prayer of a black boy poem summary
Answers
Prayer of a Black Boy
Laura: This poem is a very emotive piece of literature as Julia and Rachael mentioned. The subject it deals with is a very sensitive one.
The emotions the boy deals with are very mature and the style of the poem suggests that his parents have had an influence on his thoughts and opinions.
Liz: This is reflected in the first line when the boy says he is “tired”. This is a metaphor often used by elderly people when they have lived through many events. They are not physically tired but mentally exhausted. This suggests that the young boy has witnessed many atrocities and culture changes inflicted on his race by the white culture.
Adam: The boy is obviously uncomfortable being in a white school that is governed by white people. He says the road to school is steep and that it is their school. By this he means that the school isn’t actually on top of a hill, but it is a mental ascent to have the courage to accept another culture teaching him western traits, most of which aren’t relative to the life he wants to leave.
Laura: The boy can be compared to a wild animal… he wants to run free and do what comes naturally to him, rather than being kept in “captivity” like an attraction in a Zoo, to ease the consciences of the white traitors that have denied his right to live his own life. This comparison can be reinforced by the things he wants and would prefer to a western education.
“I’d rather stroll along the sugar stores…I’d rather listen – when the moon is whispering tenderly into the ears of cocoa palms…”
Liz: The boy comments on waking up… by this he means that he in fact wants to accept the white men once they have gone, and freed the workers they have taken from his culture.
A recurring theme with in the poem is that of the “real gentleman” by this the boy is referring to the stereotypical, white city men, who work in banks and institutes in the big cities around the world. He says how he should be one of these, but how it is not what he wants from life.
Adam: He says that the school is sad and the life is sad and how they miss out on so many things that he feels are essential to a happy life.
The main Underlying theme in this poem is the lack of diversity in the western culture, and how he fears living such a mundane life.
In this poem, there is no definitive rhyming pattern and very little punctuation. This means that the poem flows fluently, as if it were a trail of thought. Although it has this fluency, there is some separation by commas, which creates a staggered effect that gives the impression that the poet is contemplating life. Aside from the commas, the first form of irregular punctuation is an ellipsis. This brings the poem back to its original point. The lines of the poem do not have a specific length, which again suggests the theme of contemplation and thought. At the end of the final stanza, there is repetition of the phrase “Who do not even know how to…” This is used to reinforce how much harder coloured people have worked throughout the centuries compared to white people. The main focal point of this poem is the constant use of metaphorical imagery which creates a sense of belonging and empathy with the boy and the situation.
In conclusion we feel that this poem is a reaction against the domination of the white population in the black boy’s land. The boy in the poem feels that the western white people are trying to oppress his culture and country and natural needs, forcing him and his people to conform to the white man’s theory of normality.
The boys wish in the prayer is a very simple and basic one… to do what his ancestors have done for centuries and remain in a world and life he feels comfortable with… a need and desire which appears to be neglected by the over dominant white race.
Prayer of a black boy is a poem written by Gut Tirolien
Summary of the poem
- The poem Prayer of a black boy is written in the style of a prayer of a black boy
- The black boy is praying to God to get freedom from the white invaders from his land.
- The boy wants to go back to his actual place with his Dad.
- The boy pleads to God that he doesn't want to go to the school of white.
- The boy needs to stay with his father in their country rather than going to school with the Whites
- He wants to lie down under a mango tree to sleep till he wants.
- The difference between the two cultures is evident here by the word barefoot
- He is describing the factory of a sugar field as a ship where a lot of black slaves work
- The boy compares the brown sugar with his skin color
- The boy wants to lead a simple life just like his ancestors.
- The boy says to God that the Negros are working a lot and now he doesn't want to study another culture.
- He doesn't want to learn from foreign books because the boy believes that they don't know how to dance by the light of the moon and how to walk on the flesh of their own feet.
- He believes that all of this will be normal in his own country
- The last thing he again begs is not to go to the school of whites.
The dark side of Racism is depicted in this poem. The poet shows a clear picture of the Black people and what might be their thoughts.