(noun) -the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly

The sound of the waves hitting the ship remind her of the beat in tribal songs she heard growing up

(noun) -sternness or severity of manner or attitude

In many West African cultures, wood sculptures would be made of the tribe's ancestors to be remembered and worshipped.

This is probably referring to when the ship had finished its stops on the African coast and made its venture across the Pacific Ocean.

The conditions often included no bathrooms, spread of disease, and myriad of sicknesses.

(noun) a narrow opening or crack, typically one that admits light.

Phillis Wheatley was brought to Boston, Massachusetts, on a slave ship in 1761, this is the venture being described throughout the first part of the poem.

Phillis Wheatley was born and raised for the first 8 years of her life in Senegal/Gambia in West Africa

Conditions on a slave ship were horrific, often including seclusion in a confined room and being shackled to a wall.

This could allude to the use of a wrap to allow mothers to be hand-free while carrying their babies on their bodies.

Not the stereotypical american description for women; reveals a strength in black women that is discussed further, later on in the poem and the physical labor that African women are more subjected to then American women.

Reveals this poem's setting takes place in Wheatley's adulthood because the last time Wheatley would have seen her mom is when she was 8 years old, before she was taken into slavery.

*We understand Wheatley herself is the poet by later lines

Metaphor meaning sun rays reflecting off of the wet rocks; an intentional focus on the beauty of this setting shows Wheatley's fondness in regard to the proximity to her home.

Shortened version of "Chilled." Possible reasoning of this grammar choice: To conjure the use of "Black Vernacular" further suggesting that Wheatley is the speaker because it was in common use during her lifetime and not likely of Madgett to use it herself.

"Light" is a preface to Madgett's extended metaphor of sunlight and darkness to represent the roles of men and women.

Direct reference to famous 18th century poet, Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)

Reference to dark-skin individuals; black queens is also a reference to the "shadows" living not for glory or attention (like the sun), but in the background, humbly.

In her autobiography, "Pilgrim Journey" Madgett describes her mother: "After Mama was finished in the kitchen, she brought whichever visitor was there that night upstairs where she mended something..." referring to her mom being willing help anyone emotionally in need (possibly battling mental health) and physically in need (something they own is torn), by housing them for the night and mending their clothing.

Present tense verbiage shows we have now passed the shift that was anticipated by the earlier use of the past tense.

"Claim" suggests self-identification that opposes the intake of perception that was alluded to in people calling her "Prete" at the beginning.

Beginning and ending the poem with addressing her Mother explicitly, it is clear that she is the main intended audience.

Referencing to the first stanza's sun-verses-shadow analogy, Madgett depicts her mother as wind to reveal her belief that her father was so great only because her mother made him great.

Final use of sun analogy that reiterates the notion that women are the mastermind behind and maintainers of the men's success, as is the case in her Mother and Father's situation.

Reference to discrimination and racism that Madgett experienced in grade school

The shift that's been anticipated the whole poem has arrived. "Now" suggests a change in attitude; she didn't, "claim her place with honor" before

This clause reveals her intentions for raising her hand, thus showing her actions are hinged to her father's recognition and high-perception of her, not to righteousness itself.

Europe’s first super highway; it was ancient Rome’s most important military and economic artery. It is commonly depicted in art due to its fame and beauty.

In Christian doctrine "the enemy" is another way to refer to the Devil, or Satan (The fallen angel, known source of all evil).

Associated with the previously mentioned, "depression-weary clothes", "sagging spirit", and "quiet elegance," "sober ways" most likely refers to her mother's solemn and humble attitude. Further exemplifying Madgett's desire for recognition.*

*See "Seeking his favor"

(noun) a short ceremonial tune or flourish played on brass instruments, typically to introduce something or someone important.

(noun) -food and drink regarded as a source of strength; nourishment. OR the maintaining of someone or something in life or existence.

"Give us our daily bread" is a quote from The Lord's Prayer, commonly recited in Christian churches. Because she is referring to her mother, she elevates her mother's status to that of the divine in the ultimate form of praise.

