Analysis of “Hard Rock Returns to Prison from the Hospital for the Criminal Insane”

Etheridge Knight’s “Hard Rock Returns to Prison from the Hospital for the Criminal Insane” is an interesting poem spurred from his own experiences, that explores a variety of things from basic human emotions to controversial medical treatments. Knight was incarcerated for 8 years for robbery, during which he began to develop his skill as a poet, and this stint in prison influenced the settings and styles of his poetry. Knight’s poem is unique in its slang-styled diction, but brings about relatable concepts to allow the reader to connect with the text. Two prominent themes within the poem are that anyone, no matter how strong or looked up to, can be broken, and also that slavery is still alive today, even if it is not in its traditional form. Knight combines these themes with deeper meanings and an individual way of writing to create a poem that is compelling and classic.

It is important to know a little of Etheridge Knight’s background to fully understand his poem “Hard Rock Returns to Prison from the Hospital for the Criminal Insane”. Knight began exploring the world of poetry when he was young in the form of humorous, verbal poems used for entertaining. An African American born in 1931, Knight undoubtedly faced racism and prejudice throughout his life, leading him to explore those concepts within his poetry. Knight became a well-known figure within the Black Arts movement, partly due to encouragement from his wife at the time; Sonia Sanchez, who was also a poet involved in the movement. As stated before, Knight also spent several years in prison, giving him knowledge of the feelings and slang within jail, both of which he later interjected into his writing. Knowing his background helps the reader further understand the feelings...

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...” (6) and the fact that many of the other prisoners regard him as a “nigger”. Later on Hard Rock is expressly called black by a hillbilly, one of Knight’s ways of contrasting Hard Rock with Caucasian individuals. These subtle references to race give the poem an underlying tone of racial tension; however, it is not until the final stanza that Knight brings about the lines most important to his theme of slavery still occurring. He writes “The fear of years, like a biting whip, / Had cut deep bloody grooves / Across our backs.” (36-38). Not only is this an allusion to the slavery that African Americans in America were subjected to for centuries, but it also shows that this feeling had not disappeared from many individuals minds. The prisoners are practically the same as slaves, forced to work against their will, held captive by those designated more powerful than they.