The Theme of Freedom in Poetry
Write about three poems on freedom: On Liberty and Slavery (George
Moses Horton), Sympathy (Paul Laurence Dunbar) and Caged Bird (Maya
Angelou).
I have chosen to write about three poems on freedom: On Liberty and
Slavery (George Moses Horton), Sympathy (Paul Laurence Dunbar) and
Caged Bird (Maya Angelou). The full text of the poems is attached. I
chose these three poems because the subject matter appealed to me and
I believe that the poems convey their meaning very effectively. Upon
researching the poems, I discovered that Caged Bird was in fact
inspired by Sympathy, which accounts for the similarities in language
and imagery, as outlined below. All three poems deal with the subject
of freedom using the imagery of birds; On Liberty and Slavery is
narrated as a human plea for freedom, and makes reference to birds in
that context, whereas Caged Bird and Sympathy both use the imagery of
caged birds to explore the theme of loss of freedom. The symbolism of
birds is used to depict freedom, as birds are essentially without
constraints; in comparison to the limitations of humans, they have
limitless possibilities. When a bird is caged, however, it loses that
potential and is restricted not by its own limitations, but the limits
set by another. This image is explored within the poems to depict the
theme of slavery.
On Liberty and Slavery
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On Liberty and Slavery is an example of a metaphysical poem; it deals
with the concept of freedom using direct, personal language and
contemporary allusions. The rhythm used in the poem is taken from the
rhythm of Wesley's hymns; Charles Wesley was the brother of John
Wesley (founder of the Methodists) and hymn wri...
... middle of paper ...
...ten by Himself (1845)
Sherman JR: The Black Bard of North Carolina: George Moses Horton and
His Poetry Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press (1997)
Rice, A: Radical Narratives of the Black Atlantic, Continuum: New York
(2003)
Sapphire: Black Wings and Blind Angels, Payback Press: Edinburgh
(2001)
McCarthy K: bittersweet, The Women's Press Ltd (1998)
Secondary Sources:
www.poets.org.uk (03/05/2004)
http://docsouth.unc.edu/hortonlife/horton.htm (04/05/2004)
http://www.christian-bookshop.co.uk/free/biogs/cwesley.htm
(07/05/2004)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/profilepages/angeloum2.shtml
(07/05/2004)
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[1] Sherman JR The Black Bard of North Carolina: George Moses Horton
and His Poetry Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press (1997)
What is freedom? This question is easy enough to answer today. To many, the concept of freedom we have now is a quality of life free from the constraints of a person or a government. In America today, the thought of living a life in which one was “owned” by another person, seems incomprehensible. Until 1865 however, freedom was a concept that many African Americans only dreamed of. Throughout early American Literature freedom and the desire to be free has been written and spoken about by many. Insight into how an African-American slave views freedom and what sparks their desire to receive it can be found in any of the “Slave Narratives” of early American literature, from Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustav Vassa, the African published in 1789, to Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself which was published in 1845. Phillis Wheatley’s poetry and letters and Martin R. Delany’s speech Political Destiny of the Colored Race in the American Continent also contain examples of the African-American slaves’ concepts of freedom; all the similarities and differences among them.
The author was born in Washington D.C. on May 1, 1901. Later, he received a bachelor’s degree from Williams College where he studied traditional literature and explored music like Jazz and the Blues; then had gotten his masters at Harvard. The author is a professor of African American English at Harvard University. The author’s writing
Paul Laurence Dunbar depicts this idea in his well-known poem “Sympathy” (one of my favorite poems!), describing a caged bird that longs for freedom. Dunbar establishes his knowledge of the bird ’s feelings, his desire for freedom (his motive of rebellion). Dunbar draws empathy from the audience as he describes the bird’s integrity in the descriptive lines: “I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till its blood is red on the cruel bars.” The caged bird goes to a dangerous extent to be heard, as he bleeds on his prison bars, for he is willing to do anything for his freedom— this shows his integrity and confidence in his values.
The title to me is almost ironic. In Caged Bird it talks about limited freedom in the sense that a bird that is caged cannot do the one thing it was made for, to fly. Caged Bird is almost a whole reference to how there are many limitations on freedom. I believe each stanza represents a different “time” for the bird. In the first stanza there are many action words used along with the second and third stanzas. In the first stanza it talks about how the bird is free. The author uses action words like, leaps, floats, dips, and dares. The first stanza states, “A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky”(Caged Bird). In context I interpreted this stanza as, a bird jumps onto the wind and is gliding to where the wind may take him. Also that the bird can fly whenever he wants, the sun is orange at dusk and dawn, therefore the bird chooses when to fly. In the second stanza it states, “But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing”(Caged Bird). I think the second stanza is in reference to the time that the bird is in the cage, or a rough
The back slave waits for his freedom. He knows he is created in the image of his God but his fairer fellows fail to see it. Phillys Wheatley and George Moses Horton give voice to the agony of the enslaved male and female. This essay presents an analysis of the poems On Being Brought from Africa to America and George Moses Horton: Myself by Wheatley and Horton respectively. The analysis discovers the message of resistance to the oppression of slavery, its effects and the hypocrisy of the “white Christian” found in these poems.
