Question

Summary of a poem " I want to write " By Margaret Walker

Answer 1

With “I Want to Write,” Margaret Walker Alexander provides her literary manifesto that she wants to produce well-crafted poetry that shows African people how beautiful they are, which will encourage or inspire them to continue the struggle against white supremacy and toward the fulfillment of their humanity and citizenship.


The manifesto is two-fold statement. She declares that she wants to write well, which means to master literary device–more specifically imagery, repetition, and the cadence of the black Baptist preacher–and she wants that writing to be used in the upliftment of African peoples. With “I Want to Write” and later with all of her works, Dr. Alexander affirms and achieves W. E. B. DuBois’s notion that “in the final analysis all art is propaganda.” Yet, Dr. Alexander also affirms that utilitarian art must be well-crafted art; in fact, the only way that art can be utilitarian, which is to cause the desired catharsis, is that it must be well-crafted. The how (literary device) and the what (subject matter) of the creative work must be given equal attention by the writer. Since “I Want to Write” is not an essay but a poem, she does not describe (tell) the literary devices that she plans to use but rather provides (shows) them as sonic examples of the imagery, repetition, and cadence of the black Baptist preacher that will be the core elements of all her creative works.

Answer 2

Answer:

With “I Want to Write,” Margaret Walker Alexander provides her literary manifesto that she wants to produce well-crafted poetry that shows African people how beautiful they are, which will encourage or inspire them to continue the struggle against white supremacy and toward the fulfillment of their humanity and citizenship.