Switch of pronouns from "he" to "you" reveal a shift to speaker addressing "Mother" again.

Idolatry is a sin frequently discussed in Christian Doctrine. Madgett knew this word's connotation and uses it paired with the past tense tone to foreshadow her change in perspective.

Madgett's father, Clarence Marcellus Long, was a Baptist Minister, thus making sense of her opening apology to her mother: perhaps for liking her Father more.

(noun) -a raised platform or lectern in a church or chapel from which the preacher delivers a sermon

(noun) -to insult (someone) by treating or speaking of them without proper respect or attention.

Past tense verbiage ("didn't, wasn't, hid, was, etc.) indicates that the speaker feels differently now, building anticipation for a perspective-altering change to be described

This is a shift in the poem, showing the distinct difference between her life in Africa and her life in America

Sources https://www.naomilongmadgett.com/biography https://www.biography.com/writer/phillis-wheatley https://www.nps.gov/boaf/winter-newsletter-2015-phillis-wheatleys-journey.htm

Final biblical reference; In John 8:24 Jesus states: "For unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins" revealing Wheatley's apparent bold, confident, and unapologetic view of herself

Our speaker appears to be using their imagination to escape the confines of this room and return to the inspiring world of the first two stanzas.

In a version published in The Black Scholar vol. 9, no. 3, “Midnight Song” has a somewhat different ending starting after this line with a separate stanza. This alternate ending is as follows:

"This is a blue room poem/ caught up in a web/ of no light/ The leaves weave/ a ring of gold/ painting the earth"

This line shows that the poem has spread all the way to the speaker, overwhelming their mind.

This line seems to be referring to the poem as a halo surrounding the earth, elevating the natural world to a holy status.

This is perhaps a reference to the title, the actual “Midnight Song” being that of the crickets.

In the version from The Black Scholar vol. 9, no. 3, this line is changed to say "of no light." This seems to be the most drastic change to the ending, as the alternate line paints a far bleaker final image.

The poem is now taking on the characteristics of the natural world, growing and spreading all over.

This line could be referring to the pale door of the blue room itself, or the pearly gates to heaven the speaker sees after "dying" each night.

The curtain here seems to be not only blocking out the natural light from the window, but creating the illusion of cage-like bars with stripes. This interpretation would further establish how trapped the speaker feels.

These lines suggest that the blue-room poem is “Midnight Song” itself, being written by our speaker/Lane.

The speaker here seems to dramatize the feeling of being stuck while writing their poetry in the blue room, as they compare it to dying every night.

Our only description of the girl at the window. This indentation draws attention to “her” ownership of the poem in this moment of reflection.

The first mention of this “blue room," a setting whose plainness contrasts greatly with the lively world Lane has described in previous stanzas.

We finish with the same color we started with, a blue, showing Lane's appreciation for the natural world. This also references a moment Lane talks about in “‘Pulling in the Natural Environment’: An Interview with Pinkie Gordon Lane” by John Lowe, in which her son asked her for binoculars in order to see the equator.

This stanza continues to show the ways in which poetry can enhance one’s imaginative perspective. It seems as though this stanza is trying to say that even an ordinary plane ride can feel magical with the creative power of poetry.

Capital of Kenya.

Lane here seems to be establishing a sense of freedom within the vastness of nature.

Lane leaves the “they” ambiguous here, perhaps a reference to other people in general or the creatures that have been mentioned in this poem.

Flotsam refers to debris or rubbish floating in water.

Attention to color starts with the mention of blue skies and will continue throughout the rest of the poem. This seems to be Lane expressing her appreciation for the variety of colors in Africa, subverting the stereotype of Africa as the "dark continent" devoid of prosperity.

Lane tells John Lowe in "‘Pulling in the Natural Environment’: An Interview with Pinkie Gordon Lane." that this is a reference to the lions she saw on a safari with her son in Africa.

In The Black Scholar, vol. 10, no. ¾, the words “streaks” and “outline” are changed to “streaking” and “outlining” suggesting a more active scene.

