Coal
Audre Lorde

I picked this as my final blog post because it really moved me. I bet, upon first view, this poem is dismissed as merely a simple, one layered piece. But in reality, it's very complex and addresses some important issues.
"I/Is the total black, being spoken from the earth's inside" sets it off perfectly. Here you get an idea of how the poem will be read, the type of speech used, and the topic being discussed.
Audre Lorde uses the black vernacular in this poem, which you can see in the very first line. This relates to the title and topic perfectly. If she had used common language, the piece would not have nearly as much impact.
"Love is word, another kind of open/As the diamond comes into a knot of flame/I am black because I come from the earth's inside/Now take my word for jewel in the open light".....simply amazing. I think she is making two points here:
1) She wants people to take her seriously and respect her as a person regardless of skin color. This was a very bold statement at the time.
2) She wants not only to be taken seriously as a person, but also, she wants her words to be heard, considered, and admired. She wants to speak as a black person and be heard as just a "person".
I would recommend this poem to everyone. It's very accessible, yet profound.

Those Winter Sundays
Robert Hayden

This is a poem I cannot personally relate to but still spoke to me. That is the beauty of poetry. You do no have to share the same experiences. You just have to empathize.
The first thing that stuck out to me was the alliteration. There are many examples in this: "blueback cold", "weekday weather", "banked fires blazed", "were warm", etc. This really gives the poem a great flow making it more accessible to the reader.
No one ever really appreciates what their parents do for them until later in life. It's hard to truly grasp the sacrifices parents make for the children. It seems as if the speaker was talking about the age in which he was unaware of these sacrifices. In the end though, these appeared to him.
In the last stanza, a not to so pretty picture of their relationship is painted clearly. "Speaking indifferently to him". It's almost as if his father was just a provider and not a role model. Was he a bad father or was his son just not receptive of his guidance and love?
The one part that confuses me is "fearing the chronic angers of the house". It seems he could be speaking of two different things: his relationship with his father or the personification of the house. I'm inclined to believe the former as their relationship is defined in the next stanza. Still, it could be either one. That's what I love about poetry. It's up to the reader to interpret the meaning.
Out of all of the poems we have read so far, this one paints the most clear picture. It's almost as if you can see the poem unfold in real time right in front of your eyes. It's a thing of beauty.

"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner"
Randall Jarrell

This is the definition of saying a lot with a small amount of words. Randall Jarrell conveys a depressing image of the life of a member of the armed forces.
The opening line had me hooked. "From my mother's sleep I fell into the State". At first, it appears insignificant. That is, until you realize why he chose to capitalize "State". He is referencing the government. He fell into the hands of the government and could not pry himself from its grips.
"And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze". I love the metaphor and personification there. He is giving life to the plane referring to his placement as in its stomach. He then goes on to seemingly compare himself to an animal. He could also be referencing his attire, but it seems more like he is calling himself an animal as well with the fur comment. Soldiers have been known to feel like animals and use the instinct to kill.
"Six miles from earth, loosed from the dream of life". He's obviously referencing being high in the sky here in an airplane. He's also making a somewhat cynical comment about how he no longer can pursue a normal life.
Throughout the poem, he makes you feel heavy emotion. But the final line is so incredible. "When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose". Truly stunning. He is trying to explain how expendable he feels. As a soldier, you are merely supposed to follow orders. If you are killed in action, you are simply replaced by another person. It's almost as if no one cares but your family and friends back home. One dies. Bring in the next. It's really depressing to think about, but it's reality. And I'm glad Jarrel brought this to light.

Saul Williams- "Not in our Name"

"the pledge to resist:

we believe that as people living in the united states it is our responsibility to resist the injustices done by our government in our names.

not in our name will you wage endless war.
there can be no more deaths.
no more transfusions of blood for oil.

not in our name will you invade countries, bomb civilians, kill more children, letting history take its course over the graves of the nameless.

not in our name will you erode the very freedoms you have claimed to fight for.

not by our hands will we supply weapons and funding for the annihilation of families on foreign soil.

not by our mouths will we let fear silence us.

not by our hearts will we allow whole peoples or countries to be deemed evil.

not by our will and not in our name.

we pledge resistance.
we pledge alliance with those who have come under attack for voicing opposition to the war or for their religion or ethnicity.

we pledege to make common cause with the people of the world to bring about justice, freedom and peace.

another world is possible and we pledge to make it real."

I chose to post this entire poem because of the possibility of people having not read this. It's a very powerful piece written by Saul Williams. Although it is more compelling when spoken, the words still do it justice.
Williams is my favorite modern poet. This is a perfect example of why. I have always been a fan of protest poetry and songs so this naturally caught my attention.
Through just around eighteen lines, Williams is able to reflect perfectly how many of us felt at the time of the Iraq war and the Bush administration. This is a piece about how we feel powerless in having a voice in how we are represented as a country. We do not all condone the actions of those in charge. That is why it is so important for poets/artists/musicians to speak out in desperate times.
My favorite line in the poem is, "no more transfusions of blood for oil". Williams has always been very clever with the way he words his thoughts. He is saying, stop the useless shed of blood for materials and power. A lot of people felt that the Iraq war had an underlying agenda of exploiting a tragedy for the purpose of attaining valuable goods. Though just a conspiracy in essence, there are many things that just seem too coincidental to ignore.
"Not in our name will you erode the very freedoms you have claimed to fight for." We were always told that the war and our government's actions were for the sake of our freedom. Who knows, that may be true to some extent. But too many Americans were so willing to sacrifice certain freedoms and privacy at the drop of a hat. This is simply inexcusable and hypocrisy at its finest.
"Another world is possible and we pledge to make it real".

