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The Harlem Renaissance, also known as the Black Literary Renaissance, was a revolutionary time for the literary world. The movement was meant to challenge both racism and white paternalism as African-American community. This is a period of musical, literary, and cultural proliferation that began in New Work’s African-American community during the sass and early sass. Its writing luminaries Include Jean Toomey, Anna Bonnet’s, and Counted Sullen.
In the poem Song of the Son, Toomey Is turning to the origins of slavery, saying slavery alone has made him a son of this Earth. Song of the Son” is a five stanza, rhyming poem. Each stanza has five lines. The poem in the first stanza talks about the correlation between nature and song. The second stanza talks about the son and his correlation with nature. Both the first and second stanza collaborates to make the title of the poem Song of the Son.
The last two stanza talk about the how the society during that time depicts slaves, “O Negro slaves, dark and purple ripened plums. ” The narrator also talks of the sun setting on he slaves who frequently used songs as a form of expression. The narrator expresses an interest in remembering and figuratively staying connected with the slaves who had worked the land in previous generations. It seems to me that a poem which effectively expresses the spirit of Harlem Renaissance poetry is “From the Dark Tower,” by Counted Sullen.
The first stanza open up the poem with the Idea of struggle. Sullen states In these first lines, we see a man planting, yet not reaping, his own rewards. Instead, the fruits of that labor will simply be plucked away by others, resalable by white men who take what the black men sow. Sullen is also saying that the oppressed black people of his day will not always Just sit and watch their people and heritage be enslaved. Sullen uses the image of a “sable”, (meaning black night sky that relieves the harsh, grim, barren day (stark) as a metaphor.
Sullen Is referring to young African Americans as “buds” ( lines 13 Even though they are alive, they are so limited by being a black person In America that they will never come close to realizing their full potential A Black Ban Talks of Reaping is a poem that accuses on the oppression and racism in America. This poem describes the trial and hardships of the African American people. The poem also talks about the little children that weren’t around for the planting, but still have to taste the bitter fruit.
This could mean that future generations still have to face the discrimination between the races. Stanza 1, he has been plating for many years against fear of losing the harvest and the extenuate that he won’t. Stanza 2, He has plated a lot of seeds, but has only harvested very little of what he sowed. Stanza 3, The speaker is saying that o matter how hard he works, his son will have the same fate he does. The author’s tone is harsh and sad: harsh for having to work and sad for his son.
The mood of the poem Is disappointing for the feeling of failure for his sons. This poem Is important because It sends out a message to all blacks and speaks about how every black was today’s African- American writers. The Harlem Renaissance was the internal spring for African-Americans branching out into the world on their own desire. The renaissance opened a new dimension for African-Americans and brought about the legalization of “l can do it, and do it with dignity, grace, and style. This time period in history was not Just a national movement, but an impact creating a revolution of sorts. Harlem saw a never-seen-before work per excellence, in various fields, which gave African-Americans a renewed image and a fresh outlook. Harlem Renaissance has been the breeding ground for creative endeavors by authors, poets, and artists. Harlem, in itself, was an idea of cultural excitement that progressed throughout the twentieth century. Black visual artists experienced an explosion in ideas and energy during Harlem Renaissance.
The Harlem Renaissance produced novelists, poets, artists and musicians who are today considered some of the finest that America ever produced, regardless of race. In conclusion, the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance has opened doors for today’s African- American writers. The Harlem Renaissance was the internal spring for African-Americans branching out into the world on their own desire. This time period in history was not Just a national movement, but an impact creating a revolution of sorts. Harlem Renaissance has been the breeding ground for creative endeavors by authors, poets, and artists.