Write a short response below highlighting something from one of the poems we’ll look at—we’ll use this as a jumping off point to discuss more in class!
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i read the poem named “alternate names for black boys” by Danez Smith. to start off this poem really spoke the truth and was very deep. the poem uses alot of figurative language, but the way in interpreted was that black boys are never seen as a decent human beings just for living. the only way they are left alone is if they are dead. Smith also mentioned that black boys are their mom’s joy but also their worries which speaks a lot about what this world has come to. a mother cant enjoy her son without worrying that she will lose him.
this poem speaks on the trouble that black boys have on living in a messed up world when the main target is them for just simply living. the author knew that he had to express what black boys have to experience almost everyday walking down the street with their life on the line especially now with police brutality going on.
I read “Alternative Names for Black Boys”, I began reading the poem with the mentality that it was going to discuss stereotypes of black men in today’s society much like June’s poem was discussion rights of black women. Danez took a very interesting approach to this poem. The poem was fairly short and I honestly found myself questioning if it could even be considered a poem. The structure of the poem itself didn’t look like the typical poem. It was structure like a list, so I figured he was naming different “names” for black boys or short phrases to describe the “typical” or what Danez defines as typical black boy. After reading the 17 phrases Danez chose to be “alternative names for black boys”, I realized the names themselves were using figurative language to make a comparison to black boys or his and society’s view on black boys. I particularly found number 15 interesting, he stated, “I thought to leave this blank but who am I to name us nothing.” I thought it was intriguing that he thought by leaving the number black it would mean they were insignificant or nothing, nameless. He tends to say phrases that relate to death or being gone but also used phrases that are adhere more to positivity like fireworks and brilliant. I think this poem is very unique and creative as it takes a twist on regular poems and has a good mix of positive comments and negative comments. I think Danez wanted to portray how black men are seen or problems that are reoccurring in their community but I think he also adds how he sees them and others should see them.
I chose to write about Deep in the Homeroom of Doom by Jamila Woods. I enjoyed this poem the most, mainly because it was written in a way I’ve never seen before. She starts off with one scenario and from there you get to choose what happens next. I first read it this way, and then i read the entire thing again straight through and realized that in actuality, all of the endings are the same. While it seems as though you’re being given a choice it isn’t really much of a choice at all, and all of the endings are overall disappointments for her. The epilogue then talks about all the things that could have been, but never were.
This poem is both interesting and confusing (which i think is one of the reasons why i like it). The fact that all of the endings are the same could be symbolic for the fact that no matter how much she would like, this was something that just wasn’t meant to happen. Or possibly, it could symbolize her sense of feeling like she doesn’t belong. I get the sense that race might play into this as well because we learn that she is a black girl, and the girl she seems to admire is blonde with blue eyes.
In the poem, “Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong” the author, Ocean Vuong seems to be speaking to himself. Vuong begins the poem by displaying a self reminder and indicating that he should not be afraid. Throughout the entire poem, there is an emphasis and repetition on the author’s name, Ocean and therefore, the author is addressing that all that he is saying he is saying it to himself. In reading the title, one is able to notice that the author, Vuong is stating that he will eventually learn to love himself for the person he is. Ocean Vuong in the poem italicizes the word horizon to refer to the house. Throughout the entire poem, there is also figurative language used such as personification. In the poem, the author mentions, “Like how the spine / won’t remember it’s wings / no matter how many times our knees / kiss the pavement” (Vuong 5-8). There are characteristics given to the knees and indicating that the knees kiss the pavement. Furthermore, the poem emphasizes the concept of self love and in learning to self love one may look back to past life experiences.
The poem I read called “Poem about my rights” by June Jordan is a poem that I enjoyed reading. The beginning of the poem starts off relatable about going outside wearing certain things based on your gender. I believe that to an extent that with females’ expectations on how a female supposed to dress and how a male is supposed to dress is different. In the poem, Judy talks about her body not being her own, and others’ opinions and views start to overtake her own perception. There are many factors in the poem like skin color, gender, and sexuality that is mentioned and have many points that I can understand of the “restrictions” that come with it.
Illusions.
On a cold yet sunny day I clean away my disastrous driveway. The autumn leaves filling up the way. The sun is so warm on my skin yet I feel coldness trickling down my spine. As if someone was keeping watch over my home and I was an intruder. I keep moving on with my day and go on inside. I make my way up my stairs and my bedroom door is locked from inside. I go down stairs to get the key, but when I return it’s already been unlocked. Maybe it wasn’t locked, and I was simply mistaken. I go on inside and lie down for a nap. Once I am half asleep, my matters is pushed down from my opposing side… yet I live alone and see no one on that side. Maybe I’ve lost mind…or simply still sleeping.
Lemesis,
I like a lot here! “Disastrous driveway” is a really great turn of phrase, and I love the contrasts here: “someone was keeping watch over my home and I was an intruder”; “warm”/”coldness”; and more.
I wanted even more here! What is happening here? What does the ending mean? Is the speaker asleep this whole time? Are there any ghosts here? What happens next?
I’d love to see a version of this story that continues over the next several days. What happens after this? And after that? And after that? Is it a “slow build,” or do things accelerate?
Do the leaves have anything to do with what happens next?
ZL
Reading alternate name for black boys which was such a powerful poem about being a young black boy growing into a man and the worries of the world that is before all of them.In some peoples eyes being a person of color has no value means nothing when your life is taken or your constantly being disrespected and even more his poem spoke a lot of truth which so many people need to hear. society needs to see them as funny talented inquisitive learners not just see them only as black boys or black men.