I like reading the Cullen poems so far. Although, once again, poems are not my best, I like the flow of the poems. The rhyme scheme that we havent really had that much throughout our readings before makes the poems a little more easier to read. I started reading the poems and the first one that stuck out to me was "Saturday's Child". The first thing that came to mind was the contrast between white and African American children. "Some are teethed on silver spoon" reminds me of the more upper class white children as opposed to "swathed limbs in a sackcloth gown" seems to be of the more lower class life. It also made me think that if it wasn't contrasting black and white children, there was a definite difference between the two families...the children being wanted and not wanted (which is horrible) but the father said it was just "one mouth more to feed". There was no excitement or love with the birth of his child.
Another poem that really stuck out to me was "Incident". As an eight year old, it must have been one of the first, if not the first, racial comment this child has heard. These two children were obviously raised differently, the white child raised against African American people. The child was in Baltimore for 8 long months with tons to see and all this child could remember was a horrible comment that they could never possibly forget. What a horrible feeling.
9 comments:
It's a startling realization when we consider how the seeds of hate are planted from the beginning for many people. Seeing a child harmed like that at such an early age and in turn harming other children with the hatred is extremely disheartening.
The poem, Saturday’s Child, really portrays the African Americans’ feelings about the differences that they feel as compared to white people. What is so striking about this poem is that Cullen uses children to highlight these differences. Children, whether they are black or white in this poem are innocent and dependent upon the people in their lives. This poem shows how very different these children’s lives are based on the color of their skin.
I agree with the rhyme scheme of these poems. It does make it easier to read, but I still found of the poems to be hard to understand. I liked the two poems that you picked out to write about. I felt as if these were two poems that were straight forward and not as hard to understand. It really is horrible to think that a child who is suppose to be innocent gets called a "nigger" and is forced to have this stuck in his head forever. It's ashame to think a child spend so long on a trip and all he could remember is something as nasty and horrible as what he was called. I think everyone can relate to a feel like this when someone has said something completely off color to them that they will remember forever.
I thought that The Incident stood out as well. It is so horrible that an eight year old child has to deal with racism. What's even more sad is that the child probably remembered that incident throughout his life.
I enjoyed both the poems you are discussing. I found them very relatable. Even when you go to college you see even a class difference between students.
Also regarding Balimore, I was also shocked that the young 8 year old was there for 7-8 months and all they remebered was a degragatory statement. Something so small can be so powerful!
"Incident" really stuck out in my mind because it must have meant so much to be the only thing he remembered. I love the way he wrote it. In such a simple child-like rhyme yet it held a life changing event.
When I saw the title of "Saturday's Child," I was expecting it to be along the lines of the Mother Goose poem that I remember:
Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go.
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child born on the Sabbath Day,
Is fair and wise and good and gay.
Wow, was I wrong! This poem had a much more serious message, one of saddness and abandonment felt by so-called "unwanted" black children. Isn't it so sad that children went, and in some situations continue to be, unloved and unwanted?
Ya. I think the poem "Incident" can relate to everyone. We have all had an incident where we have been affected in such a way. I felt really bad for the main character in the poem
I agree with you on how the rhyme scheme of the poems does make it a little easier to read but not much. I am also not very good with poems I find it very hard to interpret them. Saturday's Child did stand out to me as well and you can definiately see the class difference and how life is much better if your "white" than black.
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