Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Sterling Allen Brown was a prominent African American poet and literary critic who lived from 1901 to 1989. "Southern Road" was published in 1932, during a time when African American sharecroppers in the South were facing difficult and oppressive conditions. The poem reflects on the hardships and struggles of African Americans in the rural South during the early 20th century.

Content: 

"Southern Road" is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the experiences of African American sharecroppers in the rural South. The poem begins with the speaker describing the dusty, barren landscape of the South, and the difficult lives of the sharecroppers who work the land. The speaker then reflects on the resilience and strength of the African American community in the face of adversity, celebrating their ability to find joy and meaning in their lives despite the challenges they face. The final stanza of the poem is particularly powerful, as the speaker suggests that the struggles of African Americans in the rural South are part of a larger struggle for justice and equality.

Form:

The poem is structured in six stanzas, each with four lines, and uses a consistent ABAB rhyme scheme.  The poem's form is characterized by its consistent rhyme scheme and four-line stanzas, which create a sense of structure and order in the poem. The use of vivid imagery, such as the description of the "dusty road" and the "sun-baked earth", helps to create a sense of atmosphere and mood.

Poetic Elements: 

The poem employs several poetic devices, including metaphor, imagery, and allusion. The comparison of the sharecropper's life to a "drudging ox" creates a sense of oppression and hopelessness, while the reference to the "Gethsemane" alludes to the biblical story of Jesus' suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Summary:

 "Southern Road" is a powerful and poignant poem that captures the struggles and resilience of African American sharecroppers in the rural South during the early 20th century. The poem's use of vivid imagery and metaphor helps to convey the harsh realities of sharecropping, while also celebrating the strength and resilience of the African American community. The final stanza of the poem is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the struggles of African Americans in the rural South are part of a larger struggle for justice and equality. Overall, the poem is a testament to the human spirit and its ability to find hope and meaning in the face of adversity.

Poem Excerpt:

We bear the singing

Of the whips we daily feel

We sing in hopefulness

Of one day cutting our heel

Free from the cursed soil

And from the creatures that toil,

The Gethsemane of our hopes,

The Calvary of our wills.