Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | ||||||||
"From the Dark Tower" is a poem by Countee Cullen, first published in 1927. The poem addresses the issue of racism and the struggle for freedom and equality for African Americans. Explanation: The poem begins with an address to African Americans, urging them to rise up against the forces of oppression and inequality. The speaker describes the historical legacy of slavery and racism, and the ongoing struggle to overcome these forces. The poem concludes with a call to action, urging African Americans to rise up and claim their freedom. Poetic Elements:
Conclusion: "From the Dark Tower" is a powerful and urgent poem that addresses the issue of racism and the struggle for freedom and equality for African Americans. Through the use of vivid imagery, metaphor, and repetition, Countee Cullen captures the complexity and depth of the struggle, and reflects on the possibility of hope and unity in the face of oppression. POEM TEXT: We shall not always plant while others reap The golden increment of bursting fruit, Not always countenance, abject and mute, That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap; Not everlastingly while others sleep Shall we beguile their limbs with mellow flute, Not always bend to some more subtle brute; We were not made to eternally weep. The night whose sable breast relieves the stark, White stars is no less lovely being dark, And there are buds that cannot bloom at all In light, but crumple, piteous, and fall; So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds, And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds.
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