Harvest Song By Jean Toomer Essay

In the early 1920s, three works signaled the new creative energy in African American literature. McKay’s volume of poetry, Harlem Shadows (1922), became one of the first works by a black writer to be published by a mainstream, national publisher (Harcourt, Brace and Company). Cane (1923), by Jean Toomer, was an experimental novel that combined poetry and prose in documenting the life of American blacks in the rural South and urban North (Andrews 4). Finally, There Is Confusion (1924), the first novel by writer and Editor Jessie Fauset, depicted middle-class life among black Americans from a woman’s perspective (Andrews 4).

Released in 1971 and produced by Reprise records, river is an intensely emotional contemporary folk song about heartbreak. Written solely by Joni Mitchell for her album ‘Blue’ the song is reminiscent of Christmas time although lyrically it has little relationship to Christmas. (Hopper, 2012)

Poetry as a literally work in which the expression of ideas and feelings is given strength has had great authors overtime who took different perspectives in this genre of literature. These poets used distinctive rhythm and style to express their styles, poetic themes, outlook on life, and had their share of influence on the American society. This paper uses the basis of these styles, themes, outlook on life and subsequent influence on the American society to compare three prolific poets who ventured into this literature genre: Robert Frost, Mary Oliver, and Maya Angelou. Robert Frost (1874-1963) holds a unique and almost sole position in the career span which mostly encompasses

The Harlem Renaissance period in Modernistic American Literature began when Black authors wrote about that with which they were familiar—what it is to be black. Writers such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Willa Cather proved through their writings that the African-American lives were not only different from that of their white counter-parts, but that the writings were relevant for the historical period and beyond. Another Harlem Renaissance writer who led the way for future black writers was Nella Larsen, author of the story Quicksand.

“Strange Fruit” is a song written by Abel Meeropol but was recorded by Billie Holiday. Holiday was a jazz musician and song writer in the early 1900’s. Strange Fruit had a context that was relevant in the 1930s. Basically, in the 1930’s, white and black people did not get along or participate in anything together. In fact, black people were known to be inferior to white people. African Americans would be killed, hanged, and burned. Strange Fruit was based around protesting racism, in which African Americans were being traumatized because of the color of their skin. “Blood on the leaves and blood at the root/ Black body swinging in the Southern breeze/” (line 2-3). Although it doesn’t directly state that African

Jean Toomer was an African American writer. He was known as the leading American writer of the 1920s after he established his book "Cane" which inspired authors of the Harlem Renaissance.

This shows that he kept in mind how other people feel when they are around in a dark and late setting. He also tries to lighten up the mood and make himself seem friendlier by whistling tunes from classical music. “I whistle melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi and the more popular classical composers” (Staples 226). Whistling got people to feel calmer around him, for he writes, “and occasionally they even join in the tune” (Staples 226). He changed the way he physically appeared to be so that people would be less likely to put on a stereotype about African Americans on him.

Langston Hughes was one of the great writers of his time. He was named the “most renowned African American poet of the 20th century” (McLaren). Through his writing he made many contributions to following generations by writing about African American issues in creative ways including the use of blues and jazz. Langston Hughes captured the scene of Harlem life in the early 20th century significantly influencing American Literature. He once explained that his writing was an attempt to “explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America” (Daniel 760). To fulfill this task, he wrote 15 volumes of poetry, six novels, three books, 11 plays, and a variety of non-fiction work (Daniel 760). He also edited over 50 books in his time (McKay).

The Harlem Renaissance is an important time in American literature. There were writers at this time like Wallace Thurman, Zora Neale Hurston, and Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes wrote many poems such as the “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “The Weary Blues.”

Ludacris does a remarkable job of portraying his message about the struggles that some adolescents are faced with. “Runaway Love”, by Ludacris, featuring Mary J. Blige (2007), represents the theme of struggle through hip-hop and rap music. It is about little girls who are “stuck up in the world on their own.” They have to take care of themselves because the people they are around do not care about them. They range from nine to eleven years in age, and their goal in life, at such a young age, is to run away from home. Ludacris is trying to get the listener to realize the struggles that even children have to face because adults are not the only ones who have problems, like most people believe. He is very successful in

“Slavery in the south was brutal as anybody could imagine” an idea expressed by Jean Toomer through his poem called “November Cotton Flower”. The poem is fourteen lines of rhyming verse describing the harsh, sudden and questionable bloom of a cotton flower in the month of November. It is composed of heroic couplets, with a regular rhyme scheme, which is as follows: A, A, B, B, C, C, D, D, E, E, F, G, H, H, but the poem reads like Shakespearian sonnet - three quatrains developing a certain tone and theme, followed by a couplet that undercuts or reverses them. In the beginning it portrays the scuffle for survival of cotton flower during November’s harsh winter weather; but towards the end, it describes the sudden bloom of it. The author goes in depth with most of the descriptions to give a reader a clear and strong mental image.

The Harlem Renaissance produced a myriad of talented writers. These writers included Nella Larsen, Jessie Redmond Fauset, and Walter Thurman who told of the struggles with identity in their writings. Nella Larsen was of mixed ancestry born to a Danish mother and a West Indian father. It was a belief that her novel Quicksand, was based on her life. Larsen was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1891. According to Wikipedia, she lived in Denmark for a few years and attended Fisk University before settling in Harlem, where she worked as a nurse and later becoming a librarian. She published her highly successful novel Quicksand in 1928. Another popular writer of the Harlem Renaissance was Jessie Redmond Fauset. Fauset was the author of the widely popular novel Plum Bun: A Novel Without Moral, which she published in 1928. Fauset was born in New Jersey but spend some years in Philadelphia before going to New York to teach. According to Wikipedia, Fauset was the

Wooden Fish Songs, a historical novel written by Ruthanne Lum McCunn, is written with three narrators. The main character in this story is Lue Gim Gong, a Chinese immigrant who gives up his country and family to pursue his passion for botany. Three women that knew him the best narrate Lue Gim Gong's story from three distinct cultures and three distinct points of view. They include his mother Sum Jui, his teacher Fanny Burlingame, and a friend that he makes named Sheba. Their contrasting perspectives are carefully interwoven from chapter to chapter. Lue, however, never gets a voice throughout the book; this makes Lue Gim Gong's life even more puzzling than it already is.

Whitman wrote broad stanzas and focused on the whole of America as his inspiration. His lines covered a wide range of topics and generated multiple points of view for the reader. He called his life’s work “Leaves of Grass”; stressing the

While the struggle to individually survive is inherent in Toni Morrison’s Jazz, what stands out more is the way companionship helps the characters to survive. The relationships that develop within the story are potent in their effects on characters, especially Joe Trace, a fifty-three year old man struggling with a failing marriage. Trying to fulfill his own desires, he has an affair. But because he kills Dorcas, his young lover who does not truly love him, Joe finds himself isolated from his wife and the rest of society. By reestablishing his relationships and connections to people who want to truly care for him, Joe is able to make himself whole again.