These, like McKays poems, were not the easiest to understand for me. They were a little easier than McKays poems, however, I did end up reading them a few times to try to get a meaning for them. While reading them I tried to read them like we do our readings in class by breaking them down and thinking about them, I was able to come up with some basic ideas of their meanings.
After reading Karintha, I had the same thought about it as we discussed in class. As I mentioned in class as well, it was like she was growing up too soon. This young girl was desired by everyone and was not really able to be a child. While reading Reapers I tried to focus mostly on the imagery. The very first two words stuck out to me as African American workers as well as the Black horses. I was completely unsure of the Becky writing. I had a basic idea but once we talked about it, it became more clear. My confusion was where they were excluding her but at the same time helping her with prayers and food. Now that we've discussed it as a class, I understand the writing more clearly.
After talking about them in class and breaking them down they were a little easier to read and understand. The readings were not as difficult as the McKay poems but like I said I have to break them down myself like we do in class to gain a better understanding of the stories in Cane.
5 comments:
I too thought these were easier than Mckay. The stories help put meanings to the poems. I think becky was symoblic of whites being cast out for having anything to do with blacks. Whites maybe were considered as low as blacks or maybe just a hair above if they were with blacks. The children of these white woman with a black man were treated as black. If a white man was with a black women often he wasnt cast out as a white woman with a black man would be, although the black children very well could be treated just the same as a pure black. Gender and Race come into play as Toomer wrote Becky
I also picked up on the mentioning of the black color in Reapers. This resembling the African race of course. This was one of my favorite poems, due to the amount of illiteration and imagery used.
I'm not one for poetry either. I would rather read something that is straight forward that I don't have to get the meaning from. As you did I also tried to break things down line by line, but it's still confusing to me. I don't think I fully understand what I'm reading until we have our discussions in class and everyone is putting their ideas together. Then after hearing everything I feel as if I should have been able to figure it out.
I don't know if I find these poems easier then McKay, but I do like the way there are descriptions of people mixed in with the poems. I thought that was an interesting way of writing.
I thought McKay's poetry was easier to understand as well but I find myself liking Toomer much better than McKay. I think that although his writings are much more difficult to understand they are rich and deep. I find myself looking forward to these readings much more.
I think your approach to reading Toomer's work is pretty good. Like you, I tried my best to understand the events and meanings in the short story sketches, although some were a bit dense. The poems scattered in between make things interesting and help to provide flow as well as create a lot of interesting imagery, like you mentioned.
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