A casual stance, perhaps to show our subject as being a passive observer in the world being described.

Immediately Lane introduces readers to a world of movement and livelihood.

In this poem, even the seasons are in motion, fighting one another.

Girl at the Window is also the name of Lane’s 1991 poetry collection.

“She” could be referring to Lane herself or the woman pictured in African garb that Lane says inspired this poem in John Lowe's "‘Pulling in the Natural Environment’: An Interview with Pinkie Gordon Lane."

The poem addresses the subject of the poem again by comparing her to love, but also stating that she faces agony and death. This seems to relate to Gwendolyn Brooks's work having a positive, hopeful impact on black communities that were experiencing pain and exploitation, like the black meat-packing community that is referenced in the poem. While Brooks's words do not solve the corruption and power imbalances that the black urban community faces, they do provide a message of love and understanding.

“Meats for mayors” depicts the idea that extreme pain and suffering is being endured by both black workers and the animals so that wealthy, predominately white people can enjoy the delicacy of meat. The line seems to carry a sarcastic tone, as if to ask whether the passive enjoyment of an item like meat is worth the suffering that occurs to produce it.

“Bleats” is typically associated with lambs, which were often used in sacrifices because of their pure and innocent connotation. In the Bible, Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God, because He lived a completely sinless life but still sacrificed for the greater Christian good. The speaker of the poem seems to be using the bleats as both reference to the slaughtering occurring at the meat factory, and the pain endured by the black workers both in the factory and in their communities. The reference to lambs suggests that innocence is being destroyed.

This line references the process of producing meat again through language like “raw” and “fresh.” The speaker of the poem seems to be conflating the process of killing animals to create meat for consumption to the experience of lower socioeconomic black people.

Sacrificing both goods, animals, and people was once common practice in many religions, like Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism. The practice involves destroying the item, or killing the person or animal for forgiveness or blessings from a spiritual being.

Shanty towns refer to the dilapidated settlements that are typically on the outskirts of a town. Many African Americans in urban areas found themselves living in shanty towns, and workers in the meat-packing factories likely would have lived in such establishments.

This line suggests that the subject of the poem, which was previously established to be Gwendolyn Brooks, can provide healing and repair to the community with her words or phrases. This line references the fact that Brooks wrote about black urban struggles in her writing. Her first poetry volume A Street in Bronzeville portrayed the reality of the poor living and social conditions that the black community faced. Brooks's acknowledgement of these conditions seem to have made the community feel seen, while also functioning to challenge existing oppression.

“Weaning” as it is typically spelled references the process of slowly getting accustomed to life without something that a person was dependent on, like a baby off of milk or a patient off of medicine. However, the poem spells the word as “weening” which is a word that is not commonly used in modern language, but it means to think or have and opinion. These two definitions of similar words work together to depict the idea of both infancy and thinking, simultaneously occurring in the corruption of the streets.

A reference to a biblical story in which Jesus brought a dead man named Lazarus that had been buried in a tomb for four days back to life. This miracle caused many people in the Bible to acknowledge Jesus as Christ.

Since the poem references Chicago, the lake is most likely Lake Michigan, since the shore of Lake Michigan borders Chicago.

"Fasted days" refers to a typically religious practice of abstaining from food and/or drink for a certain period of time. The practice is thought to increase self-control, bodily autonomy, and relationship with a higher power.

The word "shank" has multiple definitions. Typically it either refers to a makeshift knife/ sharp weapon, or a meat shank, which is the portion of meat around the lower leg of the animal.

Chicago was Gwendoyn Brooks's hometown, and it was also a central location in the meat-packing industry, which is referenced throughout the poem. Many African Americans found work in the meat-packing industry after the Great Migration, which was when many black Americans moved out of the South in pursuit of better work and social treatment in the North. These goals were not entirely met, as the meat factories that employed many African Americans had notoriously terrible working conditions. According to Upton Sinclair’s exposé "The Jungle," workers were often seriously injured, exposed to diseases from the meat, worked long hours, and were paid very low wages.