Let's make it happen Saul. One word at a time.

The Addict

"The Addict" by Anne Sexton is likely my favorite piece of literature we've read so far this quarter. Anne Sexton composes an amazing poem all while conveying her struggles with addiction and suicide. The poem seems angry and apathetic at the same time. That is one of the reasons why it is so intriguing.
The poem instantly grabbed my attention with the first two words: Sleepmonger and Deathmonger. It's the perfect juxtaposition of addiction. Sleep is something we covet. We need it to survive and for our general well being. At the same time, her vice is a peddler of death. Which one outweighs the other? Maybe the sleep she is referring to is permanent.
I love the fact that this is littered with metaphors. She makes some powerful statements as she draws comparisons between her addiction and a mother, a ceremony, a "musical tennis match", and a marriage. The drugs take care of her and provide her companionship that no one else can match.
There are two lines that sum up this poem for me: "I like them more than I like me" and "Now I'm borrowed. Now I'm numb".
Drug addiction is commonly a way to cope with underlying issues that one has. It's obvious she struggles with confidence and a love for herself. It's sad, but so powerful.
The second line is what I believe separates true addicts from thrill seekers. Sure, you can be addicted to the "high", but the numbness is the achievement of a true addict. Once you no longer want to feel anything and use drugs as a coping mechanism, you have crossed the proverbial line.
My favorite thing about this poem is that Anne Sexton wrote this in a time when it was not only unpopular, but frowned upon, to speak about such personal and controversial matters. She did not blink an eye though. She was so willing to put her demons out there. I respect that more than anything.

A Good Man Is Hard To Find

Flanerry O'Conner

"A Good Man Is Hard to Find" is a short story that mainly focuses on the Grandmother and the Misfit. The other characters are her son, Bailey, his wife, and their three children. The tale is mostly told through the grandmother's perspective. From the beginning of the story, the Grandmother is not portrayed in a positive light. She's selfish, deceiving, and just an overall unpleasant person to be around. It could be argued that she's just wants to be appreciated, but I'm not sure this is the case.
The story begins with the Grandmother trying to convince her family to go to Tennessee instead of Florida. She stops at no lengths to try to achieve. There are a couple of foreshadowing events that take place here:

1) The Grandmother mentions that the Misfit, a serial killer, is headed that direction as well. This sets the stage for them to clash.

2) The Grandmother makes sure she dresses properly because she wants everyone to recognize her as a lady just in case she's found dead on the highway.

Even with the foreshadowing, it's still a surprise when they meet the Misfit. Their car ends up breaking down when the Misfit happens to come across them. After he and his partners take the Grandmother's family out in the woods and murders them, the true conversation between them comes into play. She selfishly pleads for life as she is still unsure of the fate of her family. O'Conner claims our true side comes out in the face of violence. This is the truth here as well.
The Grandmother employs many tactics to save her own life. First, she tries to reach out to the Misfit, exclaiming, "you wouldn't shoot a lady". It seems as if she's trying to get the Misift to envision her as his own mother so he won't shoot her. Assuming this will not work, she tries to convince him that there is still a chance to "save him". That it is not too late to be Good. That he is still one of God's children. Ultimately, she fails, and the Misfit shows his true side in executing her.
This story was good, but a couple of things bothered me. The main thing was the almost casual racist tendencies that were ignored by every character in the book. I'm not sure if this was just written to show the context of the time and place, but it was painful to read without anyone correcting the comments. Other than that, I would recommend this story to most people. It was a good read that should bring out some emotion in anyone who reads this.

Sonny's Blues

James Baldwin

This is my favorite piece of literature we have read so far in class. Sonny's Blues is a dark, compelling story of Sonny and his brother. The brother is the narrator in the story. I've listened to a variety of blues artists for some time now so this story caught my interest instantly.
The main characters in this story are Sonny and his brother. The Brother is portrayed as the more responsible, successful sibling (which may be the case depending on how you look at it). He is a math teacher who has had no mentionable troubles in the past. Meanwhile, Sonny, the younger brother and idealist musician, has a checkered past but just wants to do what he loves. A few other characters are mentioned such as Sonny's friend, their mother, and their uncle of whom they had no knowledge of until the mother was near death.
This story was littered with emotion and deeper meanings. As we discussed in class, it seems as if the big question revolves around this quote: "I think people ought to do what they want to do, what else are they alive for?" Great quote. I have never subscribed to the notion that we all have to follow paths that were laid out to us before we were even born yet. Why not do what makes you happy if it's harmless? Sonny had a dream. He chased that dream.
I think the brother finally realized what Sonny meant at the end of the story. All of his life, his brother looked down on him, criticized him for his lifestyle. That is, until he saw him display his talents. Sonny could play. His brother seemed to almost have an epiphany at the sight of Sonny in his true element, playing music. I think, sometimes, it takes seeing someone achieve their goal to really open a person's eyes to the truth. We were not born to to earn a pay check. We were born for much more than that....we just all need to find out what "that" exactly is.

The Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" is a despondent tale of an unsuccessful salesman, Willy Loman, who beguiles himself and his family into believing he is noteworthy and fruitful. Willy is married to Linda Loman. Together, they have two sons, Biff and Happy.
Many arguments could be made for the actions of Willy. He could be described as depressed, disillusioned, or just utterly misinformed on life. I have come to the conclusion that it is a combination of all three, starting with his misguided view on the ways of the world. From there, it snowballed into depression and disillusionment. From the beginning of the story, Willy's philosophy on how to be successful in life is to be "well-liked". This, he believes, is the true key to success. He deceives his wife and children on a daily basis into believing this as fact. In reality, Willy is not "well-liked" at all.
Linda Loman, the wife of Willy, does nothing to hinder his ways. She is the biggest culprit in aiding his eventual complete delusion. The argument could be made that she herself was not aware of his reality. But since she was always assisting, if not controlling, the bills and family finances, she had to be somewhat acquainted with Willy's success, or lack thereof. She never questions anything positive he tells her. She even refuses to confront Willy about his suicidal thoughts.
Biff is loved and spoken of the most out of the two sons. The problem is, Willy only raised him to be "well-liked" and encouraged him to ignore other things such as school work. Biff's relationship with his father, along with his reliance on what was taught to him, begins to deteriorate once he finds out he is having an affair. Biff will never look at him the same.
Happy is the more successful of the two sons but also, the more forgotten. He is constantly trying to gain attention from his parents but to no avail. Despite moderate success, he remains unhappy and lonely due to the neglect practiced by his parents.
This story really brought up mixed emotions in me. On one hand, Willy was not the most respectable father and apparently not a loyal husband. Although it is not revealed whether he was perpetually unfaithful, he was never honest with Linda about his infidelities. This inexcusable act coupled with his constant deception will not allow me to respect him. On the other hand, he was just a man struggling to provide for his family. Maybe it's a cycle of morals passed to him from his father. This is one thing I wish was addressed in the story as Biff lived a good portion of his life adhering to his father's teachings. Could the same be said about Willy? Does that make Biff a bad person as well? I'm not so sure.
Overall, this was a near painful read. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but there was almost no positive emotions drawn from this. Still, I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys reading. If anything, it should help the reader realize what constant self deception could lead to in the end.

The Black Aesthetic

The Encyclopedia defines the black aesthetic as "a period of artistic and literary development among Black Americans in the the 1960s and early '70s." The literature in this time period was thought to tackle racial tension, African culture, and other issues.
Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" is a perfect example. The main character whose name is unknown, has an overwhelming desire to deliver a speech to a crowd littered with angry, discriminatory white men. This, in itself, is a noble task. During the time period in which this piece of literature was written, slavery was abolished, but black people still did not withhold the same rights that white Americans were privileged. If put in the same situation, I am not sure I would have the courage to stand up in front of a group that had a predisposition of hatred for me.
This story was unbelievably painful to read. It reflects the villainous portion of human nature so vividly. I cannot say that this story directly relates to my life for I could even begin to imagine the experience the plight of a black man during this time. However, the empathy I felt while reading this was smothering to say the least.
My favorite portion was when he was finally awarded the opportunity to give his speech. The main character had endured hell just to have the opportunity to speak to a crowd who disdained him. Once given the opportunity, he had a mouth full of blood. And instead of relieving himself in one of the buckets, he swallowed as if to say "I can take whatever you deal me with dignity".
After reading this, I would like to study the black aesthetic more extensively. I have read a few biographies describing similar experiences. But I feel a desire to delve deeper into this topic.
When I first read "Invisible Man", I was unaware of how layered the excerpt was. It amazes me how Ellison was able to pen, what on the surface appears to be a simplistic story, but in reality, is a tale that takes thought and discussion to truly grasp.
I was surprised to learn that this was considered a "safe" work. I presume it could have been more brash, but to me, it showed a side of white culture that many, to this day, still choose to ignore.
I would recommend "Invisible Man" to everyone. It is vital to know the history of our culture in order to understand the present.

"It's not where you're from, not where you're at....it's where you're going"

Where I'm from

I am from a fatherless block of desolate homes scattered on concrete.
I am from hand me downs and sugar coated truths.
I am from a family stitched together with fervor.
I am from a mindset of dreams.
I am from Pistol Pete, Pete & Pete, peanut butter & jelly, and Pulp Fiction.
I am from a place of expectations not always met but never frowned upon.
I am from a house with closed eyes and open ears.
I am from a neighborhood once littered with children but now void of laughter.
I am from where I am.......