I look at the world
I look at the world
From awakening eyes in a black face—
And this is what I see:
This fenced-off narrow space
Assigned to me.
I look then at the silly walls
Through dark eyes in a dark face—
And this is what I know:
That all these walls oppression builds
Will have to go!
I look at my own body
With eyes no longer blind—
And I see that my own hands can make
The world that's in my mind.
Then let us hurry, comrades,
The road to find.
(www.poetryfoundation.org)
ANALYSIS
the poem I Look At the World is about an African American realizing that he has basically been pushed into a corner and he freedom has been limited. it sounds like at first he was sure that this is all he could have in life until he realized that he could have and do more. "i look at my own body with eyes no longer blind" in this stanza he is saying that he will no longer be blinded by the hatred and oppression, and that instead of settling for less and doing what is expected from an African American, hes going to go above and beyond.
the HR themes that i see in this poem are determination to fight oppression, and pride. i said determination to fight oppression because in the poem he clearly expresses "that all these walls oppression builds will have to go!" by this i think he means that instead of staying and settling behind the "walls" of oppression, to break them and go beyond them. i said pride because he says "And I see that my own hands can make the world that's in my mind." its sounds like he is becoming at peace with who is is, and not what people tell him he is. i see this as being pride because it sounds like he has gained a new found love for himself and things he can do.
the only poetic devices that i can find are rhyming. because some of the words in the stanzas rhyme but its not constant. i chose this poem because i thought that it was a good example of what was going through peoples minds during the Harlem renaissance, because it seems like hes just not speaking for himself but any and every black American struggling to be something more during the HR.
I like this poem because i can kind of visualize the message he is trying to convey in this poem, i also like it because the message is straight to the point. its very colorful and i love how it speaks not just for one person but to a lot of black people. it sounds like a personal poem, but others can relate to it, almost like he is saying things that other African Americans wanted to say but weren't brave enough to do.
ANALYSIS
the poem I Look At the World is about an African American realizing that he has basically been pushed into a corner and he freedom has been limited. it sounds like at first he was sure that this is all he could have in life until he realized that he could have and do more. "i look at my own body with eyes no longer blind" in this stanza he is saying that he will no longer be blinded by the hatred and oppression, and that instead of settling for less and doing what is expected from an African American, hes going to go above and beyond.
the HR themes that i see in this poem are determination to fight oppression, and pride. i said determination to fight oppression because in the poem he clearly expresses "that all these walls oppression builds will have to go!" by this i think he means that instead of staying and settling behind the "walls" of oppression, to break them and go beyond them. i said pride because he says "And I see that my own hands can make the world that's in my mind." its sounds like he is becoming at peace with who is is, and not what people tell him he is. i see this as being pride because it sounds like he has gained a new found love for himself and things he can do.
the only poetic devices that i can find are rhyming. because some of the words in the stanzas rhyme but its not constant. i chose this poem because i thought that it was a good example of what was going through peoples minds during the Harlem renaissance, because it seems like hes just not speaking for himself but any and every black American struggling to be something more during the HR.
I like this poem because i can kind of visualize the message he is trying to convey in this poem, i also like it because the message is straight to the point. its very colorful and i love how it speaks not just for one person but to a lot of black people. it sounds like a personal poem, but others can relate to it, almost like he is saying things that other African Americans wanted to say but weren't brave enough to do.
