TABLEAU

Locked arm in arm they cross the way,
   The black boy and the white,
The golden splendor of the day,
   The sable pride of night.

From lowered blinds the dark folk stare,
   And here the fair folk talk,
Indignant that these two should dare
   In unison to walk.

Oblivious to look and work
   They pass, and see no wonder
That lightning brilliant as a sword
   Should blaze the path of thunder. 

Cullen uses great imagery in this poem, and the importance of this imagery is immediately apparent.  That is what I love about this poem.  There really isn't left to the imagination,  as it is very clearly about race equality.  The thing is, it is not a very realistic view of how racial equality ended up happening.  It is about how racial equality should, and could have, have happened.  "The golden splendor of the day" creates a very joyful and ceremonious image, and obviously racial equality was not achieved easily.  Despite the need for civil rights, the poem also shows how neither side was fully willing to meet the other half way when it says that "from lowered blinds the dark folk stare, And here the fair fold talk."  Although they wanted civil rights, it shows how the African-Americans may not have been fully willing to live hand-in-hand with white people.

The next topic is sound devices.  The poem maintains a consistent true rhyme scheme, except for in lines 9 and 11, where slant rhyme takes place.  Incidentally, it is in this stanza that the rhythm is also broken for the first time.  

The figure of speech that I saw first in the simile that takes place in line 11, "That lightning brilliant as a sword..."  This could symbolize the shock that people got from seeing a black boy and a white boy crossing the street arm in arm, not only from a racial standpoint, but also a homoerotic standpoint.  lines 7 and 8 have the same idea.

Gatsby Question

Are there any characters who you think aren't what they seem?  If so, who and why?

The Importance of Poetry

The amount of value poetry contains depends completely on perspective.  Poetry could mean the world to some people, but to others, (including myself), it is meaningless.  It all depends on the individual.  This is why I don't believe in teaching it in school;  the only ones who really get anything out of studying poetry are the ones who thoroughly enjoy and appreciate it.  Plus, knowing how to analyze poems won't help you get a job.  Sounding smart on a résumé will, which is something English class can help you with.  Speech skills learned in English class will also help you with job interviews, as well as presentations you would have to give for your job.   I'm not denying that poetry is a good thing, I just don't really see the point of teaching it in school. 

The American Dream

The American Dream means to simply live a fun life.  To find love, to find a good job, and to just have fun.  You could be making all the money in the world, but if your job is taking up your every waking hour to the point where you don't have time for fun, what's the point?  The other aspect of the American Dream is giving back.  If you are living the "classic" American Dream, you probably have a decent amount of money.  A great thing to do with this money is to donate.  Donating usually gives you a good feeling, and feeling good is the basic idea of living the American Dream.