It seems that this ins not only a prayer from Hattie to God, but it carries a doubly meaning. Hattie will also likely be the maidservant for her new master, and her purchase and servitude will be signs of witness "to this sale of womanflesh," giving constant evidence of the inhumanity of slavery for the master to bear.

Dolores Kendrick dedicated this poem to Gwendolyn Brooks, who was one of the most influential African American poets in the 20th century. The title appears to reference a well-known Brooks quote that asserts that "writing is a delicious agony."

It seems that this is one of Carrie's first experiences on the auction block; she's crying and nervous while Hattie knows what's going on. Kendrick may be describing Carrie's discomfort as the fever coming onto her, in addition to her possibly feeling sick in the moment. In contrast, Hattie is no stranger to the ills of slavery and is used to this public display of inhumanity; her "fever's gone cold". However, Carrie's anguish seems to have reignited an anger in Hattie that she hasn't had in some time, and she is well aware that, "exposed to the elements/ that gather up 'round her now," she must control herself. So, her words to her daughter are also a way for Hattie to keep herself calm.

It seems that, in the end, Hattie and Carrie are sold together. Hattie says "we ain't bought" because through her prayer and conversation with Carrie they refused to succumb to their own acceptance of slavery. They have not "bought in".

Kendrick seems to also point out the conflict that many slaves faced. If they were to unleash their own wrath, whites would feel that they "can recover from their own" participation in slavery, using it as an excuse for the buying, selling, and abuse of other humans.

This may be a comment on the subtle trap that materialism presents. Kendrick may not only be referring to the monetization of human life during slavery in the context of the poem. She may also be commenting on the prevalence of materialism over time, including the present. This line, along with the one before it, stand out as clear statements that live beyond Hattie and Carrie's time on the auction block, suggested by the line breaks that separate them from the body of other stanzas.

Hattie seems to be sure that, although her physical state would likely remain intact if Carrie is sold, every other aspect of her being down to her soul would be damaged. Kendrick brings up an often unrecognized effect of slavery, as enslaved persons endured abuse on every level. The physical torture inflicted was just as painful for enslaved persons as the emotional trauma involved.

Kendrick's use of enjambment here layers the meaning of these two lines. Hattie cannot leave the auction block in either the present or the foreseeable future. If she decided to run, she would surely be abused and likely separated from her child. In the second line, the hyphenated word "holo-cust" is clearly a play on the word holocaust—meaning a mass slaughter of people--used most commonly in reference to the Holocaust, the genocide of millions of Jewish people by Nazi Germany from 1941-1945. Kendrick seems to be likening the mass abduction, abuse, and even murder of millions of African Americans from the 1600s to the 1800s. However, the word "holo-cust" has a meaning of its own. The Greek word "holo" means entire, total, or complete, while the word "cust" likely refers to the Latin word "custos" which means guardian or oversight. When put together, the word holo-cust means something along the lines of total guardianship. This is the role Hattie takes on the auction block as Carrie's mother. However, when the two lines are read together, Kendrick comments on the compromising position that enslaved parents were forced into.

Kendrick's use of irony through Hattie's words seems to comment on the irony, hypocrisy, and absurdity of slavery. People dressed in fine clothing to do quite evil things like the purchase, division, and abuse of enslaved families.

Their refusal to cry or break down in front of these white people is an act of defiance that symbolically defeats "the evil" of slavery as to not let it affect them.

Hattie and Carrie are on an auction block as slaves about to be sold. This context is continued through the spoken word of Hattie describing what is actually going on.

Unleavened refers to bread or baked goods made without 'leavening agents' that would cause it to rise while being baked. The result is a flatter good like biscuits or tortillas. This may also be a biblical allusion. When Moses helped the Jews escape slavery in Egypt, they didn't have time to let their bread rise, so they ate unleavened bread. Jewish people eat unleavened bread at Passover year to commemorate their escape from bondage.

