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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
June Jordan's poem "Alla Tha's All Right, But" is a raw and compelling exploration of personal desire and the quest for an intimate, transformative experience. The poem juxtaposes the speaker's yearning for a deeply personal and immediate connection against the backdrop of broader societal and historical concerns. This tension creates a powerful commentary on the need for individual fulfillment amidst overwhelming external pressures. The poem opens with an urgent plea: "Somebody come and carry me into a seven-day kiss." This line sets the tone for the entire piece, emphasizing the speaker's longing for an intimate, sustained moment of connection. The repetition of the need for a "seven-day kiss" underscores the intensity and duration of the desired experience, suggesting a craving for an escape that is both intense and immersive. Jordan contrasts this personal yearning with the limitations of "historic no national no family bliss." The speaker dismisses these broader, more abstract sources of happiness, highlighting their insufficiency in addressing her immediate emotional needs. This rejection of collective or inherited sources of fulfillment emphasizes the speaker's desire for something that is uniquely her own, an "absolutely one to one" connection that transcends societal or familial expectations. The poem's middle section shifts focus to the speaker's intellectual and social engagements: "I can read the daily papers / I can even make a speech." These lines suggest a degree of competence and involvement in public life, yet they are quickly undermined by the following lines: "But the news is stuff that tapers / down to salt poured in the breach." Here, Jordan uses the metaphor of salt in a wound to convey the futility and pain of engaging with the overwhelming and often disheartening realities of the world. This imagery underscores the speaker's disillusionment with external affairs and her consequent turn inward. Jordan continues to explore the speaker's broader concerns: "I been scheming about my people I been scheming about sex / I been dreaming about Africa and nightmaring Oedipus the Rex." These lines reflect a wide range of preoccupations, from racial and cultural identity to personal and sexual politics, and even classical literature. The use of "scheming" and "dreaming" suggests both strategic thinking and deep contemplation, while "nightmaring" introduces a sense of dread and psychological conflict. Despite these wide-ranging concerns, the speaker returns to the specificity of her personal need: "But what I need is quite specific / terrifying rough stuff and terrific." The use of "terrifying" and "rough" contrasts with the previous intellectual and emotional engagements, emphasizing the raw, physical nature of the desired experience. The word "terrific" reintroduces a positive note, suggesting that despite the intensity, the experience sought is ultimately fulfilling and exhilarating. The poem concludes with a reiteration of the speaker's primary plea: "I need an absolutely one to one a seven-day kiss / I can’ use no more historic no national no bona fide family bliss / Somebody come and carry me into a seven-day kiss." The repetition reinforces the urgency and centrality of this desire, while the dismissal of "historic," "national," and "bona fide family bliss" once again underscores the inadequacy of these broader sources of fulfillment in meeting the speaker's immediate emotional and physical needs. "Somebody come on / Somebody come on and carry me / over there!" The final lines amplify the urgency and desperation in the speaker's voice, ending the poem on a powerful note of longing and anticipation. In "Alla Tha's All Right, But," Jordan masterfully captures the tension between the individual's need for personal, intimate fulfillment and the broader societal and historical pressures that often overshadow these needs. Through vivid imagery and emotive language, the poem speaks to the universal desire for connection and the challenges of finding it amidst the complexities of modern life.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CHAMBER MUSIC: 31 by JAMES JOYCE CHAMBER MUSIC: 34 by JAMES JOYCE KISSING AGAIN by DORIANNE LAUX PROMISES, PROMISES by PAUL MULDOON THE CITY OF THE OLESHA FRUIT by NORMAN DUBIE PENDULUM by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON TEARS AND KISSES by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON |
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