Angelina W. Grimke's 'The Kiss'

The Harlem Renaissance, a movement in the 1930s, was a period of time where hundreds of African Americans seized their opportunity to showcase their colorful talents to the nation. During this movement, musicians, writers, actors, and poets emerged from hiding in order to voice their inner feelings about what it felt to be an African American during this era. One of the poets who was considered an influence towards this era was Angelina Weld Grimke. Before even born, her family had already built a legacy. She was born the daughter of Archibald Grimke, who happened to be the second African American to graduate from the Ivy League school Harvard University in law (Young 1). In addition, he had been the vice president of National Association for

This poem could be described as a “lyric meditation” (Angelina W. Grimke 1) due to its rhythm. The poem was basically about describing the features of a loved one in her point of view. The poem shares a descriptive variation of her loved one’s facial features. After this poem was published, it managed to be the takeoff point for Weld, her writings being more payed attention to afterwards (Hull 1). Another one of Weld’s most published poems was, The Black Finger (Angelina W. Grimke 1). The most significant and analyzed lines of the poem are the last two, the lines

Mara, which centered around a young girl, who for the majority of her life, remains isolated from her community (Hull 5). It is revealed in the play that Mara is an only child because the six kids before her had been killed (6). This explains to the reader why she has been kept from venturing out of her home. There is a gate that separates her from her home to the outside. The gate in which has always remained closed. Nevertheless, Mara is able to one day peep out for a second due to the gate being momentarily open. Mara’s mother had revealed beforehand to her why her father wished for them to remain enclosed. She questions the outside world and how can as
“lovely as the world outside can also be evil” (5). Unfortunately, due to unmentioned circumstances, Weld was unable to complete this play. Nevertheless, critics describe this play as having matured from her previous play Rachel, and although unfinished, still manages to depict a picture on how living was during the