Peggy succeeded in killing her children but she herself did not die.

The use of both the italicized and non-italicized text are used to signal the thoughts and spoken words of the mother in the poem respectively. The mother is Hattie, and Carrie is her daughter.

Hattie, the enslaved mother, seems to be well aware of her humanity and the fact that whites, specifically white slave owners, believe her to be simply property. This echoes W.E.B. DuBois' concept of "double consciousness."

The repetition of this phrase, "Cain't be no slave forever," throughout the poem serves to reinforce the idea that anything, death included, is better than slavery.

Peggy is escaping the reality of her life, she feels a sense of relief knowing that her children don't have to live in slavery.

This is a comparison of the life the white children on the plantation live versus that of the life her children have to live.

In this verse, Kendrick compares the drowning of Peggy and her family to a baptism - the boat, intending to take them back to slavery, instead leads them to glory through death.

Many slave mothers believed that death was a better option for their children than living as slaves. Margaret Garner, the women who inspired Kendrick to write this poem, killed her two-year old daughter and attempted to kill her three other children because she held this belief.

This is a foreshadowing of events that are to come and a sentiment that appears frequently in slavery-era spirituals such as "Steal Away to Jesus" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." These narratives point simultaneously to the possible freedom of escape from slavery and the comparative 'freedom' of heaven/death.

Philadelphia was supposed to be a safe haven for Peggy and her family, instead they were captured again.

The italics within this verse indicate that these are the words of Peggy's masters.

Kendrick wrote this poem after researching Margaret Garner, a slave who attempted to escape with her husband and children. Her story also inspired Toni Morrison's Beloved and an opera called Margaret Garner.

Peggy exhibits a sense of hope as they travel to Philadelphia, "Lord, here I come!" indicates the relief she is feeling as she approaches freedom.

The italicized subtitles found throughout the poem serve to indicate the events that are happening in the verses that follow.

This is a reference to Jesus's resurrection before his ascension to heaven.

The boat is transporting Peggy and her children to Philadelphia where they will be free.

Kendrick chose to write "Peggy in Killing" in an African American vernacular, engaging in a poetic tradition pioneered by Paul Laurence Dunbar and other writers of the vernacular tradition, such as Zora Neale Hurston and Sterling Brown. Her use of this dialect can also be seen as an indication that the subject of the poem, Peggy, has not had a formal education.

High school in Washington D.C. that Ellis attended. In the 1870s, it was a public high school for African Americans. In 1955 Bolling vs Sharpe allowed for the process of integration. (https://www.dunbarhsdc.org/about_us)

This reference to a prince seems to bring to mind a fairytale-like character, a 'Prince Charming' who is the personal savior for the woman. This pairs with the cult of true womanhood: the 19th century ideal that women should be religiously devout, virgins, domestic, and submissive. When these underlying concepts are put together in the context of the poem, Derricotte may be referring to this prince as the savior of this woman's sexual livelihood, her 'second coming'.

this phrase is repeated in the beginning of the poem. Instead of saying “they call me out of my name”then the speaker changes it to “do not”. This refers to a demand and to show the power of who she is “ A Black”

From the date stated in the poem.

A grocery store chain in the South. This is key, because it tells you this event happened in the South. This was written in 1997 and racism is prevalent in the South still.

In his introduction, Jackson ends by saying, "You come to understand that yeah, your neighborhood is kinda absurd, but people like Steve are family," implying that Steve's community of believers are those living in the North Philadelphia neighborhood where he grew up.

"Can you see him?" indicates a shift in tone as Jackson asks the reader to take the imagery of Steve from above and visualize him in the car instead of as the car.

These words are all colloquial indicators for the word "crazy." "Touched" can also be used to indicate that somebody has been blessed or "touched by God."

Jackson is from North Philadelphia and mentions streets and stores from the area.

Jackson references religious imagery in the poem, comparing Steve to a preacher earlier, in order to imply that the community where he lives understands him.

Jackson is comparing the movements that Steve makes to that of a car. In his movements, his feet become the wheels.

