explains to the reader that what she thought would be easy being the center of attention was not as easy as she thought it would be, instead she saw violence first hand. In the verse “It often occurred to me then that if only/ we could get quiet enough, we’d hear/ the universe calling back to us, telling us/ what to do next” (26-29). This is where the author knows what she thought she wanted is not really what she desired and wishes were simple to attain with guidance being available to guide her.
This quote showed that African Americans used literature as a way to express their emotion. Also, Sojourner Truth was an influential feminist who fought for equal rights toward African American women. “Those who only can appreciate it who saw her powerful form, her whole-souled, earnest gesture, and listened to her strong and truthful tones.” (Truth) This shows that most people were passionate about what she was talking about and had hope
Sojourner Truth's contributions to American history are immense, yet her name and legacy are not as widely recognized as they should be. Her tireless efforts in the fight against slavery and her pioneering work in the women's rights movement deserve greater acknowledgment. Sojourner Truth's bravery, resilience, and commitment to justice serve as an inspiration to social justice
The first view this song supports is that you are in charge of your own life and destiny; the lines "No one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips. Drench yourself in words unspoken live your life with arms wide open. Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten," represent that perfectly. Another view this song embraces is one of non-comformity and being willing to do what others may not in the lines of "I break tradition, sometimes my tries are outside the lines. We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way".
Dealing with Fear Fear plays an important role in how we act and what we do. There are many examples on ways that people react to fear irrationally. Fear is a great strategy if used right. The fact about fear is that if evidence is present, true or false, people tend to react and believe it out of impulse.
Through the poem’s tone, metaphors used, and symbols expressed the poem portrays that fear can make life seem charred or obsolete, but in reality life propels through all seasons and obstacles it faces. The poem begins with a tone of conversation, but as it progresses the tone changes to a form of fear and secretiveness. The beginning and ending line “we tell
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and Bessie Head’s “Prisoner Who Wore Glasses” are two literary examples that represent society’s struggle with racial inequality through the decades. As in Georgia Douglas Johnson’s poem, the main characters both fight for respect and equality despite “[having] seen as others saw their bubbles burst in air, [and having] learned to live it down as though they did not care.” Although difficult to embrace, tension is many times an important catalyst of lasting change, as evidenced in Head’s fictional narrative and Dr. King’s letter. “Prisoner Who Wore Glasses” and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” may not bear similar genres, but they do share some common themes. In “Letter from a Birmingham
The story takes place at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in America, when desegregation is finally achieved. Flannery O’Connor’s use of setting augments the mood and deepens the context of the story. However, O’Connor’s method is subtle, often relying on connotation and implication to drive her point across. The story achieves its depressing mood mostly through the use of light and darkness in the setting.
That is why these poems are about and why they are so similar. Finally, many poems during this time were written about Civil Rights. There were many writers, especially African American authors that wrote about all the horrible things that were going on during this time. There were many more writers like Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou.
The second speaker also reshapes the first two lines of the entire poem into a plea to the majority. Beforehand, the first speaker uses those lines as a call for the old American spirit to be revived: “Let America be America again / Let it be the dream it used to be” (1-2). Both speakers change the meaning of the lines to express their thoughts on America. As a result, the poem expresses the desire for everyone to be treated equally in the land of freedom. The readers can relate to the speaker because they wish that everyone has equal rights in the country that proclaims itself to be the symbol of freedom.
It tells them to never give up, don’t let people deter them and always have sights on what you want to accomplish. Clarified explanation of the message, effective and clever use of hyperbole and metaphors, and choosing a certain audience all contributed to the overall relevance and flow of this poem. The message that this poem displays is one that is heard, taught and loved by many people. This poem encourages readers to face the reality that life throws all kinds of curveballs--which in this poem, resemble people who are negative, tough to deal with, and just simply get in your way and deter you from achieving what you desire.
The literary elements in this poem add to the effect the poem has on the reader, which can be different for everyone, but it makes the reader reflect on their own life and how kindness has changed