By Mkhabela FT

The teacher

Outline of Poetry and Society

Context of the writer

The literary tradition that the poem falls into

Themes, form and interpretation of the poem

Aim: learning the analytical skills to apply to any literature, especially substantiating your analysis with reference to the work

If you “understand” music, you can understand poetry.

Hip Hop – Mos Def as political poet

Ben Harper and Maya Angelou – Still I Rise

India Arie – Acoustic Soul

Bob Marley – Redemption Song (oral poetry of slaves)

African American Literary Tradition

Langston Hughes is an African-American literary icon

African-American literary tradition focuses on the place of African-Americans in the USA and

issues such as racism, religion, slavery, freedom, equality and cultural production

Often incorporates elements of oral poetry such as improvisation, repetition, cadence,

alliteration

Examples of oral poetry elements in African- American culture include rap, blues, jazz

“Poet Laureate” of Harlem Renaissance (African-American cultural revival/ flowering 1920-1930 s)

Influenced generations of writers and political context

Known for his bittersweet poetry based on the rhythms of jazz and blues

Focus on the everyday/ordinary people

Work celebrates African-American culture

Language and sound effects: Use of idiom

and African-American colloquial speech

(Harlem slang)

Free verse - Layout and punctuation crucial

to meaning e.g. where the assignment begins

in the poem

Rhythms of jazz, be-bop and blues

Context of the Jim Crow Era = American Apartheid from late 1800s (end of slavery) to 1960s (civil rights era)

Imagery: focus on aspects of everyday life

Context: race is central in experience of self and interaction with others

Also a poem about writing (poem has multiple meanings)

Hughes advocated a humanist ideology to combat racism

falls into African-American literary tradition

written in free verse

is about centrality of race in experience, commonality over difference

is also a poem about writing

uses everyday speech patterns and places (links to importance of history/place/identity)