Through his use of religious imagery, Jackson implies that Steve has a following of believers within his community.

In the published version of the poem, mentions of cars are written in capital letters.

In introducing "Some Kind of Crazy," Jackson explains that "there was this guy named Steve who used to walk around like he was driving a car" - the imagery used in the poem is designed to compare Steve's actions to that of someone driving a car - specifically a 1985 Corvette.

Jackson mentions the concept of Theatre of the Absurd when introducing this poem at the 1994 Conference, indicating that the poem is written from a distanced perspective, looking down on the actions of the people described.

A term coined by Larry Neal in 1968, the "Black aesthetic" is a concept central to the Black Arts Movement and the Black Power movement. Neal and his contemporaries called for a rejection of the "Western" aesthetic and the development of a completely new mode of art and creation, as "it is impossible to construct anything meaningful within [the Western aesthetic's] decaying structure" (Neal, "The Black Arts Movement, from The Drama Review, Summer 1968).

a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences.

The rabbit is a symbol of prosperity, abundance, and fertility. The rabbit symbolism of longevity is very true because of its ability to reproduce and build ancestry.

tender, juicy, and tasty, sexual and sweet connotation

Love and happiness is still associated with distillation which relates to alcohol and sex.

'to' shows that the 'organic sacristy abode' is being a home to an "exquisite profanity." Separation of exquisite may suggest the strange division and unity of exquisite (extremely beautiful and, typically, delicate) and profanity (blasphemous or obscene language)

inspiring a sense of spiritual mystery, awe, and fascination

In the Bible, pearl is described as a complete and lustrous gem created by God through nature. Pearl in latin means precious.

Refers back to the "horizontal harvest" in the beginning of the poem

a room in a church where a priest prepares for a service, and where vestments and other things used in worship are kept. Being next to organic and abode may suggest the mothers pregnant belly is a natural 'sacred room' or 'abode' for the baby

Red wine increases sexual arousal in both men and women

The enjambment of pump-Kin emphasizes the sexual connotation of pump and the family aspect of kin

Spanish/ Portuguese definition: old trees that fertilize new trees, referencing sexual fertilization

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun, and the rotation of the Earth. The cycle of the moon also has connotations of menstruation, which, if stopped, implies that the woman is pregnant. This phrase may also suggest that the world the speaker is living in has stopped spinning at this moment while womb waves are seen inside the woman.

the tailed aquatic larva of an amphibian

a soft-bodied legless larva, especially that of a fly found in decaying matter.

Here, the poem seems to shift from depicting sex as something merely sweet and pleasurable to being the cause of fertilization, creation, evolution.

a starchy substance in the form of hard white grains, obtained from cassava and used in cooking for puddings and other dishes.

The speaker seems to be realizing that sex is about more than pleasure: rather, it has the ability (or power) to create life

Emphasis and repetition of living in the now and not worrying about future consequences

more comparisons between sweets and sex

means being born or coming into existence for the first time

Superstition, prejudice, bringer of good or bad luck. Opposite of the superstitious meaning of peach in the beginning that is lucky

repetition of not considering consequences and living 'invincibly' in the now

Tune or tuning has slang definitions of to flirt

pleasant to look at; attractive.

Rhapsody: an effusively enthusiastic or ecstatic expression of feeling. Bellies clapping may suggest sexual "expression of feeling"

Cane and sweets are repeatedly associated with sexuality

a pronounced beat finger-popping, toe-tapping music, also has a sexual connotation

The poem is written with a sort of rhythm, but not a regular or structured rhythm. So, this line may be referring to the irregular beat of the poem and reflecting the irregular structure of life's "rhythm."

any of numerous usually cloudy and rounded spots or patches of a color or shade different from their background

An assertive person who shares opinions or acts in ways that are stronger than the extant social power structure might predict. Especially of a woman, since men often wrongly expect women to be weak, acquiescent, or void of certain types of knowledge.

