I am black! I am darkening with song, I am hearkening to wrong! I will be black as blackness can— The blacker the mantle, the mightier the man! For blackness was ancient ere whiteness began. I am daubing God in night, I am swabbing Hell in white:
He is reclaiming his black excellence. I find his phrasing of swabbing Hell in white ironic seeing as white people were Christians at this time.
Wedding the toil of toiling climes, Shedding the blood of bloodless crimes— Lurid lowering ’mid the blue, Torrid towering toward the true,
He is aware of other people's turmoil and troubles during slavery and hard times.
I am the Smoke King I am black!
even at the first glance and at the first couple lines, you can definitely tell this poem is about black empowerment.
He was her man, but he done her wrong
The repetition of this line was foreshadowing the whole song.
"Well, I don't want to cause you no trouble And I don't want to tell you no lies But I seen your man about an hour ago With that high-browed Nellie Bly He was your man, I think he's doing you wrong"
This bartender knows what happened and he chose to tell her the truth about Johnny's affair.
He was my man, I think he's doing me wrong"
She is suspicious. It's almost a gut feeling.
Frankie and Johnny were lovers Oh lordy, how they could love Swore to be true to each other Just as true as the stars above He was her man, but he done her wrong
"Oh Lordy, how they could love", they were star-crossed lovers. They made their relationship known.
Many thousands gone
The use of repetition in this phrase gives me thee feeling that she's also mourning those that came before her. The music in itself is haunting as it is beautiful.
No more driver's lash for meNo more, no moreNo more driver's lash for me
Driver's lash meaning the whipping she had to take. Whipping plays such a big part in slavery that she includes it.
No more auction block for me
This beginning is strong, but soft. It's almost timid and reserved. This could've been any type of song but it's slow, sad, and emotional, which is unlike other songs at this time.
I learned there for the first time some of its value, not only in keeping the body healthy, but in inspiring self-respect and promoting virtue.
I like this sentence, he now knows the pros of hygiene and how it can help with self image and such.
nse desire which the people of my race showed for an education. As I have stated, it was a whole race trying to go to school. Few were too young, and none too old, to make the attempt to learn. As fast as any kind of teachers could be secured, not only were day-schools filled, but night-schools as well. The great ambition of the older people was to try to learn to read the Bible before they died
This is a deafening part of the story, it really shows the intentional want and desire of people of all ages to learn.
From the time that I can remember having any thoughts about anything, I recall that I had an intense longing to learn to read.
This sentence spoke to me, his want to read and his little obsession with education in general tells me that this will be a topic that he mentions a lot.
She was simply a victim of the system of slavery.
This was the first time this was referred to as the system of slavery, the oppression, ironically, is systematic.
An impression of this potato-hole is very distinctly engraved upon my memory, because I recall that during the process of putting the potatoes in or taking them out I would often come into possession of one or two, which I roasted and thoroughly enjoyed.
An example of simply pleasure, something that was rare and did not happen a lot. I think we forget our privilege and their simple and steadfast joys in life.
A SLAVE AMONG SLAVES
I think this chapter title is significant, it's telling us that he was a "normal" slave, just like any other you would see in a sense.
His soul in conscious virtue strong, And armed with innate rectitude, Loving the right, detesting wrong, And seeking the eternal good
His soul will always be strong in virtue, always be armed with rectitude when standing on self-reliance. When doing this, you will continuously be able to differentiate between right and wrong. You will always be good and seek the good,
n bonds mysterious to unite The finite with the infinite; And draw a blessing from above, Of infinite on finite lov
He is ultimately talking of self-love. This is the kind of love that shows infinite in times where you genuinely cannot rely on anything else outside of yourself.
"Self-Reliance" close-up 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 I LOVE the man whose lofty mind On God and its own strength relies; Who seeks the welfare of his kind, And dare be honest though he dies; Who cares not for the world’s applause,
This beginning is simply a look into the list of what the whole poem is about. He begins by defining what self reliance is, and the essence of the appeal of it.
Its noble aspirations crushed, Its generous zeal, its love of truth, Trampled by tyrants in the dust; The aerial piles which fancy reared, And hopes too bright to be enjoyed, Have passed and left his young heart seared, And all its dreams of bliss destroyed.
This portion of this poem makes me feel like Whitfield is again, talking about our ancestors from the past. They dreamed of freedom, these soldiers believed that they were getting the best afterwards, but that was not the case. Noble aspirations crushed, trampled by tyrants (the white people). Hopes too bright to be enjoyed, dreams of bliss destroyed. He's giving these people feelings and inner wants and needs.
Oh no; they fought, as they believed, For the inherent rights of man; But mark, how they have been deceived By slavery's accursed plan.
In this phrase I feel like Whitfield is trying to say is that white and black men fought side by side, but not to be treated in the manner that they are treating slaves. The black people of this past time would feel betrayed and upset at the circumstances.
Hang closely together like friends, By peace killing foes never driven, The storm of commotion eternally ends, And earth will soon turn into Heaven.
He talks about how eventually things will be perfect and pure again. War is temporary, heaven is forever.
Each soon will arrive at his own native home, And struggle in warfare no more.
This part stuck out to me because he is spectating the peace that will come after the war.
She like a restless bird, Would spread her wing, her power to be unfurl’d, And let her songs be loudly heard, And dart from world to world.
Again, the bird visual and comparison. He wants to be seen and have liberty from this place.
My genius from a boy, Has fluttered like a bird within my heart; But could not thus confined her powers employ, Impatient to depart.
He thinks of himself as very intelligent, he compares his ability to learn to a bird. This bird is caged by oppression and it is desperate to leave and make an impression on the world.
I feel myself in need Of the inspiring strains of ancient lore, My heart to lift, my empty mind to feed, And all the world explore.
Horton feels trapped, by slavery. He wants to explore the world, he wants to feel light and free, he wants to gain knowledge.
Still, wond’rous youth! each noble path pursue, On deathless glories fix thine ardent view:
I'm assuming when she says "deathless glories" she means his artwork. So, in full she is encouraging him to pursue his path, keep making artwork, it's the only thing that doesn't perish.
Virtue
Phillis' topic is asking her readers to rely on their virtue and to not let evil make it's way to them.