Poetry Anthology - Racism in African-American Poetry
P O E T R Y
A N T H O L O G Y
“Racism and Suffering in African American
Poetry”
1|Page
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Cover Page ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………………………..……………… 2
Prologue …..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……… 3
Poem List ….…………………………………………………………………………………………..………………….…… 4
Commentaries ……………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… 5
“Africa” by Maya Angelou ……………………………….………………………………………………………..………… 6
Commentary …………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………… 7
“Song for a Dark Girl” by Langston Hughes ….……………………………………………………………………… 8
Commentary ………………………………………………….……………………………………………………..…………… 9
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley ……………………………………… 10
Commentary ……………...……………………………………….…………………………………………………………… 11
“Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen ……………………………….………………………………………………… 12
Commentary …………………………………………………….……………………………………………………….……… 13
“Taint” by Grace Nichols……………………………………………………………………………………..……………… 14
“First Fire” by Camille T. Dungy…………………………………………………………………………………………… 15
“God Give to Men” by Arna Bontemps…………………………………………………………………………….…… 16
“Ghetto Gospel” by Tupac Shakur, Elton John, and Bernie Taupin…………………………………..…… 17-19
Epilogue ……..………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………… 20
Bibliography ……..………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
2|Page
P R O L O G U E
In the last few decades, the African-American community has been subject to matters of racism in all forms of social, political, and social discrimination. Throughout history, racism has been the driving force behind slave trade, racial discrimination, and apartheid. Such matters were highlighted in modern day poetry by renowned poets of African descent such as Maya Angelou, Grace Nichols, and Tupac Shakur. They sought after poetry as a mean of achieving social justice and evenhandedness. Such is why the poems I opted to choose take on themes
A N T H O L O G Y
“Racism and Suffering in African American
Poetry”
1|Page
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Cover Page ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………………………..……………… 2
Prologue …..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……… 3
Poem List ….…………………………………………………………………………………………..………………….…… 4
Commentaries ……………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… 5
“Africa” by Maya Angelou ……………………………….………………………………………………………..………… 6
Commentary …………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………… 7
“Song for a Dark Girl” by Langston Hughes ….……………………………………………………………………… 8
Commentary ………………………………………………….……………………………………………………..…………… 9
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley ……………………………………… 10
Commentary ……………...……………………………………….…………………………………………………………… 11
“Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen ……………………………….………………………………………………… 12
Commentary …………………………………………………….……………………………………………………….……… 13
“Taint” by Grace Nichols……………………………………………………………………………………..……………… 14
“First Fire” by Camille T. Dungy…………………………………………………………………………………………… 15
“God Give to Men” by Arna Bontemps…………………………………………………………………………….…… 16
“Ghetto Gospel” by Tupac Shakur, Elton John, and Bernie Taupin…………………………………..…… 17-19
Epilogue ……..………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………… 20
Bibliography ……..………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
2|Page
P R O L O G U E
In the last few decades, the African-American community has been subject to matters of racism in all forms of social, political, and social discrimination. Throughout history, racism has been the driving force behind slave trade, racial discrimination, and apartheid. Such matters were highlighted in modern day poetry by renowned poets of African descent such as Maya Angelou, Grace Nichols, and Tupac Shakur. They sought after poetry as a mean of achieving social justice and evenhandedness. Such is why the poems I opted to choose take on themes