These three pieces of literature were written around the time of the Civil war, which was a war fought between the Northern States and the Southern States in America. While the main topic of the Civil War was slavery, that was not the only reason for the hostility. These pieces were written about slavery, all with a completely different perspective. From My Bondage and My Freedom was written by Frederick Douglass. He was an actual slave who learned to read and write, and he wrote this book about his journey as a slave and the hardships he endured. Douglass says in his book that “One cannot easily forget to love freedom…” (345) which displays the feelings that he had toward his slavery. From Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe,
George Horton, an African-American slave for 66 years, wrote “Liberty and Slavery” in 1829. In this poem, Horton illustrates his vision of breaking free from the “slavish chain” (Horton, 2) of oppression, primarily through literary techniques of juxtaposition and personification.
wisdom Do you think that is true of the poems of Frost and the other
The passage “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is a very powerful passage. It illustrates feeling trapped or imprisoned very well. I like how well the writer shows that the bird did not have a choice of being trapped. Maya angelou states in the passage “his wings are clipped and his feet are tied” which shows he was forced to be kept in the cage. The passage
Whenever people read poetry it takes into another planet, wonder how? Most authors of poetry have managed to take people into places they never seen before. Their use of imagery can describe both a majestic place or a nightmare on earth, and anything in between. For example, the use of metaphors can connect objects, or places to another, and as a result a metaphor can uncover new and fascinating advantages of the original thing. Another example is alliteration that provides importance, and sometimes supports in memory because it is catchy and perhaps humorous. In the magical world of poetry, all the rules of formal writing go out the window and create a piece of art, something that is entirely unique. Poetry is also very unique because it rarely uses characters; instead it uses literary devices that describe everything in depth. Overall, poetry uses many ways and methods to intrigue its readers to what more and more poetry. With hundreds of spectacular poets we have today it is made possible.
In the movie “ The long walk home “ and the poem “ I know the caged bird sings“ they have their differences but in some ways they are similar. They are both about being trapped and feeling like they can’t do anything that others that are free can do . The poem “ I know the caged bird sings“ was written by a lady named Maya Angelou who had a rough childhood and would never like to speak , it took her a while to get used to peoples company . She was not only a remarkable woman who not only survived multiple wars , but has accomplished living in the great depression . She wrote her poem based on the information she new and grew up around meaning she wrote a sad poem about people being trapped because they feel they aren’t able to be freely as others that can . The long walk home is another example of how it was like to be in the years where black and whites couldn’t get along . There was always conflict between the whites and blacks , whites had more rights and that made the blacks feel as if they were trapped and that was so wrong so Maya Angelou's poem speaks on both of the behalfs of how it was like living in the great depression .
Nothing in life is guaranteed, but the one thing that humans demand is freedom. Throughout history, there are countless cases where groups of people fought for their freedom. They fought their battles in strongly heated debates, protests, and at its worst, war. Under the assumption that the oppressors live in complete power, the oppressed continuously try to escape from their oppressors in order to claim what is rightfully theirs: the freedom of choice. In Emily Dickinson’s poems #280, #435, and #732 and Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, freedom is represented by an individual’s ability to make their own decisions without the guidance, consultation, or outside opinion of others in order to find their true sense of self. Once an individual is physically and spiritually free, they can find their true sense of self.
Contemporary female poets are a very powerful group of female poets that with their poems shows major events and issues in society. Contemporary female poets usually all have an underlying theme of politics, women rights, life events, and sexuality. Contemporary means living or occurring at the same time and some contemporary female poets are, Adrienne Rich, Nikki Giovanni, and Gwendolyn Brooks. Adrienne Rich, Nikki Giovanni, and Gwendolyn Brooks were all writing in the late 1900s. The Women Rights movement and the Civil Rights movement were two events that occurred during the time of the late 1900s. These two movements was heavily incorporated in each Brooks’, Rich’s, and Giovanni’s life and influenced their writings. Each of these women put their personal feelings about political issues in their poems, which makes the theme of their work politics. The theme of these three women work is different aspects of politics, such as women empowerment and women rights, and racial pride. “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” by Adrienne Rich, “Nikki-Rosa” by Nikki Giovanni, and “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooks are the three poems that each represent the theme of politics regarding women rights and empowerment, and racial pride.
2007 drama film, Freedom Writers, directed and written by Richard LaGravenese (whose previous screenplays include The Fisher King and The Bridges of Madison County) starring Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey. It is based on the book The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell (teacher by profession) who wrote the story based on Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California. Hilary Swank stars in this enthralling movie of ghetto kids raised on street corners, underprivileged boys and girls who use drugs, have served time in prison, and are very angry about living in a war zone where people are killed regularly on the streets. She gives them what they need to be successful independently, a voice of their own. Erin Gruwell turned this story around from immense struggles to a successful ending by revolving a rough furious classroom situation into an educational achievement.
The Theme of Love in Poetry Love is a very common theme in poetry. By closely examining the ways in which two poets(one must be pre 1900) have explored this theme. Show what you have found to be similar/different in their handling of this theme. Many people have different views on love. Many of these views throughout the ages are explored through poetry as love has much contemporary relevance in today's society as it ever did before.