Analysis Of Tableau, A Brown Girl Dead By Countee Cullen

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In the year of 1917, Countee Cullen began writing poems over the struggles that he experienced through the civil rights movement. During this time, the black race was facing problems with white supremacy and racial violence. Three of Countee Cullen’s poem that greatly stand out to me are “Tableau”, “A Brown Girl Dead”, and also “Incident”. All three of the poems just so happen to revolve around civil rights issues. Specifically, the poem “Tableau” speaks out to me not only personally but also through literature. In this poem, Cullen speaks of racial issues between those who don’t always get to have an important say in the subject - children.
“Tableau” talks deeply behind the injustices of race but also admittedly through the way that people felt during that time. Although the racial divide was inevitable and hard to look away from, it was also being encouraged in a way that people did not realize. “Tableau” shows that at that time as well as the year we live in currently - racial segregation is something we somewhat bring upon ourselves. These two young boys that Cullen is writing of don’t see a difference between one another due to the color of their skin. As Cullen wrote, “locked arm in arm they cross the way” I felt a feeling of sympathy and equality. …show more content…

Some readers may skim through it, and take it as yet another piece of writing that conveys the ideas and struggles that the civil rights era entailed. I believe the use of wording that Cullen used in the final stanza, “Oblivious to look and word. They pass, and see no wonder. That lightning brilliant as a sword, should blaze the path of thunder”, I interpret the words being used as the boys using their powers of “swords” against society and the expectations that they are taught to possess. Meanwhile, another reader may believe that the boys walking in unison is a sign of disrespect towards their own races and

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