"The presence of the peach in folklore, literature, religion, paintings, embroidery, and in the affection of the people signifies luck, abundance, and protection." The fruit is believed to offer immortality or at least reaching very old age. This may suggest the idea of invisibility when you're young and drunk. (Jacqueline M. Newman, Flavor&Fortune - peach meaning in folklore and literature)

Bessie Smith was a wildly successful American blues singer in the 1920s and 30s. Smith was known as the "Empress of Blues."

Bessie Smith was a wildly successful American blues singer in the 1920s and 30s. Smith was known as the "Empress of Blues."

A chain gang is a group of convicts chained together while working outside the prison. In the early 1900s, news of the wretched conditions of convict laborers began to be publicized, and the violence and corruption of the system began to turn public opinion against convict leasing. Though many citizens and politicians wanted to abolish convict leasing, the problem of the expense and difficulty of housing convicts remained. Chain gangs developed as a popular solution to that problem.

Bud Powell has an album called "Tell It to the Rain" and a song "September in the Rain".

A hook is a boxing term for a punch thrown with one's arm at a 90 degree angle, usually aimed at the jaw. This is a play on words, since "hook" is also a music term for a part of the song that "catches the ear" of the listener.

There is am important connection here between the musicians and boxing. On September 23, 1952, a jazz concert at Massey Hall in Toronto featured Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Bud Powell, bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach. Each of the performers was a towering figure of jazz's first century, and this was the only time that they ever played together. However, their concert was held at the same time as the World Heavyweight boxing match between Rocky Marciano and Jersey Joe Walcott, which resulted in the attendance of the concert being so small that the venue could not afford to pay the musicians.

Lead Belly, or Huddie William Ledbetter, was an American folk and blues singer, known for his use of the twelve-string guitar in the early 19th century. Lead Belly is often credited with setting the standards for modern American folk music. The blues is a music form known for taking the painful and making it beautiful, which is what this poem is doing.

"Twelve string" is a reference to the guitar, and probably to Lead Belly as before. Together with the blues, this is most likely referring to the old blues of the Mississippi Delta, which were derived from African spirituals.

This is referring to prominent bebop musician Charlie "Bird" Parker.

Dizzy Gillespie was another major figure in the develpoment of bebop. In 1952, Parker and Gillespie released an album called "Bird and Diz."

This is for jazz pianist Bud Powell, who was a leading figure in the development of modern jazz, or bebop.

The poem moves back and forth between music/beauty and violence.

Throughout the poem, the tone of the refrain shifts from the romantic nostalgia of the original lyric to the tragedy and racial trauma of Bessie's death.

This could be a reference to Powell's arrest for marijuana possessionin 1951.

Smith was known for being outspoken.

Martha's vineyard was a popular vacation destination for middle class Black families during this time, especially the area Oak Bluffs.

"Stacked deck" is possibly alluding to the unfair circumstances for Black people in the South during the 1930s in relation to opportunities for whites.

Smith weighed about 200lbs, which was one reason that those present at the accident decided it would be too difficult to transfer her to the car of a passerby who was willing to drive her to get care.

Probably a reference to the song "I'm a Little Blackbird Looking for a Bluebird" by Louis Armstrong. Smith recorded with Armstrong during her career. Also, the blackbird holds a racial connotation.

Here, there is a stark contrast between this voice and the voice of the poem—the voice of the poem eulogizes Bessie as a music hero, this one both writes her off and kills her off using this racial slur.

This holds a double meaning, referring to both the medical bands taping up Smith's bleeding arm and the fact that her career was during a time when large jazz bands were composed of white musicians.

The refrain of the poem is an allusion to the first four lines of the song "My Last Affair" sung by Billie Holiday:

Can't you see What love and romance have done to me I'm not the same as I used to be This is my last affair

Holiday recorded the song with Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra in 1936, the year before Smith's death. Smith and Holiday were two of the most famous blues singers in the 1920s and 30s.

"Last Affair" is a reference to Smith's death.

Smith died at age 43.

