After my first couple readings of this poem, I was almost positive that its themes ran along racial lines, but I wasn't convinced. To decide, I researched the author on Wikipedia, discovering that he was black and a proponent of the Harlem Renaissance. That gave me suitable justification for my earlier assumptions.
The structure of this poem consists of a quatrain utilizing an ABAB rhyme scheme. What's effective about this format is that it possesses a childish quality, reminiscent of nursery rhymes, which is disturbing when the content of the poem is considered. It proposes that racism has became a natural truth of life that even children learn and that no one any longer recognizes its horrors, lulled into acceptance by racism's prevalence and ubiquity.
The actual meaning of this poem, to me, is interpretable in two distinct ways. The first considers the "she" referred to in the poem as a white woman. In this case, the poem states that white society believes even in heaven it lives a life of luxury while blacks perform their same menial duties. This interpretation adds a bit of dry humor to the poem: not only do whites think that something as unjust as racism will persist in heaven but that they will be rewarded for their prejudicial actions on earth. Now, the second interpretation has the "she" of the poem being a black woman. The poem's meaning and mood now shift to ones of despair and hopelessness. The optimistic blacks believe that even though racism pervades their earthly lives, they will receive their vindication in heaven. However, the older and wiser blacks know that in reality their people will remain the servant class even in death. The second interpretation affects me more than the first because of its resounding bleakness.
Is this the one that you are doing in class? If so, you've done an excellent job!
ReplyDeletei understand this poem to be a satire on the upper class privileged people and the speaker could be anyone irrespective of race subject to extortion.
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