Comparative Analysis Of African Americ Annotated Bibliography

The story that surrounds the transatlantic slave trade is notoriously known, by both young and old, across the nation. This story has not only survived, but thrived as “truth” through generations for several centuries; Although, it is much closer to a mystical tale than reality. In Reversing Sail, Michael Gomez lays the myths affiliated with African Diaspora to rest. Gomez shows the path of the amalgamation of the African people along with their resources into Europe. A path that leads to the New World, that would potentially become the Americas, would ultimately result in more than just the exploitation of Africans as slaves. Compacted into an eight-chapter undergrad textbook, Gomez uses Reversing Sail to unground the history, complexity, and instrumentality of the African Diaspora. He does such in a

Angelou, in the first stanza, she talks about being characterized very negatively. This can be the effect of the history during the time that Angelou grew up, back when segregation was allowed in the United States. The “bitter” and “twisted lies” can represent the racist and negative comments that people made and thought during this time. Line three may illustrate the hate crimes that

The structure of this poem is 3 stanzas with all the lines in the poem except Lines 9 and 15 in iambic tetrameter. In this metric pattern, a line has four pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables, for a total eight syllables. The internal structure of the poem is the narrator talking about the mask the African American people wear and the oppression that hurts them. Then the second stanza is sarcastic and negative towards the idea that it will ever change. Then the last stanza shows that they cling to Christ and the journey will be long.

This poem is written from the perspective of an African-American from a foreign country, who has come to America for the promise of equality,

In a time when Africans were stolen from their native lands and brought through the middle passage to a land that claimed was a free country, a small African girl, who would later be known as Phillis Wheatley, was sold in Boston in 1761. In the speech, “The Miracle of Black Poetry in America”, written by June Jordan, a well respected black poet, professor and activist, wrote the speech in 1986, 200 years after Phillis walked the earth, to honor the legacy of the first black female poet for the people of the United States. Jordan, passionately alludes to the example of Phillis Wheatley’s life, to show the strength and perseverance of African-American people throughout difficult history and how they have overcome the impossible.

Phillis Wheatley’s, ‘On Being Brought from AFRICA to AMERICA’ is a testament to writing that utilizes irony and satire to produce a salient argument. As Susan Martin, states in her analysis of Wheatley’s poem, “a young woman who sought to assert her views on the passage from freedom to slavery, ignorance to knowledge, darkness to enlightenment” (Martin, 157). In particular, Wheatley’s aim was to construct a piece which addresses the ideals expressed by Martin utilizing irony and satire. Moreover, Wheatley, at the time of writing this poem, was amongst those enslaved. In fact, Wheatley published her first book in 1773. This is a time before America’s independence and most certainly a time where slavery was prominent. This book, which contained numerous poems, proved those enslaved were more intelligent than previously thought. Within Wheatley’s book, her famous poem, ‘On Being Brought from AFRICA to AMERICA’ was read. Read by those who supported slavery and those who opposed it. Typically, Wheatley addresses Christianity and avoids any discussion of race. However, this poem addresses racial issues straight on. On the surface of this poem lies words that when first perceived, appear to support slavery and her deposition from Africa. Moreover, Wheatley utilizes irony and satire to provide a deeper message that speaks out against slavery. More importantly, satire and irony allow two views to form. Through analysis from authors, Levernier, Loving, and Martin, their multiple perspectives can be formed into one. This analysis, will allow a better understanding of Wheatley’s intent with each line and a closer analysis of her clever rhetoric. Furthermore, Wheatley aims to reveal the improper treatment of, “Negros, black as Cain” (Wheatley), while also allowing the poem to be perceived as an appraisal of slavery. Furthermore, Wheatley utilizes each line to provide discussion on different issues regarding slavery in terms of criticizing white Christianity. Furthermore, Wheatley makes her viewpoint of slavery clear; an improper treatment that will not last.

In conclusion, the poem was used as a key to unlock some of the thoughts the negro had concerning Africa. The negro in this poem was a representative of all negroes during this time; their thoughts and the their feelings toward Africa. Cullen’s usage of the literary devices allow for an effective expression of the meaning of this poem. Poems are intensified language of experience, so the devices assured the connection of the reader to the poem and the experience. This applies to many issues in society today because as beautiful as our country is there are still dark clouds that cover the very essence of what the states once stood

The purpose of this book is to offer his perspective on how Africans were treated in the Americas from 1550 to 1812.

Perhaps the reason that Maya’s poetry has had such a lasting impact on Americans is because of her poems such as ‘Caged Birds’ and ‘Still I Rise’ that demonstrate the issues that African – Americans faced, which she has done through the power of her words. She also challenges the readers with the theme of oppression that is carried out through her pomes as she felt very strongly about it by being surrounded by it her entire life. Maya Angelou has left an everlasting mark by influencing the society through her poems by inspiring others to persist towards their goals and dreams with strength and pride. Overall, Maya Angelou’s work can be attributed to the fact that her personal and cultural experiences of power have not been forgotten by overcoming adversity and oppression, which is clearly reflected in her inspiration body of work seen

Before taking up this course my personal knowledge on the African Race was very limited especially with regards to their origin and how they arrived at The Americas. Going through the course and having read the works and narratives of several African writers I could understand the travails and hardships they underwent and still undergo in several other forms in their quest to realize their dreams in their New World. Several writers have expressed their feelings and thoughts of the struggle of the African Americans like : Phillips Wheatly, France Hooper – Moses A study of the nile, musical

She compares herself to a "black ocean, leaping and wide," an indication of the infinite power of her resilience. She closes the poem claiming that she is the "dream and the hope of the slave" followed by the thrice repeated phrase, "I rise." “Angelou captures the both the repression and the progress of the African American people over the course of history.” (Bouchard 1) I will use this essay in my final paper to analyze and determine the importance of simile in this poem and how it deeply affects the way in which the poem is meant to be

     There were a few interesting lines in the poem that were particularly well written. When the mother is denying her kid the right to march, she says “For I fear

Phillis Wheatley’s poem, “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” is rich with poetic and literary devices such as symbolism and metaphor and the poem in its entirety can be observed as a

When the country of Africa is discussed in the year of 2017, there is a common notion that materialize in the depths of most people’s minds. These thoughts are usually guided by a societal stereotype that is unfair to the indigenous peoples of Africa, but also consistent compared to the preceding generations beliefs. Africa is often looked at as a congregate of underprivileged, destitute black people. Although this proposition is far from truth, this idea was part of the reason that African American slavery and the Middle Passage came to fruition. Even former slaves and civil rights activists have different perceptions of Africa. Phillis Wheatley, Frances Harper, and Robert Hayden are three extremely important figures in the history of African American literature. Their most well known work revolves around the topic of slavery. Within their works of literature, all three authors effectively recount the inhumane and morbid conditions placed upon the slavery of African Americans, but their individual depictions of the country of Africa differ. Although Wheatley, Harper, and Hayden would disagree on how they viewed Africa, does not mean that one person is correct; In fact, each author has justifiable reasons to why they describe Africa the way they did.

More over the inferiority complex which was injected in the minds of the colonized was so powerful that for each and everything they turned to the West rather than turning to themselves and their culture. This is very evident in this poem. The whole poem is an outcry against the once colonial rule that devastated the lives of the colonized people. Thought the colonial powers thought assimilation would happen in the lives of the colonized it didn’t happen. Because even though the colonized tried to drop their identities to be like a European he was not included in the society of the west. Thus the colonized was left alone to suffer alone in their crisis of self and identity. The poems lines suggest the pain and suffering that each colonized has in his/her