In reference to the automobile accident that led to the death of Bessie Smith. Her arm was torn from her body and she was bleeding profusely, but could not receive proper medical treatment in time due to the fact that the closest hospital to the accident would not accept African American patients.

In comparison to "Nikki-Rosa," Giovanni's famous and frequently anthologized poem about how her childhood was happy in a way that white people cannot understand, this poem differs, possibly because it is specifically intended for a Black audience.

Gospel music is also representative of the American south and rooted in the African American religious experience.

Barbecue, buttermilk, and homemade ice-cream are also emblematic of southern cooking and food, especially in summer.

Giovanni's references to food are also specifically related to the culinary tradition of enslaved peoples. Buttermilk, for example, was an after product of making butter and drank by enslaved peoples to gain as many nutrients as possible. Okra, also, is believed to come specifically from Africa.

Throughout the poem, Giovanni uses staples of Black southern life as imagery. Okra and Greens, for example, are staple vegetables in southern cooking.

Giovanni likely turned Knoxville Tennessee into a children's book to offer positive representation for children of color. As Alice Fannin discussed in her article "Black Poetry: Three for the Children," Giovanni has often stated that there were "precious few" poetry books for children when she was growing up and even fewer "especially for us," emphasizing the need for more diversity in children's literature. Giovanni has written countless other volumes of children's poetry, such as Spin a Soft Black Song (1971), The Genie in The Jar (1996), Rosa (2005), and The Grasshopper's Song (2008).

Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. Giovanni and her sister went to Knoxville every summer to visit their grandparents, which likely serves as inspiration for this poem.

Giovanni's poem presents a joyous recollection of childhood and summertime memories.

Originally published in the 1968 poetry collection Black Judgement and intended for an adult audience, Knoxville, Tennessee was reborn in 1994 as a children's book with full-color illustrations done by Larry Johnson.

Here, Evans is referencing Claude McKay’s poem "If We Must Die." Similar to McKay’s poem, Mari Evans is using this stanza as a call-to-arms of sorts, insinuating that complacence is harmful and action must be taken to enact change.

Here Evans is pointing out the lack of actual progress in the fight against racism, where the "change" made to combat injustice did not go far enough - where racial slurs become taboo but violence towards Black citizens continues.

Because of the attempted change in code to end explicit verbal racism that Evans references in her earlier line, "all transition merely language," she is implying that the oppression of Black people has become more subversive and systematic. Racism isn't gone, and thus the war against it is not over, but it becomes more difficult to fight against a system than those that control it.

Like the call-to-action that Evan’s conjures earlier in this verse, she uses this line to place the blame of the unrelenting oppression that is still ongoing on those that are complacent to it.

“Alabama Landscape” is written in three verses, each one moving further into the future. The first is set in the time of slavery, the second in the “present” when the poem was written, and the third looks to the future for action and change.

Evans’ second verse builds in frustration as it works to re-contextualize the oppression of African Americans from the first act as something that is still occurring today. The seemingly hopeful end of the first act is met with a bleak future/”Present” in the second.

Alabama has a long and tragic history systematic racism and injustice towards African Americans. By naming this poem, “Alabama Landscape,” Mari Evans is using specific place as a relevant model of the continuous and unsolved disease of racism in America.

In her introduction at the 1994 Furious Flower conference, Mari Evans dedicates this poem to African American victims police brutality, to exemplify this reoccurring history or violence and injustice. In particular, she dedicates the poem to Michael Taylor, a 16 year old Black boy in 1987 that was shot in the temple while his hands were steel-cuffed behind his back; his death was unjustly ruled a “suicide”.

Evans' use of words like "disciplined" and "welts" serves to present imagery that is both related to the natural scene/setting of the first verse, and to slavery, as the first verse paints a picture of Black slaves running in fear of their white enslavers, attempting to escape.

Mari Evans uses line breaks to emphasize the strength and perseverance of a person that has endured injustice. When read aloud at the 1994 Furious Flower conference, Evans gives each of these three words their due diligence with significant time to settle.